Chapter 122: Lady Magatama Seeks an Apprentice

Tang Long was on the road, his eyes deep in thought as he pondered the long-term implications.

He could not guarantee whether "Big Black" would be accepted by secular society. Given the sheer size of the Black-Scaled Flood Dragon, it far exceeded what an ordinary person could handle. If a hundred people saw it, ninety would be scared out of their wits. No zoo in the world contained such a massive creature.

"Spirit beasts" were difficult to capture, and only spirit beasts had the potential to be tamed. Ferocious beasts were inherently bloodthirsty; even if tamed, they could not be brought into the world of ordinary people. If it hadn't been for the Black-Scaled Flood Dragon seeking him out on its own, Tang Long never would have considered taming a spirit beast, let alone one of such colossal proportions.

Although Zhen Nantian had not explicitly forbidden Big Black from appearing before the public, if Tang Long were to put the flood dragon on display for people to gawk at like a "giant panda," that would surely… well, it certainly wouldn't work, right?

Why was the Loch Ness Monster world-famous? Countless people traveled to Loch Ness every year, but had anyone actually seen the monster in the water?

Therefore, it was not strictly necessary for the Black-Scaled Flood Dragon to be seen by everyone, yet it couldn't be kept entirely hidden either. A mix of truth and deception, a bit of mystery, was the only way to stir up public curiosity. Tang Long hadn't figured out the logistics yet, but he decided to wait until the infrastructure of Yutou Village was completed before addressing it.

On the way, Tang Long received a call from Gou Yuniang. It was fortunate that Zhang Xiu'e was in Wu Zhengyao's car, or he would have found it awkward to answer.

"Hmm?" Tang Long gave a dry laugh, not sure what to say. After all, they weren't particularly close, and their time together had been brief. Their relationship had just progressed rather quickly.

Gou Yuniang asked softly, "Are you... in a convenient place to talk right now?"

"Yes," Tang Long replied. "I'm driving, go ahead."

"Oh!" Gou Yuniang was silent for a moment before asking in a low voice, "Are you coming to the city tonight? Do you want me to make dinner for you?"

Tang Long’s lips curled into a wry smile, though he felt a strange sensation. An image of Gou Yuniang flashed through his mind; her skin was truly flawless, and she was certainly nothing like the "dead piece of wood" her ex-husband had described.

"I’ll mostly be staying at Yutou Village for now; I rarely head into the county seat," Tang Long said after a slight pause. He thought of Gou Yuniang spending all day at the Baofeng Carving Factory, rarely going out. It was probably fine while she was busy with work during the day, but at night, being alone in such a large house must be quite lonely. He hesitated, then asked, "Are there any female workers at the carving factory?"

"Female workers?" Gou Yuniang was stunned. On the other end of the line, she asked with a hint of nervousness and defensiveness, "What... what are you trying to do?"

Tang Long rolled his eyes and laughed bitterly. "What do you mean 'what am I trying to do'? I just thought that if there are female workers you trust, you could have one move into the villa to live with you. It would save you from being all alone and bored, with no one to talk to at night."

Gou Yuniang breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought this guy was up to something untoward again! She hesitated and said, "There are female workers at the factory, but I’ve been thinking of taking on an apprentice. I don't feel like any of them are quite right."

Taking on an apprentice? Tang Long rubbed his nose. He didn't find it strange that these "craft inheritors" sought apprentices. Without an inheritance, the skill died with them. Many things had lost their traditions this way, though he knew that what a master possessed wasn't always successfully passed down to their students.

"That's fine, I support you completely. Do you have someone in mind?" Tang Long asked with a smile. Although he hadn't known Gou Yuniang long, he felt she wasn't like a typical forty-year-old woman; she was more like a young girl who had just grown up. She certainly had many thoughts, but she wouldn't easily reveal them to outsiders—only to those she trusted.

Could her ex-husband, Boss Yang, who had slept beside her for years, honestly say he understood Gou Yuniang? Absolutely not. Because Gou Yuniang didn't trust him, she had never opened her inner world to him. Tang Long had once tried to "hypnotize" her, but he discovered that Gou Yuniang’s mental strength was far superior to the average person. Even a half-baked hypnotist like him couldn't make it work using standard methods. Yet, he could feel that Gou Yuniang trusted him deeply—a trust that even surpassed what she had for her ex-husband. Why? Tang Long couldn't say. Perhaps people were just different; some were naturally endearing, and well, who could blame her when he was so handsome?

"Yes, there is one!" Gou Yuniang paused and said, "I happened to meet her while shopping. She should be studying at the county middle school now. She's quite young, and I felt a connection the moment I saw her."

Gou Yuniang opened up, sharing her little secret with Tang Long. In short, she had stumbled upon a young girl, felt a connection, and wanted to take her on as an apprentice, but was afraid her parents wouldn't agree, so she hadn't dared to approach them. The way she described her feelings was almost like a crush, only she wasn't interested in the girl's body, but in teaching her the craft.

Tang Long didn't interrupt, listening while he drove; it was a long way back from the county seat anyway.

"Why not just go and talk to the girl and her parents directly?" Tang Long asked with a smile after she finished.

Gou Yuniang whispered, "I don't know!"

Often, especially with the inheritance of such crafts, it wasn't just the apprentice choosing the master—the master was also seeking the apprentice. The cost of apprenticeship was high, but if a master found a true talent, they would be eager to spend money to bring the person into their fold. That was exactly how Gou Yuniang felt.

Tang Long thought for a moment and said, "In a couple of days, when I'm done with things here, I'll go with you to meet the girl and her parents. We'll see if they have any interest in her learning the craft, okay?"

"That would be wonderful!" Gou Yuniang replied cheerfully. If she had told her ex-husband about this, he surely would have mocked her, but this young man never did.

"Alright, keep yourself safe when you're sleeping tonight," Tang Long reminded her with a smile. Although Taoyuan County wasn't particularly wealthy, public security in the area was good, and there hadn't been any major crimes reported in the surrounding villages in recent years.

After hanging up, Tang Long shook his head with a smile. She was the kind of woman who might seem pleasant at first glance, but whose depths only became more intriguing the more you came to know her.

Behind him, Zhang Xiu'e sat in the back of Wu Zhengyao's official car, with secretary Wang Feiyue in the front passenger seat and a chauffeur driving. She and Wu Zhengyao sat in the back, lost in their own thoughts.