Chapter 39: Chapter 37 Ginseng Manor! The Infinite
Martial Arts!_l
Translator: 549690339
Indeed, with a smile, Yan Song said, “I’m renting a house in Ginseng Town also to purchase some medicinal herbs to aid my martial arts cultivation. There’s a Ginseng Manor in the town where I usually buy my herbs. Although the prices are a bit high, it saves me a lot of trouble. I can take you there tomorrow.”
“Then I’ll be troubling you.”
Su Changkong nodded slightly.
After staying a night at Yan Song’s residence without conversation, the time moved on to the next morning.
Early in the morning, Yan Song led Su Changkong to the Ginseng Manor in Ginseng Town.
In the morning, the streets of Ginseng Town became busy with vendors and pedestrians making a living, starting a new day.
“Mom, I want to eat candied haws!”
“Alright, but you have to eat more at meals, you’re growing!
On the street, a middle-aged woman was leading a child. This woman, with a gentle demeanor, paid a copper coin to a vendor selling candied haws.
“Hmm?”
Su Changkong was surprised because he noticed Yan Song glancing several times toward the woman, swallowing slightly. Yan Song, always so fierce and harsh in appearance, seemed almost fixated.
“Brother Yan likes candied haws?”
Su Changkong couldn’t help but ask.
“Ah? No, that’s not it…” Yan Song returned to his senses, somewhat embarrassedly sidestepping the subject, “We’re almost at the Ginseng Manor.
The Manor Lord, Liu Feng, is a bit peculiar, so it’s best not to offend him.” Although Su Changkong was curious about Yan Song’s lapse, he did not press the question.
Ginseng Manor, located within Ginseng Town, was a manor that engaged in the business of buying ginseng and medicinal herbs. With tens of people, it was considered a powerful establishment in Ginseng Town. The Manor Lord, Liu Feng, had a bad temper, but few dared to offend him in Ginseng Town.
Soon, the two arrived outside Ginseng Manor.
Ginseng Manor had tall walls, and from within, one could smell the fragrance of herbs wafting out. At the entrance, there were Ginseng Manor disciples wielding blades on their waists, standing guard.
“Lord Yan Song.” Upon Yan Song’s arrival, a man at the entrance of Ginseng Manor greeted him respectfully.
As a martial artist who practiced strength refinement, Yan Song often needed to purchase medication to assist in his cultivation. Therefore, he rented a residence in Ginseng Town and frequented Ginseng Manor, making him a recognized figure to the people there.
“I would like to see Manor Lord Liu; is he available?”
Yan Song inquired.
“Please follow me.”
The man invited Yan Song and Su Changkong into Ginseng Manor.
Su Changkong saw that inside Ginseng Manor, there were countless unknown herbs drying under the sun, emitting a medicinal fragrance. Ginseng Manor specialized in the medicinal herb business.
After a short wait in a parlor, a man with disheveled hair and a mustache, his face stern, pushed open the door and entered.
“Manor Lord Liu.”
Yan Song greeted the stern-faced man.
This stern-faced man was the Manor Lord of Ginseng Manor, Liu Feng. “Hmm, Yan Song, you haven’t been to our Ginseng Manor for several months.
What kind of medicinal herbs are you looking to purchase this time?
Liu Feng nodded slightly and spoke.
Yan Song was considered a major customer at Ginseng Manor, which is why Liu
Feng agreed to meet him personally.
“It’s my friend, Brother Wentai, who wants to purchase some herbs.”
Yan Song clarified the purpose of their visit and introduced Su Changkong to
Liu Feng.
Liu Feng’s gaze turned to Su Changkong, a flash of recognition in his eyes. He had heard about the fight Yan Song had on the streets of Ginseng Town yesterday and how a stranger’s help had turned a dangerous situation around. And considering the typically proud Yan Song’s warm attitude towards Su Changkong, it could be inferred that this man was the unknown expert who had aided Yan Song the day before.
A slight smile squeezed onto Liu Feng’s stern face, “Pleased to meet you, Brother Wentai. You’ve graced Ginseng Manor with your presence. What kind of medicinal herbs would you like to purchase? I’ll give you a favorable price!” Su Changkong, upon hearing this, didn’t waste words and took out a list, handing it over to Liu Feng, “Manor Lord Liu, I’d like to purchase the medicinal herbs listed here.”
Liu Feng accepted the list and looked it over carefully, then raised his head to Su Changkong and said, “Although these medicinal herbs are rare, we do have them in Ginseng Manor, ten taels of silver for each set.
Liu Feng’s words both shocked and delighted Su Changkong: delighted that he had not come to the wrong place, as Ginseng Manor indeed had the rare Vital Qi Spread ingredients that were hard to find on the market; shocked at the price.
“Ten taels of silver for each set? That’s expensive,” Su Changkong couldn’t help but exclaim.
At the White Jade Gang, a set of Vital Qi Spread herbs cost five taels of silver, but here at Ginseng Manor, it was double the price – ten taels of silver for each set!
“If you find it expensive, so do l! These herbs are already rare and not easy to preserve; the cost of obtaining them is already considerable. However, since you came with Yan Song, I can give you a discount, nine taels of silver for each set,” said Liu Feng with a faint smile.
Su Changkong felt somewhat helpless. At the White Jade Gang, they had their ways to buy those herbs at nearly cost price. Things valued for their scarcity come at a high price, and although Liu Feng claimed to offer him a discount, a set of Vital Qi Spread herbs still cost him nine taels of silver, close to double the price!
Su Changkong knew that being able to buy them was good enough and he couldn’t ask for more.
Then, Su Changkong spoke, “1 will buy 30 sets, can you make it any cheaper?” “30 sets? That will be eight taels of silver for each set! That’s the lowest I can go!”
Upon hearing this, Liu Feng’s eyes lit up. He pretended to hesitate for a moment, then, as if it pained him greatly, he agreed.
Thirty sets of Vital Qi Spread herbs came to 240 taels of silver!
Su Changkong took out 240 silver notes from within his robe and handed them over to Liu Feng; the three to four hundred taels of silver he had saved up had suddenly decreased by a considerable amount.
Liu Feng carefully counted the silver notes, then said with a full smile, “It has been a pleasure doing business with you, welcome back anytime!”
Liu Feng ordered his men to fetch the herbs.
Soon after, a package was delivered into Su Changkong’s hands, which contained the needed ingredients for the Vital Qi Spread.
“Eight taels of silver for each set… thirty sets will just be enough for me to use for about a month…”
As Su Changkong opened the package and checked the components of the herbs, he secretly wryly smiled to himself, thinking the price was exorbitant, unaffordable for ordinary people!
The rich practice martial arts, while the poor write essays!
“Truly, there’s ‘no poverty’ in the path of martial arts,” Su Changkong reflected silently to himself.
A martial artist wishing to improve rapidly and achieve results in their cultivation indeed requires a tremendous amount of resources!
Two to three hundred taels of silver was only enough for Su Changkong to spend for about a month.
Liu Feng personally escorted Su Changkong and Yan Song out.
Outside Ginseng Manor, Su Changkong said to Yan Song, “Brother Yan, I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t disturb you any longer, I’ll be leaving now.”
Having achieved his goal, Su Changkong did not linger.
“Brother Wen, take care. If you need anything, you can come find me anytime. I’ll occasionally be in Ginseng Town or Clearwater City,” Yan Song said without trying to retain him, but he left his contact details.
“Alright,” Su Changkong responded, then set out on his way. Watching Su Changkong’s retreating figure disappear into the street, a hint of speculation flashed in Yan Song’s eyes, “Recently, the Young Gang Leader of the Black Cavalry Gang was slain by a young martial artist from the White Jade Gang… This Wen Tai’s strength is no less than mine. Could he be the one who slew Shi Hanshan?”
Recently, a significant event had occurred in the martial world of Clearwater City, that is, the major clash between the Black Cavalry Gang and the White Jade Gang, during which the Black Cavalry Gang’s Young Gang Leader Shi Hanshan was slain on the spot.
The martial artist who killed him was shrouded in mystery; even within the White Jade Gang, none of the disciples knew his identity. The outside world speculated that this might be a gifted martial artist secretly cultivated by the White Jade Gang!
For a gang like the White Jade Gang, having one or two concealed masters was nothing unusual!
Despite not having seen Su Changkong in action, the ease with which he dealt with Sun Buwen and the other two Strength Refinement Realm ruffians, showing profound strength, added to his young appearance, naturally made Yan Song unconsciously link the two together.
When the Gang Leader of the Black Cavalry Gang, Shi Zijian, learned of his son’s death, he was furiously enraged, offering a substantial bounty for the head or information of the person who killed Shi Hanshan, vowing to flay and disembowel them.
“Better not to get involved in this tumultuous affair,” Yan Song shook his head. He didn’t think much of it. As a solo Blade Catcher, he did not want to offend either the Black Cavalry Gang or the White Jade Gang.
Su Changkong naturally didn’t know Yan Song’s guess regarding his identity was very close to the truth; but even if he knew, Su Changkong wouldn’t care too much, as he was using a fake identity!