Chapter Seven: Baozhi Hall!

"This..."

"Young master, please rest inside for a moment!"

The young apprentice was momentarily taken aback, then cast a covert glance over Qin Feng, Wang Fu, Wang Bao, and Liu Hu.

Their attire was distinct from that of ordinary folk.

The apprentice led Qin Feng to the side, poured him a cup of tea, and then departed to notify the manager.

"I am Jin Wu, the manager of this pharmacy. May I ask your name, sir?"

About five or six minutes later, a middle-aged man in a gray robe strode over with a smile.

"Qin Feng," Qin Feng replied coolly.

"Master Qin, you have an impressive bearing... surely a rare talent. May I ask about the major transaction you mentioned earlier?" Jin Wu offered the usual commercial flattery before inquiring.

"Manager Jin, you flatter me. For you to become the manager of the renowned Baozhi Apothecary, your abilities must be extraordinary," Qin Feng responded smoothly, already accustomed to such exchanges in his previous life. "As for the business I mentioned, I am in need of some martial cultivation herbs and have come to purchase them."

"Master Qin, you have certainly come to the right place for martial herbs!" Jin Wu's eyes lit up. "Other pharmacies treat decade-old or century-old herbs as priceless treasures, never selling them lightly. But Baozhi Apothecary has been established for centuries, its business spanning the entire Great Chu Dynasty. We stock herbs aged ten, a hundred, or even a thousand years—nothing is impossible here. What herbs do you require, young master?"

Jin Wu's excitement was plain; martial herbs were costly, and his commission substantial.

"Could you perhaps introduce the herbs your shop carries?" Qin Feng asked calmly.

"Of course! Please wait a moment, young master." Jin Wu rose, walked to the side, retrieved an item from the table, and returned to sit opposite Qin Feng.

"Here is a booklet listing twenty precious herbs we have in stock. Please have a look. If we do not have what you need, I can request it from our other branches," Jin Wu said confidently, handing over a delicate booklet.

Other pharmacies would treat even a single rare herb as their most prized possession, rarely letting it go. Yet even as just a branch, Baozhi Apothecary boasted twenty rare herbs.

"Here is our greatest treasure: wild ginseng, 150 years old, valued at five thousand taels of silver," Jin Wu explained as Qin Feng flipped through the booklet.

"Blood Lotus Essence, aged fifty years, holds immense medicinal power, perfect for invigorating the muscles and blood. It is priced at three hundred taels of silver."

"Earth Treasure White Orchid Fruit, valued at one thousand taels!"

"Earth Treasure White Spirit Ginseng Fruit, valued at one thousand five hundred taels!"

"Eighty-year-old Snow Lotus Seed, priced at seven hundred taels!"

And so on, as Qin Feng browsed, Jin Wu explained each item.

"Blood Lotus Essence, White Orchid Fruit, and White Spirit Ginseng Fruit—one thousand four hundred taels in total. I'll take them," Qin Feng said lightly.

Jin Wu, his throat dry from speaking, took a sip of tea. At Qin Feng's words, he promptly spat out his tea. What sort of ruthless negotiator was this? To cut the price so savagely in half!

Wang Fu, standing behind Qin Feng, couldn't help twitching at the corners of his mouth.

"You must be joking, young master! These are priceless treasures, reserved for martial artists, and not subject to haggling. I guarantee on Baozhi Apothecary's reputation that they are worth every tael!" Jin Wu said solemnly.

He spoke the truth. Such rare herbs were fiercely contested by the great families. These twenty precious herbs had only recently arrived.

"Enough, I understand. Rarity makes value," Qin Feng replied, pulling out a stack of silver notes. He counted out two thousand eight hundred taels and handed them to Jin Wu.

"Xiao Liu, fetch three premium silk boxes!" Jin Wu called to the young apprentice after counting the notes, then personally packed the Blood Lotus Essence, White Orchid Fruit, and White Spirit Ginseng Fruit for Qin Feng.

"Thank you for your patronage, young master. Please visit again!" Jin Wu saw Qin Feng out of the shop with courtesy.

"Let's go. I still need a suitable weapon," Qin Feng said, scanning the surroundings for a smithy.

"Yes, young master," Wang Fu, Wang Bao, and Liu Hu responded, trailing behind him.

...

"Manager Jin, I heard your shop has White Orchid Fruit and White Spirit Ginseng Fruit?"

The young master of the Axe Gang had heard that Baozhi Apothecary had received a new shipment of herbs, including the gentle White Orchid Fruit and White Spirit Ginseng Fruit.

He hurried over with five followers, arriving just in time to glimpse Jin Wu's back as he reentered the shop, and called out loudly.

"Greetings, young master. I'm afraid the White Orchid Fruit and White Spirit Ginseng Fruit were just sold. However, we still have many other rare herbs. Would you care to look?" Jin Wu greeted Chen Yunhu with a smile.

"What? They've already been sold?" Chen Yunhu frowned. "Manager Jin, may I know who purchased them?"

As the young master of the Axe Gang, Chen Yunhu had grown up sheltered by his father and uncle, never having known hardship. Even in martial arts training, he always chose the gentlest medicines.

Both the White Orchid Fruit and White Spirit Ginseng Fruit were ideal for his current cultivation stage. Learning they had been bought by someone else annoyed him, and he was eager to find out who the buyer was.

If it was someone from a humble background, he wouldn't mind using force to take them!

In Xuanzhou City, with the city lord maintaining order, murder was forbidden. But as the Axe Gang's heir, he had many ways to make people submit.

"Young master, you know the rules of Baozhi Apothecary. We never disclose customer information," Jin Wu replied, his tone turning cold and his expression displeased. He turned and went back into the shop.

"Hmph!" Chen Yunhu snorted, unhappy with Jin Wu's attitude. But with Baozhi Apothecary behind Jin Wu, he couldn't do anything to him.

"Young master, since Manager Jin said those herbs were just sold, then he must have been seeing off the buyer," said a middle-aged man beside Jin Wu.

"Go ask around and see who Jin Wu just escorted out," Chen Yunhu ordered his four subordinates, his eyes lighting up at Lei Lie's suggestion.

"Uncle Lie, if some fool really bought those herbs, I may need your help," Chen Yunhu said respectfully.

Lei Lie was his father's trusted man, assigned to protect him.

"Rest assured, young master. If someone dares stand in your way, I'll see that you get the White Orchid Fruit and White Spirit Ginseng Fruit," Lei Lie replied, a cruel glint in his eyes.

He had once been a notorious bandit, but his life was spared by the Axe Gang's leader, Chen Xiong, whom he now served loyally.