Chapter 198 - 197: Purchasing Medicine
After May’s busy farming season, Chen Li shifted his focus entirely back to his own Cultivation.
He had long since used up the Sweet Wind Jade Dew Heaven-Repairing Creation Pills purchased from Hidden Emperor Castle and urgently needed to restock.
But that eight hundred thousand taels of tax silver was simply too conspicuous.
Furthermore, after the Lishui rebellion was quelled, the Government Office set up countless new checkpoints at major docks and key roads to raise pay silver and purge the area. Inspections were extremely strict.
Although this was mainly to collect "Mile Money" from traveling merchants, it also made it exceptionally difficult for Chen Li to secretly launder and exchange the massive sum.
Transporting large quantities of silver taels was no longer possible.
So, Chen Li devised a plan to break the large sum into smaller, manageable parts.
First, he had Bai San open a shop in Jiangkou County as a cover, using it to purchase the required medicinal ingredients from the Black Market in small, separate batches.
At the same time, his brother-in-law, Bai Shixuan, would travel under the pretext of a business purchasing trip, bringing silver taels to rendezvous with Bai San. The purchased medicinal ingredients would then be mixed with ordinary goods and transported back to Mirror Mountain.
For months, the operation had run smoothly and undetected.
Bai Shixuan’s current trip was to deliver twenty thousand taels of Chen Li’s silver, escorted the entire way by Zhao Deming and his men.
"What technique has Master Chen been practicing lately? He’s burning through these medicinal ingredients way too fast!"
Bai San clicked his tongue in astonishment.
’It’s only been about ten days since the last procurement.’
Based on his usual consumption, a new batch shouldn’t have been needed for another twenty days or so.
Zhao Deming shook his head. "I don’t know Master Chen’s affairs. He just ordered you to make the purchase as soon as possible."
As he spoke, he took a small Jade Box from within his robes and handed it to Bai San. "Master Chen had me bring this for you. He said it’s a reward. He also sent a message: don’t squander your Essence Qi. Focus on your Cultivation and break through to the Spirit Realm as soon as possible."
Bai San chuckled, eagerly taking the box. The moment he opened it a crack, an invigorating medicinal aroma drifted out.
He recognized the Elixir; Chen Li had gifted him one before. It was far more potent than the Medicinal Cuisine that accompanied his Golden Swan Skill.
This wasn’t something you could get your hands on just by having money.
’Break through to the Spirit Realm?’
Bai San dreamed of nothing else!
The problem was, supplementary elixirs were far from enough. He didn’t possess the most crucial inheritance: a core Inner Qi Heart Method.
’Risk a breakthrough attempt? Forget it.’
’You only get three chances in a lifetime. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.’
’And as for staying away from the brothel girls?’
’Heh, absolutely not! Not in this lifetime!’
He carefully stowed the Jade Box and asked, "How much are we procuring this time?"
Zhao Deming lowered his voice. "Same as usual. Enough ingredients for five doses."
Bai San nodded, his mind already working. "Got it. You’ve all had a long trip, please head to the rear courtyard to rest and have some tea. I’ll go make the arrangements."
Zhao Deming, Bai Shixuan, and the others followed Bai San toward the rear courtyard.
...
「Night fell.」
Bai San and Zhao Deming were driving a carriage toward Hidden Emperor Castle.
Two silver boxes were stored in the carriage, holding the silver taels they had just transported.
Hidden Emperor Castle had since been renamed; it was now called the Ruins Market.
Viewed from a distance, the sinister, mysterious aura that once enveloped the castle had faded considerably.
The dense, primordial jungle outside the castle walls had been completely clear-cut on the orders of the Celestial Sword Sect. The view was now wide open, with nothing but low-lying tree stumps remaining.
The imposing castle’s silhouette stood out clearly in the hazy night. Its walls were brightly lit, and one could vaguely make out the silhouettes of patrollers. The security seemed even tighter than before.
As a regular, Bai San knew his way around.
Upon reaching the Ruins Market, he paid the entrance fee in silver and signaled for Zhao Deming to stop the carriage.
The two of them worked together to haul down the boxes of silver and carried them to a brightly lit exchange booth with a reinforced window.
"Gold exchange."
After the clerk verified the silver, he pushed out a small tray of glittering gold leaves.
It was exactly one hundred taels of gold.
Bai San expertly swept the gold into a special leather pouch, then plucked out a gold leaf worth about five taels and nonchalantly handed it to Zhao Deming.
Zhao Deming paused, a flicker of confusion on his face.
Bai San chuckled and lowered his voice. "I’m a regular here. I negotiated a deal last time—the price is ten percent below the posted rate. Think of this extra bit as a fee for your legwork. Take it, Old Zhao."
At his words, Zhao Deming simply nodded and silently tucked the gold leaf into his robes without further comment.
It was the sort of bonus you’d be a fool to refuse, a fact they both understood without a word being spoken.
Without further delay, the pair headed straight into the Ruins Market.
Though Hidden Emperor Castle had changed ownership, the fortress interior was still bustling with crowds, its various shops brightly lit.
Bai San moved with practiced ease. Following the list Chen Li had provided, he quickly finished purchasing all the required medicinal ingredients.
The whole process was clean and efficient; he barely exchanged a word with anyone.
Not daring to linger in such a volatile place, the two immediately drove away from the brightly lit Ruins Market.
The carriage retraced its path.
They had traveled barely two miles when three dark figures abruptly appeared in the middle of the road ahead.
All three had their faces covered with black scarves and were holding weapons. They stood silently, blocking the center of the road, emanating a chilling Evil Qi.
"Shit! Rotten luck—robbers!"
Bai San cursed, sucking in a sharp breath.
Because the Celestial Sword Sect had cleared the surrounding forest, the line of sight was wide open.
And since his last few trips had been uneventful, Bai San had almost started to believe the bandits who once infested this area had vanished for good.
He never thought he’d run into them again tonight!
Zhao Deming reacted instantly, yanking hard on the reins and bringing the carriage to a sudden halt.
He spoke to Bai San in a low, serious voice. "Old Bai, you drive through. You’ll be safe once you reach the county town. I’ll hold them off for a bit and then catch up."
"Alright."
Bai San didn’t waste time on pleasantries. He tightened his grip on the parcel of ingredients, snatched the reins, and viciously whipped the horse’s flank.
The pained horse whinnied and bolted forward, the carriage lurching past the robbers and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Meanwhile, Zhao Deming drifted to the ground as silently as a falling leaf.
Facing the three masked men, he thrust out his right palm, sending a howling Palm Wind toward them.
The leader of the masked men sneered. With a flicker of movement, he instantly closed the distance on Zhao Deming.
He didn’t draw his weapon. Instead, he formed a sword with his fingers, the tips emitting an incredibly condensed Sword Gang. He met the Palm Wind head-on, making no move to dodge.
With this single finger-strike, the very air seemed to tear with a faint hiss.
BAM!
The hand and finger never made physical contact, but their two immense and utterly different streams of Qi Strength collided.
A muffled, thunder-like explosion erupted.
A visible shockwave erupted from their position, blasting outward in all directions.
Zhao Deming felt a massive force surge up his arm and into his meridians. His entire body trembled, a sweet taste filled his throat, and a trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth.
CRACK! The solid ground beneath his feet gave way, forming two deep pits where he stood.
"You’re...?!"
Zhao Deming was shocked. He had recognized his opponent’s Cultivation Technique in that single exchange.
He instantly understood the gap in their strength was as vast as that between the clouds and the mud. Forget stalling them—he probably couldn’t even withstand three of the man’s moves.
"Run!"
He made a split-second decision, roaring a warning to Bai San, who had already charged past.
At the same time, his left hand shot into his robes and pulled out a packet of specially prepared lime powder. Infusing it with Inner Strength, he hurled it straight into his opponent’s face.
The white powder instantly billowed out, obscuring his vision.
Seizing the opportunity, Zhao Deming turned without hesitation and fled, pushing his Lightweight Skill to its absolute limit without a single glance back.
Bai San, frantically driving the carriage, heard Zhao Deming’s shout. He glanced back just in time to see Zhao Deming turn tail and run after a single exchange. He was so furious he started screaming, "Old Zhao! You son of a bitch, what are you so afraid of?! Why didn’t you even try to fight him?!"
Zhao Deming’s defiant shout came back from the distance, "How much do you think I get paid a month?! I’m not dying for this job! Just run!"
Before his voice even faded, Zhao Deming, relying on his superior speed, overtook the horse-drawn carriage in just a few bounds.
Bai San stared, dumbfounded, and then his shock gave way to pure rage.
He saw the three masked men behind them had already passed through the cloud of powder and were closing in.
’Damn it! You wanna play dirty? Then don’t blame me for being ruthless!’
A vicious glint appeared in Bai San’s eyes. He whipped out the short blade at his waist and, with a flash of cold steel, severed the ropes connecting the horse to the carriage.
The carriage instantly lost its balance and crashed onto its side with a loud RUMBLE.
Seizing the moment, Bai San kicked off from the falling carriage, launching himself into the air and landing squarely on the freed horse’s back.
"Yah!"
He slapped the horse’s rump hard. The pained steed let out a long whinny, its hooves thundering as its speed surged again. It shot off like an arrow from a bow, racing toward the county town.
Zhao Deming and the three masked men chasing him all possessed considerable Lightweight Skills. Their short-distance bursts of speed were astounding, far faster than a horse.
But this speed was fueled by Inner Strength and couldn’t be sustained for long.
In a matter of moments, Bai San had left all four of them far behind, seeing only a few blurry black dots leaping through the darkness in pursuit.
Seeing that it was hopeless to catch Bai San, the three masked men quickly locked onto their new target: the fleeing Zhao Deming.
Bai San glanced back to see Zhao Deming’s silhouette already ensnared by the three pursuers in the darkness. He was clearly in imminent danger.
He didn’t dare stop, much less go back to help. That would be walking straight into a trap.
"Damn it!"
Bai San spat, slapped the horse’s flank again, and galloped for his life toward Jiangkou County Town.
It was the middle of the night when he reached Jiangkou County Town, and the city gates were long since barred.
By rule, they wouldn’t open again until dawn.
He didn’t dare linger, terrified that Zhao Deming would break under torture and reveal the location of the teahouse, allowing the enemy to ambush his base.
’I can’t go back. If that coward Old Zhao talks and gives up the teahouse, I’d be walking into my own grave! I’ll head straight for Lingxi!’
With that thought, Bai San wheeled the horse around and, without a moment’s hesitation, galloped off toward Lingxi.
...
Nearly half a year had passed since the Lishui rebel army was annihilated. Lishui and Mirror Mountain counties had finally caught their breath after the constant turmoil. While the people’s livelihoods showed some signs of recovery, the scars of devastation were impossible to conceal.
Years of natural and man-made disasters had reduced the population of Mirror Mountain by more than half.
As for the neighboring Lishui County, the recent chaos had left it even worse off. Six out of every ten homes were empty, the population had been reduced by sixty percent, and the villages lay in ruins.
In comparison, Lingxi—and the Chen Family in particular—was in much better shape.
Except for a very small number of clansmen who met with misfortune while traveling, the family had suffered almost no losses.
Even the Wang Family, though forced to sell off a great deal of farmland during last year’s famine, had at least managed to keep its people safe.
Moreover, as Chen Li’s enterprises continued to expand, the number of long-term and short-term laborers and assistants in his regular employ also began to skyrocket.
Many families were able to get by on these wages. Compared to the horrific scenes elsewhere of people trading their children to be eaten, it was a world apart.