I've Got Your Back

"Medical hall?"

Tang Ya thought for a moment. "If you want to buy medicine, you can go to the best Medical Hall in Heaven Dou City. They also have the widest variety of medicines. I happen to be free later, so I can take you there."

"Then thank you, Little Ya-jie."

The moment Tang Ya heard that form of address, her eyes curved into a smile. She patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder.

"Just for calling me Little Ya-jie, I've got your back on Snack Street from now on! Come on, I'll take you to the Medical Hall."

Under the complicated gazes of the surrounding vendors, Huo Yuhao left Snack Street with Tang Ya. After seeing that he truly sold only fifty Roasted Fish a day, everyone wore expressions of varying relief.

It was already this popular on the first day; one could only imagine what would happen later. If he kept supplying them without limit, they would all starve to death.

Moreover, Huang Yu, who managed this street, had personally brought him in. From the start, that had cut off any thoughts they had of causing trouble for Huo Yuhao. The stallholders were all just trying to make a living. If they really had that kind of influence, they would not have come here to run stalls.

However, once they learned that the Roasted Fish were limited in quantity, their dissatisfaction immediately vanished. After all, Huo Yuhao only had so many Roasted Fish. The few vendors who had tried them all knew that they would definitely be in short supply in the future, and the people drawn here by the Roasted Fish would naturally become Snack Street's customer flow.

"Little Ya-jie, aside from the Medical Hall, there's somewhere else I need to go. Do you know where rare metals are sold?"

Looking at Tang Ya, Huo Yuhao suddenly had an idea. His Soul Guidance Devices could absolutely cooperate with the Tang Sect!

He could indeed purchase small amounts of rare metals by himself, but once he started buying in bulk, leaving aside whether others would even sell to him, there would definitely be people eyeing him.

Although the Tang Sect had declined, it was still a sect whose primary business had once been selling hidden weapons. It still had some connections in the rare ore trade that could be put to use. Nor would he need to worry that they, like other factions, would harbor ill intentions because of his talent.

With the Tang Sect's name as cover when selling Soul Guidance Devices, he would not draw as much attention either.

Though those former connections had distanced themselves due to the Tang Sect's decline, that was only because the current Tang Sect no longer held any value. If there was profit to be made, under normal business dealings, those people naturally would not refuse to sell the Tang Sect a batch of rare ores.

After all, selling to anyone was still selling. They had some past friendship, at least. Only an idiot would turn down money.

His conflict with Tang San was not enough for him to drag a sect that was related to him in name alone into it. Besides, he had interacted more with Tang Ya in his previous life. That was certainly better than dealing with a completely unfamiliar faction.

But Tang Ya did not know him well yet. It would be better to bring up this matter after they had spent some time together.

"Rare metals? Those aren't easy to buy. The prices of what reaches the market are usually outrageous."

At the mention of rare metals, the smile on Tang Ya's face noticeably faded. After all, the Tang Sect's decline was closely tied to the Three Great Empires' changes in policy regarding rare metals.

As the Three Great Empires placed ever greater importance on Soul Guidance Devices, rare metals became increasingly valuable, and their prices naturally rose with the tide.

Production costs kept climbing while their own products would not sell. After this cycle repeated itself, the Tang Sect had reached an irreversible dead end. If the Tang Sect had adapted in time when Soul Guidance Devices first entered everyone's sight following the collision with the Sun Moon Continent thousands of years ago, perhaps it would not have come to this.

Unfortunately, the Tang Sect had clung stubbornly to its old ways to an absurd extreme. In order to commemorate the so-called Founding Sect Leader, Tang San, every sect leader over the past ten thousand years had been chosen from those possessing the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. It was a level of pathological obsession beyond imagining.

Even if they wanted to change in this generation, it was already too late. With the Tang Sect's current resources, they could not even train a single Soul Guidance Device Master.

"I like collecting all kinds of unusual metals. Heaven Dou City is a major city, so I imagine it has many varieties I've never seen before. I want to broaden my horizons and buy some for my collection."

Huo Yuhao explained softly. He was not actually wrong. To a Soul Guidance Device Master, rare metals were like naked beauties waiting to be ravished. Not a single Soul Guidance Device Master could say no to rare metals.

"I see. I do know of a few shops that might sell rare metals. I'll take you to look for them on the way."

"Thank you, Little Ya-jie. I'll treat you to Roasted Fish tomorrow."

"Really?"

Tang Ya's eyes lit up. She grabbed Huo Yuhao's arm and quickened her pace. "Then what are we waiting for? Hurry, hurry."

After turning two corners, the two finally saw the best Medical Hall in Heaven Dou City that Tang Ya had mentioned.

Huo Yuhao looked up from afar. The entire building appeared ancient and grand, and people came and went through its entrance, yet there was no signboard in sight. Someone visiting for the first time might not even realize this was a Medical Hall.

Suddenly, Huo Yuhao stopped and pulled Tang Ya back.

"Wait."

"Hm? What's wrong?"

Tang Ya subconsciously turned around, only to see Huo Yuhao frowning slightly as he stared straight ahead.

At that moment, a figure outside the Medical Hall caught Huo Yuhao's attention. It was the young man who had clashed with the Blacksmith Shop yesterday. He was carrying a large bundle of medicinal herbs in his arms. After leaving the Medical Hall, he did not pause for a moment, striding away and quickly disappearing into the crowd.

"It's nothing. Let's go."

Huo Yuhao shook his head and released Tang Ya's hand. He had no intention of allowing Tang Ya to come into contact with this youth who might be Tang San. If he was not, then fine. But if he was... things likely would not end well.

Remembering the fates of those members of the God Realm Committee in his previous life, a strange look appeared on Huo Yuhao's face.

The Tang Sect had been founded by Tang San himself. With Tang San's personality, how could he possibly be willing to call someone else sect leader?

If Tang San truly joined the Tang Sect, then within days, the members senior to him would probably start dying one after another under mysterious circumstances. Then he would naturally become the Tang Sect's leader.

Fortunately, the Tang Sect had now declined and was of no help whatsoever to Tang San. It could even be called a complete mess. If that youth truly was Tang San, then judging from yesterday's events, he probably could not even take care of himself, much less have time to care whether the Tang Sect lived or died.

"Why are you acting so mysteriously?"

Watching Huo Yuhao's back, Tang Ya—unaware that she had narrowly escaped disaster—muttered to herself before following him into the Medical Hall.

"Hello, are you here for treatment?"

The moment they entered, a young man in a Green Robe approached them and asked politely.

"I need to buy some medicine."

Huo Yuhao immediately stated his purpose and listed his requirements one by one. Some were for helping Huo Yun'er recover her health, while others were for strengthening the body's foundation, replenishing vital energy, and nourishing the meridians.

After Huo Yuhao rattled off a list that sounded like dish names, an awkward expression appeared on the young man's face. Clearly an apprentice, he took out paper and a pen before carefully asking, "Um... ahem, could you speak a little slower?"

Just then, a middle-aged man walked over and patted the young man on the shoulder.

"All right. Let me attend to these two. Go take care of something else."

"Yes."

The young man immediately let out a sigh of relief. After bowing, he left.

The middle-aged man, meanwhile, looked at Huo Yuhao with a curious gaze and spoke with a light chuckle.

"I didn't expect two people in a row to buy similar medicinal herbs today, and both of them listed them directly. Little brother, have you studied medicine?"