Aged Ginseng

[Library Points: 1242]

Jiang Ding glanced at his phone.

After the option to collect animal specimens had been added, the specimen collection progress sped up once more. Every day, he received hundreds or even thousands of specimens, with unknown plants and animals accounting for roughly one or two out of every ten.

At this rate, I'll be able to save up ten thousand points in two or three months. Jiang Ding felt a flicker of delight.

Ten thousand Library Points could allow the Central Array Spirit Computer to tailor a cultivation method specifically for someone, greatly improving a cultivator's compatibility with a particular technique and increasing cultivation speed.

Of course, ten thousand points only covered techniques for the Foundation Establishment Realm and below, and the grade of the technique was also limited.

At most three months. Should I deduce the Eagle's Takeoff Sword Art, or the Great Sun Seed Sword Refining Technique? Jiang Ding hesitated.

The Eagle's Takeoff Sword Art had already reached minor mastery and improved every day. Spending ten thousand points on it seemed rather wasteful.

Yet while the Great Sun Seed Sword Refining Technique was certainly good, its required materials were far too precious. Whether the Heavenly Sound Stone seized by the Golden Saber Sect was truly the legendary Supreme Clarity Divine Iron was still another question.

"We'll talk about it when the time comes."

Jiang Ding sighed and placed a hand on his sword hilt.

"Greetings, boss!"

"Boss!"

In the front courtyard, which he had not seen for some time, the busy clerks and shopkeeper rose to salute him. Jiang Ding stopped them with a wave of his hand and casually found a corner seat.

The shop had been open for over half a month now, and its reputation had gradually spread. Many people nearby knew that a strange proprietor had arrived on Rotten Plank Street, buying flowers, grasses, birds, insects, and anything else—but only one of each kind, never duplicates.

Including Huang Deyou and Han Lin, there were four people in the shop in total, receiving passing herb gatherers, mountain folk, and children and women from the city who had heard about it by chance.

"You wanted flower snake vine and toad grass yesterday, so why won't you take them now? Did all my hard work go to waste for nothing?! Huh!"

A weather-beaten herb gatherer slapped the counter hard, roaring in fury.

The young clerk Han Lin shrank back.

"Old Li, our shop set down the rules long ago. First come, first served." Huang Deyou hurried over. With a faintly haughty air, he soothed and deflected the man's anger until the herb gatherer left with an apologetic smile.

Soon after, another mountain villager was rejected because an insect the size of a finger had one hair-thin leg snapped off. The man made a scene, and Huang Deyou hurried over to deal with that as well.

Jiang Ding watched closely and discovered that Huang Deyou did not always put on such a lofty attitude.

When he encountered someone suspected of being a relative of a Wild Wolf Gang minor leader, or the distant relative of some constable, his attitude became much gentler. Even if their goods were unqualified, he would still take a few coins of tea money from the "special expenses" account and speak to them pleasantly.

No matter whom he encountered, he could always guide them according to his own intentions and ensure that business continued normally.

"So impressive..."

Jiang Ding marveled inwardly.

"If Huang Deyou and I were placed in a world without spiritual energy, he would probably live better than me—far better."

Four Seas Merchant Guild.

A maid led Jiang Ding into a private room on the second floor. Steam curled from the tea, its fragrance overflowing, only to be filtered through a thin membrane of true qi over the tip of his nose.

It was not some cultivation technique or martial art. Compared to other mundane internal arts, the Eagle's Takeoff Sword Art naturally came with exceptionally delicate control, as instinctive as breathing—something akin to being impervious to all poisons.

"Young Master Jiang's honored arrival has made this humble place shine with splendor," Long San called out with a smile from far away as he trotted over.

"Manager Long is too courteous."

Jiang Ding gave a slight bow.

After a round of routine pleasantries, Jiang Ding did not waste words. He took out a box containing seven artificial luminous pearls, each the size of a thumb, their glow capable of lasting for more than a century.

In a technologically underdeveloped world, they possessed immense value as luxury goods.

"Manager Long, what price would you put on them?"

Long San was startled.

Pearls again?

Had this lord raided the nest of some river clam spirit? Otherwise, where had he gotten so many glowing pearls?

"This..."

Long San showed a hesitant expression.

"What, does the Four Seas Merchant Guild not accept them?" Jiang Ding asked with a smile.

"Of course not. Young Master's goods are simply too precious, and this one lost his composure for a moment." Long San steadied himself. "This one and Young Master have been through hardship together, so I'll ask directly."

"Will Young Master sell more of these items in the future? Young Master may not know this, but if there are too many of them, the price will drop somewhat."

Those were not quite the words of a merchant. They were too honest.

But Long San was confident that the person before him would not deceive him, at least not for a little silver.

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Ding gave his answer.

"I will."

As an effective medium of exchange, he could not be bothered to change it. However, he would not flood one place with them and cause their value to plummet.

"Then how about seven hundred taels per pearl?"

Long San considered it before speaking.

"Fine. Exchange as much as possible for aged ginseng."

After leaving the Four Seas Merchant Guild, Jiang Ding weighed the stack of ginseng boxes tied together in his hand and wrapped in black cloth.

There was one stalk of ninety-year-aged ginseng, three stalks aged seventy years, seven stalks aged fifty years, and twelve remaining stalks aged twenty or thirty years. They totaled two thousand two hundred taels of silver, while another two thousand seven hundred taels in banknotes remained in his robe.

He had practically swept the Four Seas Merchant Guild clean of its aged ginseng. At the very least, it would be unable to restock for half a year.

"This should sustain a month of high-intensity training at least..."

Jiang Ding thought silently as he walked back toward Rotten Plank Street. He ignored everything he passed, whether martial contests for marriage, monkey shows, acrobatics, or temple fairs.

He felt that his current life was already very good.

In nearly a month, he had only gone out twice. He never left without cause, never got entangled in any trouble, and cultivated quietly.

It was not as though there were no ways to obtain better old medicinal herbs. There were even ways to obtain century-old aged ginseng, the sort that circulated only among major powers.

He could simply gather it in East Spirit Mountain. Even if ferocious beasts guarded it, with drones monitoring the four directions and searching all around, it was not as though he could not obtain it.

It was just dangerous. He did not want to go.

Jiang Ding halted, his brows knitting together.

"No wonder the books say that order beyond the realm is generally chaotic."

"This is still a city governed by capable officials who hold military authority. Broad daylight—what are they trying to do?"

From the drone's perspective,

Three differently dressed people—a beggar, a merchant, and a peddler—had followed him all the way. They begged and sold wares normally along the streets, yet their peripheral vision kept flicking in his direction. They were extremely professional.

If not for the drone, he would never have noticed them.

"So this is the so-called experience of the martial world."

Jiang Ding's face turned faintly cold. He silently memorized the movements of those three people, intending to watch the recordings repeatedly afterward, ponder them, and learn.

Drones were not omnipotent either. If he encountered a Foundation Establishment Cultivator or a Qi Refining cultivator who practiced eye techniques, they would be able to spot a drone a thousand meters up in the sky.

If he could not obtain more advanced drones in the future, then he would have to rely on himself for everything.

With a cold laugh, Jiang Ding entered Rotten Plank Street as usual and returned to his shop without a care.

The three people did not stop him. After repeatedly confirming the address, they exchanged glances, twisted and turned through several streets, and entered the rear courtyard of a magnificent mansion in the eastern part of the city.