Hundred Herbs Merchant Guild

2024-07-11

Chapter 367 (4000) Hundred Herbs Merchant Guild

Eight Paths Market, located in the northern part of Yanzhou, more than 80 li south of Throat Severing Pass, is the largest distribution center for medicinal herbs in northern Central Plains.

The Central Plains are mainly plains, suitable for human habitation and reproduction, and civilization has continued for thousands of years. Now, with a dense population, both mountains and land have been almost fully developed. Not to mention rare and precious treasures, even ordinary crops are difficult to grow.

Therefore, most of the precious medicinal herbs in the Central Plains come from the surrounding areas. Among them, the two most famous medicinal herb producing areas are the Ten Thousand Mountains in Southern Borderlands and the primeval forests in Guandong.

As Eight Paths Market name suggests, there are eight roads of varying sizes passing through this area, similar to Tongda Town in the Central Province Mountain Range. It is also a major transportation route. In addition, it is not far from Guandong, making it a necessary route for merchants from outside the pass to return to the Central Plains. Over time, it has become a bustling medicinal herb market.

Luo Jun followed Lord Tong the Seventh through the streets of Eight Paths Market. Everywhere there were medicinal herb shops. Apart from the large pharmacies with storefronts, most of them were vendors with stalls along the street. Judging from their attire, they had probably just returned from beyond the Great Wall.

Merchants like Lord Tong the Seventh, who have their own bodyguards and caravans and go directly out of the pass to purchase medicinal herbs, are still a minority. Most medicinal herb merchants from the Central Plains still come to Eight Paths Market to purchase goods. Therefore, there is also a group of herb gatherers who supply Eight Paths Market. Some of them are people from the Central Plains who live inside the pass and regularly go out of the pass, while others are simply ethnic minorities from outside the pass.

Of course, these individual herb gatherers can only bring a limited amount of herbs at a time. Most of them sell directly to local merchants in Eight Paths Market, who then resell them to southern herb merchants who come here to buy herbs. These relatively cheap herbs are not produced in large quantities, and it would indeed be time-consuming for them to sell them little by little themselves. However, if they occasionally find precious herbs, they are unwilling to let middlemen profit from the difference, so they set up stalls on the spot, hoping to sell them for a good price.

"In earlier years, these stalls did indeed have quite a few good things..." As they walked, Lord Tong the Seventh introduced to Luo Jun, "But in recent years, the local merchants in Eight Paths Market have formed a chamber of commerce, grown in scale, and started hiring specialized herb-gathering teams to go out of the pass, which has squeezed the market for individual herb gatherers quite a bit... After all, it is indeed dangerous for a team of only two or three people to go into the Deep Mountains and forests of Guandong..."

Luo Jun nodded. He couldn't tell the quality of medicinal herbs; only those rich in Spiritual Qi could glow in his eyes. After wandering around for so long, among the herbs on the stalls, only a few scattered specks of light appeared...

"Should I also find a place to set up a stall?" Luo Jun suggested.

Lord Tong the Seventh waved his hand. "No need, no need, brother, it's too undignified for you to sell these treasures on the street. Let's keep going."

Soon, the two arrived at the central area of Eight Paths Market and saw a large courtyard in the distance with a plaque that read "Hundred Herbs Merchant Guild".

"This is the local Eight Paths Market. Basically, all the influential local medicine merchants are registered here. If they are sourcing goods from the Central Plains, they will come directly to the chamber of commerce to discuss large-scale transactions."

"Local merchants are sticking together, so it must be tough for you outside pharmaceutical companies."

Although Luo Jun had never done business before, he knew the principle of favoring those close to him and those distant from him. In this kind of medicinal herb wholesale area, if each place acted independently, the merchants who came to purchase could compare prices and try to negotiate a lower price. However, if the local merchants formed a chamber of commerce, unified their statements, and monopolized the market, then the locals would decide how much to sell it for.

Lord Tong the Seventh sighed and shook his head, saying, "Otherwise, why do you think I would have specially led a team to collect medicinal herbs outside the Great Wall?"

"The merchants' association in Eight Paths Market has indeed increased the procurement costs for medicine merchants from the Central Plains quite a bit. People with some strength like me will choose to form their own caravans and basically won't buy goods here anymore, except for some bulk, inexpensive medicinal materials."

"However, the Chamber of Commerce does have one advantage." Lord Tong the Seventh changed the subject. "In the past, if someone unearthed a treasure, they could only shout it out on the street and find a buyer on their own. It was common for such treasures to go unnoticed."

"But things are different now. The Hundred Herbs Merchant Guild provides an auction channel. If you have a treasure, you can list it on the guild and advertise it widely. Merchants will compete to bid, and the highest bidder wins."

Luo Jun nodded. "Are there auctions every day?"

"An auction?" Lord Tong the Seventh was taken aback. "An auction requires a meeting?"

Luo Jun blinked. "Isn't it like this? A bunch of people sitting in the hall, one item after another being brought up for auction, everyone raising their paddles and bidding, and finally the hammer falls to decide the price?"

Lord Tong the Seventh blinked, then shook his head and laughed, "No, no... there's no such process... The so-called auction is just that you deposit your treasure with the Chamber of Commerce, the information is made public, interested medicine merchants can apply to see the goods, and then place a bid. When the time comes, whoever bids the highest gets the item... Of course, the Chamber of Commerce will take a cut of the final transaction price."

Isn't this just like listing items on an auction house in Game?

Luo Jun blinked. "Is this chamber of commerce reliable? They won't steal my treasure, or switch it out, will they?"

Lord Tong the Seventh waved his hand. "Don't worry, the Hundred Herbs Merchant Guild values its reputation highly... Also, they will give you a preliminary appraisal of the treasures you submit. When the items are left there, the Chamber of Commerce will give you a receipt. If there is any problem with your items when the due date arrives, you can use this receipt to directly claim your money from the Chamber of Commerce based on the appraisal."

"The medicinal herbs that can be auctioned are definitely not the kind sold by weight, with transparent and uniform prices. Each one is a treasure, and there's no market price to refer to. The price offered by the Chamber of Commerce, while not too high, is still reasonable, and you won't lose money if you can sell them."

"And I'm here, don't worry, I can help you get a fair appraisal price!"

As they spoke, the two had already entered the Hundred Herbs Merchant Guild.

Lord Tong the Seventh was clearly very famous in the industry. As soon as he entered the Chamber of Commerce, someone came up to greet him with a smile and asked him what was wrong.

"I heard that Seventh Master just returned from beyond the Great Wall, bringing back several large cartloads of medicinal herbs. This trip must have been worthwhile, right?" He was greeted by a chubby man with squinty eyes, whose attire suggested he was no ordinary staff member.

"It was truly a worthwhile trip, a near-death experience..." Lord Tong the Seventh shook his head. "Thanks to Brother Lin's help, otherwise, I and those cartloads of goods would have perished outside the Great Wall."

The "Lin brothers" refers to Luo Jun, who doesn't use his real name but calls himself Lin Feng. Lin is his mother's surname, and Feng is his father's name.

"Oh dear, that's why I said long ago, those Deep Mountains and forests beyond the Great Wall are teeming with all sorts of demons and monsters. All this trouble on your own is really no use; it's much better to cooperate with our Chamber of Commerce... We'll give a preferential price to a big client like you!"

"Let's talk about that another time," Lord Tong the Seventh waved his hand. "I'm not here for my own business. This Brother Lin has a few treasures he wants to sell, and I'd appreciate it if Brother Chen could take a look!" "Oh, even Master Tong thinks they're treasures, they must be extraordinary." Fatty Chen took out a pair of crystal glasses, put them on, and looked at Luo Jun. "Where are these valuable items from?"

"It's nothing special." Luo Jun took out a long wooden box from his bag and said with a smile, "I just found it by chance in some Deep Mountains forest. I'm not very knowledgeable, but Seventh Master said this thing is worth some silver, so I took it to try my luck."

He spoke casually, but it was tantamount to telling Fatty Chen that although he was a novice, the value of this thing was entirely up to Seventh Master.

Fatty Chen nodded, took the box, opened it, and was immediately taken aback; his squinty eyes widened in surprise!

"This is... ginseng?"

The object in the box was longer than a normal person's forearm, white and plump. Its slender roots were coiled up, neatly arranged, and tucked aside. Fatty Chen could imagine that if it were fully unfolded, it wouldn't be enough to cover an entire eight-immortal table...

There's a saying in the Main World: "Seven ounces is ginseng, eight ounces is treasure." According to old units of measurement, a ginseng that grows to half a pound (about 300 grams today) is considered a rare treasure. This [Martial World] world is rich in Spiritual Qi, and the medicinal herbs there are much more potent than in the Main World. However, pure wild ginseng weighing over a pound is extremely rare. But Luo Jun's ginseng is probably worth at least three or four pounds...

If Lord Tong the Seventh hadn't explained beforehand that this was a treasure, his first reaction would definitely have been that this thing was just a big radish!

But judging from its texture, shape, and various characteristics, this thing is indeed a genuine Guandong ginseng from Northeast China!

This isn't just a matter of a precious treasure; it's practically a miracle...

"This... this... this..." Fatty Chen stammered "this" over and over again, finally swallowing hard. "No, I have to have this taken to the Chamber of Commerce's senior experts... Would you two like to come with me?"

"No need," Lord Tong the Seventh waved his hand. "I trust your character, Old Chen, and I trust the Chamber of Commerce's reputation. But you should also know that this kind of treasure must have been born in a remote Deep Mountains Secret Realm that ordinary people cannot reach. My brother Lin brought it out all by himself! And Brother Lin has more than one of these!"

Fatty Chen glanced at Luo Jun and nodded hastily, "Of course I know how important this is! Please wait in the reception room... Hey, go get the best tea!" With that, he carried the box and jogged into the Chamber of Commerce.

Lord Tong the Seventh's words were clear: the treasure was indeed a treasure, but Luo Jun, who could obtain it, was definitely a true master! This was the Martial World; in the eyes of true masters, not to mention a small merchant guild, even the imperial court was beneath their notice!

If they act honestly and rely on these treasures, both the Chamber of Commerce and Fatty Chen, who handles them, can make a fortune steadily. But if they get greedy, they might not even be able to save their lives!

Luo Jun and Lord Tong the Seventh drank tea for a while. Soon after, they heard hurried footsteps outside, and then the door to the reception room opened, and three people rushed in.

Fatty Chen followed at the back. In front of him were two men: one was Bald Man in his fifties with a mole on his face, and the other was an Old Man with white hair and beard, who was holding the wooden box that Luo Jun had just given him.

"The item belongs to this Young Hero Lin!" Fatty Chen introduced.

The bald man's eyes lit up, and he stepped forward. "Young Hero Lin, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Lu Youcai, the current president of the Hundred Herbs Merchant Guild. This is Xu Bo, the guild's chief medicinal herb expert..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Bo had already come up to him, holding the item, and asked, "Young man, where did you get this treasure?"

Looking into Xu Bo's aged yet eager eyes, Luo Jun recalled, "It was a valley near the Black River, rich in Spiritual Qi and teeming with rare and exotic creatures!"

"Is it near the snow-capped mountain at the source of the Black River?" Xu Bo immediately gave a more precise location.

Luo Jun nodded. "More or less..."

"It's there! It's there!" Xu Bo opened the wooden box again, holding and examining the large ginseng inside. "Thirty years have passed, and I knew I hadn't been mistaken back then. It wasn't an illusion; this precious ginseng really exists!"

Upon hearing this, the others were taken aback. Lord Tong the Seventh asked, "Xu Bo, you said you've seen this ginseng before?"

Xu Bo nodded. "Back then, in my search for heavenly materials and earthly treasures, I led a team deep into the Black River Basin, and right there in the place you mentioned, we saw this ginseng in the distance!"

"I've been digging for ginseng for decades. I can tell the quality just by looking at the leaves. That ginseng was the most precious I've ever seen in my life, a treasure that could shock the entire medicinal herb market!"

"However, as we tried to approach the ginseng, a huge snake suddenly emerged from the valley. It was over ten zhang long and as thick as several people could hug, and it swallowed one of us whole with a single bite..."

"It's not surprising that such a rare treasure is guarded by a strange beast. We immediately took out our weapons and fought it, but the serpent's scales were harder than steel, and neither knives nor axes could leave a mark. Instead, it devoured our men one by one, and in the end, only I managed to escape..."

"I didn't expect there to be such a story?" Lu Youcai touched his bald head. "Xu Bo, you didn't take the opportunity to go back and visit again after that?"

Xu Bo sighed, "I've told others about this experience, but few believe me. They all think I've gone mad, that I've seen things wrong, that there couldn't possibly be such a huge ginseng or such a powerful snake... Later, I finally managed to gather a team to go back and explore, but as soon as we reached that area, we were enveloped in mist. In the end, one by one, everyone disappeared into the mist, and only I escaped back... Alas... After that, no one was willing to believe me anymore, and I never had the chance to return to that Secret Realm beyond the pass to explore again."

At this point, Xu Bo looked at Luo Jun expectantly. "By the way, did you see that giant snake? No, if you saw it, it would be difficult for you to even come back alive, let alone dig for ginseng... It's already snowing in the Black River Basin at this time, could it be that they're hibernating...?"

"I saw it." Luo Jun nodded, then opened his leather bag and took out a large oil paper package. Inside was a dark, dry, bag-like object, tied at one end, about the size of a wok, and weighing over ten kilograms...

"This is..." Several medicine merchants looked at it and found it somewhat familiar, but they couldn't quite place it.

Luo Jun, carrying this thing, chuckled and uttered two words that shocked the others:

"Dragon Gall!"

(End of this chapter)