"Alas, still no Red Blood Grass!"
After visiting all the major clinics, Su Chen reluctantly accepted reality.
Because of the rebellion in Yellow Stone City, not only was Red Blood Grass impossible to find at any price, but other medicinal herbs had also become scarce.
On his way back, Su Chen happened to pass through the marketplace and saw a corpse hanging in its center. It was none other than Chu Ming.
The body had probably been hanging there for some time. It had become horrifyingly shriveled, like a mummy, and gave off a strange odor.
The people nearby had all grown accustomed to it. As they passed, they instinctively covered their noses and grimaced in disgust.
Su Chen didn't pay the corpse much attention. Instead, he studied the words on a sign beside it.
There wasn't much written there; it was very concise. The gist was that Chu Ming had been exposed as a traitor, and the government's achievements were being praised.
Although Su Chen wasn't mentioned anywhere in the text, he could still read between the lines.
"I wonder what the people from the Rebirth Sect will think when they see Chu Ming's corpse. With their strength, they've probably already found out that 'Yang Guo' was the one who did it."
Su Chen was confident he hadn't been exposed, but nothing in this world was certain. If his identity had been revealed, the Rebirth Sect's retaliation would come crashing down on him like a violent storm.
"I'll have to be especially careful with my aliases from now on. I should keep the Yang Guo identity low-key for a while. This is a good chance to visit Medicine Town."
After lingering for a moment, Su Chen silently warned himself, then turned and left.
Since he'd decided to go to Medicine Town, Su Chen didn't waste much time. The next day, he set off.
Medicine Town was about a hundred li from White Stone City. Since it was close to the Hundred Li Mountain Range, it was relatively remote.
Of course, remote didn't mean unprosperous.
On the contrary, the town sold all kinds of cheap medicinal herbs, drawing many merchants who came to Medicine Town to stock up.
Over time, Medicine Town had grown from a down-and-out village into a small town that supplied medicinal herbs, spurring the development of many surrounding villages as well.
By the time Su Chen reached Medicine Town, it was already dusk. After entering the town, he found an inn and checked in.
After a day of tiring travel, his fatigue melted away once he'd eaten his fill.
Since it was late, Su Chen only read his medical texts for a while before going to sleep.
The next morning, the first rays of sunlight streamed into his room, while the streets rang with vendors calling out from every direction.
Su Chen got up and saw that Medicine Town was especially lively in the morning. It had barely been light for long, yet people were already streaming through the streets. What a bustling scene.
After washing up, Su Chen ate a simple breakfast and headed out.
He didn't go straight to the address the clinic attendant had given him. The person he was looking for wasn't in Medicine Town, but in a place called Ao Mountain Village.
Su Chen had asked the inn's waiter the previous night. Ao Mountain Village was north of Medicine Town, about seven or eight li away—not very far.
He planned to look around town first and see if he could find Red Blood Grass. If he couldn't find any, he could always go look for the person afterward.
Medicine Town certainly lived up to its name. There were so many herb shops lining the streets that even combined, the clinics in White Stone City couldn't compare.
Su Chen hadn't been out long before he spotted an herb shop. He went in, then came back out a short while later.
Su Chen went from shop to shop asking around. The whole process—from initial anticipation, to disappointment, and finally numbness—took less than an hour.
The replies were almost exactly the same as those he'd received at the clinics in White Stone City. The shopkeepers either shook their heads or simply said they didn't have any.
In the end, Su Chen had no choice but to use money to loosen the tongue of one shop assistant. Only then did the man explain the reason.
To Su Chen's surprise, the Red Blood Grass in Medicine Town had also been confiscated by the Medicine Gang, which had forbidden every herb shop from selling it.
In White Stone City, Su Chen hadn't thought much of the Medicine Gang's influence. But in Medicine Town, the gang was an unquestioned local king.
Anything involving medicinal herbs fell under the Medicine Gang's reach. Even the government couldn't command as much respect as they could!
After learning this, Su Chen gave up asking around.
He'd planned to buy Red Blood Grass directly from the herb farmers, but on second thought, he realized that was impossible.
At least, buying it openly was impossible. The Medicine Gang had its fingers in every aspect of Medicine Town, including the herb farmers.
"These gangs really are the biggest obstacle to my becoming stronger. If I still can't find any, I'll have to go after the Medicine Gang!"
Su Chen made up his mind: tomorrow, he would go to Ao Mountain Village. If he still couldn't buy Red Blood Grass there, he would head straight to the Medicine Gang.
He didn't want to provoke the Medicine Gang, but with no other options, it was the only thing left to do.
In the afternoon, Su Chen visited several more places. They were marketplaces where herb farmers sold their wares, the trading hubs of Medicine Town, and they were quite prosperous.
After wandering around for about an hour, Su Chen gave up in disappointment.
The moment the herb farmers heard he wanted to buy Red Blood Grass, they shook their heads like rattles and refused without hesitation. Su Chen didn't even get the chance to name his price.
If it had been just one person, Su Chen wouldn't have thought much of it. The problem was that almost everyone reacted the same way.
Su Chen also noticed that whenever he asked about Red Blood Grass, the people nearby would prick up their ears and keep an eye on him.
Then, when Su Chen asked them, they reacted exactly like the person before them.
After watching for a while, Su Chen stopped asking. It was clear the Medicine Gang's hold over the herb farmers ran even deeper than he'd imagined.
Still, he didn't give up. At dusk, he deliberately wandered around near the marketplace.
He'd thought some herb farmers might come to him in secret while they had the chance. But he'd been imagining things. He waited until dark, and not a single herb farmer showed up.
When only a handful of people remained in the marketplace, Su Chen's expression darkened slightly. In the end, he left.
Early the next morning, Su Chen left Medicine Town and headed for Ao Mountain Village.
Ao Mountain Village was surrounded by mountains on three sides. Most of the villagers made their living growing or gathering medicinal herbs, making the village one of Medicine Town's many suppliers.
Following the address the attendant had given him, Su Chen arrived at the marketplace in Ao Mountain Village. Compared with the one in Medicine Town, it looked rather crude.
As soon as Su Chen entered the marketplace, he saw a long line of people. Some carried bamboo baskets on their backs, while others held coarse-cloth sacks.
At the front of the line stood several burly men dressed somewhat better than the others. Each held a large hemp sack, and one short man was bargaining with a herb farmer.
After watching for a while, Su Chen figured out who they were. They were probably members of the Medicine Gang, here to collect herbs from Ao Mountain Village.
"Found her!"
His gaze didn't linger on the men for long. Instead, he scanned the line.
His eyes lit up slightly when he spotted a girl of thirteen or fourteen at the very end.
Among all the adults, the girl stood out like a lone crane among chickens. She was short and sickly thin, with a sallow face and ragged clothes patched again and again. She stood by herself at the back of the line, utterly alone.
Just as Su Chen was about to step toward the girl, he suddenly stopped.
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