Unexpected Windfall

"Are you sure you want all these medicinal ingredients?"

Chang Wu stared at Ye Tong in dumbfounded disbelief. As one name after another left Ye Tong's mouth, his heart beat faster and faster, and his eyes began to shine. Especially at the end, when he heard Ye Tong say, "Three portions of each," he nearly burst into delighted laughter.

Fourteen medicinal ingredients, and two precious spiritual fruits. Of them, six medicinal ingredients and one spiritual fruit were exceedingly expensive; without a hundred taels of blue silver, one could forget about buying even a single kind.

This was...

A huge deal worth several thousand taels of blue silver!

When Chang Wu looked at Ye Tong again, it was as though he were looking at a God of Wealth radiating golden light. After warmly ushering everyone into the medicine shop, he instructed the clerks to fetch the ingredients while grabbing a calculating device to tally the total price of everything.

A moment later.

Chang Wu looked at Zhang Pinsou with a beaming smile and said politely, "The total is three thousand six hundred and forty-eight taels of blue silver. Since this is your first visit, honored guests, I'll take the liberty of rounding off the change. You need only pay three thousand six hundred taels of blue silver. I hope you will visit our Warm Medicine Hall often in the future."

"Mm."

With a trace of arrogance, Zhang Pinsou gave a casual reply.

Chang Wu was overjoyed. The more arrogance Zhang Pinsou displayed, the more convinced he became that the man was either rich or noble, some extraordinary figure. Thus, his humble manner became increasingly apparent.

Once all the ingredients needed to prepare the Hundred Solutions Liquid had been gathered and handed to Zhang Zhongying, Chang Wu's face blossomed like a flower. He asked, "May I ask whether you will pay in blue silver or banknotes?"

Zhang Zhongying took out a stack of banknotes, drew several out, and handed them to Chang Wu. Then she pulled out another banknote worth one hundred taels and extended it toward Ye Tong, her manner imperious.

"Heh..."

Without even thinking, Ye Tong accepted it.

Having lived two lives, he understood the importance of money all too well. Especially in this world, more wondrous yet more cruel, only money could let him live longer. As for dignity... when even his life might not last until tomorrow, why should he care whether she acted arrogantly?

Of course.

He loved money.

But he also had principles. For instance, in repayment for Mu Qianlan's kindness in saving him from the fire, he would waive the cost of preparing the medicine. That was not something a mere hundred taels of blue silver could settle.

Ye Tong tucked the banknote into his robes, then looked at the smiling Chang Wu and said coolly, "Manager Chang, the customer has already given me a reward. Could it be that Warm Medicine Hall is unwilling to follow the rules? Three thousand six hundred taels of blue silver—half a percent is one hundred and eighty taels. A man of your standing in Cold Mountain City surely would not ruin the rules, and Warm Medicine Hall's reputation, over such a trifling sum?"

"You..."

Chang Wu was dumbfounded. The way he looked at Ye Tong was like he was looking at a monster.

He understood the rules, and he understood the half-percent commission. But that money was always secretly settled with the broker by the shop after the customer had left. What broker would openly demand it right in front of the customer?

"Not planning to pay?"

Ye Tong raised a brow.

Chang Wu swallowed and furtively glanced at Zhang Pinsou and the others. Seeing that their expressions remained normal and showed no anger, he seemed to realize something. Swiftly pulling out several banknotes, he stuffed them into Ye Tong's hand and said with a broad grin, "How could I possibly refuse? Little Brother Ye, you are the God of Wealth of our Warm Medicine Hall. I, Chang Wu, might owe blue silver to anyone, but I would never dare owe it to you! In the future, I hope you will bring more honored guests here to support us."

"Easy enough."

Ye Tong did not feel much contempt for Chang Wu, who looked down on people like a dog and treated whoever fed him as his mother. Everyone had their own rules for conducting themselves in this world. Chang Wu... was merely a snob.

At the doorway.

A young man in a gray padded jacket and round cap, with a pointed mouth and monkey cheeks, happily stepped over the threshold. Not caring that others stood beside Chang Wu, he took a wooden box from his robes and said, "Fifth Master, I brought back the Iron Ring Grass you asked me to buy. I got it for the price you named."

Chang Wu nodded in satisfaction. He casually took out some loose silver from his robes, tossed it to the young man, and waved a hand. "A reward for you. Go on!"

"Thank you, Fifth Master."

The sharp-faced youth gave a few sly chuckles, then left contentedly with the loose silver. Medicine shops naturally both bought and sold herbs; the profit lay between purchase and sale.

Iron Ring Grass?

Ye Tong's eyes lit up, and his heart thumped.

Iron Ring Grass was a precious medicinal ingredient. It possessed an extremely cold nature and was also poisonous, making it a rare slow-acting poison. To ordinary people, Iron Ring Grass was utterly worthless, but to those who desperately needed it, it was priceless.

Like Ye Tong. He needed Iron Ring Grass. If he could obtain it, he could refine Cold Poison Pills and live several more months.

"Manager Chang."

Ye Tong asked calmly, "Iron Ring Grass is hardly a good medicinal ingredient. Once many wicked people obtain it, they use it to poison others."

The smile on Chang Wu's face froze. He suddenly recalled that Ye Tong had spent the past year searching for and buying poisonous medicinal ingredients. A strange look immediately surfaced in his eyes. "Iron Ring Grass may indeed be no good thing to those who do not need it, but to those who do, it is exceedingly precious. For example, Little Brother Ye?"

Though Ye Tong's thoughts had been seen through, he did not feel embarrassed. He asked indifferently, "What is the price of this Iron Ring Grass?"

A sharp gleam flashed in Chang Wu's eyes as he said bluntly, "Eight hundred taels of blue silver. No bargaining."

Eight hundred taels?

Upon hearing that, Ye Tong turned and left at once.

Though he desperately needed Iron Ring Grass, even counting every coin he possessed, he only had two hundred and eighty taels of blue silver. He was still several times short of eight hundred taels. The gap was far too great for bargaining to be possible, so Ye Tong could not be bothered to stay any longer.

Zhang Pinsou and Zhang Zhongying were both shrewd people. With thoughtful looks in their eyes, they followed Ye Tong out. Mu Qianlan, however, frowned and pondered for a moment before transmitting her voice to Chang Wu. "Do not sell the Iron Ring Grass for the time being. Within three days, I will return to purchase it."

Chang Wu's eyes widened. He was certain Mu Qianlan's lips had not moved in the slightest, yet her voice had sounded inside his heart. This meant that the girl before him, possessing beauty capable of toppling kingdoms and cities, was a cultivator—and likely a very powerful one.

"A distinguished guest!"

Chang Wu restrained his excitement and nodded solemnly in reply.

After returning to the Precious Medicine Workshop, Ye Tong looked at the ruined house and courtyard, burned beyond recognition. He went directly to the side room, examined it briefly, then called the Medicine Slave over to clear away the surrounding debris. They found a furnace that remained relatively intact, and Ye Tong casually kicked the filthy Purple Coffin aside.

"Hm?"

Zhang Pinsou, who had followed them over, suddenly made a surprised sound.

Ye Tong turned and saw him staring at the Purple Coffin he had kicked aside. Raising his brow, Ye Tong asked with a half-smile, "You like it?"

Zhang Pinsou picked up the Purple Coffin and studied it in his hands for a moment. His expression became somewhat solemn as he nodded. "I like it."

"..."

Ye Tong looked at Zhang Pinsou as if he were an idiot. He could not understand whether the people of this other world all had such peculiar tastes. Someone actually liked coffins?

Holding the Purple Coffin, Zhang Pinsou seemed reluctant to put it down. His bright, spirited gaze shifted toward Ye Tong as he asked tentatively, "Little brother, is this Purple Coffin for sale?"

Ye Tong curled his lip. "It is."

Zhang Pinsou hurriedly asked, "How much?"

Ye Tong narrowed his eyes like a crafty fox and countered, "How much do you think it is worth?"

Zhang Pinsou's heart skipped a beat. He immediately realized that his display of affection had alerted this youth, who clearly did not recognize its value. Perhaps Ye Tong would soon open his mouth like a lion and fleece him mercilessly.

What a blunder!

Zhang Pinsou sighed inwardly and held up one finger. "One hundred taels of blue silver."

Ye Tong borrowed a tiger's hide to raise a grand banner, pretending to be displeased as he said, "You know Poison Demon Huo Lanqiu, right? If he learned that you bought the Purple Coffin he treasured for one hundred taels of blue silver, he would be so furious he'd run to your ancestral graves and roast lamb legs there. You're a wealthy man from the prefectural city, yet you haggle and pinch pennies like this without feeling ashamed?"

"Gulp..."

Zhang Pinsou swallowed, fear appearing in his eyes. Only then did he recall that this was the territory of that old Poison Demon, and that this sickly-looking youth was one of the old Poison Demon's people. He could swindle anyone, but he absolutely could not swindle him! If the old Poison Demon learned of it someday, the Zhang family would suffer a great calamity.

"You..."

Zhang Zhongying revealed an angry expression, but at the thought of Poison Demon Huo Lanqiu's far-reaching infamy, the anger in her heart immediately collapsed.

Ye Tong waved a hand. Although he had already lived more than a hundred years, he was still in the body of a youth, so he said, "Old Mister Zhang, I have no eye for such things, so there is no need to fool me. If you want to buy this Purple Coffin, offer a price that you believe will not anger Poison Demon Huo Lanqiu. If I find it satisfactory, we will exchange money and goods hand to hand. I guarantee that old man will not come looking for trouble with your Zhang family afterward."

Zhang Pinsou remained silent for a long while before slowly saying, "Five hundred taels of blue gold."

Five hundred taels?

That was quite a sum!

A smile appeared on Ye Tong's face. Just as he was about to agree, his expression suddenly changed. Looking at Zhang Pinsou strangely, he asked, "Are you sure you mean blue gold, not blue silver?"

After all.

The exchange rate between blue gold and blue silver was ten to one. In other words, the five hundred taels of blue gold Zhang Pinsou mentioned equaled five thousand taels of blue silver. Even the money Ye Tong had obtained from the old Poison Demon was nowhere near such an amount!

Zhang Pinsou said seriously, "That is right. Five hundred taels of blue gold. Just as you said, if you are satisfied, we will exchange money and goods hand to hand."

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Ye Tong waved a hand. "The Purple Coffin is already in your hands. Medicine Slave, collect the money."

Suddenly!

His expression shifted slightly, because he vaguely realized that the influence of his two personalities truly had changed him greatly. Previously, he absolutely would not have been excited over something like this. After all, he had seen and possessed huge piles of gold bricks with far greater visual impact. Wealth had meant less than nothing to him in his previous life.

A satisfied smile hung on the Medicine Slave's aged face, and even his stooped body straightened a little. He accepted the five gold notes Zhang Zhongying handed over, then nodded to Ye Tong. "The amount is correct."

The corners of Ye Tong's mouth lifted. He turned and swept his gaze around, vaguely feeling that many good things ought to be hidden amid these ruined walls. Though that old man had disappeared, given his status, position, and taste, trash would never have caught his eye! Thinking this, Ye Tong shouted loudly, "Medicine Slave, hire masons and carpenters to rebuild this Precious Medicine Workshop. Also, gather up everything in the house that has not been damaged."

"Alright!"

The Medicine Slave had lived here all his life and possessed a deep sense of belonging to this place. At those words, he agreed with an excited face, then hurried eagerly outside.