Ants and Weeds

In a single day, he had been beaten into the hospital twice. That was truly something else.

Lin Fei returned to the hospital. Since his injuries were rather severe this time, he registered for an expensive specialist and even got an MRI.

"Doctor, are my injuries serious?"

"Serious? Young man, you nearly lost your life!"

The specialist was named Zhou Wangdao. He was in his fifties, and the top of his head was already somewhat bald.

He set down the MRI images, his expression solemn.

"Based on the examination, three of your ribs are injured. Two are broken, and one is cracked."

"If you had been hurt a little worse, the broken ribs could have pierced your lungs. You would already be dead. Call your family immediately and prepare to be hospitalized for surgery!"

The moment he heard surgery was needed, Lin Fei hesitated.

He might have gold coins now, but he had not exchanged them for cash yet.

Besides, if he underwent surgery, he would be unable to enter Nanli City for some time. His business with Thousand Gold Pavilion would likely go down the drain.

He had finally found such a major client. He could not just let them slip away.

"Doctor, is there no other way? When I registered, I saw your introduction said you were also skilled in traditional Chinese medicine."

"Could you prescribe some kind of pill that would heal me after I took it?"

Zhou Wangdao smiled. "Young man, I'm a traditional Chinese doctor, not a miracle doctor."

"With injuries like yours, traditional Chinese medicine can treat them, but herbal medicine takes effect slowly. It is not as fast as surgery."

Lin Fei remembered the Snow Ginseng Jade Toad Pill, which was in his pocket right now.

The young lady of the Li Family had said that as long as he took it, he would recover by the next day.

"Doctor, are there no herbal medicines that work quickly?"

"There are traditional medicines that take effect quickly, but modern medicinal herbs are grown for too short a time and have poor potency. Naturally, the treatment results are slow."

Just then, the door suddenly flew open, and several people rushed in.

A beautiful girl, her face streaked with tears like rain on pear blossoms, cried out, "Uncle Zhou, hurry and look at my dad!"

"My dad suddenly vomited blood and fainted! What's wrong with him?"

Zhou Wangdao could no longer attend to Lin Fei. He hurriedly had them place the patient on the bed and began examining him.

"Girl, don't panic. Your father's old injury has flared up."

"I'll give him a few needles, and he'll wake up. But this old injury has been there too long and has damaged his internal organs. It will be very difficult to cure at the root."

Zhou Wangdao took out silver needles and inserted several into the patient's body. Sure enough, the man opened his eyes.

"Dad!"

"President Wu, how do you feel?"

With his daughter's support, Wu Zhen sat up. He waved a hand, indicating that he was fine.

"Much better. It's an old ailment. More than ten years ago, I was injured by someone, and it left behind this lingering affliction."

"All these years, whenever I got angry or emotionally worked up, my chest would feel tight and stifled. Other than coughing up a few mouthfuls of blood, it never affected me much."

However, Zhou Wangdao's expression was grave. He was nowhere near as optimistic as Wu Zhen.

"President Wu, you were brought in promptly this time, so nothing happened. If this occurs again, it will be dangerous."

"Internal injuries are quite troublesome for people who practice martial arts. Ordinary medical methods can hardly cure them at the root. Even after I have given you acupuncture many times, I can only relieve the symptoms, not cure them."

People who practiced martial arts?

Lin Fei glanced over curiously. He had never expected there to be martial artists on Earth as well. He had never encountered any before.

Wu Yuqing wiped away her tears and looked worriedly at her father.

"Uncle Zhou, is there really no solution at all?"

Zhou Wangdao sighed. "It's not that there is no solution. It's that there is no medicine. As a traditional Chinese doctor, I truly find this deeply tragic."

"Although medicinal herbs on the market nowadays seem to come in every variety, most are artificially cultivated. They are too young, their potency is too poor, and it is difficult for them to be effective."

"Medicinal herbs over a hundred years old are extremely rare. Even if you encounter them, they are exorbitantly expensive. Ordinary people simply cannot afford them."

Wu Zhen nodded. "Yes. I attended an auction before where a wild mountain ginseng only thirty-some years old sold for five million."

"As for hundred-year ginseng, it is even rarer beyond compare. I'm afraid only ancient Lineages with long inheritances might have some hidden away, and they would not show them to others lightly."

Lin Fei's heart stirred. He caught the scent of a new business opportunity.

With the hundredfold difference in the flow of time between Nanli City and Earth, if he planted medicinal herbs in Nanli City—

Then after just one year on Earth, the herbs in Nanli City would have the effects of hundred-year-old medicinal herbs.

If he brought those century-old herbs back to Earth and sold them, he would earn far more than running a stall selling cold drinks.

Lin Fei checked the time. It had already been an hour since he left home.

By now, two days had passed in Nanli City.

He needed to hurry to Nanli City and settle the partnership with Thousand Gold Pavilion.

Taking advantage of no one paying attention to him, Lin Fei turned and left.

However, Lin Fei did not leave the hospital. Instead, he went to the restroom.

After locking the door of a restroom stall, Lin Fei waved a hand and summoned the Space Gate, his figure vanishing with it.

Thousand Gold Pavilion.

Private room.

"My apologies, Miss Li. I took so long to come see you."

"It's nothing. I thought you weren't coming."

"I have already consulted my boss. He said he is willing to establish a long-term partnership with Thousand Gold Pavilion, and that within Nanli City, we will supply only Thousand Gold Pavilion."

Lin Fei had long made up his mind. This time, he would conduct a major transaction with Thousand Gold Pavilion.

Once he had sufficient funds, he could purchase medicinal herbs on Earth, then find a place in Nanli City to plant them.

Miss Li was also very pleased with Lin Fei's answer.

"Good. Since that is the case, why not invite your boss out so we can discuss the details of our cooperation?"

"My boss said to leave everything entirely to me. We can trade a year's worth of goods at once, but you will need to prepare a cold storage facility."

"Our Li Family has its own ice cellar. Cultivators have set up an array inside it that can maintain icy cold energy throughout the year, though Spirit Stones are needed to sustain it."

"That would be wonderful. I will arrange delivery as soon as possible. Please have the gold coins ready as well."

Just as Lin Fei was preparing to leave, she suddenly spoke. "Are you in such a hurry to go? We have traded several times already. Shouldn't we introduce ourselves?"

"My name is Lin Fei."

"Li Ruxue!"

Li Ruxue stared at Lin Fei with her bright black eyes, a smile on her lips as she asked, "Lin Fei, you didn't take the Snow Ginseng Jade Toad Pill I gave you, did you?"

"It seems you don't trust me enough. You can take it without worry. I would not stoop to poisoning a little person like you. To me, you are no different from ants and weeds."

Lin Fei's expression changed. From beginning to end, she had never taken him seriously.

But that made sense. In a place like Nanli City, human lives were as worthless as weeds.

For a Lineage like the Li Family, one with Cultivators, killing someone was as easy as stepping on an ant.

What she valued was not him, but the benefits he could bring her.

"Miss, don't misunderstand. I merely thought this medicine was precious and couldn't bear to take it. I was saving it for later."

"Precious? Heh. It may only be a mere mortal-grade spirit medicine, but for a little person like you, it truly is precious."

Li Ruxue suddenly sighed and added, "Before Cultivators, am I not also a little person, no different from an ant?"

"Sadly, I have no talent for cultivation. For my entire life, I can only be a mortal..."