Changxi Prefecture City South, Hundred Treasures Pavilion branch.
Chen Jianghe and Qian Shouyi stepped into the pavilion door and were greeted by a dense scent of sandalwood and medicinal herbs.
The layout of the pavilion is elegant, and it is not the noisy and noisy market place he imagined.
The lobby on the first floor is wide and bright. There are red sandalwood multi-treasure grids standing against the walls on all sides. Various treasures, medicinal materials, etc. are displayed in the grids.
Ore, weapons, armor, and elixirs are divided into categories, and each item is accompanied by a piece of paper indicating its name, place of origin, efficacy, and minimum price.
Groups of merchants dressed in fine clothes chatted in low voices in front of various counters. Occasionally, a waiter walked through them carrying a red lacquered tray, walking briskly but making no sound.
Qian Shouyi was familiar with the road and led Chen Jianghe through the lobby and straight to the stairs.
"Jianghe, this Hundred Treasures Pavilion branch has three floors. The first floor sells ordinary goods, ranging from a hundred taels to a thousand taels. The second floor requires identification to enter, where the real good stuff is. The third floor is not open to the public, and is reserved for private transactions by distinguished guests in the pavilion or the big auctions twice a year." He whispered as he walked, "Deacon Zhou is waiting on the second floor today, let's go directly up."
Chen Jianghe nodded and followed him up the stairs.
As soon as I reached the second floor, I was greeted by someone.
The man was about in his early fifties, well-built, wearing a purple brocade robe, with a kind face, and three long strands of beard neatly combed under his chin. His eyes were not big, but they showed the unique shrewdness and tact of a businessman.
He quickly stepped forward, cupped his fists and said with a smile, "Brother Qian, is this the Young Hero Chen you always talk about? You are indeed a talented person with extraordinary bearing!"
Qian Shouyi introduced with a smile, "Jianghe, this is Deacon Zhou, Hundred Treasures Pavilion, the old man from Changxi Branch that I mentioned. He has worked in this city for more than 20 years and has a wide network."
Deacon Zhou waved his hands repeatedly. "Brother Qian, lift it, lift it. I'm just running errands for my boss, so there's no way I can do it." As he said that, he turned to Chen Jianghe, his attitude became more enthusiastic, "Young Hero Chen Young heroes, although I live in the land of merchants, I have heard of the reputation of young heroes. Caoshui Ferry picked up Caoshui Gang six Huajin with one shot, Xingyi Sect Martial Sharpening Platform defeated the top five Huajin in thirty breaths, and broke Gangjin in one and a half years of entry. Tsk tsk, such a record, even here Changxi Prefecture City, is also a famous name!"
Chen Jianghe cupped his fists and returned the greeting. "Deacon Zhou is too complimentary. I am just a disciple who cultivates diligently and does not dare to slack off."
"Okay, okay, don't be arrogant or impetuous, indeed a hero emerges from a young age!" Deacon Zhou's eyes were full of admiration, and he turned sideways to lead the way, "Come in quickly, come in quickly! Fragrant tea has been prepared in the private room, let's sit down and chat slowly."
The three of them were about to enter when they suddenly saw a figure hurriedly walking from the corridor on the right side of the pavilion.
The man was about in his early twenties, with a thin build. He was holding a wooden box in his hand, his steps were steady, and he had a down-to-earth and steady temperament between his brows.
As he walked closer, his eyes accidentally glanced at Chen Jianghe, and he was suddenly shocked.
The steps stopped.
The wooden box was almost lost.
"Chen——Brother Chen?!"
There was incredible surprise in the voice, and a hint of indescribable excitement.
Chen Jianghe raised his eyes and looked.
That face seemed vaguely familiar.
After thinking for a moment, he dug out the corresponding scene from the depths of his memory, outside the Xingyi Sect Mountain Gate two years ago.
Anju Inn In the pavilion in the back mountain, the thin young man stood side by side with him and told his story.
My family was poor, my parents died young, and I only had one younger sister left. Four Forms had no strength at the age of twenty, and it took me eight full years to reach this point. When I left the mountain, I only had twenty taels of silver left on me, which was not even enough to pay for my trip home.
Lin Yan.
"Brother Lin." Chen Jianghe spoke slowly, with a calm tone, but with a hint of warmth of an old friend reunited.
Lin Yan's eyes suddenly turned red.
He took a deep breath, stepped forward quickly, put the wooden box under his arm, cupped his fists with both hands, and bowed his head deeply towards Chen Jianghe.
"Brother Chen----Young Hero Chen! Lin Yan----Lin Yan I didn't expect to see you again!"
Chen Jianghe stretched out his hand to help him up. "Brother Lin, there is no need to be polite."
Deacon Zhou was watching this scene from the side, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes, he stroked his beard and said with a smile, "What, you two know each other?"
Lin Yan straightened up and wiped the corners of his eyes. His voice was still trembling, but he was able to steady himself. "Back to my adoptive father, that day----this disciple participated in the entrance examination of the Xingyi Sect together with Young Hero Chen."
Foster father?
Chen Jianghe glanced between Deacon Zhou and Lin Yan.
Deacon Zhou sighed, with a touch of kindness in his eyes, and slowly told the story of this fate.
Two years ago, after Lin Yan was defeated from the Xingyi Sect, he only had the fifty taels of silver gifted by Chen Jianghe.
He originally wanted to go to the Chang Family to make a living - this was his plan to Chen Jianghe in the pavilion.
But when he actually arrived in front of the Chang Mansion and looked at the wealthy family, he hesitated.
Recruitment from aristocratic families is said to be meritocratic, but if you don't have a solid background, you will just be a housekeeper and a nurse, with a meager salary, and you will be abandoned like worn shoes when you are old and frail.
Although he Lin Yan came from a humble background, he did not want to live like this in his life.
He wandered around Changxi Prefecture City for three days, and when he was about to run out of money and almost give up his reluctance to apply, he met Deacon Zhou at the corner of South Street in the city.
That day Deacon Zhou had just returned to the city after collecting a batch of medicinal materials from outside the city. He saw a thin young man squatting under the wall in a daze, with a gray face and confusion in his eyes.
He was not a nosy person, but the young man's eyes reminded him of his wandering days in his early years.
He stopped the carriage and asked, "Young man, are you in trouble?"
Lin Yan raised his head and saw a kind face.
He didn't know where he got the courage to tell the story of his failure to be elected to the Xingyi Sect, his financial resources were running out, and he was unwilling to go to the Chang Family to make offerings.
Deacon Zhou After listening, he was silent for a long time and suddenly asked, "Would you like to learn business from me?"
Lin Yan was stunned.
Deacon Zhou stroked his beard and said, "I have worked in the Hundred Treasures Pavilion for more than 20 years. I have no children and have always wanted to find a down-to-earth child. Although you have poor bones, you can use your Four Forms bones for eight years to cultivate your energy. This kind of perseverance is more rare than those with good talents. If you are willing, just stay, and I will teach you how to recognize goods, appreciate treasures, and deal with people. Even if you cannot become a Martial Dao master in the future, you can still gain a firm foothold here Changxi Prefecture City."
Lin Yan After listening to Deacon Zhou say these words, he was stunned in place.
He never thought that there was such a way in life.
For a long time, he knelt down on his knees towards Deacon Zhou and kowtowed heavily. "Disciple----disciple is willing to stay!"
Deacon Zhou helped him up and said with a smile, "Okay, don't kneel down. My surname is Zhou, you can call me foster father from now on."
Lin Yan Having said this, his eyes turned red again, but it was no longer the confused tears of two years ago, but the warmth of gratitude and belonging.
"My adoptive father is so kind that I will remember it in my heart for the rest of my life."
Deacon Zhou waved his hand and said with a smile, "Okay, don't say this in front of Young Hero Chen. This kid, Yan'er, is down-to-earth and hard-working. He has been with me for the past two years and has become able to stand alone. The batch of goods that came from the north the day before yesterday was inspected by him and there was nothing wrong."
Lin Yan was a little embarrassed by the praise, and lowered his head and said, "It's all because of his good guidance from his adoptive father."
Chen Jianghe listened quietly and looked at Lin Yan, who was much calmer than two years ago, and suddenly felt a faint emotion in his heart.
The thin boy who squatted under the wall of the inn in a daze with confusion in his eyes two years ago now has a foothold, a foster father who is willing to take him in, and a job where he can live and work.
Those fifty taels of silver were nothing more than a simple effort. But being able to give a person a little help in his most difficult moment, and watching him step out of trouble and find his own way - this feeling gave him more peace of mind than killing ten or eight bandit leaders.
Lin Yan then raised his head and looked at Chen Jianghe, his eyes full of gratitude and admiration.
"Brother Chen, in the past two years, although I have been helping in the cabinet, I have been paying attention to the news about the Xingyi Sect. Caoshui Ferry, Martial Sharpening Platform----every one of them, I have heard about it. Brother Chen single-handedly picked Caoshui Gang, defeated five people at the peak of Huajin in thirty breaths, and now he has entered Gangjin----"
He paused, with sincere admiration in his voice. "I often think that if I didn't have Brother Chen's fifty taels of silver that day, I would not even be able to reach Changxi Prefecture, let alone meet my adoptive father. Brother Chen is so kind that I can't repay him. I can only work diligently every day to live up to my adoptive father's kindness in taking me in, and to live up to Brother Chen's help that day."
Chen Jianghe looked at him and said slowly, "Brother Lin made a serious statement. It was Brother Lin's own destiny that he could achieve today's fortune with just a little effort that day."
Lin Yan shook his head and said solemnly, "It's a simple effort for Brother Chen, but it's a life-saving grace for the disciple. The disciple will remember it for the rest of his life."
Deacon Zhou watched this scene from the side, stroked his beard and smiled and said, "Okay, okay, it's all fate. Young Hero Chen, since we have such a good relationship today, I have to treat you well. Let's go upstairs to drink tea first and chat slowly."
The group entered the pavilion, passed through the front hall, climbed to the second floor, and entered an elegant wing.
The wing room is not big, but it is extremely well-furnished. Rosewood tables and chairs, celadon vases, and several landscape paintings are hung on the walls. There is a small table near the window with all the tea sets on it, and a pot of tea is being brewed.
Deacon Zhou invited the two of them to sit down and poured tea himself.
Lin Yan did not sit down, but stood aside with his hands down. Deacon Zhou glanced at him and said with a smile, "Yan'er, you sit down too. Young Hero Chen is not an outsider."
Lin Yan then sat down at the lower end, but still sat upright and with a respectful posture.
Deacon Zhou picked up the tea cup and took a sip, then looked at Chen Jianghe with a somewhat profound look in his eyes.
"Young Hero Chen, I just heard Brother Qian mention it, why are you here this time Pulse-Renewing Spirit Marrow?"
Chen Jianghe nodded. "Exactly. My master was injured in his early years and his meridians were damaged. This disciple wants to use this thing to warm and nourish his meridians."
Deacon Zhou stroked his beard and said, "That thing is indeed a treasure. Hundred Treasures Pavilion also spent a lot of effort to collect it from the south. It will be auctioned the next day. The base price is set at 50,000 taels. The final transaction price is probably going to go up to 80,000 taels."
Qian Shouyi interrupted, "Eighty thousand taels? Old Zhou, the price you quoted is a bit high."
Deacon Zhou smiled bitterly, "Brother Qian, it's not that I paid a high price, it's that the item is really worth the price. Pulse-Renewing Spirit Marrow can warm and nourish damaged meridians, and is also effective for warriors with Gang Jin and above. This kind of treasure will be a hot commodity if it is released. If Hundred Treasures Pavilion doesn't have some connections with the owner, it would be impossible to get it."
Chen Jianghe listened silently, his expression unchanged.
Eighty thousand taels.
The banknotes he had on him, plus those collected from Feng Yan and Song Qi, totaled just over one hundred thousand taels. If the deal was really made for eighty thousand taels, that would be enough.
Just----
His eyes inadvertently glanced at the shelves in the corner of the wing.
There were various utensils on the shelf, including jade bottles, wooden boxes, scrolls, and several weapons.
One of them made his eyes pause slightly.
It was a round concealed weapon about the size of a palm, completely black, with eight sharp blades as thin as cicada wings on the edge, arranged in an octagonal shape, with a hollow in the middle, and the delicate internal structure could be vaguely seen.
Octagonal Flying Star.
Chen Jianghe has seen the map of this object in <Hundred Weapons Manual>.
According to reports, when this object is launched, eight sharp blades rotate and fly out at the same time. The trajectory is erratic and extremely difficult to defend. Moreover, each blade can be removed separately and used after quenching the poison, making it impossible to prevent it.
It's just that this thing is extremely difficult to make, and it takes a skilled craftsman who is proficient in mechanics to spend several months to complete one piece.
And it needs to be activated with special techniques when using it, otherwise it is easy to hurt yourself, so it is rarely spread in the world.
Deacon Zhou followed his gaze, stroked his beard and smiled and said, "Young Hero Chen has good eyesight. That is Octagonal Flying Star", a low-grade treasure, just received from the north last month. The craftsman who made this object has passed away for many years, and now I am afraid that there is no second one on the market."
Chen Jianghe looked away and did not answer.
But in his heart, he has firmly remembered the appearance of Octagonal Flying Star.
If this kind of hidden weapon is activated by Gang Qi, its power will be far beyond ordinary hidden weapons. Its trajectory is erratic and difficult to defend, which is a perfect match for someone like him who is good at hidden weapons.
Just----
He thought of the one hundred thousand taels of silver note in his arms.
Pulse-Renewing Spirit Marrow It's important.
Deacon Zhou looked at his words and saw his eyes lingering on Octagonal Flying Star for a moment before retracting. He also saw Qian Shouyi shaking his head slightly at the side, already thinking about it.
He stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Young Hero Chen, did you take a fancy to that hidden weapon?"
Chen Jianghe did not deny. "That is indeed the intention. But the first thing I did when I came here was to seek medicine for my master. Then Pulse-Renewing Spirit Marrow----"
Deacon Zhou waved his hand and interrupted him, "Young Hero Chen is worrying too much. I have worked at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion for more than 20 years, and there has always been an installment payment rule for regular customers."
He paused and looked at Chen Jianghe, his eyes showing the shrewdness of a businessman, but also with a bit of sincerity. "Young Hero Chen is kind to Yan'er, and has a close friendship with Brother Qian, and is also Xingyi Sect is the identity of a disciple of Gangjin. I will make an exception. If you want Octagonal Flying Star and Young Hero Chen, you only need to pay five thousand taels first and then you can take them. The balance can be paid off in five years, and the interest is easy to negotiate."
Chen Jianghe was slightly startled.
Five thousand taels, down payment.
Five-year installments.
This condition is not unfavorable.
Qian Shouyi stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Old Zhou, this is your first time. I have been dealing with you for twenty years, but I have never seen you be so generous to anyone."
Deacon Zhou smiled bitterly, "Brother Qian, don't make fun of me. I also care about Yan'er's face. This child has been with me for two years and has never asked for anything. Today he saw Young Hero Chen, and I can see the look in my eyes. If I can return a favor to him, I will be happy to do it as a favor."
Lin Yan stood aside, his eyes slightly red, and he opened his mouth to say something, but Deacon Zhou waved his hand to stop him.
Chen Jianghe was silent for a moment, and slowly clasped his fists. "Deacon Zhou's kindness, Jianghe will bear it in my heart. Then Octagonal Flying Star, Jianghe really intends to take it into the bag. It's just----"
He paused, took out a stack of banknotes from his arms, counted out five thousand taels, and presented them with both hands.
"This is the down payment. The remaining balance will be sent to the pavilion by the disciple on a monthly basis."
Deacon Zhou took the banknote, put it into his arms without looking at it, and said with a smile, "Young Hero Chen You are serious. I can trust you."
He turned around, took down the Octagonal Flying Star from the shelf, put it into a sandalwood box together with the three matching mechanism springs, and handed it over.
"When using this thing, you need to use special techniques to activate it. The map is at the bottom of the box. Young Hero Chen You can study it carefully after you go back."
Chen Jianghe took it with both hands and put it into his arms solemnly.
"Thank you Deacon Zhou."