What a Small World

What a Small World

"Six-Petal Soul-Melting Flower? What a strange name. President, have you ever seen this medicinal herb?" Lu Tiao asked in surprise.

The old man's face broke into a peculiar smile. "Seen it? Heh, not only have I seen it! As luck would have it, I happen to have one of these Six-Petal Soul-Melting Flowers!"

Lu Tiao's face lit up with delight. "In that case, we can find him the two most crucial ingredients. The remaining herbs may be rare, but tracking them all down shouldn't be difficult."

"This Six-Petal Soul-Melting Flower is poisonous too. And its poison is the exact opposite of Qushen Red Fruit Wood's. Strange. What on earth does that Zhang He want with these two highly poisonous herbs?" The old man looked puzzled.

"Though we don't know what he plans to do with them, he seems to be in an awful hurry. Those two herbs must be very important to him," Lu Tiao said.

A keen gleam flashed through the old man's eyes. He nodded. "His urgency is good news! Though this Six-Petal Soul-Melting Flower was hard to come by and is extremely rare, it's of no use to me. Go tell him I'm willing to part with it. That way, I doubt he'll be able to refuse to work with us!"

The old man looked like a crafty old fox.

"I'll go talk to him right away!" Lu Tiao said, equally excited. He could already imagine the enormous benefits this deal would bring to the Pharmacist Association in Luowang Prefecture—and to himself!

Zhang He strolled leisurely down the streets of Luowang Prefecture's city. Since he was out shopping, he naturally couldn't ride in a carriage. That would be like watching flowers from horseback; he wouldn't get any pleasure out of the trip.

"Luowang Prefecture's city is several times more prosperous than Mengyin City. You can buy all sorts of things here that you can't get in Mengyin City." As he walked, Zhang He looked over the shops lining the street.

There were all kinds of shops along both sides of the road. They sold all manner of things, many of which had never even appeared in Mengyin City.

"Since I've come all this way, I can't go home empty-handed. First, I should buy a decent present for Lian Yunbi. Then I should get something nice for Mother and Little Sister, too."

Zhang He had come shopping to buy gifts. But he was a little stumped, unsure what to get. Choosing something for his little sister was easy enough. Children loved snacks and toys, so all Zhang He had to do was buy her a few treats and small toys. That would be sure to win Zhang Yu over.

But what should he buy for Mother? And what should he get Lian Yunbi as a birthday present?

Zhang He was having trouble deciding when his eyes suddenly fell on a large sign up ahead, with gold characters against a red background.

"Fengxiang Jewelry? Right, I can buy jewelry for Mother and Lian Yunbi. Mother has worked herself to the bone for all these years and never had the means to dress herself up. Now that life has gotten better, she should treat herself to some nice things. And Lian Yunbi... Everyone likes to look beautiful, especially women. Jewelry would make a fine birthday present."

Zhang He quickly made up his mind. Jewelry was always a fitting gift for a woman!

He strolled into the shop called "Fengxiang Jewelry." Just as he entered, he heard an old man pleading inside. "I've come so many times. Please, just let me see Boss Zheng."

Zhang He paused and glanced over. He saw a thin-faced old man with a full head of white hair and beard, stooped over at the entrance and bowing repeatedly as he begged a middle-aged man who looked like a steward.

Zhang He paid them no mind and walked straight into the shop. The jewelry before him immediately dazzled his eyes.

There really was a lot of jewelry here!

Excited, Zhang He hurried over. But when he saw the pieces on display, disappointment crept across his face. They used plenty of material, but their designs were stiff and monotonous.

Zhang He wasn't an expert, but he knew that when it came to jewelry, an appealing design mattered most; the materials came second. Here, it was the other way around. The jewelry all looked heavy, and its stiff, repetitive designs left Zhang He speechless.

Even so, there were plenty of people crowding around the counters, eagerly buying these pieces! Zhang He couldn't help wondering if everyone's taste was really that terrible.

He couldn't bring himself to look at any of these things. If he gave them to someone, he'd be embarrassed himself!

Zhang He scanned the shop, searching for a decent piece. At last, he spotted several items displayed before a few mirrors at the most luxurious counter. There was a phoenix-crown-like headpiece, a bracelet, and a necklace that looked relatively elegant.

It was the tallest among the dwarfs! These pieces still didn't satisfy Zhang He, but they were much better than the ones he'd seen earlier.

His gaze settled on the phoenix-crown-like headpiece. A wooden plaque beneath it bore its name: the Heavenly Fragrance Phoenix Crown.

Judging by its appearance, the Heavenly Fragrance Phoenix Crown was probably the shop's prized treasure. Several elegantly dressed noblewomen passed by, and when they saw it, envy shone in their eyes. Zhang He glanced at the price below and couldn't help clicking his tongue. It cost over eight hundred gold coins! That was almost as much as the manor he'd bought!

"Sigh, the Heavenly Fragrance Phoenix Crown is finely crafted, and it shows the maker's skill. But if you wore this thing on your head, it'd make your head look huge, wouldn't it? And it's far too showy. Wearing it would make you look like a peacock spreading its tail—pretty ridiculous."

Zhang He couldn't help sighing.

"Young man, the things here are worth a fortune. They're not for someone like you to browse. The discounted items are over there; go have a look. Those are cheap. These are much too expensive." A contemptuous voice came from beside him.

Zhang He frowned slightly and looked up. A flamboyantly dressed woman was staring at him with open disgust.

"Is this how your shop treats its customers?" Zhang He could tell she was talking to him. Anger rose in his heart. He'd come here to buy something, only to be looked down on like this!

"Oh? I spoke to you nicely, and you still don't appreciate it?" Seeing Zhang He talk back, the flamboyantly dressed woman sneered. "Was I wrong? Can you afford even one thing here? If you're broke, why come in here pretending to be some big shot?"

As the woman spoke, several shop assistants nearby pointed at Zhang He and whispered. Their expressions made it clear they were laughing at him.

Zhang He was even more annoyed now. A bunch of snobs looking down on people! He couldn't be bothered to waste his breath on them. With a cold snort, he turned to leave.

"Oh, look at that, he's still offended. Go piss on the ground and take a look at yourself. Do you think some commoner like you belongs in here?" The flamboyantly dressed woman continued to mock him.

Even with Zhang He's good temper, he couldn't help getting angry. This woman had mistaken his patience for permission to keep running her mouth!

"Well, well, if it isn't Zhang He! What brings you here to shop?" Just then, a voice tinged with mockery came from behind him.

Zhang He turned around, his brow furrowing slightly. Talk about running into an old enemy—he hadn't expected to see that bastard Zhao Feng here too! And there were two young people beside him, a man and a woman. One wore black, the other white. They were about the same age as Zhao Feng, and all three were watching Zhang He with ill intent!

"Zhang He? Cousin, isn't that the idiot who injured you back then?" the young man in white asked with feigned surprise.

Zhang He frowned even more deeply. He could tell those three hadn't come with good intentions. His gaze flicked over Zhao Feng's two companions.

"He's already reached the first level of the True Martial Realm?" When Zhang He saw a faint red glow flowing beneath the white-robed young man's skin, he couldn't help feeling a flicker of surprise.

Of the three, the young man in white was the strongest. But Zhang He didn't take him seriously. Even ten people at the first level of the True Martial Realm wouldn't frighten him. Still, he was surprised. To reach the first level of the True Martial Realm at such a young age, the boy either had a talent for cultivation or had been aided by a large supply of spirit pills. Either way, he was no ordinary fellow!

"What a damned eyesore. I can't go anywhere without seeing you, you stinking turd. You've ruined my mood!" Zhang He glanced at Zhao Feng, shook his head, and turned to leave.

Zhang He didn't take these clowns seriously. He had even less interest in wasting another word on them.

Zhao Feng hadn't even said anything when the young man in white beside him darkened. How arrogant! The kid dared to put on airs right in front of him!

"Bastard, you've got some nerve! Stop right there! Today, I'm settling an old score with you!" the young man in white roared, then rushed after him. He knew Zhang He had injured Zhao Feng, and now that he'd run into Zhang He, he wanted to avenge his cousin.

"Who are you calling a bastard?" Zhang He turned his head.

"You!" the young man in white replied coldly, closing in on Zhang He.

"People should know their own worth. Good of you to admit you're a bastard, but don't keep going out of your way to act like one," Zhang He drawled.

The young man in white suddenly realized what Zhang He meant, and his face turned icy. "You've got a lot of nerve, mocking your own grandfather! Looks like I'll have to teach you a lesson today. You broke one of my cousin's arms before, so I'll break both of yours. And since you ran your mouth at me, I'll knock your teeth out and cut out your tongue!"

As he spoke, the young man in white curled both hands into claws like an eagle's talons and lunged at Zhang He's arms!

With a single move, he meant to cripple both of Zhang He's arms!