Old Ginseng

[Library Points: 1242]

Jiang Ding glanced at his phone.

After the animal specimen option was added, specimen collection progress accelerated once more. Every day, he received hundreds or even thousands of specimens, with unknown plants and animals accounting for roughly one or two tenths of them.

At this rate, I'll save up ten thousand points in two or three months. Jiang Ding felt a flicker of delight.

Ten thousand Library Points could allow the Central Array-Spirit Computer to tailor-make a cultivation art, greatly improving a Cultivator's compatibility with a particular technique and increasing cultivation speed.

Of course, ten thousand points only covered techniques at Foundation Establishment and below, and there were limits to the technique's grade as well.

At most three months. Should I deduce the Young Eagle Takes Flight Sword Art, or the Great Sun Seed-Sword Tempering Art? Jiang Ding hesitated.

The Young Eagle Takes Flight Sword Art had already reached minor mastery and improved every day. Spending ten thousand points on it seemed somewhat wasteful.

Yet though the Great Sun Seed-Sword Tempering Art was excellent, the materials it required were far too precious. Whether the Heavenly Sound Stone seized by the Golden Saber Sect was truly the legendary Grand Pure Divine Iron was still uncertain.

"We'll talk about it then."

Jiang Ding sighed and rested his hand on his sword hilt.

"Greetings, boss!"

"Boss!"

In the front courtyard, which he had not visited in a long time, the busy clerks and shopkeeper rose to greet him. Jiang Ding waved them off and casually found a corner seat.

The shop had been open for more than half a month now, and its reputation had gradually spread. Many people nearby knew that a strange owner had appeared on Rotten Plank Street, buying flowers, plants, birds, insects, and whatever else people brought him—but he only bought one of each kind, never duplicates.

Including Huang Deyou and Han Lin, there were four people in the shop altogether, receiving the steady stream of herb gatherers, mountain folk, children and women from the city who had heard of the place by chance, and others.

"You wanted climbing snakevine and toad grass yesterday, so why won't you take them now? Was all my hard work for nothing?! Huh!"

A weather-beaten herb gatherer slammed the counter and roared in fury.

Clerk Han Lin's little face shrank back.

"Old Li, our shop laid down the rules long ago: first come, first served." Huang Deyou hurried over. With a faintly arrogant air, he soothed and deflected the man's anger until the herb gatherer left with an apologetic smile.

Soon afterward, a mountain villager was refused because a finger-sized insect had a tiny leg, no thicker than a strand of hair, broken off. He kicked up a noisy fuss, and Huang Deyou ran over to handle that as well.

Jiang Ding watched closely and discovered that Huang Deyou did not always carry himself with lofty airs.

Whenever he encountered a relative of a suspected Wild Wolf Gang underling, or some constable's distant kin, his attitude became much gentler. Even if their goods failed inspection, he would pay them a few coins for tea from the "special expenses" account, speaking kindly and smoothly.

No matter who he faced, he could always make them follow his lead and ensure that business continued as usual.

"So impressive..."

Jiang Ding silently marveled.

"If Huang Deyou and I were placed in a world without spiritual energy, he would probably live better than I would—far better."

Four Seas Chamber of Commerce.

A maid led Jiang Ding into a private room on the second floor. Steam curled from the tea, its fragrance overflowing, only to be filtered by a thin membrane of true qi before it reached his nose.

It was not any cultivation art or martial skill. Compared to other mundane internal arts, the Young Eagle Takes Flight Sword Art naturally came with extraordinarily fine control, almost instinctive in nature—a kind of "immune to a hundred poisons."

"Young Master Jiang's presence has made this humble place shine with glory." Long San jogged over, smiling from a long way off.

"Shopkeeper Long is too polite."

Jiang Ding gave a slight bow.

After the customary pleasantries, Jiang Ding did not waste words. He took out a box containing seven artificial luminous pearls, each the size of a thumb, whose glow could last for more than a hundred years.

In a technologically backward plane, they possessed tremendous value as luxury goods.

"Shopkeeper Long, what price would you put on them?"

Long San was startled.

Pearls again?

Had this lord raided the nest of some river-clam demon? Otherwise, where could he have found so many glowing pearls?

"This..."

Long San revealed a hesitant expression.

"What, does the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce not buy them?" Jiang Ding smiled and asked.

"Of course not. Young Master's goods are simply too valuable, and I lost my composure for a moment." Long San steadied himself. "I have been through hardship with Young Master, so I'll ask directly."

"Will Young Master sell more of these in the future? Perhaps Young Master does not know, but if there are too many of them, their price will fall somewhat."

That did not sound much like the words of a merchant. It was too honest.

But Long San was confident that the man before him would not deceive him, at least not over a little silver.

After considering for a moment, Jiang Ding gave his answer.

"Yes."

As an effective medium of exchange, he could not be bothered to change it. Still, he would not flood one place with them and drive their value down too much.

"Then how about seven hundred taels for each pearl?"

Long San considered it before speaking.

"Fine. Exchange as much of it as possible for old ginseng."

After leaving the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce, Jiang Ding weighed the bundle of ginseng boxes tied together in his hand and wrapped in black cloth.

There was one ninety-year-old ginseng root, three seventy-year-old roots, seven fifty-year-old roots, and twelve more that were twenty or thirty years old, worth a total of two thousand two hundred taels of silver. He still had two thousand seven hundred taels in banknotes tucked into his clothes.

He had practically swept the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce clean of old ginseng. At the very least, they would be unable to restock for half a year.

"This should sustain a month of high-intensity training at least..."

Jiang Ding thought silently as he walked back toward Rotten Plank Street, ignoring everything along the way, whether martial contests for marriage, monkey shows, acrobatic performances, or temple fairs.

He felt that his current life was already very good.

For nearly a month, he had only gone out twice. He never left home without reason, never got entangled in any trouble, and cultivated quietly.

It was not as though there were no way to obtain better old medicinal herbs. There were even ways to acquire century-old ginseng that normally circulated only among major powers.

He could simply gather it in Eastspirit Mountain. Even if fierce beasts guarded it, with drones monitoring the surroundings and searching in every direction, it was not impossible for him to collect some.

It was simply dangerous, and he did not wish to go.

Jiang Ding's steps halted, and his brow furrowed.

"No wonder they say disorder is the common order beyond this world."

"This is still a city governed by capable officials who hold military authority. In broad daylight—what do they think they're doing?"

From the drone's perspective,

there were three people in different disguises: a beggar, a merchant, and a peddler. They had followed him all the way, begging and hawking goods normally, yet their eyes kept flicking in his direction. They were extremely professional.

If not for the drone, he would never have noticed them.

"So this is what they call jianghu experience."

Jiang Ding's expression turned faintly cold. He silently memorized the movements of those three people, intending to review the footage afterward and study it carefully.

Drones were not omnipotent either. If he encountered a Foundation Establishment Cultivator or a qi-refining Cultivator who practiced eye techniques, they would be able to spot a drone a thousand meters up in the sky.

If he could not obtain more advanced drones in the future, then he would have to rely on himself for everything.

With a cold sneer, Jiang Ding entered Rotten Plank Street as usual and returned to the shop on his own.

The three men did not stop him. After repeatedly confirming the address, they exchanged glances, took several twisting turns, and entered the rear courtyard of a magnificent mansion in the eastern part of the city.