At daybreak, the rear courtyard held roll call.
Lu Chen was kept behind by Zhao Yiting.
Lu Chen asked, "Commander Zhao, what orders do you have?"
Zhao Yiting stood beneath the covered walkway, a thick cloth outer garment draped over him. He glanced at Lu Chen, his gaze several shades more serious than usual. "Today, Master Ge is going to Gaolin County to attend the medicine fair and purchase autumn-harvest medicinal materials. You'll accompany him."
"Gaolin County?"
Lu Chen was slightly startled.
He had heard of the place.
Gaolin County was wealthier than Scarlet Cloud County. The surrounding fields were fertile, and it had quite a few herb gardens. It was a well-known distribution center for medicinal materials in the area.
Lu Chen instead asked, "Commander Zhao, doesn't our Medicine Shop have a herb garden? Do we still need to go to another county to purchase medicinal materials?"
Zhao Yiting explained, "Winter is almost here."
"Once winter arrives, heavy snow will seal off the mountains, and it'll be very difficult to transport the medicinal materials from Scarlet Cloud Mountain Herb Garden."
"So we need to go to another county and purchase a batch of medicinal materials to supply the winter pill refining."
"If we don't stockpile a large batch before winter arrives, the pill room may have to shut down its furnaces once the twelfth lunar month comes."
When Lu Chen heard the words "shut down its furnaces," he understood the seriousness of the matter.
Once the pill room stopped, supplies of pills such as Blood-Qi Powder would be cut off, and the Medicine Shop would lose a huge source of income.
The Medicine Shop supported so many martial artists and servants. Without the income from pills, it would be difficult to maintain normal operations.
Zhao Yiting then said in a low voice, "Once the pill room stops, the customers will turn around and buy their medicine from the Huang Family. The market and connections our Medicine Shop has struggled to maintain will inevitably shrink, making it even harder to compete with the Huang Family in the future."
Lu Chen nodded. "I understand, Commander Zhao."
Zhao Yiting continued, "Gaolin County is wealthier than our Scarlet Cloud County. It has many mountain fields and herb gardens, and it's also the hub of the surrounding medicinal-material trade. Every year after the autumn harvest, they hold a medicine fair."
"When the time comes, medicine shops, traveling medicine merchants, and alchemists from nearby will all go."
"A large quantity of autumn-harvest medicinal materials will be sold in one place. The herb farmers will be eager to exchange them for silver before winter, so the prices will be much lower than usual. For our Medicine Shop, it's also the best time of the year to stock up in bulk."
Lu Chen said, "I see."
It was essentially an end-of-year sale for medicinal-material wholesalers.
Zhao Yiting added, "The various medicine shops will also use the opportunity to exchange information and establish trade routes. Some medicinal materials are plentiful on Scarlet Cloud Mountain but scarce in Gaolin County; others are plentiful in Gaolin County but hard to find here. By sharing what they have, the medicine shops make it easier to move their goods."
"There will also be pill-formula auctions and alchemist exchange gatherings."
"Our Master Ge wants to join in the excitement as well and exchange pointers with his fellow practitioners."
At this point, Zhao Yiting's expression grew slightly solemn.
He looked at Lu Chen and said, "Your main task on this trip is to protect Master Ge."
"Stay by Master Ge's side and guard him closely."
"His safety concerns the livelihood of our Medicine Shop!"
Lu Chen clasped his fist. "Understood. Rest assured, Commander Zhao. Leave Master Ge's safety to me!"
Zhao Yiting's tone was stern as he reminded him, "Although you're currently the best fighter among our Medicine Shop's guards, Gaolin County is a mixed bag, with experts as common as clouds. Be cautious in everything once you get there."
"I'll be careful."
Lu Chen nodded at his words, while also understanding the purpose behind Zhao Yiting's arrangement.
During this period, he had defeated one person after another in the Medicine Shop, and had even beaten Li Qing. He had faintly become number one among the shop's martial guards.
It was inevitable that his spirits had begun to rise, making him proud and conceited.
Zhao Yiting was sending him out both to escort Master Ge Ye and to give him a deliberate knock on the head, so that he would not let the Medicine Shop's little corner of the world limit his horizons.
After all, there was always a mountain beyond the mountain, and a person beyond the person.
After returning to pack his things, Lu Chen left.
The carriage and horses had already been prepared in the front courtyard of the Medicine Shop.
The carriage was not particularly luxurious. A layer of dark oilcloth covered the outside of the carriage, while two blue-maned horses snorted and restlessly pawed at the ground.
Master Ge Ye stood beside the carriage in a gray robe. A young medicine apprentice named Sun Shun followed beside him, roughly seventeen or eighteen years old, helping Master Ge Ye carry and load the luggage.
The accounts manager, Wang Qinian, was over forty, with a fair, slightly plump face. He climbed into the carriage ahead of the others.
The five martial guards also arrived one after another.
Besides Lu Chen, there were Qian Ming, Zhou Li, and two other veteran guards.
Qian Ming still wore that lazy expression, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth. Zhou Li, on the other hand, was full of energy. A wine gourd hung from his waist, and he would rub it from time to time, wanting to pick it up for a drink yet afraid he would finish it and have none left for the road. His craving for wine tormented him.
When Qian Ming saw Lu Chen approach, he smiled. "Lu Chen, this is your first time going to Gaolin County, right?"
Lu Chen nodded. "My first time."
Since crossing into this world, Lu Chen had never left Scarlet Cloud County.
He had only heard others mention Gaolin County. As for what it truly looked like, he was rather curious.
Zhou Li immediately joined in. "The Autumn Blade Liquor in Gaolin County is one of a kind. Once we get there, I'll take you all to try it!"
Qian Ming cast Zhou Li a sidelong glance. "Old Zhou, besides wine, what else can you think about?"
Zhou Li grinned with a chuckle, revealing a mouthful of wine-stained teeth. "The girls at the Moon-Filled Pavilion!"
The group soon set off.
Master Ge Ye and Wang Qinian sat inside the carriage, while the medicine apprentice Sun Shun drove. The five guards took positions around them: one scouting ahead, two protecting the sides, Qian Ming wandering beside the carriage from time to time, and Lu Chen following at the rear to cover them.
After they left the city gate, the clamor gradually faded into the distance.
The official road stretched eastward, its surface far smoother than the mountain road to Scarlet Cloud Mountain. The fields on both sides had already been harvested, with swaths of withered yellow rice stubble spread across them. As the autumn wind swept past, it carried a faint dry fragrance of grass and trees.
Lu Chen looked back at Scarlet Cloud County.
The outline of the county town gradually blurred in the morning light.
The next afternoon, the group finally reached Gaolin County.
From a distance, Gaolin County's walls looked tall and imposing, the blue bricks laid out in neat rows. Outside the city gate, carriages and horses formed a long queue. With the medicine fair approaching, merchants from every direction were hurrying into the city.
But the atmosphere at the city gate today was decidedly off.
Two squads of guards stood across the gate, their hands resting on their sword hilts as they inspected everyone entering one by one. Men in particular, whether medicine merchants, assistants, or martial guards, were all called aside and made to raise their heads for a facial inspection.
Several portraits had been posted beside the city wall.
The people in the portraits all looked different.
Some were pale-faced scholars, some middle-aged merchants, some burly men with full beards, and one was even drawn as a kindly old servant.
Yet beneath every portrait was written the same name.
Thousand-Faced Gentleman.
Zhou Li craned his neck to take a look and could not help muttering, "Strange. All these portraits are of the same person?"
Qian Ming looked toward the notice at the city gate and said, "Thousand-Faced Gentleman, a notorious flower thief from the martial world. He's highly skilled in disguise and especially adept at changing his facial appearance to infiltrate wealthy households."
"Several daughters of prominent families have been violated by him. A few of the county's old masters were enraged and offered a heavy reward for his capture."
Lu Chen's brows drew together slightly. "A flower thief?"
Qian Ming's brows furrowed as well. "With the medicine fair approaching and a case like this occurring, I'm afraid Gaolin County won't be peaceful these next few days."
Soon, it was the turn of the group from Wang's Ginseng Shop.
The guard in front stopped the carriage and swept his gaze over everyone. "Where are you from? What are you entering the city for?"
Wang Qinian climbed down from the carriage and hurriedly presented a calling card and travel permit. "Wang's Ginseng Shop of Scarlet Cloud County. We've come to attend the Gaolin County medicine fair and purchase autumn-harvest medicinal materials."
The guard accepted the calling card and travel permit. His expression relaxed slightly, but he did not immediately let them pass.
"The County Commandant has ordered that everyone entering or leaving the city must be inspected."
As he spoke, he pointed toward a wooden shed nearby.
"Go over there and have your faces checked."
"The flower thief Thousand-Faced Gentleman is most skilled at disguises. Everyone must undergo inspection before they can enter the city!"
With clear consciences, the group cooperated with the inspection.
After confirming that none of them had any traces of disguise on their faces, the guards let them enter the city.
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