Gao Manor

Lu Chen followed Master Ge and the others through the bustling streets of Gaolin County, finally arriving before a sprawling manor in the eastern part of the city.

Carriages and horses streamed before the manor gates.

Carriages belonging to medicine merchants from all over were parked along both sides of the road. Well-dressed shopkeepers and martial guards with weapons at their waists came and went. The air was thick with the scent of herbs, horse sweat, and the clamor of voices—more prosperous by far than even the liveliest medicine market in Scarlet Cloud County.

A black plaque with gilded lettering hung above the gates.

Gao Manor.

This was one of Gaolin County's two great medicine estates, as well as the host of this autumn harvest medicine fair.

Lu Chen looked up and saw that Gao Manor's gatehouse stood two stories high, with green-tiled flying eaves and wide-open vermilion gates. Two stone lions crouched solemnly before the entrance. More than ten guards stood on either side of the gate, each ramrod-straight with a saber at the waist and steady blood and qi.

Lu Chen's gaze narrowed slightly.

Among those guarding the gates were actually several martial artists at the minor achievement stage of Blood Moving.

In Scarlet Cloud County, men like that would have been minor leaders in any faction.

Wang Qinian stepped down from the carriage, straightened his clothes, and approached with the invitation card clasped in both hands.

"Wang's Ginseng Shop of Scarlet Cloud County, here to attend the Gao Family Medicine Fair."

A Gao Manor steward at the entrance accepted the card and glanced at it. A courteous smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Please come in!"

The group stepped into the manor.

The moment they passed through the gates, Lu Chen felt his view open up.

The roads within the manor were broad, with rows of osmanthus trees, pines, and cypresses planted along both sides. The stone-paved paths had been swept spotless. In the distance, one grand residence followed another, their flying eaves rising and falling, covered corridors linking them together, while courtyard walls stretched layer upon layer as far as the eye could see.

To the left lay the outer medicine market.

Beneath rows of temporary stalls were piled autumn herbs freshly harvested from the fields. Solomon's seal, mountain ginseng, blood-red vine, black-bone ganoderma, dragon-whisker grass... all kinds of medicinal ingredients were sorted and displayed on bamboo mats as herb farmers and middlemen haggled fiercely over prices.

To the right was the entrance to the inner market, where the guards were even stricter.

Only medicine shops carrying invitation cards, alchemists, and major buyers were permitted inside. Ordinary small peddlers could not enter.

The group headed toward the inner market.

Just as they entered, a familiar laugh suddenly rang out ahead of them.

"Well, well, aren't these people from Wang Firm?"

The voice was frivolous, the mockery deliberately drawn out.

Lu Chen looked up to see Huang Jue approaching with several people in tow.

Huang Jue still had the air of a pampered young master, dressed in brocade robes and a jade belt, holding a folding fan in one hand with a warm jade pendant hanging at his waist.

Several guards followed behind him, along with an old man in blue robes.

Huang Jue snapped open his folding fan and blocked the middle of the path. Smiling without really smiling, he said, "The Gaolin County medicine fair is not like your trips to some poor mountain backwater to gather herbs. The fine medicinal ingredients here have to be fought over with real gold and silver."

"Did Wang Firm bring enough banknotes? If not, I could lend you a few."

The Huang Family guards behind him immediately chuckled.

One of them even deliberately said, "Our Second Young Master is so benevolent. Why aren't you thanking him yet?"

Wang Qinian's face darkened.

He looked at Huang Jue, his tone calm but every word barbed.

"Young Master Huang Jue, who in Scarlet Cloud County does not know that the Huang Family made its fortune through usury?"

"Nine out, thirteen back, interest rolling upon interest upon interest."

"Common folk borrowed ten taels of silver from you, then were driven to sell their fields and homes, their sons and daughters."

"Who would still dare take money from the Huang Family now?"

The smile on Huang Jue's face instantly froze, his folding fan halted in midair.

"Hmph."

He snorted coldly, anger rising in his eyes. "Wang Qinian, don't mistake kindness for weakness!"

One of the guards behind him stepped forward half a pace, seemingly ready to make a move.

Qian Ming narrowed his eyes and grinned coldly. "What? You can't argue your way out, so now you want to fight?"

Lu Chen stood behind Ge Ye, his gaze sweeping over the Huang Family guards.

The one with the strongest blood and qi was the tall young man standing behind Huang Jue.

The man was tall and powerfully built, with broad hands, thick hard knuckles, and a dark, vicious gleam in his eyes. Lu Chen could tell with a single look that he was no ordinary early-stage Blood Moving martial artist.

He was very likely at minor achievement in Blood Moving.

The tall young man was watching him as well.

Their gazes met, like blades lightly scraping against one another in midair.

The air immediately tightened.

Seeing the two groups poised with swords drawn and bows bent, the guards maintaining order in the inner market promptly came over.

The leader wore Gao Manor's black fitted uniform, with a thick-backed long saber hanging at his waist in a dark sheath.

Before he even came close, the medicine merchants who had been watching the excitement instinctively retreated several steps.

Qian Ming narrowed his eyes slightly and said in a low voice, "Gao Manor's Mountain-Severing Saber, Han Lie."

Lu Chen's heart stirred.

Han Lie was broad and powerfully built, with thick shoulders and back, a rugged face, and low-set brow bones. His eyes swept coldly over the Huang Family and Wang Firm groups.

"Hm? What are you all crowding around here for?"

Han Lie's voice was deep, carrying an authority that needed no anger.

Huang Jue's expression shifted slightly. He closed his folding fan and smiled. "Senior Han misunderstands. We merely ran into acquaintances and exchanged a few words."

Han Lie did not even look at his smiling face. He merely said coldly, "During the medicine fair, anyone who dares make a move at Gao Manor will bear the consequences himself."

As he spoke the final words, his blood and qi gave a slight tremor.

Lu Chen felt a heavy force bearing down on him, as though a mountain stood pressing before him.

That man's blood and qi were dense and blazing. The pressure he radiated was no weaker than Qiao Yuan, the Ginseng Shop's resident expert.

Major achievement in Blood Moving.

Lu Chen's eyes narrowed.

In Scarlet Cloud County, someone like Qiao Yuan was the pillar that held up the Yam Herb Shop. Yet at Gao Manor, he was merely the captain of guards maintaining order.

Whether in grandeur or strength, Gao Manor was far beyond anything Wang's Ginseng Shop could hope to compare with.

Naturally, Huang Jue did not dare act recklessly before Han Lie at Gao Manor. He immediately cupped his hands and said, "Senior Han is right. This junior will naturally abide by the rules."

The Wang Firm group wisely did not linger and headed deeper into the inner market.

Huang Jue likewise led the Huang Family away from the other side.

As the two groups passed one another and went their separate ways, Huang Jue discreetly observed the Ginseng Shop group while walking.

After going some distance, Huang Jue frowned slightly.

"Zhao Yiting did not come."

His voice was low, yet tinged with confusion.

The tall young man beside him, Sun Damao, also glanced back and said, "Indeed, Zhao Yiting was nowhere to be seen."

Huang Jue lightly tapped his palm with his folding fan, his gaze gradually turning gloomy.

"Only a few early-stage Blood Moving guards came."

"Does Wang Firm truly not take this medicine fair seriously, or do they think that with Gao Manor holding the fort, no one would dare make a move?"

Sun Damao said, "What does Young Master mean?"

A cold smile slowly tugged across Huang Jue's lips.

"That old thing Ge Ye is half of Wang Firm's life."

"Since Wang Firm places so little importance on this, there is naturally no reason for us to let him go."

The old man in blue robes beside them lowered his voice and gave a solemn reminder. "Second Young Master, this is Gao Manor after all. If we act here and are found out, our Huang Family will gain nothing good from it either!"

Yet Huang Jue gave an evil smile. "Then make sure they cannot find out."

Huang Jue looked back once more in the direction the Wang Firm group had gone, then ordered his men, "Contact the people of the Dark Hall for me..."