Contending for Medicinal Herbs

With the experience of his past life, Su Chen made his way to Five Treasures Hall as if he knew it like the back of his hand. He walked straight to a counter and asked, "Do you have any Ice-Snow Cold Cicada?"

"Ice-Snow Cold Cicada? What is that?" The clerk behind the counter froze. He had worked at Five Treasures Hall for five or six years, yet he had never heard of a medicinal herb called Ice-Snow Cold Cicada.

Su Chen was not surprised that the other party had not heard of Ice-Snow Cold Cicada. After all, something like that could not easily appear on the market, and he had never expected to find it there.

Su Chen immediately named another herb. "Then give me a Century Sunlight Herb."

Century Sunlight Herb was a purely yang-attributed medicinal herb. Though it was not as rare as Ice-Snow Cold Cicada, which was scarcely seen once in a hundred years, it was still extremely precious. Even a large shop like Five Treasures Hall would have, at most, one or two stalks.

Su Chen wanted to buy a Century Sunlight Herb to nurse his aunt's health.

He knew that she had suffered severe injuries in her early years. Later, when she gave birth to Jiang Tingyi, she had further depleted her body, causing her old injuries to flare up every so often.

Whenever they flared up, his aunt suffered unbearable pain.

She had invited many pill masters to examine her at home, but none of them had produced any results.

It was not until Su Chen later arrived in the Pill Domain that he learned his aunt's injury was actually cold poison. Only extremely yang medicine could purge it from her body.

Thus, in this life, Su Chen did not want to delay even a single day. The sooner he removed the cold poison from his aunt's body, the sooner she could be free from suffering.

"Sir, Century Sunlight Herb is a rare medicinal herb. Our shop currently has only one stalk, and it is extremely valuable. Its price is..."

As he spoke, the clerk casually glanced over Su Chen's very ordinary clothes.

Clearly, Su Chen's opening question about Ice-Snow Cold Cicada, something ordinary people had never even heard of, had made the clerk suspect that he was there to cause trouble. Besides, there were countless plainly dressed young men like Su Chen coming and going through the streets every day. He did not look like someone who could afford a Century Sunlight Herb at all.

Su Chen could not be bothered with nonsense. He directly took out a one-thousand-tael banknote.

He cut the clerk off crisply. "I'll take that Century Sunlight Herb."

Only then did the clerk's pupils contract at the sight of the banknote.

Someone who could casually produce a one-thousand-tael banknote had to be at least on the level of a descendant of one of the three great Lineages.

The clerk immediately changed his attitude and said enthusiastically, "Then please wait a moment, Young Master. I'll fetch the Century Sunlight Herb at once."

Just after the clerk left, two more people entered Five Treasures Hall from outside.

One was a bright-eyed, white-toothed young woman with graceful bearing. The other was an old man in a purple long robe with a front opening, his short hair snow-white.

One of the old man's arms was wrapped in thick bandages, with faint bloodstains seeping through them. His complexion was somewhat pale as well.

"Do you have any Century Sunlight Herb? Bring us one stalk." Before the young woman even reached the counter, she called out coldly, her voice frosty as ice.

"Coming, coming!" A Five Treasures Hall manager appeared from who knew where, his face brimming with fawning smiles as he looked at the old man and young woman.

From the moment the old man and young woman had entered Five Treasures Hall, the manager had noticed them. Judging from their clothing and bearing, neither was an ordinary person.

Strangely, both were unfamiliar faces and did not seem to be from Clear River City. They might well be important figures from elsewhere.

"The two honored guests want Century Sunlight Herb? Go find it at once!" the manager ordered the clerks beneath him.

At just that moment, the clerk who had attended Su Chen emerged, holding a wooden box containing a stalk of Century Sunlight Herb.

The manager's face immediately lit up. He strode over and said, "Quick, give me the Century Sunlight Herb!"

"But this Century Sunlight Herb is for that young master..." the clerk stammered.

Without another word, the manager snatched the Century Sunlight Herb away and scolded him, "How can you be so thoughtless? Can't you see that this senior and this young lady urgently need the Century Sunlight Herb? We run a pill hall—we should think what our customers think and worry over what our customers worry over. Do you understand?"

With a beaming smile, the manager handed the Century Sunlight Herb toward the old man and young woman. "The Century Sunlight Herb you requested, honored guests."

It was plainly a case of fawning over the powerful while trampling the weak, yet the manager somehow made it sound lofty and refined.

The young woman hesitated for a moment, frowning as she prepared to accept the Century Sunlight Herb from the manager.

Just then, a calm, cold shout rang out. "Wait!"

At the same time, a hand shot out of nowhere and seized the manager's hand.

"Manager, shouldn't selling things follow the rule of first come, first served? I was the one who asked for the Century Sunlight Herb first." Su Chen's voice was icy.

Only then did the manager put on an act as though he had just noticed Su Chen. He disdainfully looked over Su Chen's clothes and chuckled. "Sir, I'm sorry. Our shop only has one Century Sunlight Herb, so I'll have to trouble you to show some grace and give it up, all right?"

On one side stood an elegantly dressed old man and young woman of noble bearing. On the other was a plainly dressed, ordinary youth. Even a fool knew whom the Century Sunlight Herb should be sold to!

Su Chen said calmly, "What if I refuse?"

At this point, the young woman beside them spoke with a slight frown. "Young Master, we truly need the Century Sunlight Herb urgently. If you are willing to give this stalk to us, we are willing to offer you generous compensation. We certainly will not let you suffer a loss."

"Sorry, I won't." Su Chen still refused without hesitation.

The young woman's frown deepened, but she patiently continued, "Think it over again. We are buying the Century Sunlight Herb to save someone. As for compensation, we can give you a one-thousand-tael banknote."

"To save someone?"

Su Chen raised his eyes and looked at the old man and young woman.

"What are you saving someone from?" he asked steadily.

The young woman drew a deep breath. Pointing to the bandages wrapped around the old man's arm, she patiently said, "My grandfather was bitten by an Ice-Scale Python in the mountains. He urgently needs this Century Sunlight Herb to treat his injuries. If you give the Century Sunlight Herb to us, you will both perform a good deed and gain a benefit. Why not do it?"

At this point, the dispute between the two sides had grown so loud that the other customers in the shop gathered around, pointing and whispering.

"Young man, just give it up. It's medicine to save someone's life."

"Exactly. Besides, they aren't asking you to give it away for nothing. There's compensation."

"This young man really doesn't know what's good for him. Giving up the herb could save someone, yet he keeps refusing."

Everyone spoke over one another, and nearly all of them blamed Su Chen for stubbornly clinging to the medicinal herb.

Su Chen lifted his eyelids and looked toward the young woman. "Who told you that your grandfather's injuries need to be treated with Century Sunlight Herb?"

The young woman was taken aback. "Isn't that the case?"

Su Chen could not be bothered with more nonsense and stated bluntly, "Let me tell you: using Century Sunlight Herb to treat your grandfather's injuries is a grave mistake. It will only make his injuries worse!"

"How could that be?" The young woman frowned lightly, clearly unconvinced by Su Chen's words.

The Five Treasures Hall manager acted as though he had heard the greatest joke in the world. Shaking his head, he sneered, "Utter nonsense!"

Without even looking at him, Su Chen said leisurely, "Where did this fly come from, buzzing nonstop? It's unbearably noisy. When customers are talking, why is a servant butting in?"

"You..." The Five Treasures Hall manager's face instantly flushed crimson. Strictly speaking, he truly was merely a servant of Five Treasures Hall.

"Who is spouting such wild words in my Five Treasures Hall?" At that moment, a voice suddenly came from the rear hall.