Trade

The young mistress had summoned him, so naturally he could not delay.

Still, Yang Yi returned to his room, wolfed down breakfast, and only then headed for Xiude Hall.

Xiude Hall was where Qiao Yaoyao handled official affairs during the day. Yang Yi had been there before.

"Young Mistress, you sent for me." Yang Yi stepped inside.

"Attendant Yang, have a seat." Qiao Yaoyao looked as she always did. Today, she was not seated behind her desk, but in a chair off to one side.

With the desk no longer blocking the view, Yang Yi finally realized that Young Mistress Qiao had an exceptionally fine figure—curves in all the right places, every inch of her exuding mature charm.

She gestured, and Yang Yi sat beside her, with a small table between them.

A faint fragrance lingered around his nose.

"Have some tea." Qiao Yaoyao raised a hand in invitation. Two cups of hot tea had already been set on the table, mist curling above them.

Yang Yi lifted his teacup, using it as cover to steal a fierce look at those towering peaks. Qiao Yaoyao's mature allure was simply too lethal for someone his age...

"Attendant Yang has been in the Inner Fort for half a month now. Have you grown accustomed to living here?" Qiao Yaoyao asked with concern.

"Quite well. As you know, Young Mistress, we come from a farming household. Where would we ever have enjoyed such fine clothes and rich food before?" Yang Yi took a sip of tea and answered with a solemn face.

Qiao Yaoyao smiled gently. "A hero is not judged by his origins. Before the Qiao Household rose to prominence, we were merely traveling merchants peddling goods along the roads."

Young Mistress Qiao was undoubtedly skilled at conversation. Her words naturally made people feel close to her.

"And how has your cultivation been lately?" she asked again.

Qiao Wuwang had told her a few things. Yang Yi was young and reckless, taking three martial arts techniques that were exceedingly difficult to cultivate from the Martial Hall. Qiao Wuwang was simply waiting for him to smash his head bloody against the wall before replacing them for him.

"It has been fairly smooth."

That answer surprised Qiao Yaoyao. But then she recalled Tieshan saying that this man's body-tempering art was extraordinarily profound. If so, he might indeed possess the qualifications to cultivate those three martial arts techniques. Only the qualifications, though. Whether he could master them would still depend on his comprehension and perseverance.

After speaking a few more words and seeing that Yang Yi merely answered her questions, Qiao Yaoyao finally got to the point. "Attendant Yang, I asked you here today because I have a matter to discuss."

"If there is anything you need, Young Mistress, simply give the order. So long as it is within my power, I will not refuse."

"I would like to ask whether you have an old mountain ginseng root on you."

Yang Yi held his teacup and blew across it, the hazy steam concealing his expression.

"Please do not misunderstand, Attendant Yang," Qiao Yaoyao said. "I was born with a rather keen sense of smell and can often detect scents others cannot. In fact, the first time we met, I smelled mountain ginseng on you."

At the time, she had not paid it much mind. Yang Yi came from Yang Family Hollow, close to Funiu Mountain. It was perfectly normal for him to gain some harvest from the mountains. The Qiao Household did not lack mountain ginseng.

Yang Yi stared at her in surprise. Did this woman have a dog's nose? They had not even been particularly close that day, yet she could smell it?

Qiao Yaoyao flashed a dazzling smile. "Wuwang has called me dog-nosed many times as well."

She could read minds too!

"For instance, that mountain ginseng is still on your person." As Qiao Yaoyao spoke, her gaze fell upon Yang Yi's chest.

Ever since arriving at the Qiao Household, Yang Yi had kept such a treasure close to his body. It was mainly for the convenience of cultivation, so he could take and use it whenever he wished.

"Wuwang told me about what happened to you, and afterward, I had people investigate your background. At the time, I found it strange. Why would Black Wind Stronghold go to your tiny Yang Family Hollow? Not until later... when I investigated another piece of information."

"What information?" Yang Yi turned to look at her. The old mountain ginseng was naturally precious to him. He had relied on this treasure at the beginning of his cultivation. But now that he had joined Qiao Fort and become one of their Attendants, with supplies of all kinds provided to him, the old mountain ginseng was no longer indispensable.

From Qiao Yaoyao's words, she was clearly very interested in it.

If the Qiao Household could offer a sufficient price, he was not unwilling to part with it.

"Black Wind Stronghold caused quite a stir outside some days ago. They claimed to be searching for a lost treasure. Only recently did I learn that it was an old mountain ginseng root at least three hundred years old."

The scent of mountain ginseng on Yang Yi and Black Wind Stronghold's night raid on Yang Family Hollow were not the key. The loss of a three-hundred-year-old mountain ginseng root was what gave Qiao Yaoyao her suspicions.

With Yang Yi's skills, killing a few bandits and seizing their treasure would naturally have been as easy as turning over his hand.

What a clever woman! Yang Yi secretly marveled. From merely these scattered clues, she had deduced so much. No wonder a woman like her could command such a vast household.

But... that had actually been a three-hundred-year-old mountain ginseng root? He had previously thought it was only a hundred years old.

"This should be the item Young Mistress speaks of." Yang Yi reached into his clothes, took out the old mountain ginseng, and placed it on the table.

Qiao Yaoyao's eyes were immediately drawn to it.

Over these past days, Yang Yi had cultivated many times and used the old mountain ginseng as nourishment many times. Most of its roots had already been consumed, leaving only two, sparse and ragged-looking.

Yet Qiao Yaoyao revealed a delighted expression. She examined it carefully and confirmed that it truly was an old mountain ginseng root more than three hundred years old.

She did not touch it. Instead, she raised her eyes to Yang Yi. "Attendant Yang, to be frank, this item is of great use to me. If you are willing to part with it, the Qiao Household will surely present you with a generous gift."

The Qiao Household did not lack ordinary mountain ginseng, but an old mountain ginseng root over three hundred years old was a treasure no matter where it was found. This had already surpassed the realm of ordinary medicinal herbs.

She did not beat around the bush, saying directly, "From now on, the Qiao Household will provide Attendant Yang with thirty portions each of Myriad-Treasure Dew and Hundred Herbs Liquid every month for ten years. In addition, the supplies for Bamboo Garden will be unlimited, and any one shop in the outer fort may be assigned to the Yang Household to manage."

Hundred Treasures Dew was a cultivation resource that could replace food-based nourishment.

Every time Yang Yi finished cultivating, he used the old mountain ginseng to replenish himself. It was convenient and swift. Others did not have such conditions. They could not possibly eat meat after every cultivation session. Hundred Treasures Dew was specially developed by the Qiao Household for this purpose, made with many precious medicinal ingredients and worth no small sum.

Hundred Herbs Liquid was likewise a cultivation resource. When used for medicinal baths, it could help martial practitioners repair hidden injuries in their bodies more quickly.

Both items sold for twenty taels of silver per portion at Qiao Fort, and only those in the inner fort were qualified to purchase them.

When Yang Yi had gone to the Martial Hall with Qiao Wuwang half a month ago, Qiao Wuwang had told him this information.

Yang Yi had never bought Myriad-Treasure Dew because he had the old mountain ginseng. But he had used Hundred Herbs Liquid in recent days. Its effects were indeed quite good, helping him recover more thoroughly and giving him considerably more time to practice martial arts techniques.

Thirty portions of each every month came to twelve hundred taels of silver. In one year, that was over fourteen thousand taels, and over ten years, more than one hundred forty thousand!

Compared to that, the unlimited supplies were hardly worth mentioning. They were only rice, flour, and meat, after all. Bamboo Garden's current supply was already sufficient.

Qiao Yaoyao had even thoughtfully set aside a shop in the outer fort for the Yang Household to manage. It had to be said that this woman considered matters with remarkable thoroughness, covering every angle.

This showed how sincere she was.

Yet Yang Yi shook his head.

Qiao Yaoyao said, "If Attendant Yang has any other requests, we can discuss them."

"Myriad-Treasure Dew. I want a hundred bottles every month!" If he drank one bottle after each cultivation session, roughly that many would be needed each month. It could completely replace the old mountain ginseng.

"A hundred bottles..." Qiao Yaoyao was stunned. She had no idea why Yang Yi needed so many. He certainly could not use them all himself.

A hundred bottles of Myriad-Treasure Dew were worth no small amount. If she agreed, it would be tantamount to doubling the value of what she had originally offered.

But a three-hundred-year-old mountain ginseng root was something one could seek for a thousand days and fail to find. She had searched for one for many years.

For a moment, she was torn.