"I'm grateful for your high opinion of me, Elder Song, but there are so many mountain folk trekking through these mountains who would gladly serve the Hundred Herbs Hall. Why choose a nobody like me?"
Su Yan was puzzled, and a little wary as well. Did finding a treasure plant really require seeking him out specifically? There were so many mountain folk. His luck might have been better, but it could hardly compete with sheer numbers.
"This is a private matter, not business for the Hundred Herbs Hall. Besides, you're better at finding and identifying medicinal herbs than ordinary mountain folk."
Song Qi merely offered that hint, without exposing his suspicion that Su Yan might be keeping some small exotic beast.
Whether a treasure-seeking mouse or a mountain-trailing dog, taming such creatures was itself a mountain man's skill—and one possessed only by the capable ones.
Such methods were usually held in a death grip by veteran mountain trekkers and hunters. They were indeed precious.
But only to mountain folk. As for Song Qi, surely he couldn't seize the beast and head into the mountains himself? Whether it would even obey him was another question.
He left it at that, but Su Yan understood. His use of the Darkwater Centipede to dig up medicinal herbs had likely been noticed.
Song Qi probably only realized I have a helper, without knowing what it is. Mountain folk keeping mountain-trailing dogs and hunting falcons is nothing unusual. Though only a handful possess them, someone of his standing wouldn't personally trek through the mountains chasing rabbits.
His eyes flickered as he thought rapidly. I might as well hear him out first.
"Elder Song, it's hard to say whether there's a treasure plant like a blood tendon flower in the mountains. Though I can find and identify herbs, I can't make any guarantees."
He did not agree outright. Hearing this, Song Qi said, "I've received word that, among the dozens of peaks in the Inner Mountain, there have been rumors about three near Yunqian Village and Dagou Village. You could try searching there. I'm not asking you to exchange a blood tendon flower for my recommendation. If you agree, I'll tell you about learning martial arts first."
As Song Qi spoke, he suddenly reached for Su Yan's shoulder.
Su Yan was startled. His expression changed sharply, and he tried to dodge the large hand.
Yet, slow as that hand appeared, there was no evading it. His attempt to dodge looked more like he was moving straight into its grasp.
This is bad!
He thought something had gone wrong, but the thin, bony hand had already clamped onto his shoulder like an iron hoop.
He struggled with all his strength. Song Qi pressed down lightly, and an immense force bore onto his shoulder, leaving him unable to move.
"Not bad. At fifteen or sixteen, the strength of your tendons and bones is just taking shape. You're a year or two older than ideal, but still at a suitable age. Developing the strength of a young calf in a month suggests your innate foundation is quite good."
Song Qi released Su Yan's shoulder and said, "Even if you can't find it, that's all right. Consider this a little goodwill from me, pointing you toward a path."
Song Qi had risen from humble beginnings. He only became the man he was today because the shopkeeper of the Hundred Herbs Hall had picked him out of a crowd of refugees.
Seeing Su Yan strive to better himself despite his lowly circumstances had stirred some fondness and curiosity in him, beginning with that copy of the Hundred Herbs Diagram.
Now, going with the current and doing him a favor was also an investment.
Though Cloudcang Town's three martial arts halls were separate establishments, their relationships with the Hundred Herbs Hall, the Weapons Shop, the Gentry Families, and the gangs varied in closeness.
Su Yan had a good innate foundation and could find medicinal herbs. He might become a capable man in the future. It would hardly be ideal to send him to a martial arts hall friendly with their rival, the Little Mountain Society.
Naturally, Su Yan did not understand the workings behind this, but he knew it benefited him without doing him harm.
I'll leave the relationship between the martial arts halls and Song Qi aside for now. If I offend him right now, I won't be able to resist him. Besides, I still have the Fierce Insect Cauldron to rely on. My future doesn't rest entirely on martial arts, so I have room for trial and error.
Having swiftly made up his mind, Su Yan cupped his hands in thanks as though he had agreed without hesitation. "I'm willing to give it a try."
Seeing Su Yan agree, Song Qi took a calling card from his pocket.
"You have no background to speak of, nor are you a genius. You won't qualify for a position among the government runners or city guards, and I imagine you wouldn't willingly spend years apprenticed to the Hundred Herbs Hall or the Weapons Shop."
Song Qi went straight to the heart of the matter. "Take my card and join the Golden Ape Martial Hall. It will save you six months to a year and let you learn stance training directly. Whether you can cross the threshold will depend on your own fortune."
Su Yan accepted the calling card, but surprise appeared on his face.
"But... isn't joining a martial arts hall supposed to let you learn genuine skills?"
"Do you think a martial art is worth only fifty taels?"
Fifty taels was expensive, because even ten taels of silver could cost a poor person their life.
Even selling oneself into slavery might not fetch fifty taels.
But then he remembered the martial artist who had killed a tiger with one finger.
How could such power compare to a few dozen taels of silver?
He shook his head, and Song Qi continued, "Most people who pay to get in have weak bodies. They temper their bodies and learn a few fighting techniques, enough to bully ordinary people. But to learn the real thing, they'll have to spend several months, or even a year, as nominal disciples."
He glanced at Su Yan. "Of the three martial arts halls, Golden Ape is on good terms with the Hundred Herbs Hall, so my name carries a little weight there. Blackstone only cares about money. To learn all their stance training, martial techniques, and supplementary arts, you'll need at least a thousand taels of silver—and that old fellow Qian Blackstone still has to be willing to teach you."
"As for Seven Blades, they have ties to the Little Mountain Society."
Song Qi merely sneered. Su Yan's eyes shifted slightly. I've heard that the Little Mountain Society, the Lin Family, and the Hundred Herbs Hall all largely depend on Cloudridge Mountain for their livelihoods, and have often clashed in the past. It seems that's true.
His recommendation to the Golden Ape Martial Hall might be intended to keep me from leaning toward the Little Mountain Society. More importantly, though, there's the blood tendon flower...
"Thank you for your guidance, Elder Song. I understand."
"If you understand, head back. Get into town sooner rather than later. Fifty taels of silver is bound to draw the attention of local thugs."
Song Qi began seeing his guest out. He had already told Su Yan enough. Whether he could succeed would depend on his own fortune.
Over a century and several generations on Cloudridge Mountain, few had managed to pull themselves out of the mud and make something of themselves.
Even Song Qi had merely been lucky.
As for this boy, fate would decide.
Su Yan emerged from the inner hall. Bai Shan had already been waiting for quite some time and handed him the payment.
Su Yan took the silver, shouldered his empty basket, and walked straight through the queue toward the edge of the mountain market.
As he walked, he pondered the events of the day.
He had not immediately understood what Song Qi said earlier, but later, Song Qi had brought up the Golden Ape Martial Hall, the Seven Blades Martial Arts Hall, and the Little Mountain Society.
Then he had understood. The Little Mountain Society and the Hundred Herbs Hall were simply competing over their interests, so naturally, the latter did not want to see him gravitate toward the former.
Of course, that was secondary.
The most important thing was the blood tendon flower. It mattered greatly to Song Qi.
For a Hundred Herbs Hall steward like Song Qi, finding a substitute to strengthen his qi and blood probably wouldn't be difficult. That means its value lies in repairing the meridians.
Su Yan's eyes flickered. Could Song Qi be injured? And could the Little Mountain Society be responsible? Otherwise, why would he be so secretive?
Whatever the Hundred Herbs Hall could buy, the Little Mountain Society could buy as well. If he made a great fanfare about it, there would be a hundred ways to keep him from getting it.
Leaving other people's grudges aside, this calling card will be worth enough if it can save me several months or even a year.
Su Yan had no choice. After all, if even the Golden Ape Martial Hall required people to temper their bodies for six months to a year before teaching them martial arts,
Then the other martial arts halls were probably much the same, or even worse.
He did not have that much time to waste. The earlier he began learning martial arts, the better.
Only by becoming stronger could he better protect himself.
Su Yan made his way home. From a distance, he saw an additional large carrying basket by his door, covered with fern leaves and packed with goods.
Xie Yuzhu stood beside it. There was no telling how long he had been waiting.
"Uncle, what's this?"
Seeing Su Yan approach, Xie Yuzhu grinned. "Thanks to you, those spots had plenty of cinnabar lingzhi, along with some purple lingzhi—all medicinal herbs we can sell. A little farther in, there were lots of mushrooms too. We gathered four big baskets in total, so I've brought you one."
The basket was packed full. It looked as though, after carrying it down from the mountains, he had added plenty more, piling the contents above the rim.
"Uncle, you didn't have to do this. Those patches..."
Before Su Yan could finish, Xie Yuzhu interrupted him.
His face turned stern. "How can you refuse? You gave us the locations. If you hadn't told us, all of this would've been yours. We're the ones who benefited at your expense. If you won't take it, I'm not leaving."
Having said that, Xie Yuzhu would keep his word. If Su Yan refused, he would sit by the door and stay there.
"All right. Thank you, Uncle."
Helpless, Su Yan could only accept it. But then he thought of his predecessor's father and suddenly brought it up.
"Uncle, let me ask you something. Was my father really gathering stone ear herb that day?"
At Su Yan's question, Xie Yuzhu stiffened as though struck by lightning, and his expression turned strange.
He hurriedly said, "Why are you asking about that? You mustn't go risking your life too... it isn't worth it."
His gaze shifted, and he hastily added, "He was gathering stone ear herb. It was just a last-minute decision, so he didn't ask me along. Don't go thinking about anything else. Take this basket, sell what's inside, find yourself a wife, buy a couple of mu of land, and live a decent life."
Having said this, he hastily turned away.
"I'll head back now. Call me if you need anything. If anyone comes demanding repayment for what your family owes and you're short, I still have a little money. Don't get into a confrontation."
Before long, Xie Yuzhu left the doorway, reached his own yellow-mud courtyard, and ducked inside as though fleeing.
Su Yan's eyes flickered as he thought, Uncle seems to know something. I mustn't get into a confrontation, huh? That's not for me to decide.
Before you continue