Hundred Herbs Hall's shop stood in the busiest part of Cloudcang Town, its sprawling building occupying three to five storefronts.
The sign bore an ancient character, its cursive strokes vigorous and forceful. It was said to have been inscribed by the founder of Hundred Herbs Hall on some precious wood that had endured for two hundred years without decaying, still giving off a faint medicinal fragrance.
Su Yan entered the shop and found a dazzling array of medicine cabinets.
Apprentices were cutting and portioning medicinal herbs, while shop assistants attended to customers.
An assistant spotted him and immediately approached. "Young master, are you here to buy medicinal pills?"
The assistant was a boy of fifteen or sixteen, wearing a small blue cap and Hundred Herbs Hall's indigo cloth uniform. He looked quite sharp.
He was accustomed to the bearing of martial practitioners. Seeing Su Yan stride in with the gait of a dragon and a tiger, he already had a rough idea.
Su Yan nodded, and the boy put on a professional smile. "May I ask whether you usually use near-grade Qi-Blood Pills for your training, young master, or graded medicinal pills?"
Near-grade meant that the medicine had neither a tier nor a grade, falling somewhere between ordinary medicine and precious medicines for martial training.
Of course, even near-grade medicines were more expensive than ordinary ones, and more than sufficient for someone in the skin refining realm to cultivate with.
"I want Redskin Powder."
Having received Song Qi's advice, he naturally knew what would suit him better.
The assistant's expression turned peculiar. "Are you certain, young master?"
"Is there a problem? Isn't Redskin Powder used for skin refining?"
At Su Yan's question, the assistant hurriedly nodded. "Yes, it is used in the skin refining realm. Redskin Powder is considered a mid-grade, first-tier precious medicine. It's extremely effective for the skin refining realm."
"How many taels of silver?"
Once Su Yan asked the price, the assistant stopped dwelling on the matter and immediately answered, "Ten taels of silver per bottle, enough for three uses. Dissolve it in hot water and soak for one to two hours. Once the medicinal water turns clear, it has all been absorbed. Then simply practice your standing stance, and its medicinal power will continually gather to temper your skin."
He had just been about to ask for more, only to realize that his entire fortune would buy merely four and a half bottles.
"Three bottles."
Gritting his teeth, Su Yan spent the better part of his savings. The assistant, meanwhile, beamed with delight. This was no small sale.
Su Yan left Hundred Herbs Hall aching over his purse, with three white medicine bottles in his hands. Each was only two fingers wide, holding enough medicine for three baths.
Thirty taels of silver for just nine uses. This was far more expensive than the medicinal decoctions at the Martial Arts Hall.
"I'll go take a look at the meat shop by the Back Alley Temple next."
With only a little over ten taels left on him, Su Yan headed straight for the Back Alley Temple.
The back alley was not in a bustling part of Cloudcang Town, the exact opposite of Hundred Herbs Hall and the weapon shop.
Su Yan passed through seven or eight small alleys, following the old trees lining the streets, before reaching the area near Cloudcang Town's southern gate and finding a secluded lane.
Rear Temple Alley had originally been called Back Alley. An old City God temple had given rise to its other name, Rear Temple Alley.
It was said that this back alley had already existed when all of Cloudcang Town was still yellow mud roads and a scattering of three to five thatched houses.
It was an old place, but unfortunately, few people visited apart from members of wealthy households and martial practitioners.
Su Yan stepped into the area and found the abandoned old temple. Beside it, he finally spotted the entrance to a deep, expansive compound, its gate resembling a temple's.
Ferocious beasts adorned the carved, upturned eaves, dark and lusterless, yet the knife marks bit deep into the wood.
The entrance stood wide open, with apprentices coming and going, all broad-shouldered, thick-waisted, and powerfully built.
The sharp knives in their hands rang out, polished to a brilliant gleam. A single sweep carved off a fine piece of meat, slicing it apart on the chopping boards as easily as tofu.
This was ordinary beef and mutton, cut apart piece by piece, bones cleanly separated from flesh. Their practiced movements resembled Yang Sandao's; all were skilled hands at skinning, deboning, dismantling carcasses, and portioning meat.
Su Yan arrived at the meat shop's entrance and raised his head slightly. On the plaque, he saw large characters that appeared to have been carved with a knife: Temple Butcher House.
Sharp as a blade. These characters have force woven into them...
There were plainly only three large characters, yet they seemed like a blood-drenched butcher's knife hanging across the entrance, making his heart jolt.
Still... that's only natural.
Su Yan's gaze flickered. The fact that Temple Butcher House could establish itself here and sell Savage Beast meat was enough to show that its strength probably ranked among the finest in town.
Su Yan approached, and an assistant came forward to greet him. He went straight to the point. "I'm here to buy Savage Beast meat."
"Please follow me."
The assistant nodded and led Su Yan inside. They passed through the meat shop's front hall and actually entered a rear courtyard.
The courtyard opened up before him. Su Yan swept his gaze around and suddenly noticed several sturdy, upright figures already there.
As they walked, the assistant said, "A Blue-Back Rock Ox was delivered from the mountains today, an early first-tier Savage Beast. It feeds on medicinal herbs and precious medicines in the mountains year-round. Its meat is firm and excellent for gently replenishing qi and blood. It costs one tael and five mace of silver per jin."
As he spoke, they reached another courtyard enclosed by high walls. A chill swept over them, and the temperature abruptly dropped several degrees.
Clang!
A heavy impact rang out. Before Su Yan and the others could react, they heard someone in the courtyard shout a rebuke.
"You blasted beast! Keep ramming around and you'll ruin the meat!"
Everyone hurried to look through the courtyard gate. A wiry, powerful man in his early fifties held an ox-horn knife, his muscles sharply defined as he stood straight before an enormous blue ox.
The ox was a size larger than ordinary buffalo or cattle, its body roughly four meters long and over two meters tall. Its horns branched like a tree, its eyes resembled furnaces, and roars burst from its mouth, but iron chains bound its body.
The older man glanced back at them and grinned. "Perfect timing... blood collectors, get ready."
He strode forward. The Blue-Back Rock Ox seemed to go mad, its flesh swelling and muscles hard as iron as it dragged the chains and charged straight at him.
The older man tensed, instantly resembling a tiger or leopard. His eyes widened in a fierce glare, and the Blue-Back Rock Ox abruptly faltered.
He advanced with his knife, seized a horn with his large hand, and pressed down. The enormous blue ox was forced to the ground.
It was as though a mountain weighed upon it. Its four pillar-like legs struggled, yet it could not rise.
The knife flashed white, like a bolt of lightning, and plunged into the Blue-Back Rock Ox's throat.
At the same time, the older man applied a deft burst of force to the ox's cervical spine. A faint crack sounded, and the rear half of its body stopped moving, going rigid before immediately falling limp.
Su Yan watched in alarm. What a fast knife. What a ruthless hand. He broke the ox's spine.
The apprentices nearby hurried forward to collect the ox's blood. Using the iron chains and the great beam spanning the courtyard overhead, they hoisted the Blue-Back Rock Ox's body into the air.
As soon as the blood had drained, the older man stepped forward with his knife and swept it across the carcass. The blade did not seem fast, yet it slid like a white shadow.
The white blade entered its back as though slicing into tofu, meeting no resistance, with not even a thread of blood clinging to it.
Su Yan watched, entranced. This blade technique must have become one with the man's body. He had probably already reached major mastery.
In mere minutes, the enormous Blue-Back Rock Ox had been completely butchered. Its massive spine and ribs still hung from the beam along with its head, the white bones a gruesome sight as drops of blood dripped down.
"Sir, Blue-Back Rock Ox meat costs one tael and five mace per jin. If you want the heart, brain, or bone marrow, those will cost more."
The assistant's voice snapped Su Yan out of his reverie, interrupting his mental exploration of Monkey Fist.
"Ten jin."
Apart from a few loose copper coins, he had only fifteen taels of silver left.
Su Yan emptied his purse. Though it pained him, compared with tempering his body to make it ever stronger, this little bit of money was merely a twig on the branch.
After receiving Su Yan's silver, the assistant immediately went to speak with the older steward.
Xie Zheng waved a hand. "Cut some for the customer."
The apprentices were not as skilled as Xie Zheng, but they were all deft at cutting meat. Before long, they had wrapped up ten jin and handed it to Su Yan.
The other customers received their purchases as well, while more people arrived one after another.
Only after taking the meat did Su Yan turn to leave.
Xie Zheng, however, lifted his gaze and quietly glanced at his departing back.
There's a hint of an ape's gait in his movements. He can't hide it. Interesting. Since when did the Golden Ape Martial Hall get a little brat like this...?
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