Mountain Market

With everything packed and ready, Su Yan woke the next day and cooked the bamboo jade tooth together with the rabbit meat, simmering a large pot of meat soup.

He first absorbed a wisp of insect essence from the Darkwater Centipede, then ate every last bit of the bamboo jade tooth soup.

His body immediately grew scorching hot. Streams of heat surged wildly through him, as though he were standing inside a furnace.

Su Yan immediately began exercising, pushing himself far harder and faster than yesterday.

Under his constant exertion, the medicinal power began nourishing every part of his body in an orderly fashion, as though he were hammering a lump of raw iron into shape.

Only after three full hours, when he was drenched in sweat, did Su Yan feel that the medicinal power inside him was nearly spent.

He stood, stripped off his soaked hemp clothes, and clenched his fists. He could still feel strength brimming within him.

"To think bamboo jade tooth and insect essence would have such an effect together. It really deserves to be called a treasure plant. I don't feel depleted at all, and my strength seems to have increased by a few dozen jin."

Joy shone in Su Yan's eyes. Although his current strength could not compare with someone who had crossed the threshold of martial training, it was already beyond that of an ordinary sturdy man.

He intended to practice archery, and the stronger his body became, the better.

He washed away the sweat that had left him in such a sorry state and changed into fresh hemp clothes. Looking at the sky, he saw that the sun was already above the treetops. It was getting rather late.

"I need to get to the market as soon as possible."

He put his goods into his back basket, covered them securely, and only then left the village.

The mountain market's full name was Mountain Market, though the mountain villagers simply called it the market.

It was a trading market that the Lin Family had established among the mountain villages, where mountain produce could be bought and sold and necessities such as firewood, rice, oil, and salt were sold to the mountain folk.

The chief proprietor was naturally the Lin Family. They held the leases on quite a few mountains, so villagers who entered them to forage, fell trees, gather firewood, or hunt had to pay the Lin Family a mountain fee.

But the other households in town would never allow the Lin Family to dominate alone. Over more than a century of wrangling, various factions had gained a foothold. The Wang Family, Li Family, Little Mountain Society, Chai Gang, and Three Tigers Gang all had shops or bases here.

Through all this, the market had gradually taken on its present form.

Su Yan hurried along the narrow path toward Mountain Market. With another three to five li to go, he could already see the enormous stockade built from timber in the distance.

Around the stockade stood a wooden palisade made from hardwood logs, each thick enough to fill a man's embrace, bound together side by side. A third of each log was sunk into the ground, leaving the remaining two-thirds standing roughly four meters high.

Watchtowers stood on either side of the main entrance facing the road. They were about six or seven meters tall, with guards in dark blue-green cloth uniforms stationed on top.

Another squad of guards stood by the wooden barricades at the entrance. They did not stop people for questioning, merely maintained order.

These were all the Lin Family's market guards, though calling them hired thugs would not have been unfair.

Mountain Market catered to mountain villagers and charged no entry fee. But anyone trading inside, unless they were selling directly to one of the shops, had to pay a cut.

When Su Yan reached the stockade entrance, he encountered quite a few people from his village.

Although they knew one another, they exchanged few words and queued up to enter the market.

Though Mountain Market was only a trading market, it covered a considerable area, roughly the size of three to five villages.

Two streets, one running across and the other lengthwise, cut through the entire market and divided it into four sections.

The eastern side held various shops, while the western side housed shops buying mountain produce, along with their warehouses.

The southern and northern sides were trading areas where mountain villagers could set up stalls, and some of the guards' quarters were there as well.

Perhaps because the summer tax was approaching, along with the mountain fee, villagers from every settlement were hurrying to exchange their mountain produce for money to get through the coming hardship.

At a glance, he saw all sorts of mountain villagers. Some carried back baskets with green fern tips poking out, some had gray rabbits, water deer, and other small animals hanging from their waists or backs, while others carried hemp sacks, most likely filled with unpolished rice or wheat...

This was not Su Yan's first visit to Mountain Market. He threaded through the crowd and headed toward the western street.

After about two or three hundred meters, the crowd thinned, and shop signs began appearing one after another on both sides.

Their doors stood open, with rough wooden counters set out front. Some signs were strips of cloth bearing the shop's name; others were simply animal hides hung overhead. Assistants stood at every entrance, tending to business.

Among the many shops, Su Yan spotted the Pan Family Restaurant's sign and strode over.

The Pan Family Restaurant's storefront was small, staffed by a manager and three or four assistants. The manager wore a blue-green long robe and sat in the main room. Two assistants inspected goods at the entrance, while another two sorted and packed newly purchased produce.

The Pan Family Restaurant did not buy goods for resale. Everything it purchased was a delicacy from the mountains or seas.

Its culinary skill, unrivaled in Cloudcang Town, was enough to bring in money by the overflowing basin.

Rumor had it that when the owner himself took charge of the kitchen, he could prepare nourishing meals that aided martial cultivation. He was an honored guest among many of Cloudcang Town's lineages and factions.

"Brother, are you still buying mushrooms today?"

"We are. As much as you have, though we'll need to check the quality."

Su Yan stepped forward to ask. The assistant was in his twenties, wearing a pale gray cloth cap and a short black coarse-cloth tunic with its sleeves rolled up. He was setting a basket of freshly purchased mountain produce farther inside.

"Take out your goods."

He did not think Su Yan was too young. Life in the mountains was bitter; what child did not work?

But when Su Yan emptied his basket, his goods nearly covered the entire counter.

The assistant clicked his tongue, surprise finally showing on his face.

"Your haul puts even some of the adults to shame."

The assistant beside him came over to help sort everything, then weigh it.

"White liver mushrooms, ten jin and two liang. Termite mushrooms, four jin and seven liang. Black ant mushrooms, one jin and two liang... There are too many mushrooms coming in after the rain, so prices are three to five wen lower than usual. But yours are good quality, so we won't deduct anything for condition. That comes to one thousand one hundred and twenty-five wen. We'll give you one liang and one qian of silver, plus twenty-five copper coins."

The assistant worked his abacus at lightning speed, his slender fingers moving like two shadows.

"Deal."

Su Yan nodded and took the money, but inwardly pondered, There's too much produce here. After the rain, it's all mushrooms. Even the Pan Family Restaurant is pushing prices down. No wonder ordinary people can't survive. Perhaps things would be better in town.

That was true enough. Prices would naturally be somewhat higher in the town's market.

But the cost of traveling and the taxes charged for selling in town were not small either. A round trip would hardly be worthwhile.

With the money collected and his basket on his back, Su Yan headed straight for the Hundred Herbs Hall's shop without looking back. That was where his main business lay.

The Hundred Herbs Hall's sign was a piece of cream-colored coarse cloth bearing only the words "Hundred Herbs," surrounded by trailing vine patterns. It was easy to recognize.

Before he even approached, he could already smell the faint fragrance of medicinal herbs.

This shop was quieter than the Pan Family Restaurant's storefront. Only two assistants were busy, and few mountain villagers were selling anything.

In the main room, an old man with a white beard and a black robe was drinking tea. A small incense burner stood beside his cup, though Su Yan could not tell what incense it held.

"What medicinal herbs are you selling?"

As he entered the shop, the assistant, Bai Shan, lifted his eyes slightly and asked.

Su Yan made no attempt to conceal anything. "Astragalus, notoginseng, gastrodia..."

"Take them out and let me see. Don't worry. If the quality is good, our Hundred Herbs Hall never drives the price down."

Medicinal herbs varied in size and season, but they were unlike mushrooms. Only by keeping prices fair could the shop attract more sellers.

But Su Yan interrupted Bai Shan. "What price are you offering for yinred root right now?"

"You have yinred root?!"

Bai Shan's voice shot up an octave. They had not seen a treasure plant in quite some time. How had this young fellow managed to dig one up? And a poisonous one at that.

Su Yan merely nodded and opened his basket. Beneath the wrapping of fern leaves, a trace of deep red showed through, giving Bai Shan a clear look.

"It really is."

Bai Shan's eyes widened. He was just about to pick it up to inspect its condition when he remembered that yinred root was poisonous and could not be handled casually.

"Let me have a look."

At some point, the old man in the main room had risen and walked over.

Su Yan got a clear look at him. Though his long beard was white and he appeared to be around sixty, his steps were strong, and Su Yan faintly sensed a pressure emanating from him.

"Manager Song."

Bai Shan hurriedly stepped aside to make room for Song Qi.

Song Qi reached out and picked up the yinred root directly. A faint glimmer flowed across his skin, so slight it was almost imperceptible.

Surprise flickered across Su Yan's face. This manager is probably a martial artist.

"Not bad. The roots are almost entirely intact, and it weighs six liang. It's been a while since we last saw one. There aren't many mountain foragers capable of digging up a poisonous treasure plant."

Song Qi looked Su Yan up and down. He was a slender, clean-cut boy, with good vitality and spirit, but he did not look as though he had any martial training.

"We've been short of an ingredient for one of our medicines lately. Your treasure plant is in good condition, so I'll offer you twelve liang per jin. How does that sound?"

"Thank you, Manager Song."

Manager Song nodded and set the yinred root aside. "If you find any more treasure plants, bring them here. The Hundred Herbs Hall won't make claims about other treasures, but for treasure plants, no one offers more than we do."

Other shops could only put treasure plants to their usual uses. Something worth ten liang of silver could not earn them twenty or thirty.

But the Hundred Herbs Hall could. That was the source of their confidence.

"Bai Shan, fetch the money."

"Yes, Manager Song."

Bai Shan was about to take out the silver and tally up the other medicinal herbs in Su Yan's basket as well.

"Manager Song, I have a presumptuous request. Does the Hundred Herbs Hall sell any herb manuals? A basic guide would be enough."

Su Yan asked politely, neither servile nor overbearing.

What he wanted was hardly a secret. The bookshops in town probably carried such books too.

It was just that town was rather far away.

Song Qi laughed and gave Su Yan another look. "You can read?"

"My late father taught me a little."

"This is the first time I've seen a mountain forager come into a medicine shop and, instead of simply selling his herbs, ask to buy a book from me."

He stared into Su Yan's eyes, seemingly waiting to see how he would answer.

Su Yan had only been trying his luck, but he remained calm. "Cloudridge Mountain holds many treasures. I have little experience foraging, and I was lucky enough to recognize the yinred root. But if I came across another treasure plant, I might not be able to harvest it. That's why I asked."

"You certainly dare to dream."

An ordinary mountain forager might not go his entire life without encountering a treasure plant, but without some luck and three to five years of effort, finding one was out of the question.

"Bai Shan, fetch him a copy of the Hundred Herbs Diagram."

Song Qi said, "The Hundred Herbs Diagram is sold in town. Some veteran mountain foragers have studied it too, adding a little knowledge of their own so their descendants can forage more easily. Consider it my gift to you. Let's see how long it takes you to bring me a second treasure plant."

This left Su Yan looking startled. He cupped his hands slightly. "My name is Su Yan. Thank you, Manager Song."

Bai Shan handed Su Yan a small booklet along with nine liang of silver.

Su Yan thanked him, placed the Hundred Herbs Diagram in his basket, and then left the Hundred Herbs Hall.

Watching Su Yan walk away, Bai Shan mustered his courage. "Manager Song, why give that boy the Hundred Herbs Diagram? He merely got lucky..."

"Hmph."

Before Bai Shan could finish, Song Qi gave a cold snort, frightening him so badly that his face went deathly pale.

Bai Shan dared say no more. Only Song Qi's eyes flickered as he pondered, The roots were largely undamaged, but the tiny marks don't look like they were made by tools. He may have some other method. Let's see what you can do. If you can find blood tendon flower...