Thirty-one Taels and Five Mace of Silver (1 / 2)

There were also three-tined antlers further along. Those had enough weight, but their price was much lower. As for fully grown Hardened Deer Antler, they were worth next to nothing.

"Young man, this isn't our first time doing business, so I won't beat around the bush. Any other shop would offer eighteen taels at most for this pair of Deer Antler Velvet. I'll pay twenty taels of silver. What do you say?"

Zhao Cai squeezed the antlers all over, then even scraped off some of the remaining Deer Blood with a finger and tasted it. Finally, after hefting them to judge their weight, he named his price.

"Mostly, it's because Tiger needs the freshest Deer Antler Velvet to supplement his Ginseng Spirit Art practice."

As though afraid Zhao Er might refuse, Zhao Cai added that explanation.

"Haha, thank you, Uncle Zhao!"

Getting twenty taels for a pair of Deer Antler Velvet already exceeded Zhao Er's expectations. Medicinal ingredients like these were indeed highly effective, but they were meant for ordinary people and Entry-Level Martial Artists.

So, unless it was something like Tiger Whip or tiger bone, which commanded higher prices, twenty taels was already a considerable sum for ordinary medicinal ingredients. Zhao Er had originally expected only fifteen.

"Hehe, right, you should have some Deerskin too, shouldn't you? Sell that to me as well, though Deerskin won't fetch nearly as much."

Zhao Cai did not mind that Zhao Er had gone from calling him "Shopkeeper" to "Uncle Zhao." In fact, he was rather pleased.

He could tell that Zhao Er had both strength and luck, and was a ruthless fellow who practiced the Unorthodox Path besides. Befriending him could hardly be a mistake.

Most importantly, he was not losing out on this deal.

In the end, Zhao Er sold his Deerskin, antlers, and Dried Centipedes to Zhao Cai for a total of thirty-one taels and five mace of silver. He truly had made a tidy fortune.

Once they settled the deal, Zhao Cai called Tiger out.

They had only been apart for a short while, yet Tiger had put on quite a bit of weight. His complexion was rosy, and even his skin seemed much better.

Zhao Er's expression grew somewhat complicated at the sight. He knew Tiger had officially begun practicing the Ginseng Spirit Art.

Merging the cultivation arts had given Zhao Er a better understanding of the Ginseng Spirit Art as well. Aside from eating medicinal herbs every day, practicing this art required limiting movement and avoiding extremes of joy or grief.

The purpose was to prevent the consumption of vital blood and keep it pure.

In simpler terms, it preserved the medicinal potency of the blood.

Tiger, however, seemed very satisfied with his current life. He smiled cheerfully throughout their meeting and asked plenty of questions about home and the village.

Zhao Er did not stay long at the Hundred Herbs Hall. After chatting with Tiger for a while, he said goodbye and left.

The weather was still too hot. He had kept the deer leg he brought in the well overnight, but he could not leave it like that indefinitely.

So, after leaving the Hundred Herbs Hall, Zhao Er carried his sack straight to the Ning Family's gates.

"Little brother! You're here!"

After his arrival was announced, his eldest brother, Zhao Da, soon appeared at the gates and happily led Zhao Er inside.

"How is everything at home? And how is your cultivation going? Have you run into anything you don't understand while practicing?"

The moment they met, Zhao Da's first concern was their parents back home, followed by his younger brother's cultivation.

"Everything's fine at home, and my cultivation's going pretty well too. Sister-in-law!"

Zhao Er answered his eldest brother Zhao Da's questions, then spotted his sister-in-law, Ning Mu, waiting to greet him at the entrance as they reached the courtyard where Zhao Da lived.

"You're here! What perfect timing. Your brother has been talking about home these past few days. Are your parents both well?"

Ning Mu showed no displeasure at Zhao Er's arrival despite how little time had passed since his last visit. She remained warm and smiling, and even offered a reason for his visit herself, afraid he might feel uncomfortable.

"Everyone's doing well at home. I caught a deer in the mountains yesterday, so I brought a leg for your parents to try."

Zhao Er nodded and took the deer leg out of the sack.

"Wow, what a big deer leg! You're practicing martial arts now, so you need more meat to nourish yourself. Venison replenishes vital energy and blood—you should have kept it for yourself."

"That's right, little brother. Take the deer leg back with you later."

Venison was actually fairly rare, though it was worth far less than deerskin or deer antler velvet. Still, Zhao Da and Ning Mu both knew Zhao Er practiced martial arts and needed it.

"There's plenty left at home. Besides... I broke through to the Blood Condensation Realm a few days ago. Hunting in the mountains is easier now, so I won't be short of meat anymore."

Zhao Er pushed the deer leg into his eldest brother Zhao Da's hands and took the opportunity to tell them about his breakthrough.

He had no desire to show off his breakthrough, but his brother and sister-in-law had always treated him well, so there was no need to hide it from them.

Most importantly, the Ning Family had given him considerable help. Now that he had broken through, he ought to tell them, if only to let them know that their investment had been worthwhile and had value.

"You broke through and became a martial artist? So quickly?"

Zhao Da and Ning Mu were both taken completely by surprise. Hearing about Zhao Er's breakthrough, they exclaimed in unison, forgetting all about the deer leg.

"It's only been ten days or so since last time, hasn't it? Little brother, did you really break through using the Five Poisons Art?"

Zhao Da suspected Zhao Er might have broken through using the Poison Sand Palm. After all, Zhao Er had already mastered it to perfection.

"Yes, I broke through using the Five Poisons Art. Our village backs onto the Clear Radiance Mountains, and there are plenty of poisonous creatures around the outskirts, so I had ample resources. I was lucky, too."

Zhao Er trusted his brother and sister-in-law, but he had no intention of revealing the system to anyone. Thus, he said nothing about the Five Poisons Returning to Origin Body, only that he had broken through using the Five Poisons Art.

"Well..."

Ning Mu looked at Zhao Er, surprise flashing in her eyes.

She had practiced martial arts herself, only marrying Zhao Da after two failed attempts to break through to the Blood Condensation Realm. She knew very well how difficult cultivation was for a martial artist.

Her husband, Zhao Da, had worked quite hard at his cultivation, yet it had still taken him four months to break through, along with a considerable sum spent on medicinal meals and pills.

Yet this younger brother-in-law of hers had not only cultivated for a short time, but had also practiced an unorthodox art like the Five Poisons Art.

Even with an ample supply of poisonous creatures for cultivation, she knew perfectly well that practicing unorthodox arts meant enduring pain beyond what ordinary people could bear, along with tremendous risks.

For her younger brother-in-law to break through in such a short time showed just how ruthless he could be with himself.

A glimmer of admiration appeared in Ning Mu's eyes as she looked at Zhao Er.

"Come on, little brother. Spar with me."

Zhao Da was far more direct. He handed the deer leg to Ning Mu, then beckoned to Zhao Er.

"Sure!"

Zhao Er did not refuse his elder brother's request. In fact, this was precisely why he had come.

He very much wanted to know exactly how he differed from an Orthodox Martial Artist, and even more than that, he wanted to find out how strong he was in combat now.