"Ah, ultimately it's still a bit hasty."
Leaving Ji'an Hall, Gu Yuan sighed softly.
Speaking of which, coming to the county with Yellow Spirit on his back today to exchange for money was somewhat impulsive.
Although the Yellow Spirit he dug was not Spirit Medicine, its age was not negligible and it was quite valuable. Especially since his attire did not seem like that of someone with a background, it naturally attracted covetous eyes.
Just now, that shopkeeper Xu harbored ill intentions, obviously having seen through some of his details, convinced that even if Gu Yuan suffered a loss, he wouldn't cause much trouble, making him a fat sheep.
"Ji'an Hall is unreliable, so now, should I switch to another medicine shop? It can't be that all the pharmacies in the county are shady, can it?"
As Gu Yuan walked along the road, he pondered, suddenly his nose twitched as if he smelled something.
"Hmm? This scent, could it be..."
"Little brother, are you selling medicinal herbs?"
A voice sounded beside Gu Yuan, startling him.
Turning his head, he saw that the speaker was indeed the burly middle-aged man who had been referred to as "Mr. Cheng" earlier.
"I must thank the elder brother for helping me out earlier."
Gu Yuan first cupped his hand in thanks, then revealed a wry smile, saying, "That's right, I am a humble man from the mountains. Today, with some luck, I dug up this Yellow Spirit, planning to sell it for some rice to get through the winter. Who would have thought that shopkeeper Xu would find me easy to bully and harbor ill intentions."
"No need for thanks, little brother. I am Cheng Gang, just an ordinary Medicine Gatherer. I couldn't stand seeing Xu bully people. This old fellow, though being a doctor, always engages in malicious deeds, truly despicable."
Cheng Gang laughed heartily and pointed to the street ahead: "If you want to sell medicinal herbs, you might check out Jade Cauldron Tower. Though its threshold is a bit high and they usually only buy from gatherers, the prices are fair and honest."
"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Cheng!"
Gu Yuan sincerely thanked him, and seeing Cheng Gang's straightforward nature, he curiously asked, "I noticed that you are no ordinary person, more like a Martial Master. Why do you call yourself a Medicine Gatherer?"
He understood the literal meaning of Medicine Gatherer, but along the way, he had seen many gatherers, most of whom possessed Martial Arts, making them uncommon, which puzzled him.
"Gathering medicine is my livelihood, and Martial Arts are my method of staying healthy and protecting my life. There's no conflict between the two."
Cheng Gang, too, felt that Gu Yuan's words and actions were slightly different from ordinary mountain villagers, but with his forthright nature, he had no reservations and continued without concealment:
"You may not know, but the mountains are full of wild beasts and even demon creatures. For a Medicine Gatherer without Martial Arts to rashly venture into the mountains would be no different from courting death."
"I see..."
Gu Yuan thought of something deeper:
"Perhaps it's not just that, the Yunmeng Mountain Range is rich in resources and fosters many Spirit Medicines and rare treasures. Without the skill and strength to deal with the demon beasts guarding those treasures, one surely wouldn't stand a chance."
For example, the steel-blue demon centipede Gu Yuan encountered this morning. An ordinary person would have no chance against it.
"Thus, it makes sense that most Medicine Gatherers are Martial Masters."
With that, Gu Yuan bade farewell to Cheng Gang and headed to Jade Cauldron Tower as directed.
Jade Cauldron Tower was a five-story wooden building, with an ancient appearance, supported by pillars made of Golden Rattan Wood. The cloud patterns and beast sculptures carved on it were vivid and lifelike, exuding an imposing grandeur.
Especially the plaque at the entrance—the words "Jade Cauldron Tower" were powerful and sharp. Just a few glances made Gu Yuan's eyes sting.
Anyone with some sense would understand that Jade Cauldron Tower is not to be trifled with!
Gu Yuan carried his bag into the hall unimpeded, but a young servant came up to greet him, saying:
"Honorable guest, may I ask what you need?"
Gu Yuan put down the bag and straightforwardly said, "I have freshly dug Yellow Spirit here and intend to sell it to your shop."
The servant wasn't surprised; he took the bag, checked it, and nodded, acknowledging the Yellow Spirit's worth and thought it valuable to purchase: "Please wait a moment, guest. I will fetch our Tributor to appraise them."
"Thank you, young man."
Gu Yuan responded, nodding to himself inwardly.
"Jade Cauldron Tower indeed is professional."
According to Cheng Gang, Jade Cauldron Tower has a significant background, with branches in various counties and provinces throughout the Six States of the Southern Border, dealing mainly in herbal medicines and mountain treasures at high prices.
To conduct business across the entire Six States of the Southern Border, its backing must be extraordinary!
The very fact that a mere guest greeter in Jade Cauldron Tower can proficiently identify herbs and interact courteously shows its deep foundation and grandeur!
Not long after, an elderly man with graying hair and beard was invited over. After assessing all the Yellow Spirit Gu Yuan brought, he offered a high price of three taels and six coins.
The largest piece of Yellow Spirit alone was appraised at thirty years, valued at two taels of silver.
Overall, the price offered by Jade Cauldron Tower was more than ten times that of Ji'an Hall earlier!
This clearly showed how treacherous shopkeeper Xu was!
Facing the Tributor's purchase price, Gu Yuan agreed gladly.
"I'll sell these Yellow Spirits!"
"Very well, feel free to take your leave, guest; I won't disturb you further."
The old Tributor also was not surprised, greeted and then turned to leave.
Shortly after, the young servant came back with the silver and handed it to Gu Yuan.
After confirming it, Gu Yuan was about to leave when he stopped and called out:
"Please hold on, young man."
The servant looked ordinary but had an alert glimmer in his eyes, and upon hearing Gu Yuan, he asked, "Is there anything else you need, guest?"
"Nothing much, just wanted to inquire about something from you."
Gu Yuan took out a coin of silver, slipped it into the servant's hand, then explained seeing his mild suspicion, "Rest assured, it's unrelated to your establishment, just some trivial matters."
As he felt the silver coin in his hand, a smile appeared on the servant's face, and he nodded, saying:
"Feel free to ask your questions, guest."
Gu Yuan, being straightforward, asked directly, "I admire Martial Arts and wish to know if there's any way to learn Martial Arts here in Beiliang County."
Jade Cauldron Tower's background is considerable, and these servants certainly gather and exchange plenty of information, so spending a little money to ask around is necessary.
"So the guest wants to learn Martial Arts, it seems. This humble person indeed knows a thing or two."
The servant appeared casually aware and began sharing what he knew...
...
"You say that kid went to Jade Cauldron Tower just now?"
Inside Ji'an Hall, shopkeeper Xu glared uncomfortably at the clerk.
The clerk, feeling intimidated under the glare, replied respectfully: "Yes, shopkeeper, I saw him enter Jade Cauldron Tower with my own eyes."