Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 161
"So where will you take this old man?" An elderly man holding a cane was escorted by a group of bodyguards into a black van.
"Master Fu, don't say it like that. We just want you to appraise a ginseng and determine its quality." Roman smiled lightly at the old man, his tone respectful. "Of course, we will also pay you for your time."
"The travel won't take that long, right? My back hurts when I sit for too long." The old man touched his lower back.
"Of course, Master Fu. I even prepared the most comfortable seat for you." Roman gestured confidently toward the interior of the van.
They stepped into the van, and the door slid shut after they entered.
"You said the ginseng is at least 300 years old?" The old man raised his brows.
"That can be considered a heirloom treasure. Who's crazy enough to sell it? That can save a life." The old man was slightly confused, unable to understand the owner's decision.
"I assume they don't need it." Roman didn't explain much.
"You assume?" The old man narrowed his eyes.
If not for Roman's status, old man Fu would believe he was lying. The old man had mastered the ancient method of alchemy and created miraculous medicines through rare ingredients. His skills were honed through decades of study and discipline. If there was someone who could make medicine using the ginseng, that would be old man Fu.
"Well then, take me to see this 300-year-old ginseng of yours." Despite his calm tone, old man Fu was curious.
"Yes, Master."
Roman personally handled this matter because he treated his grandmother with utmost importance and respect. Her condition weighed heavily on his mind. He loved his grandmother dearly and wished to ease her situation.
For this reason, he even visited Master Fu, who rarely interacted with secular people. Master Fu and his disciples spent most of their lives in the mountains, cut off from the modern world to devote themselves to medicine cultivation. If not for Roman being the son of an influential family, Master Fu might not have listened to his request.
Fortunately, their mountain was located in Timog-Kanluran Province, so Roman could visit him within a day, although the journey was still exhausting. Roman had only gotten a short amount of sleep during this entire time.
There was also another reason why Master Fu agreed to appraise the ginseng. He rarely had the chance to even touch, let alone concoct medicine from, a 300-year-old ginseng. Such opportunities were almost mythical even for someone with his experience.
In his entire 73 years of life, he had only touched an ancient ginseng five times. Each encounter remained vivid in his memory, with the oldest ginseng being 400 years old.
'The last mage died 1000 years ago, and that marked the complete turning point of the era.' The old man looked out the window, his expression turning thoughtful.
'Since then, there have been no people who could use mana to create miracles. However, some of the miracles they left behind still work, such as the recipes for alchemical medicines. Something different from science.' Master Fu recalled.
Magic had disappeared thousands of years ago, and mages and people who could use mana slowly vanished until none remained. They faded into legend. Some people were born with unique quirks, but they were not truly superhumans in the strict sense.
Just as Roman promised, the trip didn't take long. They soon reached Una Town, a coastal town.
"So it's Una Town." Master Fu looked around with surprise and nostalgia. A few decades ago, this place had only small villages. Things improved when Bay Harbor was built, bringing trade and development to the town. He had visited this place when he was still under the tutelage of his master, long before the roads were paved.
The van stopped in front of a brand-new house that had only been built a few months ago.
"This way, Master." Roman stepped aside to guide him.
Karlos and his family were already waiting for their arrival. Brandon was also present, but he kept himself in the background, standing quietly behind them. He felt intimidated by rich people and believed their social statuses belonged to completely different worlds.
As for Maya, she had prepared food and desserts just in case their guests stayed longer. She was also tense, her posture stiff as she nervously awaited the unexpected visitors.
Karlos nodded at Roman. He was nervous as well, though he had become somewhat used to interacting with wealthy people.
Perhaps only Arabella and Iñigo were behaving naturally. Arabella greeted the strangers while waving her hands, her eyes bright with curiosity. As for Iñigo, he didn't recognize most of these people, so he simply stared at them and quietly observed.
"What a nice house," Master Fu muttered.
"Thank you, sir." Karlos smiled slightly, pleased to hear that.
Karlos then nodded at Roman. He had kept his promise of not using a sports car. However, the bodyguards surrounding old man Fu were still attracting attention.
Some neighbors had even gathered in front of the house, curiously staring at the bodyguards as if they were watching a movie.
"Let's go inside. My wife prepared something to eat."
Karlos invited them in.
"You shouldn't have done that. We're only here for a short visit." Old man Fu chuckled as he stepped inside. He nodded while looking around the house. It was clean. He didn't recognize some of the appliances, but he assumed the technology of the modern world had improved.
"Let's not make this too long. I would like to inspect the ginseng." His fingers trembled slightly with excitement at the thought of seeing it.
"It's here." Karlos had already prepared the box on the table. He only showed one box because he had no intention of selling the smaller ginseng.
He had already spoken with Brandon, and they agreed to keep the two other ginseng a secret.
"Oh."
Old man Fu approached the box. He nodded as he observed that the wooden box was clean and free of dust. However, he still needed to inspect the inside. If the interior of the box were dirty, it could degrade the ginseng.
Without hesitation, he opened the box to check its cleanliness.
"Huh?"
But the cleanliness was not the first thing he noticed. Something else instantly caught his attention.
"T-This!"
His eyes nearly bulged out.
[Thank you guys for reading this novel.]