After tidying everything up, Su Yan woke up the next day and immediately boiled the Bamboo Jade Tooth along with the rabbit meat, making a large pot of meat soup.
First, he absorbed a thread of Bug Essence from the Dark Water Centipede, and then he ate all the soup containing the Bamboo Jade Tooth.
His body immediately became hot; a warm current surged through his limbs, as if he were in a furnace. Su Yan immediately began to exercise with an intensity and speed far greater than the day before.
Under continuous exertion, the medicinal power began to systematically nourish every part of his body, forging it like raw iron.
It took a full three hours until Su Yan was drenched in sweat and felt the medicinal power in his body was mostly consumed.
After getting up, he shed his sweat-soaked hemp clothes and clenched his fists, still feeling a surge of strength.
'The Bamboo Jade Tooth and the Bug Essence, when combined, actually have this effect! It truly lives up to its name as a Treasure Plant. I feel absolutely no exhaustion, and my strength seems to have increased by several dozen jin.'
Joy showed in Su Yan's eyes. His current strength, while not comparable to an initiated martial artist, was far beyond that of a regular strong man. He planned to practice his archery next; the stronger his physical fitness, the better.
He cleaned up the mess and sweat, changed into a fresh hemp outfit, and looked at the sky. The sun was high; he was running a bit late.
'I need to get to the market quickly.'
He put his goods into the basket, covered them tightly, and then left the village.
The full name of the Mountain Market should be the Mountain Market Town, but the mountain people simply called it the Mountain Market.
This market was specially set up by the Lin Family between the various mountain villages to facilitate the sale of mountain goods and to sell necessities like firewood, rice, oil, and salt to the people living in the mountains.
The main proprietor was naturally the Lin Family, which had contracted many of the mountain peaks. Therefore, mountain-men had to pay a "Mountain Fee" to the Lin Family for trekking, logging, woodcutting, and hunting.
However, the other major families in the city wouldn't allow the Lin Family to monopolize everything. Over the centuries, after various disputes, several factions intervened. The Wang Family , the Li Family , the Small Mountain Association, the Woodcutter's Gang and the Three Tigers Gang all had shops or strongholds here. This back-and-forth created the current market town structure.
Su Yan quickly walked along the small path toward the Mountain Market. About three to five li away, he could see the large, wooden fortress structure.
The perimeter was a wooden wall made of thick hardwood logs, each requiring a person's arms to fully embrace, bundled and lined up. One-third of the logs were driven into the ground, and the remaining two-thirds stood about four meters high.
The main entrance facing the road was flanked by watchtowers, about six or seven meters high, where guards in dark blue cloth stood watch. Another squad of guards stood at the entrance by the chevaux de frise, maintaining order without interrogating those who entered. These were the Lin Family's market guards, essentially thugs.
The Mountain Market was a marketplace for mountain people; no entry fee was charged for coming and going. However, if one traded inside and didn't sell to the established shops, a transaction fee or "cut" would be unavoidable.
Su Yan arrived at the fort gates and ran into many people from his village. Though they knew each other, they didn't speak much, each lining up to enter the market.
Although the Mountain Market Town was just a market, its area was not small, roughly the size of three to five villages combined. Two main streets, one horizontal and one vertical, ran through the entire market, dividing it into four areas.
The east side held various shops. The west side held the shops that purchased mountain goods, and their warehouses were also located here. The south and north sides were designated transaction areas, allowing mountain people to set up stalls and trade, and they also contained living quarters for a portion of the guards.
Perhaps because the summer tax and the deadline for the mountain fee were approaching, the mountain people from all the villages were anxious to sell their goods for money to get through the hardship.
At a glance, one could see all kinds of mountain people: some with baskets showing the tips of green fern leaves, some with small beasts like gray rabbits or muntjac deer hanging from their waists or backs, and others with burlap sacks, most likely containing brown rice or coarse wheat.
This wasn't Su Yan's first time at the Mountain Market Town. He walked through the crowd and headed toward the west street.
After walking about two or three hundred meters, the crowd thinned out, and shops began to appear one after another on both sides. The doors were wide open, a rough wooden counter was set up, and the shop signs were either cloth strips with names written on them or actual animal hides. All had clerks trying to attract business at the entrance.
Su Yan spotted the sign for Pan Family Restaurant among the many shops and strode toward it.
The Pan Family Restaurant's storefront wasn't large, with one manager and three or four clerks. The manager, wearing a light blue gown, sat in the main hall. Two clerks were at the door inspecting and weighing goods, and two others were sorting and packing newly acquired items.
The Pan Family Restaurant didn't resell raw goods; they bought only mountain delicacies. Their restaurant's unparalleled cooking skills in Yun Cang Town were enough to make them a fortune. Legend said the head chef also practiced Food Nourishment that aided martial arts, making him a sought-after guest among the various family powers in Yun Cang Town.
"Big Brother, are you still buying fungi today?"
"Yes, we'll take as much as you have, but it depends on the quality."
Su Yan stepped forward to ask. The clerk was in his twenties, wearing a light gray cloth cap and a black coarse-cloth short jacket with sleeves rolled up. He placed a basket of newly collected mountain goods inside.
"Bring out your mountain goods."
He didn't find Su Yan's young age unusual; life in the mountains was tough, and all children worked.
However, when Su Yan emptied the contents of his basket, nearly filling the counter, the clerk let out a "Tsk" sound and looked surprised.
"Your harvest is better than some adults'."
A nearby clerk came over to help, sorting and weighing the items.
"White Liver Fungus, ten jin and two liang; Shaggy-Mane Mushrooms, four jin and seven liang; Black Ant Fungus, one jin and two liang... There are too many fungi after the rain, so the price is three to five copper coins lower than usual, but your quality is good, so we'll waive the deduction. Total: one thousand one hundred twenty-five copper coins. I'll give you one tael and one qian of silver, and twenty-five copper coins."
The clerk worked the abacus swiftly, his slender fingers a blur.
"Deal."
Su Yan nodded and took the money, thinking: 'With so much supply in the market, and so many fungi after the rain, even the Pan Family Restaurant is suppressing the price. No wonder ordinary people can't survive. It might be better in the city.'
That being said, prices were slightly higher in the city markets, but the costs of travel and the higher taxes for selling in the city were significant. The round trip wasn't worth the effort.
After taking his money and slinging his basket over his back, Su Yan headed straight for the Hundred Herb Hall shop without looking back. That was where his main business lay.
The sign of the Hundred Herb Hall was a piece of beige coarse cloth with only the characters "Bai Cao" (Hundred Herbs) on it, surrounded by an easily recognizable vine pattern. Before even getting close, he could smell a faint aroma of medicinal herbs.
This shop was quieter than the Pan Family Restaurant. Only two clerks were busy, and few mountain people were selling goods. In the main hall, a white-bearded man in a dark robe was drinking tea, with a small incense burner next to his cup, burning some unknown fragrance.
"What herbs are you selling?"
As Su Yan entered the shop, the clerk Bai Shan looked up and asked.
Su Yan didn't hide anything: "Astragalus, Tienchi Ginseng, Gastrodia..."
"Bring them out. Don't worry, if the quality is good, our Hundred Herb Hall never pressures the price."
Medicinal herbs vary by size and season, but unlike fungi, they don't lower their prices, which is why they attract more customers.
However, Su Yan interrupted Clerk Bai Shan: "What is the current price for Dark Scarlet Root?"
"You have Dark Scarlet Root?!"
Clerk Bai Shan's voice rose by an octave. It had been a long time since a Treasure Plant was seen, and how could this young man have dug one up? And a poisonous one, at that.
Su Yan merely nodded, opened his basket, and through the fern leaves wrapping it, a deep red color was revealed, allowing the clerk to see it clearly.
"It really is."
Bai Shan's eyes widened. He was about to reach out to check the quality but suddenly remembered the Dark Scarlet Root was poisonous and difficult to handle directly.
"Let me see."
The old man in the hall had risen and walked over without Su Yan noticing. Su Yan got a clear look at the old man's appearance. Although he had a long white beard and looked about sixty, his gait was strong, and Su Yan sensed a subtle pressure from him.
"Manager Song."
Bai Shan quickly stepped aside for Song Qi .
Song Qi reached out and picked up the Dark Scarlet Root directly. A faint, almost imperceptible light flowed across his skin.
A look of surprise flashed in Su Yan's eyes. He thought: 'This manager is probably a Martial Artist.'
"Not bad. The root system is almost complete, and it weighs six liang (ounces). It's been a while since we've seen one. Not many mountain-men have the skill to dig up a poisonous Treasure Plant."
Song Qi sized up Su Yan—a thin young man with good spirit but no visible martial arts training.
"Our Hundred Herb Hall is currently short on a certain ingredient for a medicine. The quality of your Treasure Plant is good. How about I offer you a price of 12 taels per jin?"
"This junior thanks Manager Song."
Manager Song nodded, placing the Dark Scarlet Root aside: "If you find any other Treasure Plants in the future, bring them here. Other businesses might not be able to say this, but for Treasure Plants, the Hundred Herb Hall offers the highest price."
Other families would simply use the Treasure Plant as is; a ten-tael item wouldn't sell for twenty or thirty taels. But the Hundred Herb Hall could, which was their confidence.
"Bai Shan, get the money."
"Yes, Manager Song."
Bai Shan was about to get the silver and appraise the other herbs in the basket.
"Manager Song, this junior has a small request. May I ask if the Hundred Herb Hall's herb catalogue is for sale? Just a simple book on common herbs will do."
Su Yan inquired politely and neither humbly nor arrogantly.
What he wanted wasn't a secret item; he figured the town's bookstores likely had it. However, the town was a long journey away.
Song Qi chuckled and looked at Su Yan again: "You can read?"
"My late father taught me a little."
"This is the first time I've seen a mountain-man come to an herb shop, not to properly sell herbs, but to buy a book."
He stared into Su Yan's eyes, seemingly waiting for an answer.
Su Yan, though just testing the waters, remained composed: "Cloud Ridge Mountain has many treasures. My mountain-trekking experience is shallow. I was lucky to recognize the Dark Scarlet Root, but I might not be able to retrieve other Treasure Plants, hence my question."
"You dare to think big."
Ordinary mountain-men might not go their whole lives without finding a Treasure Plant, but without significant luck and three to five years of hard work, it was nearly impossible to find one.
"Bai Shan, fetch him a copy of the Hundred Herbs Illustrated Guide."
Song Qi said, "The Hundred Herbs Illustrated Guide is sold in the city. Some old mountain-men have even studied it, adding a few notes of their own to help their descendants. Consider this my gift to you. Let's see how long it takes for you to bring me a second Treasure Plant."
This surprised Su Yan, and he bowed slightly: "Su Yan thanks Manager Song."
Bai Shan handed Su Yan a small booklet along with 9 taels of silver (since 6 liang is 0.6 jin, and the price was 12 taels per jin, 0.6 jin is 7.2 taels - plus the other common herbs).
Su Yan thanked them, placed the Hundred Herbs Illustrated Guide into his basket, and left the Hundred Herb Hall.
Seeing Su Yan depart, Bai Shan spoke up with a hint of nervousness: "Manager Song, why give that young man the Hundred Herbs Illustrated Guide? He just got lucky..."
"Hmph."
Before Bai Shan could finish, Song Qi snorted, making the clerk's face turn pale. Bai Shan dared not say more. Song Qi's eyes, however, glittered as he thought: 'The roots are mostly intact, but the subtle details show no sign of tool marks. He must have some special method. We'll see what he can do. If he can find a Blood Vein Flower...'