In the memories he had gained from the original body, the cause of death for the original father, Su Dahe, was that he took a desperate risk to collect mountain goods on a cliff to repay a debt. He slipped and fell to his death, leaving no remains.
And wasn't the man who loaned the money to the original Su Yan's father none other than Niu Han?
Now that Wang San had suddenly yelled this out, the matter became interesting.
Wang San finally sighed in relief, having voiced the secret and bought a chance to live.
"I can tell you, but... but you have to promise not to kill me! I promise I won't tell anyone about what happened here, I..."
Before he could finish, Su Yan's newly wiped arrow pierced straight through Wang San's palm. The pain caused Wang San's monkey-like face to twist in agony, making him look even more hideous.
"Talk."
Su Yan spoke only one word, but it was enough to make Wang San feel an unspoken sense of terror and oppression.
He didn't dare to negotiate further: "It was Niu Han and his gang. Uncle Dahe said he found traces of a Treasure Plant and borrowed ten taels of silver from him."
"Uncle Dahe thought finding the Treasure Plant would clear his debt, but he didn't know how greedy Niu Han and his crew were. They ordered their men to follow him in the woods... Later, later, we heard Uncle Dahe fell to his death collecting Stone Ear Grass... It must have been them who did it."
Wang San poured out the story in a rush to save his life, cautiously stealing a glance at Su Yan's expression. He saw that Su Yan's face was calm, as if his father hadn't just died, and his heart immediately sank.
'It's over. This brat is determined to kill me.'
He pounded his head on the ground. The wounds on his body tugged painfully as he prostrated himself, his face pale and twisted from the pain. Yet, he dared not stop for a second.
"Brother Yan, it truly had nothing to do with me. It was all Niu Han and his gang."
"Is that so?" Su Yan drew out the words, his tone full of deeper meaning: "Then how do you know all this?"
Wang San froze in place. Meeting Su Yan's gaze, he hastily explained: "I... I was told by Niu Han's men to watch you. They said, 'That kid is clean-faced, and with both his parents dead, he surely won't survive. When it's time to collect the debt, we'll sell him as a companion to a city lord and take his house.'"
"Stripping skin and breaking bones, drinking blood and sucking marrow—they're truly ruthless."
Su Yan's eyes flashed with cold intent. With old scores and new vendettas rising all at once, it seemed a confrontation with Niu Han's gang was inevitable.
"It wasn't me..."
Pfff!
Su Yan raised his hand and shot an arrow, killing Wang San.
Wang San was watching Su Yan to help Niu Han's gang and blend in with them. However, he accidentally initiated this plot to steal the Treasure Spot, which was a strange twist of fate.
"Niu Han and his rogues aren't like Wang San, just scattered thugs. They lend money throughout the village and have some power. I need to figure out a plan."
Su Yan searched for all four bodies. He found two liang of broken silver on Zhao Fu, but Wang San and Huang Tian had nothing. He then had the Dark Water Centipede gnaw and poison the arrow wounds to obscure the cause of death. Su Yan masked his own footsteps and then walked off in another direction of the forest with his basket.
Li Hu and his gang had effectively provided him with twelve taels of silver. Adding that to his savings oIf he were to pay the tuition for a martial arts academy, selling off some of his stock in the Bug Realm space would be enough.
However, Su Yan could not immediately descend the mountain. He had to return with a full load and stagger the timing. This way, if someone did discover the deaths of Li Hu and his gang, they wouldn't connect it to him.
The Dark Water Centipede became more spiritual after entering its Growth Stage. Su Yan led the way, and in just half a day, he found several Cinnabar Ganoderma and dug up a few Fo-ti. His basket was nearly full.
Seeing that the time was right, Su Yan took a different path down the mountain.
Perhaps because Wang San and the others were afraid of exposure, they had plotted in secret. Even though a day had passed, no one seemed to have noticed anything.
The next morning, after refining a thread of Bug Essence, Su Yan, as usual, headed straight for the Mountain Market with his basket. Many mountain people were heading to the market, and seeing Su Yan accompanying them, their eyes couldn't help but show envy. A heavy basket meant mountain goods. With his ability, let alone paying taxes, it would be easy for him to find a wife or two, build a large courtyard in the village, and buy a few mu of farmland.
Su Yan walked quickly. It had been about a month since he first refined the Dark Water Centipede, continuously using the Bug Essence to temper his body while also training himself. Although his appearance hadn't changed much, his body was already incomparable to before, capable of matching two or three strong men. Such a physique naturally allowed him to move faster than others.
Upon arriving at the Mountain Market Town, Su Yan headed straight for the Hundred Herb Hall shop.
Bai Shan, the clerk, saw Su Yan from afar and immediately smiled: "Brother Yan, what mountain goods did you find today?"
"Wild Fo-ti, about ten years old, and some Cinnabar Ganoderma."
Bai Shan had dealt with Su Yan several times and was quite familiar with him, knowing his ability, so he naturally did not treat him as an ordinary mountain-man. Taking the basket from Su Yan, Bai Shan carefully took out the items. After weighing them, he said in surprise, "This might be more than ten years old. We should have Manager Song take a look."
Neither of them tried to hide anything, and the queuing mountain-men and herb gatherers immediately began whispering, their eyes full of envy. An old man in a gray-black coarse hemp shirt smacked his lips, wetting his dry mouth: "Must be two or three taels of silver, right?" He said this to his companion but couldn't help but glance at Bai Shan.
Bai Shan announced loudly: "As long as the herb has aged potency, our Hundred Herb Hall's price will never disappoint everyone. If it truly is fifteen years old—no, thirteen years of potency—this Fo-ti could be worth five taels of silver." Given the large size of the Fo-ti tuber, the price was indeed reasonable for the weight.
Ignoring the lively discussions among the few mountain people, Bai Shan asked another clerk to help and led Su Yan into the shop. Su Yan was slightly surprised. Bai Shan leaned in and whispered, "Brother Yan, Manager Song instructed me earlier that if you came to sell herbs, I should bring you in to meet him."
'Meet him?'
Su Yan was immediately suspicious. Although they had met a few times, it was only in passing. A sudden meeting must be about something else.
"Clerk Bai, is there something specific Manager Song wants?"
Bai Shan shook his head and gave an awkward smile: "Manager Song's business is beyond our knowledge."
With that, he led Su Yan past the main hall. In just a few steps, they entered the inner room. There was a small courtyard well in the center, surrounded by wooden corridors, doors, and windows. The left and right sides were closed, making it look more like a storeroom. In the courtyard well was a rock garden, a dark water jar, and planted water lilies. Beside the water jar sat Song Qi (宋奇) in a rattan chair, resting with his eyes closed.
"Bai Shan, you may leave."
Before the two had fully entered, Song Qi seemed to have sensed their presence. As soon as Bai Shan stepped halfway into the courtyard, Song Qi's voice rang out.
"Yes," he bowed slightly. "Manager Song, call me if you need anything. I'll be waiting out front."
After Bai Shan retreated, Song Qi opened his eyes and stood up: "It's only been a few days since your last sale, and you've already found more aged herbs. It seems you have quite a knack for seeking medicine."
A flash of surprise crossed Su Yan's eyes, but his expression remained calm. He thought: 'The Hundred Herb Hall has been established for two hundred years. Even ordinary Treasure Plants are just slightly more expensive herbs to them. They shouldn't be coveting my method.'
"It's all luck, making a living off the mountain."
"Dozens of taels of silver, and you neither move to the city nor buy land or start a business. You want to practice martial arts?" Song Qi's deep eyes seemed to emit a light as he stared at Su Yan, his tone confident.
"Yes," Su Yan looked up to meet his gaze, answering neither humbly nor arrogantly.
"Good, very good. You have ambition."
"Let me ask you, what is the difference between Three-Lined Red and Blood Vein Flower?" Song Qi suddenly changed the subject, asking about herb identification.
Su Yan was momentarily bewildered, unsure of Song Qi's intentions.
"Three-Lined Red is a boiling blood poison. A normal person poisoned by it will have their blood boil, their body turn red, and they will die within three to seven days without treatment. It loves sunlight, its vine grows on cliff faces, its body is entirely red, and its four-petaled flower gets its name from three black lines at the base."
"Blood Vein Flower is a Treasure Plant. Its function is to enhance blood energy and repair muscles and tendons. It has no special need for sunlight but is usually found in the territory of carnivorous animals. The entire flower is deep red and slightly thick, with vein-like patterns on the back, and it has no fixed form, having either three or four petals."
Su Yan looked at Song Qi: "Setting aside the efficacy, the difference between the two is mostly on the back of the flower."
"Good, good, good. You have indeed memorized the Hundred Herbs Illustrated Guide." Song Qi smiled upon hearing the answer, seemingly very pleased.
"Manager Song, what did you call me in here for today?"
"To make a trade." Song Qi looked up, his expression serious: "You want to learn martial arts, and I will guide you. However, you must help me look for the Blood Vein Flower in the mountains. I won't take the flower for free; I'll buy it from you at a thirty percent markup. How about that?"
Of thirty-seven taels, he now had 49 taels of silver.