We are now at the border of the bloody valley. A small town nestled between two mountains. There's a large river that usually floods during the rainy season.
Despite that, the residents of this small town are still busy opening shops, stalls, or plowing fields and planting rice and various green and orange vegetables.
Everyone has something they are dedicated to. I quite respect the diligent farmers, or the diligent artisans. Because of them, I finally get decent clothes and food that isn't burnt (I don't know why, even though Shun Jin once worked as a maid, she is still very new and a beginner at cooking. I am forced to teach her to cook every time her training is finished.) And a sword scabbard made of animal skin, enough to cover my demonic sword.
Shun Jin also got new clothes after a long time of wearing raggy clothes or monster skin like cave people. She got clothes that suited her body and facial beauty. A white girl's robe with a light blue inner robe like her eyes.
Me? I bought a black robe that wasn't too conspicuous and was ordinary.
You might be wondering where we got the money to buy new clothes and some other necessities like a temporary slim sword for Shun Jin?
The answer is, selling ourselves.
Not selling ourselves at a night market. What I mean is selling our abilities. Usually in small towns, some ordinary people always ask travelers or martial artists passing by to eradicate some monsters or spirit beast that often damage the villagers' crops. And fortunately, in this town there is such a place.
A special place for travelers or martial artists who are adventuring to earn a living.
Namely, the Hunter's Pagoda.
As the name suggests, inside the rather magnificent multi-story pagoda building, there is usually a wooden totem of a request from a resident to hunt something and will be paid a commensurate fee according to the payment listed on the totem.
There are staffs like cashiers, or inn receptionists in the building. If you want to take a job, the totem must first be handed over to the staff to be stamped. After completion, the totem must be returned to the staff and exchanged for payment.
Some tasks usually require proof. Like the task of hunting monsters in the river. To know if the task recipient has completed their task, usually on the totem it is written to bring a part of the monster's body except the core. Most monster cores are kept directly by the hunter. Unless the totem's task is to obtain a monster core and the payment is greater than the price of the core obtained.
The Hunter's Pagoda is managed by a special group from various orthodox sects. One of their affiliations, as far as I know, is the Wudang sect. Well, this was the idea of a rich sect elder who felt sorry for ordinary citizens who had no ability to do anything when attacked by monsters or spirit beast. Therefore, a place was established for ordinary citizens to get help from capable people.
Many people live their lives as hunters and become rich with it. This is truly a source of income for people who can only rely on their strength.
"We'll be back before sunset. For today, since we've been hunting various monsters and spirit beast for three days and three nights, I'll let you have fun all day. Use this money well."
I threw a bag of bronze coins at Shun Jin. Coins with square holes. There were Chinese characters on both sides of the coin. Wu Zhu.
Shun Jin caught it, her eyes sparkling at the sight of the bag of money in her hands. She then lifted her face to me and bowed respectfully.
"Thank you, master!"
This is the first time I've seen her bow respectfully to me. For the past few months, ever since I trained her, she always called me crazy man and was never polite to me. Money really can change a person's personality, huh?
I nodded slightly, "We'll meet again at the inn. Make sure you use the money I gave you for useful things."
Shun Jin nodded enthusiastically. Then she just left without saying anything.
"I'm sure she'll buy unimportant things like Ye Jing. Once he gets a lot of money, he'll spend it on unimportant things like a two hundred bronze coin standing lizard statue. Or a five hundred bronze coin herbal speaking enhancer. That stupid monk..."
I went to the Hunter's Pagoda. Besides being a place for wanderers and martial artists to earn a living, it also sold various cultivation products. Such as pills, herbal medicines, monster cores, spirit beast meat, weapons, martial arts books, and so on.
I gave two-thirds of our remaining money to Shun Jin, there were two hundred bronze coins in that pouch. The remaining hundred bronze coins were in my robe pocket.
The Water Lily flower had been consumed by Shun Jin throughout the journey. Every time we encountered a spirit beast, I always told Shun Jin to consume the spirit beast's Core to accelerate her body's development.
I had no intention of selling or buying anything at the Hunter's Pagoda. I was just looking at the colorful pills with various names and effects.
A beautiful shop attendant woman was on duty there. She saw me looking at the pills.
"Is there anything that catches your attention, sir? We have low and medium quality pills suitable for early to intermediate level cultivation. If you want special high-quality pills for advanced cultivation, we can make a custom order for you."
The woman smiled at me while promoting. I glanced at her once and ignored her.
"Nothing here catches my attention. These pills would be useful for Shun Jin, but their effect is not as good as the Water Lily which can maintain the purity of her dantian. These pills here would only contaminate it."
"Are you looking for pills with a purifying effect, sir? We may not have pills or plants with a purity as high as the rare Water Lily. But we have some that come close."
I turned my face to the female attendant who was still smiling her daily smile. Working as a shop attendant must require her to put on a friendly smile even if it looks unnatural and forced. Otherwise, no customers would be interested.
"Ah, no, it's fine. I'm just looking at the pills and herbal plants here. You've worked hard. Your smile is slowly fading. You should take a short break."
The shop attendant woman chuckled softly while trying to hide her annoyed expression. Her forehead twitched as she looked at me.
"If you have any other requests, sir, I will gladly try to fulfill them." The shop attendant woman said with an emphasized intonation at the end. She seemed to want to drive me away. But if she didn't serve customers like me, she wouldn't get paid.
I grinned mischievously.
"Will you fulfill any of my requests?"
Suddenly she shivered and tried to cover her body with her hands. "I'm sorry. We don't provide such services here." Her face was truly annoyed, almost uncontrollable.
"I didn't ask something yet?"
The shop attendant woman put on a foolish face. She became confused by her own words just now.
"U-um... if you want something, sir, you can call me. I'll excuse myself."
The woman then walked backward while maintaining a twitching smile. I could hear her grumbling in annoyance behind the wall.
"Ah, attendant!" I deliberately called her back.
The shop attendant woman quickly came back to me. Her face was even more sullen with suppressed anger. "Y-yes, sir?"
"Ah, no, I just wanted to call you." A mischievous grin appeared in my lips. Teasing someone like this turned out to be quite fun.
Finally, the attendant lost her patience. She dropped her mask of politeness and started to look annoyed.
"Whoever you are, sir... If you keep playing around like this, then unfortunately I will have to call the guards to escort you out..." She said, clenching her fists, annoyed at being constantly teased by me. Her face was no longer smiling, now that smile was inverted. She really looked upset.
I stepped closer to her and lifted her face.
The woman still glared at me angrily, with a confused look in her eyes.
"I want you." I said softly, almost whispering in front of the attendant's face. Her angry face immediately turned 180 degrees red, blushing shyly.
"W-wait, what are you doing, sir?..."
"I want you to make a special order for me, I need a pen and paper please." I said, putting on an innocent face.
The shop attendant clenched her jaw and fists. She couldn't take it anymore.
She immediately threw a slap at my face, but unfortunately it was too slow. I easily dodged it.
I grinned, the shop attendant looked like she was about to explode.
"I hate men like you! Just do it yourself! I don't care anymore!" Then the shop attendant ran behind the shop wall while cursing at me, someone she didn't even know.
"Hmm, strange, usually if Ye Jing did that, any woman would do whatever he asked. I need to practice a lot."
***