[Black Panther killed. Points +1]
Hearing the notification, Cheng Zongyang slowly stepped out from behind a tree and walked over to the Black Panther.
Three arrows were sticking out of the Black Panther's body. It was no longer breathing.
"This is my first time hunting a panther. Who can I even sell this to?" Cheng Zongyang wondered, feeling conflicted.
If he brought this thing out into the open, it would probably cause quite a stir.
'I've heard panther bones can be steeped in wine and are of great benefit to Martial Artists. I could ask Uncle about that.'
His uncle had often told him about Martial Artists purchasing rare Medicinal Materials. Animal-based ingredients were naturally among them.
'Looks like I can sell the panther, the Bear Gall, and the Medicinal Materials through my uncle.'
'But if I just take them out like this, my uncle will know, but my father won't. I'd definitely get an interrogation later.'
'Forget it. I'll just ask my uncle and see if he needs them.'
So, he fashioned a stretcher and loaded the Black Panther onto it. The panther weighed about two hundred pounds, but for him, it was a relatively easy lift.
As for the wolf carcass the Black Panther had hung on a tree, he decided to leave it. The panther had disemboweled and eaten parts of it, so the Wolf Hide probably wouldn't be good enough for any Wolf Hide-related task.
He checked the sun's position overhead and hurried toward the patch of ginseng.
"One, two, three, four... thirteen."
Beneath the dead tree trunk was a small patch of ginseng, with thirteen plants in total.
Cheng Zongyang murmured, his gaze fixed on the tallest old ginseng plant with the most leaves.
He didn't know much about ginseng, but he knew that the older the plant, the more valuable it was.
The other ginseng plants were clearly not very old, but this old ginseng was right in the middle of them, which would make it difficult to dig out.
In the end, he got to work, digging from the outside in until he had unearthed all the ginseng plants, soil and all.
Seeing the thirteen ginseng plants lined up one by one, Cheng Zongyang's face flushed with excitement.
Although some of the Ginseng Roots were broken and a few plants weren't that old, it wouldn't affect their sale.
But the deep brown old ginseng looked incredibly valuable.
He then plucked three Reishi Mushrooms as well. As for the other Medicinal Materials, they weren't very valuable, so he left them for now.
"Well now, the family won't be short on money for a while," Cheng Zongyang chuckled.
He collected some moss from the dead tree trunk, wrapped the ginseng in it, then returned to the Black Panther. He placed the moss-wrapped bundle on the panther's body and dragged the stretcher back to the marketplace hut.
The black bear's body already took up nearly half the space. Now, with the addition of the Black Panther, there was almost no room left in the hut.
He put down his weapons, tidied up a bit, and left the Wilderness World.
He appeared in a secluded corner of the County Town. He checked the time; there was still some left. Not wanting to waste it, he ran toward his uncle's house.
By this time, the crowd at Cheng's Clinic had thinned out considerably.
Cheng Zongwen, who now had a moment to spare, saw his older cousin at the door. He hurried out and said happily:
"Brother! You're here. My mother was just saying how you dropped things off and left right away."
"Uncle."
After entering, Cheng Zongyang called out to his uncle, who was taking a patient's pulse.
"Mm," Cheng Guangshan nodded but didn't speak, continuing to check the pulse.
Just then, Mrs. Chen of the Cheng Family came out from the back hall. She happened to see Cheng Zongyang and smiled.
"Zongyang, you're here. Why did you bring over a few snakes? You can sell these for money, you know. And what's this money about?"
As she spoke, she took out the two and a half taels of silver Cheng Zongyang had left.
Cheng Zongyang explained, "That's the grain money my father borrowed from you yesterday. I got lucky yesterday and caught a lot of snakes. I sold them and wanted to pay you back first. My father told me to bring these few snakes over for your family to eat. Also, I came today to ask about something else. I have to head back soon."
Cheng Zongyang quickly changed the subject, trying to minimize his aunt's questions.
Sure enough, Mrs. Chen of the Cheng Family was distracted. "What is it?" she asked.
Cheng Zongyang slowly recited the story he had prepared:
"I know some Hunters from a few combined village teams. They found some things in the mountains but don't have a reliable way to sell them, and they're afraid of being cheated or robbed. They know I have a relative in the County Town, so they came to ask if you would be willing to buy them, or act as a middleman to sell to others."
"What things?" Mrs. Chen of the Cheng Family asked.
Cheng Zongyang lowered his voice. "A Bear Gall, an aged Polygonum multiflorum, three Reishi Mushrooms, thirteen ginseng plants—including one old ginseng. And a dead Black Panther. It was a group of over thirty men."
The more Mrs. Chen of the Cheng Family heard, the more surprised she became. When she heard the words "Black Panther," she suddenly frowned. She looked at her nephew with a piercing gaze and asked:
"They went into the Inner Mountain? You didn't go with them, did you?"
'My aunt is really sharp. She heard 'Black Panther' and immediately thought of the Inner Mountain of Tianduan Mountain.'
With a calm expression, Cheng Zongyang shook his head.
"I wanted to, but my mother won't allow it, and I have no one to take me. But I met them a few times while hunting in the mountains before, so we got to know each other. That's why they came to me."
Mrs. Chen of the Cheng Family nodded slightly, relieved. She then said, "Those are all good things, but our clinic can't afford to buy them all; we don't have that much money. But we can sell them to some of the great families."
Cheng Zongyang knew nothing of the powerful factions in the county. For a village boy like him, people of that class were completely out of reach.
But for his uncle's family, who were Doctors, it was normal to have contact with Martial Artists and powerful families. After all, which family doesn't have people who get sick?
His uncle's father-in-law and master had been a famous Doctor in Jade Peak County for many years. His uncle had inherited his medical skills, so the class of people he associated with was naturally different.
Cheng Zongyang replied:
"You and Uncle are familiar with this. If it's possible, I can bring the items over tomorrow."
But Mrs. Chen of the Cheng Family didn't make the decision. Instead, she said:
"You should discuss this with your uncle. He'll decide."
"What's the matter?" Cheng Guangshan walked over just then. The patient who had come for a follow-up visit had already left.
Seeing this, Cheng Zongyang repeated what he had just said.
This time, Cheng Guangshan's reaction was identical to his wife's. He demanded to know if Zongyang had gone into the Inner Mountain.
These days, one could only find so many precious things by going into the Inner Mountain.
Cheng Zongyang could only explain himself once more.
Seeing that his nephew didn't seem to be lying, he nodded and replied:
"If they're all high quality, then there will be no trouble selling them. There's a drought everywhere in Xiangyang Prefecture right now, and resources are scarce. There's no shortage of buyers for things like this.
Although the County Town is still relatively stable for now, it's also constantly depleting its supplies. The need for resources is self-evident.
However, after you bring them here, you'll need to wait a day or two. I'll contact some Martial Artists or families who have had needs in the past. You can only get the money after everything is sold."
Cheng Zongyang nodded and said:
"That's not a problem. But I also told them that you wouldn't do this favor for free. I told them to give ten percent of the income to you."
"This..."
"Uncle, you can't work for nothing. You don't know them; you have no obligation to help! Besides, if you accept payment, they'll feel more at ease."
At this, Cheng Guangshan understood his nephew's meaning and didn't refuse. Then he asked:
"And what about you?"
Cheng Zongyang smiled. "I can go with them in the future. It'll be a partnership. And from now on, I'll be in charge of selling the goods, and I'll get a cut of the money too."
Cheng Guangshan frowned. "You want to go into the Inner Mountain? Does your father know?"
Cheng Zongyang nodded. "He knows, but my mother doesn't. So I hope you won't mention this to my mother, Uncle. Besides, in this world, surviving is the most important thing. Just lying low and following the rules is a death sentence."
Hearing this, Cheng Guangshan sighed and said no more.
He understood his nephew's temperament. While others his age were still naive, this nephew of his was already capable of running a household. In the end, he could only offer a word of caution:
"Alright, I know you have your own ideas. Just be careful. And stock up on more grain. This world... it's about to change."