From a distance, Chen Guan heard the raw, anguished scream.
That's Xiao Yan's voice.
A flicker of curiosity sparked within him, the simple human instinct to rubberneck at a dramatic scene. But he quickly suppressed it. Without wasting another moment, he closed the door to his inn room and walked out, continuing toward his destination.
The city gate of Wu Tan City was heavily guarded. Patrols from the three major clans were on high alert, their teams led by stern-faced Dou Shi masters. The sheer scale of the operation made even the most hardened mercenaries nervous, and they cooperated obediently with the inspections. The authority of the three great clans in this city was absolute.
Not wanting to waste time with them, Chen Guan simply flashed the token from the royal family. The three guard captains immediately snapped to attention, respectfully escorting him out of the city, never once suspecting that this was the very person they were hunting.
Two days later, he arrived at Qingshan Town.
This was the town closest to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, a bustling hub also known as "Magical Beast Town." This was Chen Guan's destination. The journey had been faster than he'd anticipated, surprisingly smooth and free of the trouble he had expected to encounter on the road.
Thanks to its strategic location, the shops lining the streets of Qingshan Town were thriving. Though night had fallen, the town was still brightly lit, and an endless stream of mercenaries flowed in and out of taverns and storefronts. Their voices were loud and boisterous, their conversations peppered with vulgarities and frequent mentions of women. As a new face with clean robes, Chen Guan attracted more than a few meaningful glances.
He ignored them, his eyes scanning his surroundings as he walked. Finally, he stopped in front of a medicine shop called "Wanyao Zhai" and stepped inside.
Wanyao Zhai was quite large, its interior spacious and filled with rows of counters like a modern shopping mall. After finding a temporarily empty counter, Chen Guan took out a small bag of gold coins and placed it on the wooden surface.
"I need to speak with whoever is in charge," he said to the young shop boy. "The business I want to discuss is not small. You probably can't make the decision."
The boy's face soured at being looked down upon, but the sight of the gold coins silenced his retort. He wordlessly turned and went to fetch his superior. I may not dare to offend you, but I can certainly ignore you.
Taking advantage of the brief wait, Chen Guan carefully looked around the shop, but he didn't see the person he was hoping to find. Just as a flicker of disappointment crossed his mind, there was movement at the top of the second-floor stairs. A girl in a simple white dress descended, carefully supporting a mercenary whose arm and leg were heavily bandaged.
She was not very old, perhaps only a few years older than Chen Guan himself. Her features weren't stunningly beautiful, but they were exceptionally pleasing to the eye, and a gentle, decent smile always seemed to grace her lips.
Fresh, ethereal, and gentle as water—that was Chen Guan's first impression.
His eyes unconsciously drifted to her waist, where a simple green sash perfectly outlined her slender figure.
One of the Top Ten Beauty in Battle Through the Heavens… her reputation is well-deserved.
He didn't need to ask to confirm her identity. At this time, in this place, it could be no one else. Besides, he wasn't deaf.
"Ah! It's the Little Fairy Doctor!"
"My luck is incredible tonight! I'm going to go to the casino and clean them all out! Little Fairy Doctor, look over here!"
Smack!
"You idiot, don't block my view!"
The shop floor had transformed into a small, chaotic fan gathering. Just as Chen Guan was feeling speechless, the commotion drew the Little Fairy Doctor's attention. Her gaze swept across the room and met his. Against the backdrop of rough, boisterous mercenaries, his calm demeanor and neat attire stood out.
Chen Guan offered a polite smile in response, and she returned it with a slight, almost imperceptible nod before turning and heading back upstairs.
The Woeful Poison Body.
Information flashed through his mind. Her physique was a cheat in its own right. While ordinary people relied on arduous training and fortunate encounters to grow stronger, she only needed to consume poisons to advance at a terrifying rate. But this power came with a terrible price. Once her poison erupted, it would bring devastation to all life around her, a power she couldn't control. It was a fate of destined loneliness. If a method to control it wasn't found, one day it would erupt completely, erasing her sanity and unleashing a catastrophe upon the continent.
The Woeful Poison Body is incredibly dangerous, but if handled properly, it could also be a tremendous asset.
"Haha, the Little Fairy Doctor is our Wanyao Zhai's specially hired physician." A low laugh came from beside him. It was a middle-aged man with a goatee. "Although she has only been here for a short time, everyone in Qingshan Town adores her, especially the mercenaries. Many of them owe her their lives, so her reputation has grown higher and higher. If someone dares to speak ill of her, it's common for them to be beaten bloody."
Chen Guan nodded. He already knew all of this, so he showed no surprise.
Seeing his lack of reaction, the man assumed he wasn't interested and dropped the subject. After all, the Little Fairy Doctor was not a gold coin; it was impossible for everyone to like her.
"You have an unfamiliar face, young master. You must be new to Magical Beast Town. I am Chang Jinfu, the manager of Wanyao Zhai. What business would you like to discuss?"
Manager Chang Jinfu had the strength of a five-star Dou Zhe, but he couldn't see through Chen Guan's cultivation at all, so his tone was very polite.
Chen Guan saw no reason to beat around the bush. "I need to buy a large batch of Coptis Essence. As much as you can get. I'd like to commission Wanyao Zhai to help me acquire it. The market price is one hundred gold coins per stalk. I will offer one hundred and five. How does that sound?"
Coptis Essence? A low-level medicinal material? Manager Chang was initially uninterested, but his eyes lit up when he heard the rest. A few stalks were nothing, but if the quantity was large, the profit would be substantial, especially with the premium offered. The business was simple, easy, and profitable—it was like a pie falling from the sky.
He gave the young man another look, silently labeling him a fool with more money than sense. Where did this prodigal son come from?
Of course, he kept that thought to himself.
"Wanyao Zhai is a place of business. We accept all who come, so we will naturally not refuse. Are you sure you want as much as we can find, sir?"
"Don't worry. You won't be short a single gold coin. Here are ten thousand gold coins as a deposit. The goods can be delivered to the City Lord's Mansion in the nearby city of Jishi for handover. I will have the City Lord's Mansion handle the matter. When I no longer need any more, I will have someone notify you."
Chen Guan tossed the bag of gold coins to him, feeling immensely relieved. Unless the manager was a complete fool, he wouldn't dare to cause trouble.
"I understand. Please rest assured, sir. My Wanyao Zhai has always conducted business with integrity."
A guarantee like that is best taken with a grain of salt.
With both of his goals accomplished, Chen Guan didn't linger. He turned and left under Manager Chang's gaze—the kind of look one gives a departing fool.
He had come to Wanyao Zhai on a whim, his main purpose being to meet the Little Fairy Doctor. The Coptis Essence was just a casual arrangement. It would be a pleasant surprise if he stumbled upon the Blood Lotus Essence in the process, but it wouldn't be a loss if he didn't.
Just as the manager thought, there were many things Chen Guan urgently wanted, but money was not one of them. He had a 'supplementary gold card' from Yao Ye worth half a million gold coins. At least in the Jia Ma Empire, he didn't have to worry about funds for a long time. He could afford to be arrogant.
After finding an inn, Chen Guan sat cross-legged on the bed.
The Little Fairy Doctor won't be running off anywhere, so there's no need to rush. I should focus on my own training. Although obtaining treasures is a goal, I also need to gain real experience.
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