Over here, Tang Yong was a bit dumbfounded. His use of the tiger pelt to sell old mountain ginseng wasn't exactly a secret in the West Market. Pretty much all the regulars knew. The scam was only for first-timers to the Imperial City West Market—the kind of suckers with more money than sense.
This was the first time he'd run into a real expert.
"And this old mountain ginseng? It's actually only three hundred years old, definitely not five hundred!" Xu Luo declared confidently after observing the root for a moment.
"Nonsense! I had this appraised by a professional Pharmacist from the Royal Pharmacy! Look, kid, if you're not buying, then get lost! Stop causing trouble, or I'll rough you up!" Tang Yong shot up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, glaring at Xu Luo with a face full of rage, as if he'd been gravely insulted.
"Of course I'm buying. Why are you so testy just for selling something? Haven't you ever heard that a gentle approach brings wealth? You know... you don't seem like an herb merchant. You're more like an Adventurer..." Xu Luo mumbled under his breath as he looked at the brawny man.
Xu Luo was, in fact, bluffing when he said the old mountain ginseng was only three hundred years old. He was just annoyed that the man had tried to scam him and wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine.
Besides, Xu Luo's real target wasn't the old mountain ginseng anyway.
Xu Luo had expected the brawny man to fly into an even greater rage at his words, but unexpectedly, after hearing him, the man named Tang Yong became surprisingly calm.
His expression grew complicated as he looked at Xu Luo, and then he sighed. "I'm... I'm really not an herb merchant. I'm an Adventurer. If it weren't for... ah, forget it. Why am I telling a kid all this? This old mountain ginseng... if you really want it, take it for one thousand taels of silver. I'm not lying to you this time."
Nearby, Li Yu had also fallen silent. He glanced at Xu Luo and said softly, "Little brother, he's not lying to you this time. If you don't believe him, go ask around at the pharmacies. A five-hundred-year-old mountain ginseng costs at least one thousand two hundred taels of silver. For Boss Tang to sell it to you at this price... this is a first."
Xu Luo shook his head and said, "I can't take advantage of you. How about this: you can sell that old mountain ginseng for whatever its worth. As for this pile of miscellaneous herbs... I'll give you one thousand taels of silver for it. Sell it to me."
Tang Yong looked at Xu Luo in confusion, then glanced at the pile of herbs tossed carelessly on the ground. He trusted his own judgment; with his years of experience as an Adventurer, there was no way he could be wrong. 'This pile of herbs is genuinely worthless!'
'Most importantly, I only paid five taels of silver for this pile...'
Perhaps a sensitive chord deep inside him had been struck, and Tang Yong no longer wanted to deceive the boy. He waved his hand, disheartened. "This pile of useless junk, how could it be worth one thousand taels of silver? If you really want it, just toss me ten taels of silver and take it all."
"Really?" Xu Luo asked, finding it hard to believe.
Inside that pile of herbs, there was definitely one that caused the Shaking Light Star Soul in his Dantian to stir. He had just double-checked three or four times; every time he neared the pile, the Shaking Light Star Soul in his Dantian seemed to grow particularly excited.
That feeling was transmitted directly to Xu Luo, making him certain that a treasure was hidden within that messy pile of herbs.
'Compared to other people, I trust the Shaking Light Star Soul inside my body more!'
"Would I lie to you now?" Tang Yong said, growing irritable.
Just now, Xu Luo's line, "You're more like an Adventurer," had directly touched upon a past Tang Yong was unwilling to recall, making him extremely agitated.
"No, I really can't take advantage of you. There's something I want in this pile of herbs. You take this one-thousand-tael silver banknote, I'll take the goods, and the transaction is complete. Don't you go backing out on me."
As Xu Luo spoke, he took out the one-thousand-tael silver banknote, squatted down, and, not minding the dirt, used Boss Tang's tattered cloth to wrap up the messy pile of herbs. He then handed the banknote to Boss Tang.
Boss Tang took the silver banknote, a little dazed. The Great Seal of the Royal Bank on it was clear and unmistakable. Boss Tang had seen a one-thousand-tael banknote before, but this one felt like it was burning his hand.
'How can there be such a fool in this world? Refusing ten taels of silver and insisting on giving one thousand?' Tang Yong was bewildered.
"So, can I go now?" Xu Luo asked with a smile, looking at the stunned Boss Tang.
"You can..." Boss Tang said subconsciously, but then a hesitant look appeared on his face. After a moment of internal struggle, he said, "Wait!"
Gritting his teeth, he took the five-hundred-year-old mountain ginseng and handed it to Xu Luo, saying in a deep voice, "Little brother, since you're so righteous, I, Boss Tang, am not a petty scoundrel like Li Xiaoyu. Take this old mountain ginseng. I'll eat the loss of a few hundred taels of silver!"
Li Yu, who had been feeling rather touched just a moment ago, was suddenly furious. He pointed at Boss Tang and cursed, "You bastard! Say what you want about yourself, but why drag me into it? How the hell am I a petty scoundrel?"
Xu Luo couldn't help but laugh to himself. 'These two guys may look like mortal enemies, constantly undermining and bickering with each other, but in reality, I can't see any real hatred in their eyes.'
'If any other competitors tried to sabotage each other like this, it would've gotten bloody long ago.'
Xu Luo shook his head, refusing the old mountain ginseng Boss Tang offered. "I paid one thousand taels of silver for this pile of herbs. You should keep the old ginseng and sell it. You could give the money to the families of your fallen comrades."
"That was a lie." A glimmer of tears flashed in the depths of Boss Tang's eyes, but he firmly denied it.
"Heh, then just keep it and spend it on yourself!" Xu Luo said, picking up the herb bundle and quickly walking away.
"Little brother, I, Boss Tang, owe you a favor! Next time you're buying something in the West Market, just mention my name!" Tang Yong shouted at Xu Luo, who was about to disappear into the crowd.
Without turning back, Xu Luo raised a hand and waved, then vanished into the crowd.
Li Yu walked over to Boss Tang's side, his gaze complex as he watched the direction where Xu Luo had disappeared. A self-deprecating smile touched his lips as he said, "Who would've thought... after all these years, someone could still make me feel this bad. Dammit, I'm pissed. I'm just not happy about this!"
"What's it got to do with me whether you're happy or not?" Boss Tang grumbled, but his face was tilted high, his eyes red as he fought to keep the tears from falling.
"What the hell are you crying for!" Li Yu's eyes were also red, but he glared at Boss Tang and cursed, "Pathetic!"
"Screw you, you're the one crying! I got sand in my eye! I can have sand in my eye if I want, what's it to you?"
"Alright, alright. I'm going for a drink. You in or not?" Li Yu said, sniffling hard.
"Yeah, why not!" Tang Yong squatted down, took a few deep breaths, put away the old mountain ginseng, rolled up the tiger pelt, and tucked it under his arm.
Neither of the two men noticed that a woman, who looked like a Fairy, had been standing nearby the whole time, watching everything unfold from beginning to end.
The woman was veiled and wore a simple, elegant white dress. Her waist was so slender one could encircle it with a single hand, her hair cascaded like a waterfall, and yet her figure was incredibly voluptuous. She looked like a true Fairy.
Although the woman's face was hidden, the gazes of everyone around were fixed on her, so much so that they hadn't paid much attention to what was happening with Tang Yong.
The combination of an extremely pure attire with an extremely bewitching figure on one person meant that even without seeing her face, she was an absolute, peerless beauty.
Seeing the two men about to leave, the woman parted her ruby lips, her voice like an oriole's as she said, "Wait a moment."
Tang Yong and Li Yu were both slightly taken aback. Only then did they notice the woman standing not far from them. Both of them stared, their eyes glazing over.
'A beauty!'
The same thought rose in both their minds at once.
A place like the West Market was a chaotic mix of all sorts of people. Aside from female Adventurers, very few women ever came here, let alone beauties.
And so, these two guys, whose eyes had been red with emotion just moments ago, now wore lecherous expressions.
The woman frowned and said, "That old mountain ginseng of yours, I'll take it. Here is a two-thousand-tael silver banknote. Take it."
"Huh?" Tang Yong's mouth twitched violently as he glanced at Li Yu.
Li Yu also looked as if he'd seen a ghost.
'What is going on today? Is my, Boss Tang's, luck finally exploding?' Tang Yong couldn't help but mutter, then looked at the woman before him and said, "Miss, this old mountain ginseng..."
"I know it's not worth two thousand taels. But I like it," the woman replied with great character, extending a jade-like, crystal-clear wrist. She then stuffed the silver banknote into Boss Tang's hand and took the wooden box containing the old mountain ginseng.
Tang Yong picked up the silver banknote and examined it carefully for a long time.
It also bore the Great Seal of the Royal Bank, with the number "two thousand taels" written on it. The banknote was as real as could be.
The woman gave a captivating smile and said, "Go on, send it to the families of your comrades. Also, since some things have already happened, you must learn to let them go. Being an Adventurer is a profession where you risk death at every turn. Since you chose it, you can't blame anyone else. So, you have no reason to feel guilty."
The gazes of Tang Yong and Li Yu suddenly sharpened, coldly scrutinizing the bewitching woman before them. The lecherous expressions from before had vanished completely.
The woman smiled faintly and pointed to her own head. "I guessed. I don't know you, and I'm not your enemy. So, you have nothing to worry about."
With that, she turned and floated away, leaving a final sentence to drift into Tang Yong's and Li Yu's ears.
"Boss Tang, you really did misjudge. In that pile of herbs, there was an herb called Lieyang Grass. You've heard of Lieyang Grass, haven't you? The market price is about three thousand taels... of gold!
"The boy probably only knew it was something good, but not its true value. So, hehe, the boy's kindness was rewarded. You don't need to have any regrets, because I'm guessing you bought that pile of herbs for no more than three or five taels of silver."
The woman quickly disappeared into the crowd, leaving Tang Yong and Li Yu standing there dumbly, staring at each other.
"Son of a bitch, what a huge loss!" Li Yu said, his mouth twitching. It was the first thing he said. Then he added, "That woman is a real demoness!"
Boss Tang's expression shifted several times before he suddenly burst out laughing.
Many of the onlookers now understood what had happened. Hearing that the pile of herbs that had been sold contained a Lieyang Grass, the crowd immediately erupted in an uproar. Many people's eyes turned red with envy.
Then, seeing Boss Tang's reaction, they thought he had been driven mad by the shock and couldn't help but back away.
Boss Tang's reputation in the West Market was quite formidable. Even the local underground powers didn't dare to cause him trouble.
Li Yu was still muttering about the huge loss. Just then, Boss Tang slapped him on the shoulder and roared with laughter, "Loss, my ass! I bought that pile of junk for five taels of silver! That little brother managed to find a treasure, and that's his skill! I'm thoroughly impressed! And I still owe him a favor!"