Chapter 36: Gu Hong’s Bargaining Chip
Su Yan arrived at Hundred Herbs Hall, just in time to see Song Qi outside the main hall, watching a group of shop assistants counting medicine.
He caught sight of Su Yan with the corner of his eye and let out a soft exclamation: “You kid haven’t come for a while.”
Through their interactions of coming and going here, the two had gradually become familiar, and this tone was quite ordinary.
“Thanks to Old Song’s blessing, the taste of that Red Skin Powder is truly hard to describe in one word.”
Su Yan entered the door, but this old man Song Qi laughed: “Without enduring hardship, do you still want to practice martial arts? If you saw those thunder fire and poisonous creatures used for auxiliary skills to temper the physical body, wouldn’t you be even more dumbfounded?”
“Tell me, what mountain goods did you find today? The inner sect exam of Golden Ape Martial Arts School is about to begin.”
Song Qi stared at the backpack, which rustled inside, as if hiding live creatures.
However, this time Su Yan did not dump out the backpack, but instead handed over a cloth package from beside him.
“I found Blood Tendon Flower.”
“What?!”
Song Qi’s hand trembled, he stepped forward eagerly, took the package, opened it, and inside were indeed several bright red flowers.
“Yes, it’s Blood Tendon Flower, hahahaha.”
Song Qi burst into laughter; his serious injury from many years ago had made it difficult for him to advance further, but now guarding the Yunling Mountain Range, he finally obtained Blood Tendon Flower.
“Good kid, you’ve helped me tremendously. Do you know how many years I’ve been waiting for this Blood Tendon Flower?”
Some treasure plants are truly rare and hard to come by, and moreover, someone had secretly set obstacles.
“Hold on!”
Suddenly, an urgent voice came from outside Hundred Herbs Hall.
“No matter how much he offers, Little Mountain Association will buy it from you at double the price.”
Gu Hong walked out from the crowd, followed by three or five thugs, all in dark blue clothes, their faces cold as they swept a glance over the shop.
His gaze turned to Su Yan, with a bit more annoyance flashing in his eyes.
“Gu Hong! Dare to cause trouble at Hundred Herbs Hall?”
“Old thing, thinking that this Blood Tendon Flower will heal your crippled hand—you’re dreaming big. What, not afraid my dad will chop it off again?”
Gu Hong showed provocation, his glance at Song Qi as if looking at a waste.
He looked at Su Yan: “Sell the goods to Little Mountain Association, I’ll recommend you join. In the future, you’ll take Niu Han’s position, handle things like him, learn good skills, and I’ll help you become a deputy instructor too.”
Gu Hong didn’t know yet that Su Yan had already broken through to Skin Refining Great Accomplishment, thinking he was only at minor accomplishment realm.
His words carried a sense of looking down from above.
“Niu Han’s position?”
Su Yan felt displeased in his heart, his gaze gradually turning cold—what arrogance. Even as a member of Little Mountain Association, he had no right to act this way.
Yun Cang Town had many big families, and Little Mountain Association was just one of them—how could they be so arrogant?
Moreover, this Gu Hong actually had connections with Niu Han.
Seeing Su Yan unmoved, Gu Hong grew annoyed: “Why not willing? Others wanting to join Little Mountain Association have sent plenty of treasure plants and treasure fish.”
Su Yan raised his eyes: “Did Niu Han send them too?”
Gu Hong laughed: “Two Black Rock Ginseng picked from the cliffs. You have talent in practicing martial arts and mountain hunting skills. Once joined with my recommendation, plus my dad, you’ll have chances for success later.”
Learning civil and martial arts to sell to the emperor’s family—though Little Mountain Association wasn’t the dynasty’s royal family, the principle was the same.
Su Yan joined the martial arts school to practice martial arts, earned money mountain hunting on the side to support his own cultivation expenses, all for the sake of getting ahead.
In Gu Hong’s view, he was giving Su Yan a broad and smooth path.
Just that, it required being a dog.
Song Qi was furious on the side, feeling angry in his heart.
“Very good.”
Su Yan spoke loudly, while Niu Dang and Niu Daqi who came with Gu Hong could only think ‘this is bad’—this Gu Hong had even revealed the Black Rock Ginseng.
Fortunately, Su Yan didn’t know that Su Dahe had been thrown off the cliff while gathering ginseng and died from the fall; otherwise, how could he let it go?
Su Yan’s gaze was as cold as a knife, though Gu Hong couldn’t see it.
“Old Master Song, this Blood Tendon Flower is a gift to you.”
Song Qi’s expression froze, Gu Hong’s face stiffened.
“Hahahaha.”
Song Qi laughed nonstop, but his deep eyes revealed sharp intent: “Gu Changfeng’s pup hasn’t even grown hair yet, and dares to trouble me.”
Gu Hong lost face, his qi and blood surging, suddenly he hooked his hand like a knife, striking toward Su Yan.
Today he would teach this kid a lesson.
“Get out.”
Su Yan’s expression unchanged, Song Qi already swung his sleeve, striking Gu Hong squarely in the chest.
Gu Hong’s face changed drastically, he raised his hand to defend, but felt a massive force like a tidal wave turning into three streams of power, rushing straight to his chest.
With a puff, he spat blood from his mouth, staggered five or six steps out the door, nearly tripping to the ground.
“Old thing, you… you’ve actually returned to Blood Moving Realm?!”
“Not rolling yet? Don’t make me kill you.”
Song Qi stepped to the doorway, looking down at Gu Hong, not taking him seriously at all.
Gu Changfeng family’s little wolf cub really thought that with his hands’ meridians injured, he would age, decline in blood, drop in realm, and stay at Muscle and Bone Realm Great Accomplishment for life?
“Let’s go!”
Gu Hong was already in a difficult position, face lost, but he didn’t want to lose his life too.
Yun Cang Town’s various factions had their gaps, sometimes not lacking deadly fights over benefits.
But rarely brought directly to the surface, especially street killings like this.
Tearing faces would easily spark firefights between two factions.
But Gu Hong didn’t dare bet his life.
He was in his prime, with good talent; if killed by this crazy old Song Qi, that would be a huge loss.
“Why aren’t you afraid?”
“With such a person, is being afraid useful?”
Clearly two realms apart, that Gu Hong was at Blood Moving Realm beginner, while Su Yan was only at Skin Refining.
Such a gap was enough for Gu Hong to toy with him at will, but not everyone dared to face the opponent directly like this.
“I’ll buy the Blood Tendon Flower from you at triple the price.”
Song Qi said seriously: “Though we’ve offended Gu Hong, he won’t dare act easily and break the rules; he’s not my match yet. If you enter Golden Ape Martial Arts School’s inner sect, you’ll be Golden Ape Martial Arts School’s person, with that identity, outside in the desolate mountains, few will easily kill you.”
“Old Song, I said this is a gift to you.”
Su Yan’s eyes were very bright, exceptionally upright, without the slightest pretense.
Song Qi stood stunned in place, as if recognizing Su Yan anew.
“Martial arts pointers, though just casual words to Old Song, are guiding grace to me. Blood Tendon Flower is precious, but far less than Old Song’s pointers to me.”
Su Yan grinned: “Besides, how can I feel at ease relying on Old Song as a backer if I take money?”
“Hahaha.” Song Qi laughed: “Good kid, you sure dare to speak. Since that’s the case, come with me to the backyard and hold the Ape Stance for an hour to see.”
He had no heirs, and after years at Mountain Market, relations with some juniors had grown distant.
Only seeing this young man Su Yan made him feel increasingly close.
Backer or not, even if Su Yan hadn’t said it, finding Blood Tendon Flower for him and offending Little Mountain Association people, he was determined to help Su Yan.
Now with Su Yan speaking like this, he had to help even more.
This kid had talent, was shrewd, better than him back in the day—let’s see how far he could go.
Song Qi led Su Yan, indeed wanting to continue pointing out his stance training and fist techniques practice.
First his pointers, and later if there’s chance, think of ways to let him learn more.
But just after the two entered the backyard, Song Qi’s shocked voice was heard:
“Kid, how did you reach great accomplishment?!”
