Chapter 103: Refining Pills, King Of Hell’s Account
He noticed that Chen Shun’an did not become distant or estranged because of his identity.
Golden Needle Li’s face also showed a bit more smile.
“You are the Zhang Mansion son-in-law, a genuine local tyrant in Wuqing County, and your background is not small either.”
“Fine, you know my situation well—it’s like a virgin boy or girl jumping into the big river: the person falls but the frame doesn’t, leaving only face.”
Chen Shun’an gave a self-mocking laugh, then pointed at the Eight Treasures Mercury and said,
“This thing, you bought it to refine pills?”
“Of course.”
Golden Needle Li instructed a medicine boy to open the sluice and release the mercury, letting the Eight Treasures Mercury in the pond slowly flow into the alchemy furnace, and said,
“Five Wheels Eight Treasures Immortal Water is a specialty of the wells in the Capital Region, full of spiritual energy; other places don’t have these things.
This Eight Treasures Mercury is even one of the foundational raw materials for many secret medicines, like ‘Heavenly Immortal Blood Collapse Pill’ and others; many spirit disrupting great medicines require it for harmonizing.”
Hearing this, Chen Shun’an suddenly understood.
During the day, the water station delivers drinking water to the common people, and at night it delivers water for the pharmacy to refine pills.
Martial artists have four essentials: ‘nourish, practice, eat, sleep’, and the water station indirectly grasps ‘nourish’.
This is probably the real reason why the water station can become one of the Four Overlords of the Capital.
Chen Shun’an narrowed his eyes and pointed at the turtle and deer two demons not far away, saying,
“Those two demons… could they also be materials for refining pills?”
“Of course.”
Golden Needle Li said calmly: “All things in the world can be used as medicine, so what about demons? And moreover…”
At this point, Golden Needle Li gave a strange smile,
“The pills refined from these two demons, haven’t you already eaten them long ago?”
Chen Shun’an was puzzled: “I’ve eaten them?”
“Of course, it’s the tonic of tiger and wolf, Turtle and Deer Two Immortals Paste.”
The two were now standing in front of the alchemy stove. Chen Shun’an watched a physician take deer demon blood, add some medicinal powder, and then throw it into the alchemy room.
That deer demon seemed to have already accepted its fate, not moving at all, letting the physician draw its blood.
Seeing this, Chen Shun’an felt a slight stir in his heart and suddenly saw the Sacred Dynasty more clearly.
It turned out that the gossip about evil spirits and monsters that people spread over tea and dinner was not distant at all.
It had even quietly covered every aspect of the Sacred Dynasty.
Only because of ‘stability maintenance’, ordinary people cannot know, and even general martial artists do not know the inside story.
They practice martial arts learned by observing birds and beasts, and swallow pills refined from demon treasures.
Thinking of this, Chen Shun’an vaguely grasped something, his eyes flickering.
Chen Shun’an said: “All demons can be used as medicine? Including the weasel and snake demon we encountered on the way here?”
“Not entirely.”
Golden Needle Li shook his head: “Demons come in a hundred varieties, but they are also divided into form-gathering and form-scattering types. Form-gathering ones leave their bodies intact after death, which can be used as medicine; form-scattering ones turn their bodies into a pool of blood water after death, so their bodies cannot be used as medicine.
Generally speaking, form-scattering demons are far stronger than form-gathering demons, and some individuals can even speak human words and practice human martial arts.
As for the reasons behind it, no one knows. Probably only those immortals who catch a glimpse and play in the mortal world know.”
Form-scattering.
Form-gathering.
Chen Shun’an pondered for a moment.
Why do evil spirits have such a distinction?
While the two were talking, the first-rate expert with the big nose and ears from earlier hurried over and whispered a few words in Golden Needle Li’s ear.
Golden Needle Li’s expression unchanged, looked outside the alchemy room.
Chen Shun’an also turned his head following the gaze, and saw a large crowd of martial artists wearing uniform black short jackets, belted waists and black boots, looking fierce, either carrying or dragging patients inside.
Those patients had various injuries: some covered in coal ash, missing arms or legs; some soaking wet with swollen bellies.
Chen Shun’an asked puzzledly: “This is…”
Golden Needle Li put down the large knife for cutting medicine and said: “From Guanghui Money House. Those injured are debtors with no money to repay, forced to go into the mountains to dig coal or underwater pearl gathering.”
Chen Shun’an frowned: “Heh, is the money house so kind-hearted, spending a lot of money to specially bring them here for treatment?”
Golden Needle Li washed his hands and dried them with a towel.
Hearing this, he gave a half-smile,
“Zhao Guanghui of Guanghui Money House is kind-hearted, can’t bear to lose a single copper coin. These debtors, hobbling on crutches in pain, lie down entering the pharmacy, and come out alive and kicking… then they become bait, become suicide soldiers, go up mountains to hunt demons, go to sea to catch monsters.”
Chen Shun’an was silent for a moment. He suddenly realized where the evil spirits used for refining pills in this great pharmacy came from.
At this moment, even Golden Needle Li’s image in his heart became complex and three-dimensional.
While speaking, Golden Needle Li walked outside,
“Poor men take medicine, rich men repay money, desperate men fill with their lives. Old Chen, I give you a piece of sincere advice: don’t touch small loans, don’t touch King of Hell’s Account!”
……
Tonight, everyone stayed overnight at the pharmacy.
Normally by the rules, water carriers delivering water cannot stay overnight at a client’s home, as it would be intrusive.
But first, tonight’s water delivery happened to encounter a great demon, it was late, and rashly returning might lead to accidents.
Second, Golden Needle Li and Chen Shun’an were acquaintances, and he enthusiastically kept them.
Lin Shou Zhuo then decided: stay overnight at the pharmacy, and set off back to the county at mao hour two quarters tomorrow!
The shop assistants prepared a table of wine and dishes for Chen Shun’an and the others, tidied up bedding, and cleared out guest rooms.
After eating and drinking their fill, everyone fetched water to wash up, no need to say more.
As soon as Chen Shun’an and the others returned to their rooms, they saw a fair-faced man standing in the corridor.
He wore a silk cloth pants and jacket, tailored very fittingly, with a gleaming gold watch chain hanging from his chest.
Seeing Lin Shou Zhuo, the man glanced subtly at Chen Shun’an, then smiled and said,
“I heard that you gentlemen are good hands under Landlord Zhao’s Zhao Guangxi. I am Huo Ning, the street runner of Guanghui Money House. Hearing that you are staying at the pharmacy, I came specially to pay respects.”
Street runner is the money house’s person responsible for soliciting deposit and loan business outside, probing potential clients’ credit and assets, active in the streets and markets all day, with wide connections and sharp information, serving as the money house’s eyes and ears.
With that, Huo Ning handed over some blank notes, stamped and sealed with Guanghui Money House’s merchant seal.
Huo Ning said: “If you gentlemen are short of cash, Guanghui Money House is willing to generously help. With your gentlemen’s credit, silver below one thousand taels can be withdrawn anytime with these notes, no deduction of interest and fees, two percent monthly interest, honest dealing, just to make friends.”
Faced with the proffered notes, Lin Shou Zhuo didn’t even look, snorted coldly, ignored them, and went straight back to his room.
Huo Ning’s smile unchanged, he went to Chen Shun’an and the others.
Deduction of interest and fees is when borrowing from King of Hell’s Account usury, first discounting the principal with float, then deducting interest.
For example, borrowing 100 silver, usually only 95% is given, then deduct this month’s interest, eight-tenths or one percent, ending up with just over 70 taels in hand.
Guanghui Money House is a private money house, considered private loans, with common interest at five or six percent, a huge gap from the Sacred Dynasty official money shop’s around three percent interest.
So the conditions Huo Ning offered were indeed quite fair.
Some took them, some refused.
Chen Shun’an hesitated a bit, then took one.
Lately, it was truly embarrassing; Chen Mou was short on cash, almost no rice for meals.
After doing this, Huo Ning didn’t linger or say more, nodded smilingly to everyone, bowed and backed away a few steps, then turned and strode off.
Sun Xiao entered the room and gulped down a bellyful of herbal tea from the table.
Then he shook his head with a light smile,
“Landlord Zhao’s perfectly fine two brothers by blood, fighting to this extent, is also rare.”
Someone agreed: “Who says not, blood brothers break bones but tendons connect; these two wish they could scatter each other’s ashes!”
Lin Shou Zhuo was in the inner room and now said coldly,
“Don’t gossip about the Landlord’s affairs! If you can’t sleep, get out and practice martial arts!”
Hearing this, everyone gave awkward smiles and said no more.
The Landlord behind Guanghui Money House, Zhao Guanghui, was Zhao Guangxi’s half-brother from the same father.
The kind who had fallen out bitterly.
Zhao Father lent King of Hell’s Account, knew some fallen clan nobles, specialized in Shun People, with a large family business; even looking across Tongzhou City, he was a figure.
But it seemed Zhao Father didn’t keep the bowl level; brothers Zhao Guangxi and Zhao Guanghui developed a rift, staging a drama of father kindness son filial piety and heir dispute.
They angered Zhao Father to death and damaged the family business.
Zhao Guanghui, the eldest son, took over the family money house and pawnshop.
Zhao Guangxi, the second son, only got some worthless warehouses and remote shops.
Finally, he steeled himself, sold them all outright, exchanged for silver, started from scratch, and mixed to his current status as Water Station Landlord in Wuqing County.
While Zhao Guanghui a few years ago spent money to buy an official post, forcefully carving out a radish pit, and also became the Water Station Landlord in Wuqing County.
These two brothers ended up in the same line of work, both Water Station Landlords.
So no need to say more, they hated each other more than enemies, with constant overt and covert fights daily, wishing to drink each other’s blood and eat their flesh.
Even their subordinate water carriers had signs of never crossing paths, I don’t go to your money house or pawnshop, you don’t step over my threshold, just to avoid suspicion and prevent accidentally offending our own Landlord.
Lin Shou Zhuo slept in his clothes, on his own bed.
Sun Xiao and the others squeezed on the outer large kang, chatting idly.
Chen Shun’an checked the time, suddenly got up, put on his outer coat, strapped on his short knife, and took a lantern and torch.
Seeing Chen Shun’an like this, Sun Xiao casually asked,
“Old Chen, where to?”
Chen Shun’an said: “We’re at Banye Ferry Crossing anyway, can’t sleep tonight, might as well stroll the fish market, see if any fishing boats returned early, pick some fresh goods.”
“Alright then, be safe, don’t wander off.”
“Yeah, got it, brothers go to sleep early.”
Chen Shun’an informed Lin Shou Zhuo, who had his back turned, with a word; Lin Shou Zhuo grunted, acknowledging.
After Chen Shun’an left, Lin Shou Zhuo turned around, narrowing his eyes to look outside the window.
Outside the window was a patch of pine trees, lush and green, swaying gently in the night wind.
Lin Shou Zhuo perhaps had something on his mind, his brows also swaying gently: sometimes furrowed, sometimes relaxed.
His pipe craving hit; he got up, took the pipe from the table, stuffed in a few wads of fine tobacco haphazardly, and puffed fiercely.
“Exactly where did that great demon come from…”
A trace of doubt flashed in Lin Shou Zhuo’s eyes.
In the outer room, Cheng Bin lay on the bed, by moonlight, repeatedly rubbing that blank note with his hand, then carefully pocketed it.
“Perhaps, with this one thousand taels, I can marry Xiao Man home?”
Cheng Bin thought silently in his heart, suddenly felt his qi and blood surge, heartbeat quicken, tossing and turning sleepless.
His lame leg started itching again.
