Chapter 18 (1/2)
Chapter 18: Chance Encounter
It was high noon and the sunlight was scorching, so much that even the occasional breeze that wafted by burned as it touched me.
The drowsy a.s.sistant of the Hundred Gra.s.ses Pavilion was starting to doze off, and the shopkeeper was nowhere in sight. I was fanning myself as I rapped my fingers against the mahogany table. The noise startled the a.s.sistant awake, and he blearily rubbed his eyes to look at me.
“Call out your shopkeeper. I’ve come with some medicines, see if he wants any.”
“Oh!” The a.s.sistant exclaimed with a panicked look, bowing and sc.r.a.ping in reply. “Please have a seat, young master[1], this one[2] will be with you right away!”
I thought it was kind of funny.
He probably didn’t recognize me. Usually, this a.s.sistant called me a little black whelp, but now he was earnestly using ‘young master.’
Sweeping my robes aside, I took a seat on a chair, tapping my knuckles as I looked around, bored. I dug in my sleeves and took out the medicine bottles, giving them a glance before tilting them over, pouring a few pills into my hand.
The spherical pills were dark in color. I brought them to my nose and took a sniff, catching the scent of Fishy-Smell gra.s.s[3] and hundreds of different flowers, cool and refres.h.i.+ng beyond compare.
This should be the Five Measure Dispersions[3].
Just by keeping one in your mouth, you could render all sorts of poisons ineffective. I took another sniff, before putting it back.
Actually, I could guess what it’d be even without looking. Every time Fang Hua made pills, they were either for dispelling unusual poisons or prolonging one’s life. After staying by his side for so long, I’d picked up a few tricks of the trade as well.
He was very familiar with the properties of different medicinal plants and able to concoct antidotes for any type of poison. Gradually, I began creating strange mixes of my own.
He claimed that a mix of seven parts Stomach-Cutting Gra.s.s with three parts Five Stone Dispersions would end a life, but I didn’t think so. I’d mix up the plants in proportions of five parts to five, two parts to eight, or four parts to six to try them out. Although the effects weren’t as effective as three parts to seven, it still amused me.
If you wanted to destroy the five organs (heart, liver, lungs, kidney, spleen) but preserve a person’s life, then a two parts to eight formula was the way to go.
If you wanted to leave them half-dead, tossing and turning for three days until death, then a four parts to six formula was the most effective choice.
As for a violent death, nothing could beat a one parts to nine formula.
I stuck my hands inside my sleeves and gave a sigh.
“So it seems the pill residence not only had a Young Master Han, but another excellent young master as well. Please pardon me for not coming out to greet you earlier.” The shopkeeper lifted aside the door curtains as he entered.
I opened my eyes and looked at him.
“What pills did you bring over today?” He took the ones in my hand, gave them a sniff, and brightened. “Shall we still use the usual prices?”
“It’s up to you.” I gave a casual wave before pulling out the porcelain bottles, tossing them up and down in my hands.
“Young master, please…be careful.”
I looked at him, eyes sweeping over the pills in his hands before giving a derisive laugh and a hmph. Then I continued tossing the bottles as before.
“I…i-it is a little low, I’ll add a bit more,” his lips twitched into a smile as he pulled out two more taels of silver, adding them to the group on the counter to make five.
I gave him a genial smile and tossed the bottles over. “Thanks.”
Sweeping the silver into my bag, I tied it by my waist. With a pat, I turned to head out the door when…someone knocked past me.
I felt around my waist and found it empty.
— [Most up to date translations for this series can be found on volaretranslations.]
Curses, what a cla.s.sic setup.
I turned around to chase after a familiar figure. These little thieves, they purposely picked on strangers and weak, elegant-looking lordly types, but today they actually messed with me…
“You rascal, stop running!”
At my shout, he ran even faster. Look at this guy’s st.u.r.dy arms and legs. He must have stolen quite a bit from Fang Hua in the past, or else how could he have eaten enough to look so robust? His smooth getaway left a trail of dust behind. The more I saw, the angrier I got.
I lifted some internal energy from my dantian[5] region and used some of my lightness ability to chase after him, wiping sweat all the while. I couldn’t believe I had to do such strenuous exercise in this type of heat. Just wait, after I caught up he was going to pay me two more taels of silver as compensation.