secret dice.

Chapter 367 (4000) Baicao Chamber of Commerce

Badaoji, located in the northern part of Yanzhou, more than 80 miles south of Juehou Pass, is the largest medicinal materials distribution center in the northern Central Plains.

The Central Plains is mainly plains, suitable for human survival and reproduction, and the civilization has continued for thousands of years. Nowadays, the population is dense, and both the mountains and land have been basically developed. Not to mention the natural treasures, even ordinary crops are difficult to grow.

Therefore, most of the precious medicinal materials in the Central Plains come from the surrounding areas. The two most famous medicinal material producing areas are the Ten Thousand Mountains in southern Xinjiang and the primitive jungles in Guandong.

As the name suggests, this Badaoji has a total of eight roads of various sizes passing through here. It is similar to the Tongda Town in the Zhongzhou Mountains and is also an important transportation route. In addition, it is not far from Guandong. It is the only way for merchants who collect medicines from outside the pass to return to the Central Plains. Over time, it has become a prosperous medicinal materials market.

Luo Jun followed Master Tong Qi as they walked along the streets of Badaoji. There were medicinal herb shops everywhere. Apart from the large pharmacies with open storefronts, most of the vendors were street vendors. Judging from their attire, they must have just returned from outside the Great Wall.

There are only a few merchants like Tong Qiye who have bodyguards and caravans and go directly out of the pass to buy medicinal materials. Most of the medicine dealers in the Central Plains still come to Badaoji to purchase goods. Therefore, there is also a group of herbalists who supply Badaoji. Some of them are people from the Central Plains who live inside the pass and go out of the pass regularly, and some are simply ethnic minorities outside the pass.

Of course, these individual herbalists can only bring a limited amount of herbs at a time, and most of them sell directly to local merchants in Badaoji, who then resell them to southern herbalists who come here to collect herbs. These relatively cheap herbs are not in large quantities, so it does take up their energy to sell them bit by bit. But occasionally, when they dig up precious herbs, they don't want to let the middlemen make a profit, so they set up stalls on the spot, hoping to sell them at a good price.

"In the early years, these stalls did have a lot of good stuff..." As they walked, Master Tong introduced to Luo Jun, "But in recent years, the local merchants in Badaoji have established a chamber of commerce, which has grown in scale and started to hire special teams to collect herbs. The market for individual herbalists has been squeezed a lot... After all, it is really dangerous for a team of only three or two people to enter the deep mountains and old forests of Guandong..."

Luo Jun nodded. He couldn't tell the quality of medicinal herbs. Only those treasures rich in spiritual energy could glow in his eyes. After walking around for a long time, there were only some scattered spots of light among the medicinal herbs on the stalls...

"Should I also find a place to set up a stall?" Luo Jun suggested.

Master Tong Qi waved his hand and said, "No, no, brother, it's too embarrassing to sell these treasures on the street. Let's keep going forward."

Soon, the two arrived at the central area of ​​Badaoji and saw a large courtyard from a distance with a plaque hanging on it that read "Baicao Chamber of Commerce".

"This is the local Chamber of Commerce in Badaoji. Basically, all the influential local medicine dealers have registered here. If they purchase goods from the Central Plains, they will come directly to the Chamber of Commerce to discuss if it involves large-scale transactions."

"Local merchants are banding together, so it's not easy for you foreign drug dealers."

Although Luo Jun had never done business before, he knew the principle of distance and closeness. If the wholesale locations of such medicinal materials were independent of each other, the merchants who came to purchase could still compare prices and try to lower the price. However, if the local merchants formed a chamber of commerce and monopolized the market with a unified voice, then the locals would have the final say on how much to sell.

Master Tong Qi sighed and shook his head, "Otherwise, why do you think I would specially lead a team to the outside of the pass to collect medicinal herbs?"

"The Chamber of Commerce here in Badaoji has indeed increased the purchasing costs of Central Plains medicine merchants a lot. People like me who have some strength will choose to form our own caravan. Except for some large quantities of cheap medicinal materials, we basically won't come here to purchase goods."

"But the Chamber of Commerce also has some advantages." Master Tong Qi changed the subject: "In the past, if someone dug up a treasure, they could only shout along the streets and find buyers on their own. It was not uncommon for a pearl to be covered in dust."

"But it's different now. The Baicao Chamber of Commerce provides an auction channel. If you have a treasure, you can list it in the Chamber of Commerce and advertise it. Merchants will compete to bid, and the highest bidder wins."

Luo Jun nodded: "Is this auction held every day?"

"Auction?" Master Tong Qi was stunned. "A meeting is required for an auction?"

Luo Jun blinked. "Isn't it? A bunch of people sitting in the hall, bringing up items one by one, everyone raising their placards to bid, and the final price is decided?"

Master Tong Qi blinked, then shook his head and smiled, "No, no... there is no such process... the so-called auction is to deposit your treasure with the Chamber of Commerce and publicize the information. Interested drug dealers can apply to see the goods and then bid. When the time is up, whoever bids the highest will get the goods... Of course, the Chamber of Commerce will take a cut of the final transaction price."

Isn't this just like hanging up the auction house in the game?
Luo Jun blinked his eyes: "Is this Chamber of Commerce reliable? Will it swallow my treasure or switch it?"

Master Tong Qi waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, the Baicao Chamber of Commerce still values ​​credibility... In addition, they will give you a preliminary valuation of the treasures you handed in. When the time comes, the Chamber of Commerce will give you a voucher when the items are left there. If there is a problem with your items on a certain date, you can choose to use this voucher and directly ask the Chamber of Commerce for money according to the valuation."

"The medicinal herbs that can be auctioned are definitely not the common ones that are sold by the pound and have transparent and uniform prices. Each one is a treasure, and there is no market price to refer to. Although the price given by the Chamber of Commerce is not too high, it is reasonable, and it is not a loss to sell it."

"And I'm here, don't worry, I can help you get a fair appraisal price!"

As they were talking, the two of them had already walked into the Baicao Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Tong Qi was obviously very famous in the industry. As soon as he entered the Chamber of Commerce, someone came up to greet him and asked about his well-being with a smile on his face.

"I heard that the Seventh Master just came back from outside the Great Wall, bringing several carts of medicinal herbs. Was this trip worthwhile?" He was greeted by a chubby, squinty-eyed man who, judging by his attire, was no ordinary staff member.

"It was definitely worth the trip. I narrowly escaped death..." Master Tong Qi shook his head and said, "Thanks to Brother Lin for helping me. Otherwise, I and those truckloads of goods would have been left outside the Great Wall."

Brother Lin refers to Luo Jun. He did not reveal his real name to the public and called himself Lin Feng. Lin is his mother’s surname and Feng is his father’s name.

"Oh, that's why I've said it before. There are all kinds of monsters and demons in the deep mountains and old forests outside the Great Wall. It's better to cooperate with our Chamber of Commerce than to go through all this trouble yourself... For a big customer like you, we will give you a preferential price!"

"We'll talk about this sometime." Master Tong Qi waved his hand: "I'm not here for my own business this time. Brother Lin has some treasures he wants to sell. Brother Chen, please take a look!" "Oh, Master Qi thinks they are treasures, so they must be extraordinary." Fatty Chen took out a pair of crystal glasses and put them on, looking at Luo Jun: "I wonder where these good things are from?"

"It's nothing big." Luo Jun took out a long wooden box from his briefcase and said with a smile, "I found it by chance in a deep mountain forest. I'm not very knowledgeable, but Master Qi said it's worth some money, so I took it to try my luck."

He said it lightly, but it was equivalent to telling Fatty Chen that although he was a layman, how much this thing was worth was entirely up to Seventh Master.

Fat Chen nodded, took the box and opened it. He was immediately surprised and his squinty eyes widened!
“Is this… ginseng?”

The main body of the thing in the box was longer than an average person's forearm, white and fat, and the thin and long roots were coiled up and combed and stuffed beside it. Fatty Chen could imagine that if they were all stretched out, even an eight-immortal table would not be enough to cover them...

There is a saying in the main world: seven taels is a ginseng, eight taels is a treasure. According to the measurement unit in the past, ginseng that grows to half a jin, equivalent to about 300 grams now, is considered a rare treasure. This [Wulin] world is full of spiritual energy, and the efficacy of medicinal materials is much stronger than that of the main world, but pure wild ginseng that can weigh more than a jin is rare, but Luo Jun's root is probably more than three or four jin...

If Master Tong Qi hadn't foreshadowed that this was a treasure, his first reaction would have been to think that this thing was a big carrot!

But looking at the texture, shape and various characteristics, it shows that this thing is indeed a pure wild ginseng from Kanto!
This is no longer a problem for the baby, it is simply a miracle...

"This... this... this..." Fatty Chen said "this" more than a dozen times in a row, and finally swallowed his saliva: "No, I have to show this to the old experts of the Chamber of Commerce... Will you two go with me?"

"No need." Master Tong Qi waved his hand: "I trust your character, Old Chen, and the reputation of the Chamber of Commerce. But you should also know that this kind of treasure must be born in a secret place deep in the mountains that ordinary people can't reach. My brother Lin brought it out alone! And Brother Lin has more than one of these things!"

Fat Chen glanced at Luo Jun and nodded hurriedly: "Of course I know how powerful he is! You two wait in the reception room... Hey, go get some good tea!" After that, he trotted into the Chamber of Commerce holding the box.

Tong Qiye's words were very clear. The treasure was a real treasure, but Luo Jun, who could get it, was definitely a real master! This was the [Wulin]. In the eyes of a real master, not to mention a small chamber of commerce, even the imperial court was not taken seriously!
If they work honestly, relying on these treasures, both the Chamber of Commerce and Fatty Chen can make a lot of money safely. But if they become greedy, they may even lose their lives!
Luo Jun and Tong Qiye drank some tea. After a while, they heard hurried footsteps outside. Then the door of the reception room opened and three people rushed in.

Fatty Chen followed at the end. The two people in front of him were a bald man in his fifties with a mole on his face, and an old man with white hair and beard, holding the wooden box that Luo Jun had just taken in his hand.

"The things belong to this Young Master Lin!" Fatty Chen introduced.

The bald man's eyes lit up and he took a step forward: "Young Master Lin, nice to meet you. I am Lu Youcai, the current president of the Baicao Chamber of Commerce. This is Xu Bo, the chief medicinal material expert of the Chamber of Commerce..."

Before he could finish his words, Uncle Xu came up with something in his hand: "Young man, where did you get this treasure?"

Looking at Xu Bo's old and eager eyes, Luo Jun recalled: "It was a valley near the Black River, full of spiritual energy and full of rare and exotic animals!"

"Is it near the snow-capped mountain at the northern source of the Heihe River?" Xu Bo immediately reported a more precise location.

Luo Jun nodded: "Almost..."

"It's there! It's there!" Xu Bo opened the wooden box again and looked at the ginseng inside. "It's been thirty years. I knew I was not mistaken. It was not an illusion. This precious ginseng really exists!"

When this was said, the others were all shocked. Master Tong Qi asked, "Uncle Xu, you said you have seen this ginseng before?"

Xu Bo nodded and said, "Back then, I led a team deep into the Black River Basin in search of natural treasures. I saw this ginseng from afar at the place he mentioned!"

"I have been digging ginseng for decades. I can tell the quality of a ginseng just by looking at its leaves. That ginseng is the only one I have ever seen in my life. It is a treasure that is enough to shock the entire medicinal material market!"

"But when we tried to get close to the ginseng, a huge snake suddenly emerged from the valley. It was more than ten feet long and as thick as several people could hug together. It swallowed one of us in one mouth..."

"It's not surprising that such a rare treasure is guarded by a rare beast. We immediately took out our weapons to fight it, but the snake's scales were harder than steel. Even a knife or an axe could not leave a mark on it. Instead, our people were devoured by it one by one. In the end, I was the only one who escaped by luck..."

"I didn't expect there was such a past?" Lu Youcai touched his bald head and said, "Uncle Xu, did you ever find a chance to go back and take a look?"

Xu Bo sighed, "I told others about this experience, but few believed me. They all thought I was crazy or that I must have seen it wrong. There couldn't be such a big ginseng or such a powerful snake... Later, I finally gathered a team to go back and explore, but as soon as we arrived at that area, we were trapped in the fog. In the end, people disappeared one by one in the fog, and I was the only one who escaped back... Alas... After that, no one was willing to believe me anymore, and I never had the chance to go back and explore the secret area outside the pass again."

At this point, Xu Bo looked at Luo Jun expectantly: "By the way, did you see the big snake? No, if you saw the big snake, it would be hard for you to come back alive, let alone dig ginseng... It's snowing in the Heihe River Basin now, so it's not like it's hibernating..."

"I saw it." Luo Jun nodded, then opened his leather bag and took out a large oil paper bag. After opening it, there was a black, dry bag-like thing inside, which was tied up at one end. It was about the size of a frying pan and weighed more than ten pounds...

"This is..." Several drug dealers thought it looked familiar, but they couldn't remember what it was.

Luo Jun held the thing in his hand, grinned, and uttered two words that shocked the others:
"Snake gall!"

…………

(End of this chapter)