Simply Trading

"Your ... manservant?"

"Oh yes. Taller than you, with a rather disreputable looking face and very proud. Likes to wear that dirty, old green robe of his whenever he comes out to the City. He is back at our new townhouse. Or old townhouse, to be more accurate."

The young man sighed and shook his head. He seemed to have come to the conclusion that the new Deputy Hall Manager might remember the details of the trades that took place, rather than the individual himself.

"I think he was boasting about ... a Thousand Year Old Ginseng root, and a Thousand Year Old Lingzhi mushroom, that he traded away the last time that he came here. Does that ring any bells for you?"

"Ah! Young Master must be joking! How could I forget such a memorable exchange. Especially when your servant had ... Ah! But that is not important now! Here! Let me return this tag to you first!"

Luo Junyuan's hands shook as he handed the tag back to the young man. And from his body language, the woman standing behind him was already shocked speechless. How could she not understand the references that had been given?

A Thousand Year Old Ginseng, and a Thousand Year Old Lingzhi?

If his manservant was the one who traded them away, in the presence of Deputy Hall Manager Luo ...

What had she done?

The new Assistant Hall Manager broke out into cold sweat immediately, as she realized just who she was dealing with here! And what her Deputy Hall Manager was really doing, when he stepped in to handle the youth himself!

And her eyes had grown just as wide as her superior's were before, when she finally realized why he had suddenly put in so much effort in dealing with this bothersome youth. Or why he was speaking so politely.

Luo Junyuan had been trying to haul her a** out of the raging fire ever since the moment that he arrived! At the risk of getting his fingers burnt!

All at once, she felt a warmth towards the newly promoted Deputy Hall Manager that she had not felt ever before. To think that she had always considered him so far beneath Hall Manager Zheng, and that he would never amount to much. And to think that she had even considered climbing over him! With her better looks and her tight adherence to the rules of the Medicine Hall, she had thought that it would just be a matter of time.

It was only then that she realized that she had so much more to learn! Oh, how had she let down this skinny fellow! To think that he had thrown himself down in front of a stampede for her!

How was she ever going to repay him?

No. That was not the question now!

To her, the more critical question would be, was she going to able to remain as Assistant Hall Manager now? After all of the harsh words she had been throwing his way?

What was Hall Manager Zheng Zhanqi going to think?

*

"Ah! Then the one who had ... traded that Thousand Year Ginseng and the Dragon Beard Grass to me in Summer was your man? And the latter was cultivated by your hand? Then I must thank you personally! I would not have been able to make it through to the next Cultivation Realm without the help of that Dragon Beard Grass!"

The trio turned to look over to the scrumptiously dressed man who was standing just a short distance away from them. Judging from the distance, there was no way that he could have avoided hearing what had just been said between them.

His two bodyguards, on the other hand, were a short distance behind him, and seemed to have managed to keep the three of them well isolated in that corner of the shop. Which seemed to indicate that he had been taking pains to ensure that no one else could eavesdrop onto their conversation.

Which was entirely Li Changhai's intent!

His grandparents did not hide the news from him, when their spies informed that they had seen the youth that was accompanying the old man emerging from their house that morning. And that he was headed towards Fu Lai Medicine Hall. Which had Li Changhai dashing out of the Manor at once.

After all, he had a better idea of what to expect, given the changes there for the last two, three moons. That new Assistant Hall Manager, Ling Jing'er, was a little inflexible, and he had decided that he had better be there, to prevent any misunderstandings from arising.

Who was know that Deputy Hall Manager Luo Junyuan had already shown himself, by the time that he arrived?

All that he could do was to station his guards in an appropriate fashion, to keep their discussion - which was more suited to be conducted on the second or third floor, in his opinion! Well, so long as no one heard the content of the same, like he did, Li Sanlang was content.

Then he was considering how he was going to help to settle the matter. And at the same time, introduce himself, and make the acquaintance of this young man. If the man in the signature green robe was really his bodyservant, then it was clear that his status was not ordinary. He might not be willing to befriend someone like a mere Second Ducal Prince, after all.

Yet, how could he not at least make the attempt? Even if he got his face smacked as badly as how his cousin, the Royal Prince, had fared, it would be nothing compared to if he succeeded, wasn't it? Besides, he had already seen how the boy was remaining so calm, so collected, despite the provocation that he had suffered, before Li Sanlang arrived there.

Didn't that show that he had a better temper than that old man in green, with his monstrous cultivation?

So when he saw the opportunity that presented himself, he decided to jump in anyway!

* * *