Simply Trading

In any case, they didn't clear the Gate and return to the Heaven Sword School until late that evening. Which gave Elder Ming the excuse of dismissing Qin Feng early, while he went over the gains that the Hunters made. That was enough to further the tale that he was under the Elder's protection. And that it had something to do with Elder Xuan as well.

Of course, Qin Feng wasn't stupid enough to throw sand into Elder Ming's rice-pot. And he returned to his own medicine field in apparently happy spirits. After checking to make sure that he could sell off what he had found at the Medicine Hall without any issue the next morning.

And he made sure that he arrived there bright and early too, the next day.

Naturally, he feigned surprise when he found that he had been expected. And that there was someone waiting for him, at the entrance to the same:

"This one is Jin Shui, and I am rather new as an Assessor hereabouts. You are the one called Qin Feng, aren't you? I have heard of you, from my ... friend, from the Rear Gardens."

Qin Feng blinked as he looked at the short, plump youth standing in front of him. He looked more like a bun than anyone that he had met in the School. This Jin Shui fellow's waist was almost twice that of his own! Had he ever had a day where he didn't have a chance to stuff himself silly?

At this moment, the boy was winking as he mentioned the Rear Gardens, which was a bit of a blatant giveaway. This must be one of those who had ... tasted the honey of those girls that he had dealings with. Given the first impression that Qin Feng had of the fellow, that was rather easy to believe. He didn't look like the sort that would curb either of his appetites.

Which meant that he probably had one of Lingxi's sisters to thank for this reception. Otherwise, why would someone like a junior Assessor bother with someone as inconsequential as a medicine field handler?

"Well, big sister Lingxi mentioned that you might be a little ... lost, when you get here. So I am merely helping her out by showing you what you need to know. Call it the basic knowledge of the Exchange."

"Ah. You have my thanks, elder brother Jin Shui."

The plump young man merely laughed and waved his thanks aside. "No need, no need. You can rest assured that I am ... very well recompensed for helping you out," he sniggered, as he wriggled his eyebrows again.

Which, more or less, gave Qin Feng an idea of what he was talking about. So, the girls were making sure that they took care of their medicine supplier. It seems that someone has been giving them advice with regards to those herbs that they needed. And how much time they would need to grow, even if the Medicine Hall were putting them on the market.

Better to stick to their old, reliable source, rather than to try to test the market immediately. Not at all a bad strategy. That was something that he could sense, from the way that they did things.

As for his end, he had to admit that it would be a lot more convenient, if he had someone to guide him through the Exchange. He was not supposed to be eligible to come to this particular section of the Administration Hall, for all that he was officially an Outer School disciple himself. Only Hunters and those who handled the more lucrative herbs had the opportunity to step into the same with any frequency at all.

Which was why he pretended not to know anything at all, and to throw himself into this fat fellow's hands. It would be a good to know just how far he could trust this Jin Shui.

It was a bit of a surprise therefore, to find out that the fat youth was more conscientious of his duties, and perhaps his promises to his lover, than Qin Feng had imagined him to be. He had looked at each of the herbs that the latter had produced, and quickly came up with a rather generous price for all of them.

That is, until he got to one particular root:

"Ah! This is a Red Smoke Root, isn't it? That's rather rare. You are lucky to find something like this. I estimate it to be worth about thirty to forty silver coins, if you sell it here."

Qin Feng did his best to hide a smile. The price was more than reasonable, and matched what he had told Elder Ming the day before. Which had been a little inflated, to tell the truth. From the specifications in the Hundred Herbs Manual, it was only worth about twenty-seven to twenty-nine silver pieces.

But since Jin Shui had stated such a price, it was rather clear that he was a plant. As to whether he was working directly for Elder Ming, or was hired through the female disciples from the Rear Gardens, it didn't really matter.

Suffice to say, Qin Feng had a very good excuse to sell the root, although not at the price quoted. "Well, it so happens that I am in need of some seeds and cuttings, rather than coin, Senior Brother Jin. Could I get my payment, for all of these herbs, in seeds instead? You might have heard about what happened at my field, and I am rather desperate to get the place going, once Spring arrives.

"I might be able to finish off a Winter Planting, if I am lucky with my seeds now."

Jin Shui gave him a look at that. As though he was surprised to hear him consider his options with regards to his field. Had he been told that Qin Feng was likely to be leaving the herb-growers? If so, it would be enough of a clue as to who he was really working for!

"Well, in that case, I think I should be able to talk to the Medicine Hall on your behalf. Why don't you tell me what you need, so that I can ask the ones handling the sale of the seeds? That is, if you are agreeable to the prices that I have just quoted for all of your herbs today?"

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