Medicine Master Disciple’s Cultivation Notes

Chapter 70: The Unremarkable Boss Tang

What kind of onion is your boss supposed to be?

Liu Da was just about to show his displeasure when he suddenly caught a glimpse of the large black cannon barrel on the backs of the two men. His legs went soft on the spot.

He had done merchant runs outside and seen more of the world.

That was a standard military weapon used by the Rakshasa ghost clan. Its formal name was the Black Stone Repeating Crossbow, also called the Black Tiger Cannon. It could fire twelve explosive rockets in succession, with extremely formidable power.

"I wonder who your boss might be..."

"Go and you'll find out."

Liu Da had absolutely no desire to go. What level of person was he to be acquainted with this kind of boss?

But now with people blocking his doorway, it was clear they hadn't left him any room to refuse.

Just as he was in a difficult position, Li Qiuchen pushed open the door and walked out asking, "Big Brother, who is it?"

"Don't know. Just saying they're inviting me for a drink...""At least put your clothes on first. You'll freeze stiff in a moment!"

Liu Da shivered, only then remembering that underneath he was going commando.

He quickly cupped his hands to the two at the door, "Please trouble the two of you to wait a moment. Let me go change my clothes."

At this time, Liu Er was also at home but didn't dare show his face, only hiding in his room peeking through a crack in the window.

The two at the door were somewhat impatient. Seeing Li Qiuchen staring curiously at the things on their backs, one of them spoke, "You're Liu Dayong's brother? How about you come along with us?"

"Me?"

Li Qiuchen also wanted to curse inwardly. I just came out to watch the excitement. Why would I go anywhere with you?

Are you looking for someone to drink with or trying to abduct a child?

"I'm not going. Who knows what you people are about?"

The two at the door exchanged glances. One of them removed his dogskin hat to reveal a head full of white hair, and made a face at Li Qiuchen.

A Rakshasa ghost!

Li Qiuchen's pupils slightly contracted.

He had previously heard rumors about an unusual merchant caravan arriving in town but hadn't paid it much mind.

Caravans came and went, and had nothing to do with him.

I cultivate my immortality, you make your money. We don't interfere with each other, and there's no need for dealings between us but he hadn't expected these Rakshasa ghosts to come knocking at the door.

That said, the appearance was pretty frightening. It was said that among the Rakshasa ghost clan, the men were ugly and the women beautiful as celestial beings... now seeing the real appearance in person, it couldn't be called ugly, but it absolutely couldn't be called good-looking either.

How to describe it? The complexion was deathly pale, just like a vampire, with long narrow eyebrows and eyes, prominent cheekbones, a high-bridged nose, fangs in the mouth, and two pointed horns growing on top of the head. At a glance, you could clearly tell the difference from a normal person.

Seeing Li Qiuchen hadn't been scared like an ordinary family's child, the Rakshasa ghost looked somewhat disappointed, put the hat back on, and resumed the cold expressionless face of a corpse.

Liu Da went back in the room, put on his clothes, and came out at a trot, cupping his hands with an apologetic smile, "Please trouble the two of you to lead the way."

"Wait."

Li Qiuchen suddenly spoke, "Big Brother, I'll go with you."

Liu Da quickly waved his hand, "What are you going for? Go stay indoors!"

Li Qiuchen smiled, "I want to go see the world."

Liu Da hesitated a moment, looked at the two people beside them, and seeing they had no objection, nodded, "You can come along too. But once we get there, don't talk carelessly!"

"Alright!"

According to his personality of single-mindedly seeking stability, Li Qiuchen hadn't originally planned to join in this excitement but he had just discovered that Rakshasa ghosts didn't seem quite as terrifying as the legends said. They even had a bit of a shy and unexpressive quality.

Someone who deliberately made faces to scare children, could they be any serious kind of person?

Everyone knew that these past two days a merchant caravan with strong armed escorts had arrived in town, but people weren't very clear on the caravan's background.

On one hand, seeing their complex composition, no one dared approach.

On the other hand, these past two days with heavy snow sealing the doors, nobody could leave their houses, so news naturally couldn't spread.

If they were truly the kind of people with strong backing and an overbearing attitude, Li Qiuchen wouldn't have come but after being given a little scare by that Rakshasa ghost, his curiosity was instead stirred up. He wanted to come see what these people were really about.

This habit wasn't good. It was easy to step on landmines. He needed to change it.

Li Qiuchen frequently reminded and warned himself: seek stability in all things, don't be reckless but this kind of thing was like studying. Who didn't know they should study hard? Yet when you actually got to class, could you not fall asleep just by deciding not to?

Young people were in the prime of their growth. The pituitary gland secreted an excess of hormones. Sometimes you just couldn't control your own behavior.

The merchant caravan's boss was wealthy and domineering, having booked the town's largest inn. Various goods were piled full throughout the hall.

The boss himself, however, was an unremarkable middle-aged man.

Actually, calling him unremarkable was a bit harsh. It could only be said that he wasn't as exaggerated as Li Qiuchen had imagined.

Neither demon nor Rakshasa ghost. A broad, square, square-jawed face with a small beard. Looking at his features, he was of pure Chu bloodline.

His temperament also seemed decent. He wasn't the type that was high and mighty and coldly indifferent.

That kind of person actually couldn't do business.

"My surname is Tang, given name Anshi."

Inviting the Liu brothers to sit before him, the boss first made a self-introduction.

"Actually, I'm also from Yun County. But I headed north when I was young, and have been doing business around Mirror Sea all these years. I haven't been back in a long time, so it's perfectly normal that you haven't heard of my name."

Liu Da quickly smiled apologetically, "Boss Tang does big business. I'm just someone who runs solo and hauls pelts. What opportunity would I have to meet an important person like yourself?"

"We're all brothers running this road, eating into the wind and snow. What high or low is there between us?"

Boss Tang smiled, "I originally wanted to go to the county, but having been gone so long, my memory is a bit hazy. On top of that, the wind and snow outside were too heavy. I took a wrong turn without being careful. I wanted to find someone to ask about the recent situation in my hometown, but I don't know anyone here... you, Boss Liu, also run this road. You know the taboos of our trade. For some things, you can't just listen to an outsider ramble nonsense."

"Just happened to hear the inn's shopkeeper mention there was someone of your standing in town, so I invited you over for a drink. Those two boys were out on their first long trip and have no sense. If they offended you just now, please be generous and forgive them, for my sake."

Liu Da kept saying he wouldn't dare.

What a joke. A big boss was being polite with you. Could you actually take it seriously?

"I don't know what information you want to ask about. I also just returned, so there are some things I'm not too clear on."

When it came to the taboos of doing business, that was a very complex matter.

What could be sold and what couldn't be sold, everyone knew. Those were the open rules.

What things could in principle be sold, and what things in principle couldn't be sold, those were the rules below the table.

Buying low and selling high was the most basic principle of doing business, but you couldn't only understand the principle.

When it was the right time to make money, when it was the right time to take a loss, what kind of friends you should make, what kind of friends you couldn't befriend too deeply...

This kind of thing, the information you got from an outsider who didn't know the trade had absolutely no value.

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