The old shopkeeper's attempt to haggle was instantly blocked, choking him until he almost couldn't catch his breath.
He re-examined the young man before him with a look of surprise and uncertainty.
This price far exceeded his psychological bottom line, yet it was cleverly set at a point that made him feel there would still be a considerable profit margin if he could acquire it at that price.
The young man's composure and certainty, far beyond his age, coupled with his terrifyingly precise judgment of the gem's value, and his unique, anachronistic aura, exerted immense pressure on the old shopkeeper.
This young man was no ordinary rich dilettante; he seemed more like an unfathomable expert with an astonishing background.
Silence fell over the shop again, and everyone watched the old shopkeeper.
The old shopkeeper's expression kept changing, his heart in a fierce struggle.
There was still profit to be made, but this price... He tried to find a hint of wavering or testing on Cheng Mo's face, but saw nothing.
After a brief stalemate, the old shopkeeper seemed to make a huge decision.
He slapped his thigh abruptly, forcing a 'heart-wrenching' expression onto his face: "Alright! Seeing as you are a straightforward person, I'll take it as making a friend. This losing business, my shop will do it!"
He turned and motioned for an assistant to retrieve a heavy cloth money bag from the safe in the back, then counted out some gold coins and pushed them all towards Cheng Mo.
"Would you like to count them?"
Cheng Mo didn't even look; he lightly pressed his finger on the money bag, weighed it, and then put it away.
He gave a slight nod and turned to leave.
"Uh... Sir, take care!" The old shopkeeper hadn't expected such decisiveness and quickly stood up.
Cheng Mo, however, had already left the pawn shop door, bringing the still somewhat bewildered Tanjirou with him.
"Teacher, he just clearly..."
Tanjirou hurried to catch up, still unable to resist muttering softly, feeling indignant for his teacher.
"It's fine," Cheng Mo said, his steps not faltering, his voice calm. "Achieving the goal is enough; irrelevant words and emotions are just a waste of effort."
Tanjirou paused, then nodded thoughtfully, and quickly sped up to follow his teacher's retreating figure.
The town's pharmacy was much easier to find than the pawn shop.
The largest one, "Inoue Kampo Pharmacy," was soon reached, with a spacious storefront and a rich aroma of medicine.
As they stepped inside, the rich, complex, slightly bitter scent of medicine enveloped them both.
Medicine cabinets stacked almost to the ceiling were filled with countless small drawers, and assistants busily measured and dispensed herbs from ladders.
Cheng Mo walked directly to the main counter, where an old pharmacist with white hair and reading glasses was checking a prescription.
"Three wild Ibuki ginseng roots, fifty years or older, complete with tails, and dense rhizomes."
"All the Snow Reishi mushrooms from Nagano Prefecture that you have in stock, I want them all. They must be freshly picked this year, with thick, unopened caps."
"Also, the best quality aged tortoise plastron, wax-slice deer antler, whole angelica root, selected premium astragalus..."
Cheng Mo's speech was steady, rattling off the herb names as if they were old friends.
His demands for the origin, age, appearance, and specific parts of the medicinal materials were extremely stringent.
The old pharmacist looked up in surprise, pushed his reading glasses, and carefully scrutinized this overly young but rather demanding stranger.
But as he listened to Cheng Mo's incredibly precise and highly professional descriptions, the surprise in his eyes gradually turned to solemnity, and finally to genuine admiration.
"Sir is truly... an expert!"
The old pharmacist couldn't help but exclaim, while instructing an assistant to fetch the best goods from the inventory, he couldn't resist asking curiously: "Forgive my presumption, but these medicinal materials you require are all precious items for greatly supplementing vital energy and strengthening the foundation, and in no small quantity. Are you treating some difficult and serious illness?"
Cheng Mo picked up the Snow Reishi mushroom the assistant brought, lightly flicked its cap with his finger, then brought it closer to sniff its unique clear aroma, examining it with extreme care.
Upon hearing the question, he didn't lift his head, only replying with two words.
"Treating illness."
The old pharmacist, sensing discretion, asked no more questions, but his estimation of this mysterious young man rose a few more notches in his heart.
He instructed the assistant to definitely bring out their best, most prized goods, not daring to show the slightest neglect.
After purchasing the medicinal materials, Cheng Mo did not leave the small town but took Tanjirou down a back street.
They found a craftsman's shop that looked skilled.
The shop was piled high with various timbers, semi-finished products, and tools.
An old master craftsman was engrossed in planing a piece of wood.
"Boss, I want to commission something," Cheng Mo said.
The old master looked up and wiped sweat with a towel hanging around his neck: "What would the customer like to have made?"
"A wooden box, sturdy and lightweight. The internal dimensions should be roughly this long, this wide, and this high," Cheng Mo gestured with his hands.
"Crucially, it needs to be lined with a layer of white porcelain, and the seal must be excellent. The lid should be thick, and there must be a space left for an interlayer to place ice cubes."
The old master was stunned; it was his first time hearing such strange requirements.
"Lined with white porcelain? And an ice interlayer? Customer, what is this box for? Such a design will make the labor and material costs quite expensive."
"Preservation," Cheng Mo said concisely. "Money is not an issue. The craftsmanship must be meticulous, and the seal is key. How quickly can it be done?"
Hearing "money is not an issue," the old master's spirits lifted. Although he still found the request odd, he immediately patted his chest and guaranteed: "Your request is a delicate job, especially the porcelain lining and the sealing... The fastest it can be done is tonight."
"Understood," Cheng Mo readily paid the deposit.
Next, in the same shop, he commissioned a small but sturdily built copper portable charcoal stove and a thick-walled, durable clay pot for medicine.
While waiting for the box to be made, Cheng Mo took Tanjirou on a new round of shopping.
He went directly to the best butcher shop in town and bought all the freshest, beautifully marbled Matsusaka beef tenderloin available that day.
Then he went to the grocery store to order a large quantity of eggs and fresh milk.
Finally, he found the rice shop and specifically asked for the best Koshihikari rice in the store.
By the time he returned with bags of ingredients, the custom-made wooden box was also ready.
The craftsman's skill was excellent; the wooden box was sturdy, the white porcelain lining was smooth and even, and the copper clasps were very secure.
Cheng Mo personally sorted the newly purchased beef, eggs, milk, and premium rice, carefully placing them into this special, internally chilled 'refrigerator' box, then handed it to Tanjirou.
"Carry it well."
The box was quite heavy. Tanjirou took it, steadily placing it on his back, feeling its substantial weight.
Cheng Mo looked at his disciple, who was carrying the box, and cast his gaze towards the distant, cloud-shrouded, majestic foothills of Mount Fuji.
"Prepare yourselves. Before we contact the Flame Pillar, we will enter the mountains and train for a few days."
"Yes, Teacher!" Tanjirou nodded vigorously.
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