The scorching sun hung high in the sky, its heat blistering. Cheng Zongyang dragged a wooden rack a ways into the mountain forest.
Once he was sure no one was around, he stored everything in the Wilderness World.
Freed from the burden, Cheng Zongyang wove quickly through the mountain forest. Sweat dripped from his forehead, soaking his clothes.
The leaves of the surrounding trees shimmered dazzlingly in the sunlight, as if they had been plated in gold foil.
His footsteps made RUSTLING and CRUNCHING sounds on the withered branches and fallen leaves. The unique scent of earth and leaves filled the mountain forest, punctuated by the occasional calls of birds and the drone of cicadas.
A quarter of an hour later, he left the mountain forest and reached the main road. Cheng Zongyang held up a large banana leaf to shield himself from the scorching sun, a homemade mask covering his face.
A summer breeze stirred up dust on the road. He kept to one side, his pace hurried.
Every so often, a swift horse or a rushing carriage would pass. The dust they kicked up made Cheng Zongyang think, 'My homemade mask needs another layer.'
However, after only another quarter of an hour, Cheng Zongyang suddenly noticed that the main road was dotted with scattered groups of people.
At first, he thought they were villagers from other villages on their way to the County Town. But as he observed them, his pace gradually slowed.
Their clothes were tattered, and their steps were unsteady. Many had their entire families in tow, a clear sign they weren't just heading to the County Town for market day.
Worse still, a few people even lay collapsed on the roadside.
'Refugees!'
The thought suddenly struck Cheng Zongyang.
The people on the road were few and far between, but it was clear the problem had begun.
'I wonder what things are like in the County Town right now.' A sense of urgency gripped Cheng Zongyang. He was afraid there would be no grain left to buy.
As he passed one of the people collapsed by the roadside, Cheng Zongyang glanced over. Beneath the tattered, filthy clothes was a skeletal frame. The man's eyes were shut tight, his face sallow, and his lips cracked. He was completely motionless, his chest showing no signs of rising or falling.
The man was clearly dead.
'That's not right. He probably isn't from one of the nearby villages.'
Cheng Zongyang didn't stop, nor did he have any intention of offering them help.
The nearby villages were struggling, but things hadn't gotten this bad for them yet.
'They must have come from somewhere else. Just how bad is the drought in other regions?'
A heavy feeling settled in Cheng Zongyang's heart, and he couldn't help but quicken his pace.
Pushing onward, he reached the outskirts of the County Town in less than an hour.
By this time, a large crowd had already gathered at the County Town gate. The sight made Cheng Zongyang's heart sink even further.
'Just as I thought. The refugees who entered the city yesterday were just the vanguard. Today, their numbers are starting to swell. I'm afraid there will be even more in the coming days!'
The City Gate Soldiers, who were usually lax, were much more alert today. Wielding standard-issue military sabers, they began blocking the refugees from entering and started inspecting everyone who came and went.
After a moment's thought, Cheng Zongyang ducked into a patch of woods. When he emerged, he was carrying a basket on his back and dragging the wooden rack.
The rack was covered with a thick layer of leaves; only the limbs visible at the edges hinted that it was some kind of beast.
When he reached the West City gate, he immediately drew a great deal of attention. But Cheng Zongyang had come prepared; while dragging the rack, he also carried a Firewood Knife.
The arm's-length Firewood Knife, its dark steel glinting ominously, was a powerful deterrent.
Even though Cheng Zongyang looked young, his powerful build combined with the knife in his hand was quite intimidating!
The refugees who had been stopped outside the city gate saw this and didn't dare try to rob him.
Besides, the City Gate Soldiers were standing right there.
If any trouble broke out, the corpses of a dozen people lying in a nearby ditch—those who had tried to storm the County Town and were cut down on the spot—served as a grim reminder of the best one could hope for.
No one dared to bother Cheng Zongyang, and after a brief questioning from the City Gate Soldiers, he followed the flow of people and entered the city without issue.
Inside the city, many people on the streets wore hurried expressions, the previous sense of ease gone.
Long lines of people snaked out from the entrances of the many rice shops.
Paying no mind to anyone else, Cheng Zongyang turned and hurried toward South City.
Half an hour later, he arrived at the entrance of Chen's Clinic.
The sharp-eyed Cheng Zongwen spotted his older cousin and, after giving him a quick gesture, headed for the back courtyard.
Understanding the signal, Cheng Zongyang dragged the wooden rack around to the back door in the alley.
A moment later, the things he had brought were laid out in the back courtyard.
"Whoa, what a huge panther!" Having grown up in the County Town, this was the first time Cheng Zongwen had ever seen one. His face was a mask of pure shock.
As for his two younger cousins, Cheng Zongying and Cheng Zongyan, they hid timidly behind the door to the main hall, peeking out but not daring to get a full look—even though the Black Panther was only a corpse.
"Brother, everyone says the Inner Mountain is dangerous. Have you ever been there? What's it like?" Cheng Zongwen asked curiously.
Cheng Zongyang smiled. "I've never been inside, but it's crawling with poisonous insects, venomous snakes, and Fierce Beasts. One moment of carelessness and you're done for. You tell me, does that sound dangerous?"
"That terrifying?" Cheng Zongwen was astonished.
"Yang'Er." Just then, Cheng Guangshan walked in.
Looking at the items on the ground, even though Cheng Guangshan had been mentally prepared, he was still quite stunned.
He had certainly seen his share of tigers and leopards, but this was the first time he had ever laid eyes on a Black Panther, especially one of this size.
"Second Uncle, are you finished with your work? How are things outside?" Cheng Zongyang asked quickly.
"I sent home those who didn't have any serious or urgent illnesses. We won't be opening this afternoon. The city is a bit unsettled today, so it's good to close up and rest for a bit.
Zongwen, take your sisters and go help your mother tidy up." Cheng Guangshan finished, addressing his son.
"Huh? Oh, okay," Cheng Zongwen replied, then led his two sisters out of the back courtyard.
After the three of them had left, Cheng Guangshan began to inspect the items one by one.
A Black Panther, Bear Gall, Polygonum multiflorum, Reishi Mushroom, Huang Jing, Gastrodia, ginseng…
All of them were extremely valuable items.
"This Bear Gall is excellent; it's the 'iron gall' type. It's in high demand among Martial Artists, so the price is steep. It should sell for around two hundred taels."
"This Polygonum multiflorum is about the same age as the Gastrodia—over fifty years old, which makes it upper-middle grade. The price should be around thirty taels."
"The demand for Reishi Mushroom is quite high right now. The age is similar, but they aren't very large. These few pieces should be worth over a hundred taels."
"The ginseng… not bad, all of it is decent. The rootlets are a bit damaged, but it won't affect the value much. They're mostly between thirty and fifty years old. All told, they should fetch around four or five hundred taels."
Cheng Guangshan gave a rough estimate based on his experience with the local market.
He stood up, dusted off his hands, and said with a smile, "It's mainly because good Medicinal Materials are scarce, so all the prices have risen to varying degrees.
Based on what you said yesterday, if you leave them for me to sell, it'll take some time. I need to contact a few people and see.
As for this Black Panther… I estimate it will only fetch a few dozen taels. The value won't be too high."
Cheng Zongyang smiled. "That's fine. I'll leave it all in your hands, Second Uncle. Also, the sooner the better. Given the situation outside, I'm worried things might change unexpectedly…"
With that, Cheng Zongyang shared his speculations.
After listening, Cheng Guangshan's expression turned grave. "I haven't been outside the city; I had no idea the situation was like this.
What you're saying is highly probable. Once the refugees gather in greater numbers, the security of the County Town will be greatly reduced. Even with the County Soldiers to suppress them, if the refugee mob gets large enough to riot, I'm afraid the entire County Town will be in danger."
Cheng Zongyang nodded. "Exactly. That's why it's best to complete the transactions before the city gates close today. I need to buy grain, and it might be difficult to get into the city later."
"Alright," Cheng Guangshan said. "I'll go make contact now. You wait here at the clinic and help keep an eye on things."
"Second Uncle, the town shouldn't fall into chaos just yet. How about I bring the goods and go with you? That way, they won't all have to make a separate trip here."
Cheng Guangshan considered this for a moment and agreed to Cheng Zongyang's proposal. "Alright, then. Bring the goods and come with me. A few people had already asked me to set aside certain Medicinal Materials if I ever got them. Now that we have some, we might as well deliver them."
And so, Cheng Zongyang once again took up the wooden rack. He followed his second uncle, who hired a horse-drawn cargo cart, and after loading everything onto it, they left the clinic.
Just before they left, however, he handed a prescription to his second aunt and asked her to prepare a few doses.