Medicines 3

"These portions that you have asked for are barely sufficient for one single attempt at the pill concoction. One attempt each, to be exact. Hence I am wondering if you need more of the same. Most of the alchemists who do come to our store usually bring away enough for two or three attempts."

Shop Manager Ma looked at him carefully as he said that. And his face gave the fat youth the impression that he was only warning him out of concern. Which was enough to tell Huangfu Yun that he didn't mean to disparage his abilities. Or to make fun of him. That was certainly something that he had not expected.

So he wasn't trying to make things difficult for Huang Fuyun? Instead, he was afraid that the portions that the latter had asked for would not be sufficient? And that he was trying to push more of the medicinal herbs into Huang Fuyun's hands?

Of course, with Huangfu Yun's suspicious nature, he did not miss the possibility that the old fellow was trying to push the responsibility onto Huangfu Yun's shoulders, should it be discovered that the shop was missing some rare herbs. Which meant that if he had agreed to increasing the amounts now, he might have some answering to do later, if there were mistakes found in the accounts?

But none of the items that he had requested for were rare, were they? In fact, they were some rather commonplace herbs that could be found in any old medicine shop anywhere! So there would hardly be any point in trying to get him to commit himself, would there?

Then he took a deep breath and smiled. It was possible that the shop manager was simply trying to be helpful, so that he could curry favour with the person who was likely to take over the Huang Family Medicine Hall in the future. Rather than hide any tricks that he might have played in the Hall's accounting.

Huangfu Yun knew that he had a tendency to think the worst of people, and that he should try to curb such thoughts now. After all, he was no longer the Chief Eunuch of the King's Palace, in the Nine Mountains Kingdom. Not to mention the fact that he was now a very young, and very inexperienced heir to a simple Medicine Hall, far away in a bottom-feeding City, in a Lower Realm Kingdom far in the West.

There was no point for him to go looking for trouble. He would have plenty of opportunity to deal with those who would dare to make things bothersome for him, in the future.

But Shop Manager Ma was still waiting for a reply, so Huangfu Yun gave him one. Together with a broad smile. "That will not be necessary. I am just trying out a new recipe that I saw. Who knows if I can make it work? Perhaps I will get more of these herbs later, when I really wish to work on it. In the Winter perhaps? That is when it gets a little boring hereabouts, hey?"

He chuckled and Shop Manager Ma laughed along with him politely. Before he left to make up Huangfu Yun's order. Just as well that he had been careful with the ingredients, and did not add any that was so rare or hard to find ones that would raise any eyebrows. So there should not be any problems, he was certain.

So he settled down in his chair, and sipped at the cup of tea that he had been given, taking a rest from the walk that had almost exhausted him earlier. It looked like he would have to exercise a good bit more, to make up for the laziness that had sunk into Huang Fuyun's bones!

And he had also included the ingredients of another alchemical recipe. One that he was certain could not be found in the texts that were available in this Lu Kingdom. After all, it was something that was related to the Secret Royal Martial Arts that were only practiced in the Nine Mountains Kingdom, back in his last lifetime. And he had already destroyed every scrap of information regarding the same during his time as the most powerful sovereign behind the same.

"Cloud Locks the Nine Mountains*."

He whispered those words softly, and was surprised by the pride, and the sadness, that suddenly assailed him. As though those words were a mantra that had somehow encapsulated his whole life. In a way, they were. He had fought with his everything, to win his place in the Nine Mountains Kingdom. And so fulfilled his dream. Most of it, at least. All except the final part.

Just as he had lost everything, in the end. Because of that same dream. But how many would remember him still? He had hidden his name back then, because it was taboo. He could not let anyone know that there was still a descendant of the Huangfu Family left alive, back then. Hence, when the time came for him to leave a name, to leave a legacy, he had chosen his given name instead.

Yun, meaning cloud. Something that one could only see, but not touch. He had seen its meaning as something that no one can get a grasp on. Something that would forever be free. Someone who would forever be free.

As for Huang Fuyun? His name was similar, only with a added character in front of his cloud. One that meant prosperous, lucky. Prosperous Cloud. Well, he would try to live up to that, if he could. It was something that changed his life, after all. He owed it to the one who originally held that name.

But what of the Nine Mountains? What of that Kingdom, that he had left behind? What had happened there? There was no memory of that place, in Huang Fuyun's remnant mind. As if the place had never existed. Perhaps it had been lost, after he perished. Given the nature of his enemy, it was not impossible. He might have been so piqued that he could have erased all record of that Kingdom altogether.

"Young Master?"

He looked up at once, to see Shop Manager Ma staring at him. "Is something the matter, Young Master? Does the tea not please you?"

Huangfu Yun looked down at the teacup that he was still holding in his hand, with more than half of the liquid in the cup still present. And forced himself to give out a laugh. "No, no. I was just ... thinking about something else."

Then he remembered the young woman who was waiting for him, and let a rather lascivious smile onto his lips. It would make a perfect excuse, wouldn't it?

"It is a bit of a secret now, but I think Shop Manager Ma will hear about in another four or five days, when you come to report the shop accounts to my mother," he whispered in a most secretive fashion, "By then, you will understand why I am so distracted today."

He laughed again, as he set aside his cup and received the medicinal herbs that had been packed up by the Shop Manager, who was chuckling politely along with him. Clearly, this fellow surnamed Ma had no idea what he was talking about. But his curiosity should be piqued. And Huangfu Yun did not doubt that Yu Baixi would be encouraging him to spread the word, once he learns of it.

After the Winter season sets in, that is. For now, General Sima had yet to make his rounds of the cold season training camps in the woods around Tangling City, so it would not be the best time to bring up the matter. Let it be a surprise, after he has gone off to his training camps. As well as to the rest of the population in the City. It would make for better gossip by then, Huangfu Yun was certain.

One of the staff of the Medicine Hall stepped forward, his face lit up with a bright smile, as Huangfu Yun stepped out of the same. Which interrupted his imagination of what would take place in Spring. But he held his annoyance in check. And simply smiled as he heard the man volunteer to get him a coach, to send him back to his residence.

"Surely Young Master Huang is not intending to walk back? Come, let little Fang get you a coach!" he urged in an almost obsequious manner.

His eyes, however, betrayed his true intentions. This was one of those fellows that Huangfu Yun had been looking out for, and he was glad that he had found one of them. Otherwise, his view of the World would have been drastically affected. How could there not be any greedy, self-serving people around him, even in a place like Tangling City?

But this was not the time to deal with the same, he told himself.

"No, no need. I have a whim to take a look at the neighbouring stores along the way back, so taking a coach would not be convenient for me," he laughed as he stepped away.

Huangfu Yun waved the young fellow aside wearing a broad smile. And was quick to search Huang Fuyun's memories for his ties with the man, seeing how eager the latter had been, and how he had rushed to the fat young man's side, as soon as he stepped out of the shop. It did not take him a moment, to realise that the person who had rushed to assist him was a distant cousin from his father's extended family. Someone who bore the surname of Qing, rather than Huang.

Well, the Qing Family had depended on the reputation of the Master Alchemist Huang Tiancheng to keep its place among the mercantile factions that dominated Tangling City. So it was reasonable for one of its sons to pay such close attention to Huang Fuyun.

But Huangfu Yun had a more discerning eye than the useless fat fellow, so he could see how this cousin despised the round lump of lard, for all that he tried to hide it from everyone else. There was likely to be a story behind the Qing Family, he was certain.

Still, he did not have the leisure to deal with such matters at the moment. He still had to deal with Yang Xiaochun's injuries, and to improve his own state of cultivation. Not to mention, to look into how he was going to help Elder Ling with his old injury.

Whatever issues that the Qing Family had to bring up would just have to wait until he was done with those three matters.

Just as he would have to wait until he had built up his cultivation, and better his reputation in the City, before he dealt with the Sima Family. That was something a little more pressing though, since Huang Fuyun's mother seemed intent on kicking up a big fuss, once Winter arrives in Tangling City.

But exactly what Yu Baixi intended to do, Huangfu Yun had no idea whatsoever. Whatever it was, he would simply have to play along!

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*云锁九山