The General Goods Vendor

"It's at the blacksmith shop in our village," Gu Bing replied.

A blacksmith shop? That made me even more curious. It seemed that once we left the mountains, I had to take a good look around this small Snake Valley Village.

As we talked, we ate some food, and soon, drowsiness crept in. Gu Bing sprinkled some powder around our tent, saying it would keep snakes away. Before long, we both fell asleep.

Early the next morning, we hastily ate some food and continued catching snakes. Since Gu Bing and I got along well, we teamed up to work together. Time passed quickly, and by midday on the fifth day, we had each caught four to five hundred snakes, making our Qiankun Bags exceptionally heavy. I suggested returning to the village to rest for a while.

We chatted as we walked, and without encountering any venomous snakes or wild beasts, we successfully crossed Ninefold Ridge and returned to Snake Valley Village.

Over the past five days, my swordsmanship had improved significantly. At first, I could only kill a snake with a single strike when it attacked. Later, I could directly sever its head. Now, I could even use Triple Slash to cut a leaping snake into four pieces. My precision and strength had clearly advanced.

Gu Bing showed great enthusiasm for swordsmanship, even to the point of obsession. During the day, we caught snakes, and at night, he practiced the basic sword techniques I taught him by the campfire. As long as one had enough dedication, learning became much more effective. In just five days, he had reached the third level of the basic sword techniques, and occasionally, he could even unleash Five Consecutive Slashes.

By the time we reached Snake Valley Village, it was nearly dark. Gu Bing invited me to his house, but I didn't want to trouble him, so I decided to stay at Granny Cui's Inn.

After dinner, I wandered around the village.

Aside from the blacksmith shop, I was more interested in learning about Granny Xiong, the person who could make Qiankun Bags. After asking Granny Cui, I found her house, but unfortunately, it was completely shut, with no lights visible. It seemed as if no one had lived there for a long time.

I wandered aimlessly through the village, thinking about swordsmanship as I walked. Although I had become more proficient over the past few days and my strength and agility had improved, I still had no real understanding of Offensive and Killing Fencing.

As I walked, I suddenly remembered the Pioneer's Blade that Grandfather Pan had given me before I left. I took it out.

The blade was noticeably heavier than my short sword, weighing heavily in my grip. I tried performing Five Consecutive Slashes on a nearby small tree, but my movements were incredibly sluggish. It was clear that my strength still needed improvement. However, upon examining the tree's marks, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the first slash was exceptionally powerful—far beyond anything I had achieved with my short sword.

I finally understood something—heavier weapons could inflict deeper wounds, but they also required greater strength to wield effectively.

"That tree did nothing to offend you, so why are you cutting it?"

Suddenly, a deep voice of a middle-aged man came from behind me.

I then realized that, unknowingly, I had wandered to the very end of the village, near the base of the mountain.

"Oh, sir, I was just practicing my swordsmanship, and I didn't mean to harm the tree," I replied as I turned around.

Standing in the dim moonlight was a tall, strong middle-aged man wearing a bamboo hat. His face was obscured by the shadows.

"I can see that your swordsmanship is quite mediocre. No wonder you're only capable of chopping down trees and bushes," he said, his tone carrying a hint of mockery.

Although my sword skills weren't exceptional, his words still stung a little. However, I decided it wasn't worth arguing, so I held back and replied, "You're right, my skills are still lacking. I just started learning. Do you practice swordsmanship as well, sir?"

"Hmph!" He let out a cold snort but didn't answer my question. He simply turned and walked away.

What a strange man.

Despite my contemplation, I still had no breakthrough regarding Offensive and Killing Fencing. Looking around, I noticed a peculiar spot near a cliff.

As I approached, I realized it was a natural cave, though it had been sealed off with wooden planks. From a distance, it looked like a messy pile of debris.

Feeling bored, I decided to return to the inn to rest.

Early the next morning, I bid farewell to Gu Bing and planned to return to Baiqi City. My goal was to sell the snake meat to Shopkeeper Lin in exchange for some gold coins, then check on Xiao Han to see how she was recovering.

Gu Bing's family herbal shop couldn't use up so much snake meat, and no one else in the village needed it. So he decided to come with me to Baiqi City to sell the meat and purchase some medicinal ingredients.

Upon arriving in Baiqi City, we first went to Shopkeeper Lin. When he saw the amount of snake meat we had brought, he was overjoyed. He bought everything at a price of fifty gold coins per snake.

With this sale, I earned nearly three thousand gold coins, while Gu Bing made over two thousand. Before we left, Shopkeeper Lin told us that if anyone else in Snake Valley Village caught snakes, they could sell them to him as well.

With a significant amount of gold in hand, I considered whether I should send some back to my family and keep the rest for daily expenses.

At that moment, Gu Bing suddenly asked, "Where did you buy that light armor? Was it expensive? I want to get one too, haha."

He grinned, showing that he had been thinking about this ever since he got his gold coins.

Since I also wanted to check on Xiao Han, I took him with me to Yu Yi's "First-Class Apparel" shop.

Upon entering, I went straight to the second floor to find Yu Yi.

"Oh? Not bad at all," Yu Yi teased when she noticed I was wearing the clothes she had given me.

I scratched my head awkwardly and said, "Yu Yi, this is my friend Gu Bing. We met while catching snakes. He also wants a set of light armor like mine. Do you have any left? How much is it?"

"I do. Five hundred gold coins per set. But since he's your friend, I'll give it to him for four hundred," Yu Yi said cheerfully.

I turned to look at Gu Bing, who was already excitedly pulling out his gold coins. It seemed the price was within his budget.

"Huh?"

Yu Yi's eyes widened when she saw Gu Bing taking gold coins from his Qiankun Bag.

Then, with a sudden sense of urgency, she asked, "Where did you get that Qiankun Bag?"

Her voice carried an unusual excitement, different from her usual composed demeanor.

"Huh?" Gu Bing was startled by her reaction.

I quickly explained.

"Granny Xiong? Is she still in the village?" Yu Yi continued to press for answers.

"She might not be," I replied. Seeing Gu Bing's confusion, I explained, "I went to her house last night, and it was completely shut. The yard was overgrown with weeds. It looked like no one had lived there for a long time."

"Gone?" Yu Yi muttered to herself, seeming somewhat disappointed.

"What's going on, Yu Yi? This Qiankun Bag looks the same as the one Grandfather Pan gave me. Who exactly is Granny Xiong?" I asked, full of curiosity.

Instead of answering, Yu Yi simply said, "This has nothing to do with you. You don't need to know."

Then, she turned to Gu Bing and said, "Can you keep an eye on her house for me? If she comes back, send someone to Baiqi City to inform me."

Gu Bing nodded blankly.

When I asked about Xiao Han, Yu Yi told me that her injuries had fully healed and that she was out delivering goods.

After lunch, Gu Bing and I went to Wang Family Pharmacy. There was only a herbalist I didn't recognize at the counter—Da Xiong was nowhere to be seen. I asked about him, and the herbalist told me he was in the backyard talking to his uncle. So, I headed to the backyard to find him.

Before I even stepped in, I heard an angry voice scolding someone inside:

"I haven't even started with you yet! Did you secretly take some Golden Wound Medicine and Antidote Powder for someone last time? Do you think those things are free?"

"Uncle, I'm sorry. That was for a childhood friend from my village at the border," Da Xiong explained softly.

"Oh? So you're making a lot of money now? If you were earning your own money, you could spend it however you want, and I wouldn't care."

I stood hesitantly outside the yard, unable to muster the courage to step in. Only when the conversation inside died down and I heard them walking towards the front hall did I quickly retreat back there.

"Ah Zheng!" Da Xiong was still delighted to see me, but his uncle's face remained dark and stern as he shot me a glare.

"Da Xiong, I brought a friend today. His name is Gu Bing. He wants to buy some medicinal herbs," I said. When his uncle heard the words "buy medicinal herbs," his expression eased significantly.

While the herbalist helped Gu Bing pick out the herbs, I pulled Da Xiong aside for a quick chat. Back in our village, his social skills were already top-notch, and I hadn't expected him to thrive just as well in Baiqi City. Despite having arrived only recently, he had already figured out all the ins and outs of the city.

"I've been stuck on some swordsmanship issues for a while now. Do you know anyone in Baiqi City who's skilled with the sword? I'd like to seek their guidance," I asked.

"Go to Feitian Fight School!" Da Xiong said without hesitation. He then told me that Feitian Fight School was the largest martial school in Baiqi City, and its master, Nan Feitian, was a formidable warrior. Rumor had it that he had already mastered the legendary technique of Sword Energy Released.

Once Gu Bing had finished purchasing his herbs, I took the opportunity to ask Da Xiong for a few favors before leaving. He agreed to all of them—except for the third one, which he hesitated on.

I planned to send 1,000 gold coins back home to my parents.I wanted to write letters to Lu Xi and Zhang Yi to let them know I was safe and to invite them to visit me in Baiqi City when they had time.I estimated the cost of the Golden Wound Medicine and Antidote Powder he had given me last time based on the prices Gu Bing had just paid for his herbs. I handed him 200 gold coins to cover it.

"You have to take this," I insisted. "I'll be needing your help for many things in the future. If Zhang Yi or Lu Xi write back, please keep their letters for me. I'll be returning to Baiqi City every now and then, so I'll come find you when I'm back."

Seeing my sincerity, he stopped refusing and accepted the gold coins. He also reassured me that he would take care of everything.

"You just got back, and you're leaving again?"

"Yes. I'll be heading to Feitian Fight School in a bit, then leaving Baiqi City right after. I'll probably return in about ten days."

Feitian Fight School was located in the southeast part of Baiqi City. The courtyard was massive, and the large, eye-catching sign made it easy to find. As I approached the entrance, two burly men with broad shoulders and sturdy builds stepped forward to block my way.

"What do you want?" one of them asked.

"I wish to meet the school master. Please help me pass along the message," I said with a respectful bow.

"And who are you?"

"My name is Fang Zheng, from the Border Village."

"Fang Zheng?" The man furrowed his brows and thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Never heard of you. What business do you have with the master?"

"I have some questions about swordsmanship that I'd like to ask."

"What? Hahaha!" Both men burst into laughter. "A country bumpkin like you wants to ask about swordsmanship? And besides, our master is busy—he doesn't have time for you. Now scram."

"Please, just pass the message along," I requested again, ignoring their mockery.

"You deaf or something?" One of the men reached out aggressively. "I said, get lost!"

Gu Bing was about to step up and argue with them, but I held him back, shaking my head. "Forget it. Let's go."

In this unfamiliar city, getting anything done was proving to be far more difficult than I had expected. I thought people like Aunt Yu and Shopkeeper Lin were the norm, but now I was realizing that the likes of Uncle Wang from the pharmacy, Captain Wang of the City Patrol, and Feitian Fight School were what Baiqi City was really like.

After being turned away, we headed eastward, planning to return to Snake Valley to continue catching snakes.

"Selling Weapon Repair Oil, torches, and candles!" a street vendor called out from his stall. "Young man, don't worry about not getting into the fight school. You can still practice your swordsmanship on your own! But weapons wear down over time, and that's where my Weapon Repair Oil comes in handy!"

As he spoke, the vendor took out a jar of yellow ointment and held it up to me. He explained, "This miraculous ointment is extracted from various rare plants and animals, infused with magical properties. If your weapon suffers damage in the wild, just apply this, and it'll be as good as new."

It was the first time I had seen such an item, so I asked, "How much does this amazing stuff cost?"

"200 gold coins per jar—fair price for everyone."

I didn't think the price was too bad, but I was still skeptical. Could it really be that effective? I hesitated and asked, "Is there a downside to using it?"

"Uh…" The vendor was momentarily at a loss for words before quickly replying, "Well, there are some downsides! First, this oil only works on weapons—it won't repair armor or other Magic Equipment. Second, weapons that have been repaired with it will become slightly more fragile. Just a little bit!" He hurriedly added, afraid I wouldn't buy it.

"Just a little?" I pressed.

"Just a tiny bit, I swear!" The vendor sighed. "If only I could get my hands on White Serpent's Snake Oil, then this Weapon Repair Oil would be perfect!"