Chapter 22: Clues in Tianjing Fang

Several days passed in a flash, and it was once again the day to distribute Tiger Bone Paste.

After the Apprentices received the Tiger Bone Paste from the Big Senior Brother, they couldn't wait to use it.

But there were exceptions...

Fang Guiqi folded the Tiger Bone Paste in half, tucked it into his bosom, and dove straight into his room.

Other Apprentices were accustomed to this, knowing he wouldn't use it, but would instead sell it privately in exchange for silver.

In fact, the Apprentices despised his actions to the extreme; it was simply picking up a sesame seed while losing a watermelon.

How much money could Tiger Bone Paste fetch? It was better to use it on oneself to break through in strength sooner, which would earn even more.

A martial artist in Gongliang City who has developed strength earns a minimum monthly salary of 30 taels of pure silver, and can find good work easily.

Zhou You had already seen this more than once and was long since unfazed.

Zhou You pressed the Tiger Bone Paste against his chest, feeling the thread-like medicinal power seep into his body, his skin heating up slightly.

He felt a bit of regret in his heart; the effect of one patch of Tiger Bone Paste was becoming increasingly weak.

If one wanted immediate results, at least three patches of Tiger Bone Paste had to be used together to be effective.

However, the Tiger Bone Paste distributed by the Outer Courtyard had a fixed quota, and no one could be an exception.

"I still have to find a way to get Secret Medicine."

Zhou You kept thinking about this thought until he fell asleep.

At night, Fang Guiqi, who shared the same room, was not there, and the room seemed empty.

Every day after the Tiger Bone Paste was distributed, Fang Guiqi would make an excuse to go out and disappear for a period of time.

Other new Apprentices all said that he went to the black market to sell the Tiger Bone Paste privately to profit from it.

Zhou You had observed him several times and found that his movements were mysterious, hiding by day and coming out at night, terrified of being discovered by others.

One needs connections to enter the black market; otherwise, one couldn't get in even if it were just across the street.

Fang Guiqi, an outsider, had actually found the black market before Zhou You, who grew up locally; this guy must be hiding many secrets.

"Fine, he's definitely not coming back tonight."

Zhou You looked at the empty bed, yawned, and fell asleep.

The next evening, Fang Guiqi finally returned to the Outer Courtyard, hurriedly changed his shoes and socks, and went out to practice again.

Zhou You remained calm and collected, taking the opportunity to wipe the ground where he had walked, his fingertips feeling greasy.

"Sure enough, it's the small red clay from Tianjing Fang."

His fingertips were coated with a thin layer of red soil, carrying a fresh stickiness.

Looking again at the shoes Fang Guiqi had changed out of, the soles had a layer of brown-red mud; there was only one place in the city with this type of soil.

Tianjing Fang!

Every time Fang Guiqi received the Tiger Bone Paste, he went to Tianjing Fang in the city to trade.

After all, he was an outsider; how could his familiarity with the city's terrain compare to that of the native-born Zhou You?

Tianjing Fang was a desolate area in the city, named after a square water well.

The Square Well produced clear, sweet water, which was more suitable for brewing tea than mountain spring water and was highly favored by upper-class families.

Later, the well water dried up, and that area became completely desolate, becoming a den for the city's dregs to haunt.

"What's the use of acting mysterious? Didn't I still find out?"

Time and again, Fang Guiqi's soles had the small red clay unique to Tianjing Fang.

Every time after receiving the Tiger Bone Paste, he would disappear for a period, and upon returning, he would always be stained with the small red clay.

The answer was ready to emerge.

Within Tianjing Fang, there was a hidden trading channel for private Tiger Bone Paste.

It was even possible that there were other ways to trade Secret Medicine; as long as one had money, one could buy anything!

Zhou You's heart heated up; this was good news, as he was just worrying about not having enough Tiger Bone Paste.

Now that the channel was showing its first light, all that remained was... money.

The next day, Zhou You asked for leave to go home to raise funds for the plan in his heart.

The silver he had left, after paying the tuition, was only 5 or 6 taels, far from enough for the procurement of Secret Medicine.

He could only thicken his skin and ask his father for pocket money.

Because of the influence of the Martial Arts Hall Wooden Plaque, his father's wages had just increased last month, and the family was much better off.

"Oil peddler, shiny and bright, married a wife to honor mom and dad."

"Oil peddler..."

A few naughty children walked by singing a nursery rhyme, approaching from the distance of the street.

Zhou You looked up and saw an acquaintance; Song Fugui was carrying an oil pole and walking over.

"Zhou You, what a coincidence."

Song Fugui hadn't been seen for many days, and his face had many new wounds, but his spirits were quite good.

He pulled Zhou You to sit by the side of the street, spent three large coins to buy two bowls of tea, and they drank while talking.

"I heard from my parents when I got home; thank you for the low-priced oil."

Song Fugui chuckled, "It's nothing. When I'm the one in charge, I'll give it to Uncle and Aunt for free."

"You are my friend; how could you not have free, good oil?"

Hearing about Zhang Shu's matter, his expression became agitated, "That dog Zhang Shu dared to slander you; he deserves to be a cripple."

"Let's not mention him; it's bad luck."

As the two were chatting, a passerby wrapped in a white robe walked in front of them, opening his mouth with an out-of-town accent.

"Oil peddler, will you offer some fragrant oil for the release of the gods?"

The person in the white robe had empty hands, carrying only a porcelain bowl, clearly intending to get something for free.

Zhou You frowned and stood up, intending to drive the person away.

"Forget it, forget it, it's just a bowl of oil."

Song Fugui held Zhou You back, stood up, took out the Gourd, and poured him a bowl of sesame oil.

The person in the white robe took the sesame oil and bowed to Song Fugui, "Thank you for your generosity; the Release God will bless you."

Zhou You watched him leave and discovered that the person in the white robe merged into a group of people also dressed in white robes.

"Stop looking; it's the Release God Sect that spread from overseas. Originally, they were only in Su Cheng, but now they've followed the refugees to our Gongliang City."

Song Fugui explained, "These people are quite strange; although they ask for things for free, they don't force you if you don't give."

"They are also very courteous and polite when you give them sesame oil."

"I do business outside, so I dare not offend these mysterious types."

Small businesses need to pay off everyone everywhere; the government and gangs all need to be paid taxes, and even the incense money in the temples cannot be shorted.

After Song Fugui left the Outer Courtyard, it was very difficult at first, with petty thieves and pickpockets everywhere looking to take advantage.

There were those who bought oil without paying, those who bought on credit and never returned it, and even those who secretly used steel needles to poke holes in the Gourd to steal oil; there were all kinds of people.

After all, without the protection of the Martial Arts Hall Wooden Plaque, even the wild dogs on the side of the road would love to pounce and bite off a piece of meat.

However, Song Fugui gritted his teeth, fought five or six times a day, and didn't make a sound even when he bled.

This ferocity of his scared off those petty thieves and rats, and now doing business is much more worry-free.

Of course, those who shouldn't be offended still cannot be offended.

"Zhou You, you need money at the Martial Arts Hall, right?"

"My old man is very stingy; he says he's helping me save up for a wife, so he doesn't give me a chance to save money."

"But who am I? I can still pull some tricks right under his nose."

Song Fugui took a pouch of silver from his bosom, "There are 20 taels here, take it and use it first."

"If I can't cultivate Force, I won't be able to pay back so much silver!"

Zhou You weighed the pouch of silver and said jokingly.

"I have confidence in you; you will definitely be able to cultivate Force and become a Zhengshi Xuitu of the Martial Arts Hall."

Song Fugui said decisively.

Zhou You didn't stand on ceremony with him either and tucked the silver into his bosom, "Good brother, come to my house for a meal when you have time."

At this moment, he truly accepted this brother.