Chapter 93

Xuanmiao unhitched the cart and tied up the donkey before walking forward; she glanced at the beggar girl, then at Pan Yun, and waved them off: “Go on.”

Pan Yun: “Fourth sister, she says her grandmother has medicinal herbs—won’t you come with us to see?”

“If you can handle it yourself, why should I go?” Xuanmiao said. “I’ll give you half an hour. I’ll buy the herbs and then head to the kiln.”

Pan Yun immediately agreed and pulled the beggar girl away.

The beggar girl led them winding through the city’s alleys, until they grew ever farther from the urban district and streets; the houses on either side shifted from brick-and-stone to stone, then to half-stone, half-mud structures.

The road changed from blue stone paving to compacted earth, then to bumpy, potholed dirt—the same as their village’s.

Gradually, vegetable plots appeared, then rice fields just harvested; as they walked deeper into the remote area, she turned aside and led them into a thatched shed built against a mud house.

Wooden poles supported a four-cornered space, roofed with rice straw; the entrance was a curtain of thatch.

The beggar girl led them in, lifting the curtain and calling out loudly: “Grandma.”

Pan Yun stepped inside; the shed was stifling and damp, reeking of mildew mixed with wormwood.

The thatched shed was small enough to see at a glance—no one inside.

The ground was still packed earth, but flattened; straw and rice husks lined both sides, bearing traces of people having slept there—each space small.

Pan Yun scanned it quickly and realized at least twelve people slept here at night; she asked: “How many people are in your family?”

The beggar girl: “Fourteen, plus Grandma—fifteen.”

Pan Yun asked: “Where are they?”

The beggar girl: “Gone to work.”

She acted like a grown-up, fetching a water jug to fetch and boil water.

Pan Yun stopped her: “Let’s find your grandma, or show us where the herbs are—I’ll take a look.”

The beggar girl led them out, around the back of the shed.

Only then did they notice a flat, cleared patch behind: weeds and stones removed, several burlap sacks laid out, drying medicinal herbs.

Pan Yun stepped forward and saw common herbs: honeysuckle, thunbergia, licorice root.

She picked through them, saw they were well-dried, and asked: “These can be sold to pharmacies—why sell them to us?”

The beggar girl: “If we sell to pharmacies, they mark up the price and sell to you. Better to sell directly to you—we add a little, you pay less. I earn more, you spend less. Isn’t that better?”

Pan Yun praised: “You’re clever. Many older people can’t see this.”

Miaohé: “But…”

Miaozhen tugged her sleeve, stopping her from speaking.

Pan Yun asked the price they charged pharmacies, compared it with current market rates, and bought the herbs at a fair middle price.

Just as Yu Popo returned, carrying one child and holding another’s hand, they had already wrapped the herbs; Pan Yun counted out coins to the beggar girl.

Yu Popo hurried to stop her, pushing the money back: “You’re Daoists from Mount Sanqing, aren’t you?”

Pan Yun nodded.

Yu Popo smiled: “I know your kind. If anyone else came, I’d sell. But you—Mount Sanqing may lack many things, but never herbs.”

Pan Yun: “Grandma, you misunderstand. If Mount Sanqing didn’t need herbs, we wouldn’t come down every month to buy them.”

Yu Popo shook her head firmly: “When you buy, it’s for herbs Mount Sanqing doesn’t have—rare, expensive ones. The herbs from our area aren’t rare enough for Mount Sanqing to lack.”

Yu Popo looked at them kindly: “You’re still young. Don’t waste the temple’s money on unnecessary things—you’ll be punished by your masters.”

The beggar girl pleaded: “Grandma~”

“Little Qi, don’t trouble the Daoists. Take them back to the main street.”

The beggar girl dejectedly replied and turned to lead Pan Yun away.

Seeing Yu Popo ’s firmness, Pan Yun thought a moment, then withdrew five Peace Talismans and two Wealth Talismans from her sleeve and pressed them into her hands: “Take these. Give the Peace Talismans to them. These Wealth Talismans are just for good fortune.”

Yu Popo accepted with a beaming smile and thanked Pan Yun.

Pan Yun watched as Yu Popo gave one Peace and one Wealth Talisman to Little Qi, and slipped a Peace Talisman into the hands of the child she held and the one she carried; she smiled faintly and turned to leave.

Little Qi led them to the main street, dejected: “I didn’t expect Grandma wouldn’t sell you the herbs. Were you really buying them out of kindness?”

Pan Yun nodded: “Yes. Honeysuckle, licorice, thunbergia—common herbs. Mount Sanqing has plenty.”

Little Qi sighed, but only once; then she rallied: “Thank you. But don’t do this again. Buy herbs only when you truly need them.”

Pan Yun nodded and asked: “I’m going to buy grain to donate to the Orphanage. Would your shed like some?”

Little Qi nodded eagerly: “Yes yes yes! Is this… really allowed?”

“Why not?” Pan Yun said firmly. “I do good deeds for the Orphanage, and I do them for you too. You beg on the streets—what’s the difference between that and accepting grain I give you?”

Little Qi thought carefully, then said: “There’s no difference, Miss. Don’t worry—I’ll tell my brothers and sisters to pray for you. Every time we eat your grain, we’ll say a prayer.”

Pan Yun’s lips curved slightly; she didn’t refuse, and nodded: “Good. Let’s go to the grain shop.”

Pan Yun bought the cheapest grain. New harvest had just come in; the shops stocked fresh grain. Though autumn harvest had just ended, prices hadn’t changed: two and six cash per dan.

Second-grade rice, with more broken grains, was two and four cash per dan.

Pan Yun still owed Tao Ji money; all she had now was what remained from her last silver tael, broken into coins.

She pulled out three strings of coins, gave two to the clerk, counted out forty cash more, and bought one dan of the second-grade rice.

Pan Yun: “Will you deliver it?”

One dan was no small amount; the clerk said: “We deliver within the city, but not beyond.”

Pan Yun: “It’s within the city. Deliver it.”

Pan Yun told Little Qi to lead the way: “Thank you for giving me that bun last time. I’m a Daoist of Sanqing Temple—we believe in karmic connection. You helped me, now I help you. This is good karma—don’t take it too deeply to heart.”

Little Qi nodded brightly: “I hope everyone I help in the future is like you, Little Daoist.” She could help many, many people—and receive help from many, many people in return.

Pan Yun: “Perhaps you could pray to the Sanqing Mountain Deity. It might come true.”

Little Qi’s eyes lit up: “Is the Sanqing Mountain Deity truly efficacious?”

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Pan Yun nodded: “I think it is.”

Miaozhen and Miaohé silently turned to look at her. Outsiders might not know, but who on the mountain didn’t know? The Grand Master and the Little Master were the Deity’s direct disciples.

Watching Little Qi lead the grain carrier away, Lingjing chimed: Merit +10.

Pan Yun’s lips curved slightly; she turned: “Let’s go find our sister at the pharmacy.”

Wang Xiaojing followed silently behind them. Inside the pharmacy, seeing Xuanmiao buy dozens of taels of herbs without blinking, he was even more stunned.

He couldn’t help whispering to Miaohé: “Is your temple so rich?”

Miaohé: “Our temple has no money.”

“Spending dozens of taels so casually—how can you say that?”

Miaohé explained: “These are for body-refining herbs. We must soak in them every ten days. It’s necessary spending.”

Wang Xiaojing sighed: “Practicing martial arts is so expensive…”

“There are ways that cost nothing,” Miaohé said, “but none are as effective or fast as spending money. If you only want basic martial skills for self-defense, diligent practice is enough—you don’t need herb baths.”

Miaohé even felt a little envious: “Herb baths are painful.”

Wang Xiaojing said nothing.

Xuanmiao bought the herbs and led them to the kiln.

The kiln lay on a hill just outside Yushan County—not far.

The soil there was excellent for firing; Yushan County’s porcelain was known as Dukou Kiln ware.

As soon as Xuanmiao’s donkey cart entered the village, people rushed to offer: “Daoist, buying porcelain? I have bowls, plates, dishes, and all kinds of vases.”

Xuanmiao stepped down: “I need to cast a divine statue.”

Hearing “divine statue,” most of the crowd dispersed, stepping back to watch.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want the job—it was too hard to take.

Divine statues were difficult to fire: large, intricate, and any flaw meant restarting—laborious and costly.

Xuanmiao and her companions’ clothing didn’t suggest wealth.

Only two families remained; after walking a bit further, a third rushed up to listen to Xuanmiao’s requirements.

Xuanmiao’s requirement: a statue one meter and sixty centimeters tall. One of the three hesitated, wanting to back out but unwilling to give up.

Xuanmiao produced the blueprint.

At the sight of the blueprint, that family immediately bowed and withdrew.

The remaining two exchanged glances and stayed.

Coincidentally, both were surnamed Yu—relatives, sharing the same ancestor five generations back.

They studied the blueprint carefully, noting the excessive colors and the full-height statue, which made firing harder. They asked: “Could it be smaller? Usually one meter and twenty centimeters is enough.”

Xuanmiao: “Only if seated.”

Pan Yun had only seen standing Pan Gong, never seated—but that was easy: she could ask the Deity to sit down later.

She asked: “Is a seated statue easier to fire?”

They replied: “Not necessarily—it depends on the posture and colors. But shorter height increases success rate.”

They asked: “How much are you prepared to pay?”

Xuanmiao named her bottom price: “One hundred taels.”

The Yu brothers frowned. The price wasn’t high, but not low either—and the success rate was uncertain.

Keep chasing updates—screenshot the game again; today’s lucky number is any ending in 9, screenshot as proof, and post it in the big Ming group.

(End of Chapter)