Chapter 45: Top-Grade Treasure Pill (Thanks to Silver Alliance Leader Corn-Filling Dumplings)

The City Guard main camp was located northeast of Gao Liu, near the city gate, covering a considerable area; the bluestone-paved street before its gate ran straight through 'Protector City Avenue,'

with taverns, shops, and teahouses lining both sides in orderly, symmetrical rows.

The street, wide enough for four horses abreast, had no vendors; under the watchful stares of a group of city guards, Li Yuan and the others walked into the City Guard main camp from here.

The Gao Liu City Guard had an establishment of three hundred, but was chronically undermanned; when Qiu Long arrived, there were not even fifty men.

At this moment, on the parade ground in the very center of the main camp, there were nearly two hundred city guards, hardened and cold.

"Elite troops indeed!"

A sidelong glance swept across the parade ground, and Li Yuan's heart gave a start.

These fully professional soldiers, fed daily on fine rice and good meat—even if a single man's Wu Gong was inferior to that of an inner courtyard apprentice—should they truly fight in formation, the outcome was almost beyond question.

This bearing was far beyond what those gang members and apprentices of the outer city could compare to.

"Senior Brother Yue!"

Wu Ming cried out in alarm.

Li Yuan swept a quick glance; those 'invited' were not only the few of them—nearly everyone who had not died in the dense forest was here, among them even quite a few blade-bearers.

For instance, the fake Daoist Priest Zhang Zhang Yuanfang, his face deathly pale, collapsed sitting on the ground.

"Commander Zhou, I've told you everything I should! That year Niu's injuries were severe, but his horizontal training remained, ferociously powerful; after dozens of exchanges with him I critically wounded him into unconsciousness, and was robbed of my silver by that beast!"

Seeing Zhou Zhou Jinzhong, Zhang Zhang Yuanfang forcefully suppressed his fury and said:

"My brothers' injuries are quite severe, urgently in need of medicine; I beg my lord to show mercy…"

Zhou Zhou Jinzhong merely cast him a cold glance, then turned to look at the parade ground:

"Has Wang Dong returned?"

Upon learning the news that Qiu Long might have met with mishap, he had immediately dispatched elites out of the city, while he himself held down the town, lest someone use a feint to strike elsewhere.

"Reporting to my lord, not yet returned."

A city guard bowed and responded.

"Interrogate them separately!"

Zhou Zhou Jinzhong's face darkened as he gave the order.

"Yes!"

Several dozen city guards strode forward, separating the apprentices and gang members; only then did Zhou Zhou Jinzhong turn around and look at Zhang Zhang Yuanfang:

"You say you and that Niu fought dozens of exchanges?"

"That's right… ah!"

Zhang Zhang Yuanfang answered instinctively, but had barely uttered two words before he couldn't help but let out a wretched scream, being pressed to the ground by Zhou Zhou Jinzhong in one motion.

"A piece of trash who barely broke through to internal force, yet fought Niu Nine without dying…"

Ignoring the shocked and angry gazes all around, Zhou Zhou Jinzhong sneered as he looked at the crowd of apprentices and gang members:

"Those who cooperate with the interrogation may leave; those who do not will be locked up in the great prison at once!"

At his command, the previously restless crowd immediately calmed down.

Wu Ming even picked up Yue Yue Yunjin and proactively began recounting the events of that day, clearly quite anxious.

"Apprentice of the Weapon-Forging Shop?"

"Yes."

"Tell me about yesterday's situation!"

"That morning…"

Li Yuan answered every question asked, very cooperative.

"You say that the moment you entered the forest, you heard a wretched scream and scattered in all directions?"

That city guard's eyes held suspicion and contempt:

"How long have you been studying martial arts?"

"Less than eight months."

Li Yuan answered honestly.

"Only eight months?"

That city guard frowned slightly, questioned him a few more times, then went aside and exchanged a few words with other city guards, seemingly cross-checking,

and upon returning waved his hand:

"You may leave, but you are not allowed out of the city during this period; we may summon you for further questioning at any time!"

"Thank you, my lord!"

Wang Gong, who had been questioned nearby, looked as if granted a great reprieve; Li Yuan also breathed a sigh of relief inside.

Although the City Guard army was powerful, with Qiu Long possibly having met with mishap, they could not possibly do anything to them.

After all, this matter implicated nearly every faction in both the inner and outer cities.

"But if Qiu Long truly died…"

A sidelong glance swept across the two hundred city guards on the parade ground; Li Yuan's heart tightened slightly as he caught up with Wang Gong, Zhao Zhao Xiaoming, and the others, striding quickly away.

……

"Senior Brother Li, don't forget the little gathering in a while!"

Wang Gong also seemed badly frightened; after leaving, he called out from afar and headed straight for the inner city, without even waiting for Li Yuan's refusal.

"The little gathering related to entering the Divine Weapon Valley?"

Li Yuan's heart stirred slightly; he did not linger here, walked along the street for a while, and arrived at the Four Seasons Medicine Hall.

During this period, he had bought quite a bit of medicine and was fairly familiar with the clerks here; after buying two bottles of Zeng Xue Dan, he raised the idea of wanting to look at other pills.

"You should have looked at other pills long ago."

The shop assistant was all smiles, taking out bottle after bottle of pills and introducing them:

"This is the Body-Nourishing Pill; one pill can be boiled into three pots of Spirit-Nourishing Soup. Only three taels of silver. This is the Bone-Strengthening Pill…"

"This is the Leopard-Fetus Tendon-Changing Pill, made from the placenta of a 'Bewildering Cloud Leopard' combined with over a hundred kinds of precious medicinal ingredients. It's one of the three finest pills we have here, and it works wonders for increasing physical strength!"

"As the saying goes, 'an inch longer tendon, thrice greater strength.' Ten taels of silver a pill — you absolutely won't lose out…"

The treatment for a familiar customer was naturally different.

While introducing them, the shop assistant didn't refuse Li Yuan's request to sniff them, only he wouldn't let the porcelain bottle leave his hand.

"Last, we have our shop's treasure, the superior Vitality-Supplementing Pill. Not only can it nourish primordial Qi, replenish blood Qi, increase physical strength, and heal injuries, it also aids in breaking through to Internal Strength!"

Li Yuan's eyes lit up, then were scared off by the price.

"Fixed price, fifty taels of silver a pill!"

"Fifty taels…"

Li Yuan's teeth ached; selling medicine really was too profitable.

In the end, he could only sniff through the bottle, then left under the shop assistant's watchful eye.

"Judging by the porcelain bottles, among my two bottles of pills, one is the Leopard-Fetus Tendon-Changing Pill, the one I searched off Nian Jiu — the other should be the superior Vitality-Supplementing Pill?"

Li Yuan's heart raced, and he turned and left.

On the road, he caught sight of some children teasing a field mouse. His heart stirred, and he took out two copper coins to buy it, only then returning to the shop.

Inside the room, Li Yuan closed the door, took out the two bottles of pills, and tried to identify them by scent.

"Three Leopard-Fetus Tendon-Changing Pills, thirty taels of silver; two Vitality-Supplementing Pills, a hundred taels! Good heavens, he really was willing to spend…"

Li Yuan's heart raced.

He still remembered the experience Zhang Ben had taught him. He poured out one Leopard-Fetus Tendon-Changing Pill, scraped off a thin layer with his fingernail, and fed it to the little field mouse he'd bought.

He watched carefully, waited for a good while, and seeing that the field mouse was not only fine but even more spirited, his heart settled.

Then he fed it the powder of the second pill.

……

After repeating this several times and being certain the pills were harmless, the sky had already gone completely dark.

After two days of fussing and no sleep the night before, Li Yuan felt drowsy too. He didn't even eat, and flopped down to sleep until dawn the next day.

"Squeak squeak~"

He got up, stretched his muscles and bones a bit, and seeing that yesterday's little field mouse was still alive, Li Yuan then went out to wash up, eat, and even took a turn around the back courtyard.

"The Second Shopkeeper still hasn't come back. The City Guards seem to have sent out over a hundred men yesterday afternoon. Zhou Zhou Jinzhong hasn't left the city, and is still detaining quite a few Fuxiu Fuxiu Daoren…"

After gathering some information, Li Yuan went to forge iron as usual for half a day, only returning to his room as the sky gradually darkened.

"The field mouse is still alive; it should be fine."

Tearing off a strip of cured meat hanging from the beam and feeding it to the little field mouse, Li Yuan then took out a Leopard-Fetus Tendon-Changing Pill.

"One pill — that's Second Brother's monthly wages for over a year!"

Having made a small windfall, and the pills being picked up for free, Li Yuan didn't feel too much heartache. Tipping his head back, he swallowed it down in one go.

(End of this chapter)