Chapter 9: Chapter Nine: Another Unexpected Ecstasy

"What a coincidence, more people die in my Clinic than those who walk out completely; think it through for me!"

As the saying goes, a single punch opens the way, preventing a hundred punches later.

If it were the Ji Ming from the setting, he would have already taken a soft discount, but the real Ji Ming who has manifested won't suffer that loss.

He showed no concession at all, slapping the table and, in front of everyone, started a verbal spar with the skinny guy.

Even though the skinny guy shouted fiercely, Ji Ming's reputation may be poor, but with his rejuvenating elixir he's the most reliable among all the shabby Clinics.

Because they need medicine for future injuries, no one dares to truly cross him.

Ji Ming also knows his own weight, so presenting a sufficiently firm stance is enough.

After all, this is a stage of seeking stability; violent clashes feel good momentarily, but they disrupt one's own cultivation rhythm.

Thus, the thunder is loud but the rain is light.

Both sides brandished their weapons, which was merely a more intense exchange of opinions.

You can't risk your life to earn money; if you risk your life, how will you earn money?

But after this quarrel, the adventurers were noticeably less reckless than before.

Especially after Ji Ming nonchalantly mentioned the Iron Chain Squad and Huo Ke's name.

"Kid, how can you talk to the doctor like that? Lao Luo Li's knife in hand doesn't agree!"

"Hunter, the younger brother's temper is terrible; it needs to be corrected, give him proper education, otherwise he'll suffer a big loss later."

"Right, right, as everyone says, I'll educate him later. Duo Li, aren't you going to apologize to the doctor quickly?"

Seeing the onlookers all state their positions, Ji Ming seized the moment to offer a compromise.

"How about this: I see everyone is having a hard time, so you can have the leftover clinic fee wiped off."

Thus host and guests were delighted; the adventurers, who moments ago were scheming, began praising the doctor's kindness, generosity, and superb medical skill.

Even Duo Li, who had previously blown his beard and glared at Ji Ming, kept nodding and bowing, crying bitterly while confessing his mistake.

Of course, facing this bunch of worthless scum, Ji Ming's smile remained, but he secretly pulled a trick.

He mimicked the classic Double Eleven tactic, first raising the price then giving a discount.

Through this back-and-forth, not only did he shoo away the ruffians, but after tallying the balance, he tearfully earned an extra twenty copper coins.

"My god, what are all these things!"

After everyone left, Ji Ming locked the Clinic's iron door and spat.

Then he pulled a chair, sat at the counter, and quietly tallied today's gains.

First, the experience points.

It's straightforward: the empty experience bar this morning is now more than half filled, currently (60/110).

Worth noting, the amount of experience reward adjusts dynamically with the difficulty of the commission.

The highest was thirty points for knocking out AdaiEr, the lowest was five points for pulling an arrow for Huo Ke.

Even grinding a little in the Clinic can gradually raise the level.

Next, the wealth.

From Mo Dun to Huo Ke and the subsequent adventurers, Ji Ming collected scatteredly nearly four hundred copper coins.

But today's biggest income was the clinic fee contributed by the Iron Chain Squad; even after paying some house-call fees as an Inner City doctor, the remainder should still be a substantial sum.

Untying the thin rope tied to the bag's mouth, Ji Ming vaguely felt like opening a blind box.

But as soon as he opened a slit and glanced inside, a sharp silver flash blinded his eyes.

It went off!

Besides up to five hundred copper coins, there were also three silver ones mixed in.

In just half a day, he amassed wealth equivalent to twelve silver coins!

Although luck and accident played a part, easily covering a fifth of the debt gap lifted Ji Ming's spirits considerably.

Paper money in the real world, metal currency of the Sun Month, earning double the money from a single job—could this blessing be any smaller?

Finding a larger pocketed storage, Ji Ming happily opened the locked drawer.

But as he pulled, his expression changed, and he nudged the shabby desk.

The desk made of brittle wooden planks creaked and shook, as if it could fall apart at any moment.

Suppressing the urge to kick it and see the result, Ji Ming sighed.

A main body whose seal isn't even firmly locked—what can protect the assets inside?

He must quickly devise a safe or hidden compartment, otherwise he'll truly be unable to rest.

But plan aside, with no other option before implementation, he decided to temporarily stash the money in the drawer.

However, the cloth bag brimming with money was simply too large; he tried several times but couldn't fit it in.

He had to pull the entire drawer out to reorganize storage, only then discovering the contents seemed more than he imagined.

Besides the ledger, notes, and medical log, at the very bottom was a small wooden box.

The wooden box bore beautiful Chinese floral carvings and hung a delicate little lock, standing out amidst the chaos.

Upon closer inspection, it was intricate and clever—a combination lock forged from fine steel.

He lifted the box and gave it a gentle shake; nothing sounded inside, as if it were packed to the brim.

Gold, silver, jewels, precious materials—newcomer gift pack?

Ji Ming, brimming with harvest joy, wanted to open it but couldn't recall the password at all.

Heaven, who the hell knows what password the setting's version of himself would use, it can't possibly be…

He expressionlessly dialed one.

With a click, the lock opened.

"Gah!"

Remove the small lock and open the lid.

Soft cotton fabric and layers of expensive white silk wrapped it; inside the box lay an exquisitely refined mechanical creation.

Ji Ming didn't recognize what it was at a glance, nor did he dare touch it directly with his hand, so he activated the panel instead.

【Equipment: Stealth Dragon Stab】

【A precision mechanism crafted by Eastern artisans, can be concealed and used within the sleeve】

Sleeve sword???

That was the first term that popped into Ji Ming's mind.

Only after carefully lifting and examining it did he realize it resembled what is called a fist blade.

Delicate yet resilient metal threads formed a woven structure, appearing like a glove with exposed fingers.

When not activated, several sharp blades quietly hide within the back of the hand.

When used, they spring out swiftly, the finger claws snarling like a ferocious tiger.

They can be swung, or used to strike directly.

Quiet, concealed, dangerous, impossible to guard against.

It is essentially a divine weapon made exclusively for assassins.

Ji Ming put it on to try, and the glove fit his palm perfectly; the only slight gap was due to his own extreme frailty.

Why would a rookie alchemist have something like this?

What did I overlook that night when I was tweaking people?

Ji Ming exhaled, and began to remove the box's padding layer by layer, wanting to see if there was anything else inside.

When he lifted the final layer of silk, he indeed found a treasure at the bottom of the box.