Chapter 6: When traveling, one's identity is determined by oneself...
"Great hero, are you going down the mountain?" The girl followed Shen Cangyu eagerly.
"Call him an immortal..." the old man quickly whispered, glancing cautiously at Shen Cangyu's expression.
"Immortal Hero!" the girl immediately changed her address, calling out in a crisp voice.
The call of "Immortal Hero" made Shen Cangyu feel as if she were floating on air. She knew that the father and daughter were following her because they wanted to be under her protection to go down the mountain.
After all, no one knows if a second tiger will appear on the road ahead.
“I’m going to Jin’an Town,” Shen Cangyu said.
Jin'an Town is the closest town to here, with more post stations and a larger market area.
She had only gone there once before with Granny Wang, and after Granny Wang died, she never went again. Her daily trade with merchants was limited to the small villages near the foot of the mountain.
“Immortal, we are going to Fang Village. You are going to Jin’an Town and will be passing through Fang Village. Could you travel with us?” The old man looked at Shen Cangyu nervously.
He had never seen an immortal, but he had heard many tales of them, so he held these powerful figures with great respect. Moreover, she had just saved their lives, thus incurring their wrath.
They had nothing of value on them and didn't know how to repay her.
“Alright.” Shen Cangyu patted the snow off his clothes. “Then let’s follow.”
Actually, Jin'an Town and Fangcun are quite far apart and not on the same route. Going to Fangcun first and then to Jin'an Town is like taking a detour. But she still escorted the two people back home and only stopped after watching them enter the house.
Just as she was about to leave, the little girl suddenly ran out again: "Great Immortal Hero, I'll give you a treasure!"
The girl ran up to her and opened her palm, revealing a wooden carving. Shen Cangyu picked it up and saw that it was a bird whistle. The whistle was carved into the shape of a bird, and because it was meant for children, the surface was polished smooth. When blown, the bird whistle made a clear, crisp sound like birdsong, and it was a common toy in hunters' homes.
"It's definitely a good thing." It's a valuable item, but its value lies in the sentiment behind it.
Suddenly, the girl reached out and tugged at her sleeve, whispering, "Great Immortal Hero, how can I become an immortal?"
Shen Cangyu was stunned.
The girl said, "I want to be like you, catching tigers with a bag!" She let out a roar, revealing a row of scallop-like teeth.
Shen Cangyu's eyes curved into a smile, and her gaze softened.
"Anyone can become an immortal; immortals are nothing rare."
Yes, the journey from human to immortal is only a short step. As long as one learns the art of the mind or inherits the Daoist teachings, one can become an immortal.
Anyone can learn the art of mind, and everyone can become an immortal. It's just that these arts are monopolized by the people of a few great immortal mountains, and mortals cannot access them.
Just then, the courtyard gate opened from the inside, and the old man ran out carrying a pottery jar.
Seeing that Shen Cangyu hadn't left, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and rushed forward to hand her the pottery jar in his hand: "Immortal, you saved us, and we haven't had a chance to thank you yet. We don't have anything good on hand, except for the wine buried under this tree, which is the most valuable thing. Consider it a token of our gratitude."
The earthenware jar was still covered in fresh mud and snow water. Shen Cangyu looked up and saw the old man's hands, which were red and purple from the cold, and knew that he must have just dug the jar of wine out of his house.
The snow was so thick, and underneath it was a thick layer of soil; it's amazing that he managed to dig it out in such a short time.
“No need, you can keep this jar of wine yourselves,” Shen Cangyu said, picking up the bird whistle in his hand. “I have already accepted your gift of gratitude.”
"No, please accept this." The old man hurriedly tried to stuff the jar of wine into her hand.
Shen Cangyu caught a glimpse of his uneasy expression, and in that instant, as if struck by a sudden inspiration, she glimpsed the cause and effect between people.
They received her protection, which created a connection between them. One thing led to another, the cause and effect dissipated, then another thing led to another...
The red line of cause and effect is constantly emerging, disappearing, and intertwining.
“Alright.” Shen Cangyu took the wine pot from his hand, bent down and looked at the maid.
Shen Cangyu patted the girl's head and said, "When you grow up one day and want to become an immortal, go to Kunlun and I will teach you."
Upon hearing her words, the girl's eyes lit up: "How can I find you?"
"My surname is Shen, and my name is Shen Cangyu."
"I don't know you. What are you doing here?" The shopkeeper looked at the person who kicked the door open and patted his chest to calm his frightened heart.
He thought the loud noise was from someone trying to cause trouble, but it turned out to be just a kid.
Shen Cangyu sat down in the chair in front of the counter and slapped the water bag in his hand onto the counter: "Let's sell some goods."
"What kind of junk are you selling? Just this water bottle?" The shopkeeper glanced at the empty bag behind Shen Cangyu, then looked at the water bag she had placed on the table, suspecting that this guy was really here to cause trouble.
Shen Cangyu pulled out the stopper of the water bag, and a tiger appeared out of thin air, crashing to the ground with a "bang".
A stench filled the air. As the tiger landed, it glared angrily at the people beside it, letting out a threatening growl.
As soon as the tiger appeared, the people who had been watching the commotion in the lobby screamed and scattered in all directions.
The shopkeeper was startled and took a few steps back, bumping into the cabinet behind him.
Shen Cangyu sat calmly in the chair, picked up the overturned teacup on the table, and poured himself a small cup of tea.
This tea is astringent and has little aroma; it's ultimately not as good as Kunlun tea.
The shopkeeper squinted at the tiger lying on the ground and realized that although it was alive, it had several gashes on its body, indicating that it had lost too much blood and was about to die. It had long since lost the ability to attack.
"Is this the tiger you want to sell?" The shopkeeper, changing his previous attitude, rubbed his hands together and asked Shen Cangyu softly.
“Yes,” Shen Cangyu put down his teacup, then displayed a hidden device in his sleeve, placing several pieces of fur on the table. “And these too, sell them all.”
These fur coats were left behind by Grandma Wang. They are all too big for her to wear now, so she might as well sell them all instead of keeping them.
The shopkeeper glanced at the furs on the table. The luster of the fur was quite good, but unfortunately, the workmanship of the garments was poor, ruining the good material. If Shen Cangyu were selling these items separately, he might not have bought them, but considering the tiger from earlier, he could accept them as small items to be weighed together.
Seeing Shen Cangyu's abilities, the shopkeeper knew she possessed magic and was no ordinary person. He quickly ordered someone to bring a cage, drive the tiger inside, and then remove the furs from the table, sending them to be appraised and priced. Before his men carried the furs away, he subtly hinted with his eyes that the price could be higher.
Ideally, one should be able to establish a relationship with this immortal in front of them.
Shen Cangyu watched their exchange of glances, pushed the teacup on the table away with her fingers, and revealed a bored expression: "After you've calculated how much it will cost, give me half of it in spirit stones."
Upon hearing her words, the shopkeeper smiled brightly: "Alright, please sit here and wait a moment... This pot of tea has gone cold, I'll go brew you a hot one."
"Forget it," Shen Cangyu waved his hand, "It tastes awful, I'm not drinking it."
The shopkeeper quickly smiled apologetically and said, "This tea is just the coarse tea we drink ourselves. We'll go find you some better quality tea!"
As he spoke, he picked up the teapot, lifted the curtain, and went inside.
Shen Cangyu watched his retreating figure, rubbing her fingers together.
Having handled goods for Qizhenfang for so many years, she knew the nature of these merchants very well. They were always bullies who preyed on the weak and feared the strong. As long as she showed them some tricks, they wouldn't dare to play any tricks. Not only would she be able to offer them a good price, but she could also give them some extra good stuff.
To trade with these merchants, you need to have strong financial resources or a powerful backer.
She has neither now, but she can pretend to have either.
The shopkeeper placed a pot of fragrant new tea in front of her and began to chat with her.
Shen Cangyu responded intermittently.
Finally, the shopkeeper asked, seemingly casually, "Where are you from, a celestial being?"
Although he didn't understand why an immortal would suddenly come to such a remote place, this was still an immortal. In all the years he had lived in this town, he had only seen a handful of immortals.
However, he hadn't seen many immortals, but he had seen many people. The little girl in front of him looked quite young; for someone her age to have already learned magic meant she was either exceptionally talented or had a powerful background.
Shen Cangyu chewed on some dried fruit and said, "My mother told me not to say it. She said that when you go out to gain experience, you can't rely on your family's reputation."
Hearing her reply, the shopkeeper understood.
Got it, a family of cultivators!
No wonder a celestial being like her would come here to sell things; it turns out she was sent out by her family to gain experience, and since she didn't have much money, she thought of making a living this way.
Winning her over is equivalent to winning over the entire cultivation family behind her!
The shopkeeper had a well-thought-out plan in mind. He said "excuse me" and lifted the curtain to go inside, just in time to run into his subordinate who was carrying a tray and walking out. He pulled his subordinate back.
The subordinates, seeing the shopkeeper's excited expression, were puzzled.
The shopkeeper's face flushed red, and he subtly gestured to him with his hand: "Add more!"
The subordinate looked terrified: "Add more?"
The shopkeeper, his neck thick, said in a low voice, "Add more!"
The subordinate shook his head: "Manager, adding any more will mean we'll lose money! We don't make much money to begin with!"
The shopkeeper gritted his teeth and said, "I don't care, keep adding! I'm going to close this deal today, and nobody can stop me!"
The shopkeeper shoved him in the back: "Don't come back to see me if you don't fill it up properly!"
The shopkeeper lifted the curtain and walked out with a beaming smile: "Immortal, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I'll bring you your silver and spirit stones shortly. Take a look around this shop and see if there's anything you like. I'll give it to you today as a token of our friendship. If you have any good stuff next time, you can come and sell it in our shop."
Shen Cangyu stroked his chin: "Let's see. I don't know if I can catch a second tiger."
If she were only selling the furs she brought from home, she could simply go to ordinary dealers. But now she has a whole tiger, and it's because of that that she dares to sell to such a large dealer.
Although the tiger was injured, it could survive with treatment. Many wealthy families like to keep exotic animals at home, and this tiger was one of them.
Besides, many cultivators would specifically come to the trading post to buy whole, fresh animal carcasses, alive or dead. As for what they used them for, Shen Cangyu didn't know, but she knew that there was definitely a market for these things.
Such live ferocious beasts are rare, and merchants don't have much stock on hand. If a celestial being were to come and buy them, they wouldn't be able to produce them and would have to hire someone to search for them.
She can definitely sell this for a good price.
She could use the money from selling the tiger as travel expenses.
But before that, she needed to buy a new jug. She still needed to keep her water pouch for drinking; she couldn't always use her jug to perform her magic.
"I see a nice teapot on the shelf behind you. How much is it? I'll buy it."
She glanced at the cabinet behind the shopkeeper, which displayed several teapots, all the same style as those on the table—ordinary ceramic pots used for serving tea to customers. These teapots were inexpensive, so even if they broke, it wouldn't be a big deal.
The shopkeeper was taken aback. Why did this immortal have to take a fancy to these broken teapots of all things?
He waved his hand and said, "Come on, wrap them all up for the immortal!"
Shen Cangyu stopped him: "I only want one, I don't want any more."
After hearing her words, the shopkeeper had no choice but to give up.
At this moment, a subordinate came out carrying a wooden box and placed it on the table: "This is your silver and spirit stones, all put in the box for you."
Shen Cangyu opened the box and was dazzled by the light emanating from it.
A tiger costs so much? She recalled the price she'd paid when she bought it; this amount could probably buy two tigers. Is this what prices are like in a small town?
"Are you satisfied with this price?" The shopkeeper's heart was bleeding, but he still gritted his teeth and forced a smile as he asked.
"Alright, that's settled then." Shen Cangyu closed the box; she was absolutely not going to give up the money she had already earned.
Shen Cangyu used his hidden sleeve to put the box away: "Alright, I'm leaving."
"You must come next time!" the shopkeeper called out to her from afar, practically clinging to the doorframe and gazing at her expectantly.
"Manager, we've worked for nothing this past month," said the subordinate, tapping on his abacus.
The shopkeeper plopped down in a chair: "Don't talk, let me catch my breath."
The empty teacup on the table still contained half a cup of tea. He looked at the tea leaves floating in the cup, sighed, and waved for his men to take the cup away and rinse it.
The subordinate lifted the curtain and walked to the back, the falling beaded curtain making a crackling sound in the room, like jade beads falling to the ground.
He rested his chin on his hand, staring blankly at the shadow cast into the hall from outside the door. After an unknown amount of time, when the shadow fell on the table, he looked up and saw a group of people with swords at their waists and dressed in silver clothes.
He knew at a glance that this fabric was priceless. A smile quickly spread across his face: "Gentlemen, what would you like to buy?"
The leader gestured, and several sheets of paper appeared out of thin air.
The shopkeeper's eyes widened instantly.
Another immortal? What day is it that he's encountered so many immortals all at once?
Could it be that his good days are about to begin?
"Bring all these things, however many you have, there's plenty of money." The immortal slapped the paper on the table.
The shopkeeper looked down and saw the printed words on the first piece of paper: "This is... a fresh tiger carcass?"
His good days are really coming!
A note from the author:
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