Ultimate True Lord

Jiang Ming glanced at her from afar and continued forward.

This world only seems to be getting worse, and it will only become more and more difficult for ordinary people to survive. In chaotic times, might makes right. This is why he is determined to do everything in his power to practice martial arts.

After passing through the city gates, Jiang Ming arrived at the inner city.

The desolation of the outer city seemed to be completely left behind, while the inner city was bustling and noisy, like two completely different worlds.

The streets were wide and clean, with wine flags fluttering in the wind, and faint sounds of chatter could be heard from the taverns on both sides. In a three-story building facing the street, brightly dressed women leaned on the railing, chatting and laughing, their beautiful eyes occasionally glancing down below.

Halfway there, Jiang Ming suddenly stopped.

A magnificent sedan chair approached from the front, its body embroidered with intricate patterns and tassels hanging from its four corners. Several elite servants escorted it from the front and back, making it an imposing sight.

He stood sideways on the street, quietly waiting for the sedan chair to pass by before turning his gaze away.

Judging from this entourage, the person inside the sedan chair is most likely a powerful and wealthy merchant in the city.

Half an hour later, Jiang Ming arrived at Wenji Pharmacy.

On the bluestone square behind the medicine shop, the newly formed herb-gathering team is ready to go.

Seven or eight herb gatherers, dressed in short browns with cloth belts around their waists, carried large bamboo baskets on their backs, and held herb-gathering shovels, machetes, and thick ropes for binding herbs in their hands. They were all quick and efficient, clearly seasoned veterans who had been running around the mountains for many years.

On either side of the group stood three ordinary guards, each with a short sword at their waist, who looked more robust than the average person.

At the front of the group, Wen Jin was already waiting, followed by two stewards from the Wen family, who were checking the luggage and provisions.

"Junior Brother Jiang, you've arrived."

Seeing Jiang Ming walk in from outside, Wen Jin went to greet him.

He raised his hand to signal the manager to continue the count, then turned and took two steps toward the edge of the square. He chatted casually with Jiang Ming about the reason for the delay, his tone tinged with helplessness.

"The new herb-gathering team should have set off half a month ago, but it was delayed for a whole month. It wasn't a problem with manpower or supplies."

"The main issue is that my Wen family had a significant conflict with Guang Sheng Pharmacy in the inner city."

"There are only so many pharmacies and clinics in the city, and both sides want to grab more customers and supply rights, so there was a conflict. The back-and-forth struggle lasted for a long time, and there were even injuries and deaths."

"It wasn't until a few days ago, when the boundaries were finally settled, that we were able to free up resources to arrange for new herb-gathering teams to leave the city."

Jiang Ming seemed to be deep in thought. He had indeed seen many pharmacies in the city close down, which should have been taken over by Wen's Pharmacy and Guang Sheng Pharmacy.

Wen Jin chatted for a few more minutes before getting to the specific arrangements.

"This time, the herb-gathering team is going to Qingya Mountain on the western slope of the Yancang Mountains. It is about ten miles away from the city. It will take an hour or an hour and a half to get to the foot of the mountain."

"We don't pick common herbs from nearby slopes, nor do we venture deep into dangerous mountains. We only pick them in the middle of the forest, where the salvia miltiorrhiza and astragalus grow better and have stronger medicinal effects. These are all top-quality medicinal materials commonly used by the Wen family."

"If we set off now, we can reach the old house at the foot of the mountain this afternoon, rest there, and then head straight to the middle section to gather herbs. We'll return to the city at noon the day after tomorrow, which will take exactly two days."

Jiang Ming nodded, doing some mental calculations. He could earn 600 coins for escorting a herb-gathering team for two days, which would be equivalent to 300 coins per day.

If one goes to work four or five times a month, one can earn three taels of silver. Adding this to the original five taels of monthly pay, one can earn a total of eight taels.

Adding in the monthly rations of fine rice and fresh meat, their monthly income came to a full ten taels. The Wen family's generosity was truly remarkable.

He knew in his heart that the generous treatment was partly due to the quarrel between Wen Jin and Fang Heng.

Ultimately, it was his own breakthrough to the level of raw power that earned him this opportunity. Without strength to back him up, even the best opportunities wouldn't come his way.

In the square, Wen Jin glanced at the fully prepared team, waved his hand, and called out, "Alright, let's go."

Soon, Jiang Ming led his team out of Wenji Pharmacy.

Almost simultaneously, outside the vermilion gates of Wen's Pharmacy, a dark figure silently disappeared into the street corner. The person moved with lightning speed, heading straight for Guang Sheng Pharmacy on the other side of the inner city.

As soon as he entered the grand courtyard, he hurriedly handed over a message: the Wen family's medicine-gathering team had set off for Qingya Mountain.

Inside the Guang Sheng Pharmacy, the head steward, Zhang Chengye, stood by the window, dressed in a dark-patterned long robe, his face grim. Upon hearing the news, his fingers paused slightly, and a chill crept into his eyes.

A few days ago, they fought with the Wen family for territory, losing not only three shops but also four men. They had nowhere to vent their anger. The Wen family's new herb-gathering team was inexperienced and made them the perfect target for revenge.

Zhang Chengye pondered for a moment, then turned to his trusted confidant beside him and said coldly.

"Go to Black Stone Village in Qingya Mountain and find their third leader. Tell him that the Wen family's herb-gathering team has entered the mountain. Do not hold back; eliminate them all, and do not let a single one live."

The trusted confidant bowed, accepted the order, and quickly withdrew.

Zhang Chengye gazed out the window, a cold, sharp smile curving his lips.

……

……

At the east gate of Wangyue City, a team of herb gatherers is slowly leaving the city.

Jiang Ming followed the group out of the city gate and looked up.

Outside the city gate was a wide dirt road, its surface compacted by the footsteps of carriages and pedestrians, with sparse weeds growing along the sides, mixed with scattered, dry branches and leaves.

Further ahead lay vast stretches of barren fields and low-lying forests, overgrown with haphazard vegetation, exuding a sense of desolation. In the distance, the Yancang Mountains stretched endlessly, their lush forests and light mist swirling around their midsections, creating a serene and secluded atmosphere.

Jiang Ming gazed into the distance, then, as if struck by a thought, turned to the group and asked, "Tonight, we'll likely be spending the night on the mountain. Have we prepared enough medicine to ward off wild animals, poisonous insects, and snakes?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the guard surnamed Lin, who had a short sword at his waist, stepped forward. His tone was flat, with a hint of perfunctory attitude that was barely perceptible.

"Don't worry, Brother Jiang, this little thing won't cause any problems."

He paused, then said with certainty, "I worked in other herb-gathering teams for many years, so I have some experience. I've been to Qingya Mountain several times, so there's definitely no chance of anything going wrong."

Jiang Ming nodded and said nothing more.

He vaguely sensed Lin Fei's attitude; instead of calling him Jiang Tou, he called him "Brother Jiang."

This was clearly because they thought he was young and new to the job, and therefore looked down on him because they felt he was inexperienced.

However, Jiang Ming didn't care about this. Since the other party didn't show it, he didn't need to care about such empty reputations. He only needed to protect the herb-gathering team and be worthy of the generous salary given by the Wen family.

The group moved forward in silence, treading on dirt roads, passing through forests and wilderness, and traveled for more than an hour.

It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky and the sun was blazing that they finally arrived at the mountain hut at the foot of Qingya Mountain.