Divine Tang Era

Xu Dan watched as Huleitu disappeared into the wilderness, then turned to look at the enormous black yak.

Since he doesn't want it, then it belongs to him.

He turned around and looked around. A shop assistant from the shop ahead was peeking over and beckoned to him, saying, "Hey buddy, come here for a second."

The shop assistant was taken aback when he was called, but he quickly recovered and respectfully stepped forward to ask, "May I ask what brings you here, young master?"

"Excuse me, does anyone buy this?" Xu Dan pointed to the black yak lying on the ground.

"Young master, you're joking. How could such a large, long-haired ox go unharvested?"

The shop assistant whispered, "To be honest, young master, this fine saddle that Hulei Tu made was only in use for a short time before... well, the ox stumbled and had an accident. There are plenty of people willing to buy it, but I wonder how you intend to sell it to me?"

"I don't know either, how would I know how to sell it?"

"This fine saddle, Hulei Tu, cost a full seventy-five taels of silver to make. If you, young master, wish to purchase it, I, being greedy, am willing to accept it for seventy taels of silver on behalf of my shopkeeper. What do you think, young master?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Dan couldn't help but glance at the waiter.

Normally, when recycling things, the price is halved, but I didn't expect him to only take five taels. What a kind person!

"That's settled then." Xu Dan nodded, then asked, "Do you want this cow?"

"We don't need longhaired beef. If you want to sell it, young man, you can go to the butcher up ahead; he's interested in it. Never mind, I'll go and have him come and take it away, to save you the trouble. You wait here, I'll be right back."

Xu Dan didn't expect him to be so enthusiastic, but he didn't stop him. After all, he was unfamiliar with the area, and it was good to have someone help him.

Not long after, the shop assistant brought over a group of people.

"Young master, this is the Corpse Butcher. If you want to sell the ox, just tell him."

Xu Dan looked at the tall, burly man with a black beard who was being introduced to him, and politely cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, shopkeeper."

"No need to be polite, young man, you're selling this ox." The burly man kicked the black ox on the ground.

"right."

"I know this ox. Hulei caught it from the wilderness four years ago. It drank snow water from Kunlun Mountain and ate poultry eggs and concentrated feed. It was treated better than its ancestors. It's just a pity that it's too big and the meat isn't very tasty. However, its hide, hair, tendons, bones, and horns can be sold for a little money. If you want to sell it, young master, I'm willing to offer fifteen taels."

"This saddle is worth more than an ox," Xu Dan said.

"That's right."

The butcher said, "Longhaired cattle aren't worth much around here. They're everywhere in the wilderness. You can just catch one when you want to eat them. But you can get a lot of silver by transporting them out, it's a pity the roads are bad."

"Okay, then I'll sell it to you."

After paying the silver, the butcher ordered his men to remove the saddle from the ox, load it onto the cart, and drive away.

The shop assistant led another group of people forward. "Young master, this is Manager Cai from the fur shop. I saw you carrying a bunch of wolf pelts earlier and thought you wanted to sell them, so I took the liberty of bringing him over. Please don't be offended."

"How could I blame you? I'm so grateful!" Xu Dan quickly said.

The shop assistant was overjoyed upon hearing this, feeling very proud.

Xu Dan cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to the fur shop owner, "Shopkeeper, would you like to take a look at the furs first?"

"Alright." Manager Cai didn't stand on ceremony and immediately had his assistant count the pelts. The count was completed in a short while. "They're all top-quality pelts, no damage. It's just a pity wolf pelts aren't worth much these days, so they won't fetch a good price."

Xu Dan sensed that he seemed to be trying to lower the price, so he casually asked, "Oh, how much can I sell it for?"

"Young master, you've misunderstood."

Cai Xifu, having seen and seen off many people, knew exactly what he was thinking. He laughed and said, "This year, the wolf packs in the wilderness have broken out, and there are blue wolves everywhere. So many people are going out to kill wolves, and the price of pelts has dropped. I heard that the county government will issue a wolf-killing order in a few days. People who kill wolves can not only exchange their kills for money, but also receive a reward from the county government. At that time, the price of pelts will drop even further. It's not that I intentionally lowered the price of young lads; it's just the way the market is."

"Sell it, sell it! It's a bargain we found on the street anyway." Xu Dan waved his hand.

I unexpectedly received quite a bit of money today, but I don't really care about it.

The fur shop owner paid the money and, together with his shop assistant, escorted the wolf pelt back home. As they left, whether intentionally or unintentionally, he glanced at Xu Dan's trousers a few more times.

Xu Dan thought he thought his pants were novel and unique.

After all, everyone here wears long robes, and none of them are like me, with a clear distinction between the upper and lower garments.

The shop assistant went inside to fetch silver to pay for the saddle. Xu Dan took out three taels of silver and placed it in the shop assistant's hand. "Thanks to you today, young man. If it weren't for your help, I would still be in a complete mess. Please take this as a token of my appreciation and have some tea. I'll come back to treat you to drinks after I've settled in."

"Young master, you're too kind."

The shop assistant repeatedly declined, but Xu Dan was too strong and had no choice but to accept it.

Xu Dan thanked him again before heading to an inn with his luggage.

"This young man is so generous!"

The shop assistant touched the silver in his sleeve and sighed. He had been doing business in Jingning County for so long and had never been tipped so much silver before; it was almost as much as his wages.

"Magnificent, magnificent, magnificent my foot!"

Suddenly, a stick came flying from behind. Without even looking, the shop assistant knew it was his boss. He heard the boss yell, "Why aren't you busy with your own business? Are you stupid?"

"Who said I'm not running my own business? That saddle isn't one. If you don't want it, I'll get it for someone else," the shop assistant said loudly.

"Fine! I've raised you to be an ingrate, now you're trying to push business away. I'll beat you to death!"

When the shop assistant realized he couldn't reason with the old man, he quickly ran back into the shop.

Xu Dan turned around at the sound and saw the shop assistant scurrying away with his head in his hands. He chuckled. Ah, the human world! This is what it means to be down-to-earth. The scenery of the alpine meadows may be beautiful, but ultimately it's too far removed from people, too detached from reality.

After walking a few steps, I saw an inn on the right with the words "Donglai Inn" written on the sign.

"Donglai"—isn't that referring to myself? I truly am the chosen one.

Xu Dan walked over with an air of superiority. An old man was sitting at the shop entrance. Seeing him arrive, the old man quickly got up to greet him, "Young master, are you looking for a place to stay?"

"Are there any rooms available?" Xu Dan asked.

"Yes, of course."

"Prepare a nice room for me, and cook some good dishes, including meat. Do you have hot water here?"

"Yes, the water in the shop is always hot."

"Then get me some hot water, I want to take a good shower before eating."

"Young master, go to your room first. I'll have my wife prepare some hot water and then cook a few of my best dishes. You can eat them right after you take a bath."

"Thank you, shopkeeper."

"You're welcome, you're welcome, it's nothing."

Xu Dan looked around the room, quite satisfied. He unloaded his luggage and, cuddling the silly black bear, went to take a hot shower. Good heavens, how long had it been since he'd last showered? No, it wasn't just a matter of how long; he hadn't showered since he arrived here.

Damn, you don't know until you wash it, and once you do, you're shocked. Just a pinch of it turns out to be a dark, magical pill.

Another pinch, and another one.

With a strong pinch, a handful of it is added, stirred with some oil, and it becomes a dark, black plaster.

Not long after washing, the bucket of water turned as black as sewage, like a stinking ditch, so Xu Dan had to ask the shop to change it. The shop had soap made from unknown herbs, which had a natural fragrance. After changing the water, Xu Dan used the soap to scrub himself thoroughly before feeling completely relaxed.

The black bear had never seen water before and was terrified, but after he washed it carefully...

Smelling the fragrance of soapberries, it seemed to have taken a liking to the feeling, and even learned to crawl like a dog in the bucket.

After taking a shower and eating the dishes carefully prepared by the restaurant owner's wife, Xu Dan didn't want to think about anything or do anything; he just wanted to have a good night's sleep.

The black bear didn't fall asleep immediately; it watched its owner for a while before lying down and falling asleep.