Gou Zai Wudao Shi Lian Shen

Early morning, roll call in the backyard.

Lu Chen was left alone by Zhao Yiting.

Lu Chen asked, "Chief Zhao, what are your orders?"

Zhao Yiting stood under the eaves, wearing a thick cloth overcoat. He glanced at Lu Chen, his gaze more serious than usual: "Today, Master Ge is going to Gaolin County to attend a medicinal herb fair and purchase autumn harvest herbs. You will accompany him."

"Gaolin County?"

Lu Chen was slightly taken aback.

He had heard of this place.

Gaolin County is more prosperous than Chixia County, with fertile surrounding fields and many medicinal herb gardens, making it a well-known distribution center for medicinal herbs in the vicinity.

Lu Chen asked, "Chief Zhao, doesn't our yam business have its own medicinal herb garden? Why do we need to go to other counties to purchase herbs?"

Zhao Yiting explained, "Winter is approaching."

"When winter comes, heavy snow closes the mountain, making it difficult to transport the medicinal herbs from Chixia Mountain Medicinal Herb Garden out."

"Therefore, we need to go to other counties to purchase a batch of medicinal herbs to supply the production of elixirs in winter."

"If we don't stock up on more medicinal herbs before winter, the alchemy workshop might have to shut down once the twelfth lunar month arrives."

Upon hearing the words "shut down the furnace," Lu Chen immediately understood the seriousness of the situation.

If the alchemy room closes, the supply of elixirs such as Blood Qi Powder will be cut off, and the yam business will lose a large amount of income.

With so many martial artists and servants employed by the yam business, it would be difficult to maintain normal operations without the income from pills.

Zhao Yiting said in a deep voice, "If the alchemy room closes, customers will turn around and buy medicine from the Huang family. The market and connections that our yam business has worked so hard to maintain will inevitably shrink, and it will be even more difficult to compete with the Huang family in the future."

Lu Chen nodded: "I understand, Chief Zhao."

Zhao Yiting continued, "Gaolin County is richer than our Chixia County. It has more fields and medicinal herb gardens, and it is also the central hub for the trade of medicinal herbs in the surrounding area. Every year after the autumn harvest, a medicinal herb fair is held."

"At that time, pharmacies, itinerant medicine merchants, and alchemists from the surrounding area will all go."

"A large quantity of autumn-harvested medicinal herbs will be sold in one go. Farmers are rushing to sell them to make money for the winter, so prices will be much lower than usual. For us in the pharmacy business, this is also the best time of year to stock up on large quantities."

Lu Chen said, "I see."

This is equivalent to a year-end mega sale by medicinal herb wholesalers.

Zhao Yiting added, "The various pharmacies will also take this opportunity to exchange information and establish trade routes. Some medicinal herbs are abundant in Chixia Mountain but scarce in Gaolin County; others are plentiful in Gaolin County but rare here. This exchange between pharmacies facilitates the distribution of goods."

"There will also be an auction of elixir recipes and an exchange meeting for alchemists."

"Our Master Ge also wants to join in the fun and exchange ideas with his peers."

At this point, Zhao Yiting's expression became slightly serious.

He looked at Lu Chen and said, "Your main task on this mission is to protect Master Ge."

"Stay by Master Ge's side and protect him closely."

"His safety is crucial to the livelihood of our yam business!"

Lu Chen clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Understood. Please rest assured, Chief Zhao, Master Ge's safety is in my hands!"

Zhao Yiting spoke seriously, adding, "Although you are now the best guard in our yam business, Gaolin County is a mixed bag, full of experts. Be very careful when you go there."

I will be careful.

Lu Chen nodded upon hearing this, and at the same time, he understood the purpose of Zhao Yiting's arrangement.

During this period, he had defeated many people in the yam shop and even defeated Li Qing, making him the number one guard in the shop.

It's easy to get carried away and become arrogant.

Zhao Yiting asked him to leave, firstly to escort Master Ge Ye, and secondly to give him a warning so that he wouldn't let the small world of the yam shop limit his horizons.

After all, there are always mountains beyond mountains, and people beyond people.

After packing his things, Lu Chen went out.

The yam shop had already prepared carriages and horses in the front yard.

The carriage wasn't luxurious; the outside of the carriage was covered with a layer of dark oilcloth, and two blue-maned horses snorted and pawed the ground restlessly with their hooves.

Master Ge Ye, dressed in a gray robe, stood beside the carriage. Beside him was a young apprentice named Sun Shun, about seventeen or eighteen years old, who helped Master Ge Ye carry his luggage and move his belongings.

Wang Qinian, the accountant, was in his forties, with a fair complexion and slightly plump figure. He boarded the carriage first.

The five martial arts guards also arrived one after another.

Besides Lu Chen, there were Qian Ming, Zhou Li, and two other elderly nurses.

Qian Ming remained as lazy as ever, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth. Zhou Li, on the other hand, was full of energy, a gourd of wine hanging from his waist. He kept rubbing the gourd with his hand, wanting to take a sip, but then worried that if he drank it all, he wouldn't have any to drink on the way. He was itching for a drink.

When Qian Ming saw Lu Chen approaching, he smiled and said, "Lu Chen, is this your first time visiting Gaolin County?"

Lu Chen nodded: "The first time."

Since transmigrating to this world, Lu Chen has never left Chixia County.

He had only heard others mention Gaolin County, but he was curious about what it was like.

Zhou Li immediately chimed in, "The sashimi sake from Gaolin County is absolutely amazing! I'll take you there to try it when we get there!"

Qian Ming glanced at Zhou Li: "Old Zhou, besides alcohol, what else can you think of?"

Zhou Li chuckled, revealing a mouthful of tarnished teeth: "And the girls from Yue Manlou!"

The group quickly set off.

Master Ge Ye and Wang Qinian sat in the carriage, driven by the medicine apprentice Sun Shun. Five guards stood guard around the perimeter, one leading the way, two flanking from the left and right, Qian Ming occasionally lingering beside the carriage, while Lu Chen followed at the rear.

Once outside the city gate, the noise gradually faded away.

The official road extends eastward, and its surface is much smoother than the mountain road leading to Chixia Mountain. The fields on both sides have already been harvested, with withered yellow rice stubble spread out in patches, and the autumn wind carries a faint scent of dried grass and trees.

Lu Chen glanced back at Chixia County.

The outline of the county town gradually blurred in the morning light.

The next afternoon, the group finally arrived in Gaolin County.

From afar, the city walls of Gaolin County are tall and neatly arranged with blue bricks, and a long line of carriages and horses stretches out outside the city gates. With the medicine fair approaching, medicine merchants from all over are rushing into the city.

However, the atmosphere at the city gate today is quite strange.

Two teams of guards stood in front of the city gate, their hands on the hilts of their swords, checking everyone entering the city. Men, in particular, whether they were medicine merchants, shop assistants, or martial arts guards, were all called aside and had their faces examined.

Several portraits were posted next to the city wall.

The people in the portraits all look different.

Some were fair-skinned scholars, some were middle-aged merchants, some were bearded men, and one even depicted a kind-faced old servant.

But under each portrait, the same name was written.

A man of a thousand faces.

Zhou Li peeked inside and muttered, "Strange, all these portraits are of the same person?"

Qian Ming looked at the notice at the city gate and said, "The Thousand-Faced Gentleman, a womanizer in the Jianghu, is proficient in disguise and is best at changing his appearance to infiltrate wealthy households."

"Several daughters of wealthy families were humiliated by him, and the magistrates of the county were furious. They offered a large reward for his capture."

Lu Chen frowned slightly: "A womanizer?"

Qian Ming frowned deeply: "With the medicine fair approaching and this kind of case happening, Gaolin County is likely to be in turmoil these next few days."

Soon, it was the turn of Wangji Yam Shop's group.

The lead guard stopped the carriage, his gaze sweeping over the group: "Where are you from? What brings you into the city?"

Wang Qinian stepped down from the carriage and quickly handed over his name card and travel permit: "Wang's Yam Shop of Chixia County, here to attend the Gaolin County Medicinal Herb Fair and purchase autumn harvest medicinal herbs."

The guard took the name card and travel permit, his expression softening slightly, but he did not immediately let them pass.

"The county magistrate has ordered that everyone, whether entering or leaving the city, must be checked."

As he spoke, he pointed to the wooden shed next to him.

"Go over there and have your faces checked."

"The master thief, the Thousand-Faced Gentleman, is a master of disguise; everyone must be checked before entering the city!"

Everyone felt at ease and cooperated with the inspection.

After confirming that there were no signs of disguise on their faces, they were allowed to enter the city.