Having studied for a hundred years, why do you call me the Martial Saint?

"Haven't you heard people say that everything in here is outdated and useless?"

Qian Le looked completely bewildered; this junior brother was simply messing around.

"Brother Qian, don't be in a hurry, let me say something first."

Gu Shuxian leaned closer, lowered his voice, and glanced at the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper didn't seem to mind their whispering, and simply left them two books, telling them to come to the counter to find him once they had made their decision.

"What we learn is to identify herbs, not medical books. Whether the medicinal properties are accurate is not very relevant to us. Since we are learning to identify herbs, it is natural to recognize as many varieties as possible. The 'Hundred Herbs Record' records thousands of herbs, which is the largest number. That's one reason."

Gu Shuxian began to seriously... explaining things to him with emotion and reason.

Qian Le frowned, nodded slightly, then shook his head and said, "No matter how many there are, it's not as good as what's available nearby..."

"Secondly, we're doing a clandestine business after all. No matter how many common medicinal herbs we have, they're not as valuable as a few rare and precious ones. This 'Record of Herbs' is too ancient now. That's why it might contain some obscure and rare herbs that aren't recorded in ordinary medical books. If we recognize a few, we'll be rich!" Gu Shuxian continued.

Qian Le pondered for a moment, then sighed softly, "The odds are too low, the odds are too low..."

"Thirdly, is that 'Illustrated Compendium of Herbs' really useful? Senior brother, you've noticed it too, haven't you? This book was written by people from this city! If they colluded to produce a shoddy copy, it might only record some common herbs while keeping the methods for identifying rare medicinal materials to themselves. Is such a book really worth 800 coins?"

When the first two reasons were given, Qian Le's face remained expressionless, but when the third reason was given, his face was immediately filled with shock.

"Hiss... Junior Brother Gu, what you're saying does make some sense..."

"It's possible, it's absolutely possible!"

"Anyone who hears that this is a 'common variety near Wancheng' will definitely find it extremely convenient!"

"But if this doctor colludes with those pharmacies and bookstores, making others only recognize common medicines, while they keep the secrets of rare medicinal herbs and buy them at bargain prices from those who don't know their value... that must be it! Despicable! Shameless!"

Qian Le became agitated, as if he had remembered something unpleasant, and slapped his thigh in anger.

There's no evidence yet, and you're already so certain? Gu Shuxian was speechless.

Indeed, the most effective tactic in business warfare is to smear the opponent.

"Alright, Junior Brother Gu, you're well-read, so we'll listen to you! Let's buy this copy of 'The Record of a Hundred Herbs'!"

Qian Le waved his hand, made a decision, and took the book of herbs to the counter.

"Shopkeeper, how much is this book?"

The shopkeeper behind the counter raised his eyelids, glanced at the yellowed book covers, and calmly held up five fingers.

Five taels.

"How many?!"

Qian Le cried out in surprise, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"Why don't you just rob it?"

Five taels of silver can buy an Inner Breath Pill!

In this world, practicing martial arts can lead to becoming an official or a general, or it can lead to gathering bandits and robbing in the mountains.

They can be chivalrous and righteous, or they can wreak havoc on the region; they can protect themselves, or they can do whatever they want.

How can a tattered book compare to martial arts resources!

Gu Shuxian also frowned.

This unscrupulous merchant is really asking for an exorbitant price!

The middle-aged shopkeeper said unhurriedly, "As I just said, this 'Record of Herbs' is full of errors and omissions, so naturally no one will print it again. The number of surviving copies is extremely small, and its collection value is extremely high now. To be honest, I'm actually losing money by selling it for five taels."

Gu Shuxian remained silent, his mind racing.

Regardless of how sincere the shopkeeper was, they simply couldn't come up with the five taels of silver.

Although Qian Le had been in the business of selling mountain goods for a long time, he might not be able to scrape together five taels. To put it bluntly, they were just menial disciples.

Even if I could scrape together the money, I wouldn't spend that much on a book.

We need to think of other ways to obtain this book.

Can I borrow it? I'm afraid that's a bit difficult. We're not related, and the shopkeeper would never agree.

"Buy on credit first? Judging from the shopkeeper's businesslike manner, it's probably even less likely."

Must we take the risk, in the night...?

"If you two are short of money, why not buy the two books I recommended earlier? Why buy an outdated herbal medicine book?" the shopkeeper kindly advised.

Gu Shuxian glanced at the two herbal medicine books she had read before, and then looked at the Hundred Herbs Record.

Even a hero can be brought down by three cents!

He sighed inwardly. Oh well, in the end, this was just his own guess, and the book might not even be that extraordinary masterpiece.

The grapes you can't reach must be sour, yeah.

"Brother Qian, since that's the case, let's switch to another book..." Gu Shuxian said slowly.

As for this one, I'll see if I can borrow some from someone using my own skills.

Qian Le kept his head down in deep thought. Suddenly, he looked up at Gu Shuxian, then at the shopkeeper, and finally his gaze fell on the book "The Record of Herbs".

Suddenly, he gritted his teeth and said, "If we want to make big money in the future, we can't be stingy now! Five taels it is, let's buy it!"

Gu Shuxian was taken aback and wanted to make a few excuses, but she saw a resolute look in his eyes, as if he were deep in thought.

Qian Le turned to the side, unbuttoned his coat, and shakily pulled out a small cloth bag from the lining.

He opened the cloth bag layer by layer, revealing a few pieces of silver and a few strings of copper coins inside. With a pained expression, he took out most of them and slammed them on the table.

"Five taels, please take your order, shopkeeper!"

The shopkeeper remained calm and composed. He weighed the book with his tools, nodded, and said, "Exactly five taels. The book is yours."

He wrapped the book of herbs in cloth and pushed it in front of Gu Shuxian.

Gu Shuxian stretched out his hands and solemnly picked it up.

Qian Le sighed, "Junior Brother Gu, all my possessions are tied up in this book..."

Gu Shuxian smiled.

He knew in his heart the purpose of spending a fortune to buy a horse's bones.

So he solemnly patted his chest and guaranteed:

"Don't worry, I'll make sure Senior Brother Qian makes a fortune!"

……

The two left the Sanmei Bookstore and went directly to the East Market.

Compared to the tranquility of the bookstore, this place is a completely different scene.

The air was filled with the sounds of vendors selling cloth, fish, and handicrafts, their shouts and bargaining creating a lively atmosphere.

In an inconspicuous corner, they found Deng Shifan.

He had already laid out and displayed all the mountain produce from the bamboo basket.

"Boss, Brother Gu." Deng Shifan smiled when he saw them arrive, then asked nervously, "Did you...did you buy the books?"

"I got it."

Qian Le nodded without saying much. After observing the surroundings, he skillfully began to help tidy up the stall.

While tidying up, he explained to Gu Shuxian:

"These things can be sold directly to restaurants and eateries, but we are small-scale sellers with unstable quantities, so the price can be driven down to the bone. But it's different in the market. There are always some gourmets who love fresh mountain products and are willing to pay more money. So if we work a little harder, we can earn more."

Gu Shuxian nodded, intending to help with the sales.

Suddenly, a loud commotion erupted from the street corner.

"Make way! Who gave you permission to set up this stall?"

Several thugs dressed in coarse cloth shorts pushed and shoved their way over, cursing as they went.

"Have you paid your monthly bill yet?"

"Hey you, old Sun, stop dawdling. Want us to loosen up your muscles?"