Chapter 38: Qixia Town

Bai Xiaoyue was deeply impressed by Yan Chixia’s words and exclaimed, “Little brother, you truly have great ambition! It seems the saying ‘one becomes red by being near cinnabar’ rings true—seeing your determination now fills me with confidence for my own cultivation journey as well!”

As they conversed, Yan Chixia and Bai Xiaoyue continued on their way. After an hour, they arrived at the foot of the mountain, and followed a winding goat path through a patch of tangled woods, eventually coming upon a small mountain village.

The village was very peaceful, with no sound of roosters or dogs, only wisps of smoke curling gently into the air. Around the village, there were many large and small vegetable gardens scattered to the left and right. It was winter, and all the gardens lay empty, devoid of any greenery.

Seeing these gardens, Bai Xiaoyue was overcome with emotion, and she suddenly recalled how she and her sisters used to sneak here to steal carrots. Her eyes reddened with tears. “Little brother, this is the place my sisters and I always used to visit…”

Seeing Bai Xiaoyue’s tearful face, Yan Chixia felt a pang in his heart and said warmly, “Sister, are you missing your sisters again?”

“Yes,” Bai Xiaoyue replied with deep affection. “When my mother led us seven sisters in our cultivation, she often said that when we finally succeeded, our whole family would settle in a quiet mountain village like this one and live out our days in peace… Who could have imagined that I alone would survive the tribulation… Alas! How wonderful it would be if Mother and my sisters could have overcome their trials as well.”

Yan Chixia nodded, and when he saw Bai Xiaoyue’s tears streaming down, he felt a bitter ache in his nose and was deeply saddened. He hurried to comfort her, “Sister, don’t be sad… In this world, so many things don’t go as one wishes.”

“You’re right, little brother!” Bai Xiaoyue wiped away her tears and smiled gently. “Alright, I’m not sad anymore. Let’s hurry and be on our way.”

With Bai Xiaoyue leading the way, they passed through several small villages with practiced ease and finally arrived at Qixia Town.

Qixia Town was a small mountain town, not particularly large, but home to nearly a thousand families. The main street bustled with endless streams of people. Shops and stalls lined both sides of the road, the shouts of vendors rising and falling in lively succession.

Yan Chixia had been born in Kaoshan Village and later went to Zhongnan Mountain—he had never been anywhere else and was quite inexperienced. Now, as he walked with Bai Xiaoyue down the busy street of Qixia Town, he was dazzled by the fluttering shop banners and waving flags outside the storefronts. He looked around in amazement and delight, exclaiming, “It’s so lively here! Sister, I’ve never seen such a grand scene before in my life…”

Bai Xiaoyue laughed, “So, little brother, it seems it’s not you accompanying me to shop today, but me bringing you out to see the world! Since you like the bustle, let’s wander around and take a good look.”

Yan Chixia was a little embarrassed. “Sister, you make fun of me! Well, whether it’s lively or not doesn’t really matter. What’s important is doing what we need to. Let’s focus on buying what we came for.”

“Alright, we’ll do as you say,” Bai Xiaoyue replied softly. “There’s a lot to buy today, but let’s first find a pharmacy to sell the medicinal herbs, then we can get on with our shopping.”

“Okay.” Yan Chixia nodded, and together they began searching for a pharmacy.

As they walked side by side along the street, passersby brushed past them in the crowd. In the past, encountering so many unfamiliar faces would have made Bai Xiaoyue anxious and uneasy, fearing some villain might be lurking nearby. But today, with Yan Chixia by her side, she felt relaxed and cheerful, not the least bit nervous. As they walked, they scanned the shops on both sides. Suddenly, they both noticed a pharmacy called “Li’s Apothecary” on the left. The striking black signboard with gold lettering caught their eye, and two gourds with the word “medicine” hung on either side of the entrance, swaying in the wind.

“Li’s Apothecary,” Yan Chixia read aloud. “Sister, shall we go there?”

“Let’s go!” Bai Xiaoyue agreed, and together they quickened their pace towards the pharmacy. In no time, they stood before the door and entered, one after the other.

Inside, there were only the proprietor and a young apprentice, no other customers. The proprietor was about sixty years old, with a kindly face, graying beard, and dressed in a blue silk-cotton robe. He sat behind the counter, checking his accounts. The apprentice, a boy of twelve or thirteen, had fair skin and well-proportioned features, dressed in a blue cotton jacket. He was crouched on the floor by the counter, tending a brazier with a pair of tongs.

The brazier glowed warmly, filling the pharmacy with a pleasant heat. The apprentice, busy with the fire, looked up suddenly as Yan Chixia and Bai Xiaoyue entered. He quickly put down the tongs, stood up, and greeted them with a friendly smile, “Welcome, honored guests!”

The proprietor looked up as well and smiled at them, “Welcome! What would you like to buy?”

“Good day, sir,” Bai Xiaoyue replied. “We’re not here to buy, but to sell some medicinal herbs.”

“Oh?” The proprietor was surprised and looked at Bai Xiaoyue with curiosity. “You’re here to sell herbs? But this season, it’s hard to find any herbs on the mountain, isn’t it?”

Without further ado, Bai Xiaoyue reached into her pocket, took out two specimens of cordyceps, and placed them on the counter. “Please take a look, sir. How much would these herbs be worth?”

“Ah? Cordyceps sinensis?!” the proprietor exclaimed. He stood up in excitement, picked up the two pieces, and examined them closely, barely able to contain his delight. “Such large specimens! Each nearly a span long—I’ve never seen the like… Hm, both are perfectly intact, robust, evenly colored, three clear segments at the base, a large hook at the tail, firm texture, pure fragrance… These are indeed two top-grade natural cordyceps! The only flaw is that they’ve been stored a while—judging by the look, they must have been dug up three years ago…”

Bai Xiaoyue was impressed by the proprietor’s discerning eye. “You truly have an expert’s eye! I did dig up these two cordyceps three years ago… So, does that mean the longer they’re stored, the less valuable they become?”

“Yes,” the proprietor replied. “Precious herbs like cordyceps, ginseng, and polygonum multiflorum gain potency with age while growing in the ground; but once dug up, the longer they’re stored, the more their medicinal properties fade, and so naturally their value decreases.”

“I see,” Yan Chixia, standing nearby, suddenly understood.

Hearing this, Bai Xiaoyue grew a little anxious. “Then… sir, how much do you think these two specimens are worth?”