Chapter 31: Go!_i
Translator: 549690339
“Uncle Seven, Brother Wang has come to see you.”
Wang Ba’s arrival seemed to disturb the entire courtyard, he could see the windows of several rooms being cautiously cracked open, and behind those slits were intense and worried eyes.
He couldn’t help but sigh quietly.
It was hard to imagine that this was once the family of a great outer-sect disciple.
A member of the Lu family led Wang Ba into a slightly cramped room of a two-part courtyard.
Just as he entered the room, he was met with a thick, choking smell of medicinal herbs.
Looking at the old man lying on the bed with his eyes closed, thin as a skeleton, Wang Ba could not in anyway relate him to Shopkeeper Lu, known for his witty and distinctive demeanor in West Garden Market.
How could such a significant change occur in just over a month?
He couldn’t help but cast a doubtful look at one of the family members by his side.
This seemingly haggard middle-aged man was filled with sadness:
“Without Second Uncle of the main family, Uncles Five and Six couldn’t take it and fell sick all of a sudden. Uncle Seven had to take charge of everything. A few days ago, a past subordinate of Second Uncle paid a visit. He didn’t go too far. But Uncle Seven is only a mortal, how could he withstand…”
While speaking, his eyes already reddened.
It was obvious that the ups and downs of the past month had devastated his psychological defenses.
Listening to this, Wang Ba fell into silence.
The ailing Shopkeeper Lu on the bed seemed to have heard some movement. Slowly opening his eyes and struggling to match the figure before him with the one in his memory. After a while, a mix of surprise and complexity surfaced on his thin face:
“Wang, Brother Wang… is it you who came?”
The short sentence seemed to have exhausted his energy.
He struggled to sit up, but the middle-aged man quickly moved forward to support him.
Wang Ba also stepped forward, holding the incredibly thin arm of the old man.
That arm felt like a hollow reed when held in hand.
But Shopkeeper Lu grasped Wang Ba’s hand firmly.
His expression changed:
“I had never expected that you… could come.”
Feeling the weak strength transmitted from the other’s hand, which was like a chicken claw, Wang Ba forced a smile: “Shopkeeper, I’m a regular customer at your place. If you’re not in the shop, shouldn’t I come to see you?”
“Indeed, it’s just a pity… you asked me to buy a Precious Chicken for you, but 1 couldn’t do it…”
Shopkeeper Lu sat upright, and a smile finally appeared on his face, as if he had regained some spirit.
“It’s alright, I’ll just come to your place to buy some other day…”
Wang Ba comforted with a smile.
“Then 1 must serve … serve you well…”
Shopkeeper Lu joked with a forced laugh.
The two looked at each other and smiled.
Only then did Shopkeeper Lu notice the bamboo basket at Wang Ba’s feet, causing him to look puzzledly at Wang Ba.
“What is this…”
“I am a chicken breeder visiting you, naturally, 1 am here to sell chickens.”
Wang Ba said with a laugh.
“Selling chicken?”
Shopkeeper Lu paused, and before he could respond, the middle-aged man next to him couldn’t help showing a troubled expression: “Brother Wang… We have already transferred the shop…”
However, Shopkeeper Lu glared at him, interrupting directly: “Even if we’ve transferred the shop… we… were originally merchants by profession, we mustn’t forget our roots!”
After saying this, he turned to look at Wang Ba, his face apologetic: “Brother Wang, you still came to sell me the chicken, which is indeed a courtesy to me. However, our family is indeed in a predicament now, and… with the soaring market price for Precious Chickens, I am afraid I can’t offer a high price…”
“No issue.”
Wang Ba said with a smile: “One hundred taels of silver are also good, or ten Spirit Stones.”
“Ten Spirit Stones?!”
The middle-aged man almost screamed out loud.
What chicken could be worth ten Spirit Stones!
Could this person be planning to take advantage of their predicament?
Shopkeeper Lu didn’t think so, he just found it a bit strange. After thinking for a while, he ordered the middle-aged man:
“An Wu, go… go get five fraction Spirit Stones.”
“Brother Wang, Five fraction Spirit Stones might hardly buy a male Precious Chicken in today’s market, but it’s… indeed the limit of Spirit Stones our family can afford to use.”
Shopkeeper Lu’s eyes darkened a bit.
He used to handle dozens or even hundreds of Spirit Stones in a day.
But now, a fraction of five spirit stones had him at his wit’s end, how could he not be upset.
“Uncle Seven… these… our Spirit Stones …”
The middle-aged man, Lu An Wu, looked troubled.
“Isn’t my word enough?”
Shopkeeper Lu turned his head and glared.
Despite feeling the pain, Lu An Wu carefully propped him up beside the bed and went out.
After a while, Lu An Wu came back, presenting a fractional piece of five Spirit Stones to Wang Ba.
Wang Ba calmly accepted it.
The middle-aged man showed surprise, but he held back.
It wasn’t until he picked up the bamboo basket and saw what was inside that he couldn’t help exclaiming.
“This…is a Spirit Chicken!”
Shopkeeper Lu blinked at the words, immediately looking towards the open bamboo basket.
He saw a robust and spirited rooster, looking around with an air of confidence.
“This… Brother Wang, this is not appropriate!”
Arriving at this point, how could Shopkeeper Lu not understand the kind intention of Wang Ba.
Nothing more than considering his own face, deliberately selling it cheaply.
“Shopkeeper, no need for more words, consider this a deposit. If you have more Precious Chickens in the future, remember to sell them to me,” Wang Ba said with a smile.
Lu Anwu couldn’t help but plead, “Seventh Uncle… with this Spirit Chicken, both Uncle Five and Uncle Six may be saved.”
Shopkeeper Lu, who was about to decline, was suddenly speechless.
With slight hesitation, he said softly, “Anwu, go and check on your Uncle Five and Uncle Six.”
Although he didn’t understand why Seventh Uncle wanted to distract him, Lu Anwu obediently left.
In the room filled with herbal scent, only Shopkeeper Lu and Wang Ba were left.
Shopkeeper Lu spoke softly, “Brother Wang, can you see if anyone is outside?”
Wang Ba was puzzled but went to the door and carefully examined his surroundings.
Then he looked at Shopkeeper Lu and shook his head gently.
Relieved, Shopkeeper Lu motioned Wang Ba to come forward.
He leaned in to whisper.
And just uttered one word:
Go!
Walking through the waste-filled Nanhu Village, Wang Ba couldn’t help but recall Shopkeeper Lu’s words.
“A great change is about to occur within the Sect?”
“It seems Shopkeeper Lu knows something, but he doesn’t dare to say it.”
“He only asked me to do everything possible to leave the Sect.”
“What kind of reason would make him so urgent? So fearful?”
“And what kind of change would affect the likes of me?”
“Moreover, why would the Lu family choose to remain in Nanhu Village knowing such a catastrophe is imminent?”
“Are they taking a risk, or is there something else at play?”
Wang Ba’s mind was filled with questions.
He had only visited because he was grateful to Shopkeeper Lu for his past advice and felt obligated to return the favor.
Unexpectedly, he received a warning from Shopkeeper Lu.
He had no reason to doubt it.
After all, the man had no reason to deceive him.
But in his heart, he was not willing to leave the Sect.
It was not a question of loyalty to the Sect. As a functionary, it was hard for him to harbor any affection for it.
Despite the potential risks, overall, it was a safe place.
As long as he followed the rules, if luck wasn’t against him, he could lead a decent life.
Even though prices had skyrocketed recently, goods like Precious Chicken, which are hard to procure outside, were available for cultivation.
Leaving the Sect would make it challenging for him, a mortal, to access such resources.
Even if he could reach the market where rogue cultivators gathered, he might be torn to pieces just for owning a Spirit Chicken.
The Power of the Yin God may not provide much protection.
Not to mention, outside the Sect, a group of people might be after him because of the “Book of Yin God’s Grand Dream”.
If this group truly existed, judging by their ruthless pursuit of Old Sun for fifty years, they might be after him again.
In any case, Wang Ba felt that staying low in the Sect was the best approach.
However, after receiving Shopkeeper Lu’s warning, his heart started wavering.
Leave or stay?
That is the question!
Leaving Nanhu Village behind and with the sight of the lush South Lake Market and the blue lake in the distance, his mood uplifted slightly.
Then, he heard a cold voice behind him.
“Are you Wang Ba?”