CHAPTER 59: CHAPTER 59 REPORTING

In Medicine King Hall.

Chen Ku was digesting the news and intelligence he had acquired at the banquet that night, a gathering that shouldn’t have involved someone of his social standing.

Aside from everything else, if I could get that bait mouse and sell it to these young masters, I could make a fortune!

He had heard them say that one bait mouse was worth at least two to three hundred taels of silver. If he could catch three or four, that would mean a thousand taels in his pocket.

If there were to be a major epidemic outbreak, as they mentioned, with typhoid spreading, prices could soar even higher.

Chen Ku also hadn’t forgotten another piece of information he had heard.

Peace Path? Free talisman water for curing diseases?

Even the young masters and misses of this world knew something was off upon hearing this; it definitely involved a conspiracy.

After all, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, right?

Especially since Chen Ku, in his previous life, had witnessed so many information explosions and combined them with historical events? Great disasters and epidemics, talisman water for cures? Add to that some "Peace Path" nonsense, and it reeked of a White Lotus cult or a Taiping rebellion-like scenario. They were surely aiming for something big. Not to mention this was a border area; once chaos erupted... it might not be just as simple as not having enough to eat. When a major tide of the era struck, not just him but the entire Medicine King Hall might not withstand it.

Therefore, Chen Ku felt a pressing sense of crisis.

Whether it was saving more silver or accumulating more Cultivation, it was all about surviving and living better in this world, certainly not to be buried under an avalanche triggered by such large-scale events.

Medicine King Hall does have bait mice, used for testing medicines. Given my current relationship with Master Ke, I should qualify to take a look, or at least get a scent of them. Then I can dispatch Skinny Dog to search around Two Realms Mountain...

With that thought, he fell into a deep sleep. He didn’t know that in the Lian Family’s forest, which Skinny Dog frequented, an unexpected person was present at this time.

"Pharmacist Huang, still collecting Herbal Medicine this late at night? This sort of task really shouldn’t trouble a great pharmacist like yourself!" A Lian Family servant had a cart of uniformly harvested Herbal Medicine delivered to Huang Gun and his assistants.

Huang Gun’s face was cold. "The quality of the Herbal Medicine your Medicine Mountain has been sending over lately has been subpar, to say the least."

"If I didn’t come personally, would it seem as though Medicine King Hall holds no significance in the eyes of your Lian Family?"

He was already in charge of the Inner Treasury of Medicine King Hall and oversaw all inventory and supplies of medicinal materials.

Now, with the Lian Family relentlessly supplying subpar medicinal materials and offering him no token of respect, even if he were a Stone Man, he couldn’t just turn a blind eye and pretend not to notice.

Why should he?

Hearing this, the Lian Family’s manager immediately looked guilty, then grimaced as he explained, "There... there’s an inside story to this. Recently, something strange occurred on the mountain. Precious, aged, high-quality Herbal Medicine has been disappearing day after day. We initially thought some skilled herb collector was exploiting our Lian Family, but after several days of investigation, it turned out not to be the case... Later, we discovered it seemed like some demon, perhaps a Skinny Dog that had gained sentience, was stealing Herbal Medicine daily... At the locations where the Herbal Medicine was stolen, we always found Skinny Dog tracks..."

Skinny Dog... Hmm, Skinny Dog?

When Huang Gun first heard about a Demon digging up Herbal Medicine, he hadn’t paid it much mind. After all, any Martial Practitioner with Inner Qi could easily handle such Demons, sometimes even consuming their Demon Meat, which could be more nourishing to Qi and blood than ordinary Treasure Herbs...

But at the mention of "Skinny Dog," the unease he had deeply repressed in his heart flared up.

It made him instinctively think of the secret he feared most being exposed...

His nephew, Huang Ba, had been murdered—the constable determined a Skinny Dog bite was the cause. Furthermore, a cash box was missing from his nephew’s house. Critically, that box contained letters detailing how Huang Gun had his nephew help him resell items from Medicine King Hall’s Inner Treasury...

At this moment, Skinny Dog, Demon, digging up Herbal Medicine...

Combining these elements.

Treasured Medicine, Apprentice, Huang Ba, fellow villager...

This made Huang Gun subconsciously feel he was grasping some threads of a connection.

The only thing he couldn’t understand was...

What kind of Skinny Dog would be so spiritually wise?

Even if it was a Demon, it would merely cultivate Demonic Qi. In most cases, such creatures remained beasts, lacking sufficient Spiritual Wisdom...

Moreover, if it were a Demon-level Skinny Dog, how could it be controlled by a hapless, dirt-covered peasant?

On what grounds?

Yet, Huang Gun couldn’t stop himself from thinking this way.

What if? There’s always someone in this world who encounters serendipity, isn’t there?

If it really is that Chen Ku... he is currently in Master Ke’s good graces. It’s impossible for me to investigate and confront him in the courtyard... If this matter were to be exposed and the letters are indeed in his possession, wouldn’t I be the one finished?

Huang Gun’s thoughts were profound. Anyway, I shall keep a closer eye on him these days. If it really is him... If I can’t touch him inside the hall, can’t I deal with him outside?

Inside the Inner Treasury, there was a peculiar powder called ’Corpse-Dissolving Powder,’ which could dissolve not only corpses but even bones completely.

His mind raced with these thoughts.

Huang Gun looked coldly at the Lian Family’s manager before him. "Is this the explanation you’re giving me? It seems our hall’s Shopkeeper will need to personally discuss this matter with your family head to decide how to proceed! After all, no one in Baojiao County dares to insult Medicine King Hall like this!"

Even if a Demon had hollowed out Medicine Mountain, that’s no excuse for substituting with substandard goods.

The Lian Family’s manager’s expression changed repeatedly. This matter, if not made public, wasn’t a major issue. After all, everyone knew purchasing medicinal materials involved significant kickbacks; he skimmed a bit, and others skimmed some too...

The reason this issue arose today was simply that this Steward of Medicine King Hall’s Inner Treasury hadn’t been allowed to skim enough, or perhaps he had skimmed less than he felt entitled to.

Thus, astute as these people were, they immediately knew what to do.

"Pharmacist Huang, please calm your anger," Manager Lian said. "Of course, this matter is indeed our fault. What are your terms for handling this without escalating the situation?"

Huang Gun said indifferently, "That’s very simple. Make up for what was shorted, and then add some compensation as an apology."

Manager Lian gritted his teeth. He hadn’t expected this greedy fiend to demand not only the shortfall to be covered but also additional ’tribute’ from him.

Late that night, Huang Gun, having reaped his full benefits, returned to the city with two carts of medicinal materials; one cart was taken back to Medicine King Hall, and the other was diverted elsewhere.

This trip, he had skimmed at least five hundred taels.

[Huang Gun is harboring ill intentions towards the Diagram Master.]

Chen Ku woke up in the middle of the night and saw the alert on the Transformation Diagram. His expression flickered slightly before turning grave.

Huang Gun? He had harbored ill will towards me before, and the Transformation Diagram had alerted me once. Now it alerted me again, using the exact words ’ill intentions’... What has he discovered?

Chen Ku’s eyes glinted as he thought of those letters, which were enough to ruin Huang Gun in Medicine King Hall. However, his own standing was clearly insufficient.

After all, Huang Gun held such a crucial position as Steward of Medicine King Hall’s Inner Treasury. It was obvious he likely had powerful backing. A few letters and the accusation of a mere Apprentice like himself would hardly be enough to bring him down.

But since the Transformation Diagram had alerted him, he had to consider striking first.

Hand these letters over to Master Ke?

He thought of Master Ke’s character.

For one thing, Master Ke truly treated him as a successor, always considering his best interests.

But if he handed over the letters and Master Ke asked how he obtained them, the truth about killing Huang Ba and the secret of his Skinny Dog Transformation would be difficult to conceal.

After all, murder was something one could commit, but not something one could openly speak about, and certainly not boast freely. Moreover, the Transformation Diagram was his greatest secret.

I can’t report him openly, as it would expose me as well. So, I’ll act covertly and post it right on Medicine King Hall’s doorstep. Even if it doesn’t destroy Huang Gun, I must strike first and make him suffer significantly.

The letters were still in the outer courtyard. Chen Ku immediately climbed out of bed, activated his Skinny Dog Transformation to ensure no one was following, and went to retrieve them.

He took out one letter and read its contents. Then, under the cover of the dark night, with the moon obscured and a strong wind blowing, he used paste to stick it onto the doorframe of Medicine King Hall’s main entrance. The letter detailed the embezzlement of medicinal materials from the Inner Treasury and the amounts of silver obtained from selling them externally...

Then he went back to sleep, awaiting dawn and anticipating the hall’s reaction when they opened the doors the next morning and saw the letter.