Yellow paper wasn’t expensive. Fifty copper coins bought three large sheets, and the shop even offered free cutting service. Ye Kong requested they cut it into strips two inches wide and five inches long. The shopkeeper didn’t ask why – as long as the customer paid, he’d cut however they wanted.

In no time, over a hundred narrow yellow paper strips were handed to Ye Kong. After paying, he casually snatched an erotic picture book from the shopkeeper’s hands.

“Buy one, get one free!” Ye Kong flipped through the book as he strolled away.

Yellow paper was easy to buy, but cinnabar wasn’t so simple. Actually, speaking in professional terms, cinnabar was just solid mercury sulfide – its main component was mercury. The Cangnan Continent didn’t have chemical supply stores, so if you wanted to buy this stuff, you’d probably have to try a medicine shop.

And sure enough, medicine shops did sell it. However, since cinnabar was rarely used, Ye Kong ran to several pharmacies only to find them all out of stock. Finally, following someone’s directions, he arrived at Tongchun Hall in the most prosperous part of the city center.

“So this is Tongchun Hall. Hope they have cinnabar.” Ye Kong muttered to himself while standing beneath Tongchun Hall’s golden signboard, then climbed the steps.

As befitting the Southern Capital’s largest pharmacy, the main hall was extremely spacious, with customers coming and going buying medicine. At one corner, several people crowded around the consultation desk, apparently arguing about something.

Ye Kong turned to glance toward the main entrance, then walked straight toward the medicine counter.

“Excuse me, do you sell cinnabar here?” Ye Kong asked the clerk inside.

“Ah? Cinnabar? I think so. Please wait.” The clerk found the request somewhat unfamiliar and hurried to ask the head manager.

“We have cinnabar. One tael of silver per qian.” The middle-aged manager replied, glancing at the coarsely-dressed Ye Kong outside, then instructed the clerk, [Read on Jormuntl]“That stuff is in the storeroom and hard to find. Make him pay first.”

Since cultivating the Five Elements Ascension Scripture, Ye Kong’s hearing had become exceptionally sharp. He clearly heard what the manager said and understood they were afraid he couldn’t afford it after they searched for it. So he simply pulled out ten taels of silver.

“Wrap up one liang for me.” Ye Kong set down the silver.

“Right away!” The clerk drew out the words as he collected the silver, then said courteously, “Honored guest, there’s a bench for resting over there. Please have a seat – I’ll go search the warehouse for you right now.”

Ye Kong nodded, walked to the resting area nearby, sat down, and closed his eyes to wait.

With Ye Kong’s eyes closed, his hearing became even more acute. Not only could he hear everyone speaking in the main hall, but he could clearly tell where each person was, what they were saying, what kind of person they were talking to… everything crystal clear.

“This immortal technique really is miraculous.” Ye Kong praised in his heart. Just at the first layer of Qi Refinement, his five senses were already this sharp. It seemed that hearing from a thousand li away wouldn’t be difficult in the future.

“Divine Physician Kan, please help us! If my mother’s eyes aren’t treated, she’ll go blind!”

“Not going, not going. If you want treatment, bring money. This is a medicine hall, not a charity.”

“Divine Physician Kan, we Lu family brothers are begging you, alright?”

“No! What, you want to use violence? You street thugs and scoundrels – so you finally know there are times when you need us! I said I’m not going, and I mean it. No silver, no treatment!”

Hearing this, Ye Kong opened his eyes and looked toward the arguing consultation desk. Large pharmacies all had resident physicians who could treat minor ailments and prescribe medicine on the spot.

He opened his eyes to pay attention because he heard “street thugs and scoundrels.” He wanted to see what his counterparts in the Cangnan Continent were actually like.

However, these two street thugs were much more pitiful than Earth’s hooligans. Though these two men were tall and sturdy, their clothing was quite shabby – short, coarse cloth garments with a little hemp rope tied around their waists, looking just like farmers.

After being refused by the physician, the two thugs grew anxious. The one who looked slightly older glared but had no solution. He let out a breath and pleaded again, “Divine Physician Kan, don’t hold our small offenses against us. Last time it was the gang that forced us to come to Tongchun Hall to collect the monthly fee…”

“Then go ask the Dragon-Snake Gang to treat your illness.” Divine Physician Kan coldly interrupted, then snorted, “Don’t even think about causing trouble here. We’ve already paid our monthly fee. You can’t make trouble in our shop, or your gang leader won’t spare you either.”

Hearing this, Ye Kong closed his eyes again. So these two thugs had previously come here to collect protection money and offended the pharmacy. Now they wanted to get a physician to treat an illness without paying – naturally the physician would seize this opportunity for revenge. He certainly didn’t plan to get involved. He didn’t have money either! He couldn’t help just because they were fellow thugs from another world, could he? There were plenty of street thugs around. Who told you not to be more polite when collecting protection fees? Back when I was running Hanzheng Street, I always took special care of the clinics in my territory. You never know when you might need treatment for a minor injury.

But just as Ye Kong closed his eyes, he heard that thug say in a low voice, “Divine Physician Kan, how about this – my family has a precious jade, a Lu family heirloom. If you help treat my mother’s illness, I’ll let you look at it once.”

Divine Physician Kan spoke up with a hearty laugh. “I’ve heard about your family’s precious jade long ago. Isn’t it just that when moonlight shines on it, there are vague little figures dancing inside? What’s so interesting about that? Ten taels of silver for one look – I could spend a whole night with a girl at the Spring Appreciation House for less than ten taels.”

After the divine physician finished speaking, the surrounding people also laughed heartily. Someone said, “The Cangnan Continent has such a long history that many families have some bullshit family heirloom, but when you finally look at them, they’re all garbage. I hear your family’s precious jade supposedly lets you see profound martial arts from the dancing figures, but how come you two brothers haven’t become experts?”

Hearing this, Ye Kong focused his attention. It was true – the Cangnan Continent had been passed down for hundreds of thousands of years, and many families had treasures. Among them were naturally useless objects, but that didn’t mean there might not be real treasures!

Just because you can’t figure it out doesn’t mean I can’t, right? Wasn’t the Ye family treasure book dismissed as garbage by the immortals?

The Lu family brothers pleaded some more, but they’d offended the physician stolen contentbadly. Divine Physician Kan simply ignored them. They had no choice but to lower their heads and prepare to leave.

“Lu family brothers, please wait.” A young man in coarse cloth robes stood before them.

“What unlucky brat is this? None of your business – scram!” Sure enough, no matter what world, thugs were thugs – they all talked with the same attitude.

Ye Kong wasn’t annoyed. He smiled and said, “Screw his immortal ancestors! Here I am being kind and you treat it like dog’s liver and lungs. Since you don’t want my help, forget it then.”

When the Lu family brothers heard he wanted to help, the older one quickly came over to apologize. “Young master, this humble one is Lu Jun. That was my brother Lu Yi just now. Our elderly mother is gravely ill, and his temper isn’t good. Please forgive him.”

Ye Kong nodded and said directly, “I have a bit over nine taels of silver. I can barely lend it to you for an emergency, but I’d like to see your family’s precious jade.”

The divine physician had said treatment would need ten taels, but that was just a rough estimate. Nine taels would be quite enough. Lu Jun was overjoyed and quickly bowed deeply in thanks.

The onlookers beside them all started clamoring. “Young master, the Lu family brothers are street thugs – don’t let them trick you!”

“Young master, that precious jade really has nothing worth seeing. Come see my family’s heirloom instead – only eight taels of silver!”

“Come to my house! Only seven taels!”

“Six taels!”

“One tael to look! Five taels to take it away!”

Ye Kong nearly fainted. It seemed that truly every family in the Cangnan Continent had an heirloom. Sigh, who knew if looking at the Lu family’s thing would be worth it or not.

Lu Jun and Lu Yi had terrible reputations. Hearing the crowd clamoring beside them, they immediately glared with ox-like eyes and snorted coldly, scaring the spectators into silence.

Just then, the cinnabar had been found at the counter. Ye Kong collected his cinnabar, the Lu family brothers had already engaged Divine Physician Kan, and they hired a horse cart.

Several people in one cart, heading toward the Lu home.

On the road, Ye Kong learned that a month ago, these Lu family brothers had gone to Tongchun Hall to collect protection fees. Not only had they been verbally abusive, but they’d also injured two guards. Naturally Divine Physician Kan held a grudge against the brothers.

However, the Lu family brothers were also helpless. Their gang had ordered them to go, and moreover, all the money they collected had to be turned in completely. The Dragon-Snake Gang was extremely corrupt – the thugs at the bottom all had it rough. But there was nothing they could do. They said the gang leader Fan Jiulong was an expert, and his younger brother Fan Jiushe was an even more formidable character who appeared and disappeared like a ghost.

Ye Kong just shook his head listening to this. It seemed the underworld in the Cangnan Continent really had no future. He’d once considered returning to his old profession, but now it seemed that with such selfish bosses, this kind of gang had no appeal.

They quickly arrived at the Lu home. However, the precious jade could only be viewed at night when the moonlight came out. Ye Kong just memorized the address and would return in the evening to look.

Though Ye Kong’s expectations for this heirloom had diminished considerably, he’d paid money after all, so he still had to take a look.

Afraid these two brothers might renege, before leaving Ye Kong reminded them, “Lu Jun, Lu Yi – I’m Old Eight from the Manor of the General Who Pacifies the South. If anything comes up, come find me at the manor.”

Of course Ye Kong didn’t really want them to find him. He was just warning them not to think about [noodles]reneging, or else he had ways to deal with them.

Though no one in the Ye family treated the Eighth Young Master like a person, it was still quite effective for intimidating outsiders. The Lu family brothers, including Divine Physician Kan, all hastily bowed.

Ye Kong waved his hand grandly. “No need.”

Just as he was about to leave, he heard Lu Jun whisper a reminder, “How about this humble one escorts the Eighth Young Master back to the manor? There are several Dragon-Snake Gang tails following behind.”

Ye Kong had long since noticed those followers. He hadn’t expected Lu Jun to notice them too. It seemed these two brothers hadn’t been sincere at first – they’d probably planned to let those guys rob him so they wouldn’t have to let him see the family heirloom.

“Just some thugs. No need for you to worry.” Ye Kong was somewhat displeased in his heart. Damn it, doing good deeds in the Cangnan Continent really didn’t pay! I lent you emergency money, and you couldn’t even be bothered to give a warning?

Seeing Ye Kong unhappy, Lu Jun didn’t dare say more. He only suggested that Ye Kong announce his identity when the time came, and those thugs naturally wouldn’t dare provoke him.

Ye Kong sneered coldly. Do I need to announce my identity? I’ve been cultivating for a year now – perfect time to test the power of this Five Elements Ascension Scripture!