Ginseng has always been a valuable commodity, no matter the era, especially those with age.
Even in this mystical era, ginseng remains a precious item.
Coincidentally, Zhang Chen mastered the Power of Time.
Returning to the inn, he found his family resting and didn’t disturb them. Instead, he quietly returned to his room, took out the Ascension Pool, threw a ginseng seed into it, and then activated the Wood Attribute authority: "Decree, sprout and root!"
With Zhang Chen’s command, the seed quickly broke open, growing roots that anchored into the soil.
At this moment, Innate Qi flowed, nourishing it, causing the ginseng seedling to grow visibly.
"Innate Qi offers unbelievable benefits to Postnatal Spirits." Zhang Chen observed the mutated seedling under the nourishment of Innate Qi, his eyes shining with insight. In the next moment, he flicked his fingers, and fifty years’ worth of the Power of Time passed in an instant. The seedling rooted itself in the soil, and with ample Innate Qi nourishment, showed no signs of malnutrition in fifty years. The ginseng began to develop roots, growing as thick as an infant’s arm and even thicker than an adult’s arm.
"Ginseng under the nourishment of Innate Qi for fifty years is better than ginseng aged for centuries. It seems that a ginseng’s potency isn’t measured solely by time, but by many external factors." Zhang Chen pondered thoughtfully.
At this moment, ginseng flowers bloomed and withered in the Ascension Pool, leaving seeds that sprouted and rooted again over fifty years, producing countless seeds. The Ascension Pool was densely packed, overflowing with ginseng.
Zhang Chen casually dug out the ginseng, inspected it for a moment, then stored it in the Ba Snake Space. He cleared out all the soil from the Ascension Pool and stored it in the Ba Snake Space as well.
For him, the most important thing was collecting Points, which were of utmost importance. Ginseng was merely his means to earn a living.
Zhang Chen wasn’t in a hurry to sell the ginseng. He rested at the inn for the night, and at dawn the next day, he inquired with the shopkeeper about the most famous herbal shops in Jinling. Only after buying a box did he carefully place the ginseng inside and head to the herbal shop.
It’s worth noting that the ginseng Zhang Chen harvested was complete with roots, likely over two meters long, making it an excellent specimen.
Zhang Chen walked through the crowd, arriving at Jinling’s most famous herbal shop, gazing at the shop sign: "Shangjia Medical Clinic."
"That’s it, here it is!" Zhang Chen confirmed without a doubt, taking stock of the clinic, seeing that it spanned several hundred square meters, with more than a dozen doctors attending patients who came and went hurriedly.
Shangjia Medical Clinic was established by an Imperial Physician from the former Kyoto Imperial Hospital, retired to his hometown to found the clinic in Jinling City. Since its opening, it’s been thronged by countless nobles.
Zhang Chen glanced at the antique-style clinic, ignoring the queue, holding his box as he walked inside. At this moment, a shop attendant blocked Zhang Chen, saying, "Sir, please queue up for a number."
Hearing this, Zhang Chen patted his box with the ginseng inside: "Young man, I’m here to sell herbs, not to seek medical attention."
The attendant looked at Zhang Chen, pointing to the back door: "For selling herbs, go to the back door."
Surprised, Zhang Chen turned towards the back door, where he saw over a dozen horse-drawn carriages lined up, the strong herbal scent spreading from the back door.
Understanding the rules, Zhang Chen queued behind the carriages, watching as the shop steward inspected each carriage’s herbs, grading them with A, B, C, D, then ordering staff to weigh and pay.
When it was Zhang Chen’s turn, the steward looked him up and down, his gaze falling on the box Zhang Chen was carrying: "Young man, what are you queuing here for...?"
"I’m here to sell herbs." Zhang Chen patted his box: "Freshly dug ginseng."
The steward, intrigued by the two-meter-long box, asked, "May I take a look?"
Zhang Chen had no reason to refuse, flicking his hand to open the box, revealing the ginseng cultivated with Innate Qi to the steward.
The steward, upon seeing the thick ginseng, was momentarily stunned, exclaiming, "This ginseng of yours... it must be centuries old, right?"
"I don’t know, just randomly dug it up in the mountains, not sure how old it is." Zhang Chen replied with a smile.
"Young man, please come inside! I can’t make a decision here, I’ll need to call our chief steward." The steward smiled at Zhang Chen, making an inviting gesture.
As they walked inside, the steward introduced himself to Zhang Chen, "My surname is Wang, given name Chong. You can just call me Wang."
Wang?
Zhang Chen looked at the face of the person in front of him, etched with the marks of time, and he seemed at least forty-five or six years old. For him to call himself ’Little Wang’ in front of a youngster like Zhang Chen was truly humble.
Indeed, acquiring medicinal herbs was of utmost importance. While a pharmacy’s medical skills are crucial, good medicinal herbs are equally essential. Without quality herbs, no matter how skilled you are, it’s all in vain. Without decades of refinement, it is difficult to handle such a job.
Looking at his weathered face, Zhang Chen couldn’t bring himself to call him ’Little Wang’, and instead just said, "Steward Wang." Then he introduced himself, "My surname is Zhang."
"So it’s Young Master Zhang. This ginseng of yours is something extraordinary. Since I joined the Shangjia Medical Clinic, I have never seen such a fine ginseng. This ginseng is of the highest quality and is sure to fetch a good price. And you brought it at just the right time. The dean of Chongzheng Academy has been seeking top-quality ginseng. If your ginseng is seen by the dean, you could soar to great heights," Wang Chong said to Zhang Chen.
Hearing this, Zhang Chen looked at Wang Chong with a surprised expression and thought inwardly, ’Is this guy out of his mind? Isn’t he afraid I’ll quote an exorbitant price?’.
Seemingly noticing Zhang Chen’s expression, Wang Chong smiled and said, "The dean of Chongzheng Academy has long issued a reward. Anyone who can find ginseng over two hundred years old can sell it for ten thousand taels of silver."
"Ten thousand taels of silver? Even a two-hundred-year-old ginseng isn’t worth that much, is it?" Zhang Chen asked in astonishment.
"Of course, it’s not worth it! But what if the ginseng is used to save a life? I’ve heard that Dean Zhou’s son was harmed by encountering the mysterious, injuring his Essence, Qi, and Spirit, and urgently needs high-quality ginseng to save his life. If your ginseng is good enough, we won’t need to profit off you. Dean Zhou will naturally reward us satisfactorily. You can negotiate the price with Dean Zhou yourself. All I need to do now is confirm whether your ginseng meets the requirements."
Wang Chong mumbled further, "Of course, if it doesn’t meet Dean Zhou’s needs, we’ll still offer you a satisfactory price."
"Chief Steward, there’s a big deal. Could you please come and take a look yourself?" Steward Zhou shouted into the house.
Then, an elderly voice came from inside the room, "Young man, what good stuff do you have that you can’t judge, requiring my personal appearance?"
Despite the voice being old, it was full of vigor.
Soon after, a silver-haired figure emerged from the room, and Zhou Chong introduced him to Zhang Chen: "This is the master of our pharmacy: Wang Dan."
He then turned to Wang Dan and said, "Chief Steward, this guest has a ginseng of excellent quality, but I’m not sure about it, so I ask for your expertise."
The silver-haired figure glanced at Zhang Chen’s box, bowed slightly, and said, "I am Wang Dan. May I take a look at the honored guest’s ginseng?"
Zhang Chen handed over the box. Wang Chong carefully took it, then opened it on a stone table at the side. Upon seeing the herb, Chief Steward Wang Dan’s eyes widened, as he eagerly leaned closer under the sunlight to examine it thoroughly. After observing for a long time, he said, "I can’t quite judge this ginseng. Its appearance doesn’t resemble ordinary ginseng."
Hearing this, Zhang Chen nodded inwardly; this ginseng contained Innate Qi, and although it quickly dissipated due to exposure to the Postnatal Environment, it was still not a common product.
The old man cautiously broke off a centimeter of root to taste, and in the next moment, his eyes brightened further. He turned to Zhang Chen and said, "Young man, this ginseng is not ordinary; we’ll take it. Now, there are two options: First, we send it to the Chongzheng Academy and let Dean Zhou bid. Second, we buy it for thirteen thousand taels of silver."
He closed the box and spoke sincerely to Zhang Chen, "Our pharmacy in Jinling City is among the most fair; we wouldn’t deceive you. Chongzheng Academy has many eyes watching them—if you try to sell this ginseng for a higher price, I’m afraid you won’t live to spend the money."
Hearing this, Zhang Chen glanced at the steward, "Let’s do it your way!"
He had no interest in being in the spotlight; he just wanted to lay low in Jinling City, quietly train, and secretly accumulate power.
"Go and fetch the silver notes. Change them all into one-hundred-tael notes, and also bring a hundred taels of fragmented silver!"
Wang Dan nodded, having advised Zhang Chen as he wasn’t dressed like a rich family’s heir, hoping to save his life from dangerous temptations.
What kind of person was Zhang Chen? Surely, he could sense the kind intentions?
Wang Chong hurried into the room, returning with a stack of silver notes and a bag of fragmented silver, handing them to Zhang Chen, "Young Master Zhang, please check it over."
Zhang Chen took the silver notes and, with a slight mental probe of his Primordial Spirit, knew all was in order. He casually slipped the notes and coins into his sleeve, putting on a nonchalant face, "No need to count; I trust you! Our transaction is settled, and the ginseng is yours."
Watching Zhang Chen’s actions and his disappearing carefree figure, Wang Dan and Wang Chong were taken aback, with Wang Chong scratching his head, "We really misjudged him!"