Chapter 33

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Sun Baicao told some amusing stories, which Sun Jianing listened to with great interest, but Li Wenjun only listened casually, not taking these matters to heart. He was more concerned about whether he could find the herbs he needed at the trade fair. If he could buy herbs like the Moon Cliff Grass at the trade fair, it would save him the trouble of collecting them later, allowing him to devote more time to cultivation and other matters.

The county town was quite far from Fengshou Town, and it took at least half a day by carriage. With nothing to do, after Sun Baicao finished recounting the dirty dealings between the county magistrate and the county commissioner, he began to tell other amusing stories.

He told several stories, but Li Wenjun was not very interested. Just as they were about to reach Fengshou Town, Sun Baicao mentioned a detail that caught Li Wenjun's attention.

Although Sankou County was surrounded by three large mountains, the number of wild herbs growing on the mountains each year was limited and could not meet the large-scale procurement needs of the herb merchants. Many years ago, the herb merchants had been trying to encourage more farmers to abandon the cultivation of crops like wheat and corn and switch to growing various herbs.

However, growing herbs was much more complicated than growing food crops, requiring more experience and skills. To meet the needs, the herb merchants spared no expense, inviting experts every year to teach the farmers in Fengshou Town how to grow herbs.

At first, these lecturers were mainly experts in growing herbs, but later, the lecturers became more diverse. Now, all kinds of people give lectures, from the cultivation, drying, and initial processing of herbs to how to use them and even how to treat people. These topics are openly taught at the trade fair every year.

Because of these contents, the trade fair in Fengshou Town has not only become a place for trading herbs but also a significant academic conference for all industries related to illness and treatment.

Hearing this, Li Wenjun was moved. He had been worrying about how to start refining Qi Gathering Powder. When the pharmacy sells medicine to sick people, they not only sell herbs but sometimes also sell ready-made pills. Understanding how to turn herbs into pills might help him grasp the alchemy techniques described in the "Changchun Gong."

Li Wenjun secretly resolved that once he arrived in Fengshou Town, he would find those who teach how to make pills and listen to their lectures. This might be the perfect opportunity to solve his current dilemma.

Sun Baicao was a regular visitor to Fengshou Town. He drove the carriage skillfully, bringing Sun Jianing and Li Wenjun to a family who were distant relatives of the Sun family. Li Wenjun used this place as a base every year when he sold herbs. Of course, he couldn't use their place for free; he would bring some pastries and pork when he arrived and leave some money when he left.

The relative's house had two courtyards, each with several rooms and an independent street-facing gate. Knowing that Sun Baicao was coming, the host had already cleared one courtyard for his use.

After getting off the carriage, Li Wenjun helped Sun Baicao and his son unload the herbs from the carriage and store them in the warehouse. By the time they finished, it was already dark.

After dinner, Sun Baicao consulted Li Wenjun and made a simple arrangement. He and Sun Jianing would share a room, while Li Wenjun would have his own. After a tiring day, Li Wenjun wanted to sleep, but he still insisted on practicing for an hour before going to bed.

The next day, after getting up and having breakfast, Li Wenjun proposed to go out and explore on his own. Sun Baicao reminded him to be careful, and Li Wenjun was allowed to go. Sun Jianing originally wanted to follow Li Wenjun, but Sun Baicao held him back, as they needed to quickly find a good buyer for the herbs they had brought, or it would be troublesome.

Li Wenjun walked alone on the main street of Fengshou Town, looking for the lecture halls that Sun Baicao had mentioned.

Fengshou Town had over a thousand households and was not a large town in terms of scale, but it was filled with taverns and teahouses. During the herb trade fair, business here was very prosperous, with the saying that "one year of no business, three years of prosperity."

Li Wenjun noticed that every household in Fengshou Town revolved around the trade fair. Each household had a sign at their door, usually indicating what herbs they were buying or selling, and sometimes specifying the quantity and who was stationed there.

Li Wenjun casually looked at a few signs but did not find the herbs he needed. It made sense; he had spent over a month wandering in Wufeng Mountain to collect half a basket of Moon Cliff Grass and other herbs. Wild herbs were extremely limited, and rarity made them valuable. It was almost impossible to find the herbs he needed in Fengshou Town casually.

The trade fair would last for half a month, so there was plenty of time. Therefore, finding herbs could be put aside for now, and mastering the techniques of alchemy and making pills was more important. Li Wenjun gave up the idea of searching for herbs and focused on finding the lecture halls.

If you can't find the way, you can always ask. Li Wenjun stopped a passerby and asked for directions.

The passerby was very helpful. He told Li Wenjun that there were two types of lectures: public and private.

As the names suggest, public lectures were open to everyone, with no limit on the number of attendees and no cost. These lectures were usually organized by wealthy herb merchants to promote themselves. However, the content of public lectures was often generic, and it was rare to hear exclusive insights.

Private lectures were semi-public, with a limited number of attendees who had to pay. The cost varied depending on the lecturer, the content, and the depth of the lecture.

Public lectures were usually held on makeshift stages outside the town or on carriages. Private lectures were held in various places, such as the homes of wealthy merchants or landlords, taverns, teahouses, or schools.

However, whether public or private, the location, the lecturers, the time, and the content of the lectures were all announced in advance. Like the signs for buying and selling herbs, the places hosting lectures would display a sign at their door with the details.

Li Wenjun thanked the helpful passerby and began wandering through the streets, looking for suitable places.

Fengshou Town was quite large, and Li Wenjun spent the whole afternoon exploring. Finally, he came to a magnificent mansion. The mansion was decorated with lanterns and huge banners hanging from floating Kongming lanterns, with the ends of the banners fixed to the ground.

One banner read, "Warmly welcome the renowned physician from the capital, Master Xu Yidan, to our humble abode," and the other read, "Tomorrow at 9 AM, Master Xu will personally lecture on alchemy, limited to 50 attendees."

Above the gate, two lanterns hung, with "Zhang Family" written on them. If Li Wenjun had known more about Fengshou Town, he would have realized that this was not an ordinary place but the residence of Zhang Jianjie, the wealthiest merchant in Fengshou Town.

From a distance, Li Wenjun saw the large Kongming lanterns and the bright banners. As he approached, he saw the words "alchemy" on the banners, which excited him.

After exploring Fengshou Town, he had seen many announcements for lectures, but this was the only one about alchemy. Regardless of whether this lecture would help him refine Qi Gathering Powder, Li Wenjun did not want to miss it.

At the gate of the mansion, many people were gathered, some already eager to sign up for the lecture. Li Wenjun also went over to sign up with the guards at the gate.

A guard stood on the steps and said hoarsely, "Ladies and gentlemen, I have explained many times. Master Xu has traveled a long distance from the capital, and we must show our respect. Anyone who wants to attend the lecture tomorrow, regardless of age or gender, must pay 500 taels of silver per person, not a single copper coin less."

Li Wenjun gasped. He did not expect that attending a lecture would cost 500 taels of silver. Was Master Xu's words so valuable that each word was worth a fortune?

Li Wenjun hesitated. His money was limited. The gold and silver jewelry he had taken from the old Taoist, when converted to silver, was about 1,000 taels. He had already spent a lot, buying two horses and losing them, buying props for disguises, and paying for martial arts training, which was a significant expense. His daily expenses were also considerable.

So far, he had about 700 taels left. If he spent 500 taels today, he would only have 200 taels left. Not to mention his daily needs, the trade fair would last for half a month. If he gained nothing from Master Xu's lecture, he would need to attend other lectures. Would 200 taels be enough? If not, where would he get the money for the lectures?

Li Wenjun had always thought he had enough money, but now he realized he was actually short of money. It seemed Sun Jianing was right; he really needed to find a way to earn money. Living off his savings was not a sustainable solution.

While Li Wenjun was indecisive, a group of people approached, led by Kong Yishi, followed by two constables.

Since losing the wild mountain spirit, Kong Yishi had stayed in the county town. He knew about the annual herb trade fair in Fengshou Town. He stayed to avoid facing the wrath of the governor and to see if he could find another century-old herb at the trade fair.

Like Li Wenjun, Kong Yishi saw the Kongming lanterns from a distance. He had long heard of Master Xu Yidan's reputation, so he hurried over when he saw the banners.