Chapter 9: The Market

The scent of medicine filled the air, making Feng Hao feel light and instantly dispelling his fatigue.

"This is the Divine Farmer's Pharmacopoeia, created by the Divine Farmer, capable of curing all diseases and detoxifying all poisons in the world!"

Feng Lao's face was solemn as he spoke in detail.

"Receive the Pharmacopoeia!"

With a movement of his hand, the Divine Farmer's Pharmacopoeia floated up, and Feng Hao reached out to catch it.

"Drop some blood!"

"Yes!"

Without hesitation, Feng Hao bit his left index finger, and a drop of fresh red blood fell onto the Divine Farmer's Pharmacopoeia, slowly seeping in. When the blood was completely absorbed, the Pharmacopoeia dissipated into points of starlight and merged into his body.

"Indeed, only a 'Void Martial' constitution can control the Divine Farmer's Pharmacopoeia!"

Feng Lao watched all of this happen quietly.

After a short while, Feng Hao opened his eyes with a bitter expression.

Thinking about the method of condensing medicinal pills recorded in the Divine Farmer's Pharmacopoeia, he felt like crying.

It really required a vast amount of medicinal herbs, making his scalp tingle!

"How can this be?"

He remembered his father, Feng Chen, once saying that a pharmacist only needed over a hundred types of medicinal herbs to condense a medicinal pill. However, the types of herbs recorded in the Divine Farmer's Pharmacopoeia numbered in the tens of thousands.

"Tsk! You are truly blessed but unaware of it."

Feng Lao sneered, "If you spread the word that the 'Divine Farmer's Pharmacopoeia' is in your possession, do you think it would cause no storm? Besides, to cure all diseases and detoxify all poisons, how can you do it without the corresponding medicinal properties?"

In fact, Feng Hao also knew that the higher the level of the pharmacopoeia, the greater its effect, and the more medicinal herbs were needed to condense a medicinal pill. However, tens of thousands of types of medicinal herbs—when would he ever gather them all?

"Master!"

Feng Hao looked at the old man with pleading eyes.

"Don't look at me like that. If I have medicinal herbs, would I keep them?"

Feng Lao rolled his eyes.

Back in the day, he had worked hard to condense a perfect medicinal pill and had to continuously maintain and improve it. How could he have any medicinal herbs left over?

"That's not very useful."

Feng Hao's face fell.

It was all for nothing.

"Boy, you only need to restore your strength. Swallow any medicinal herb recorded in the pharmacopoeia and condense a 'Void Pill.' How foolish can you be?"

Feng Lao scolded him with a look of disappointment.

"Uh..."

Feng Hao naturally didn't know this. Seeing the old man's angry eyes, he smiled awkwardly.

"Decide for yourself, but remember your three-year agreement!"

Feng Lao snorted and his transparent body turned into points of light, entering the ring.

"Phew..."

Feng Hao sighed and stood up. It was already midnight, so without much thought, he returned to the Feng residence.

Lying in bed, he thought about things for a while and soon fell asleep.

The next day, Feng Hao didn't go for morning exercises. He practiced the Tiger Movement Technique thirty times in the small courtyard, then stood up, returned to his room, and gathered all his savings—over three hundred gold coins—and headed to the market.

"Come and see, a complete and flawless rhinoceros leopard hide, only three hundred gold coins!"

"Crafted from fine iron, a fifty-pound heavy hammer, only seventy gold coins!"

"High-quality medicinal herbs, fifty gold coins per plant!"

Just as he reached the market entrance, a cacophony of noise greeted him. Following the cries of the vendors, Feng Hao slowly walked to a medicine stall.

The stall owner was an old man in simple clothing. On his stall, there were hundreds of various medicinal herbs, emitting a fragrant aroma.

Upon closer inspection, Feng Hao noticed that two of the herbs on the stall were recorded in the Divine Farmer's Pharmacopoeia.

"How much for this Clear Spirit Grass and Fire Cloud Vine?"

He pointed to a plant with a watery appearance and a blood-red vine, asking the old man.

The old man glanced at them and said directly, "Clear Spirit Grass is forty-five gold coins per plant, and Fire Cloud Vine is one hundred and twenty gold coins per foot!"

Hearing the prices, Feng Hao's brows furrowed.

He had a total of three hundred and fifty-two gold coins. At this rate, it would be of no use.

Without money, Feng Hao felt the pain of being poor for the first time. He also realized how much it cost to use medicinal herbs for his daily conditioning.

"Sir, I only have three hundred and fifty-two gold coins. Can I have three Clear Spirit Grass and two feet of Fire Cloud Vine?"

Feng Hao took out all his savings and placed them in front of the old man.

"Well..."

The old man seemed hesitant, but seeing Feng Hao's sincerity, he bit his lip and said, "Alright, deal!"

"Thank you, sir!"

Feng Hao was slightly relieved and handed all the gold coins to the old man.

Just as he put the medicinal herbs into his bag, a harsh voice rang in his ear.

"Hey, isn't that our Young Master Feng?"

Looking in the direction of the voice, Feng Hao saw a well-dressed, handsome man approaching, accompanied by four guards.

"What? The Feng family stopped giving you medicine, so you have to buy it yourself?"

The man looked at Feng Hao with a mocking expression, his voice sharp, drawing the attention of some onlookers.

"That's the Feng family's eldest son and the Yang family's Young Master Yang Kui."

"I heard the Feng family's eldest son vowed in the Wan family's hall to defeat a high-level Great Martial Master from the Feng Yue Academy in three years."

"I heard he is no longer the Feng family's eldest son."

People around them began to comment, pointing at Feng Hao.

Since the incident at the Wan family, Feng Hao's name had spread throughout Yulan City. Everyone wanted to see how this mediocre son of the Feng family would advance from a third-level martial disciple to a Great Martial Master in three years.

Of course, most were waiting to see the joke. Three years was neither long nor short, but advancing four levels from a martial disciple was undoubtedly a dream!

"Move aside!"

Feng Hao glared at him coldly.

The Yang family was one of the four major families in Yulan City, and the man in front of him, Yang Kui, was a member of the Yang family, a strong fourth-level martial disciple.

"Move just because you say so? You, a mediocrity!"

Yang Kui stepped closer, looking down on Feng Hao with disdain.

"Will you not move?"

Feng Hao narrowed his eyes, looking at him dangerously.

"What? Want to fight?"

Yang Kui was not afraid of him and reached out to grab the bag of medicinal herbs from Feng Hao.

"Bang!"

Feng Hao punched him in the chest, making him stagger.

"You dare to hit me?"

Yang Kui, holding his numb chest, looked at Feng Hao in shock, clearly not expecting a third-level martial disciple to dare to fight him.

"You scum!"

His face twitched, and he charged at Feng Hao.

Seeing the situation, the onlookers quickly scattered.

"Phew..."

Feng Hao crouched slightly, his back arched, and his toes pushed back. His body leaped forward like a fierce tiger, heading straight for Yang Kui.