Chapter 154 - Chapter 149 Unveiling the Notice 1 (2/2)

Qin Niu wasn’t in a hurry to enter the city.

This time coming to Black Tiger City, whether it was status or strength, both were significantly different from before. He had also become much more composed and calm.

The change in a person’s mindset is truly wondrous.

The city was still the same, and the people were the same, but he no longer felt the nervousness and timidity he had the first time he entered the city.

A cultivation at the first level of the Acquired Realm was not considered very high, but it was enough for him to face the mighty Black Armored Soldiers with a calm and undisturbed heart.

Because, should a fight truly break out, one-on-one, he now possessed the strength to slaughter ordinary Black Armored Soldiers.

The Hundred-Tempering Black Armor on the bodies of the Black Armored Soldiers was as vulnerable as paper in front of his Ink Blade.

He looked toward the thick city walls behind the Black Armored Army, where many notices were posted.

Those with a red official seal belonged to official announcements.

They were mostly reward notices for capturing wanted criminals.

Within the territory of the Black Tiger Gang, there was a population of over a million, and incidents of murder or lethal brawls occurred from time to time.

There were also some formidable thieves who, for silver money, might steal from money exchanges or official treasury silver.

These people, if not caught on the spot, could potentially flee far and wide, or go into hiding in the countryside and such places.

Capturing them was no easy task.

Hence, the number of official notices on the city walls had increased over time.

Besides the government notices, there were also private notices posted.

They were densely packed and very numerous.

Those who had the status to post their private notices in the same area as the official announcements were either wealthy or noble.

Otherwise, tearing your notice was the least of your worries; you could be directly accused of the crime of lese-majeste, arrested, and imprisoned. That was also a possibility.

“Xiao Qing, see if there is any notice offering a reward for reviving a precious herb!”

Qin Niu called out to Xiao Qing to help him search.

Unexpectedly, there really was one.

After some effort, he found one.

“I have a herb that is over a hundred years old which recently contracted a mysterious illness, causing its leaves to wilt and black spots to appear on its stem. Having tried numerous methods to no avail, I am seeking a folk expert to save my precious herb. If it can be revived, a hefty reward of at least ten gold will be given. Address: 17 Longwang Alley, Western part of the city, respectfully posted by Wang Sheng.”

At first glance, the content of this notice was exhilarating.

The reward was at least ten gold pieces.

One gold piece was equivalent to ten taels of silver, so ten gold meant a hundred taels of silver money.

This was no small sum.

However, after reading it, Qin Niu appeared somewhat hesitant.

“Master, isn’t this notice quite good? Why not take it down?”

Xiao Qing asked, puzzled.

“There are some illogical points in it, and I’m worried about falling into a trap.”

Qin Niu’s Everlasting Spring Technique was extremely powerful, and curing a common herb was no problem at all.

Moreover, he had now cultivated to the first level of the Acquired Realm, with quite profound power; curing a herb should be a piece of cake for him.

The key was whether the reward could be collected after reviving the herb.

“A hundred-year-old herb, if valuable, could be worth about ten taels of silver, and that’s if it’s a high-grade herb like ginseng or Lingzhi. Think about it, after curing a hundred-year-old herb, the minimum reward is a hundred taels of silver money. Are there such herbs in this world?”

Qin Niu was analyzing the irrational parts of the notice for her.

He certainly wasn’t a fish.

Fish see the bait but not the hook, yet he was cautious and careful with every step, never losing his wits over substantial benefits.

“That does seem to make some sense. However, if the herb is extremely rare, it really could be worth more than a hundred taels of silver. Ginseng and Lingzhi can only be considered ordinary high-grade herbs. There are some that can significantly enhance cultivation, or help a beast pet advance or even herbs that can continuously produce special fruits or leaves, all of which could be worth far more than a hundred taels of silver.”

Xiao Qing thought for a moment and presented her view.

“Then look at this address: The western part of the city is home to the poor. Although I’m not familiar with Longwang Alley, it’s unlikely that any extremely wealthy or noble person lives there. Anyone who could afford to pay a hundred taels of silver as a reward would have moved to the wealthy circles in the eastern part of the city long ago.”

Qin Niu raised a second point of suspicion.

The east has always been a symbol of nobility, and since ancient times there has been the saying “auspicious qi comes from the east.”

Even with ordinary residences, the owner lives on the eastern side, and guests or servants occupy the western rooms.

This was nearly the same in Black Tiger City.

Those with any power or status in the city, or the very wealthy merchants, would find ways to buy houses in the east, crowding into the circles of the privileged.

“How about I go and make some inquiries later? If there’s a problem, we’ll look for other work then.”

Xiao Qing had lived in the city for many years; despite her young age, she possessed strong survival skills.

She was familiar with the situation inside Black Tiger City.

“That’s fine.”

Qin Niu searched around and found over a dozen notices seeking aid to cure herbs and flowers; it was this notice that offered the highest reward.

The others were only offering a few coins or one to two taels of silver.

He found them too insignificant and unappealing.

He wouldn’t be bothered unless he could earn at least ten taels from one endeavor.

After all, the fewer people who knew about this special ability, the better.

It wasn’t that there was great danger if people knew about his special ability; he just didn’t want the trouble. Today one person would find him to treat a herb, tomorrow another would come knocking.

It would become unbearably annoying over time.

To refuse would easily offend people.

If he agreed, it would interfere with his cultivation.

And if he encountered someone unreasonable, they might even force him to stay at their residence.

So, it was better for as few people as possible to know about this special ability.

He took down the illogical notice and headed into the city with Xiao Qing.

“Stop, queue up to pay the entrance fee. This road is not for you to use freely,”

A gang loafer blocked their way, berating them with a cold voice.

Qin Niu did not waste words and simply flashed his waist badge.