Chapter 25: The Market (1/2)

Chapter 25: The Market

Translator: TransnEditor: Transn

The blacksmith at the Wu's ironware shop, who made weapons, didn't have a hefty workload. After all, weapons sales weren't exactly booming in this wretched ghost-town. Each blacksmith only had a fixed amount of work every month. As long as you could just produce ten passable weapons to hand in at the end of the month, then that was enough so the boss wouldn't give you any bother during the rest of the time. To Junior Leopard, this was quite a relaxing pace. He could not only have this work more or less finished in half a month, but the weapons that he made in this time would be of the highest quality too.

As for his free time, he had it all to himself, so there was plenty of time for him to practice his martial arts.

For the last six months, however, his thoughts had been mainly focused on understanding Taiji Fist and purifying the Ignis Internal Qi. After all, his body was still too young and couldn't handle anything more strenuous—after this year was up he would still only be nine years old, and he didn't want to do any damage to his body through training too hard.

Ah, if only I could do as they do in those books and legends, and just dip into some herbal bath and be fixed up right away!

For the last half a year, apart from practicing his martial arts, the thing he had been doing most was going on a book buying frenzy. He was not short of money here, and books were not expensive either.

His purpose of buying books was simple: to understand this strange and mysterious world as much as possible.

The old proverb puts it well, ”A scholar goes not out, and yet knows all under heaven.”

Based on what?

Based on books. On the knowledge gained from books.

Qingyang Market was a small place, and few people were literate. And so, there were even fewer people selling books, a trade which was a guaranteed loss.

His only opportunities to buy books were on the 1st and 15th of each month when there was a fair held in Qingyang market attracting people from villages from miles around. This time was the only chance he had to purchase some books.

Although the books were few, it was still enough for him to gain some concrete understanding of the world around him.

”Oh, isn't it Junior Leopard! Back again to buy some more books, are you?”

The 15th had arrived again. Market day! Every street of Qingyang Market, without exception, was flanked on either side with traveling merchants setting up market stalls. Needless to say, this was also a time for the Qingyang local authorities and the Black Dragon Triad to line their own pockets.

”Ah, Brother Zhang, so it's you on duty today!” Seeing this burly fellow grinning as he came to greet him, Junior Leopard smiled back. This was Zhang Yong, a minor leader of the Black Dragon Triad. Almost every month at this time, he appeared on this same street collecting his protection money, just as naturally as the local government collecting their taxes. Since Junior Leopard had also been running about these streets on this day every month for half a year now, he had, of course, made Zhang Yong's acquaintance.

Zhang Yong also knew that, although Junior Leopard was young, he was a disciple of the Wu clan with great prospects ahead of him; and in all of Qingyang market, only the local government wielded an influence more fearsome to provoke than that of the Wu clan. He would, therefore, dare not cause any offense. Upon encountering him on the street he simply nodded his head and made a greeting, this was enough to count as friendly relations.

After taking leave of Zhang Yong, Junior Leopard continued onwards. Walking along the street, he heard the shout of a familiar voice hawking their wares, and he couldn't stop the hint of a warm smile from flashing across his face. It was the voice of Wang Tianlei, who had brought a group of hunters to the market. Since the spoils of their hunting had been increasing, each family still had plenty left over; even after they had together sold some of their game in bulk to a trading firm. The hunters would then go to the market to sell their personal surplus, under Wang Tianlei's leadership, of course. But this was not the same as a large firm's trading, they each sell their own individually, and they merely gathered together to help avoid arriving at any misfortune. After they had sold all their goods, these lads would then take the chance to have a look around the market themselves and perhaps get a sentimental gift for their women back home; this was, after all, only human nature.

Junior Leopard's elder brother was amongst them. During these last six months, Junior Leopard made sure his wages were taken back home to help subsidize the household expenses. He did so by finding his brother at this market and passing them on to him.

”So much? Little Shiba, will there be enough left for yourself?!”