The heir to the White
But this heir of the Jiang Han Marquis? He had done something as outrageous as farting during the Heaven-Worship Ceremony. Wasn't he supposed to be that infamous good-for-nothing wastrel? Since when had he become such a badass?
And now he was dismissing the White Tiger Marquis's heir like the man was beneath his notice — this was a recipe for disaster.
Everyone knew that among the one hundred and eight marquises, the Jiang Han Marquis ranked somewhere around the top fifteen at best. But the White Tiger Marquis? He was a top-four powerhouse, one of the four great marquises whose names shook the Eastern Kingdom.
Among the marquises, every single ranking spoke to a gap in strength. There was simply no comparison between the Jiang Han Marquis and the White Tiger Marquis — they were not even in the same league.
On top of that, thanks to that earth-shaking fart,
That was exactly why everyone was so stunned by his attitude.
"Hahaha! Jiang Chen, you weren't beaten to death — you must have been beaten stupid! Fine, fine, fine, last time you got lucky and survived. Today, consider this me lightening the burden on His Majesty. I'll beat you to death and claim a reward for it."
Just then, a commotion erupted at the entrance of the Apothecary Hall. A group of young men filed in, escorting a girl dressed in white.
The moment they stepped through the doors, every one of them called out: "We want a stalk of Dragon Bone Solar Grass — bring it out immediately! The Yanmen Marquis estate will cover the cost!"
"Hmph! Since when does the Yanmen Marquis estate get to call the shots? This Dragon Bone Solar Grass is claimed by the Vermillion Bird Marquis estate!"
The young heirs jostled and clamored over who would pay, turning the main hall of the Apothecary Hall into absolute bedlam.
Jiang Chen rubbed his nose and wondered whether these people had more money than they knew what to do with. What was this performance all about? Had they coordinated beforehand just to get in his face?
It didn't really seem like it. He needed the Dragon Bone Solar Grass, but these people had no way of knowing that. Besides, Jiang Chen didn't think he had a high enough "hatred index" to draw the attention of so many marquis heirs at once.
In short order, at least seven or eight young men were fighting tooth and nail to buy the Dragon Bone Solar Grass, each displaying a level of determination that bordered on life-or-death.
Elder Lan, however, was in a tough spot. She had a clever and perceptive mind — was it not obvious that these young men were competing for the girl's attention?
But there was only one stalk of Dragon Bone Solar Grass. Selling it to one would inevitably offend a whole crowd of others.
These young masters were each a walking disaster. Offending any one of them meant trouble, and offending the whole lot at once was an even worse prospect.
Elder Lan's mind turned quickly. She shot a glance at Jiang Chen and hit upon a plan.
"Young lords, we are honored by your patronage. However, the Apothecary Hall has always conducted business according to its own rules. The very first person to request the purchase of this Dragon Bone Solar Grass was, in fact, Jiang Chen, heir of the Jiang Han Marquis. If any of you wish to buy it, you will need to persuade him to give up his claim. Whoever can convince him, that is who we shall sell to. These are our rules — we ask for your understanding."
What a masterful redirection.
With that move, the Apothecary Hall had washed its hands of the matter entirely, dumping the problem squarely on Jiang Chen.
If Jiang Chen refused to yield, that was Jiang Chen's problem — not the Apothecary Hall's. If people got offended, it would be Jiang Chen who bore the brunt.
Every pair of eyes in the hall swiveled to Jiang Chen in unison.
"Huh? Why him?"
"Jiang Chen? That moron who farted during the Heaven-Worship Ceremony? I thought he was dead!"
"Is this a corpse reanimating?"
"Could it be that this kid has nine lives? He actually survived?"
"How strange. Strange things happen every year, but this year takes the cake."
"Who cares if he's dead or alive — this Dragon Bone Solar Grass isn't up for grabs! Nobody's snatching it from me!"
"Jiang Chen, the Jiang Han Marquis holds no sway here. If you know what's good for you, bow out now."
"That's right — a man with blood on his hands still dares to show his face?"
"Go on, scram home and prepare your own funeral!"
Very few people knew that Jiang Chen was still alive. So, their reactions didn't exactly catch him off guard.
What did catch him off guard was the question of whether he really looked that punchable. Why did every one of these clowns seem to think he was an easy target?
Ignoring the threatening glances from every direction, Jiang Chen let out a bitter laugh. "Did I forget to check the almanac before stepping out today? Running into one idiot was bad enough — why did a whole pack of them suddenly show up?"
He wasted no more words, fixing Elder Lan with a cold stare. "Elder Lan, that little trick of redirecting the trouble — well played! I'm not interested in your nonsense. Are you selling this Dragon Bone Solar Grass or not?"
Elder Lan's expression darkened. "Is that supposed to be a threat? If so, then I really will have nothing more to do with this matter!"
"Hold on!"
Suddenly, a figure strode out hurriedly from the back of the hall — the Third Hall Master.
The Third Hall Master wore a grim face and snapped: "Elder Lan, what is the meaning of this? How did such a small matter escalate into this kind of scene?"
"When the Apothecary Hall does business, we follow the rules of business — first come, first served!"