Free Web NovelChapter 56: Chapter 56: Being a Guest
Business had been slow in the city lately.
Master Wang led Bai Mo to a small soup shop.
"Feng!"
"I’ve brought you some business!"
At Master Wang’s shout, a man of about the same age with salt-and-pepper hair emerged from the soup shop.
"Master Wang." The man, who wore an apron, casually wiped his hands on it.
Master Wang nodded in greeting.
"This is Shopkeeper Bai."
The man, Feng, jumped in surprise.
"You mean *the* Alchemist Bai!?"
Bai Mo quickly waved his hands dismissively.
"That’s an undeserved reputation. We all just make a living on the same street..."
"I was hoping you could lend me a hand, Master Feng."
Despite his polite words, Bai Mo didn’t recognize the shop at all.
Looking toward a corner, he could see several scattered cages.
Some were covered with cloth, and a HISSING sound came from within one of them.
Master Feng looked a little embarrassed.
"I’m usually hired to get rid of pests—snakes, insects, rats, that sort of thing. I’d say I’m quite good at it."
"But business has been slow in the city, and few people are willing to spend the money to hire someone. So I’ve started catching snakes and selling snake soup to make a living..."
Master Wang chimed in, "Feng’s skills are renowned. You can’t go wrong hiring him for these odd jobs!"
Bai Mo was in no mood for idle chat. With a wave of his hand, the three of them gathered the tools and headed back.
As for the snake soup business at the shop, Master Feng’s wife would handle it.
When the three of them returned to Bai Mo’s shop, Master Feng’s eyes immediately sharpened.
He walked around, tapping and knocking here and there.
"My, this building is twenty years old."
"Once insects start boring into the wood, it’s impossible to stop them."
Master Wang pointed to a vent and said,
"The pest damage is particularly bad over there. I just repaired it for Shopkeeper Bai a short while ago."
Hearing this, Master Feng immediately climbed up, pried open the wood, and examined the tunnels bored by the insects.
In less than ten minutes, he had a grasp of the situation.
"Alchemist Bai, the pests here have been nourished by Pill Qi, making them a little different from ordinary ones."
"To clear them out completely, I’m afraid it’ll take three to five days."
Seeing the troubled look on his face, Bai Mo guessed what was coming.
"So during that time, this place..."
"Won’t be habitable," Master Feng confirmed with a nod.
"The powder I’ll be spreading is harmful to people."
He was worried this would affect Bai Mo’s business.
But Bai Mo seemed unconcerned. "That’s fine. Do what you need to do. I’ll make do elsewhere for a few days!"
’I’ll head over to Lanshan’s place first,’ Bai Mo thought. ’Staying there for a few days shouldn’t be a problem.’
"Just please don’t forget, Master Feng, if any customers stop by, tell them to come back another day!"
Master Feng readily agreed.
He hadn’t gotten such a big job in a long time, so of course he intended to do it perfectly.
"When would you like to start, Shopkeeper Bai?"
"The sooner, the better."
With that settled, Bai Mo immediately began to pack up his medicinal herbs and Pills.
Meanwhile, Master Feng started sprinkling powder in every corner, enlisting Master Wang’s help to move the larger pieces of furniture.
His powder had a pungent smell.
Bai Mo took a look but could only identify a few of the components.
It seemed to contain some sort of powdered minerals.
The art of Pill refinement also involved minerals, but it was a branch Bai Mo had yet to explore.
By the time Bai Mo walked out with his bundle, the small shop was already filled with the pungent odor.
Unable to stand the smell, Master Wang ran outside to watch his old friend work.
Only Master Feng, his expression as calm as ever, remained inside, pacing about to ensure he hadn’t missed a spot.
After walking a short distance, Bai Mo suddenly looked back at his shop.
’I wonder how much a plot of land costs in Immortal Arrival City?’
’Elder Tao is getting on in years, and he doesn’t seem like the type to retire in Immortal Arrival City. I could ask him about it sometime.’
As he walked toward the Lanshan team’s post, lost in thought, Bai Mo suddenly sensed something was off.
’Since when were there so many people from Demon Hunting Teams on this street?’
Many of the passersby had powerful physiques, their auras roiling unstably.
Worse, some of them kept directing their gazes toward Bai Mo.
Bai Mo frowned slightly and quickened his pace.
By the time he reached the Lanshan team’s gate, he realized just as many eyes were focused here.
Bai Mo knocked lightly on the door, and soon, he heard approaching footsteps.
The courtyard gate swung open, and a wave of heat washed over him.
"Shopkeeper Bai!? What are you...?"
A swarthy Wang Hu was in the middle of strength training, covered in sweat and radiating waves of heat.
Bai Mo politely clasped his hands in greeting.
"My shop is being cleared of pests, so I won’t be able to set foot inside for three to five days. I was hoping I might trouble you all for a short stay."
He recalled noticing a few empty rooms here on his last visit.
"Huh?" Wang Hu was stunned for a moment, then he quickly stepped aside to let him in.
"Of course, you’re welcome!"
"Here! Let me help you with your things!"
Wang Hu lifted Bai Mo’s large bundle, which made a CLINKING and CLANKING sound—the sound of Pill bottles knocking against each other.
Lanshan’s men were in the courtyard doing strength training, but he himself was not present.
"Shopkeeper Bai is here!"
"Have you eaten dinner yet? We can eat together later..."
Not wanting to interrupt them, Bai Mo gave a simple greeting and followed Wang Hu into an empty room.
As the door opened, a faint, musty smell and a puff of dust blew out.
Bai Mo peeked inside and was surprised to find it rather clean.
Wang Hu pushed open the window and said,
"We’ve been expecting guests, so we specifically tidied up the spare rooms."
"But we used to store Demon Beast carcasses in here, so please don’t mind if there’s a lingering smell."
Bai Mo knew that some Demon Beasts used their own scent to mark their territory.
Therefore, it wasn’t surprising for the smell to linger.
"It’s already quite nice. Looks like I have your other guests to thank!"
"I was thinking I’d have to find an inn for a few days if you didn’t have space, but it seems that won’t be necessary."
Bai Mo thought about the stares he had gotten outside.
"Who are the guests, if you don’t mind my asking?"
Wang Hu said nonchalantly, "They’re just some colleagues. A bunch of big, burly guys."
"If you need anything, Shopkeeper Bai, just ask! Don’t let those inns take your money!"
Bai Mo thanked Wang Hu and began to unpack his belongings in the room by himself.
There were quite a few jars and bottles, all filled with Pills and processed medicinal herbs.
Some of the medicinal herbs couldn’t be kept sealed and had to be laid out to air.
By the time he finished his tasks, nearly an hour had passed.
When he came out of the room, he saw the sky was growing dim.
The few men who had been training in the courtyard had just stopped and gone to wash up.
Qin Ying, who had remained behind, casually put away the stone locks and hammers and walked over.
"Business must be booming for you lately, Shopkeeper Bai."
Bai Mo smiled. "It’s all thanks to you folks!"
"A single trip to Celestial Mountain City, and both of you have changed," Qin Ying remarked wistfully.
"If you have some free time over the next few days, could you tell me about Celestial Mountain City?"
"Of course."
"Oh, right." Bai Mo glanced around.
"Where’s Lanshan?"
Qin Ying pointed to the lit main building. "In there. He hasn’t come out all day."
"You can go see him, Shopkeeper Bai. It’s fine." freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Bai Mo nodded. "Alright."
’It would be rude to stay in someone’s home without paying a visit to the host,’ he thought.
After parting with Qin Ying, Bai Mo went straight to Lanshan’s door and knocked lightly.
"Come in."
Lanshan’s voice answered.
Bai Mo immediately pushed the door and entered.
In the spacious inner room, Lanshan was sitting at a desk. In front of him was an account book that was clearly quite old.
He held a brush in one hand, while the other rested on an abacus.
His fingers, as thick as carrots, moved deftly across the abacus. He would occasionally write down a number, his movements the picture of proficiency.
Bai Mo was somewhat taken aback.
’Who would have thought this towering, brawny man had a skill like this?’
