Chapter 77: Lingshan Hall
Chapter 77: Lingshan Hall
"Master, here’s all the information that you asked me to gather." Little Pink said and a scroll landed on the lap of the woman who was enjoying the evening sunlight in the backyard of the Summer Cottage.
Xiang Ling lazily opened her eyes and turned her gaze toward the scroll before picking it up. Opening it, she started reading through the content while Little Pink started reciting what it had found during its research.
"Master, there are a total of four herb halls in the entire Dongzhi City. One is a small shop owned by a couple. This shop is located in the southern part of the city and makes enough money for the couple to live a peaceful life. One shop is located at the west end of the city and their business is running quite well. The rest two shops are located on the market streets of the city..."
Xiang Ling listened closely while her eyes quickly read through the contents of the scroll. There was not much difference between the two except that the scroll contained the exact addresses of these four shops along with the names of their owner and all the people working there.
"... Among these two shops, one is owned by the Yi family. The Yi family is among one of the most powerful families in Dongzhi City. They own various businesses throughout the city along with the Herb Hall. As for the last shop on the list, it’s exactly what you are looking for." Little Pink disclosed with excitement.
Xiang Ling arched one of her eyebrows in question as she briefly turned her attention toward the spirit beast. "And what do you think I’m looking for?" She asked.
"Master, you are looking for a place where you can sell spiritual pills. Right?" Little Pink asked with the slightest hint of uncertainty in its voice.
Letting out a small sigh, Xiang Ling nodded her head in the positive and signaled Little Pink to continue.
"This last shop is located in the bustling square of the main market street. It is not only the biggest herb shop in the entire city but it is also the most famous one. They have two in-house physicians and a lot of assistant physicians. Moreover, the owner of this herb hall is someone from the Capital City." Little Pink continued as per Xiang Ling’s demand.
Hearing about the last shop, Xiang Ling stopped reading about the others and focused on the information about this particular shop. There was no name of its owner but instead, there was another piece of information that caught her attention. Turning her gaze toward Little Pink, she asked, "How did you find out that it’s one of the branches of some big Herb shop in the Capital City?"
Little Pink gave her a proud smile as it answered, "Master, during my second day of investigation there, I heard the manager of the shop giving a secret letter to a shadow guard. The letter was supposed to be delivered to the main branch in the Capital. They briefly talked about some auction that was going to take place in the main branch."
Xiang Ling remained silent as she processed all the information she just received. A herb hall with a shadow guard meant that the owner was not a normal person. "Did you find anything else?" She asked the beast.
Little Pink nodded its head before it answered. "Right before I was returning, I heard one of the physicians asking the assistants to pack the herbs for the disciples of some sect."
A shop with its main branch in the Capital City and had links with the powerful sects - it seemed this shop was exactly what Xiang Ling needed. Looking at Little Pink, she spoke, "You have done a wonderful job. Let’s discuss our future relationship status once I succeed in this mission."
* * *
After finishing her breakfast, Xiang Ling set out toward Lingshan Hall all alone. Originally, she pondered whether to visit the place with a secret identity or not. At first, she considered revealing her identity as the news of her selling spiritual pills would have improved her trash image in the eyes of the citizens. However, she soon realized that it wasn’t a great idea.
While Dongzhi City had no links with the cultivation and martial world, the same was not the case with Lingshan Hall. Once they found out the identity of the person selling them spiritual pills, things could become troublesome for her and her family, and that was the last thing she needed to happen.
Hence, after debating all the cons and pros of her options, she decided to keep her identity hidden. Besides, she had a lot of other ways to improve her image in the eyes of the citizens of Dingzhi City.
She decided to dress differently for the occasion and chose a light yellow dress made of high-quality fabric with beautiful and intricate embroidery on the sleeves and hems. She chose gold jewelry and hair accessories. Lastly, she put on a veil and secured it on her face with a spell to make sure it wouldn’t come off during some sort of accident.
She attracted quite some attention from passersby as she climbed out of the carriage and entered Lingshan Hall. Just one look around the place and she could tell that its business was booming.
"May I help you?" A servant girl asked as she noticed Xiang Ling walking into the shop and moved to welcome her with a respectful bow.
Without wasting much time in beating around the bush, Xiang Ling replied, "I’m here to meet your manager."
The girl smiled politely before she spoke, "Young Lady, if you need assistance in buying herbs, then I can help you. And if you need a physician to check your health, we have very good and knowledgeable physicians in our hall. How about you tell me your reason for visiting first?"
Fixing her sharp gaze on the girl, Xiang Ling replied, "I’m here to meet your manager. Tell him that I have something his boss will love to add on the list of items that will be auctioned soon."