Making an Offer 4

Second Ducal Prince Li Changhai, or Li Sanlang, to use the name that his close friends and family called him by, stepped up before any further outbreaks of violence took place. And judging from the looks on the faces of his cousin and his two Protectors, any attempt of the same would definitely not be coming from any of them.

After all, it was clear from their pale faces and from the lavish amounts of blood that they were spitting out of their mouths, that all three of them had suffered enough internal injuries that would confine them to their beds for at least a season!

None of them would dare to go up against this green-robed man now! Not when he had already revealed his Peak Completion level cultivation!

"Li Changhai begs Senior to go easy on his cousin. The Royal Prince has spent most of his days at the Royal Palace in the Capital City, and has little experience in the outside world. If he has given offence, let Li Changhai offer his apologies on his behalf."

It was not something that he enjoyed doing, to tell the truth. But he would certainly be in trouble, if the Prince was killed and the King learned that he was present and did nothing to prevent it. Of course, he could always protest that he was injured as well, and so were his men. But that would not be enough to quell the monarch's anger, if things turned out as bad as he thought they might.

However, the green-robed fellow seemed to ignore him, as he continued to stare at the trio who were sprawled, or kneeling, on the hardwood floor. And a single sniff from him was enough to send the Royal Prince, and both his Protectors, scuttling back!

"Get lost! And don't come here again! You lot are a shame that should be banned from all places of business, coming up with a bullsh*t scam like that! Didn't your parents teach you how to behave?" he growled, before sitting down once again.

The trio did not hesitate, and fled the third floor at once. Which was enough to make Li Sanlang's lips twitch as he watched his cousin stumble down the steps. Who would have thought that he would see such a sight today? To think that he had almost missed it!

Li Changhai was the Second Ducal Prince, and he had a habit of visiting the Changqing City every Summer, to visit his maternal uncle the Old Marquis. And to make a little trouble for his eldest cousin, who had already taken over his father's fief. But the New Marquis would avoid him every year, so he was left to wander about the streets along, to pass his time.

That had gone on for a good number of years now, and he had picked up quite a bit about medicines and alchemy, while he was there. Enough to prompt him to look for some magical and semi-magical plants and herbs, that would help him with his martial arts.

After all, his father was the Duke of the Westlands, and he would have to lead the armies against the Barbarians, sooner or later. Besides, getting a good foundation for his martial arts would only help him, when it came to joining one of the great martial art communities later on in his life. His father's own experiences had shown him that.

And he had picked up quite a few pointers himself, when interacting with his father's friends and fellow disciples. Of course, Li Changhai was nowhere near the stage where the Sects or the Schools would offer him membership. But he was hopeful that he would be invited, somewhere in the future.

Which was why he was doing his best to lay a proper foundation for himself, by interacting with other powerful practitioners. Like Hall Manager Zheng Zhanqi, from the Fu Lai Medicine Hall.

But even that remarkable personage paled before this unnamed stranger in the faded green cotton robe, who had chased away two Completion-grade martial artists with a single flick of his sleeve!

If he could get this man to join his father's faction ...

Ah! But no. He bit down on that thought ruthlessly, as he remembered what the man had said earlier. And how he had even disparaged the King himself! Clearly, this was not someone who cared about status and secular power. So what was he able to offer to a man like that?

No. It would be far more practical to interact with him politely, and build up a relationship of his own, rather than try to tempt him with material things. Even if he did have something that might tempt him, it is quite possible that this green-robed stranger may just steal it away, without making payment for it. So wouldn't he be simply inviting a loss on himself?

Then he heard the coughing at his back, and remembered that he had yet to deal with his own guards. The pressure from the Royal Prince's Protector earlier had been enough to toss them onto the ground. So he was rather sure that they would have suffered some internal injuries.

Hence, he quickly pulled out a couple of Intestinal Fortitude Pills from his coat, and handed them over to the same. It would not heal them immediately or completely, but it would allow them to recover, if they took the time to properly rest, over the next ten days or so.

Hall Manager Zheng had already dealt with his own people, especially the girls who were holding onto the medicinal herbs. None of them were seriously injured, of course. He was bowing to the stranger when Li Changhai turned back to the pair.

And it was rather clear that he was making his apologies, for the Medicine Hall's inability to keep them from being interrupted earlier.

The green-robed man merely waved his hand, as if dismissing all of the apologies and promises as though they were worthless to him. "I am a ... gatherer of herbs and I am merely here to exchange them for things that would be useful to me. I don't care about politics and I don't care about idiots who think too highly of themselves.

"Now, are we going to trade? At the prices that we had agreed upon earlier?"

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