Chapter Twelve: Master Tong

“I am a magnanimous person; I have agreed to your request.” For such a small demand, Jia Ping’an did not refuse. There is no reason to make someone work and then deny them a meal.

Moreover, once the little white fox drinks the spiritual spring water, it will never forget it. There’s no fear it would go back on its word or break the contract to leave. Perhaps after drinking the spring water, it might even cling to him and refuse to leave.

However, if the little white fox truly has the ability to find wild ginseng, then it cannot be given away as a pet to his younger sister.

Well, he would just find something suitable to give her in the future. After all, the world is vast, and right now, his own needs come first.

Under Jia Ping’an’s control, all other drops of spiritual spring water vanished, but one droplet flew directly to the little white fox’s mouth.

The little white fox obediently opened its mouth, and the droplet entered its body. As the water seeped in, a faint yet powerful sensation surged through its being.

Compared to human perception, the white fox’s senses were amplified many times over.

Neither Jia Ping’an himself, nor the general’s mother, nor his own father felt much upon drinking the spring water. But the white fox was different—it could sense the unique qualities of the droplet, even the tremendous power contained within.

After a single drop entered its body, the little white fox noticed its previous wound healing at a faster pace.

It even felt its vision sharpen and its movements become more agile and stronger.

This was the power of the spiritual spring water: to enhance one’s strength without any side effects.

Since the little white fox was small in size, the enhancement effect was naturally even more pronounced.

“Squeak, squeak.”

Feeling the change in its body, the little white fox immediately showed joy, happily chattering without end.

This outcome pleased Jia Ping’an greatly. The spring water clearly held a strong allure for the little white fox, so he need not worry about it breaking its promise and abandoning him after taking the benefit.

Yet Jia Ping’an understood the importance of moderation.

One must never feed someone too much. They should always have desires and needs to better control them.

“Alright, the spiritual spring water tastes quite good, doesn’t it? Now it’s time for you to show your abilities. Let me be clear: if you don’t have the skills you claim, I won’t support you.”

The benefits had been handed over; now it was his turn to demand.

While still savoring the delightful taste of the spring water, the little white fox heard Jia Ping’an’s words. Although it longed for a second drop, it knew this human was cunning and would not give benefits without something in return.

Fortunately, it had not lied—there truly were many wild ginseng plants deep in the mountains.

As for seedlings, not only in the deep mountains but even nearby, there were plenty, and it could track their scent.

“Squeak, squeak,” the white fox made sounds, indicating it would keep its promise and now wanted to be released so it could search.

---

Jia Ping’an did not fear being deceived by the little white fox unless it was a poor glutton. He immediately agreed and, with a thought, released the little white fox from the space. He also stepped out, and the two stood together amid the rugged landscape of white mountains and black waters.

Since the mountain paths were difficult, Jia Ping’an remained hidden within the space, barely managing to keep up with the little white fox, who deliberately slowed its pace.

Soon, the little white fox stopped before a large tree, unable to move further.

On the surface, there was nothing unusual—just thick black soil like elsewhere. But Jia Ping’an knew that if the white fox stopped here, it meant the object he sought was nearby.

Without hesitation, Jia Ping’an exited the space and began digging. After a few moments, once the loose soil was cleared, a wild ginseng seedling appeared.

Had it not been for the little white fox’s guidance, no one would have known this treasure was here. Remarkably, it was less than two hundred meters from where Jia Ping’an had stood earlier. The little white fox was truly impressive; if Jia Ping’an had searched alone, he would have surely missed this plant.

Reaching out, he picked up the seedling and stored it in his space. It weighed nearly four qian, which greatly satisfied him.

“Squeak, squeak.”

The little white fox called out, as if saying, “I have done well; you should praise me.”

“That’s just the beginning. Besides, the spring water is good, but you can’t drink too much—what if it fills you up too much and you end up getting sick?” Jia Ping’an wouldn’t reward the fox just for one seedling; otherwise, its appetite would only grow bigger.

This was undesirable, so occasional restraint was necessary.

The little white fox was somewhat displeased by this reply but helpless. After all, it was a glutton. To satisfy its cravings, it had to keep searching and continue working for Jia Ping’an.

...

At the general’s mansion, in the backyard, the matriarch’s coughing worsened again.

Hearing the news, Hu Buyun arrived anxiously. Upon seeing the steward Hu Shoufu, he demanded harshly, “What’s going on? Didn’t her condition improve after the medicine yesterday?”

“It did improve, but because of that, the matriarch had an appetite this morning and wanted some sweets. The servants dared not refuse and brought some, but who knew it would cause this?” Hu Shoufu lowered his head, feeling guilty.

“Still eating sweets? Didn’t the doctors say the sweeter the food, the more it aggravates the cough?” Hu Buyun didn’t know what to say. This was truly like forgetting old wounds and causing new pain.

But since it was his own mother who did it, and Hu Buyun was extremely filial, he refrained from blaming her. Instead, he told Hu Shoufu, “Punish whoever brought the sweets with thirty lashes and sell them out of the mansion immediately. Also, prepare the medicine according to yesterday’s prescription at once.”

Under the feudal dynasty, slaves were allowed, and their lives were of little concern to the masters, often subject to beatings. But selling someone out of the household was reserved for grave offenses, showing just how angry Hu Buyun was.

“Yes, sir,” Hu Shoufu, as steward responsible for the servants, accepted the blame and quickly obeyed, fearing the general’s punishment.

The herbs were gathered swiftly, and the decoction prepared without delay. Yet, after taking the medicine, there was no sign of improvement.

---

Seeing this, Hu Buyun was not disappointed. It seemed the Jia family’s boy still had a card to play. Naturally, it was reasonable—why would he share his family’s secret skills with others?

“Go find Jia Ping’an and ask him to come quickly.”

...

Jia Ping’an descended the mountain.

Compared to yesterday, he had gathered many more wild ginseng seedlings—over fifty—and took less than half the time.

He rewarded the little white fox with a drop of the specially mixed spiritual spring water, then stored it in the space. Instead of returning home immediately, he planned to stroll around Ningguta city.

Having the ginseng was one thing, but he needed to consider selling it. To do that, he needed to gauge the market. Usually, places with more humans had more information.

At the Talented Gathering Tavern, Jia Ping’an stepped inside. A waiter led him in, and he ordered some food casually while sharpening his ears to listen carefully.

At this hour, the tavern wasn’t crowded, and there was no talk of ginseng sales.

Firstly, it was not the best time for ginseng harvesting; late summer to early autumn was better.

Secondly, the rules for selling ginseng were well known by all city elders, so discussing them was dull.

Jia Ping’an didn’t hear what he wanted, but another piece of news caught his attention.

“Hey, have you heard? Master Tong’s house was robbed yesterday.”

At a nearby table sat three men drinking and discussing recent city news.

One, an elderly man in his forties, spoke up, “Of course I know. I also heard all the rice and grain at Master Tong’s house were stolen, and the old servant, Tong Gui, was severely beaten. He’s now so ill that he might not survive even with medical care.”

“Yes, stealing is one thing, but injuring people is despicable. Poor Master Tong—he was talented but envied by colleagues because of his excellent writing skills. He was framed and exiled to Ningguta. Now, not only is his promising future gone, but his family is out of food. How will he survive this harsh winter?” Another middle-aged man sighed sympathetically.

The three continued talking, but Jia Ping’an quietly placed a silver coin on the table and left.

He had taken an interest in this Master Tong.

Living in this world was never solitary; one needed friends to share joy and sorrow.

Those who aspired to greatness required even more, and capable allies were essential.

Having come here, Jia Ping’an needed to adapt to society and find like-minded companions.

He heard that before exile, Master Tong was the top scholar of the Xuan Kingdom and later worked at the Hanlin Academy as an editor. Clearly, a learned man.

In an era where literacy was less than ten percent, scholars were respected and had prospects.