Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Buying A New Axe
"Did I just get overcharged?" Walking through the streets of the market, Shen Yuan thought to himself. "It can’t be... right?"
He took a detour and sneaked into an empty alleyway. By the time he walked out, he had changed into the net set of clothing he had just purchased.
Shen Yuan proceeded to make his way through the shops. His first destination was a pharmacy.
He was running low on his heart meds and decided to buy some more.
"Greetings, esteemed sir. What kind of herbs would you like to purchase?" The effects of his outfits were instantaneous.
The same servant who had served him half-heartedly before now treated him like a proper customer.
With a proper cleanup, his face now finally had its time to shine. His sharp jawline and big grey eyes made many women turn in his direction.
Although Shen Yuan was not on the level of making all women fall for him at just a glance, his appearance and demeanour were like a shining beacon of light that demanded attention from men and women alike.
’This is called money well spent.’ Even though Shen Yuan did not feel anything from their gazes, he knew the benefits of having the attention of others.
For this very reason, he had emptied the money had received from the dangerous mission he had just done the day before.
"Pack the herbs written here and make sure they are of the best quality. I won’t take any half-withered leaves or cracked stems," Shen Yuan warned the worker behind the counter as he passed on a small parchment he had torn from his book.
Feeling the weight of his sharp gaze, the man nodded before moving from drawer to drawers of the huge apothecary cabinet lined up behind him and under the counter.
"Forgive me, but there has been a shortage in the supply of Wolfthorn power. I can only sell about ten grammes of it to you." The worker packed everything and showed the final amount to Shen Yuan, who took the paper and shook his head.
"Not a problem." He only needed a gram of the thing and was trying to stock it for himself so he did not mind.
Paying a total of 57 Girds, Shen Yuan walked out of the shop with packets of medicine in his hands.
"I should get a new axe." Every servant had to buy their own axe to chop off the trees, and even the new servants who had been kidnapped into the cult were no exception.
No one would give them free stuff. This was why the former owner of his body had to spend a month without any food and practically use stones to chop off the wood.
But things turned for the better once he had collected enough money from the tasks to get an axe for himself.
Ting!
Bam!
The moment he walked into the street of the blacksmith, Shen Yuan heard the sound of metal ringing even from the distance. The sound was so loud that some conversations were drowned out from it.
Many people were looking in the direction of the smithy with resentment in their eyes, but no one dared to go up and stop the man from making them.
That was not only because of the fear of the man working inside but also because of his reputation.
"Old man Huang Fu, a customer is here." The moment he walked into the shop, a young woman dressed in the attire of common people, hair covered with a headscarf, announced his arrival with a flushed face.
Her face was not red because she was amazed by Shen Yuan’s appearance but because of how hot it was inside the place.
Shen Yuan could feel the heat prickling against his skin. The beat of hammer drumming inside thumps in sync with his heart beat. The unique sensation he felt left him in trance for a second.
"You can look around the shop while he arrives." The woman, who was about twenty-something years old, guided Shen Yuan to their merchandise before she went back to doing her job of dusting the wares.
Everything was arranged in order, Shelf upon Shelf, weapons were categorised and arranged in a proper manner, making it clear that the blacksmith who made these respected the efforts he put into making them.
Just as Shen Yuan was checking out the Axes arranged against the wooden shelves on an inclined angle, the sound of the metal being hammered stopped.
The next second, a figure walked out from the back room of the shop.
Huang Fu was an imposing man. He was tall, crossing seven feet, and thick with muscles that were defined with the thick black padded robes sticking close to his body.
There was not a sign of sweat on his body. Broad shoulders, a barrel-like chest and a thick torso that could tank any hit.
His iron-grey hair was cut short, reaching his neck, almost merging with the unkempt beard he had grown.
Standing there with his arms crossed, he stared at Shen Yuan with his sharp brown eyes.
The moment he arrived, the woman tending to the shop kept stealing glancing at his exposed torso every now and then.
"What do you need, Servant boy?" His words drew a shocked glance from the woman.
Shen Yuan paused at the hostile tone in his voice. He did not know what made the man be on edge to speak like that.
"You remember me?" The tone of familiarity in his voice made Shen Yuan ask in doubt. Even the man whom he bought herbs every other day did not recognise him.
"I remember everyone I sell my weapons to. So, stop wasting my time with useless questions and tell me what you want." Huang Fu huffed an annoyed sigh before walking around the counter and pulling out a clean cloth from underneath.
He started cleaning his already clean hands, obsessively so.
"I want an axe. My old one broke." Shen Yuan picked a random axe that looked like his own one and placed it before the man.
Huang Fu narrowed his eyes at the axe and then at Shen Yuan before offering a blunt refusal: "No."
