Chapter 174: Many Lice Don’t Bite

It performed with such effortless ease, like a seasoned chef with thirty years of experience in a restaurant, turning its craft into a personal show.

He Lingchuan was surprised to see such calm composure in a monkey.

Tang Weng watched from the side, nodding repeatedly and stroking the long hair beneath his chin in approval.

After a short while, the flames died down, the pills were formed, and the furnace transformed back into a small toy again.

The ape Lingguang gestured for He Lingchuan to open his palm, then inverted the furnace, pouring the pills into his hand.

Four small pills.

Lingguang also tapped the bottom of the furnace twice firmly, and an extra pill dropped out.

Tang Weng looked very satisfied. "An extra one was refined," he said, "very good."

He Lingchuan examined the pills in his palm closely. They were uniform in size, smooth-surfaced, and a deep black with a hint of gold.

Thousand Stability Pills are wound medicine, named for their ability to stabilize countless injuries. They were much more expensive and effective than regular trauma medicine. He had used them twice himself and had also seen the Wind Army use them in the Valley Battle of the Coiling Dragon Dreamland.

For medicine to be a staple in the Wind Army's field kit, its quality and efficacy had to be top-tier. He Lingchuan recalled that the Thousand Stability Pills provided by the military doctor A-Luo were almost identical in appearance to the ones in his hand. When he sniffed them up close, they also carried a spicy note amidst the medicinal fragrance.

Of course, the best way to verify was to try it himself.

He Lingchuan took out his dagger and made a deep cut on his arm.

Blood immediately began to gush out.

He crushed a Thousand Stability Pill, applied the powder to the wound, and a sensation of coolness immediately countered the burning pain.

Soon, the bleeding stopped.

He waited for another three to five breaths, then brushed away the residue and found that the powder, upon contact with blood, seemed to have transformed into a thin layer of adhesive, completely sealing the wound.

Lingguang added, "It will heal by evening and leave no scar in two days."

This effect was even better than He Lingchuan had expected.

As he was about to speak, Assistant Liu suddenly tugged his sleeve. "Young Master," he whispered, "step aside for a word."

They moved to the side, where Assistant Liu murmured softly, "I always felt the name 'Lingguang' sounded familiar, and it just now came to me. This medicinal ape's alchemy is indeed excellent, but there's a reason it has remained here."

"What's the problem?"

"Its four previous employers all died, and met violent ends not long after hiring it. The unluckiest was the most recent one. A month and a half ago, his entire family was executed, considered loyalists of the Grand Marshal. All seventy-six members of his family were horrifically executed and their bodies displayed publicly for three full days for the people to witness. Someone noticed this pattern and started calling it the 'Omen Monkey,' and no one has dared to hire it since."

He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow. "So, its previous employers' deaths weren't directly related to it?"

"But it's inauspicious," Assistant Liu said with a wry smile. "You should think twice, or we can come back another day."

"I won't be in Shihuan for many days," He Lingchuan replied. "Besides, I have primal energy protecting me; even a curse can't harm me."

In fact, He Lingchuan was thinking that while peaceful, wealthy families might fear it like a viper, he had already drawn the worst possible fortune sticks from the old turtle demon, two of them in fact. Whether he hired this monkey or not, misfortune was unlikely to stay away.

When you have too many fleas, you stop feeling the bites. What was there to be afraid of?

Besides, did he have any other choice? This was the only medicinal ape left.

So, after speaking, he walked back to Lingguang. "Your skill is excellent, exactly what I need," he said. "Do you have any requirements, or anything I should know?"

Lingguang paused, startled. It saw Tang Weng standing behind He Lingchuan, winking and gesturing at it.

The message was clear: Don't say anything, absolutely don't say anything.

Lingguang tilted its head, thought for a moment, and still said, "I have no special requirements, but my previous employers have all passed away. I believe you should be aware of this."

"No luck again," Tang Weng thought, slapping his forehead. "Why is this child so honest?"

He Lingchuan asked, curious, "Did you kill them?"

Lingguang's eyes widened. "Of course... not!"

"As long as it wasn't intentional," Young Master He said nonchalantly. He then turned to Tang Weng. "I think Lingguang is excellent, and it's an honest ape. How about we sign the contract?"

Tang Weng was overjoyed. He hadn't expected this rich young master to be so bold and unfussy. Indeed, you can't judge a person by their appearance. "Good, good, just a moment!" he exclaimed, scurrying up a tree in a flash, showing no signs of old age.

"Young Master He, you truly are—" Assistant Liu, having fulfilled his duty to warn, now aimed to praise. "Resolute!"

He really wasn't afraid of death.

"My fate is my own," He Lingchuan began, "how can it be dictated by..." He originally intended to say "monkeys," but remembering that the Thousand Hearts Sect was always against discrimination, he quickly changed his words: "...how can it be dictated by others?"

Lingguang's eyes immediately lit up. It stood ramrod straight and bowed deeply to him. "Thank you!" it chirped.

It had grown tired of others fearing it like a fierce beast.

This young master truly was a good person.

Just then, the old ape returned, holding three red booklets. He Lingchuan took them and saw they were employment contracts, in triplicate. They stated that he was hiring Lingguang, the medicinal ape of the Thousand Hearts Sect, as the He family's pharmacist, with a monthly salary of fifteen taels of silver, increasing by ten percent each year, and including room and board.

Lingguang's diet also had requirements: five catties of choice fruits daily. The employer was to treat it with reverence, never to beat or scold it, and never to regard it as a mere pet or slave.

A medicinal ape, after all, held a different status than mere cats and dogs!

As an employee, Lingguang was to diligently refine medicine for He Lingchuan. The contract also had detailed requirements regarding the failure rate of the furnace. If Lingguang failed to meet these, the Thousand Hearts Sect would replace the medicinal ape—no, replace the pharmacist—for He Lingchuan free of charge.

It took He Lingchuan a quarter of an hour to read through everything. "These terms are quite... comprehensive," he remarked. They were lengthy and appeared to be a standard contract.

Tang Weng said gruffly, "With comprehensive terms and an agreement beforehand, one can suffer fewer losses."

Maotao, standing nearby, pursed his lips. He thought that these apes must have suffered greatly from their previous dealings with humans, which was why they were desperately adding so many clauses to the employment contract.

He Lingchuan and Lingguang signed and stamped all three copies of the contract, with each party keeping one. Tang Weng put away his copy, then patted Lingguang's shoulder, speaking earnestly: "Do a good job this time. Your grand-uncle doesn't want to see you for a few years."

Lingguang nodded heavily, tears welling in its eyes.

He Lingchuan extended his hand to it. "Then, please, Pharmacist, come home with me."

The ape tucked the contract away, hopped onto He Lingchuan's shoulder, and pressed its hand to Tang Weng's straw hat. "Take care, Elder!" it chirped.

As He Lingchuan and his group descended the mountain, monkeys chattered in the trees all along the way. The old apes on the archway also grinned from ear to ear. Clearly, He Lingchuan had solved their big problem.

"Damn it," He Lingchuan thought, "if I had known, I should have haggled for a lower price."

He Lingchuan got into the carriage and instructed the coachman to make another trip to the market to purchase medicinal ingredients.

Whether martial artists or spellcasters, all relied on the power of medicine in their cultivation. He Lingchuan knew well that for rapid advancement, consuming pills like food was the norm. Having a skilled alchemist at one's service was extremely important.

A few hours later, at the Songyang Estate's annex.

Marquis Songyang was reading in his study when he suddenly heard a flutter. A plump bird outside the window flapped its wings and flew off, shaking a shower of snow from the branches.

Then his steward quickly arrived to report:

"Lord, someone from Yangshan is here."

Marquis Songyang stated curtly, "I'm busy; I won't see them."

"They heard that the He family father and son have arrived in Shihuan and wish to inquire about information."

"Information on the He family father and son?" Marquis Songyang closed his book. "He Chunhua and his family of four are staying at the Hua'an Inn. His contingent, including dependents, totals six hundred and forty people, accommodated separately at the north and west city post stations. Seven military officers are staying at the same inn as He Chunhua. General He has at least four visible guards, and it's unclear if there are hidden ones. Since he sent back Zhu Xiyan's granddaughter, this Grand Manager on his way north has already received nine waves of visitors. I believe he intends to expand his connections and align himself with the royal court. He Chunhua himself has ordinary cultivation, but some of his martial artists are decent. Oh, and by the way, the Zhu family is hosting a reception tonight at Deer Cry Garden to welcome back their granddaughter, and there's a ninety-nine percent chance the He family will attend," Marquis Songyang instructed. "Just relay what I've told you."

The steward assented, then asked, "He's eldest son visited Songyang Estate today. Should I tell them about that?"

"Why mention that?" Marquis Songyang scoffed. "This is Songyang Estate's business; what does it have to do with them?"

The steward withdrew as instructed.

After two *kekong* (half an hour), he returned to report, "I have relayed everything, word for word, but the guests from Yangshan wish to know if you will be attending Deer Cry Garden tomorrow evening?"

"It's not convenient for me to go; let them proceed as they wish," Marquis Songyang said lazily. "Oh, and give them another piece of information; they'll surely be interested: a very important person will also be at tonight's reception, and that is..."

"What?! You spent fifteen taels of silver just to hire a monkey for me!" Madam Ying exclaimed, glaring at He Lingchuan and the ape wearing a straw hat on his shoulder. She forcibly suppressed the urge to bang on the table, but her voice still rose three octaves.

He Lingchuan replied solemnly, "Mother, the Thousand Hearts Sect doesn't like being called monkeys."

Lingguang, whose cultivation was far shallower than the old ape Tang Weng's, dared not argue with the enraged Madam Ying, and merely shrank back behind He Lingchuan's neck.

A monkey is a monkey, she thought, why can't I call it that? Although this ape took off its straw hat and bowed respectfully to her, Madam Ying still said with a stern face, "Even in the capital, do you know what kind of excellent guards fifteen taels of silver could hire?"

"Lingguang isn't a guard; it's a pharmacist," He Lingchuan explained. "Mother, if you ever have a headache, fever, feel weak and tired, or even have chills and abdominal pain during those few days each month, you can ask it to refine medicine for you on the spot..."

Madam Ying couldn't listen anymore. She grabbed two dates and threw them at his face. "Get out!" she snapped.

They were two plump, bright red dates, freshly softened in hot water. He Lingchuan caught them, handed them to the ape, and replied with an "Alright!" then quickly slipped away.

Before he disappeared, Madam Ying also saw the ape stuffing the dates into its mouth, its cheeks bulging.

He Chunhua offered a cup of warm tea, saying calmly, "My dear, calm down."

"Look at your good son!" Madam Ying exclaimed, taking the cup and taking a large gulp. "He's finding new ways to squander our fortune!"

After these past few months together, she had thought her eldest son had finally changed, becoming sensible. Little did she know, upon arriving in Shihuan City, he had only gotten worse. Fifteen taels of silver, fifteen thousand large coins—how many monkeys could that buy?

And that was just the monthly salary!

"There's even an employment contract!" Madam Ying fumed. "My family actually issued a contract to a monkey—what a complete joke!" The more Madam Ying thought about it, the angrier she became. "These fifteen taels will be deducted from his monthly allowance; he shouldn't dream of getting an extra coin from me!"