Mr Clawse led Leon up a creaking curved staircase to the upper floors above the shop, where he lived. Actually, he considered the first two rooms as multipurpose for one was where he stored his inventory of special pills, kept safe by a complicated lock created by Blacksmith Mars himself and the other was a small office where he could serve tea to important clients such as Sect leaders, Elder Alchemists, the town mayor and so on. And Leon was fast becoming one of his important clients as well.The tall, thin man poured the tea, his long fingers carefully supporting the hot teapot as he did so, before sliding one porcelain cup towards Leon. "My apologies for those personages," Mr Clawse said as he sat opposite the young man. "It seems their sect got wind of my unique inventory and wish to divert it."
Leon thought about this for a moment and felt a sudden suspicion in his gut. "Is it m-m-my f-fault?" He asked softly, thinking that his improved pills were indeed unique and he had only ever sold them to Mr Clawse.
"There is no blame," Mr Clawse rea.s.sured him. "And I don"t have just you adding to my supplies. I have an inventory of very high quality pills in stock, you know. Something unusual for a man in my profession. But just as with you, that person prefers anonymity. However, it was your improved blood pills that the sect wanted."
"Oh," Leon said, sipping at his tea. It was quite bitter, but somehow very refreshing as well. "I d-d-don"t have those t-today," he admitted, first taking out the improved one heart pills, before bringing out the cloudy and clear spiritual pills. "The c-cloudy sp-spiritual p-pills are g-g-good quality, b-but ordinary otherwise. The c-c-clear sp-spiritual p-pills are also g-good, b-but b-b-because the impurities are less ab-bout t-twenty five p-p-percent."
Mr Clawse examined the two new pills. He did not normally take either, but he was still glad Leon trusted him enough to come to him to sell them. If others caught wind of his improved pills, there would surely be trouble for him. His face soured slightly as he considered that the clear spiritual pills would definitely attract the attention of that sect and they might even recall that a boy revealed some in the shop. However, he did have an a.s.sociate in the new town that might wish for them in his inventory instead. That person happened to be a retired martial artist, a Cultivator who fell in love with a normal woman. However, his skills would not be underestimated by the sect.
With a slight nod of conviction he stated; "I will purchase the improved one heart pills, but would you be able to wait a day to sell the others? They are not part of my expertise." Leon thought there was no reason to decline and nodded in agreement. He pocketed four silver which more than made up for the unexpected purchase of new clothes. They agreed that Leon should come back following breakfast the next day.
Considering that he had a little spare time, for the sun was still high in the sky, Leon decided to head back to the new town and wander around the shops there. Things were more expensive there, but variety was greater and it cost nothing to window shop. Here it was more common to find clothing stores selling silks, many of which had beautiful and intricate patterns, but one set of even the plainer outer robes would cost more silver than what he currently had in his entire fortune.
There were also shops filled with accessories including jade hair pins. One, of blood red jade, without adornment caught his eye, but would set him back almost ten silver. He considered it for a moment and pitied himself that he could not carve one for Jin Li himself. His face flushed as he realised the train on which his thoughts had wandered. He did check out on a small inter dimensional bag, interested in the timeless quality of it. Although it could only hold a square metre of things, it would still cost a gold piece. He would need to spend all of his rest four days for the next year making improved blood pills to make the money if he wanted to purchase it!
After walking away lamenting poverty, he purchased some snacks and herb seeds as well some more jade bottles as although the school provided some, he was filling them and giving them away far faster than he was receiving them. As the sun was beginning to get nearer to the horizon, he decided to find an inn for himself for the night, so decided to head for the bridge, thinking it would be cheaper to get a room in the old side of town. He was not expecting that a furious Jin Li would be waiting at the centre of the bridge for him.