Simply Trading

His face was covered with purple bruises, and his left eye was swollen shut. Nor did his injuries end there. His simple disciple robe was rent and covered in mud stains, while more bruises could be seen on his pitifully thin form through the tears in the same. Even his hands were covered with dried blood, and one of his fingers on his left hand looked swollen, as if it had been broken or badly sprained.

"Who did this to him? One of the female disciples?"

Qin Feng burst into tears the moment that he heard that, his wails interrupting Chen Xing before the latter could manage a response. Which was enough to attract a number of onlookers, mostly Elders as well, who were looking out of their windows into the yard.

"Elder Ming! Elder Ming! You must address this grievance of mine, ah!"

Chen Xing shushed the boy immediately, but Ming Guanke merely waved his efforts aside. "What happened? Tell me, boy."

The young man dragged his somewhat ragged sleeve across his face, leaving a trail of mucus from his nostrils over his blood-splattered cheek. His eyes were still tearing, even as he opened his mouth again:

"It was the female disciples from ... from the rear mountain. They came and they accused me of growing ... of growing fake medicine! I have never grown fake medicine, Elder Ming! I have never done that! You mustn"t listen to their false accusations, Elder! You mustn"t!"

He broke down into another wave of cries then, leaving Chen Xing to pat him on the back, and to take up the tale:

"Six female disciples from the rear mountain had come to the Medicine Fields and they ... accused Qin Feng here of selling them fake medicine. Apparently, they had purchased twelve leaves of Wormroot Gra.s.s from him three days ago and ..."

"Wormroot Gra.s.s?"

Elder Ming"s voice was stern as he asked his question, making Chen Xing dip his head once again. But he didn"t forget to answer the query, all the same.

"Yes, Elder. Wormroot Gra.s.s. It is used for a variety of medicines. Qin Feng here was growing a small patch of the same, for the Alchemy Branch. As for why they sought the gra.s.s ... This one has a guess, but I do not know for certain."

"Well, what is it?"

"It can be used, in conjunction with six other easily obtainable herbs to concoct a medicine that would ... ease a woman"s pain during ... that time of the month, Elder. So ... that was likely the reason why they had sought it out from Qin Feng here."

Elder Ming seemed to calm down a little, upon hearing that. "Ah! Something to ... ease their monthly flows. I see. I see. But why did they beat him up?"

"They claimed that the Wormroot Gra.s.s that they obtained from his field were false, and so they ... beat him up for that," Chen Xing replied with a sigh, although he was quick to clarify his words. And he even pulled out three leaves from his sleeve, as he explained.

"But that is only their claim, and not the truth. These are the Wormroot Gra.s.s that I managed to ... rescue from Qin Feng"s field and they are clearly not false. If I were to guess what had upset the female disciples ..."

Chen Xing hesitated, as if worried about what he was about to say. But the Elder waved his hand impatiently, indicating that he should continue.

So Chen Xing did so. Although he did lower his head. He was accusing the female disciples, after all. And he was not all that secure in his post, there at the Medicine Fields.

"The Wormroot Gra.s.s is still some eight to ten days from maturity, Elder. Which means that it would not have the expected effect if they were used immediately. If the women were too impatient and did not know this ... Well, they would end up with a rather serious case of the runs, if they did not take any precautions."

"And that would have made them come up with such a baseless accusation, no doubt," growled the Elder in understanding. It seemed he had an idea of what had happened now. Which was no more than what the senior disciple had intended.

Still, Chen Xing was a little nervous as he noted how the Elder"s eyes had turned back to the sobbing Qin Feng. And perhaps, raking over his injuries once again. "What else can you tell us about these disciples, boy? What did they say when they beat you up?"

Qin Feng"s tears started to flow once again, and his face twisted as though he had been so terribly wronged. Chen Xing almost stepped forward to answer the question once again, but a sharp look from Ming Guanhe made him shut his mouth. Clearly, the Elder wished to hear it straight from Qin Feng"s mouth.

"They said that I shouldn"t sell them false medicine, sir. But I never did! They just came and took the leaves without any of the authorised forms or letters from the Medicine Hall! I tried to warn them that the leaves weren"t ready but they ... they just kicked me away! I went to tell the Hall about what they did but ..."

"Wait! You went to the Medicine Hall? To tell them that these female disciples had come for the medicine? Without authorisation?"

Elder Ming"s face was dark once again, and his mouth was set in stern lines that spelled trouble, from what Chen Xing could see.

"Yessir," sobbed the young man at once.

Chen Xing found himself bearing the brunt of the Elder"s stare immediately. "And you have checked with them? With the Medicine Hall? Was there such a complaint lodged?"

The elderly senior disciple bowed once again. "Yes, Elder. I have done so. And they ... the ones in charge of the Medicine Hall had informed me that they would be bringing this up to the Administrator"s Council when next they meet. On the first of the next moon."

"The first of the next moon? What is this? Someone has stolen away herbs that could cause trouble for our disciples and they want to wait until nine days later to bring it up? And what about the damages caused? Are they going to wait until the New Year?"

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