Resplendent – Chapter 404

Chapter 404 – Utter Humiliation

The onlookers, both townsfolk and pharmacists, gradually dispersed. Only the disciples of the Huang Sect remained inside the jewelry shop. 

Li Yutang cast a timid glance at his senior brother, whose face had gone pale-green with anger, and whispered, “Senior Brother, what should we do now?”

 “Leave, of course! Or do you want to stand here and make an even bigger fool of yourself?” Liu Changgui shot him a vicious glare, flicked his sleeve sharply, and strode toward the door first. His hurried, uneven footsteps betrayed the turmoil and unease in his heart.

“Excuse me, esteemed customers, the jeweled coronet in your hand costs eight thousand six hundred taels of silver. Please settle the payment over here,” the shopkeeper of the Jinyuman Pavilion called out, stopping Li Yutang just as he was about to leave. The other shop assistants fixed wary eyes on him, as if afraid he might bolt with the jewelry still in hand.

In that instant, the coronet in Li Yutang’s palm seemed to turn into a burning coal, scorching hot, searing through his skin and straight to his bones. He bared his teeth, his voice hoarse with frustration: “What jewelry? Eight thousand six hundred taels of silver? Do you take us Huang Sect people for fools?”

The shopkeeper smiled politely and replied, “I wouldn’t dare deceive you, Master Pharmacist. This coronet is crafted from rare overseas gemstones: white diamonds and pink diamonds. Moreover, it was meticulously carved by Master Hai over the course of six months. Our shop always gives pharmacists a twenty-percent discount; for anyone else, it would cost over ten thousand taels of silver!” 

“A stupid coronet worth over ten thousand taels? Only an idiot would buy that!” Li Yutang shoved the coronet into the hands of a nearby shop assistant as if it were a burning coal, then stormed out of the shop in a fury. It was as though staying a moment longer would let the shopkeeper pin the cost on him.

The shopkeeper slowly shook his head and said to the assistant holding the coronet, “Go, wrap the coronet carefully and deliver it to Miss Gu. Tell her it’s a gift from our master!”

This coronet, in truth, was not for sale. It was specially designed by the shop’s owner for his future wife. The shopkeeper stroked his beard and squinted thoughtfully.

Their future mistress was truly formidable… Should I tell our master about her glorious deeds today? He’ll be delighted to hear all of this for sure!

It turned out that Jinyuman Pavilion was also one of the Hidden Soul Palace’s enterprises. Hidden Soul Palace’s businesses sprawled across many trades. There were several just to the east district alone!

They’d planned a nice stroll and some shopping, but a bunch of short-sighted fools had spoiled the fun. Yue Yuan pouted, clearly displeased. “Those Huang Sect pharmacists are so annoying. That coronet would have looked gorgeous on Miss. I’ve never seen such sparkling gems before. It’s all that stinky apothecary’s fault!”

Jiang Zhongtian sounded a little guilty. “Aunt Master, I dragged you into this. Li Yutang always picks a fight with me whenever he sees me. My father always tells me to endure to step back for the sake of peace and the world will be broader. But look at what happened? They still think our Jiang family fears the Huang Sect! Today they’ve basically hoisted a stone only to drop it on their own feet. Someone needed to knock them down a peg.”

Gu Ming snorted. “That brat’s spoiled rotten. If it were up to me, I’d drag him over and give him a good beating; beat him until he doesn’t dare bare his fangs again!”

Jiang Zhongtian shot him a look. “He’s a pharmacist. If you want to get the entire apothecary world to blacklist you, be my guest and start a fight!”

“What’s there to be afraid of? My sister’s an amazing pharmacist!” Gu Ming lifted his head proudly, full of sibling pride.

Jiang Zhongtian thought about it: Fair enough! 

In the entire circle of pharmacists, there were very few who could surpass his Aunt Master. And with such a sister, her brother would never have to worry about getting sick and finding no medicine! 

He nodded. “Alright then! Next time someone bullies Aunt Master, just give them a solid beating.”

Why bother with alchemy duels?  Fists decide victory just fine! 

And so, the matter was happily settled.

“Miss, there’s a candied fruit shop over there. Shall we go have a look?” Yue Yuan pointed eagerly at a store with a long queue outside.

Although Aunt Yan at home made excellent candied fruit, it was so much work that she rarely made many varieties. Yue Yuan was curious to see what kind of candied fruit the capital sold, and how it differed from that in Yan City.

“Sure! Brother, go stand in line!” Gu Ye loved sweets and was constantly snacking. 

Seeing how popular the shop was, it had to be delicious. The treats she’d brought from Yan City were long gone. She hadn’t had candied fruit in days, and her mouth was starting to crave it again!

Gu Ming was more than happy to oblige. While her brother stood in line, Gu Ye lingered at a small street stall, admiring the various pouches and knots. Ancient artisans were truly skilled. The knots were tied exquisitely, and the embroidery on the pouches were far superior to her own handiwork!

She blushed as she thought of the ugly pouch hanging at Ling Juechen’s waist. She herself found it unattractive, yet his Brother Chen carried it openly. 

Should she take advantage of the few days of free time before the Great Pharmacists Convention to make him a new pouch? But her needlework skills weren’t something she could sharpen overnight… Gu Ye hesitated.

“Sister! The apricot preserves and tamarind cakes in this shop are the most famous. Try them and see what you think!” Gu Ming emerged from the crowd, sweating profusely, holding a bag of candied fruits.

Gu Ye picked an apricot preserve and popped it into her mouth. Its color was vibrant, the flesh crisp, sweet, and refreshing — Delicious! 

She pinched another one and chewed it with relish. Just as she opened the paper bag and placed it in front of Jiang Zhongtian and Yue Yuan for them to share, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.

Startled, she jerked, and the candied fruits her brother had squeezed through the long line to buy fell to the ground, trampled under a black brocade boot.

Gu Ye was furious. She lifted her head, glaring angrily at the culprit! It was a handsome young boy wearing a moon-white robe, with a pair of deep, mysterious black eyes. 

At first glance, it was hard to tell his gender. His eyes were red, his pink lips trembled slightly, and his expression toward her was inexplicably intense as he murmured, “Little sister! I’ve found you!”

Although the boy looked familiar and had the adorable features of a young shota she liked, he did indeed ruin her candied fruits! She had only eaten two pieces from that bag! This was absolutely intolerable! 

Gu Ye widened her furious eyes and shouted sharply, “Open your dog eyes and see clearly. Who is your sister? You’d better compensate me for my candied fruits!” 

Beside her, Yue Yuan and Jiang Zhongtian gawked, looking first at Gu Ye, then at the boy, frozen in shock. 

A wave of unease rose in Gu Ming’s chest. He stepped forward, standing in front of his sister, and bellowed, “What are you doing? Let go this instant!”

The boy shoved him aside and grabbed Gu Ye’s hand, his voice trembling with excitement: “Sister! You’re the sister I’ve been separated from for thirteen years! Sister, come home with me! Mother will be so happy to see you!”