ASCENSION OF THE MARTIAL KING

12

"Where did you say we were going again?" Liang Feixing drawled sleepily with a loud yawn as they winded into the main markets. He still looked disheveled and kept pulling his robe together after being dragged out of bed by Zhang Wei.

"To buy ingredients for pills," Zhang Wei responded, giving him a side glance as Liang Feixing yawned again, and he looked at him with amusement. "It's already past noon. Why are you still so sleepy?"

"What do you know?" Liang Feixing clicked his tongue. "I don't have to go anywhere today, so what best time to catch up on good sleep than now?"

When he heard that, Zhang Wei was silent, but he soon muttered, "I can't sleep past dawn."

It must be a side effect from his past life. Back then too, he never slept past dawn because in the first Arc of his life, he had to struggle to survive, and in the second Arc, he was too busy causing trouble to enjoy sleep.

Zhang Wei's tone was mild, but Liang Feixing could detect a hint of emotion in it. But he could not pinpoint what it was exactly.

Just then, Zhang Wei asked, "Where is the biggest alchemy center here?"

"In the West Market," Liang Feixing responded, and he looked at Zhang Wei strangely. "What do you need pills for?"

"Just for some things." Even though he could tell Liang Feixing was trustworthy, he still couldn't get used to sharing things with others.

Thankfully, Liang Feixing didn't probe further. He pointed ahead. "It's just straight down the lane."

"Okay."

The market was bustling and lively. Occasionally, they would get pulled over by some market seller to sell their wares. Eventually, Zhang Wei had to buy some meatballs from an old woman for him and Liang Feixing. Anyway, none of them had eaten yet.

So both of them held a bun in hand each as they entered the shop. It was a big shop with the plaque 'Huang Apothecary' hung at the top of the roof. It was rare to find such a big apothecary shop even from where Zhang Wei came from so he could tell it must be owned by some wealthy family.

It was rather sophisticated, and customers were even allowed to pick what they needed before taking them to the counter to pay.

They immediately walked to one of the shelves, and he pulled out a note to show Liang Feixing. "Just check for imperial ginseng, black tortoise shell powder, and aloe vera. I'll look for the rest."

"Okay." Liang Feixing nodded, and they checked around for the ingredients. They soon found everything, and Zhang Wei was really impressed by how efficient the shop owners were. Most of the ingredients were rare and expensive, like the nine-leaf clover and blossom petal. Yet, they were able to find them all.

Once they were done, they immediately approached the counter to pay for them.

"These ingredients are best for cold. The patient will get better immediately they use it," the shop attendant at the counter said to a customer before the latter left with a medicine pouch.

Zhang Wei and Liang Feixing approached him once he was done. "Hello. I want to buy these," he said to the attendant as he placed them on the counter.

But when the man looked at them, his polite expression turned into a scowl, and he looked both of them over derisively. He immediately scowled, looking toward the door. "This is not a place for beggars. Who allowed you in!?"

Zhang Wei's brows instantly creased, and Liang Feixing glowered at him instantly, "What do you mean? We're not beggars."

The attendant scowl only got wider, and he snickered, "You look like you have been pulled out from some dumpster. Do you think this is a place someone like you can come into?"

Liang Feixing instinctively looked at the clothes he and Zhang Wei wore. Although it was not silk and had faded due to washing, it was clear they weren't beggars.

He wanted to retort, but before he could, some people entered the shop, and once the attendant saw them, his expression immediately turned pleasant, and he rushed over to them.

"Young Master Liang," he fawned, very obviously. "You should have called me to bring what you want to buy. What do you want to buy at our store today?"

Both Zhang Wei and Liang Feixing turned  to look and saw him bowing to a youth in fancy green robes with five guards behind him.

The man called Young Master Liang was obviously used to the fawning and was indifferent. He pulled out a big pouch from his robe and threw it at the attendant. "That's the payment for everything I need."

The attendant's face brightened up instantly as the pouch was heavy and clearly too much money for anything he could buy. He collected the list from the bodyguard behind Young Master Liang and rushed over to the counter.

When he saw Zhang Wei and Liang Feixing still standing there, he immediately glowered and called out to a guard at the door, "Liu Ping, come here and chase these beggars away."

As he walked away, he even sneered under his breath, "Is this a place for people like them?"

Liang Feixing was obviously furious by his attitude and wanted to pounce at him, but Zhang Wei pulled him by the sleeve, signaling to him not to be rash.

The attendant picked some ingredients, but it turned out some of the ingredients on the list had been picked by Zhang Wei. When he went to the counter to take them, Zhang Wei suddenly reached a hand and slammed it on the counter, stopping him from taking it.

"I already picked them," He spoke sharply as he grabbed them from the counter.

The attendant instantly looked displeased. All he wanted was to please the walking money bag sitting by the door. How could he stand Zhang Wei's meddling?

"What are you doing?" He glowered. "Hand them over this instant!"

"I already picked them first," Zhang Wei repeated. "I'll pay for them, so pack it up immediately."

But the attendant was unwilling. He looked toward the door ready to call Liu Ping again, but Young Master Liang seemed to have noticed the tussle and came over.

"What's going on here?" One of the guards behind him asked.

The attendant immediately looked delighted, "Good thing you came over. These miscreants refuse to hand over the ingredients for Young Master Liang."

Young Master Liang looked at Zhang Wei and Liang Feixing, and his look was no different from that of the attendant.

He looked at the herbs Zhang Wei was holding and said arrogantly, "I want those herbs. How much do you want for you to give them to me?"

Everything about him reeked of arrogance, and he clearly looked like he had some good backing. Liang Feixing looked at Zhang Wei's face, unsure of what they should do.

But Zhang Wei merely shook his head. "Sorry, I can't do that."

Young Master Liang didn't expect Zhang Wei to reject him. But, he was unwilling to back down and brought out a  pouch from his sleeve.

"I'll give you this. Give me the herbs and use the money to get it in another store," He declared proudly, clearly expecting Zhang Wei to give in at the sight of money. Even Liang Feixing was beginning to fear that Zhang Wei would give in, seeing how unprincipled he was these days regarding money.

"Is that money so important?" Zhang Wei responded with a mild yet unrestrained smile. "I guess not. Seeing how anxious you are to get the herbs off my hand, it seems you can't find the herbs elsewhere even with your money."

The look on Young Master Liang's face froze, and he glared at Zhang Wei. Zhang Wei was right as the herbs were very important for him to win a slot into the Azure Sky Academy's top ten list. But they were hard to find and his only bet was this shop.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered himself to talk with a commoner like Zhang Wei.

But Zhang Wei's refusal to give in made him angry, and he felt like he had lost face in front of everyone who was now watching. By now, most of the customers had stopped to watch what was going on.

Young Master Liang signaled to his bodyguards before he glared at Zhang Wei, and he threatened, "Will you hand it over willingly or not?"

"No." Zhang Wei replied calmly. Liang Feixing reached out to pull his sleeve, sensing that the young master wanted to ask his bodyguards to beat them up and wanted to dissuade him.

But before he could say a word, Young Master Liang angrily ordered his bodyguards, "Beat them up for me!"

Instantly, murmurs filled the area as the onlookers mumbled about how arrogant the young master was to order his men to beat someone up in broad daylight. Even the attendant was beginning to panic, knowing that it would affect their business.

The bodyguards rushed toward Zhang Wei and Liang Feixing immediately, brandishing their fists and legs. Both of them instinctively put up a fighting stance to fight back.

But they had not even exchanged one blow when a voice suddenly rang out from upstairs, "Stop!"