บท 46: the legendary
Chapter 46
Before Alex stood a plant adorned with red seeds clustered to one side. Gazing upon this sight, Alex's surprise was palpable, as it was evident that the object before him was the elusive ginseng he had been searching for earlier. Not only was it a common ginseng, but from its external appearance, it was clear that this particular ginseng had endured a considerably lengthy existence.
With careful precision, Alex commenced the excavation of the ginseng, only to unveil its age—over three decades old. An overwhelming sense of elation washed over him. Delicately, he prepared to transplant this remarkable specimen into the sanctuary of his ring's inner space.
However, as Alex moved to ensconce the ginseng within the confines of his ring, he was struck by a surreal spectacle. The surrounding environment triggered a sense of trepidation, causing him to question the very reality before his eyes.
"How is this possible? Could I be experiencing a hallucination?"
Observing his surroundings with newfound vigilance, Alex meticulously scrutinized the area, his certainty in the reality of the situation growing. The overwhelming assurance that he wasn't trapped in some dream prompted a jubilant exclamation to escape his lips. "Uhhh, I'm rich!"
Alex's elation was justified—the expanse before him was teeming with sporadically spread ginseng plants. Previously overlooked, their presence now filled him with immense delight.
Overwhelmed by the discovery, Alex embarked on a fervent mission to transplant every ginseng he encountered. His joy swelled further when he realized that some of these ginseng plants boasted extended lifespans. His excitement culminated in the unearthing of centuries-old ginseng!
Amidst his endeavors, Alex carefully left some younger ginseng plants in place, diligently nurturing them with the life-bestowing dew. His hope lay in their future growth, potentially benefiting both him and others.
Energized by his accomplishments, Alex finally returned home, a sense of refreshing satisfaction enveloping him.
Meanwhile, after a prolonged silence, Jamu suddenly erupted into excited barks, his demeanor exuberant.
"Master, am I awesome? Reward me with some tasty pork!" Jamu's elated barks echoed through the air.
Although Alex couldn't decipher the dog's words, he comprehended the sentiment and promptly tossed a few pieces of meat to his jubilant companion.
In harmony, man and dog strolled homeward, their spirits uplifted despite their differing sources of joy.
Observing the evident delight in the two's demeanor, Lilith's curiosity was piqued.
"Father, why do you and Jamu seem so happy?"
Alex, with a contented smile, replied, "It's nothing, my dear. Your father stumbled upon a valuable ingredient for crafting herbal medicine, and we owe it all to Jamu's exceptional nose!"
Lilith initially shared in the excitement, but upon hearing the explanation, her enthusiasm waned, replaced by mild irritation as she playfully held a grudge against the delighted dog.
"Oh, why does it suddenly feel so chilly? It wasn't this cold back in the forest," Jamu wondered aloud, glancing around with a cautious expression.
Observing the perplexed demeanor of his yellow Sheepdog, Alex couldn't help but find the situation somewhat amusing.
Despite his amusement, Alex had genuine satisfaction with Jamu's abilities. Additionally, his ongoing experimentation with the herbal recipes from the book seemed to be yielding positive results.
Pondering his plans for the next day, Alex decided to visit the local drugstore to further explore his findings.
With his thoughts settled Alex proceeded to take a refreshing shower to cleanse his body.
…
"How much is this, sir?"
"That's $1000," came the reply.
Alex, upon hearing this, was taken aback. Initially considering the various artifacts he had come across to be potentially valuable, he had subconsciously toyed with the idea of delving into the world of antiques.
Alex can ascertain if an item is truly magical or not in a simple manner, although it may not always be very accurate. He was certain, however, that the object in his hands at that moment did not possess any such qualities.
Although he had initially inquired about the value of these antiques, he hadn't anticipated their exorbitant prices. Disheartened by this revelation, Alex abruptly left the shop without uttering a word.
As Alex was about to exit, a grating, elderly voice interjected, "Hey, hey, where do you think you're going? You've damaged my merchandise and you're just walking away? Quite the audacious rogue you are!" the shop owner sneered.
Alex, who was listening, became confused. With this confusion, he couldn't help but ask himself curiously, 'Is this what they refer to as 'the legendary touching porcelain'? This seems rather unsophisticated,' Alex thought, recalling the Chinese novels he had read.
("摸瓷" (mō cí) is a Chinese phrase that refers to a manipulative act, in which a person intentionally creates damage to their property to seek restitution or compensation. This describes dishonest and manipulative behavior.)
Turning to face the shop owner, Alex observed him closely and noticed the fierceness in his expression.
"This gentleman, do you have any evidence to support your claims?" Alex inquired.
"Evidence, you say? Look at this! The item you just touched is broken! What more evidence do you need? Pay the 2000 dollars immediately, or this matter won't end here!" the shop owner declared, his tone dripping with arrogance.
"Sir, does that even make sense? I haven't done anything wrong at all. If you continue like this, you might encounter trouble in the future," Alex reminded.
The shopkeeper sneered upon hearing this.
"Hand over your money now, or you'll regret it!" he threatened.
Alex, listening to this, was left completely speechless. How could this scheme be even worse than the one in the novel? He was stunned, thinking for a moment, while a group of onlookers gathered around, watching the scene with great interest.
"Hehehe, look at that guy. He's unlucky dealing with that old man."
"Yeah, I felt sorry for the victims at first, but after a while, I got used to it."
"Huh, someone must be backing up that old man, otherwise he wouldn't act so recklessly."
"Yes, yes, sometimes I also get annoyed because the row of places we sell has been badly affected."
"Hmmm, who cares about that? What matters now is that we get to see this old madman in action!"
The crazy old man the guys mentioned smiled proudly when he saw the silent Alex.
He thought that Alex had been frightened by the momentum he carried. With this, the old madman considered whether to increase the extortion price or not.
Meanwhile, Alex, who appeared silent, was attentively listening to the conversations around him. He couldn't help but be irritated by this crazy old man the others were talking about.
With this, Alex then snorted.
"Hmp, what if I don't want to give you any money!"
The old madman, who was previously lost in his delusions, was distracted by Alex's snort. He couldn't help but sneer.
"Okay, if you don't want to listen, then you won't be able to leave this place!" With this, he called someone on the phone.
Alex, who saw this, wasn't afraid at all. He was also curious about who was the person behind this old madman and why he was acting so boldly.
Was it a public official, or maybe a police officer? Alex was very curious. If it turned out to be someone in the government who orchestrated this, Alex wanted to find a way to personally hold them accountable.
After a while, a group of people arrived with fierce expressions.
People around them started whispering and sneering at Alex.
"That person does have some influence, but he's being too arrogant in an unfamiliar place."
"Yes, he's acting foolishly!
"Heheheh, who cares! Let's watch an epic show! I want to see that massive body grimacing in pain. Isn't that a cool expression?"
The people around were getting agitated again, meanwhile, Alex remained indifferent.
The old madman, seeing that Alex was still arrogant, couldn't help but sneer.
"Let's see how you'll beg for mercy after this, you muscle brain!"
"Crazy old man, what's going on?" asked one of the people who arrived.
"Nothing much, just some pests causing a ruckus at my place!"
Hearing this, the burly men who had arrived showed interest.
"Oh really? Are there still people daring to cause trouble in this area? Doesn't everyone already know that this place is under our protection?"
"That's right, and he's not even afraid of your group!" The crazy old man added fuel to the fire.
"Then where is this interesting person?" the group asked excitedly.
In response, the crazy old man pointed at Alex with a sneer.
With that, every burly person who had arrived turned their gaze toward Alex.
They had already presumed that Alex was the suspect based on his posture and demeanor, but the group's intention was primarily to assert their authority.
Observing Alex, who remained standing quietly, the group couldn't help but flash playful smiles.
"Friend, are you causing trouble in this place?"
"No," Alex responded briefly.
"Are you intentionally encroaching upon the territory we oversee?"
"No."
Hearing Alex's words, everyone became convinced that he wasn't seeking any trouble.
In response, the old madman sneered inwardly, "Do you think being courteous at this point will be of any use? Not."
The burly group, not content with the banter and fun, continued to ask questions."Then, what do you mean–"
"Hurry up, why are you talking nonsense? Don't beat around the bush. What do you want? Quick start! I don't have much time to spend with scrawny rats like you," Alex interjected, casually dismissing the other party.
Upon hearing these words, everyone who was listening suddenly fell into silence.
The old madman, upon hearing this, couldn't help but become excited.
"Hahaha, what a fool! You've even dug your own grave!!!"
...
thanks to: John_Carlo_Jalasco, yasir321 for power stone.
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