Chapter Thirty-Two: Serpent Powder

A brief silence made Mr. Wang inexplicably annoyed. In his heart, he believed that Old Master Mo's past kindnesses were nothing more than veiled mockery of his own lack of ability.

With a wave of his hand, two servants brought over a large bundle of medicinal herbs, a kind of tree root. This was for Old Master Mo to inspect.

“We have something to attend to, so we'll leave for a bit. Grandpa, we'll be right back to find you,” Qian Yin announced, knowing it was time to spring into action—they needed to get to the basement, or rather, the warehouse immediately.

Mr. Wang glanced at Qian Yin due to her sudden request. Only then did he notice how much she resembled the woman from the night before, though this young lady was more beautiful and youthful than the heavily made-up one from last night.

Old Master Mo nodded and turned his full attention to the herbs. He found them quite good; if not for Mr. Wang's unscrupulous nature, his goods were indeed first-rate.

Seeing Old Master Mo engrossed in examining the herbs, Mr. Wang calmed down and sat sipping his tea. His goods were among the best, and though he had to follow someone else's orders, he took some pride.

Leng Xue and Qian Yin quietly followed a man to a wooden house—he was clearly heading to the warehouse. Judging by his cautious demeanor, the place bristled with traps.

Sure enough, behind a wooden plank, there was a row of sharp arrows. In this day and age, who still used such weapons? Nanjing, it seemed, was still steeped in old traditions.

On the pillar beside the wooden door was a remarkable wooden fan. The man shifted the fan downward, and the door opened—a marvelously clever design.

He left the door open behind him and entered, revealing the interior: eleven wooden crates and four men inside. The newcomer appeared to be a minor leader.

“Is it time to begin?” one man asked, just about to open a crate.

“Yes, we need to hurry. Old Master Mo is already here to inspect the goods,” replied the newcomer, glancing at the crates of herbs. Though it was a shame to waste such good medicine, orders were orders.

The men struggled to pry open the crates with large knives; they were old-fashioned boxes, nailed shut.

Qian Yin and Leng Xue exchanged glances, ready to lure the men out and strike them from behind before they could awaken and raise the alarm.

Leng Xue produced a packet of powder he'd taken from the herbal shop—sleeping incense. Though archaic, it was sometimes used for insomnia, and with so many medicinal herbs around, he could easily concoct it himself.

Qian Yin gave him a thumbs-up, impressed by an idea she hadn’t even considered.

Leng Xue smiled slightly, then silently slipped through the door and sprinkled the powder inside. A breeze carried it in, and the men collapsed instantly—the effect was better than expected; perhaps it would come in handy again someday.

The two entered cautiously, scanning the room to ensure there were no other traps. Once certain they wouldn’t trigger any mechanisms, they faced their next challenge—what to do with the enormous crates of viper powder.

They pried open all ten crates and rifled through them, making it look as though all the powder had been tampered with, so when the men awoke, they would assume everything had been handled and the viper powder was gone.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Qian Yin and Leng Xue took out a large sack and poured the viper powder inside. Each shouldered a sack and slowly climbed up the wall.

At the top, they stowed the powder, with one handing it down and the other receiving it below. Their teamwork was seamless. At last, they emerged into the back alley, where their car was parked.

They loaded the two large sacks of viper powder into the trunk. They kept a wary eye on their surroundings, ensuring no one saw their movements.

Both got into the car, exhaled deeply, and drove straight toward the Mo family’s branch shop.

“Nanjing truly is an extraordinary place. I’ve had extensive training and visited many cities, but this place is so rooted in the past,” Qian Yin said, speaking first to Leng Xue, her voice laced with excitement.

Despite rapid technological progress, the ingenuity of ancient people remained beyond imagination. Their weapons, for instance, were of a kind modern people could scarcely comprehend. Internal energy, for example—how many people today could master such skills?

Qian Yin’s own internal energy was decent; she could leap a few meters at best, whereas those of ancient times could fly dozens of meters. That was the difference.

“Have you read too many martial arts novels? Do you really think the ancients were so incredible? It’s the nineties now—who has time to dwell on things from a thousand years ago?” Leng Xue, though appreciating the old atmosphere, had no yearning for ancient life.

Qian Yin pursed her lips, finding communication with this man impossible. After returning to the Mo family’s branch, she considered leaving the viper powder there, but it didn't feel safe enough, so she stowed it in the car’s trunk instead. They would simply take it with them when they left.

She sent a message to Mo Lan, signaling the mission was accomplished.

Mo Lan glanced at her phone and nodded to her grandfather, her eyes sparkling with amusement—there was nothing left to linger for; it was time to return and sell the herbs.

Old Master Mo caught her signal and declared, “It’s time for us to go. The herbs should be sent to our branch shop. There’s no need for me to inspect them further—I have full confidence in your abilities.” He emphasized the last words heavily.

“Then I bid Old Master Mo farewell. Please come again whenever you wish.” Unaware of the pointed remark, Mr. Wang remained smug and oblivious.

After seeing his guests off, Mr. Wang personally checked the warehouse and found his men collapsed from exhaustion. The crates had been opened and the goods organized—he assumed everything was in order and left, reassured.

The other servants resealed the crates and carried them to the Mo family’s branch shop.

Everyone reconvened and sat in the branch’s parlor, sipping tea.

“We shouldn’t sell the herbs here. We must transport them back as soon as possible. Selling here won’t fetch a good price, since this is the source. Besides, they can’t poison us now. There’s too much viper powder—we need to get rid of it before any trouble arises,” Qian Yin advised, thinking it best to warn everyone; if the police were to investigate, it would spell disaster for them.

Mo Fan, after some deliberation, nodded in agreement. He saw no reason to object—selling the herbs here would only result in heavy losses. This was the source, after all; profits were slim, and it simply wasn’t worth it.