Journey to the West: Starting from the Imperial Horse Stable

When Wang Chen came out of the teahouse, his mood was not heavy because of the fodder merchant's stubbornness. On the contrary, he had another more important matter on his mind, which made him feel a little excited.

Earlier that afternoon, while he was dealing with the fodder merchants in Xuanzhu Market with Zhao Deshun, he learned that the price of wound medicine had started to rise.

At that time, he noticed that there were many more people asking about medicines at several familiar medicine stalls than usual, and the price had quietly changed from twenty-five spirit stones yesterday to twenty-eight spirit stones. Most of the buyers were dressed in heavenly soldier attire.

Wang Chen saw this clearly: the news of Li Jing's mobilization of troops for the expedition had officially spread, and the first to react were the low-ranking heavenly soldiers who might be directly sent to battle.

But this was just the beginning. Wang Chen knew that it was necessary for those mid- to low-ranking Heavenly Generals, Meritorious Officials, and even more Heavenly Soldiers under their command to realize that this was not an ordinary exercise or bandit suppression, but a potential real battle against a powerful enemy. The price of wound medicine would continue to rise when this happened.

After finally enduring until the bell rang to signal the end of the trial, Wang Chen didn't waste a moment. After a brief farewell to Zhao Deshun, he quickly headed back towards Xuanzhu Town.

As dusk settled, the cool, ethereal starlight and flowing celestial mist cast a hazy glow over the market.

Many stalls were illuminated with bright stones or small lighting arrays, their shimmering light reflecting off the seemingly denser crowds than during the day, filling the air with an unusual sense of restlessness.

Wang Chen walked hurriedly, and before he even reached the area where the medicine stalls were concentrated, he could already feel the noise coming from ahead, which was several times louder than in the afternoon.

When he squeezed into the crowd and saw the prices on those eye-catching stalls, even though he was mentally prepared, his pupils still contracted slightly.

Thirty-five spirit stones... thirty-eight spirit stones... forty spirit stones!

In just half a day, the price jumped up again by a huge margin!

Moreover, the stall marked "Forty Spirit Stones" was empty, with only a wooden sign that read "Sold Out" standing forlornly.

The two stalls next door that still had stock were completely surrounded by a crowd, and the stall owners were shouting themselves hoarse trying to keep order: "Line up! Line up! Two bottles per person at most, don't push, there really aren't many left!"

The surge was even more ferocious than he had anticipated.

Wang Chen did not rush forward, but stood in the outer crowd, calmly observing. Soon, various discussions and complaints reached his ears.

"What the hell! This morning a colleague said it was only twenty-five, so I hesitated and didn't buy it. How come it's forty by tonight?"

"Who told you to hesitate! I heard that some kind of deity bought up four or five thousand bottles in one go! They completely emptied the stock at Xuanzhu Market!"

"Four or five thousand bottles? My God... what are they trying to do?"

"What else can we do? Li Tianwang's army is about to set off. Once we go there, swords and spears will have no eyes. I've heard that the demon monkeys on Flower Fruit Mountain are very fierce! Preparing more wound medicine is like preparing an extra life."

"It's more than just saving your life! I heard that this trip down there is a great opportunity! After conquering Flower Fruit Mountain, the treasures and spiritual fruits captured will be distributed according to merit! If you're injured and bedridden, watching others steal the credit and divide the treasures, wouldn't you be furious? Spend a few dozen spirit stones now to prepare some medicine, and you'll get all of it back if you manage to grab one good item."

"That's absolutely right, that's exactly the point!"

Before ascending to heaven, they were all overlords of their own small worlds. Now that they have descended to the mortal realm, they want to recapture that feeling and seize some things to take back to the Heavenly Court.

Wang Chen listened, understanding dawning on his mind. Behind the soaring prices, besides the most basic needs for war preparation, was the greedy expectation of spoils and credit.

His gaze swept over the busy stalls and finally landed on a familiar figure—the same sallow-faced stall owner who had sold him four thousand bottles of wound medicine yesterday.

At this moment, the stall owner's face no longer bore the sorrow and calculation of yesterday. Instead, it displayed an expression of extreme exhaustion yet extraordinary excitement. His eyes were sunken and bloodshot, but his movements in directing his staff and dealing with customers were exceptionally swift.

"Quick! Go to the back workshop and urge them to use up all the remaining blood-clotting herbs and muscle-regenerating powder! Double the wages, and make sure another batch is ready tonight!"

He yelled hoarsely at a waiter, then turned and forced a smile at the gathered customers.

"My lords, please be patient. Our shop is working as fast as we can to finish the order, but the price of the raw materials is skyrocketing. The price for the next batch... I'm afraid we'll have to adjust it up again. I'm truly sorry!"

Wang Chen nodded secretly. This was a ruthless person, with a keen sense of smell and decisive actions. Even after his big order yesterday, he was still able to produce so much wound medicine.

At this moment, the vendor had clearly decided to spare no expense and bet everything he had to make a fortune in this market boom.

However, market sentiment was not one-sided. Just as the buying frenzy intensified, another voice began to circulate among the crowd.

"If you ask me, aren't you all being a bit too tense?" an elderly-looking heavenly soldier stroked his beard and said slowly.

"We all ascended to this world after going through countless hardships in the lower realms. Who among us wasn't a powerful figure back then? Dealing with those demonic monkeys from the lower realms is a piece of cake for us. Even if we suffer some minor injuries, a few days of internal energy cultivation or some basic healing techniques will make us fine. Why bother buying so many wound medicines? It's just giving these unscrupulous merchants a free ride."

This statement makes a lot of sense, stirring up the pride of those who have ascended to immortality in the hearts of many immortals.

Yes, he was no longer a mortal, and his immortal body's self-healing ability far surpassed that of ordinary people. Ordinary injuries were nothing to worry about. For a moment, many people gathered in front of the stall showed hesitation, and the momentum of the rush to buy seemed to slow down.

Several stall owners, including the one with the sallow face, had a slight change in expression.

However, this sign of easing did not last long.

Suddenly, a larger commotion arose from the edge of the crowd. A general who had just rushed in from outside the market, his face pale, whispered to a familiar companion. Although he tried his best to keep his voice down, it was still clearly heard by those nearby:

"Have you heard? News from the South Heavenly Gate says that Lord Zengzhang Tianwang was actually struck by that demon monkey's staff at the South Heavenly Gate! It's said that he was seriously injured and hasn't fully recovered even after several days of recuperation."

"What? The King of Growth...!"

"Shh, keep your voice down. But this news is absolutely true! Even someone like the Heavenly King... us..."

This news was like pouring boiling oil on an already scorching fire. With a "buzz," the crowd erupted into chaos.

The last shred of hope and arrogance was shattered. Even the Heavenly King of Growth, who guarded the Southern Heavenly Gate, had suffered a loss and sustained hidden injuries at the hands of that demon monkey. If these ordinary heavenly soldiers and generals went down and truly encountered a tough opponent, how could their injuries be healed in just a few days of cultivation? Golden wound medicine was a life-saving item!

Panic, lingering fear, and deep anxiety about the unknown war instantly overwhelmed all rational considerations.

"Give me five bottles! No, ten bottles!"

"I'll take them all! I'll pay any amount of spirit stones!"

"Shopkeeper! Reserve twenty bottles for me in the next batch! I'll pay the deposit!"

"Stop pushing! I was here first!"

The rush to buy quickly turned into a frenzied scramble. The last remaining wound medicine on the stall was swept away, and newcomers could only anxiously inquire about when the next batch would arrive, or with red eyes, they would ask those who had just bought the medicine if they were willing to resell it.

Prices continued to climb amid word of mouth and panic, reaching forty-five spirit stones, fifty spirit stones... and even becoming unavailable due to lack of supply.

The sallow-faced stall owner was engulfed by the surging crowd. The weariness on his face had long been replaced by immense excitement and pressure. He shouted promises, reassurances, and urgings to his employees as if he were in the midst of an unstoppable storm.

Wang Chen quietly retreated to a greater distance, observing the scene unfold with detached indifference.

A cacophony of voices, flushed faces, waving spirit stone pouches, an atmosphere thick with anxiety and greed...

All of this repeatedly confirms and surpasses his initial judgment.

He gently pressed the seemingly ordinary storage bag in his arms. Inside, four thousand bottles of wound medicine lay quietly, and then he stood up.

The time is almost right.