First Position

Chapter 16: A Little Discount for You

In the stillness of the night, Ren Xiaosu took stock of his recent gains. Yesterday, Sister Xiaoyu had given him a token of appreciation, as had Yan Liuyuan, so he had received two tokens from two students. In total, that made four tokens of gratitude. However, he had already used one, leaving him with just three. He also had a small bottle of ointment, enough for two uses, which he decided to name "Black Ointment" for simplicity and ease of remembrance.

Ren Xiaosu thought to himself: one token of gratitude could be exchanged for one bottle of Black Ointment, and one bottle could treat three people. It seemed like a fair trade, with the potential for consistent profit. With this exchange, he could steadily increase his supply of Black Ointment, which in turn would yield more tokens, creating a geometric growth that might even allow him to unlock new weapons faster. Besides, Yan Liuyuan still had a bone knife that could serve as a temporary weapon. Ren Xiaosu didn’t need to hunt for the time being, so making money and supporting his livelihood became his top priority. He would focus on earning first.

That night, Ren Xiaosu had a vivid dream. He stood alone in the wilderness, gripping a black knife, its darkness as deep and mysterious as the night itself.

The next morning, Ren Xiaosu set out early, leaving behind the iron pot and instead taking the bone knife that Yan Liuyuan had lent him. Sister Xiaoyu was guarding two shelters, so the chance of anything being stolen during the day was slim. In any case, those with ill intentions in the market tended to pick on easier targets, and stealing from someone like Ren Xiaosu—who could defend himself—was a poor choice. He didn’t have to carry the heavy iron pot around today, which felt incredibly freeing. After all, he was a young man with potential, and running around with an iron pot every day didn’t quite suit him.

Today, he wasn’t heading into the wilderness to hunt. Instead, he was pretending to gather herbs. Ren Xiaosu was a cautious person. If he claimed to have a secret herb formula, he first needed to gather the herbs, so no one would suspect him of hiding anything. Although he hadn’t heard of anyone targeting "supernatural abilities users," he understood one principle very well: to survive in a chaotic crowd, the best approach was to blend in and act like everyone else. “The bird that sticks out gets shot,” as the saying goes, and “wealth should not be flaunted”—these ancient proverbs all warned against drawing attention to oneself.

By the time Ren Xiaosu returned to the market, it was already noon. When he arrived with a bundle of herbs, someone who knew him curiously asked, “Ren Xiaosu, what’s with all these wild herbs?”

“These aren’t just wild herbs,” Ren Xiaosu replied, glaring. “These are medicinal herbs!”

“Medicinal herbs?” The questioner looked confused. As a local, how could he not recognize these plants? No one had ever treated them as herbs before.

Ren Xiaosu mysteriously added, “If you adjust the proportions, you can brew them into a salve for wounds. Otherwise, how do you think my old injuries healed?”

The questioner thought for a moment, then replied, “… Didn’t you just tough it out?”

“Get lost,” Ren Xiaosu retorted, not even stopping his pace as he headed back to his shelter.

At that moment, Sister Xiaoyu was busy stitching clothes for Ren Xiaosu and Yan Liuyuan. She looked up and, seeing Ren Xiaosu returning with a pile of herbs, put down her needle and thread.

“What’s all this?” she asked.

“These are the herbs for the secret formula,” Ren Xiaosu explained.

He set the iron pot over the fire and casually added a bit of water to start preparing the medicine. The real cost of this process was the water—water was far more valuable than firewood or the herbs. He even lifted the curtain of the shelter to allow the people in the market to see what he was doing. Many watched him brew the medicine, but none dared to approach and ask about it.

Ren Xiaosu frowned. He had lifted the curtain to attract attention, so he could spread the word about his herbs. But after waiting for a long time, no one came forward. He glared at a thin man who was watching from the outside.

“You!” he called out.

The thin man pointed at himself, confused.

“Yeah, you. Come here,” Ren Xiaosu ordered. Once the man cautiously approached, Ren Xiaosu urged, “Quick, ask me what I’m doing!”

The man stood there speechless.

Sister Xiaoyu looked on, equally speechless.

“Ask!” Ren Xiaosu urged again.

“What… What are you doing?” the thin man asked.

Ren Xiaosu’s face immediately lit up with a warm smile. He responded kindly, “I’m brewing medicinal herbs. Whenever I get injured, I make this salve. It not only relieves pain and inflammation but also helps wounds heal faster. I used to keep it to myself, but now I realize my mistake. From now on, I’ll share it with everyone! I’m opening a clinic for treating knife wounds and external injuries. Anyone who’s injured, come and get treated!”

The crowd outside stared at him in confusion. After a moment of silent exchange, they simply dispersed, none of them buying his story. Sure, Ren Xiaosu was impressive, but now he suddenly claimed to have the cure for injuries? Everyone knew he had always relied on his own toughness to heal, so why would anyone believe that he suddenly had medicine now?

Ren Xiaosu was displeased. He needed people to know the effectiveness of his medicine. It was simple: he had experienced it himself. The moment the ointment was applied, the pain and burning sensation disappeared, and by the next day, the wound was scabbed over. If he could prove its effectiveness, he could generate business.

Ren Xiaosu went into the market, searching for patients. Where would he find the most? In the clinic, of course. When he arrived at the clinic, however, he found it empty—there wasn’t a single patient. The clinic charged too much for treatment, and no one could afford it.

Ren Xiaosu shot a glare at the young doctor, who was leisurely drinking tea. The doctor, suddenly feeling uneasy under Ren Xiaosu’s gaze, quickly backed off.

Left with no other option, Ren Xiaosu decided to search the market. By afternoon, when the workers had finished their shifts, he finally spotted a thin man with a cut on his hand.

Excited, Ren Xiaosu approached him. “Brother, did you get injured while working? I have a special ointment. Want to try it?”

The thin man eyed him warily, sensing something off in Ren Xiaosu’s tone. “No thanks.”

“Come on, come on!” Ren Xiaosu insisted, moving forward and grabbing the man’s arm. To advertise his Black Ointment, he had let go of his last shred of principle. “I’ll give you a discount!”

But the man still refused. The black, dubious-looking substance in Ren Xiaosu’s hand made him hesitant.

Ren Xiaosu gritted his teeth. “Fine, consider it free publicity. This time, I’ll treat you for free!”

“Alright, alright. Just get the knife off me…” The thin man reluctantly agreed, visibly relieved.