Simply Trading 79 Arrangements 3

Lingxi was waiting with the pots and bowls that she had promised to bring over, by the time he was done with Elder Ming and returned to his medicine field. She was careful to stay inside his hut, and out of sight, this time. And so managed to do a little tidying up while she waited for him.

She didn't bother to hide her curiosity, however, when he finally returned to the same, after he was briefed by the Elder as to what he should expect. In fact, he had even received the three necessary texts that all Hunters were supposed to read, before he was finally allowed to leave Ming Guanhe's office.

The books were supposed to outline the most common and useful plants and Beasts that he was likely to meet in the Southern Woods. As well as the safety regulations that he had to abide by.

"Why did the Elder call for you? And what are you doing with those books? They are not required reading for someone in his first year. You don't get to join the Hunters until you have cleared the annual qualifiers and formed your Foundation."

Qin Feng shrugged and threw the three books onto his now-tidied bed. And could not help grinning at Lingxi as he did it. It looked like he owed her his thanks for putting his bedclothes and such in order, while he was stuck at the Medicine Hall.

"Not according to Elder Ming. He wants me to join the Hunters in three days time. To familiarize myself with their rules and such, he says. And to pick up a few useful herbs, so that I can make up for my losses at the hands of Lingyuan and the others."

"He's sending you out on a mission before you clear your qualifying examinations?"

Lingxi's tone made it clear that she was shocked by that revelation. Which was exactly what Qin Feng had expected. It was no more than his own surprise, when he heard it from the Elder's mouth earlier.

"Well, he's trying to help me clear my obligations ... I don't have my medicine crops to rely on any longer, do I? So I would end up two or three missions short, when the Autumn accounts get tabulated. That could spell trouble for me."

"And Elder Ming is sticking his neck out, just to help you settle something like this? But he doesn't need to bother with sending you out on missions because of something as trivial as that, does he? All he has to do is to clear you with a simple note. It's not like anyone would bother to insist that he explain himself during the Autumn Accounting session. Not when the Elders all know about the Left Guardian's involvement.

"And his words were clear enough. Even to me!"

Qin Feng had to admit that that was something he was puzzling over too, when he first heard what he was supposed to be doing. But he couldn't figure out why the Elder was going through so much trouble.

Just what was he after? He seriously doubted that it was really so that he could make good his failure to produce the medicines that he was supposed to. So, what was Ming Guanhe's motive for doing all of this?

Or did it have something to do with Elder Xuan? Or the Left Guardian?

Perhaps Elder Ming stood to gain, if he manages this particular issue well? Perhaps, he has already come to the attention of the Left Guardian, and was hoping to show that he is more capable than some of the other Elders in the School?

From what Qin Feng knew of the Elders' Council, there were only three Elders who were at the top of the game. And Elder Xuan was one of them. As for the others, most of them had yet to make a name for themselves, despite their lofty t.i.tle. Needless to say, Elder Ming Guanhe must be trying to seize his chance. And he was probably leveraging on Qin Feng's recent issue to ensure that he held onto Elder Xuan's attention.

Well, it that was the case, he certainly did not have any argument against the Elder's methods.

Besides, didn't he stand to gain? If he had a chance to take a stroll in the Southern Woods? After all, there were a lot of potent materials that could be gathered from the forest there.

"Well, regardless of what happens to the Rear Gardens, you should be safe enough here. Just make sure that you do your best not to stand out in the next two moons. Lady Nu Yuanqing threw a temper tantrum earlier, when she returned to the Rear Gardens. So you don't want her to remember you from this afternoon's debacle."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Qin Feng chuckled softly as the woman before him sniffed, and turned back to her arrangement of the pots and pans. Although the shortage of storage s.p.a.ce, and the damage to the roof above, made things a little more complicated that either of them had expected.

Besides that, Lingxi also looked a little distracted, as if she wanted to broach something with him, but did not know just how to do so. Which was probably why Qin Feng decided to take pity on her, and gave her a push in the end:

"So, what was it that you wished to talk to me about?"

Lingxi seemed to make up her mind once she heard that, and nodded back at him, as though in answer. "I have come to square our accounts. It's only fair, since your herbs shall be put on the trading list soon, and can be exchanged for contribution points. So we should pay you what we owe now, before that happens."

She didn't waste any more time, drawing the purse out from under her skirts, and pouring its contents out onto the bed. It was, after all, the only intact piece of furniture inside his abode.

Qin Feng almost shook his head at the sound of all those silver coins, jingling as they fell against each other on his worn old blanket. Those thing weren't of much use to him, to be honest. And he had merely used that to keep score whenever he dealt with the female disciples. How was he to know that he would end up collecting his debts so soon?

He had to come up with something, to exchange all this silver for what he could use, if he didn't wish to end up making a loss!

* * *