Chapter 272: The biggest drawback of copying talent
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Signed the paperwork.
The next day, Hou Wu came to the store to help.
With Hou Wu, Zhang Heng began to work as a hands-off shopkeeper.
Hou Wu and Hua Rou discussed what kind of counter to order and what kind of protective array to put up. Zhang Heng would only pay for it and ignore the rest.
This goes on for a few days.
Hengguzhai had a completely new look, and even at Hou Wu's suggestion, four female slaves from Xirong were bought as maids.
"If you say this, Xirong is really the treasure land of the Qin Dynasty."
"Lack of land, grab Xirong."
"Lack of labor, rob Xirong."
"Even if there is a shortage of women, you can still snatch them from Xirong and be neighbors with the tiger and wolf Qin. Xirong is really unlucky."
Xirong.
It is the collective name given by the Chinese countries to the non-Chinese alien races west of the Qin Dynasty.
Seriously speaking, Xirong is not a nation, but a union of dozens of tribes. They have their own writing, beliefs, and even country.
It's a pity that happiness is too far away and Daqin is too close.
Ever since Duke Mugong of Qin gave up his struggle for hegemony in the Central Plains and turned around to expand his territory to the west, Xirong was beaten by the Qin State and called "Daddy" all day long. If the Qin State lacked anything, they would come to Xirong to get it, competing with the ATMs for what they had.
Although Xirong kept complaining, he couldn't defeat him.
Every year, the Qin State would send troops to Xirong to roll wool, cut leeks, and steal countless slaves, ores, and even rare treasures.
To be honest, there are not so many reasons in the world to talk about.
"The nobles in Xianyang City regard it as elegant to have a Xirong girl. If a house does not have a Xirong dancing girl, it is not classy."
"When I was in the palace, I once heard someone say that some of the down-and-out sons of high officials, whose families were in a poor family, could not afford to buy a dancing girl from Xirong, and were afraid of losing face, so they let the sisters in the family look like nothing else. Whenever guests came, they would wear plain clothes and gauze to cover their faces.
In front of me, I pretended to be a dancing girl from Xirong, pretending that the door and courtyard remained the same."
Hou Wu looked sighing: "I don't know if it's true or not."
"In life, the most difficult thing to let go of is affection, and the hardest thing to let go of is scenes. Many things that are heard from hearsay may not be groundless."
Although Zhang Heng has never dealt with the down-and-out minister.
But during the Republic of China, he did not see those Eight Banners nobles who made their faces look fat.
The family was so poor that they couldn't even afford porridge, so they would keep a piece of pig skin and wipe their mouths when they went out. They would make their mouths shiny and shiny, pretending that they had just eaten a big fish or meat.
To put it bluntly, it means saving face to the death and suffering the consequences.
"My boss, actually, we in the Baibao Pavilion like this kind of person."
"Speaking of treasures, what kind of treasures can ordinary monks have?"
"Eighteen generations of our ancestors have never produced a person with great supernatural powers. Let him come in, and he will just watch the fun. If you reach out to him, his pocket will be cleaner than his face."
"It's different for these down-and-out ministers' children."
"Whose ancestors have never been rich?"
"Although we are defeated now, a skinny camel is bigger than a horse. There is no guarantee that if we dig up our ancestral grave once dark, we will be able to unearth half a piece of immortal artifact."
Hou Wu smiled like a weasel: "Say business is booming, how can it be booming without such a help of people?"
Zhang Heng was a little bit dumbfounded.
But I have to admit that Hou Wuhua is rough and rude. There are only a few people in the world who can pick up artifacts from roadside stalls as soon as they go out.
More often than not, it’s just a broken jar, and it doesn’t hurt to sell it.
Even those so-called longevity families mostly have a glamorous appearance. Only they themselves know how much face and how much respect they have.
"Is the shopkeeper here?"
While we were chatting and laughing, a guest came to our door.
Zhang Heng winked at Hou Wu and asked him to come forward to greet him, while he took a look at the fat sheep that came to the door as soon as he opened the door.
"Let's estimate the price."
The visitor was wearing a bamboo hat and was short, like a dwarf.
He sounded like he was about thirty or forty years old. He had a restrained aura about his body and looked like he didn't dare to see anyone.
"Elixir!"
"Foundation Building Pill, a pill that helps Qi Realm monks break through to the Foundation Building Realm."
Hou Wu took the box handed over by the man in the bamboo hat and looked at it without looking at it: "It's in good condition. It's a top-grade foundation-building pill. Unfortunately, foundation-building pills are too low-level. This is the ancient capital of Xianyang, not a rural town.
, these things are all over the streets. If you want to sell them, just go to the roadside stalls. Some people buy these things specifically to feed the birds, but we won’t accept them.”
The man in the hat was silent for a moment.
It seemed that his self-esteem was a bit hurt, so he walked out dejectedly.
"etc..."
Zhang Heng thought for a moment and then told Hou Wu: "This is the first business deal after all. Please keep the things for good luck."
“Good owner.”
Hou Wu agreed and called the man in the bamboo hat back: "It's not easy to come here. Leave your things behind. I will have a good treasure in the future. Think of us Henggu Zhai."
The man in the bamboo hat said nothing, collected the business ticket, glanced at Zhang Heng and left.
After he went out, Hou Wu presented the Foundation Establishment Pill to Zhang Heng and said cheerfully: "This guy may have just come from a small place. Otherwise, if he dares to come to the door with a Foundation Establishment Pill, he will be kicked out."
Zhang Heng looked calm: "He should have practiced this Foundation Building Pill himself, and I guess he is not a dwarf, but a child."
Hou Wu's smile froze on his face, and he asked: "Master, how did you see it?"
Zhang Heng explained: "I traveled all over the country, listened to a lot, and saw a lot."
"Let's talk about his attire first. If it's a rare treasure, you can't be too careful."
"It's just a foundation-building pill, there's no need to hide it."
"Hiding his head and showing his tail means that he doesn't want others to see his face. The baby is not worthy of being remembered, so there is only one possibility. He is afraid that he will be remembered."
"What does he deserve to be remembered for?"
"There is only one answer. He is not a dwarf, but a child."
"He refined the Foundation Establishment Pill himself. The Foundation Establishment Pill is not considered a treasure, but a child who can practice the Foundation Establishment Pill is a rare commodity."
Zhang Heng paused slightly: "Looking at his height, he is shorter than Hua Rou. I estimate that he may be a few years younger than Hua Rou, maybe twelve or thirteen years old."
Foundation Building Pills are not unusual.
The best foundation-building pills are not uncommon either.
But there are probably only a few alchemists in the world who can refine the best foundation-building pills at the age of twelve or thirteen.
Because of this, Zhang Heng asked Hou Wu to call him back.
Not only was he the first business owner to open a business, he was looking for good luck, but he also had some speculation about his identity.
As for whether I guessed wrong.
Just be wrong, and there will be no loss for Zhang Heng.
After ten days
Zhang Heng never saw the man in the hat again, and as time passed, he forgot about him.
Unexpected.
More than a month later, one night, when Zhang Heng was preparing to greet Hua Rouguan's shop, the man in the bamboo hat came to the door dressed as when he first came.
"Shopkeeper, please estimate the price."
The man in the bamboo hat is still the same as before, holding a wooden box and not saying what he is selling.
"Isn't it the Foundation Establishment Pill this time?"
Zhang Heng asked with a smile.
The man in the hat didn't answer.
Because he was wearing a bamboo hat, his expression could not be seen.
Hua Rou, on the other hand, perked up after hearing Zhang Heng's words: "Uncle, is this the mysterious guest who sold you the Foundation Establishment Pill?"
Zhang Heng smiled and said nothing, took the wooden box, opened it and looked at it.
When the eye catches the eye, there is a green pill inside the box.
Well...
A bit embarrassing.
Zhang Heng picked up the elixir, looked at it, and smelled it, but he didn't understand what the elixir was for.
"What kind of elixir is this?"
Zhang Heng was a little embarrassed.
"you do not know?"
The man in the bamboo hat looked very surprised: "Aren't you the boss of Hengguzhai?"
Zhang Heng thought for a while and said with a serious face: "It's true that I am the boss of Hengguzhai, but no one stipulates that the boss of the restaurant must know how to cook, and the boss of Zhenbao Pavilion must know how to appraise treasures, right?"
"Haha, you are so funny."
The man in the hat was amused and said, "I..."
"granduncle..."
Before the man in the bamboo hat could finish speaking, Hua Rou on the side took a step forward and said, "If I read it correctly, this should be a Qinglong Dan. Qinglong Dan is a non-grade elixir, ranging from True Immortal to Qi Lian."
Even low-level monks can take it. The effect is to help the monks calm down their mana and reduce backlash when their mana is disordered. It is mostly used for healing after a failed battle or becoming possessed."
Zhang Heng looked at the man in the bamboo hat.
The man in the bamboo hat looked at Hua Rou in surprise, said nothing, and nodded in affirmation.
See this scene.
Zhang Heng was a little surprised. Hua Rou followed Hou Wu, and it seemed that she had learned a lot.
The future life is to be feared.
Zhang Heng praised: "I don't have any talent in elixirs, and I rarely read the elixir scriptures on weekdays. You have already surpassed me in appreciating elixirs."
Hua Rou felt happy in her heart, but she didn't dare to agree. She hurriedly said: "It's all thanks to Mr. Hou's good teaching."
"Shopkeeper, please give me a price."
The man in the bamboo hat made a gesture of invitation.
Zhang Heng looked at Hua Rou and asked without any airs: "How much do you think is appropriate?"
Hua Rou thought for a while and said: "Qinglong Pill is a gradeless pill. The gradeless here does not mean that the pill is gradeless, but that the person who uses the pill does not need to care about his realm, because this kind of pill
The medicine is universal and can be used by anyone as long as they are monks."
"But the elixir itself still has a grade."
"The mid-grade Qinglong Pill is more effective and faster than the lower-grade Qinglong Pill."
"The Qinglong Pill in front of me should be a high-grade Qinglong Pill. It can be used by anyone below the level of a true immortal. It will be a little less useful for a true immortal. You need to take a few pills at a time."
"In terms of price..."
Hua Rou hesitated and asked, "How about thirty thousand spirit stones?"
After saying that, he added: "If it were a top-grade Qinglong Pill, I could get more than 100,000 spirit stones. Unfortunately, this one is not. It is only top grade, and it is barely top grade. The price of 30,000 spirit stones should be very reasonable."
Thirty thousand spiritual stones are equivalent to thirty thousand taels of gold.
Mr. Hou told her that the main producers and consumers of Qinglong Pill are the ministries of war of various countries.
Taking the Qin State as an example, every time they marched westward to Xirong, Qinglong Pill was an important material provided with the army. Ordinary soldiers were not eligible to apply. Only mid-to-high-level generals at the rank of captain and general were qualified to use Qinglong Pill to treat wounds.
Because Qinglong Pill is a strategic material, there are very few circulating in the world.
High-grade ones are even less common. If someone has an ancestor who is seriously injured and dying, if he takes a high-grade Qinglong Pill and regulates his mana, he may be able to fight to the death again.
"make a deal..."
The man in the bamboo hat made a gesture of taking money.
"Next time there is such a good thing, please come to our Henggu Zhai again."
Hua Rou gave the money and sent the man in the hat to the door.
When she could no longer see it, Hua Rou jumped back to Zhang Heng and said: "Uncle, refining pills is so profitable. I estimate that I don't even have three thousand spiritual stones to refine the green dragon pill."
, he made ten times the profit as soon as he changed hands, or I should also learn to make alchemy."
Zhang Heng shook his head.
"Learning has no limit, but life has a limit. If you have a limit and seek to have no limit, you will be exhausted."
"If you think alchemy is good today, go and make alchemy. Tomorrow, if you think weapon refining is good, do you still want to make weapons?"
"The day after tomorrow, I think image divination is good, do you want to learn it too?"
"Human energy is limited, even I don't dare to dabble too much."
"Are you more talented than me?"
"How much stronger? Ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times, or ten thousand times?"
"Is it possible that you can take all three thousand avenues to the end?"
Zhang Heng's words were like a wake-up call.
Hua Rou woke up instantly and felt a chill on her back.
Ever since she got the talent to copy, she wanted to copy the talent she didn't have, and she never tired of it.
Even when Zhang Heng said that she knew more about elixirs than she did, Hua Rou felt unprecedentedly satisfied.
But in fact.
She is not smart and studious, but she has copied Mr. Hou's golden eyes.
Now that I think about it, while I am complacent, I am also falling into the devil's path.
A little bit of everything.
Not proficient in anything.
If you don't even know where your own path is, you will only pick up people's wisdom, so how can you talk about long-term success?
"Thank you uncle for preaching."
Hua Rou knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times to Zhang Heng.
Zhang Heng remained motionless and accepted it calmly.
Those who preach and resolve doubts can receive the ceremony of kneeling three times and kowtowing nine times.
No matter what Hua Rou's background is, even if she is the daughter of the Jade Emperor, he can still accept this gift.
"The sentence I hate the most is that you are still young and still have a chance to correct yourself."
"Actually, that's not the case. Life is like rushing. From the East City to the West City, just take the Central Street."
"You have to make a detour from Beicheng. If two people walk together and use the same speed, if you detour and he doesn't, who of the two of you will reach the West City faster?"
"Practice is to compete with others and compete with God for fate."
"If you are slow, you may be stepped down and you will never be able to get up."
Wait for Hua Rou to finish kowtow.
Zhang Heng pulled her up with a wave of his hand and said with sincerity: "There is no banquet in life, and the same is true for you and me. I am by your side now, and I can still teach you a thing or two. When I am gone, the road ahead will be different."
It’s up to you.”
Hua Rou nodded heavily: "Uncle, I won't let you down."
Zhang Heng smiled but said nothing.
the next day.
Hou Wu came to work in the shop and was very happy to hear that Hua Rou recognized Qinglong Dan: "I have been working in the palace for twenty years, and even the princes have met countless times, but when it comes to talent, there is really no one who can surpass Hua Rou."
Zhang Heng replied: "A king will emerge in fifty years. Compared with Hua Rou's generation, you and I are already old guys."
Hou Wu was a little bit dumbfounded.
But it's not wrong to think about it. She said seriously: "I heard Hua Rou say, do you think there will be a great war coming?"
Zhang Heng didn't answer and asked instead: "Don't you think there are a lot of talents in the world in these years?"
Hou Wu thought for a while and asked with some uncertainty: "Is there any?"
Zhang Heng glanced at Hou Wu.
People in the mountains don't believe that fish are bigger than trees.
People at sea do not believe that there are trees greater than fish.
People are self-centered and think that the era they live in is the best era.
Those who were born in the 1970s said that those born in the 1980s could not do it, those born in the 1980s said that those born in the 1990s could not do it, and those born in the 1990s said that those born in the 1900s could not do it.
Essentially, it's all like this.
In fact, there is no such thing as failure. Times are progressing and are always developing in a better direction.
If you feel bad, maybe you can't keep up with this era.
That's why you miss the past.
Just like those old people.
Under the setting sun, by the ancient road, you can spend a whole day just sitting there.
"A cup of tea and a sutra."
"Looking at the common people as chess pieces, seeing all living beings as chess pieces, playing chess when you are idle, watching when you are tired, saying that you are free and happy, there is nothing more free and happy than this."
Zhang Heng is very open-minded: "No matter what era it is, if you work with peace of mind, even if the sky falls, I can give you a new one."