5: The Pathetic Fatty Ma

“Wait! Wait! Don't be like that brother…” Seeing that Feng Shaotian didn't have any reaction. “Alright… alright... I'll give you 500 sil—gold coins as compensation.”

Feng Shaotian pondered for a bit then said. “Okay… I'll help you kill it. However, if you went back on your words.”

Feng Shaotian then makes a cut throat gesture. “You understand what I mean right?”

‘I should look tough! This world is full of killing! Being soft would only lead to demise.’

Seeing the fat guy nod his head, “Ding Bang…” He muttered softly while lifting his hand high up in the air.

Whoosh!

A two story big and muscular ferocious looking beast appeared from out of nowhere making the snake halt from its track.

‘Just a little more and this damn fatty would have been my meal now but, fuck! What an unlucky day to bump such a fella.’ The serpent thought, hissing loudly.

The serpent was deterred by Ding Bang's oppressive aura. It could only stay in its position without moving.

“What the hell, you have such a strong summon!” The fat guy said in envy.

Summons were different from pets as they can be stored in their owners' space.

‘Kill that snake!’ Feng Shaotian ordered through telepathy.

Ding Bang turned to his enemy, seeing that it was a little snake.

‘Pathetic!’ Lifting its paw, ‘Swipe!’ his claw glinting with cold light suddenly ignited with divine flames swiping towards where the snake was.

Ding Bang's claws easily passed through the snake's figure like cutting butter. Feng Shaotian then unsummoned Ding Bang or it might catch attention if it stays longer.

“Hey fatty. Don't tell anyone about what you saw just now, if you do. I'll take that pathetic life of yours.” Feng Shaotian warned, it was to ensure that his life won't be in any potential danger.

“Don't worry, no one will know about your secret. If I told someone about it, you can do whatever you want to torture me.” Fatty said confidently without batting an eyelid.

“What's your name? Why are you being chased by this savage snake?” Feng Shaotian asked, confused. Only dumb people would attack a magical beast of the same rank as them.

“Ma Hong, other people call me Alchemist Ma or Fatty Ma. About the snake, well…” Fatty Ma hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“Truthfully speaking, I was with a party but got separated from them.”

“I was with them searching for herbs and other things as the value of herbs in the market got expensive every passing day.”

“I don't know how this happened but I ended up disturbing that fellow’s sleep so it chased me angrily till here.” Fatty Ma explained.

‘This fatty sure is unlucky, his party might have abandoned him. Pathetic.’ Feng Shaotian thought, shaking his head.

“Even though you're pathetic, that didn't change the fact that we have an agreement. Where is it?” Feng Shaotian said indifferently.

“Here. This is the last gold coin I have. I was just saving it to upgrade my rank.” Fatty Ma felt like killing himself from grief.

‘I am nothing but a lonely alchemist searching for good things in the mountain only to be exhorted.’

Alchemists and Blacksmith are alike. Even if they were born with inferior talent from the others, they're still respected by everyone.

For the warrior and other talents, what they have to do to improve their rank was to painstakingly cultivate and some fortuitous encounter finding rare and divine talent fruit.

This is the iron clad law of this world.

Feng Shaotian happily received Fatty Ma's compensation whose face was distorted. After silently celebrating, he caught a glimpse of Fatty Ma staring at the serpent's carcass while drooling.

“Do you know how to manage a business?” Feng Shaotian suddenly asked after some thought.

What he needed the most was trustworthy people, even though he only knew Fatty Ma for a short while.

He got a feeling that Fatty Ma can be trusted.

“I'm not good at it but I can manage somehow, it's just selling things anyway.” Fatty Ma subconsciously replied, looking at Feng Shaotian who was 2 meters away from him, “Why did you ask?”

“I was planning to establish a Chamber of Commerce at Huangshan City in the north. What do you think? I can give you the managerial position.” Feng Shaotian tempted, then pointed at the savage snake.

“I can also give that savage snake's carcass to you. So? How does my offer sound?”

Fatty Ma becomes alert, thinking that there's something fishy about it.

However, after pondering for several minutes, he replied, “I like it. So when would you plan to start establishing your own Chamber of Commerce? Do you happen to have some connections in the Trade Industry?”

Trade Industry is where a Chamber of Commerce acquires goods and secure contracts with dealers for daily supply on one's shop.

There are also Chamber of Commerce who don't rely on this Trade Industry, they are the self sufficient or self sustaining Chamber of Commerce that owns their own land. Cultivating the goods they sold in the market.

“After I accumulate enough money. Don't worry about the goods to sell, I have my own means.”

“Anyway, why do you keep staring at that serpent's carcass? Can trash like that be sold?” Feng Shaotian couldn't help but ask, confused.

Fatty Ma stared fixedly at Feng Shaotian as if looking at an idiot.

‘Don't you know how much money I'll earn just by selling that trash carcass you're speaking of?!’

‘F*ck, the money I'll get from it would be enough for me to become an E+ ranker without a hitch!’ Fatty Ma couldn't help but lament.

‘Nevermind, I have already accepted his offer anyway so this carcass will be mine soon enough.’ He thought with his mouth watering.

“Of course it can be sold. The meat is edible so it can be sold at a restaurant wholesale and that would be, hmm…”

“Considering its size and rank, that would be approximately 100-200 gold coins per kilogram of meat.”

“Its teeth can be sold at the market for 500 gold a set, it is useful for making daggers with extreme venom effects.”

“And the skin, it can fetch for up to 3,000 - 4,000 gold coins if the quality is good and not badly damaged.” Fatty Ma expertly calculated.

“It can be sold that much?! Hmm… maybe I should hunt some higher rank magical beast if I have time.” Feng Shaotian muttered to himself.

Feng Shaotian then waved his hand and stored the snake's carcass in his barn.

“Woah... you have a huge storage space, do you have some extra? Give me some.” Fatty Ma spoke enviously.

Feng Shaotian turned to Fatty Ma and said, “You can buy your own when you become rich.”

“You think it's easy to buy one?! It's not!” Fatty Ma said aggrieved.

Feng Shaotian just chuckled before pointing into the distance, “There's a village nearby, I still have some things to take care of before traveling to Huangshan City so let's go there first.”

“By the way, aren't you going to search for your comrades?” Feng Shaotian asked as Fatty Ma didn't talk much about searching for them.

“Them..?” Fatty Ma muttered absentmindedly.

“Nevermind, here.” Feng Shaotian shook his head before handing Fatty Ma a paper. He could tell that Fatty Ma was hiding something from him.

“What's this?” Fatty Ma asked.

He thought Feng Shaotian was giving him a storage ring, instead he received a paper. After reading what was written in it, Fatty Ma's eyes widened in shock.

“This is a contract!”

“Sign it if you want to follow me. That contract only restricts you from doing something that can harm me. It doesn't restrict your freedom or something, you can decide on your own.” Feng Shaotian explained, everyone who's close to him must sign a contract.

Fatty Ma hesitated for a moment, but still signed the contract after some careful thinking.

‘I'll gamble everything!’

It also says that as long as Feng Shaotian has the ability, his safety and needs to improve will be satisfied.

“Fatty Ma.”

“Y-Yes?!” Fatty Ma replied, a bit startled. ‘What is it now?’

“Do you know the market value of Golden Rice and Red Beans?” Feng Shaotian inquired.

“Hmm… Golden Rice is kind of expensive. It is the mutation of white rice that becomes golden, containing high nutritional value.”

“So the demand is high but the supply is low. The selling price for 1 sack is 50 gold coins.” Fatty Ma replied, “As for the Red Beans…”

“Its quantity in the market is high but that doesn't mean it's cheap. Usually, buyers choose red beans whose quality is higher than the others.”

After hearing Fatty Ma's response, Feng Shaotian's heart couldn't help but throb.

***

The village was in a mess when they arrived. All the leftovers from the banquet were scattered around.

However, it can be seen from time to time that some of the residents were already busy cleaning up the surroundings.

Feng Shaotian searched for the village chief for several minutes before finding him near the lake.

“Village Chief!” Feng Shaotian called out.

Turning around, Chief Jing saw Feng Shaotian coming over so he said, “It's you, what are you doing here? Do you need my help?”

“I would like to ask the village chief if it is possible to buy sacks and a carriage?” Feng Shaotian asked.