"Insufferable youth" the old man complained, "I was sure I had seen the last of you the last time you came. Didn't you say you would be visiting the Sacred Flame Mountain? I even gave you a bargain on those pills!"
Jihon rolled his eyes. 'A bargain he said?'
"Ah, I even opened a bottle of 900-year-old wine to celebrate your deat -, departure." Cough. The old man sounded wronged, but Ben didn't know what to think of it.
'Maybe those really were a bargain?' Jihon had to reconsider.
"So, what did you come for anyway?" the old man folded his hands and raised his eyebrow. There was no pretense of welcome to be spared. Clearly, Jihon didn't come for a visit. He only came when he wanted something he wouldn't find elsewhere.
"About that, how about we go inside first?" Jihon tried to smile. His charm failed him.
"No! Go away!" the old man shooed with his hand. Why ruin such a good day? He stepped back and the door started to close by itself.
'Damn this old fart!' Jihon was frustrated. His eyes darted from left to right. He needed those pills again, and he finally thought he had found a good item to barter with.
"Look, I brought Five Folded Sun Stone!" he shouted. The door kept closing. 'No luck?' he thought. "Scorched Ice Lily!" the door was already half shut, and still closing. "Heavy Star Essence!" Now only the old man's shadow was visible, and even that was fading. 'Shit, it has come to this?' he cursed. "Ivory Horned Demonic Bear!" the door stopped three inches shy of closing. "It's a cub" he said. The door opened once again.
"Ah, Jihon. Why did you take so long to come and visit? You know, I missed you like my own grandson" the old man said, his face beaming with a smile.
Ben's jaw dropped open.
"What are you standing out there for? Come on in, I have some tea I have been saving just for you" even though he said this, his gaze was rather fixated on the sled behind them.
Jihon's eyes looked pained. The bear was supposed to be a bargaining chip. But then his lip rose slightly in a wicked grin. "I thought you would never ask, old man." He walked closer to the door. 'Yes, you can wait for us to have tea, right old fool?'
The geezer did not move from the door. He stood there, rooted like a tree, still smiling.
"Oh, Jihon. This simply won't do." he shook his head emphatically. "I can't possibly leave my guest's luggage outside like that. It won't work. Come, let's bring it in."
Even Ben had to roll his eyes.
The dimly lit cottage was filled with the fragrant scent of Silver Peach tea. It was truly a cozy place, if not for the weird plants that clung to the inner walls. Their feeble tendrils left a trail of slimy goo on the wooden logs. Ben shuddered.
"So, is this your illegitimate child?" the old man poured the tea into a jade cup.
Ben coughed. 'Is this old man blind?' he thought.
"Oh this, he is just a random stray dog I picked up on my way here." Jihon didn't bother to look at Ben as he said this.
'Then there is this horrible warrior who only knows how to abuse people. Maybe when I become strong enough, I will knock some empathy into that monster.' Ben looked at Jihon through the corner of his eye, just to make sure his thoughts were not being read.
"Hmm" the old man glanced at Ben and passed him a wooden cup with water instead. 'No point wasting good tea on a stray dog? I think I will have to beat this old geezer as well.'
At any rate even water was better than nothing. At least it wouldn't kill him, right?
The cup handle was smooth, probably unintentionally polished through thousands of uses. The wood itself bore a delightfully refreshing aroma. He wondered what sort of tree it had been carved from. It felt very light in his hand. He took a sip.
He blinked as his eyes moistened. 'Is this really water?' He had to confirm. He tilted the cup so that it could catch the light better. 'It does look quite clear.' He took another sip, this time pursing his lips and curling his tongue. He didn't notice how the old man looked at him and smirked.
'Heh! Country bumpkin. Getting so excited over water!'
The liquid flowed into his mouth like a breath, its coolness spreading down his throat, teasing his stomach as if with dew. And there it was. That delicate aroma. It tickled his mind and caused him to quiver. Let them drink their fancy tea, he would stick to this magical water. His eyes sparkled.
Jihon pretended he could not see Ben repeatedly sniff his cup and point it at all the windows. 'This is embarrassing' he thought.
"Old man, about this stuff…" Jihon began as he turned to face his luggage that was now spread out in the cabin.
"How about 50 medium grade Essence Stones for that hide." He suggested.
"50 medium grade Essence Stones? Are you out of your mind? That demonic bear hide has been ruined by your arrows. How can you still demand such a price?"
Ben felt a cold pair of eyes land on him. 'Is he blaming me for that?' he didn't dare turn and look. He hugged his wooden mug and swallowed.
"Haha, did I say 50 stones? I meant to include those three vials of its Heart Blood. Come on old man, let's make it 65 stones instead?"
"Hmph. 65 stones? You might need some potion for your eyes as well. That hide has an armature's scratch on the inside. Did you think I wouldn't notice it if you folded it like that? 55 stones."
'An armature's scratch. No way that freak can be called an amateur. Unless…' he suddenly remembered trying to skin the bear under Jihon's instruction back in the forest. 'Could it be?' Another icy gaze landed on him. 'But he is the one who ordered me to…'
"Oh come on old man. Aren't you just being picky now? Look here…"
Ben took the chance to slip away from these crazy men. Who knew when he would be blamed for the next quality concern? It was better to enjoy his water somewhere safer.
The cottage was way more spacious than it looked on the outside. Its large structure was supported in places by thick wooden poles. Surprisingly, a few patches of roofing were replaced with thick whitish glass panes. It looked a bit too expensive to be just for some extra lighting, especially for that stingy old man. He looked beneath the glass. 'Ah, what is wrong with this geezer?'
A number of large flower pots, most with dying plants, had been placed there for the light. 'Why does he try so hard when he is obviously so hopeless?' he wondered. He had a strange urge to take a closer look, but it would be rude to explore someone else's house without their permission. He turned to look at the two men. It seemed they had finally settled on a price for the hide and other things, but now they had begun on the main item.
"… five of last time's pills for one horn and the rest of the head!" Jihon repeated. They didn't want to mention what pills they were exactly, but they both knew precisely what other was talking about.
"I have already told you; five pills are already more than I have. I can only give you two. And that is only if you are giving me the entire head, complete with both horns!" the old man was shouting.
Ben frowned. What use were a bunch of stones and a few pills? Why were these grown men making such a fuss over small things.
"Are you always so greedy, old man? Didn't you see that those are IVORY horns, and the bear was still a cub. Have you forgotten how rare those are?" The shouting intensified. This was just the chance he had been waiting for! He took a few steps towards the large vases.
He didn't know what it was, but something there attracted him to those flowers. He scanned the area to find out what exactly was responsible for the compulsion. He walked towards an empty vase. The soil had been prepared, but luckily for the seed, nothing had germinated as yet. Then he found it!
A strange crescent-shaped bone tool was placed on a nearby chair. It drew his attention like a magnet. He felt a strong impulse to touch it, as if he could understand something from it. He shook his head. Maybe that wasn't normal water after all.
'What is it about this bone that pulls me so?' he wondered. Maybe it was the strange shape? Or the weird, primitive carvings? 'Hmmm. There is something else' he squinted but he couldn't see any better. He leaned closer. "This bone… it feels like, like it's from deep icy waters!" he exclaimed loudly. The two men paused their conversation to look at him. Their faces were twisted into intimidating masks. 'Oops' he thought, not knowing where to look.
The old man's eye brows went up, as if in deep thought, then his eyes glimmered with understanding. He tried to hide it, but it was too late.
"Say, old man," Jihon regained his composure, "how about this; two pills and two Clear Purple Crystal Ores and you can also have this boy, I mean, my son" he emphasized the word son, "come and work for you for the next two years?"