"Customer, here are your herbs."
The shop attendant came from inside carrying a neatly wrapped package of herbs and handed it to Jiang Ying Yue.
"Thank you, how much is it?" Taking the package Jiang Ying Yue took out a golden card and handed it to the lady, asking politely the cost of the herbs.
"Thirteen thousand gold coins." Accepting the card lady answered her politely and waited for Jiang Ying Yue's further response.
"Thirteen thousand gold coins! Why are they so costly?" Jiang Ying Yue exclaimed aloud finding the herbs too expensive.
However, the lady didn't mind her words and smiled slightly answering her question patiently," Customer, you know how hard it is to find people who collect herbs usually even if you find one they charge a lot. And besides that, the herbs in your herbs are very rare and precious, especially twilight lily and purple fog herb. So you can understand this price justifiable for these herbs."
Hearing her explanation Jiang Ying Yue nodded her head in understanding.
After staying here for two days she understood the nature of these people well and also the ways of this world.
After paying for the herbs Jiang Ying Yue prepared to leave.
"Customer, how can I help?"
Cheng Li Juan who was busy scrutinizing Jiang Ying Yue was woken out of her stupor by a gentle, polite voice.
"Huh?"
"Customer, do you need anything?" The shop attendant asked again.
"Oh, get me these herbs immediately." Coming out of her daze her voice turned arrogant again.
Looking at her arrogant, haughty demeanour the attendant didn't speak further and took a glance at the list of herbs that was handed to her by one of the maids of the girl.
"You can get all of these herbs here except these two. We don't have them in our store, sorry." The lady pointed at the list as she said these words.
"Can't get these herbs? Are you kidding me?"
"These two are the herbs I need most. How can you say you don't have them? I don't care what you do but you have to get me these immediately otherwise you'll face the consequences."
Cheng Li Juan commanded the lady in her arrogant shrill and sharp voice.
Hearing her sharp voice Jiang Ying Yue who was walking out of the herb stopped in her track and turned her head to look at the commotion.
Looking at Cheng Li Juan's arrogant and rude behaviour the lady frowned deeply and the gentle, polite expression on her face slowly vanished.
"Customer, we said we don't have these two herbs which mean we don't have these herbs. The last stock of these herbs is already sold out and we can't do anything about that. You should go look somewhere else." The lady said flatly not showing her previous polite attitude.
"Hey, how dare you speak to our lady like that? Are you looking for your death?" The maid standing beside Cheng Li Juan lashed out at the lady.
Trying to control her bubbling rage inside the lady took a deep breath," If there's nothing then you should take your leave and look for the herbs somewhere else, please."
The attendant lady gestured with her hand asking them to leave.
Stopping the maid who was going to make a move against the lady Cheng Li Juan Spoke in her perfectly fake generous tone showing off her fake magnanimous nature," Do you think that if I could get these two herbs somewhere else I would have come to the store? Everyone knows in the whole capital twilight lily and purple fog herbs are only sold in your store, so where should I go? Huh?"
After pausing for a while she suggested a solution," You said you don't have them and sold them to someone else, right? Then how about this? Give me the name of the buyer who purchased it and I'll let you go. You know I'm being generous here, so you should accept my goodwill and not complicate things further."
Listening to her nonsensical arrogant speech Jiang Ying Yue wanted to clap her hands and present her with the award of the most stupid woman of the year.
Was she crazy?
Did she not know about the background of Countless Herb Hall?
Or perhaps, she was so used to being arrogant and haughty that she couldn't control her arrogant nature even at the door of death.
Besides that, she also came to realize that the last stocks of the herbs that caused such a ruckus in the herb hall were bought by her. She was thinking should she escape before the lady gave away her name or should she continue watching the show?
While Jiang Ying Yue was musing inwardly, the attendant lady was so angry that she roared out in laughter.
The lady felt so irritated and angry that she almost rolled her sleeves up preparing to give that naïve hedonistic girl a good beating.
Just as the lady was about to give in to her desire of beating the middle-aged man rushed out from the inner hall hearing all the commotion outside," What happened here?"
The lady had yet to respond to that middle-aged man's query when a familiar shrill voice interrupted their conversation.
"Manager Feng, what sort of servants are you hiring at your herb hall? She's lacking in everything. If are unable to find a good slave you can go to Cheng manor to get one. We don't lack good slaves and they are all taught well and they know how to obey orders of their master and not be rude like this one."
Hearing her insulting words both the lady and the middle-aged man were stunned for a while trying to register her every word.
However, after their initial shock, they glared at Cheng Li Juan viciously as these insulting words had brought their anger to another height, almost breaking the threshold of their sanity.
Suppressing the anger that was about to burst out and engulf that naïve girl whole manager Fang spoke his words through his gritted teeth," How…..How dare you call our young lady a slave? You have the guts, right? If you want to live then leave right now and never take a step in our herb hall."
With these words manager Feng released his oppressing aura making the trio of master and servants who was standing in front of him breathless and pale.
Beads of cold sweat formed on their foreheads, their breathing turned heavy, knees trembled and a metallic taste of blood that was overwhelming their senses was threatening to rush out of their throats.
As every second passed a sense of unprecedented fear slowly started forming a grip on their hearts making them see and realize the dangers of a world that was far beyond their reach.
Cheng Li Juan gulped in fear and her whole body was trembling. All her arrogance and pride now turned into an overwhelming fear and remorse but what could she do now, it was impossible to even lift a finger let alone run away to escape this monstrous power that was on display.
Just as she thought she was going to collapse and die here manager Feng suddenly retracted his oppression.
The trio of master and servants plopped down on the ground heavily after being released from that oppressive force and panted heavily, trying to catch their breath.
Throwing a glance at them manager Feng headed back to the inner hall.
However, given how arrogant Cheng Li Juan was she got back her arrogance soon after his leave," All right we'll see how this goes. Don't forget you offended the royal family today prepared to pay the price."
As she said this she stood up with the help of her maids and prepared to out of the entrance, however, she paused in her way after remembering something," Oh, right if you tell me the name of the buyer who bought the herbs I may be a bit lenient to you and just sell back to the slave markets instead of selling at brothels. So, tell me."
Hearing her same nonsensical words both lady and Jiang Ying Yue had one thought in their minds- Was she crazy or deaf? Didn't she hear manager Feng calling her young lady?
Thinking she was just a crazy person the lady this time didn't get angry, smiling sweetly she said in her usual gentle tone," Do you think we are scared of the royal family? Then go ahead and complain in front of them. Don't come here and disturb our business and also don't think about getting any clue of the buyer from us. Our shop protects our buyer's and seller's privacy."
"Now LEAVE-"
Towards the end, her voice turned stern and sharp with an increase in pitch displaying her irritated mood.