YinYin Merchant

Xiulan spent that night in blissful sleep. Yen Wen was too tired from the days exertions to do much playing the night before. Instead, Xiulan had teased Yen Wen and herself into a gentle orgasm while they lay down and cuddled each other.

Afterall this was how they cultivated now, and they could not be lazy just because they were tired. Apart from that they fell asleep and barely moved under their blankets the entire night. In hindsight Xiulan should have expected the Kangs to retaliate.

They woke the next morning to shouts downstairs and then a banging door. Yen Wen did not take long to react and start to dress herself. Xiulan was slower on the uptake and yawned, stretching her arms above her head so that the blanket they had been sharing slid down her naked upper body.

”Whats that noise? ” asked a sleepy Xiulan.

Yen Wen strapped on her bracer and replied, ”I would guess that it is the Kangs hired goons. The innkeeper might not fancy armed men being allowed to drag his clients out of bed. ”

Xiulan snapped herself awake at that. Still, she was not too worried, Yen Wen was a second level Qi condensation cultivator and those were rare. Yen Wen also had a heaven grade technique. She should be able to deal with whoever the Kans had hired.

As soon as Xiulan slipped on her shoes the door banged open and two men rushed in. Xiulan quickly used her appraisal eyes.

Kang goon number one – First level Qi condensation, level one forced spiritual roots, worth 5 gold coins. Double to eliminate.

Kang goon number two – First level Qi condensation, level one natural inferior spiritual roots, worth 7 gold coins. Double to eliminate.

Both men were armed with daggers and contrary to what Xiulan expected they did not look like they intended to capture them alive. Goon number one slashed at Yen Wens head forcing her to snap her head back. Yen Wen moved her leg in a kick to the mans side at the same time she pulled her head back. The kick connected and it must have been reenforced with Qi because Xiulan heard the mans ribs crack.

The slash had only been a feint however and Goon number two used the opening to rush at Xiulan. He raised his dagger to stab Xiulan. Xiulan stumbled back and suddenly became acutely aware that even though she was also a level one Qi condenser, she had recovered the cultivation last night, she could not fight.

Forced to scramble to defend Xiulan Yen Wen pivoted on the ball of her left foot, turning the momentum from the recoil of her connected kick into a movement to intercept Goon Number two.

The goon had been waiting for this and also redirected his blow to that his dagger stabbed into the calf muscle of Yen Wens extended right leg. Xiulan was horrified as she watched blood rush from her lovers leg. Xiulan wanted to eliminate the man right away, but she did not have enough gold.

Yen Wen grunted at the pain but did not let it stop her as she pushed through the pain to rip the dagger out of the mans hand with her leg. Goon number two was caught off guard at the persistence of Yen Wen and allowed his footing to be disturbed by the sudden loss of his weapon.

Yen Wen took the opportunity and before the man could recover, she punched her left fist into his throat, reenforcing with Qi. Goon number two fell instantly and judging by his sputtering he would be dead soon. Goon number one was not in much better shape and was struggling to stand while reaching for his own dropped dagger.

Feeling useless Xiulan approached the downed thug and took his dagger herself. She began to stab it into the man repeatedly. ”How dare you people hurt my Yen Wen. How dare you! ” Xiulan sobbed out.

The system interrupted her hysterical murder, ”warning! Host is the perfect merchant and should not deal with people with her own hands. Instead, the host should sell these valuable daggers. ”

Xiulan became somewhat sober when she heard the system. At the word valuable she cast her appraising eyes over the weapons:

Low Quality Poisoned Dagger – Worth 10 gold coins. This dagger has had a poison infused into the metal. To the right buyer this could add to the weapons value.

Xiulan gasped and abandoning the now bloody corpse ran to Yen Wen. Yen Wen was trying to use a torn off piece of the Goon number twos shirt to stop the bleeding of her leg. Xiulan grabbed her hand and started to try and drag her away.

”We have to get you to a healer the daggers were poisoned, ” said a panicked Xiulan.

Yen Wen looked sceptical but did not argue looking at Xiulans expression. Instead, she carefully gathered up the two daggers and then allowed herself to be taken limping from the room.

There was only one real healer in Rockcreek and Xiulan hoped that the doctor could heal Yen Wen.

The doctors practice was not far from the inn, but yen Wen was already starting to feel the effects of the poison before they reached it. Yen Wen was pale and sweating and her eyes started to turn red.

It was still early in the morning and the doctor had not yet opened her doors, but Xiulan used her newly acquired cultivators strength to shoulder the door down. In another circumstance she might have laughed at the incredible scene of a petite woman breaking the latch of a strong oak door.

Xiulan started to call for the doctor at the top of her lungs and before long she appeared at the top of some stairs. The doctor was a middle-aged woman. Perhaps in her thirties or forties it was difficult to tell. The doctor was pretty, red haired and blue eyed. She was almost as tall as Yen Wen but with much larger breasts and a big butt. She was not fat, but she had more too her than a wisp like Xiulan.

Xiulan could not spend longer admiring her though. Yen Wen needed help. Xiulan took one of the daggers and gestured at the doctor with it. Speaking quickly, she said, ”She has been stabbed with one of these daggers. Please help her I can pay you. Just please help. ”

The doctor looked at the dagger and then tutted, ”such young girls to make such nasty enemies. You are lucky that I know what kind of poison those daggers use. Put your friend down on the table over there. ”

Xiulan did so and the doctor started to mash up a few different herbs with a mortar and pestle. Anxious and with nothing to distract her Xiulan appraised the doctor:

Zheng Ling – Fifth level Qi Condensation (damaged and sealed cultivation), blooming flower spiritual roots, worth 10 000 gold coins. Recommend that the host conquer as a lover.

Xiulan blinked. With that kind of cultivation, Zheng Ling could not be locally born. The doctor must have a story. Zheng Ling finished her preparations and moved aside Yen Wens makeshift bandage to place some of the herb mush into the wound. She then gave some more to a half-awake Yen Wen to chew. Soon some colour returned to Yen Wens face, and she fell asleep breathing easily.

Zheng Ling stroked Yen Wens hair caringly and then turned to Xiulan, ”she will sleep for a few hours now. You can stay with her but try not to wake her up. If you will excuse me, I need to finish dressing for the morning. ”

Xiulan blushed as she noticed that Zheng Ling was only wearing a bathrobe. Her hair was also messy and only half gathered into a bun and loosely held together by a chopstick.

”Thank you. ” Xiulan bowed as she spoke.

Xiulan sat next to Yen Wen and finally started to absorb what had happened. Xiulan was furious. Not at the Kangs for attacking them but at herself. Ever since she had gained her freedom she had being acting as if she was on holiday. Not a care in the world. She was weak and had assumed that Yen Wen could deal with their enemies without trouble. Xiulan had not even made any firm plans to make money. If she had more gold, she could have used it to eliminate one of the goons.

Yen wen had been hurt trying to protect her and she was not a lover worth dying to protect. Xiulan would have to become stronger and her only path to that power was the system. Of the first time Xiulan seriously undertook to become the best merchant in the world. She would start by surpassing the Kangs and only once she had taken everything from them would she allow Yen Wen to kill them.

Settling her back against the wall and stroking Yen Wens hair, Xiulan started to plan for the future.