RISE OF THE ULTIMATE MERCHANT

CHAPTER 5

Yuchen broke the ashen core into pieces, grinding it into a paste on the pot, before pouring in a good amount of water.

This was what he needed to do.

Once the paste was liquid enough, Yuchen didn't waste any more time and poured it directly into his parent's mouth.

“Would it work, Brother Yuchen?” Yuling asked him, looking up at him with teary eyes.

Yuchen nodded, “Yeah it would.” He gave her a smile.

Using the merchant Gaze, he was able to see that this paste he had formed was even better than the ashen core in its true nature.

Yuchen watched, and a glow covered his parent’s body, healing the wounds on them.

“It worked.”

His father took a deep breath and his mother opened her eyes.

Then they looked at him blankly.

Yuchen smiled. Although it looked crooked, he was genuinely happy.

“I'm glad you are alive.” He said, and rose up from the floor, while helping them to stand up.

His mother rushed and enveloped him in a hug. “You saved us, Yuchen. I'm proud of you!”

Yuchen felt a warm feeling in his stomach.

“Thank you, Yuchen.” His father came, and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

Yuchen nodded, and then his face darkened, “Who did this to you?” He asked.

His father looked away, “The High Lord's soldiers had come and they demanded for their payment, not keeping to the initial agreement. Before I could gather up anything, they struck your mother down and I tried to fight them, but I was weak.”

Yuchen clenched his fist.

Those bastards.

They had crossed a dangerous line.

He exhaled, and smiled at his father, “Thank you for protecting Yuling, Dad. You did what you could. I will continue from here on out.”

Yuchen said and then he took out his pouch from his pocket.

“I was able to do some adventures and then get some money for us to survive here.” Yuchen explained.

He took the pouch and emptied it on the table.

Silver coins filled the tables and he looked up to smile at his parents.

“I could only get this, but I hope it's enough to last for a while.” Yuchen gave a nod.

“Also mom and dad, what I gave you might give you some certain effects. There's been an increase in your physical abilities and Dad, I think you should be able to use your meridians to learn an ability.”

“Yuchen do you even know what you are saying?” His dad stepped forward.

Yuchen nodded, “I know, Dad. I don't want to live like this and I want to explore the world and get stronger for each and everyone of you. I need to do that by leaving.” He dropped the bomb.

At first they were silent until his mother stepped forward.

“This is the first time you have spoken in consideration of others. We love you, Yuchen and we have always had. But if this is your choice, we would support you with our very best.”

Yuchen smiled and then he picked what he could from the pile of silver and stepped out.

His decision was a quick one but he knew what he was doing.

In this way, he would be able to increase in strength and even grow further.

“You have my blessings, Son.” His father looked at him with a smile.

As soon as Yuchen walked further from the house, a dark cloud settled over his face.

There was no way he would let those soldiers go scot free.

And he knew just where to find them.

In a bar, a group of men were laughing together and clinking glasses of beer.

“You could have seen the look on his face.

“We warned him, didn't we?”

“He thought we would slice them down. No one dares disrespect the soldiers of the high lord.

“Too bad their son wasn't around, I wanted to see if he had more of those silver coins around.”

The soldiers spoke amongst themselves and they kept laughing with each other.

“Yeah, you won't mind if you were cut down like that too, right?”

A voice said and it came from behind them.

Yuchen stood with a crooked smile on his face.

“Oh, if it isn't the trouble maker.” One of the soldiers said and rose up to his feet.

He was a bit tipsy but he didn't mind since he was facing a kid.

“You came here to look for more trouble? I'd be willing to give it to you.” He said and walked forward.

“Hey, be careful. You don't want to go too hard on the young boy.”

One of the soldiers laughed.

Yuchen smirked. In his previous life, he had only sold the ashen core but he had never used it on his character.

This was his first try.

And he was about to test it.

The tipsy soldier moved forward and smiled, “I'm not going to use my sword on a weakling like you. I'd make it fast, don't worry.”

Yuchen didn't say a word.

He could see it.

He could even feel it. The subtle flow of energy. The ashen core paste hadn't just strengthened him. It had baptized every part of his body.

Yuchen moved. Faster than the soldier's eyes could follow.

He targeted the neck.

Initially, he had felt the urge to kill them but thinking of their own families, he held back on his strength.

With a loud thud, the soldier fell down, right before he could do anything.

“What did you do, kid?”

“You have no idea who you are messing with and we are going to tear you apart.”

The soldiers surrounded him, their swords drawn and ready.

Yuchen looked around but the man he was looking for wasn't there.

The same leader who had coated his sword with fire.

Yuchen wasted no time.

He had planned to give them all a beating and he would do just that.

With a calculated move, Yuchen moved forward, narrowly dodging a sword strike from a soldier and delivering a punch straight into the person's neck.

Then he moved to the next, delivering an upper cut to the jaw.

The men could barely follow his movements. These soldiers were fighter class soldiers so they had the strength.

But now it felt like Yuchen was on a whole different level.

He was precise and his hits were accurate.

Anywhere he moved, there was a loud thud as a body would drop on the floor.

Yuchen stood straight and cracked his fingers.

Surrounding him were the fallen bodies of the soldiers.

The people in the bar could only stare at him.

Of course he was familiar.

“The troublemaker Yuchen. When did he have such strength?”

Some muttered amongst themselves. Yet they kept their thoughts hidden.

Laughing, the leader of the soldiers stepped forward, and downed the remainder of his cup.

“You are making a big mistake, Kid.”

Yuchen smirked. “This mistake was calculated a while back.” He picked up the sword of a fallen soldier and moved with speed.

This man was made the leader of the High Lord's soldiers for reason.

Yuchen knew he couldn't face him straightly, so he pushed himself back, moving outside the bar.

“Running now? It's rather late to be scared.” The leader followed and brandished his sword, a wave of fire coating the sword edges.