Chapter 474: Chapter 473: Taboo

That’s how it went, one item after another was quoted and brought out.

Lu Qing didn’t show much reaction to the prices the Shopkeeper provided, but he commented on the quality of the items with insight, obvious that he truly understood this trade.

The Shopkeeper gradually became more polite towards him, because if he could build a good relationship with a wealthy customer who also knows the trade, his shop’s expenses would never have to worry again if this customer visits from time to time.

After Lu Qing spent eight golden melon seeds on a piece of Dragonbone tree bark, said to grow only in the darkest, most dangerous deep valleys, the Shopkeeper’s gaze towards him became even more friendly and warm.

“It seems your shop really lives up to its reputation!” Lu Qing received the wooden box from the young assistant, inspecting it carefully and voicing a few sighs, “We just arrived in Bhutan and don’t know the land well, we’ve been on many wild goose chases looking for these good items.

When I first heard that your shop had the most complete collection, I was skeptical, but it really does live up to its name.”

He picked up the list from the small table beside him, unfolded it to take a look, and nodded in satisfaction: “Now the only thing missing is the last item on this list—the Jade Snowbird.”

The Shopkeeper stood by, quite pleased to hear Lu Qing praise his shop’s extensive collection, looking rather pleased with himself, but his expression froze momentarily with surprise and slight embarrassment when he heard the last item on Lu Qing’s list was the Jade Snowbird.

“Why would a distinguished guest like you want such a thing…” Previously, Lu Qing’s list had a myriad of various items, each could be considered a valuable rarity, and he had only glanced over it briefly.

After all, with an average person’s financial resources, even by clenching their teeth and tightening their belt, they could only afford to buy one item from the list.

The Shopkeeper estimated this customer also might not be aware of the value of these rare items on his list, and certainly wouldn’t buy everything on it; at most, he might choose two or three items. Hence he hadn’t looked through the list item by item.

So previously, he hadn’t known there was such an item on the list!

“Why not?” Lu Qing looked at the suddenly hesitant Shopkeeper in confusion, “Why do you seem so off? Is it because you don’t have it here?

If you don’t, that’s fine, I can go look for it elsewhere.”

“Wherever you go, you’re unlikely to find such a thing…” The Shopkeeper looked troubled, glanced at the high stack of small wooden boxes beside him, thinking this distinguished guest had to be maintained at all costs, and sat down beside him, motioning to the young assistant to close the door of the small room behind him.

“I don’t necessarily need bird’s blood, even a bird that’s been bled is fine.” Lu Qing suddenly acted as if the request had been too high, lowering his demand with a “willing” demeanor.

“If you had asked for the Jade Snowbird twenty years ago, as long as the offer was high enough, I could always find someone willing to risk their life, and somehow get it for you.

But now, whether here or other places, whether the bird or what it’s bled, you won’t find.” The Shopkeeper waved his hand, “Even if I could get you a single bird feather, the entire fort might be in trouble in the future.”

“Oh? Why is that? Could it be that the Jade Snowbird is now taboo in Bhutan? Or was it overhunted in the past, making it impossible to find now?” Lu Qing asked.

“That thing is rare, but few people want it; there are some curious enough to inquire, but they generally retreat when they hear the price.

Also, the bird was hard to kill originally; out of ten people aiming to make a fortune, if six could return, they’d consider themselves lucky, and it’s not like you can catch them whenever you want.

But… nowadays, whether anyone’s willing to catch it is uncertain, but shops like ours with some reputation absolutely wouldn’t dare sell it.”

The Shopkeeper hesitated, seemingly wanting to enlighten this ’God of Wealth’ before him, but hesitated due to concerns. After a brief internal struggle, he decided that money was indeed more important, and braced himself to say to Lu Qing: “Being a distinguished guest from elsewhere, you might not know much about Fan Country. Here, we have a particularly powerful witch doctor. Not only is he formidable, but his disciples are all quite capable as well.

It was the old witch doctor who first realized the invaluable worth of the Jade Snowbird, but he found it too malicious, a burden of sinful debt, because from capturing the bird, killing it, to its usage, it’s a process filled with sinning.

However, not long afterward, a craze for capturing Jade Snowbirds and making a fortune erupted in Bhutan. Initially, no one knew how this trend started, but many hunters and medicine men went crazy trying to track down the Jade Snowbird.”

“So it must have been very lucrative then?” Lu Qing interjected timely.

The Shopkeeper nodded naturally: “Certainly, as that bird is a raptor, liking to nest on cliffs, those with lacking skills wouldn’t even lay eyes on them; even those skilled enough to find the bird’s nest, whether they could return safely after scaling up and stealing back a nestling, was another thing altogether.

Many people risked finding the bird, and sure enough, some succeeded. The nestlings of the captured Jade Snowbirds, whether the blood or meat, fetched significant prices. Those people immediately built big houses, feasted, and wore fine silks; they must’ve reaped a lot indeed.

Seeing others getting rich and living well, naturally, some grew envious and wanted to follow suit; at that time, anyone with any skill wanted to take the gamble.”

“Didn’t you just say that even if they managed to bring it back through countless hardships, there was no guarantee it could be sold? Twenty years ago, these folks were scrambling to catch the Jade Snowbird, even if only one out of ten or twenty succeeded; surely they caught quite a few back then? How could they all be sold?” Zhu Yu innocently poked a curious head from behind Lu Qing to ask the Shopkeeper.

There were some questions Lu Qing couldn’t ask too directly or eagerly, lest it arouse suspicion.

Therefore, she set the stage for Lu Qing at the opportune moment.

After all, as a young apprentice of a traveling doctor, still half a kid, who could expect “him” to be highly disciplined?

Upon hearing this, Lu Qing turned around, pretending to give Zhu Yu a glare: “Lack of decorum.”

Zhu Yu pretended to shrink his neck.

The Shopkeeper quickly gestured generously in front of the distinguished guest, gave Zhu Yu a kind look, and said to Lu Qing: “It’s alright, it’s alright! Your young apprentice didn’t ask wrong at all, indeed, this situation isn’t quite as I mentioned earlier, no wonder he’s curious.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep