5. The Pathetic Fatty Ma

"Wait.. wait.. don't be like that brother.." Seeing that Feng Shaotian didn't have any reaction. "Alright.. alright.. I'll give you 500 sil—gold coins as compensation." 

Feng Shaotian pondered for a bit then said. "Okay.. I'll help you kill it, however, if you went back on your words“ Feng Shaotian then make a cut throat gesture. ”You understand what I mean right?“ He asked while thinking 'I should looked tough!. This world is full of killing! being soft would only lead to demise'.

Seeing the fat guy nod his head, "Ding Bang.." He muttered softly while lifting his hand high up in the air.

Whoosh!

A two story big and muscular ferocious looking beast appeared from out of nowhere making the snake halt from it's track. 

'just a little more and this damn fatty would have been my meal now but, fuck! What an unlucky day to bump such fella' the serpent thought hissing loudly.

The serpent was deterred by Ding Bang's oppressive aura. It could only stay in its position without moving.

"What the hell, you have such strong summon!" The fat guy said in envy. Summons were different from pet's as they can be stored in their owners space.

'kill that snake!' Feng Shaotian ordered through telepathy.

Ding Bang turn to his enemy, seeing that it was a little snake. 'Pathetic!' lifting its paw, 'Swipe!' his claw glinting with cold light suddenly ignited with divine flames swiping towards where the snake is. 

Ding Bang's claws easily passed through the snakes figure like cutting butter. Feng Shaotian then unsummoned Ding Bang or it might catch attention if it stays longer.

"Hey fatty. Don't tell anyone about what you saw just now, if you do. I'll take that pathetic life of yours" Feng Shaotian warned, it was to secure that his life won't be in any potential danger.

"Don't worry, no one will know about your secret, if I told someone about it. You can do whatever you want to torture me" Fatty said confidently without batting an eyelids.

"What's your name? why are you being chased by this Savage Snake?" Feng Shaotian asked confused. Only dumb people would attack a Magical Beast of the same rank as them.

"Ma Hong, other people call me Alchemist Ma or Fatty Ma. About the snake, well.." Fatty Ma hesitated for a moment before continueing. "Truthfully speaking, I was with a party but got separated from them. I was with them searching for herbs and other things as the value of herbs in the market got expensive every passing day"

"I don't know how this happened but I ended up disturbing that fellows sleep so it chased me angrily till here" Fatty Ma explained.

'This fatty sure is unlucky, his party might have abandoned him. Pathetic' he thought shaking his head.

"Even though you're pathetic, that didn't change the fact that we have an agreement. Where is it?" Feng Shaotian said indifferently.

"Here. This is the last gold coins I have. I was just saving it to upgrade my rank" Fatty Ma felt like killing himself from grief, 'I am nothing but a lonely alchemist searching for good things in the mountain only to be exhorted'.

Alchemist and Blacksmith are alike. Even if they were born with inferior talent from the others, they're still respected by everyone.  

For the warrior and other talents, what they have to do to improve their rank was to painstakingly cultivate and some fortuitous encounter finding rare and divine talent fruit.

This is the iron clad law of this world 

*If you cook, there's a soup*. Meaning, if you work, you'll gain.

Feng Shaotian happily received Fatty Ma's compensation who's face was distorted. After silently celebrating, he caught a glimpse on Fatty Ma staring at the serpent's carcass while drooling.

"Do you know how to manage a business?" Feng Shaotian suddenly ask after some thought. What he needed the most was trustworthy people, even though he only know Fatty Ma for a short while. He got a feeling that Fatty Ma can be trusted.

"I'm not good at it but I can manage somehow, it's just selling things anyway" Fatty Ma subconsciously replied, looking at Feng Shaotian who was 2 meters away from him asking "Why did you asked?".

"I was planning to establish a Chamber of Commerce at Huangshan City in the north. What do you think? I can give you the managerial position" Feng Shaotian tempted, then pointed at the savage snake, "I can also gift that Savage Snake's Carcass to yo. So? How does my offer sound?".

Fatty Ma become alert thinking that there's something fishy about it. However, pondering for several minutes, he said, "I like it. So when would you plan to start establishing your own Chamber of Commerce? Do you happen to have some connections in the Trade Industry?"

Trade Industry is where a Chamber of Commerce acquire goods and secure contract with dealers for daily supply on one's shop. There are also Chamber of Commerce who doesn't rely on this Trade Industry, they are the self sufficient or self sustaining Chamber of Commerce who owns their own land. Cultivating the goods they sold in the market.

"When I accumulated enough money. Don't worry about the goods to sell, I have my own means. Anyway, why do you keep staring at that Serpent's Carcass? Can trash like that be sold?" Feng Shaotian couldn't help but asked confused.

Fatty Ma stared fixedly at Feng Shaotian as if looking at an idiot. 'Don't you know how much money I'll earn just by selling that trash carcass you're speaking?! F*ck, the money I'll get from It would be enough for me to become an E+ ranker without a hitch!' Fatty Ma couldn't help but lament. 

'Nevermind, I have already accepted his offer anyway so this carcass would be mine soon enough' he thought with mouth watering.

"Of course it can be sold. The meat is edible so it can be sold at a restaurant whole sale and that would be, hmm.. considering it's size and rank, that would be approximately 100-200 gold coins per kg of meat, It's teeth can be sold at the market for 500 gold a set, it is useful for making dagger with extreme venom effects. And the skin, it can fetch for up to 3,000 - 4,000 gold coins if the quality is good and not damaged" Fatty Ma expertly calculated.

"It can be sold that much?! Hmm.. Maybe I should hunt some higher rank magical beast if I have time." Feng Shaotian muttered to himself.

He waved his hand and stored the snake's carcass on his barn.

"Woah.. you have a huge storage space, do you have some extra? give me some" Fatty Ma spoke enviously.

Feng Shaotian turned to Fatty Ma and said, "You can buy your own when you become rich" He said smiling, "there's a village nearby, I still have some things to take care of before traveling to Huangshan City so let's go there first."

”You think it's easy to buy one?! It's not!“ Fatty Ma said aggrieved.

”By the way, aren't you going to search for your comrades?“ Feng Shaotian asked as Fatty didn't talk much about searching them.

”Them..?“ Fatty Ma muttered absentmindedly.

“Nevermind. here.” Feng Shaotian said handing Fatty Ma a paper. Something must be wrong, so he didn't force Fatty Ma to spit it out.

“What's this?”. Fatty Ma asked. He thought Feng Shaotian is giving him storage space instead he received a paper. After reading what was written in it, Fatty Ma's eyes widened in shock. “This is a contract!!”.

“Sign it if you want to follow me. That contract only restrict you from doing something that can harm me. It didn't restrict your freedom or something, you can decide on your own” Feng Shaotian explained, everyone who's close to him must sign a contract.

Fatty Ma hesitated for a moment, but still signed the contract after some careful thinking. As it also says that as long as Feng Shaotian has the ability, his safety and needs to improve will be satisfied. 'I'll gamble everything'.

"Fatty Ma" 

"Y-yes?!" Fatty Ma replied startled. 'What is it now?'.

"Do you know the market value of Golden Rice and Red Beans?" Feng Shaotian asked.

"Hmm.. Golden Rice are kind of expensive. It was the mutation of white rice that becomes golden containing high nutritional value, so the demand is high but the supply is low. The selling price for 1 sack is 50 gold coins." Fatty Ma replied, "as for the Red Beans, its quantity in the market are high but that doesn't mean it's cheap. Usually, buyer chose red beans whose quality is higher than the others"

After hearing Fatty Ma's response, Feng Shaotians heart couldn't help but throb.

***

The village was in total mess when they arrived. All the leftover from the banquet was scattered around. However, it can be seen from time to time that some of the residents was already busy cleaning up the surrounding. Feng Shaotian search for the village chief for several minutes before finding him near the lake. 

"Village Chief" Feng Shaotian called out.

Turning around, Chief Jing saw Feng Shaotian coming over so he said, “it's you, what are you doing here? Do you need my help?".

"I would like to asked the village chief if it is possible to buy sacks and a carriage?" Feng Shaotian asked.