Only Got My Martial Arts Modifier in My Old Age

Chen Mo led Lu Yun toward a private room at the back of the shop, teasing him as they walked. "You old rascal, you’ve certainly been making a name for yourself in Yun Port City these past few days, haven’t you? Everywhere I go, I hear people talking about the great Lord Lu."

Lu Yun followed him into the private room and sat down. He accepted the fragrant tea from a young apprentice, took a sip, and smiled calmly. "Oh? I didn’t expect that even a recluse like you, Brother Chen, who rarely leaves home and cares only for the study of medicine, would have heard such street gossip."

"Heard it? The talk is as deafening as thunder!"

Chen Mo sat down across from him. "Who doesn’t know by now? After years of silence, Younger Brother Lu, you’ve achieved a breakthrough and become a Grandmaster of Huajin! That’s a monumental event!"

"Every martial artist in Yun Port City, not to mention all those looking to curry favor or seek protection... I bet the line of people wanting to study Martial Arts under you would stretch from my Huichun Hall’s doorstep all the way to France!"

Lu Yun waved his hand dismissively. "You’re exaggerating, Brother Chen. It’s just a hollow reputation, not worth mentioning."

After a bit more pleasantries, Lu Yun picked up his teacup and said, "Brother Chen, to be honest, I’ve come to trouble you today because I need something."

Chen Mo’s smile didn’t waver, as if he had expected this. "Does Younger Brother Lu need more tonics to nourish your foundation? Could it be that the two Ginseng Kings from last time weren’t effective enough?"

He knew about the numerous old injuries Lu Yun had sustained in his early years, which had left his body in a state of decay.

That was why he had placed such high hopes on those two Ginseng Kings, which had cost a fortune in both money and favors, hoping they would help extend Lu Yun’s life.

He never imagined that Younger Brother Lu would seize this opportunity and, in one fell swoop, break through to the legendary Grandmaster Realm!

Lu Yun shook his head, his tone calm. "The Ginseng Kings were extraordinarily potent and did indeed benefit me greatly."

"It’s just that I’ve had some recent insights in my Martial Arts training, and I’m afraid the potent tonics I have at home won’t be enough."

"Brother Chen, do you have any other treasures with an age comparable to those two Ginseng Kings? Of course, Lingzhi, snow lotus, Polygonum multiflorum, Solomon’s seal... anything that’s aged and has powerful, potent medicinal properties, I need it."

"As for the price, Brother Chen, you needn’t worry. As long as the items are high quality, true treasures, I, Lu Yun, will not haggle."

Hearing this, Chen Mo’s brow furrowed slightly. He pondered for a long while before speaking slowly.

"Younger Brother Lu, I won’t lie to you. Supreme-grade items like those two- and three-hundred-year-old Ginseng Kings are truly a matter of serendipity, not something one can simply seek out."

"The few treasures my father brought with him from the Imperial Hospital back in the day have mostly been sold off."

He sighed and continued, "What I have on hand in the storeroom now are just eleven ginseng roots that barely meet the centennial mark, along with some Lingzhi, snow lotuses, and Polygonum multiflorum that are several decades old."

"They’re about the best quality you can find on the market, but I don’t know if they’ll be good enough for you, Younger Brother Lu."

A flash of disappointment crossed Lu Yun’s eyes, but it didn’t last long. He made a snap decision. "Brother Chen, I’ll take everything you mentioned!"

Seeing Lu Yun’s decisiveness, Chen Mo felt compelled to give a serious warning. "Younger Brother Lu! The potency of these herbs is fiercely intense, beyond imagination!"

"Although you are now a Grandmaster with a constitution far superior to ordinary people, all medicine has its toxins. You absolutely must not consume them recklessly, relying on sheer bravado!"

Hearing this, Lu Yun showed a calm smile and reassured him, "Don’t worry, Brother Chen. I appreciate your good intentions. Since I dare to ask for them, I naturally know my limits. I would never joke with my own life."

"Just get the items ready for me."

Seeing Lu Yun’s firm attitude, Chen Mo knew that further persuasion would be useless. He could only nod. "Since you’ve made up your mind, Younger Brother Lu, I’ll go get the items now."

With that, he rose and walked toward the heavily guarded storeroom in the deepest part of the shop.

Lu Yun sat in the private room, slowly sipping his tea, but his mind was calculating. ’I wonder how many modified values these rare items will get me? Will it be enough to break through to late-stage Huajin?’

Before long, footsteps echoed from the back hall. Chen Mo emerged, followed by a tall, powerfully built man with a resolute face, who looked to be around thirty, and three sturdy, nimble-fingered apprentices.

The powerfully built man was none other than Chen Mo’s only son, Chen Haonan. He had helped manage Huichun Hall since he was a child, also handling manual labor and security.

Each of the three apprentices carefully carried a special long wooden board, which was covered with a clean, dark velvet cloth.

On the cloth, the medicinal herbs for the transaction were neatly arranged by category.

On the leftmost board were eleven ginseng roots of various shapes, clearly carefully selected wild mountain ginseng that were solidly over a hundred years old.

On the middle board were several dark brown, thick-capped Lingzhi mushrooms and a few snow lotuses, pure white from root to tip. They all appeared to be fifty or sixty years old or more—rare, high-quality specimens.

On the rightmost board were several irregularly shaped, shiny black pieces of Polygonum multiflorum, along with some other unidentifiable tubers and roots.

"Younger Brother Lu, the items are all here." Chen Mo pointed at the three boards, a hint of pride in his voice.

"As we discussed, eleven Centennial Ginseng Kings would fetch at least six or seven hundred silver dollars on the market. I’ll charge you 550."

"Add in the Lingzhi, snow lotuses, Polygonum multiflorum, and a few other supplementary herbs, and the total for the whole package is 700 silver dollars!"

A single, high-quality hundred-year-old wild mountain ginseng root would typically sell for between 50 and 60 silver dollars on the open market, and even then, they were often available in name only. Whenever one appeared, it would be snapped up by powerful figures or major apothecaries.

For Chen Mo to sell eleven of them together for just 550 silver dollars, an average of only 50 silver dollars each, was practically a friendship price—at cost, or perhaps even a slight loss!

When you added in the equally valuable Lingzhi, snow lotuses, and other herbs, the total price of 700 silver dollars was an absolute steal for Lu Yun.

Of course, the reason Chen Mo made such a "loss-making" deal wasn’t that he was a fool.

For the past twenty years, he and Lu Yun had been the closest of friends, sharing a deep bond.

In his early years of struggle, Lu Yun had accumulated countless hidden injuries. After every brutal fight or whenever he felt unwell, he would secretly come to Huichun Hall to have Chen Mo diagnose and treat him, or to purchase some restorative herbs.

Because Chen Mo greatly admired Lu Yun’s character—one who repaid kindness and avenged wrongs, valued relationships and loyalty, and was highly principled—he had long considered him a dear friend, not just a customer.

When Lu Yun heard the price, his brow furrowed, and he immediately shook his head. "Brother Chen, this... this price is too low! How can I let you take such a big loss?"

"No, I’ll have Jingwu bring you 900 silver dollars later. We’ll stick to that number."

"Hey! Younger Brother Lu! What are you talking about!" Chen Mo grew anxious, his face flushing red. "I said 700, so it’s 700! That would be the price for anyone!"

"Money talk sours the relationship between brothers! If you mention adding more money again, then... then I won’t sell you these things! You can find someone else!"

He adopted a stubborn expression, as if to say ’I’ll get mad if you add more money,’ and he genuinely seemed a bit upset.

Looking at his stubborn friend, Lu Yun shook his head with a helpless smile and had to compromise. "Alright, alright. I can’t win against you."

"You old codger, you’re just as stubborn as you were twenty years ago. You haven’t changed one bit."

"Hahaha! Now that’s more like it!" Seeing Lu Yun back down, Chen Mo’s anger turned to joy, and he burst into hearty laughter.

At that moment, Chen Haonan, who had been standing respectfully to the side, stepped forward, bowed to Lu Yun, and called out in a clear, loud voice, "Uncle Yun!"

Lu Yun looked at him with a gentle smile and nodded. "Mm. Haonan, you’ve become more mature. Help your father run the business well, and don’t forget to practice your fist and footwork to keep your body strong."

"Yes, Uncle Yun. I will remember your teachings," Chen Haonan replied respectfully.

Chen Mo waved his hand. "Haonan, don’t just stand there. Quickly get the men to pack everything carefully and take it to your Uncle Lu’s car."

"I still have a few words to say to your Uncle Yun."

"Yes, Father." Chen Haonan quickly responded and directed the three apprentices to carefully begin transferring the herbs from the wooden boards into special moisture-proof and shock-proof brocade boxes.

Chen Mo then led Lu Yun back to the private room to sit down.

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries, catching up on personal matters.

A moment later, Chen Mo put down his teacup, his smile fading as he spoke in a serious tone.

"Younger Brother Lu, we’ve known each other for so many years. There are some things I won’t beat around the bush about."

Lu Yun sat perfectly still, waiting for him to continue.

"You know Haonan’s character well; I watched him grow up."

"He’s good-natured, not competitive or aggressive. His heart is entirely devoted to herbs and pharmacology. He’s a natural-born physician."

"Logically, that disposition is perfect for inheriting Huichun Hall and carrying on the tradition of practicing medicine to help the world."

His tone shifted as he sighed. "But... sometimes, being too simple and honest is not a good thing."

"You know better than I do how cruel this world can be. Being a good doctor isn’t enough. He’s still far behind when it comes to understanding people, social nuances, and reading situations."

"That’s why I worry. If one day I’m gone, with Haonan’s personality and my young, naive grandsons, will they be able to hold onto this little plot of mine? Will they be able to protect the reputation of Huichun Hall?"

Chen Mo paused here, looking at Lu Yun with a somewhat humbled expression. "Younger Brother Lu, today I’m going to swallow my pride and ask you for a favor."

"If that day ever comes, when I, Chen Mo, am no longer around, and Huichun Hall falls on hard times and gets bullied..."

"...on the condition that it doesn’t cause you trouble, could you, for the sake of our twenty-year friendship, lend them a helping hand?"

Lu Yun listened quietly, his expression unchanging.

’Once a man gets old, he really does start planning for the future, making arrangements for his children and grandchildren without even realizing it.’

’Wasn’t he the same way?’

However, Lu Yun was a bit perplexed by Chen Mo’s worries.

"Brother Chen, you’re overstating things. With your status and reputation in Yun Port City, who would dare touch your Huichun Hall?"

Lu Yun wasn’t just saying this. In the martial world, and even in society at large, there was a major unspoken rule: you don’t mess with doctors!

Especially not highly skilled and respected ones.

Why? Because when you live that kind of life, anyone can get sick, injured, or be struck down by a bout of bad luck!

When that happens, the ones who can save your life are often these very "physicians and healers" you might look down on!

Therefore, the more skilled a doctor was, the more transcendent their status and the more terrifying their network of connections.

High officials, wealthy merchants, martial arts heroes, people from all walks of life... they might all owe him a favor or have benefited from his grace.

As a descendant of a former Imperial Physician, Chen Mo possessed exquisite medical skills and had been practicing in Yun Port City for decades, saving countless lives.

The network and prestige he had built up might, in some ways, be even deeper than that of a great merchant clan like the Lu Family.

By all logic, as long as Chen Mo himself didn’t make a major mistake, no one would dare to move against him lightly.