Chapter 59: Marketing!

As Wen Zhi continued his narration, everyone gathered around the city gate listened with rapt attention.

Zhao Mu was talking to Qin Jian when he heard Wen Zhi's words, and his brow furrowed immediately.

"Brother Wen!"

Zhao Mu suddenly called out, interrupting him.

Wen Zhi froze for a moment, looking at him in confusion.

Wu Ke also turned his gaze toward Zhao Mu, a deep expression of displeasure on his face.

Zhao Mu glanced sideways at Wu Ke. He knew that Wu Ke did not like him, but he cared little for it. As long as Wu Ke did not ruin his plans, Wu Ke could look at him however he pleased.

What worried him right now was that Wen Zhi might let something slip, revealing how they had witnessed Liu Jun being abandoned and framed by his two companions. At present, the wealth he had accumulated was not yet enough to support him in making enemies of influential families.

Seeing Wen Zhi staring at him in bewilderment, Zhao Mu offered a gentle smile and said, "They are asking how you fought the tiger, so why are you rambling on about useless details? You might as well tell them how you displayed your bravery!"

Wen Zhi scratched his head and said, "I suppose that makes sense!"

With a hearty laugh, he continued, "To speak of the greatest merit, it should go to Little Shi. You might not know him, but let me tell you, though Little Shi looks lean and small, he truly possesses formidable strength!"

"When the tiger first targeted us and it seemed none of us could escape, Brother Wang Wu struck the tiger's throat with a single arrow, and then Little Shi shot it right in the eye!"

"After that, Little Shi rushed forward directly with a wood-chopping knife and wrestled with the beast. Only then did Brother Wang, Brother Wu, and I seize the chance to slay this tiger!"

His account lacked dramatic flair, and he deliberately avoided the details of how they had first confronted the tiger. After all, Zhao Mu had repeatedly instructed them before leaving home never to mention seeing Liu Jun and the other two.

Though rough around the edges, Wen Zhi was far from foolish or empty-headed. He knew what stakes were involved and would not proactively cause trouble for Zhao Mu.

When Wen Zhi finished speaking, everyone felt a lingering sense of unfulfillment. Moreover, the story was not nearly as exciting as Wen Zhi had initially made it sound—it felt almost as if he were merely going through the motions to satisfy their curiosity.

Wu Ke cast a sideways glance at Zhao Mu. It was precisely after Zhao Mu's intervention that Wen Zhi had abruptly changed the tune of his story.

If there was no trickery behind this, Wu Ke would not believe it for a second. He suspected that the real reason Zhao Mu acted this way was to suppress Wen Zhi, otherwise, why would Wen Zhi's narrative shift so suddenly?

And as for this "Little Shi" whom Wen Zhi spoke of, Wu Ke had never even heard his name; how could he possibly be considered a tiger-slaying hero? If the fellow were truly as formidable as described, why hadn't he come along today?

Clearly, he was nothing more than an impostor greedy for undeserved credit! As a soldier, the thing Wu Ke loathed most was such a person stealing another's glory.

Upon hearing that Zhao Mu had also taken part in the hunt, Qin Jian was badly frightened. He anxiously looked him up and down and asked, "My young brother, you weren't injured, were you?"

Zhao Mu waved his hand and replied, "I'm fine. The ones who did the real work were Brother Wang, Brother Wen, and Little Shi. At best, I was merely a spectator."

Even with these assurances, Qin Jian remained intensely nervous. Ordinary people would be terrified merely at the sight of a tiger, let alone engaging in a life-or-death struggle with one face-to-face.

"Elder Brother Qin, let's not stand here. Why don't we discuss this tiger instead?" Comforting Qin Jian, Zhao Mu steered the conversation back to the beast at hand.

Qin Jian nodded as if waking from a dream and exclaimed, "Ah, yes! This tiger can fetch a considerable sum of money. Let me help my brother figure out the best way to sell it!"

The corner of Zhao Mu's mouth curved upward as he asked, "What is this? Does my elder brother have no interest in the tiger?"

Confused, Qin Jian asked, "What does my brother mean?"

With a smile, Zhao Mu said, " Charity begins at home. Though you may have no use for the tiger bones and pelt, surely preparing a feast of tiger meat would attract quite a few patrons to your establishment, wouldn't it?"

Qin Jian's eyes lit up instantly, glowing with eagerness as he asked, "Are you saying you want to sell all the meat of this tiger to my Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant?"

Nodding, Zhao Mu replied, "Why, is my elder brother not interested?"

Qin Jian nodded instinctively, but quickly shook his head. "Interested? Of course I'm interested!"

Swallowing hard, he said with some embarrassment, "However, for my restaurant, I only need the meat. The most valuable part of a tiger is its pelt and bones. If my brother hands the whole thing to me, I'm afraid you might end up selling it for far less than it's worth."

Zhao Mu laughed. "I know the pelt is the most valuable part, but as a newcomer unfamiliar with Taiping County, I might as well leave the entire handling of this tiger to you, elder brother. How does that sound?"

Clearly tempted, Qin Jian worried about causing his friend a loss.

"This..." Hesitating for a moment, he proposed, "How about this? Based on my experience, this tiger can fetch at least one hundred taels of silver. I will pay you one hundred taels upfront. Once everything is sold, if the total exceeds one hundred taels, I will make up the difference and give you the rest. How does that sound?"

Zhao Mu asked, "And what if it doesn't fetch one hundred taels?"

Qin Jian immediately shook his head and declared, "Impossible! If it truly fails to reach one hundred taels, I will simply cover the shortfall as a loss from my own business!"

"How can that do?" Zhao Mu shook his head at once and suggested, "Instead, take the tiger and process it first. Whenever you are finished, just give me eighty percent of the proceeds."

Frowning, Qin Jian protested, "Eighty percent? This... this is absolutely out of the question!"

Smiling, Zhao Mu said, "Elder brother, let's settle on this. If you refuse, the bond between us brothers comes to an end right here!"

Hesitating for a long while, Qin Jian finally gritted his teeth and said, "Very well, let it be settled thus!"

Zhao Mu's smile grew even broader. He befriended Qin Jian not merely to extract profit from him. If two people associate for a long time and one constantly takes advantage of the other, their friendship will inevitably fade. Furthermore, as he had said before, being a stranger in Taiping County, even if he tried to sell it himself, he might not secure the highest price. Entrusting it to Qin Jian might actually yield a better return. Even if he gave twenty percent of the silver to Qin Jian as a processing fee, the final amount might not be any less than what he could get on his own.

"Elder brother, let me teach you a trick to make even more money!" Zhao Mu patted Qin Jian's shoulder and whispered, "When you go back, send people out to spread the word everywhere about how potent tiger meat is for nourishing the body. Tell them that for men, after eating it, women won't be able to handle them; for women, after eating it, men won't be able to handle them; and if both men and women eat it, even the bed won't be able to handle them!"

"Moreover, eating tiger meat not only enhances that particular aspect of vitality, but it can even prolong one's life!"

"The reason this tiger was slain by us brothers is because the Mountain God sent it here specifically to repay a kindness!"

"Consuming this tiger not only extends your years, but who knows—it might even allow you to ascend directly into immortality!"