Bafang City was bustling and prosperous. In the central district of the inner city, nearly every street had a pharmacy. Some streets even had two or three pharmacies lined up side by side. Lin Zheyu visited several pharmacies in a row, inquiring about the prices of the herbs needed for the Blood-Nourishing Bone-Fortifying Decoction.0

Songyi City had suffered greatly from the ongoing wars, causing prices to soar. A single set of herbs for the Blood-Nourishing Bone-Fortifying Decoction now cost 22 taels of silver. While resting midway in Wangshan City during his travels earlier, he had purchased the same herbs for about 14 taels of silver. In Bafang City, however, they cost only about 9 taels. It was far cheaper than even prewar prices in Songyi City.1

Leaving the pharmacy, Lin Zheyu continued down...0