Chapter 129: I Want It All
Chapter 129: Chapter 129: I Want It All
Cui Xu picked up a white fruit, and a steady beam of white light shot from his eyes, illuminating it like a flashlight.
’So this is a Forest Chief? What an incredible profession...’ Zhu Ge thought, observing him with curiosity.
After examining the fruit for a moment, Cui Xu said,
"This is a low-grade Spirit Level White Yuan Fruit. When ground and mixed with specific medicinal ingredients, it can create a low-grade Spirit Level Qi-enhancing medicine. Consuming that will boost one’s Cultivation. Eaten on its own, it strengthens the heart and lungs..."
Cui Xu’s explanation didn’t specify which medicinal ingredients to use.
Appraising Spirit Plants was one matter, but providing the recipes was another entirely.
Such things were the core knowledge of any faction and wouldn’t be leaked casually.
Zhu Ge couldn’t find any similar books for sale, even if he wanted to.
In that regard, Zhu Ge had been wise not to offer the *Annals of Gusu Silk* for sale.
A book like that, containing the legacy of a Sewing Master, would likely fetch a high price, but it could also invite disaster.
Meanwhile, Cui Xu’s apprentice was also performing appraisals, though he focused mainly on grasses, leaves, and flowers.
"This is Clear Heart Grass. It can heal injuries to the spiritual soul..."
"Ten-year-old Black Silver Grass. It can heal injuries to the physical soul, but it must be combined with other ingredients, or else it’s highly poisonous..."
"Three-Nine Root. It was damaged during harvesting, but it still retains some of its efficacy..."
"A seed from a Purpleberry Tree. If planted in Spirit Soil, it will sprout and grow..."
As Cui Xu and his apprentice explained the effects and uses of these Spiritual Objects one by one, Zhu Ge felt his horizons broaden.
The classification of these medicinal ingredients was remarkably specific.
Some treated the spiritual soul, some the physical soul, and others were for internal organs or external injuries.
It was clear the Raincoat Fisherman had been terrified of dying.
However, there were also some Spirit Plants that could strengthen the body and soul.
These were likely the ingredients the Raincoat Fisherman had intentionally kept for himself.
Of course, a few had likely been seized by the Raincoat Fisherman on a whim while he was out collecting taxes in Red River Prefecture.
In short, although there weren’t many Spirit Plants left in the straw bowl, their effects were incredibly diverse.
"...That’s everything. The appraisal fee comes to twelve silver coins." Cui Xu exhaled, and the light in his eyes faded.
His apprentice was even more spent, his forehead beaded with sweat that soaked his robes.
Clearly, the appraisal process consumed a great deal of energy.
"Alright. How much can I get for the healing herbs?" As they had agreed, Zhu Ge separated out the ingredients used for treating injuries.
He had no immediate use for them.
Besides, he had gathered many of them himself from the area around his valley.
Aside from the items that could enhance his strength, he only kept a thorn cutting and a single seed.
The thorn cutting was from the same type of plant he used for protection at the entrance to his valley.
It was called a Flame Thorn, low-grade Spirit Level.
Generally, Spirit Plants needed to be planted in Spirit Soil and irrigated with a Spiritual Spring to prevent their spiritual nature from degrading and turning them into common Mortal Grass.
This Flame Thorn, however, only needed some charcoal sprinkled at its roots to maintain its spiritual properties.
To make it advance, however, one would need to burn some Spirit Plants for it.
It had to be said that every path in the world had its own specialized nuances.
If he hadn’t come here for an appraisal, the Flame Thorn in Zhu Ge Valley would have likely lost its spiritual nature over time and devolved into a mortal plant.
The seed was also quite good. It was from a fruit similar to a blueberry and was called a Purpleberry Tree seed.
This Purpleberry Tree seed only needed to be planted in Spirit Soil and watered with a Spiritual Spring to grow.
The resulting purpleberries were Spirit Fruits whose effect was to enhance a person’s Blood Qi, making it more refined.
Such a fine item was undoubtedly part of the Raincoat Fisherman’s personal stash.
In short, many of these items were things the Raincoat Fisherman had prepared for his own use.
He had probably planned to plant the seed after finishing his tax collection in Red River Prefecture, then sit back and reap the rewards.
As for Spirit Soil and the like, the Raincoat Fisherman had likely known where to find some; it just wasn’t in the straw bowl.
"These come to a total of twenty-two silver coins." Cui Xu gave him a fair price.
"Alright, that price is fine." Zhu Ge nodded. He knew the price had been marked up by about twenty percent and that these items weren’t normally so expensive.
Given the current shortages in the city, even a thirty-percent markup would have been considered normal.
But Zhu Ge couldn’t just keep taking advantage of the man’s goodwill, especially since he still had questions for him.
"Do you have more questions, Mr. Zhu?" Cui Xu asked. Despite his fatigue, his expression was energized. "As long as it’s within my authority, I’ll tell you everything I know."
Zhu Ge knew Cui Xu was energized purely because these herbs could be used to treat the wounded.
’As for his authority?’
’A man like Cui Xu is just an employee of Shihu Pavilion. It’s already generous of him to offer to answer what he can.’
"Before I ask my questions, I’d like to purchase some Spirit Plants and Spirit Medicines," Zhu Ge said. "I am both a Martial Artist and a Confucian Scholar. Mr. Cui, do you have any recommendations?"
At these words, Cui Xu fell into deep thought.
Meanwhile, the attendant hurried over with a book, his face wreathed in smiles. "Mr. Zhu, this is our Shihu Pavilion’s sales catalog. While Mr. Cui is thinking, you can take a look."
’This attendant must be earning a good commission,’ Zhu Ge thought. ’The way he’s looking at me now is completely different from before.’
Even the attendant who was pouring tea had become much more diligent.
"Hm." Zhu Ge accepted the book from the attendant.
The moment he touched it, he could tell it was unusual.
"Spirit Paper?" Zhu Ge asked in surprise.
The book in his hands was extraordinary. Each page seemed to be brimming with spiritual energy—this had to be the fabled Spirit Paper.
"That’s right," the attendant explained with a smile. "If you want to view information about an item, just tap lightly on the Spirit Paper. That will activate its properties and display the details."
Zhu Ge nodded slightly and looked down at the book.
Shihu Pavilion Master Catalog!
He opened it to the first page, which was a table of contents with six categories: Flowers, Grasses, Fruits, Seeds, Trees, and Fungi.
Starting from the second page, there were lines of text, each with a price.
One only had to tap a line of text for the corresponding information to appear.
This included how many of that item Shihu Pavilion currently had in stock, as well as the respective prices for different ages, grades, and degrees of completeness.
As Zhu Ge flipped through the catalog, he noticed that the text for most of the plants had turned gray, indicating they were out of stock.
Only a few entries remained in a golden font, meaning they were available, but even when he tapped on those, the quantities were low.
Among them, Zhu Ge also saw the herbs he had just sold. The Pavilion’s price for the same items was about double what he had been paid.
’That was to be expected,’ he thought. ’Shihu Pavilion has to turn a profit, after all.’
At that moment, Cui Xu seemed to have made up his mind. He bent over the table, wrote a few things down, and then showed the paper to Zhu Ge.
"Mr. Zhu, based on your needs, I’ve come up with a few medicinal recipes and their effects. Please take a look..."
’Medicinal recipes?’
Zhu Ge looked over with curiosity.
Red Jade Soup. Price: sixteen silver coins. Effect: Enhances liver and kidney function, grants resistance to low-grade Spirit Level toxins.
Tough Skin Great Blade Ointment. Price: fourteen silver coins. Effect: When applied to the skin, it toughens a Martial Artist’s hide.
Broken Silver Pills. Price: fourteen silver coins. Effect: Strengthens the heart and enhances Blood Qi recovery.
...
After a quick look, Zhu Ge realized these prices were for preparing the recipes, not for a single dose of the final medicine.
But their effects all seemed quite potent.
Zhu Ge couldn’t help but lament, ’Being a Martial Artist really is the most expensive path.’
’Fortunately, I have the money for now, and I’ll take anything I can get that increases my strength.’
"I’ll take them all!"