CH 107

Forty-eight Dragons (2)

“Haha, you’re not taking them for free.” Uncle Zong knew she wouldn’t accept them so easily. “I’m talking about doing business with you, lassie.”

Mu Wanwan was a little confused.

“Our Yun’er is preparing to move to a store in the human clan’s market. I’ve opened an elixir shop there with a friend.” Uncle Zong’s eyes lit up, “I was thinking, since the spiritual plants you cultivate have the effect of dispelling some curses, would your elixirs also have the same effect? If so, we’ll be rich.”

Yun’er also nodded. She spoke slowly, but much more convincingly than Uncle Zong, “Lassie, do you know what the current market prices of elixirs are?”

“Grade 1 Spirit Returning Pills are one medium-grade spirit stone for a bottle of ten. Condensed Snow Pills are difficult to refine, so they are sold individually. Each costs three low-grade spirit stones.”

Yun’er smiled, “Nowadays, who doesn’t keep some Spirit Returning Pills on hand when they go out?”

“I remember you said last time that your lover is still sick.” Uncle Zong said, “For a person like him, recovery will be very slow with just spiritual fruits alone.”

Mu Wanwan was starting to get enticed by the couple’s words, “But I am not a fire elemental cultivator. “

When Uncle Zong saw that she was becoming convinced, he stared at her wide-eyed, “Who told you that you must be of the fire element to practise alchemy?”

“You can use elixir fire for alchemy,” said Uncle Zong. “Even though the elixir cauldron I’ve prepared for you isn’t of a high grade, there is elixir fire within. You can safely use it a hundred times or so. If the elixir fire runs out, just replenish the spirit stones.

“When the time comes, I will sell the elixirs you’ve made in the shop, and we’ll split the profits 50-50. Now, you shouldn’t have any more qualms, right?” Uncle Zong said.

Mu Wanwan was a little tempted, and also a little worried that she would not be able to do well.

In the end, it was Auntie Yun’er who saw her dilemma and said, “How about this, lassie, go back and give it a try. If you succeed, you can keep the seeds and the elixir cauldron. If not, you can return it to us next time.”

So, after agreeing with Uncle Zong to meet at the human clan’s market next time, Mu Wanwan walked out a little dazedly with the recipes, seeds, spirit stones, and elixir cauldron.

Before going out today, she had expected that she might not be able to get the elixirs, but she never expected that Uncle Zong would actually ask her to practice alchemy.

However, Mu Wanwan squeezed the coins in her hand, and she was in a better mood than ever before——

She was worried that as she did not have fire elemental roots, she wouldn’t be able to control fire well, but it wasn’t like everyone could do well in alchemy from the beginning, so perhaps Uncle Zong was right and she really did have the talent.

Besides, since Uncle Zong was willing to invest, there was no reason for her to be so lacking in confidence—there was no harm in giving it a try.

If she really became an alchemy master, based on the status accorded to alchemists on this continent, she might be able to hire people with elixirs and escape from that depressing manor with Mister Long.

When she thought of this, Mu Wanwan smiled. She was always so prone to overthinking— she hadn’t even refined the most basic of elixirs yet.

She put aside all thoughts of alchemy and began to buy the things that were lacking at home based on her calculations last night.

When passing a medicinal herbs shop, Mu Wanwan went in for a look. She pointed vaguely to a plant that looked like the small purple leaf Mengmeng had pecked out of her neck and asked the boss what it was.

“Hallucinogenic grass. It’s used for invoking dreams,” said the boss casually. “It’s one medium-grade spirit stone for a Grade 2 one, and three spirit stones for a Grade 3 one. Want one?”

Mu Wanwan pretended to seem relaxed, but her fingertips were trembling a little. “I just think it looks pretty.”

“Oh.” The boss was a little disdainful and didn’t pay any more attention to her.

Mu Wanwan walked out from the shop a little wretchedly from——

What Meng Meng had gotten out was hallucinogenic grass.

That was to say, the dream she had entered was real.

Little Mister Long was real, and Mister Long’s previous state was also real.

Her heart felt hurt like it was being stabbed with needles. Mu Wanwan froze for a while before coming back to her senses.

Mister Long, Mister Long.

She felt a little like hurrying back.

Mu Wanwan sped up and was about to walk toward the place she agreed to meet up with Hong Ye, but when she passed the door of a restaurant, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure.

It’s Bai Shuiyao!

She was beside a tall man, dressed in silk, and smiling.

What’s going on? Shouldn’t Bai Shuiyao be doing hard labour in the cold palace at the edge of the forbidden grounds?

Mu Wanwan thought inwardly that this wasn’t good. She halted in her tracks and followed them into the most high-end restaurant in the market, and watched Bai Shuiyao go upstairs with the tall man.

“Dear guest, please come inside,” said the shop attendant very politely. Mu Wanwan waved her hand and picked a remote spot while keeping her face neutral. She ordered a pot of tea, took out two silver coins, and waved the shop attendant over.

The shop attendant was a quick-witted one. He took the silver coins and drew close to her ear. “Dear guest, what would you like to ask?”

“Who’s the woman beside that honoured guest just now?” asked Mu Wanwan carefully.

“Ah, do you mean the girl beside Lord Ao Xue?” The shopkeeper’s eyes darted about and guessed that Mu Wanwan was probably the concubine of the promiscuous Lord Ao Xue. After all, this was not the first time this kind of thing has happened. He knew he couldn’t get himself involved, so he said just vaguely, “I don’t know about that.”

It just that it didn’t occur to the shopkeeper that what Mu Wanwan wanted to ask was not about Bai Shuiyao at all. She just wanted to know which man Bai Shuiyao had climbed onto with the influence of the female lead’s aura.