Blood Lotus Essence

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Chapter 75: Blood Lotus Essence

At this moment, Xiao Yan felt the noise outside gradually decrease. Turning his head to look, he saw that the mercenaries outside were leaving in a bustling manner, and at the same time, a clear and pleasant voice came in.

"Boss Yao! I'm leaving now!"

"Oh! Be careful on the road!" Boss Yao responded loudly and then explained to Xiao Yan, "Xian'er goes into the mountains every so often to gather herbs with the mercenaries. Since Xian'er is highly skilled in medicine, the mercenaries are more than happy to have her accompany them."

As he spoke, Boss Yao suddenly leaned forward, grabbed Xiao Yan's shoulder, and his eyes sparkled.

"And Xian'er is so beautiful! It's only natural that she's so popular! Right? Right?"

"Aha."

Looking at Boss Yao's excited face so close to his own, Xiao Yan awkwardly twitched his mouth.

Even if you ask me like this, I've never even seen what she looks like.

Then, as if realizing he had acted a little out of line, Boss Yao clenched his fist lightly and coughed twice, then changed the subject.

"So, about the proposal for me to teach you how to make medicine, what do you think, little brother?"

"Boss Yao values me so highly, I am truly honored." Xiao Yan clasped his hands in salute and smiled faintly, "But I already have an alchemy teacher, so I cannot learn under you. I hope Boss Yao will understand."

"Alchemy teacher? An alchemist?"

Boss Yao asked in surprise, and Xiao Yan nodded in response.

"Yes."

"Ah~~~ I see." After receiving Xiao Yan's confirmation, Boss Yao scratched his head, not looking disappointed at all. "Well, since you're already learning under an alchemist, I, a half-baked teacher, won't delay your studies. However, I'm about to start making some healing potions. If you're interested, would you like to watch?"

"If Boss Yao doesn't mind me disturbing, I would be happy to watch."

"Haha~ You're still young, but your manners are quite in place. You're acting like an old man. Young people should be full of energy and be more casual!"

Boss Yao laughed lightly and patted Xiao Yan's shoulder, making Xiao Yan feel a little embarrassed.

Like an old man?

"Wait a moment, I'll go prepare some things inside."

Boss Yao waved his hand lightly and turned to head into the back room.

Suddenly, a small figure ran in from outside.

It was a young boy, wearing tattered but clean clothes, with tears already streaming down his face.

"Uncle Yao! Uncle Yao! My grandmother, she..."

It seemed that the boy had run over with all his might, making him out of breath, and Boss Yao, who had just been smiling, immediately changed his expression. He quickly grabbed the medicine box from the counter, pulled the boy along, and rushed out of the shop, forgetting to close the door behind him, leaving Xiao Yan all alone inside.

This sudden turn of events left Xiao Yan stunned for a long time, staring blankly at the empty shop.

Although Xiao Yan didn't know exactly what had happened, he could guess from the boy's words that his grandmother had probably fallen ill suddenly. Boss Yao was clearly used to this kind of thing and didn't even wait for the boy to finish speaking before rushing off to treat her.

Well… I'll wait.

Xiao Yan sighed helplessly.

Now the shop was empty. If he left and something went missing, even if Boss Yao didn't pursue the matter, Xiao Yan would still feel guilty, even though this situation had nothing to do with him.

Boss Yao respected Xiao Yan, and Xiao Yan naturally respected Boss Yao even more. From their brief conversation, Xiao Yan had developed a good impression of him. Watching the shop for a while wasn't a big deal.

Xiao Yan gently leaned his Heavy Xuan Ruler against the wall to avoid damaging the store's facilities, then wandered around the shop, examining the herbs on display while identifying them with the help of Yao Chen.

(Hm?)

Suddenly, when he came across an herb labeled "Yellow Lotus Essence," Yao Chen gave a surprised sound, making Xiao Yan confused and ask.

(Senior Yao, what's wrong?)

(That one just now… It seems to be Blood Lotus Essence?) Yao Chen's voice was filled with shock, then she became excited. (This Boss Yao doesn't know much about herbs, he actually mixed up Blood Lotus Essence with Yellow Lotus Essence.)

(Senior Yao, Blood Lotus Essence is the key ingredient for making Blood Lotus Pills you mentioned before, right?)

Xiao Yan asked in surprise. Although he hadn't really learned alchemy yet, Yao Chen had taught him about many of the essential herbs needed for consuming Heavenly flames, and Blood Lotus Essence was one of them.

(Exactly! It's an incredibly rare herb, one that could appear from thousands of Yellow Lotus Essences! The price difference between Blood Lotus Essence and Yellow Lotus Essence is over a thousand times!) Yao Chen said eagerly. (Hurry, hurry! You've stumbled upon such a huge bargain, don't miss it!)

As Yao Chen was speaking, she suddenly remembered what kind of person Xiao Yan was, and her excitement immediately faded.

(Fine, it's useless to say anything.)

(Haha...) Xiao Yan smiled awkwardly, sensing Yao Chen's helplessness. (Senior Yao, Boss Yao is such a good person, maybe he just made a mistake. It wouldn't be right for me to take advantage of him.)

(Cut it out! Even if it's a dishonest merchant, you still wouldn't take advantage of them!)

Yao Chen's tone was filled with displeasure, causing Xiao Yan to feel even more awkward and unable to refute.

If Boss Yao knew this was Blood Lotus Essence and sold it for the price of Yellow Lotus Essence, Xiao Yan wouldn't hesitate.

But now, seeing the label saying "Yellow Lotus Essence," it meant Boss Yao hadn't recognized it as Blood Lotus Essence, so Xiao Yan really couldn't take advantage of the situation.

If he explained that it was Blood Lotus Essence and Boss Yao still agreed to sell it for the price of Yellow Lotus Essence, Xiao Yan wouldn't hold back.

Taking advantage once would lead to wanting to do it again. After the second time, the third would follow, and it would become uncontrollable.

Once a habit forms, it's hard to break.

Xiao Yan didn't think his self-control was strong enough, so he tried to avoid the situation altogether, not wanting to taste the sweetness of taking advantage. This was absolutely forbidden for Xiao Yan to do in his path.

After browsing around the shop, Xiao Yan sat down and waited quietly.

He didn't know how long it had been, but he was about to fall asleep from waiting when Boss Yao finally returned with the medicine box, a deep frown still on his face.

"Boss Yao, you're back."

Seeing Boss Yao enter, Xiao Yan stood up to greet him. Boss Yao was startled for a moment, then seemed to remember and looked apologetically at Xiao Yan.

"Sorry, I completely forgot you were still waiting in the shop."

"Boss Yao doesn't need to apologize. As a Physician, it's natural to prioritize the patient. I was just waiting here for a little longer. The patient is far more important." Xiao Yan said softly, noticing the worry on Boss Yao's face and furrowing his brows. "Boss Yao, is the patient's condition serious?"

"It's okay this time, I managed to get her through it. But next time… sigh~"

Boss Yao sighed deeply, and Xiao Yan asked further.

"Is the illness very serious?"

"To be honest, the illness isn't particularly severe, it's just lacking a specific herb. But that herb is rarely needed, and even if you want to sell it, it won't sell. Moreover, the place where the herb grows is surrounded by several Rank 2 magical beasts. It's not worth the risk for just that one herb, and no mercenaries are willing to go."

As Boss Yao spoke, the worry on his face deepened.

Seeing Boss Yao so troubled, Xiao Yan frowned slightly. His gaze flickered to the Blood Lotus Essence on the shelf, and an idea formed in his mind. He clasped his hands and looked at Boss Yao seriously.

"Boss Yao, may I propose a trade with you?"

(End of Chapter)

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For every 100 power stones = 1 chapter

300 power stones = 5 chapter

500 power stones = 8 chapter