CHAPTER 16

-If you can really provide what you offer, my life is yours, young boss.

-Good. Then, let us not waste time. The Lab was in the middle of the mountain, wasn’t it? Ah, wait, we need to go to that storehouse first. Let’s go down the mountain.

-Young boss, aren’t you taking your backpack?

-I have a space bag though?

-The space bag can stock many things, true, but this backpack can keep them in their state when they entered. It is a special item used to preserve the energy inside things.

-Is that so? Then, I will take it. Thank you for telling me, I’m still new to this martial thingy. By the way, do you also know what the books were about? The pages were blank.

-You need to channel energy into the book for it to reveal its contents, young boss.

-Oh? What an interesting thing. Well, let’s go. We got much to do today.”

They walked down to the ground floor and were stopped by one of the two welcoming elders. It wasn’t planned but they still showed him respect and listened to his words. He looked amiable and said:

“Little Mir, Little Okami, where might you two be going?

-To the storehouse to buy things, elder.

-Oh? Will it be your first time there?

-Yes, elder.

-Then, would you like me to guide you there?

-We wouldn’t want to trouble elder.

-Don’t worry, I don’t have much else to do today, I am taking a break!”

Mir had never seen someone being so proud of being on a break but he kept that to himself and answered with a smile:

“Then, we will be troubling.. elder?

-Ah, that is right, I didn’t introduce myself yet. You can call me Elder Bu.

-Then, thank you elder Bu.”

Elder Bu was in a great mood. Today was his break and he could meet again the young betting prodigy. He had seen for himself the worth of the kid’s sight so he was very pleased to see him join the Herbal Mountain. As an elder of this place, he felt happy every time a talented kid joined. Even more so, this was the youngest ever and he had been scouted directly by a grand elder. He also had a good impression of the polite kid. He wished to get closer to him as a mentor of sorts. It was of course an investment until Mir became older and achieved things. But he was still enjoying himself. Being an elder was fun to him, it was like a game. So, he guided the kids to the Storehouse. It was a giant building longer than any other on the Herbal Mountain. This was the place to buy medicines, pellets and pills in the school so of course it was crowded. However, as an elder, he didn’t have to wait in line, even more so since he was an elder from this Herbal Mountain. Though he had a reduction on the prices, he would still have to pay if he wanted to buy things but the reduction itself meant a lot. This was after all the place where people could buy the pellets necessary to cultivate. Because of this, every disciple of the Burning Sea School was dreaming of becoming a member of the Herbal Mountain. Even some elders had such a desire. He was enjoying influence and he loved it. What’s more, today, he could show off in front of the two new disciples. This was a bright day to be an elder for Elder Bu. As he arrived at the counter, a disciple rushed to him and bowed. The place belonged to the Herbal Mountain but it was handled by a few elders and disciples that came from diverse backgrounds. Of course, the disciples working there weren’t from the Herbal Mountain, they were those hoping that by working diligently here, they would have more chances to be brought in as disciples. This one was no different. As he politely welcomed elder Bu, this one nodded to the disciple making him smile widely. Then, elder Bu turned to the two kids that were behind him and began:

“This here is the storehouse, the pride of the Herbal Mountain. Here, you can buy and sell anything related to herbalism. So, little friend Mir and Okami, what did you need to buy here?

-I need medicines and something to reduce the pain.

-Hum…You heard them. What do you have in stock?

-Let me check, elder Bu… We have many medicines that would fit those criteria if it is for ranks one. Would you like me to show you a list? Or maybe you could add more specifics to the request?

-What do you think, little friend Mir?

-I need things to dilute the pain from core manipulations.”

After he said that, it left some cold in the air. This wasn’t what the people here expected. They thought it would be medicine to take care of bruises and such because Mir would be training but core manipulation and pain related to that? They had never seen or heard about that…Elder Bu looked at Mir and said:

“Little friend Mir, such things, they don’t exist.”

Mir was slightly stunned upon hearing that. In a world with so many strange things, core painkillers didn’t exist? What the hell did it mean? It meant those guys never manipulated their cores. And didn’t even research it. Mir sighed, it was a shame. If there weren’t any painkillers, his plan would fail. Then, he thought of something and asked elder Bu:

“Elder Bu, are there rank-4 herbs stored?

-Yes, there should be a few. The oldest elders cultivate them after all.

-Can I see them?”

This was a strange request coming from a kid. After all, those herbs were rare and expensive. Even if they had some of them because it was their forte and it was easier to raise plants than beasts, it was still rank-4… Elder Bu hesitated but then remembered how Mir was high-regarded by the grand elder. Then he turned to the disciple at the counter and said:

“Bring us inside zone 4-A. We want to check the goods

-Elder, that’s…

-Those kids are important disciples of the grand elder, are you going to not give him face?”

This was hard on the poor disciple. He was only here because he hoped to enter the Herbal Mountain. Yet, here he was, faced by a threat to get on the wrong side of the grand elder. He couldn’t let them in but couldn’t let them out… If what elder Bu said, he would lose his future after having angered a grand elder but if elder Bu lied, he would be punished and maybe fired from this work. At least, his future wouldn’t be entirely forfeited. So, he let them in and guided them to the area 4-A. It was where the most precious plants were stored. There were hundreds of types and each had various effects. Elder Bu looked around and then stayed at the entrance. Okami didn’t move from the entrance. From the start, he had no idea what was going on. Mir was looking at all the different grass. After some time, he came back and said to the disciple:

“I need Divine Watery herbs, Deity Carrots, Plump cylinder Petals and High Grade Demonic melon seeds. How much do they cost?

-They would all cost you around ten thousand golds each. It isn’t something one can afford easily I’m afraid.”

Mir laughed. Ten thousand golds? He had ten million. He took out his bank card and said to the disciple:

“Ten of each.”

Since moving with millions of coins wasn’t practical, he placed them on the Global Bank and was given a credit card in exchange. It was easier and only through his fingerprints could payment be done. The disciple wavered at the sight of the card. It displayed the wealth of someone. And on this kid’s card, the number was ten million golds. Even elder Bu couldn’t help but gasp for air. It was an incredible amount. Saying the kid was wealthy would be a euphemism. He was loaded. The salesman disciple looked to elder Bu and elder Bu coughed a few times before turning serious again. Then, he nodded a few times and told the disciple:

“We’ll buy them. Tens of each.

-Uh? Yes, elder Bu! Right away!”

After a few minutes, Mir exited with the forty herbs in his backpack. Elder Bu was impressed by the kid’s wealth but he didn’t quite get why he wanted those herbs so he asked:

“Little Mir, why did you want such herbs?

-Well, elder Bu said there wasn’t core painkillers medicine so I can only make them myself.

-What?!”

Before elder Bu had the time to be surprised, Mir continued:

“That makes me remember, can I trouble elder Bu once more?

-What do you need, little friend Mir?

-I don’t know how to form a pellet. Can elder Bu show me how to do it?

-You want me to use those precious herbs you bought for a pellet of unknown worth?!

-No, of course not. I just want to witness how a pellet is made in the Lab. It can be whatever pellet elder Bu would be nice enough to show me. I only wish to spectate over the skills of an expert!

-Hum…Is that so? Well, then, I guess I could show you a bit uhuh.”

Praise. People were always weak to praise. Even more so if it came from the innocent mouth of children. Of course, Mir was only one in appearance but it was enough to trick the old Elder Bu that was weak to praise. They headed towards the Lab and Elder Bu rented a room. There were many tools there but more than anything the giant cauldron in the center was what grabbed the most attention. Elder Bu went towards the cauldron and asked:

“Little friend Mir, little friend Okami, have you ever done herbal alchemy before?

-No.

-Never.

-Then, I will be explaining. This here is a cauldron, obviously. It is the number one tool for herbal alchemy and a must-have. Basically, we mix a dough made just like the one for bread inside with water and the treated ingredients. All this while cooking it at the right temperature. And after a designated time, all the ingredients fuse together. Then, all the water will evaporate and one or more pellets will be formed. What I will show you now is the basic rank 1 realm 1 pellet. It is the base of herbal alchemy when it comes to cultivation pellet. For this recipe, you need a dough and a rank 1 realm 1 herb. We will be using this one, the Small Gomphocarpus Abyssinicus. It is a plant growing deep into the water so a specialty of our school. If you ever want to make pills in the first rank, this is the herb I advise you guys to use. As for the dough, it is made from grains. The only one we use for herbal alchemy is made from wheat. Now, we first start the heating of the cauldron. Using energy to power it, the fire will start. You should check the heat by looking at the cauldron measurement tool incrusted on the cauldron, here. For this, let’s go with 320 degrees.”

A big flame appeared under the cauldron while elder Bu smiled and proceeded. He then took a small tube and placed it in the cauldron then said:

“Turn the lever here and water will flow from the tube. You need to have 1/3 of the cauldron filled with water.”

The water flowed and after this step was done, he went on.

“Now, you pour in the dough. There are recipe books to help you measure the amount needed. It depends on how many herbs you’re going to throw at once. However, don’t be too greedy. This process can fail! This time, with just one herb, we will make ten pellets. Here!”

He threw some dough in the boiling water and then threw the herb. After that he said:

“Now, you just watch over it until the water becomes vapor and only pellets are left. It should take a few minutes for this. Come here, take those ladders and look inside the cauldron.”

After they got to the top of the ladders, the two kids watched the inside of the cauldron. The herb was being disintegrated while the dough was being separated. Slowly, things were changing and fusing. And then, “boom!”, with a big sound, the water started to evaporate. Elder Bu took the kid back and said:

“It is heated vapor, it would be bad to be burnt so be careful when doing herbal alchemy. It hurts to fail so don’t forget to open the ventilation.”

After a few seconds, there was no more vapor. Elder Bu stopped the fire and checked the cauldron. He nodded and took out ten pellets from it. They were white with a single golden glistening line going around it. They were rank 1 first realm pellets.