River of Fate: Emerald Alchemist, page 6
A slight smile crossed her stern features then, as she added, “Most alchemists are terrible at cooperating anyway. I should know, my husband is a Rank 3 alchemist. If you do join the guild, you’ll get a small discount in most shops, even beyond what your guest medallion gives you. The guild likes to deal in bulk and it’s the best way to offload a large amount of herbs or pills. They sell them all across the empire. They’re the most important buyer of pills in the city, as well as the main provider.”
Verse nodded as he tucked the token away into his spatial ring. The rank for alchemists had to correspond to the pills they made, so he didn’t ask her any questions about it. A Rank 3 alchemist should be capable of making Aligned Realm pills.
He spent a few minutes talking to her about general alchemy things in the city, including more about the guild. She was very knowledgeable about the supply of herbs in the city and the best way to get the guild’s support, and he took full advantage of it.
When he left the shop, it was with many fewer spirit stones than he’d entered, but his spatial bracelet was stuffed full with ingredients. He’d bought a hundred of each of the Rank 1 herbs and fifty of the Rank 3. Each of the Rank 1s was worth one to three spirit stones, while each of the Rank 3 cost two hundred.
Altogether, the bill was a bit over 12,500 spirit stones. The smile on the shopkeeper’s face said that he was welcome back anytime. He still had about twenty thousand low-grade spirit stones left, but if he kept buying things at that rate, his funds would disappear before he knew it.
As he left the shop, the names of the herbs floated in his mind, along with the recipes he was planning to make. The dozen Rank 1 herbs were Bluebell Grass, Marrow Sprout, Verdant Leaf, Crimson Heartblood, Spiritual Dew, Moon Sap, God’s Nettle, Pine Essence, Windflower, Yellow River Seed, Serene Willow, and Lunar Water.
The sole Rank 3 herb was called Dawn Flower.
The recipes he planned to use required various combinations of those ingredients, as well as several steps in between, but they weren’t too complicated. The major requirement was for him to infuse the herbs with energy from his soul space and get them up to their maximum quality before he processed them.
Like most herbs for sale, these weren’t living, but he could still manage to purify them with his bloodline energy. That would add a draconic element to the alchemy, which was the foundation for the recipes.
The final results should be Woodbalm paste, the Serene Mind pill, the Vital Qi pill, and the Wind and Clouds pill.
The first one was a simple healing paste that would accelerate mending wounds, as long as they weren’t too deep. It could be used on more serious wounds, but it wouldn’t be as effective.
That was the recipe he planned to start with, since making a paste was a lot simpler than making a pill. It would let him practice with the foundational skills, including infusing energy into the herbs, balancing the quantities, and merging them together without disrupting their effectiveness.
It should also sell well. Cultivators were constantly injuring themselves and surface wounds were common. If he sold it for less than a regular healing pill, it shouldn’t be a problem to offload a lot of it.
The Serene Mind pill was designed to aid in cultivation by clearing the mind of extraneous thoughts and promoting focus. There were many similar pills available in the city, but few that had such a low cost. Pills of that type were always in high demand, but most of them required powerful herbs to get a good effect.
The Vital Qi pill was a Energy Gathering-level pill for restoring energy. It was nothing special, but it was cheap and it would be good practice for making better ones. He’d have to start with that before trying the one he really wanted to make.
The Wind and Clouds pill was the one he was most interested in. It used the Rank 3 Dawn Flower as its primary ingredient, which was a type of blossom that opened for just an hour under the first light of dawn on mountain slopes. The petals of the flower were a dark, starry blue marked with white sunbursts.
As an herb, it was tempting to just eat it directly. He could sense the high quality spiritual energy it contained, as well as its alignment to the natural daos of the world. His own affinity with Dawn and the Sun were what made him choose it.
“Those ingredients should keep you busy for a month or so,” the shrine said, “but you’ll need to succeed in making some pills before you go broke. I have good news for you though, little dragon. With your constitution, you can eat most of the herb mess you make while practicing. Charcoal scraped off the bottom of a cauldron won’t work as well as the finished product, but they all have some spiritual energy. I can’t say much about the taste. You’re on your own for that. As my old master said, failure makes your scales grow stronger!”
Verse rolled his eyes as the shrine’s teasing. He had no doubt that he was going to make quite a few disasters before he managed something to be proud of. He planned to take it methodically and not waste the ingredients.
The tickling sensation of little claws drew his attention to his wrist, telling him Leaf had woken up. The elemental was curled around his arm with its nose pressed against his spatial bracelet, sniffing eagerly.
“You can’t eat the new ones, little guy,” Verse said with a chuckle as he pulled out two other herbs that he had on hand. “Try these.”
The elemental disappeared in a flash, as did the two herbs in Verse’s hand. The only trace of its presence was the sound of chomping near his ear, as well as a pleased burble from the little glutton.
“Alright, now to find a place to stay.” Verse folded his hands together in thought as he considered the layout of the city and information that the shopkeeper had given him. “The guild inns are open to traveling alchemists, and with this token, I should be able to get a room. Let’s head there next. After that, I’ll see about the Azurewind Guard outpost.”
“You’re not going to be able to do both at once,” the shrine said. “Why not ignore the guards for a while and focus on alchemy? It’ll be better in the long run.”
“I’m planning for the future,” Verse replied as he shook his head. “I can afford materials for just starting out, but what happens in a few months or a year when I need higher-level ones. I’ll need the funds to buy them or a lead into where they can be harvested. That’s what the guard is for. Hopefully, they’ll have some missions that are related to alchemy.”
“So we’re going to stay here for a while?” the shrine asked. “It’s not a bad place, I suppose, though it doesn’t have enough mountains.”
“It has even more herbs than I expected,” Verse agreed, “and for a good price. I don’t know of a better place to train alchemy. It won’t hurt to stay for a while, at least until my skills advance beyond what the city can offer. Formations should be possible here too, but those can wait until alchemy is paying the bills.”
“Once you master alchemy, formations, and the Dao of Stars,” the shrine said, “you’ll have some ability to control the inscriptions on me, and that will give you a good way to protect yourself from higher-realm threats. If you’re staying here, you also need to focus on gathering high-quality materials to bolster your bloodline. That will push your cultivation upward naturally. Your current level is embarrassing for an Emerald Dragon.
“I wasn’t joking about dragons being able to eat almost anything with spiritual energy. Use those Azurewind Guard missions to find spirit crystals, elemental stones, natural treasures, beast cores, or powerful herbs. Then eat them. You can’t neglect your own growth, even if you are focusing on alchemy.”
“Let’s go get a room,” Verse agreed as he turned toward the area of the Alchemist Quarter that held inns. “Then I’ll register at the Azurewind Guard. I’ve heard it can be a while between their induction ceremonies, so I might have to wait for the next one.”
“More time to practice alchemy,” the shrine said cheerfully. “Start grinding!”
Chapter five
Settling In
A couple of hours later, Verse found himself talking to an irate innkeeper, one who was holding an empty plate of food that was supposed to go to a separate table. The culprit that had caused the trouble was Leaf, but given his natural abilities, he was invisible around Verse’s neck.
The innkeeper didn’t know how the food had disappeared. He just knew it had something to do with Verse, since it had disappeared as it was passing his table. All Verse could do was pay for the extra meal and try not to laugh as he walked back outside.
“Next time, tell me you want to eat it and I’ll buy you some,” he said as he scratched at Leaf’s head. “Otherwise, we’re going to get a bad reputation in inns.”
He thought it was funny, but he didn’t want to tell Leaf that. The little elemental already thought all the food nearby was its own.
“Glutton,” the shrine grumbled. “He should be old enough to know better.”
“He might be old enough that he doesn’t care,” Verse said. “Perhaps he thinks it’s owed to him from his juniors. Besides, it did look like the innkeeper was bringing it to our table. He was just a little impatient.”
He looked down the street as he considered where to head next. Either way, he was going to stop at one of the food stalls on the way and find something else to eat. Their food hadn’t even arrived yet before they got kicked out.
“Alright,” he said. “Maybe an inn isn’t the best idea. Let’s find a courtyard house to rent. There will be more room for alchemy and I can set up some privacy formations.”
He’d been planning to do the same thing in the inn, but if he had a whole courtyard to work with, he could make them better. He didn’t know how much energy his draconic alchemy would release, but he didn’t plan on letting anyone else see it.
“You mean I’ll set up privacy formations,” the shrine laughed. “Those formation plates you have aren’t worth the material they’re made from. Just looking at them is a travesty. If you want to protect an area, leave it to me! If that elemental wanted to, I’m sure he could help too.”
“Perhaps,” Verse said with a shrug. “He should be able to balance the natural energy in an area and hide ripples, but it’s up to him.”
He glanced at the city map and then headed toward the entrance of the Alchemist Quarter. There were some real estate brokers not too far from the auction house who catered to alchemists. They should have an idea of places to rent or buy. Although his spirit stones weren’t endless, he could probably find something.
It took him an hour to find a good shop, but before long, he was talking to a broker. As soon as he described what he wanted, the man gave him a bright and professional smile. It had more to do with his titles as knight and baron than his cultivation, which wasn’t anything impressive in the city.
“We have several options for someone of your refined status, sir,” he replied as he gestured at the wall behind him. “Please, take a look.”
The wall was carved from white stone with an illusion formation set into it. At the broker’s gesture, half a dozen images appeared. Each of them was a small building. Without delay, the broker reached out and enlarged the first one.
“This is a mansion that was recently renovated,” he said cheerfully as he explained the features involved. “Like all the options here, it’s in the Residential Quarter, but in the best location possible, next to the rest of the nobility.”
He was trying to sell it hard, which made Verse shake his head. It was clearly going to be the most expensive option. Still, he didn’t say anything. He just studied the image as he got a better understanding of the price.
The mansion was much too large for him, easily enough to house forty or fifty people, and it came with a large estate inside the city. Boreas was a large city that sprawled for kilometers upon kilometers inside the walls, but this estate had to be one of the most frivolous uses of space here.
It was no wonder it was for sale.
“How much?” he asked finally, interrupting the broker’s spiel.
“Only 1,500,000 spirit stones, noble sir!” the broker said cheerfully, flashing his teeth. “I know it’s just barely appropriate for someone of your status. I can look for an even more expensive one if you prefer.”
Verse kept his expression indifferent when he heard the price, but he was hiding a grimace. There was no way he could afford that. Even if he combined all of his spirit stones together, including the high-grade ones, it was still only close to a million. Besides that, it was a massive waste.
“Unfortunately, it’s too large for me,” he said calmly as he shook his head. “I’m not planning on moving an entire household here, nor do I need to compete with the other nobles. I just want something small and comfortable where I can work on alchemy. A small courtyard house in a quiet area would be fine.”
“Of course, sir,” the broker said with another flash of his shiny teeth. “Take a look at this one.”
With a touch of his hand, the image changed, this time to a mansion that was only a third smaller than the last one.
“I see,” Verse said as his tone turned cold. “It looks like I’ll need to find another broker. I don’t think you have what I’m looking for.” With that, he turned and headed for the door.
In reality, he had to hold himself back from grabbing the man and shaking him. He had no patience with salespeople who tried to oversell things, nor those who refused to listen to what he wanted.
“Wait, wait, gentle sir!” the broker shouted desperately as he looked at Verse’s back. “I have other options that will be perfect for you!”
Verse paused in the doorway, and then he turned his head back only halfway toward the broker. “I’ll look at one more house,” he said, “but it needs to be what I asked for.”
He didn’t want to find another broker if he didn’t have to, but his patience was running out. Perhaps some people wouldn’t have minded looking through a couple of dozen houses, but he had more important things to do.
“Of course, of course,” the broker replied too cheerfully. “Please, take a look at the more modest options!”
The wall behind him changed again as he touched it, moving to a completely different set of houses. Verse ignored the man’s complaint as he turned back to look at the wall. This time, they were more what he was after.
Boreas followed the same basic construction plans as the rest of the empire. A courtyard house was a building with four halls that surrounded an open courtyard at the center. They were the most common style of building in the residential quarter.
He listened to the man’s description of the various options, and then he pointed at one of them that was more or less what he wanted.
“This one,” he said as he tapped his finger on the image. “How much is it?”
The house had half a dozen rooms and all the basic amenities. The interior courtyard was well appointed with a pleasant arrangement of herbs and a small energy gathering formation to help with cultivation. It was a very standard home, something that a modest merchant might have owned, one who didn’t want to spend too much money on frivolities.
“That home is one of the best kept secrets of our brokerage,” the man said cheerfully. “It’s located on the western side of the Residential Quarter, where many smaller crafters and merchants keep their homes. It is a safe and secure area that...”
Verse tuned out the rest of the description as he closed his eyes and tried to cultivate patience. Eventually, the man got to the price.
“Just 30,000 spirit stones!” the broker said cheerfully. “A true steal for a noble such as yourself. I’m sure you spend more than that on a good meal.”
Verse had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. He glanced into his spatial ring as he checked the number of spirit stones he had left. Three of the high grade spirit stones might be enough to cover the cost, but he’d rather use the others.
“What’s your exchange rate for medium spirit stones?” he asked. “If it’s not good enough, I’ll go to the auction house to trade them instead.”
“40 to 1, good sir,” the broker replied immediately as a smile returned to his face at the prospect of a sale. “The best rate in the city for them! It would be 750 medium-grade stones for this wonderfully modest home.”
Verse raised his eyebrow, since the rate was better than he’d expected. It looked like medium-grade stones were more in demand in the city than he’d thought. He had about 1100 medium spirit stones, so it was a large chunk of his resources.
“And with this?” he asked as he pulled out the honored guest medallion.
“It is no surprise that someone with your illustrious background is honored by the city, sir,” the broker said quickly as he stared at the medallion. “I meant to say, 46 to 1, and I won’t take any sort of cut from the deal. I’ll round it down to 650 spirit stones!”
Verse had to stop himself from shaking his head at the quick change. It seemed some things with salesmen were universal, no matter the city. The man was looking expectantly at him, ignoring the medallion that had made him change his mind.
It was probably close enough to what he could get at the auction house for the spirit stones, so it would have to do. He silently handed over the spirit stones. A few minutes later, he was gone.
As he walked through the city, there was a new formation plate in his hand keyed to the wards and door of the house he’d just bought. It was the property deed, one in a form that he hadn’t seen before. Whitestone didn’t have anything this advanced for its houses.
The deed was about the size of his palm and made of a durable green jade, similar to the stones of the city walls. He cut his finger and let a drop of blood fall on it to bind it to himself. As soon as he did, information on the home sprang into his mind, along with a map on how to get there.
The contents of the deed traced back the history of the house to when it was built 416 years before, including every change in owner and all the construction projects that had happened to it. It had been owned by a crafting family for a while, and then by a merchant, and it had only recently been sold when that merchant retired and left the town.
