novelnext Chapter 297 - 237: The Bee Queen’s Talent
Chapter 297 - 237: The Bee Queen’s Talent
"The *Tu Feng Hao*? What a strange name."
Fang Qingyuan walked up to the Beast Hunting Ship docked nearby. He looked at the name painted on its hull, a flicker of doubt in his mind.
’But what the ship is called has nothing to do with me. I just want to buy the right Sea Beast Essence Blood for my Alchemy.’
When he reached the ship, a Qi Refining Broker stood at the bow, soliciting passing Cultivators. Fang Qingyuan approached him directly and asked:
"Do you have any Tier One Middle Grade Sea Beast Essence Blood for sale?"
"Of course we do. You’ve come at just the right time, Senior. We just caught several Tier One Middle Grade sea beasts last night, and the Essence Blood has already been extracted. Please, take your pick."
Not all the blood in a sea beast, or any spirit beast for that matter, is Essence Blood. After extracting all the blood from a single sea beast, only about a tenth of it can be classified as Essence Blood.
Sometimes even less. Essence Blood is the quintessence of a Spirit Beast’s body, rich in Life Essence Qi, and is one of the most valuable materials that can be harvested from its carcass.
"Then let’s have a look. Lead the way."
His interest piqued, Fang Qingyuan had the Qi Refining Realm broker lead on. If the quality was good, he planned to buy several vials.
* * *
On the deck of the *Tu Feng Hao*, a Foundation Establishment Female Cultivator sat in deep meditation with her eyes closed. With every breath she took, the rocking of the Beast Hunting Ship seemed to subtly synchronize with her rhythm.
A few breaths later, a gray-haired old man emerged from the cabin below. He approached the Female Cultivator and spoke respectfully.
"Young Miss, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator has come to buy Sea Beast Essence Blood. He wants a large quantity and is driving a hard bargain. The men below don’t dare to make a decision, so they asked me to get your input."
The Foundation Establishment Female Cultivator opened her eyes and asked casually,
"What’s his background?"
"His origins are unclear. He’s an unfamiliar face, but judging by his aura, he doesn’t seem like someone who makes a living on the sea."
"Oh. I’ll go see him myself. A Foundation Establishment Cultivator should have some wealth."
* * *
Inside one of the ship’s cabins, Fang Qingyuan sat on a chair with his eyes closed, waiting quietly. The tea on the table before him remained untouched.
This was the reception room aboard the *Tu Feng Hao*. Despite being on a ship, the decor was so exquisite that one could hardly tell they were at sea.
Fang Qingyuan wanted a large amount of Sea Beast Essence Blood, so naturally, he hoped for a bigger discount. The Qi Refining Realm broker didn’t have the authority to grant one and had gone to ask his superior.
When Fang Qingyuan had first boarded the *Tu Feng Hao*, he had used his mental perception to gauge the cultivation levels of the Cultivators on board.
On the entire, vast *Tu Feng Hao*, there were only two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and both were now heading his way.
’They’re here.’
As Fang Qingyuan opened his eyes, the door slid open silently. The next moment, a beautiful woman with bright eyes and pearly teeth appeared, taking the lead.
"I am the proprietor of this vessel, Shen Wan Jun. May I ask your name, sir?"
Shen Wan Jun was tall and long-legged, a combination that, in Fang Qingyuan’s mind, perfectly matched his aesthetic tastes. But this was a time for negotiation, so he naturally didn’t dwell on such things.
"I am Jia Changqing. I wish to purchase several vials of Sea Beast Essence Blood and hope Proprietor Shen can offer me a discount."
Shen Wan Jun nodded and turned to the white-haired old man beside her.
"What kind of Sea Beast Essence Blood is Fellow Daoist Jia looking to purchase?"
"Five vials of Tier One Middle Grade Sea Dog Blood, seven vials of Sea Lion Blood, three vials of Hippocampus Blood..."
As the old man behind her recounted the list, Shen Wan Jun’s eyes brightened. She asked in a soft voice,
"Forgive my forwardness, Fellow Daoist Jia, but are you buying all this Sea Beast Essence Blood to refine Elixirs?"
Such a large purchase of Sea Beast Essence Blood would nearly empty her Beast Hunting Ship’s recent stock. Other than a Pill Master, Shen Wan Jun couldn’t imagine anyone else buying in such quantities.
Furthermore, Jia Changqing was an unfamiliar face and lacked the rugged air of someone who spent their years knocking around the islands. Perhaps he was a freelance Pill Master who had only recently arrived in the Iron Wind Islands.
If he was a freelance Pill Master, it would be worth offering him a better price, as it could establish a steady business relationship.
Seeing that Shen Wan Jun had guessed his public identity, Fang Qingyuan hesitated for a few breaths before answering forthrightly,
"Fellow Daoist Shen has guessed correctly. I am indeed a Pill Master, and I am purchasing this Sea Beast Essence Blood to refine Elixirs."
’So he really is. Freelance Pill Masters are a rare breed. Without the backing of a major power, it’s incredibly difficult for one to make a name for themselves.’
Take the Blood Qi Pill that Fang Qingyuan had refined before. It was only a Tier One Middle Grade Elixir Pill, yet even with his Foundation Establishment cultivation, his success rate was less than ten percent.
How many Loose Cultivators could afford that kind of initial investment?
"Since Fellow Daoist Jia is a Pill Master, I will offer you a fair price: eighty percent of the original cost. What do you think?"
Hearing this price, Fang Qingyuan nodded. The Sea Beast Essence Blood sold on the *Tu Feng Hao* was already inexpensive, and now she was offering a twenty-percent discount. Across the entire pier, this was an excellent deal.
"Thank you for your kindness, Fellow Daoist Shen. In that case, I gratefully accept."
* * *
After Fang Qingyuan left the *Tu Feng Hao*, Shen Wan Jun turned to the elderly Foundation Establishment Cultivator behind her.
"Uncle Hua, Wan Jun made this decision on her own and affected everyone’s profits. I’ll cover the difference from the loss."
Uncle Hua quickly shook his head.
"Young Miss, this is just business. Offering a discount is perfectly normal. How could we let you compensate for it? The brothers who have stayed with us are all loyal old-timers; otherwise, they would have left long ago. Please don’t say such things again."
Shen Wan Jun sighed.
"How long can we last just on the goodwill and prestige my father left behind? We had three ships, and now only one remains. If we don’t find a way to rally, I fear we won’t even be able to keep the *Tu Feng Hao* in another ten years."
After she spoke, Uncle Hua behind her fell silent. A few years ago, Shen Wan Jun’s father had led a team into the distant seas to hunt a Second-stage Sea Beast, but he never returned.
Just like that, the Shen Family lost a massive, fifty-zhang ship. And that wasn’t all; the Shen Family also had to provide for the families of the many Cultivators who had been on that ship.
At that difficult time, Shen Wan Jun was pushed forward by everyone to take charge. After paying out an astronomical amount in Spirit Stones as compensation, only their current vessel remained of the original three ships.
Moreover, the remaining *Tu Feng Hao* was too small to venture into the distant seas. It could only hunt some Tier One Low and Middle Grade sea beasts in the nearby waters, bringing in a meager income that was just enough to get by.
What was more worrying was that the sea beasts were becoming scarcer. In the past, a trip out to sea might yield over twenty sea beasts, but recently, they were only catching seven or eight.
This wasn’t just happening to the *Tu Feng Hao*. As far as Shen Wan Jun knew, the profits of many Beast Hunting Ships had recently seen a significant drop.
"Let’s hope for a better harvest next time."
After she said this, a silence fell over the *Tu Feng Hao* once more.
* * *
Fang Qingyuan was in a good mood. The new Sea Beast Essence Blood he had acquired was enough for him to attempt refining three or four hundred batches of the Blood Qi Pill.
A single vial of Tier One Middle Grade Sea Beast Essence Blood cost him five hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones. Each vial contained a generous amount, sourced from more than one sea beast.
For twenty vials of Sea Beast Essence Blood, Fang Qingyuan spent a total of one Top-grade Spirit Stone. And that was with the twenty-percent discount; otherwise, he would have had to fork over another one or two thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones.
After purchasing the Sea Beast Essence Blood, Fang Qingyuan also bought some of the supplementary materials needed to refine the Blood Qi Pill.
The two most important main ingredients for refining the Blood Qi Pill were Sea Beast Essence Blood and Ginseng Spiritual Material. As for the other supplementary ingredients, their combined cost didn’t even match the price of either one of the main components.
Once he had bought all the necessary materials, Fang Qingyuan passed by a stall selling Spirit Fish and was reminded of Yin Bao.
’I can’t just keep feeding Yin Bao dried fish. I should buy it some fresh sea fish. Besides, these Spiritual Qi-infused sea fish aren’t expensive. One Low-grade Spirit Stone can buy about ten jin.’
Finally, carrying his haul, Fang Qingyuan took a few detours. Once his mental perception confirmed that no one was tailing him, he dropped his disguise and returned to his residence.
Evergreen Garden was located just a bit outside the core district of the Iron Wind Main Island. By Fang Qingyuan’s own analogy, he was now in the equivalent of the city’s outer ring.
The Spirit Vein here was only Tier Two Middle Grade. If this were the inner ring, it would be Tier Two Top Grade. The core area would have a Tier Three Low Grade, and as for the residences on the main peak—that was the Beast Taming Sect’s own territory, with a Tier Three Middle Grade Spirit Vein.
However, a Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Vein was sufficient for Fang Qingyuan. If he were too close to the main peak, it would be inconvenient for him to conduct his business.
The master of the main peak had a Nascent Soul Level Companion Beast. Under the nose of a Nascent Soul Spirit Beast, Fang Qingyuan felt that his disguise wasn’t very reliable.
After Zhao E Lian was dispatched to the Southern Border, the new Sect Leader who took his place was also a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator. His Companion Beast, however, had already reached the Nascent Soul Stage.
Great Beast, lesser Cultivator—this top-tier configuration was a tradition of the Beast Taming Sect.
Fang Qingyuan currently had no desire to interact with the Beast Taming Sect’s Cultivators here.
Because of his sensitive identity, if the people from the Beast Taming Sect discovered him here, they would certainly give him "special" treatment.
He placed the hundred-plus jin of sea fish he had bought into the Immortal Mansion. Watching Yin Bao gorge itself, Fang Qingyuan felt happy.
As the veteran who had been with him the longest, Yin Bao deserved to be spoiled.
Of course, the work that needed to be done couldn’t be neglected.
After feeding Yin Bao, Fang Qingyuan began refining the Blood Qi Pill again. Since his identity was that of a Pill Master, he needed a signature product, and he felt the Blood Qi Pill could serve as one of his trademarks.
The Blood Qi Pill was a Tier One Middle Grade Elixir. Being able to refine it proficiently would mean that the Pill Master’s skill in the Alchemy Dao had stabilized at the Tier One Middle Grade level.
In the Cultivation Realm, Elixirs for the Qi Refining Realm were actually the best-sellers. The demand for Tier One Elixirs far surpassed that of Tier Two Elixirs.
Even a Tier Two Alchemist couldn’t solely refine Tier Two Elixirs; their main products would still be Tier One Elixirs.
Fang Qingyuan didn’t yet know how to refine Tier Two Elixirs. As long as he could achieve a stable output of Blood Qi Pills, it would be enough to solidify his identity as a Pill Master.
The only problem was, Fang Qingyuan’s current Alchemy process was far from breaking even.
「One day, half a month later.」
Inside the Alchemy Room, the familiar smell of burnt ingredients wafted from the furnace, and Fang Qingyuan’s heart ached at the waste.
He had followed his previous experience to the letter, but it still ended in failure.
This was the tenth batch of Blood Qi Pills he had ruined today, with only two successful attempts.
A one-in-five success rate was a marked improvement from half a month ago, but considering the cost of the ingredients, it was enough to make a Qi Refining Cultivator die of heartache.
Moreover, the rate of improvement was slowing down.
’Do I really have no talent for Alchemy?’
Fang Qingyuan couldn’t help but start doubting himself. His Divine Sense and cultivation were a hundred times stronger than a Qi Refining Cultivator’s, yet he still stumbled so much while refining the Blood Qi Pill.
How did those Qi Refining Cultivator Pill Masters manage a three-in-five success rate?
Just as Fang Qingyuan was sighing in frustration, a fluctuation from within his Immortal Mansion caught his attention.
He focused his senses and saw the Bee Queen, Fang Ruoxi, staring blankly at a mass of refined Blood Qi Pill Liquid.