Chapter 31: Medicinal Cauldron and Spiritual Plants

"You must be a beginner, Miss; these smaller cauldrons here would be more suitable for you." The clerk was adept at reading people; noticing the customer's unfamiliarity with medicinal cauldrons, he raised a hand to point out the smaller ones on the shelf to Luo Bi.

As Luo Bi looked over, the clerk took the opportunity to add, "These small cauldrons are compact and exquisite, with an appropriate inner wall thickness. They remain stable whether the heat is strong or weak, and most importantly, they are non-stick. They are perfect for beginners like yourself."

Beginners find it hardest to control heat levels. Luo Bi took his advice to heart and scanned them one by one, asking, "Which of these styles sells the best?"

"The Azure Jade Cauldron and the Ceramic Jade Cauldron sell the fastest. The Azure Jade is durable, while the Ceramic Jade is cheaper—each has its own advantages. However, personally, I would recommend the Azure Jade Cauldron, Miss." The Ceramic Jade Cauldron was not resistant to bumps and was easily broken; those in the know understood this, but as a clerk, it was not his place to say so explicitly.

Listening to the advice, Luo Bi leaned toward the Azure Jade Cauldron, but she still turned to seek Feng Ling's opinion: "What do you think?"

"The Azure Jade one!" Feng Ling picked up an exquisitely patterned Azure Jade cauldron to examine it. "What is the price for this kind of cauldron?"

"This cauldron is only two hundred thousand interstellar credits."

Feng Ling consulted Luo Bi, who had also taken a liking to this style of Azure Jade cauldron, but she didn't want one that had already been displayed on the shelf. "Get me a new one in this style."

"No problem, we have them in the back warehouse." Delighted that a sale had been made so quickly, the clerk immediately ordered someone to fetch one from the warehouse.

"We would also like to look at some spiritual plants to buy for practice," Feng Ling said.

"May I ask what kind of spiritual plants you require?"

Feng Ling was a Thunder Flame Warrior and knew nothing of alchemy, and Luo Bi, having just begun her journey into alchemy, did not look like an expert either. Seeing that the two could not answer immediately, the clerk understood instantly: "Since you just purchased a two-hundred-thousand-credit Azure Jade cauldron, if your subsequent purchase of spiritual plants reaches one hundred thousand interstellar credits, our pharmacy will include a low-tier spiritual medicine recipe for free."

The pharmacy was very skilled at business. With the Contractualist Guild backing them, it was not difficult to offer one or two low-tier recipes as a bundled sale, and it was a very enticing offer. After all, in the outside world, recipes were top secrets for every Contractualist and were not easily leaked; thus, it was very difficult for a beginner to obtain one.

Luo Bi was tempted; she needed recipes. Feng Ling said, "Very well, bring the recipe."

The clerk was overjoyed. He personally brought a recipe for Hemostatic Powder and handed it to Luo Bi. "Please take this. I will go fetch the required spiritual plants."

Luo Bi unfolded it and saw that she recognized almost all the plants listed, but there were a few she had never even heard of. This was a bit problematic.

The clerk then brought out dozens of fresh spiritual plants, announcing their names and quantities one by one: "Ninety-five spiritual plants. Based on the dosage in the recipe, this can refine ten bottles of Hemostatic Powder, totaling one hundred thousand interstellar credits."

The success rate during the refinement of spiritual medicine was extremely low. Even for a Level 5 Alchemist Contractualist, the highest success rate was only about thirty to forty percent, let alone a beginner. Even if all these plants were used, there was no guarantee of success.

Thus, while Contractualists appeared glamorous, they actually relied on vast amounts of precious resources to sustain themselves. Anyone with meager assets simply could not afford to support them.

"Alright, please pack them up!" Luo Bi said.

Next, she selected a piece of First-Grade Crimson Jade Stone, along with tools such as a pestle, a mortar, and a medicinal grinder. All in all, the total came to nearly four hundred thousand interstellar credits. Feng Ling paid the bill, and the two wandered around a bit more before leaving.

(End of Chapter)