Chapter 117: Chapter 88: The Real Treasure Girl (Part 2)
Her slender body was clad only in a form-fitting, sleeveless white dress. It was cut short, revealing a tantalizing waistline.
Below that was a slender deer’s body, sparsely covered in fur, and hooves that shimmered with a faint light.
Despite a structure clearly built for high-speed running, her four long legs possessed an indescribable allure, bringing to mind the phrase "legs for days."
Pei Ze watched in silent amazement. ’This must be a genuine beast-girl.’
’In my past life, she would’ve instantly captivated every pervert out there.’
"You’re human?"
The Half Deer Maiden studied Pei Ze with curiosity. A voice, carrying a classical elegance that belied her girlish appearance, resounded directly in his mind.
In the Dark Well, communication with extraterritorial life was conducted through the soul.
After all, many beings from other worlds couldn’t understand the languages of the Wizard World.
Some strange life forms didn’t even possess the sense of hearing.
Language as a method of communication was simply too limited for interactions between different species from other worlds.
The list of instructions on the wall included a guide on the technique of soul communication, and Pei Ze mastered it after a brief attempt.
"That’s right. I’m from the Wizard World."
Pei Ze’s gaze was scrutinizing as he sized up the Half Deer Maiden before him.
He knew of many half-human, half-beast creatures—centaurs, naga, sphinxes, and merfolk, to name a few—but he had never seen a being like this.
’A deer-person?’
’It seems I’ve never heard of a similar race.’
"A human from the Wizard World!"
Hearing Pei Ze’s words, the Half Deer Maiden seemed pleasantly surprised.
"I’ve heard of your plane. It’s said to be a very powerful civilization."
"Thank you," Pei Ze said with a slight smile. "And which plane are you from?"
"By your Wizard naming conventions, our home should be called the Ancient Forest Plane. I am the chieftain of the Ancient Tree Deer Spirit Race of the Starry Forest. My name is Tining."
’Ancient Tree Deer Spirit?’
A flicker of light crossed Pei Ze’s eyes.
The name of this race was completely foreign to him; he had never read about it in any book.
’Perhaps I can ask my senior sister about it later.’
Though his mind was racing, Pei Ze’s expression remained unchanged. He offered a gentle smile and said, "My name is Pei Ze, a Third-level Wizard Apprentice."
"A Third-level Wizard Apprentice? Hmm, not as good as a Wizard, but still a decent trading partner."
A genuine smile appeared on Tining’s face.
"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Pei Ze."
"..."
Pei Ze studied Tining for a few moments and saw that the Half Deer Maiden’s expression was sincere, holding no trace of disdain. Understanding dawned on him.
’She seems to be a simple child who doesn’t interact with people much.’
"Tining, I can call you that, right?"
Seeing the Half Deer Maiden nod, Pei Ze smiled and continued:
"Let’s get straight to the point. What is it that you need?"
The vast majority of beings who used the Dark Well to contact other worlds were looking to trade.
Tining was clearly no exception. Upon hearing his question, her eyes lit up, and she said eagerly, "I need Moonlight Orchids or Falling Star Flowers! The more, the better!"
Pei Ze was once again certain that the Half Deer Maiden had very little experience dealing with others.
’Acting like this during a negotiation is basically telling people to come and rip you off, isn’t it?’
With a slight cough, Pei Ze asked nonchalantly, "I have Moonlight Orchids and Falling Star Flowers. But what do you have to trade for them?"
Both Moonlight Orchids and Falling Star Flowers were rare plants of considerable value.
He had seen both materials in the warehouse of Medicine Garden No. 8. The former sold for Three Hundred Gold Coins per plant, while the latter was slightly more expensive at three hundred and fifty.
And that was with a discount.
Hearing Pei Ze’s words, Tining’s face lit up. She produced a handful of wrinkled seeds from who-knows-where and showed them to him.
"These are Magic Oak Seeds. A single one can summon a mid-tier silver Oak Guardian. Ah, in your Wizard World’s power system, that’s probably equivalent to a Tier Two Legendary Knight."
Pei Ze’s heart skipped a beat. His eyes fixed on the dozen or so Magic Oak Seeds in Tining’s hand, a fervent heat rising within them.
’This is good stuff!’
Legendary Knights like Huo Nan and Li Ke were only Tier One.
A Tier Two Legendary Knight could even hold its own against an Official Wizard.
Even he wouldn’t be completely confident of victory without using Silver Star.
Pei Ze made up his mind instantly. He had to get his hands on something this good.
Though his heart was pounding, he kept his expression calm and asked unhurriedly, "Is there anything else?"
Seeing that Pei Ze seemed completely uninterested in the Magic Oak Seeds, Tining showed unconcealed disappointment. She then picked up a vividly colored, irregular crystal and introduced it: "This is a Fury Crystal. It’s a Life Core taken from a Raging Giant Bear. It contains a tremendous amount of energy, but it’s a bit unstable."
"Anything else?" Pei Ze asked again.
Tining brought out another item.
"This is the heart of a Golden-backed Ape. It’s said to have a strength-enhancing effect."
"These are the teeth of a Bone-eating Beast. They’re very hard."
"This is..."
Pei Ze was now certain that the Ancient Forest Plane was teeming with Magical Creatures.
Every single item Tining had presented was an organ from a Magical Creature, each one incredibly valuable.
However, Tining clearly didn’t know much about them. Her descriptions were dry and unappealing, failing to mention what made these items truly precious.
It was only because Pei Ze had a vast knowledge of Magical Creatures in his mind. Anyone else unfamiliar with them would likely have no desire to trade after hearing Tining’s lackluster descriptions.
After rattling off descriptions for more than twenty items, Tining asked expectantly, "So, do you see anything you like?"
Pei Ze pretended to ponder for a good while before asking, "The Magic Oak Seeds... what’s your asking price?"
Tining immediately replied, "One Magic Oak Seed for one hundred Moonlight Orchids, or the equivalent value in Falling Star Flowers. What do you think?"
She stared at Pei Ze eagerly, looking terrified that he might refuse.
Pei Ze almost burst out laughing.
One hundred Moonlight Orchids were worth thirty thousand Gold Coins at most, which converted to sixty Magic Stone Coins.
Sixty Magic Stone Coins for a Tier Two Legendary Knight as a fighter—this deal was an absolute steal.
If he were to buy a retainer, a barbarian slave at the level of a Tier Two Legendary Knight would cost at least two or three thousand Magic Stone Coins.
However, Pei Ze didn’t agree immediately. Instead, he asked, "What about the Fury Crystal?"
Tining hesitated, then held up three fingers. "Thirty Moonlight Orchids."
Pei Ze’s gaze toward the Half Deer Maiden grew even softer. He had half a mind to rush over, grab her, and plant a big kiss on her.
’A true treasure girl!’
In the warehouse of Medicine Garden No. 8, a Fury Crystal sold for as much as seven hundred and thirty Magic Stone Coins.
But from the Half Deer Maiden, it was only eighteen Magic Stone Coins.
Not even a fire-sale price would be this low!
’If she isn’t a treasure girl, what is she?’
Pei Ze suppressed his delight and asked for the prices of the other items.
Unsurprisingly, the answers he received were all in the same ballpark.
A moment later, Pei Ze had made his decision and began to haggle with the Half Deer Maiden.
In this regard, the naive Tining was no match for Pei Ze.
By the time they settled on the final prices, he had bargained them down to about half of her original asking price.
Pei Ze couldn’t help but wonder if he had the potential to be a profiteer.
"Then it’s settled. When we meet next time, I’ll bring enough Moonlight Orchids and Falling Star Flowers, and we’ll make the trade then."
"Okay!"
Tining nodded vigorously, shaking the antlers on her head with a joyful expression.
"I’ll be waiting for you! You have to be quick!"
Pei Ze nodded with a wide smile.
Following that, the two exchanged aura imprints, which served as a form of contact information used specifically to locate each other.
This way, the next time they used the Dark Well, they could connect precisely with each other instead of a random extraterritorial life form.
Only after Tining’s figure had completely dissipated from the ripples in the water did an irrepressible smile finally spread across Pei Ze’s face.
