Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Then It’s the Players Who Will Lose Face
After buying the beef patties, A Wu came over and handed one to each of the trio.
He placed the rest in his small back-basket.
These beef patties were generously filled. Though the seasoning wasn’t as refined as in the modern era, they had a unique charm and tasted much better than the processed products sold in the real world.
’You can actually experience such complex flavors in a game?’
The three of them, who had previously thought the steamed buns were just an exception, were all a little surprised.
Zhou Xiao glanced around. He noticed that while the street was bustling, most vendors were selling flatbreads and noodles, with a few selling hot cakes. All in all, it lacked the variety of modern society.
’The real world definitely has a much wider variety of food.’
After all, this was an ancient setting. Some things just didn’t exist, not even on the Yunzhou Continent.
On the Yunzhou Continent, Cultivators had little interest in gastronomy, and mortals hadn’t delved deep into culinary arts due to their stage of development.
Zhou Xiao suddenly said, "I noticed it seems everyone here accepts Spirit Stones for payment. We could research some modern recipes and sell them in the county town."
Han Tian said, "It’d be pretty hard to make a profit. Senior Brother bought all those meat patties for only two low-grade spirit stones."
These were already considered decent delicacies, yet because the ingredients were all mundane, the price was dirt cheap.
Zhou Xiao said, "I refuse to believe that all Cultivators eventually start Fasting and lose all interest in food. It must just be that the food isn’t tasty enough. Think about it. When you reach a higher Realm in the Late Stages, would you really be able to completely give up cravings for things like cream cakes or fried skewers, even if they’re junk food?"
Han Tian: "..."
’No way.’
"The ingredients mortals use are cheap because they don’t contain Spiritual Energy. That’s what we can work on."
However, they soon understood why food prices were so low. Even Blood Replenishing Pills, which were made from Spirit Grass, were very cheap.
The Yunzhou Continent had a common type of Blood Replenishing Pill. Mortals could use this Elixir Pill as well; a single pill could stop bleeding immediately, an effect more instantaneous and effective than any first-aid measure.
A single pill sold for just one low-grade spirit stone.
However, it wasn’t nearly as effective for Cultivators. Cultivators were usually wounded by other Cultivators of a similar rank or by demon beasts. In such cases, an ordinary Blood Replenishing Pill didn’t help much, though it could stabilize the injury for a short time.
In addition, there were the slightly more expensive Qi Replenishing Pills.
Qi Replenishing Pills were used to restore one’s Spiritual Energy. They allowed the user to expend slightly more Spiritual Energy for a short duration, but the effect was minimal—better than nothing—and could not be stacked.
If a mortal were to use one, it would make their body a little stronger.
They cost two low-grade spirit stones a piece.
This price might seem low, but considering that more than fifty meat patties had cost only two low-grade spirit stones, it was clear mortals couldn’t afford them. Mortals primarily used regular Silver Coins and had no way to obtain so many Spirit Stones, so naturally, they couldn’t afford such Elixir Pills.
Other, rarer Elixir Pills were generally produced by a Medicine Sect.
Wang’an County had no Medicine Sect, as this was already Feique Sect territory. The nearest Medicine Sect was in the next town over.
Spiritual Medicine, on the other hand, was purchased through a centralized system across the Yunzhou Continent.
A Wu was here this time to purchase Spirit Grass saplings. A pharmacy in Wang’an County was responsible for selling these very saplings.
The price wasn’t high—ten saplings for just one low-grade spirit stone—but the success of cultivation varied from person to person.
Mortals couldn’t grow them, as they needed to be nurtured with a Cultivator’s Spiritual Energy.
There was also fertilizer available—a potion made from First-rank spirit grass. One bottle cost one low-grade spirit stone and was enough for a small plot of land.
The resulting Spirit Grass—Blood Pearl Grass and Beneficial Spirit Grass—were the raw materials for Blood Replenishing Pills and Qi Replenishing Pills, respectively.
Since the Elixir Pills were cheap, the Spirit Grass was naturally inexpensive as well.
A Wu said, "It’s considered a success if even a few of the saplings survive. If you get lucky and cultivate one to Second Rank or higher, you’ve struck it rich! A single Second-rank plant can sell for ten low-grade spirit stones."
On the Yunzhou Continent, Spirit Grass and demon beasts, much like Cultivators’ realms, were graded by Rank.
The higher the Rank, the rarer the item.
The difference between Spirit Grass and ordinary plants was that Spirit Grass was covered in a faint layer of Spiritual Energy. It was invisible to the naked eye of a mortal, but to a Cultivator, it looked like it had a shimmering light effect, making it very easy to identify.
Jiang Ya asked A Wu, "Senior Brother, is it really that difficult?"
"Of course it is!" A Wu scratched his head. "I’ve been growing Spirit Grass for years, and I only managed to get a Second-rank Blood Pearl Grass once by a complete fluke. I have no idea how I did it."
Han Tian also asked, "Then what’s the highest Rank a single plant of Spiritual Medicine can reach?"
A Wu looked a little lost. "Uh... I’m not really sure. Blood Pearl Grass and Beneficial Spirit Grass are too common. The highest I’ve ever heard of them reaching is the Third Rank."
"With Spirit Grass, any rank is possible. There are even legends that disciples of the Medicine Sect can cultivate Spirit Grass of the Fourth Rank and higher from mere saplings."
The pharmacy owner, having overheard them, ambled out.
He was the local proprietor, an ordinary Loose Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage. He had been doing business with Elixir Pills here for a long time. Since the Feique Sect in Wang’an County didn’t produce its own medicine, this shopkeeper’s presence was actually quite important.
The pharmacy owner said, "A Wu, I have two relatively rare plants here, a Soul Resurrection Grass and a Solid Essence Grass. You want ’em?"
"What would I do with these?" A Wu wrinkled his nose. "Soul Resurrection Grass is the main ingredient for the Third-rank Reviving Pill, and Solid Essence Grass is for the Fourth-rank Solid Qi Pill. I can’t even keep Blood Pearl Grass alive; you expect me to grow these?"
The pharmacy owner sighed. "I came across them by chance. The Feique Sect said they wouldn’t buy them. I’ve only got these two, and I’ll let them go cheap—four low-grade spirit stones for the pair. If you don’t want them, I’ll just save them for when the people from the Taohua Sect next door come to collect supplies."
Despite its tacky name, the Taohua Sect was the Medicine Sect in the neighboring town.
It was named that simply because its Sect Master went by the nickname ’the Peach Blossom Cultivator’.
Four low-grade spirit stones was indeed a bargain. Although they were High-level Spiritual Grass, they were still fairly common.
But that was for Cultivators who could actually grow them successfully.
Even someone in the Golden Core Stage couldn’t guarantee they could keep these things alive, to say nothing of someone in the Qi Refinement Realm.
They were practically guaranteed to die on you.
But Jiang Ya’s eyes flickered with interest.
Han Tian and Zhou Xiao also caught on.
’What are we lacking right now?’
’Knowledge of the Yunzhou Continent! Plus, back at the Sect, Chen Miaomiao is studying Spirit Grass.’
The three exchanged a glance, and Zhou Xiao spoke first. "Senior Brother, we’ve never seen anything like them before. We’re really curious. Why don’t we buy them and take them back to study?"
"Huh?"
A Wu was dumbfounded.
"But that’s four low-grade spirit stones! That’s enough for a big meal for all of us." A Wu counted on his fingers, his face scrunched in distress. "The Sect doesn’t have much money left. My latest crop of Spirit Grass hasn’t been harvested yet, so I don’t know how much it’ll sell for."
The Sect Master had practically handed over all the Sect’s assets for him to buy Spirit Grass.
It was their only way to make money, so he had to provide the initial capital.
His words were so pitiful they could make someone cry.
Even the pharmacy owner drew in a sharp breath. "To be this poor and still dare to recruit new disciples... What is your Sect Master thinking?"
A Wu: "..."
Han Tian frowned. "Senior Brother, don’t worry. We’ll figure out a way to make money."
’We can’t just let everyone starve to death.’
’If that happens, the Sect Master won’t be the one losing face.’
’It’ll be us players.’
’I refuse to believe that modern knowledge is completely useless here on a Cultivation Continent!’
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