Chapter Eighty-Four: Two Vermilion Fruits
Lin Yi’s generosity took Old Wei by surprise, making him wonder if this wild grass was truly a treasure. Yet, he quickly dismissed the thought. What did it matter if it was valuable? What he needed now was a healing pill to treat his grandson.
“Young man, give me the pill and take the herb,” Old Wei said.
Lin Yi shook his head, “I don’t have any healing pills on me right now.”
Old Wei’s face darkened in anger, “Are you playing games with me? You gave me hope, are you going to snatch it away again?”
Lin Yi replied calmly, “Don’t be anxious. Though I don’t have healing pills, this should be worth ten of them.”
With that, Lin Yi took out a jade bottle and poured out a Cultivation Essence Pill.
The greatest effect of the Cultivation Essence Pill was to strengthen the foundation and essence, and it could also be used to repair injuries. The best pills Lin Yi carried were spirit pills, refined from golden cores mixed with spiritual marrow and various ingredients. Next came the Cultivation Essence Pill, Beauty Pill, and Pure Heart Pill. Lastly, the Qi and Blood Pill, which was mainly used to boost vitality and was most effective for those below the innate realm.
Despite its potency, Old Wei didn’t recognize the Cultivation Essence Pill.
“What kind of pill is this? I’ve never seen it. Give me back my spiritual herb,” Old Wei said, snatching the Spirit-Nurturing Grass away.
He might not know its worth, but someone else did.
Butterfly Dress, who was trading with the crowd, caught a whiff and her nose twitched. “Such pure medicinal power.”
Following the scent, Butterfly Dress spotted the pill in Lin Yi’s hand.
“A Cultivation Essence Pill!” Her eyes lit up. In Butterfly Valley, this pill was among the hardest to refine. Even her master succeeded only once in ten attempts. She had not expected to encounter a Cultivation Essence Pill here, let alone one marked with nine pill patterns, which multiplied its value.
She found it amusing that people would ignore such a precious pill and request mere healing pills instead. This was the ignorance brought by limited vision.
Healing pills were the most basic type, mainly for internal injuries, but slow to take effect and incomparable to the Cultivation Essence Pill.
Butterfly Dress walked lightly toward Lin Yi, bringing a fragrant breeze.
“Is this your Cultivation Essence Pill?” she asked, her eyes burning as she looked at the pill in his hand.
From afar, she’d only seen the pill markings, but up close, she realized it was a nine-patterned Cultivation Essence Pill.
Just this single pill could fetch billions, with countless buyers.
“Yes,” Lin Yi nodded.
Butterfly Dress licked her lips, her gaze seductive, “Name your price. I want this pill.”
Her words startled the crowd, and everyone’s eyes heatedly focused on Lin Yi’s pill.
Especially Old Wei, who quickly placed the Spirit-Nurturing Grass back into Lin Yi’s hand, urging, “Young man, weren’t we trading?”
Someone protested, “Old Wei, that’s unfair—trading a mere wild grass for a Cultivation Essence Pill!”
“Mind your own business. We agreed on this beforehand,” Old Wei retorted, though his heart raced. If only he’d agreed earlier; now everyone knew the pill’s value, and he feared the herb might end up stuck with him.
Butterfly Dress was determined not to let such a rare pill slip away and quickly said, “Young man, I’ll refine pills for you ten times for free, and we’ll provide all the ingredients. Sell me that Cultivation Essence Pill.”
Lin Yi shook his head, “I don’t need that.”
He was already proficient in alchemy, with a unique pill flame and golden core. Refining pills was easy; he had no need to rely on others.
Butterfly Dress hadn’t expected a rejection. Those ten free refinements were worth at least a billion.
Old Wei, displeased, said to her, “Miss, don’t you know first come, first served?”
“This young man hasn’t traded yet. Naturally, it goes to the highest bidder,” Butterfly Dress replied, her temperament far kinder than other grandmasters.
“You, you…” Old Wei was furious.
Ignoring him, Butterfly Dress raised her offer, “How about this—I’ll add a hundred-year-old spiritual herb.”
Lin Yi asked, “What kind of herb?”
“Vermilion Fruit.”
Lin Yi was tempted. Vermilion Fruit could temper the body and enhance his pill and artifact flames.
But compared to the Spirit-Nurturing Grass, Vermilion Fruit was clearly of lesser value.
“It seems you recognize Vermilion Fruit. How about it—is this enough?” Butterfly Dress smiled behind her hand.
Lin Yi shook his head, “Two Vermilion Fruits. I don’t need you to refine pills for me.”
She hesitated for a moment, then agreed to his request. Cultivation Essence Pills were already hard to refine, let alone one with nine patterns.
“Here you go,” Lin Yi said, tossing the pill to her.
Butterfly Dress paused, then smiled, “You’re so direct—aren’t you afraid I’ll run off?”
Lin Yi replied, “No. There are plenty of witnesses, and no one can owe me anything.”
Butterfly Dress stared at Lin Yi, finding him more and more interesting. He seemed unremarkable, yet he carried priceless pills and spoke with confidence.
With a casual wave, she produced two bright red fruits in her palm.
“I, Butterfly Dress, never owe anyone. Here are the Vermilion Fruits—check them yourself.” She tossed them to Lin Yi.
He caught the fruits and immediately stored them, delighted. Wandering around really did pay off—trading a Cultivation Essence Pill for two Vermilion Fruits was an unexpected windfall.
It made sense; pills had different values in the eyes of different people.
Old Wei sighed, picked up his herb, and prepared to leave.
Lin Yi quickly called out, “Sir, where are you going? Aren’t we trading?”
He hadn’t yet received the Spirit-Nurturing Grass; how could he let Old Wei leave?
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“Young man, do you still have that kind of pill?” Old Wei asked.
“Yes.”
Lin Yi poured out another Cultivation Essence Pill from the jade bottle.
Butterfly Dress’s eyes widened. One nine-patterned Cultivation Essence Pill was shocking enough, but he had another.
“Young man, where did you get these pills?” Butterfly Dress couldn’t help but ask, unable to contain her curiosity.
“I refined them myself,” Lin Yi said, not bothering to hide it. Knowing this exchange would bring good things, he intended to trade as much as possible.
“You made them yourself? Impossible.” Butterfly Dress didn’t believe him. Even her master struggled to refine Cultivation Essence Pills, and Lin Yi, a young man with no trace of inner energy, was unlikely to have succeeded—especially with nine patterns.
“Believe it or not,” Lin Yi shrugged indifferently.
“You…” Butterfly Dress was annoyed by his attitude.
Suppressing her irritation, she asked gently, “How many Cultivation Essence Pills do you have left?”
“Not many—about twenty,” Lin Yi answered truthfully.
“Twenty?” Butterfly Dress swallowed, incredulous. “Are they all nine-patterned?”
“Yes,” Lin Yi nodded.
Butterfly Dress was at a loss for words, suddenly feeling she’d gotten the short end of the deal trading just two Vermilion Fruits.
Old Wei, realizing Lin Yi had so many pills, hurried to complete the trade.
Lin Yi handed him the Cultivation Essence Pill, and Butterfly Dress asked, “Do you know what this herb is?”
She couldn’t believe Lin Yi would trade such a valuable pill for a mere wild grass.
Old Wei was curious as well, ears perked; the herb had been with him for ten years, and he wanted to know what his grandson had struggled to obtain.
Lin Yi smiled. Now that the Spirit-Nurturing Grass was his, he didn’t hide it.
“This is actually Spirit-Nurturing Grass,” Lin Yi said.
None of the crowd had heard of it, including Butterfly Dress, who frowned slightly.
She asked, “What’s it used for?”
“Taken directly, it increases lifespan by fifty years and stabilizes the soul. If refined into a pill, its effects can be further enhanced,” Lin Yi explained.
No one had expected that the humble wild grass was so miraculous.
Just the increase in lifespan alone made it priceless.
Butterfly Dress was secretly frustrated, realizing she’d just let such a treasure slip away.
“Young man, are you telling the truth?” Butterfly Dress was still skeptical; no one had seen or heard of Spirit-Nurturing Grass.
“Of course.” Lin Yi nodded, then addressed the crowd, “If anyone has good spiritual herbs, jade, or rare stones, I’m willing to trade Cultivation Essence Pills.”
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