章 12: Section 13: My fiancée has a guild
編集者: Henyee Translations
On the third morning, Zhenjin slowly awakened.
Peace reigns.
He had rested well the previous night, no longer lying on a hard stone floor but on a layer of soft, dry branches and leaves.
These were specially collected for Zhenjin by Zi Di.
Thinking about his fiancée, a wave of warmth surged in Zhenjin's heart.
But Zi Di was not nearby.
He remembered that last night before sleeping, Zi Di had suggested to Zhenjin: She would draw some of Zhenjin's blood to check if there were any remnants of the Fire Poison left, and if possible, determine Zhenjin's true cultivation level.
Zhenjin agreed.
"This girl… Did she not rest the whole night?" Zhenjin's face slightly darkened, and he started worrying.
Although he had fallen asleep, he was confident—if there were any disturbances nearby, he would immediately sense it.
Looking at the other side of the straw bed, Zhenjin saw it was very puffy, with no signs of being pressed down. Zhenjin was sure that Zi Di had not slept there last night.
She had entered the depths of the cave and never came out.
Zhenjin got up and ventured into the cave.
Zi Di had set up a temporary potion preparation area deep within the cave.
During the two days Zhenjin was recovering, she seldom went out. Even when she did, she stayed close to the cave. Most of the time, besides attending to Zhenjin, she was busy concocting her potions in the cave.
As expected, Zhenjin found Zi Di kneeling among several pits.
These pits varied in size, with large ones holding treated blood, bones, and fur of wild beasts, and small ones filled with various potions, resembling a miniature dye workshop in vivid colors.
"My lord, you are awake?" Hearing him, Zi Di looked back at Zhenjin but didn't stand up, her hands still busy mixing potions.
"Forgive my rudeness, my lord, I am in the middle of preparing a potion." Zi Di shook the glass bottle in her hand while sprinkling sand-like ingredients with her other fingers.
The glass bottle was only the size of an adult's finger, and the potion inside looked like bear blood, dark red in color.
The fine sand-like ingredients dissolved into the potion, adhering to the inner wall of the glass bottle.
Zi Di stared intently at the glass bottle, sometimes adding more sand, sometimes scooping some bear blood from the pits to add.
Finally, achieving a certain balance, the sand inside the glass bottle completely dissolved with nothing left.
Slightly nodding in satisfaction, Zi Di corked the glass bottle and placed it on a wooden rack nearby.
The rack was crudely constructed from dead branches, almost filled with glass bottles.
Seeing the wild game potions in these bottles, Zhenjin couldn't help but ask, "So, you spent the whole night making these potions? Isn't it exhausting?"
"Thank you for your concern, my lord." Zi Di smiled, explaining immediately, "If I don't make them soon, the bear blood will become ineffective. These are valuable materials. It's a pity I lack proper tools now. Using such high-grade bear blood for wild game potions is too extravagant!"
Most magic materials have a limited effective period. Once expired, their value significantly decreases.
Zhenjin nodded, acknowledging Zi Di's efforts, "You've worked hard."
As he spoke, he kept looking at the glass bottles, his gaze almost fixed.
How strange.
He felt a craving for the sweet aroma coming from the bottles, a deep-seated urge to drink the bear blood.
"Am I too hungry?" Zhenjin quickly suppressed this odd feeling.
Honestly, he had not had a satisfying meal in two days of rest. Although he was recovering well, he carefully controlled his food intake.
"Now that the bear and leopard blood are used up, we must deal with this meat." Zi Di licked her dry lips. Long hours of work had left sweat all over her forehead.
From the pit, she took a piece of beast meat, covered it with green and yellow herbs, then took a small potion bottle from her bag and poured its contents slowly.
The potion was not in a glass bottle but seemed to be made of dark ironwood.
The poured liquid quickly spread and released a pungent smell.
Ssssss...
A slight corrosive sound followed, leaving the once plump meat severely shriveled.
Stretching out her hand, Zi Di tore the dried meat into strips, then kneaded it constantly. The strips of dried meat turned into meat floss after pressing.
The past two days, besides dry rations, meat floss was Zhenjin's main food.
They didn't make a fire.
Having learned a tough lesson from the Fire Poison Bees, they were overly cautious about making a fire.
Additionally, it was inconvenient to make a fire in the cave, as it could cause oxygen deficiency, smoke pollution, or even poisoning.
Though the processed meat floss tasted horrible, it retained its nutrients and killed any bacteria or toxins in the flesh.
"These are fine magic materials, and they would fetch a good amount of gold coins outside. Such a waste! Even a basic crucible would be better now!" Zi Di shook her head regretfully as she processed the ingredients.
Zhenjin smiled, not urging the exhausted Zi Di to rest but sitting cross-legged beside her, "How can I help?"
Zi Di grinned, "Since you offered, my lord, I won't be polite."
Zi Di focused on delicate potion work while Zhenjin tore the dried meat into floss.
Their efficiency significantly increased through cooperation.
In the process, Zhenjin awkwardly noticed that several pits in the corner stored his urine and feces from the past few days.
"Researching these helps me analyze your physical condition," Zi Di said casually. "Unfortunately, I can't determine your true cultivation level."
"Also, I wanted to recreate the healing potion used on you. If it really healed your wounds, its formula would be invaluable!"
"Such a research approach—isn't that worthy of a mage?" Zhenjin wondered, nodding. "You did the right thing. Any findings?"
Zi Di sighed, her expression dimming, "The situation was urgent then. I acted on instinct for crucial steps. I can't estimate the ratios of the ingredients used. Recreating the potion is impossible. I'll do my best."
"However, I did discover something else. Combining bear blood and ores, I made two potions, one for ignition and one for flame resistance."
Zhenjin nodded. After helping Zi Di process all the meat, he patted her shoulder and suggested, "Let's eat something."
They shared some dry rations, freshly made meat floss, and water.
The water was warm.
Though they didn't make a fire, they heated the water using ores.
In such conditions, a sip of warm water offered the greatest comfort. As the warmth traveled down their throats and settled in their stomachs, it felt like a gentle embrace from within.
There was plenty of food, but water was scarce. They both drank sparingly. After a few sips, Zhenjin asked, "Tell me about yourself, Zi Di."
Zi Di nodded, "My lord, I am indeed your fiancée."
"Then, which family do you belong to? Where is your family estate?"
Zi Di bitterly smiled, "My lord, you overestimate me. I am not a noble, just a merchant from a family of traders."
"Oh?" Zhenjin raised an eyebrow, surprised by her answer.
Nobles typically married within their own class.
Some nobles married even among close relatives to maintain pure bloodlines.
"So, have you awakened an upper-class bloodline?" Zhenjin asked.
It's possible.
Nobles often had mistresses and many illegitimate children.
Genealogy alone could not confirm true bloodlines.
History records lower nobles with strong upper-class bloodlines, or commoners suddenly exhibiting great potential, tracing back to some upper noble ancestor.
Such individuals with strong bloodlines were often recruited into noble families.
But Zi Di shook her head again, showing slight bitterness, "Sorry for disappointing you, my lord. My bloodline is ordinary. Reaching Black Iron level used up nearly all my potential."
"I am not a noble, nor do I have noble ancestors. My father was the previous chairman of the Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce. Now, I lead the guild."
"Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce? That sounds familiar… Wait, could it be that?"
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