"May I ask how much Blazing Sun raw material you require?" Xilutaiya held her folding fan in one hand, lightly tapping it against her palm in imitation of Madame Falan, putting on an air that signaled she would not be easily fooled.
"The more, the better, of course."
The man made no pretense of modesty, opening his mouth wide to demand as much as possible, indicating he could take it all.
The young girl shook her head slightly. Who negotiated like that? She had not even stated her terms or compensation yet.
"My teacher did cultivate quite a few Blazing Sun sunflowers, but that took immense effort. Moreover, some of the yield was reserved long ago by friends, so it cannot all be handed over to you," Xilutaiya politely declined.
"I understand, which is why I specially prepared a gift for you today." It seemed the man had planned this well in advance.
Like a magician performing a sleight of hand, the capable merchant produced a compact box from his sleeve. He set the octagonal prism on the table and pressed a button; it unfolded layer by layer like a blooming lotus, revealing a piece of jade within that radiated a wondrous glow.
[Glow Prehnite] (First-Order · Emerald Honey): An exceptionally rare emerald-glowing gemstone that occasionally forms alongside stalactites. Extremely heat-resistant, it is well-suited for extending abilities of the Emerald Honey attribute.
Even though it was only of the first order, considering the gemstone's rarity, its value was roughly ten times higher than an ordinary first-order transcendent item.
*At least one hundred gold coins,* the girl silently appraised.
"This is a special piece of prehnite. It can hold the power of the Emerald Honey attribute and assist related abilities." If crafted into a ring, it could enhance the effects of Xilutaiya's Dew Prayer Method and Bloom Art by about thirty percent.
"Such a gemstone is indeed precious, but compared to the transaction we are discussing, it is far from enough." The girl snapped open her folding fan to veil half her face, leaving only her gem-bright blue eyes exposed.
"Do not rush, Miss Anluo'er. I have prepared other things for you as well." The merchant had truly done his homework, which explained his boundless confidence.
Reaching somewhere unknown once again, he produced a jar of amber-colored liquid and set it on the table. The fluid inside was viscous like honey, speckled with tiny bubbles, though it was certainly not honey.
"Miss Anluo'er, this is a rare resin I obtained from the Hude Duchy. It can be used to craft many rare tools and can also be paired with that prehnite to forge a unique weapon known as a Tree Jade Spirit Sword."
[Chiffon Pine Resin] (First-Order · Emerald Honey): Resin from the transcendent plant known as Chiffon Pine. Yields are scarce and applications broad; it is often used in clarity lenses, emerald glass, precision instrument parts, and more.
Another rarity. But what was the Tree Jade Spirit Sword he spoke of? It was the first time Xilutaiya had ever heard the term.
As if realizing Xilutaiya's unfamiliarity, Lining stepped forward and spoke up: "Would you please introduce the Tree Jade Spirit Sword, sir?"
"Naturally. In fact, regarding the forging method of the Tree Jade Spirit Sword, I have a blueprint right here, which I can include as part of the gift." The man pulled out a folded sheet of paper and handed it to the maid.
[Tree Jade Spirit Sword] (Emerald Honey): A blade forged through a special secret art, combining prehnite and resin endowed with the Emerald Honey attribute. When channeled with the attribute power of Emerald Honey, it can automatically mend chipped edges, sharpen itself, and demonstrate superb resilience.
Ordinary steel weapons inevitably suffered notches upon clashing against hard objects, but a blade crafted from resin could harden and soften in an instant under the manipulation of the Emerald Honey attribute. In this way, it possessed both hardness, sharpness, and flexible impact resistance; even if notched, it could repair itself through its own viscous flow.
Forging a blade purely out of resin inevitably meant a lack of rigidity and sharpness, as well as an intolerance to high heat. The properties of prehnite, however, neatly overcame both drawbacks, making the two a match made in heaven that complemented one another marvelously.
Such a weapon was precisely what Xilutaiya, who lacked combat methods, desperately needed. She did not know how he had found out, or perhaps it was purely a guess, as most gardeners in the lower tiers lacked means to handle combat.
Resting her fingers lightly against her chin beneath her sleeve, Xilutaiya tilted her head to look at the items on the table, pondering the offer.
"Could you state how much Blazing Sun seed oil you expect to obtain from my teacher?"
Seeing the young lady relent, the man stroked his mustache, thought for a moment, and replied, "We hope to secure at least five hundred bottles of Sunseed Oil this time."
Five hundred bottles... Xilutaiya closed her folding fan and tapped it against her palm.
"That is too much. At most, we can give you three hundred bottles."
In truth, there were about seven hundred bottles of Sunseed Oil in the underground storeroom, but that was Madame Falan's accumulation over many years; Xilutaiya could not simply sell off all her teacher's stock at once.
"Three hundred bottles is acceptable as well. We are willing to purchase them at three gold coins per bottle. Would that be acceptable to Miss Anluo'er?" This price was middling at best.
Considering the extra time and effort it would take to sell them elsewhere, selling at this price was by no means a loss, but neither was it particularly lucrative.
"At three gold coins a bottle, I cannot account for it to my teacher." Anluo'er shook her head. "At least four gold coins a bottle." She held up four slender fingers.
"Agreed."
The man agreed so quickly that Xilutaiya immediately wondered if she was cut out for business at all. He could have at least haggled with her a bit to let her know whether the price was actually appropriate!
Still, since she had already given her word, she was not the type to back out at the last second.
"Then let us proceed to discuss transport and delivery." Knowing she was out of her depth on this matter, Xilutaiya raised her hand and beckoned Lining closer.
"Please go fetch Madame Kali from the Gardener Guild. Tell her there is a business matter I do not understand and require her help with."
"Understood, Miss." Lining acknowledged the order and stepped out of the parlor.
Before long, the maid returned, so quickly that Xilutaiya wondered whether she had even left the premises.
"I have notified Madame Kali. She should arrive shortly." Lining offered no explanation of how she had sent word, and Xilutaiya could hardly press her in front of a guest, so she simply nodded with an air of knowing.
Regarding Xilutaiya's move to call in outside help, the merchant took no offense. He simply sipped his tea in silence, as if everything were entirely within his expectations.
Roughly ten minutes later, a carriage pulled up before the manor. Soon afterward, Madame Kali, dressed in a dark green gown, walked in accompanied by two attendants.
"Long time no see, Anluo'er~" She came over to Xilutaiya first to greet her before sitting down, her gaze sweeping over the man across the table.
"Greetings, Madame Kali." The man seemed to have heard her name before.
"Hello. Though I believe this is our first time meeting," Kali said, certain she had never laid eyes on him before.
"Indeed. My name is Albayue, from Windcliff City. I am a representative of the local Bronze Halberd Merchant Association, commissioned by the local guild and the city lord to procure crucial raw materials."
"The Bronze Halberd Merchant Association, and from Windcliff City... It seems you are procuring on behalf of the military, then." Kali recalled something.
The Bronze Halberd Merchant Association was dedicated to the production of military equipment, employing many blacksmiths and armorers. Many high-ranking nobles turned to them to purchase weapons and equip their private guards. By centralizing the procurement of raw materials and manufacturing, the Bronze Halberd Merchant Association could drive down costs while maintaining consistent quality, earning high praise from many clients.
"For you to venture into healing potions this time, you must have partnered with your local Apothecary Guild."
At present, the apothecaries within the Raygas Principality were largely affiliated with the Apothecary Guild Alliance. Their credentials and training remained firmly in the hands of the Apothecary Guild, leaving little room for other merchant associations to interfere.
"I am a friend of Sister Falan's. She is not home today, so Anluo'er is handling many matters in her stead. Still, as an elder, it is only right that I help look over things. I hope Mr. Albayue does not mind." Even if he did, it would hardly matter; Kali's words were merely polite protocol.
Kali then asked about the price negotiated earlier, as well as the quantity and conditions. Tapping her finger in thought, she spoke up:
"Four gold coins is still too little. At least five gold coins per bottle."
"No, no, Madame Kali, this price is already exceedingly fair and sincere. In fact, I only offered such a generous rate entirely out of consideration for Miss Anluo'er." Albayue shook his head.
"The market price for a bottle of Basic Healing Potion is roughly twenty silver coins, with effects including stopping bleeding and preliminary wound closure."
"Using one bottle of Sunseed Oil as a refining ingredient alongside other herbs, one can brew twenty-four bottles of Basic Healing Potion, which equals four hundred and eighty silver coins—roughly 4.8 gold coins."
"At that price, we are left with scarcely any profit, and you must also factor in preservation costs and the apothecary's cut." Far from turning a profit, they might even take a loss.
"That is hardly the full story." Kali shook her head in disagreement.
"You only mentioned Basic Healing Potions."
"If one bottle of Sunseed Oil is used as an ingredient in the production of Intermediate Healing Potions, it yields eight bottles, and each bottle of Intermediate Healing Potion sells for one gold coin, bringing the total to eight gold coins." Framed like that, it was indeed profitable.
"You must know that one gold coin per bottle is the retail price. The military contracts we fulfill will never fetch that high a rate, or we would never secure the bid in the first place," Albayue argued reasonably.
The two went back and forth, but Albayue seemed to have dug his heels in, clinging stubbornly to the price of four gold coins per bottle without yielding an inch, much to Kali's displeasure.
Seeing the negotiations stall, Xilutaiya had no choice but to step in and break the deadlock.
"Setting the price aside for a moment, let us discuss delivery and transportation."
"Given the lack of manpower at the manor, we cannot transport the goods to Windcliff City for you. You must send your own people here to collect them," Xilutaiya stated.
"That poses no issue." Albayue was not keen on entrusting such expensive goods to outsiders for transport anyway.
"Next is the matter of inspection upon delivery. Please inspect them in person before removing them from the manor. Once they leave the premises, we will no longer be held responsible for any damage."
"That is acceptable. However, we must also account for transit losses. Thus, I ask Miss Anluo'er to agree that for every hundred bottles purchased, two complimentary bottles are provided to offset potential loss."
Xilutaiya considered this. If she refused, relying solely on herself and Madame Falan to sell the stock would be quite troublesome, and such transit losses were indeed inevitable.
"Agreed." She tapped her palm with her folding fan and accepted the condition.
Seeing Xilutaiya agree, Kali said nothing more. In truth, just as Albayue had stated, the price was quite good. For ingredients of other attributes, a bottle might only be worth one gold coin; quadrupling the price for the rare Blazing Sun attribute was already a handsome return.
"Then let us sign the contract." With that, the merchant produced a unique sheet of parchment crafted by the Candle Fortress School, imbued with the Secret Words attribute to prevent forgery. Once signed, it would split into two identical duplicate copies, and the text on the parchment would be overlaid by generated patterns to guard against tampering.
The price of this single sheet of parchment alone was worth several gold coins; ordinary contracts would never warrant its use.
Chapter 66