Chapter 62: Reserving the Green Water Viper's Blood
Chapter 62: Reserving the Green Water Viper's Blood
"We must not delay, Brother Wu. Why don't you take me to your friend's place now?" Lu Chen set down his wine cup and looked at the Wu cultivator expectantly.
"I'm not sure if he's home right now... But since Brother Lu seems to be in a hurry, there must be something important. Let's go and pay him a visit." Seeing Lu Chen's eagerness, and having some free time himself, the Wu cultivator agreed and led Lu Chen out toward the snake-catching cultivator's home.
After walking for about two hours, the two arrived at a dark green stone cottage.
The cottage was spacious, but as they approached, a chill ran through them, as if the very air around it was infused with a sinister coldness.
As Lu Chen followed the Wu cultivator into the stone cottage, his skin prickled from the chilling aura that permeated the place, causing goosebumps to rise all over his body.
No sooner had they entered than a emerald viper slithered out and stopped a short distance away, its tongue flicking in and out.
"Little Green, come back. It's Uncle Wu," a slightly immature voice called out from within the cottage. Soon after, the voice whispered softly, and the viper before Lu Chen and the Wu cultivator transformed into a green light and retreated back the way it came.
A boy of thirteen or fourteen years emerged, and the viper instantly slid into the boy's sleeve.
Despite the viper's large size, there was no indication from the boy's slender frame that he was harboring such a creature within, as if they had merged into one entity.
Only then did Lu Chen get a clear look at the boy's appearance—he was slender, with pale skin, narrow eyes, and thin lips. When he smiled at the Wu cultivator, his slightly sharp teeth showed through.
"Uncle Wu, my father is out. Only my grandfather and I are home," the boy named Yu Jie informed them.
"I know. We're here on another matter today," the Wu cultivator replied.
The Wu cultivator proceeded to introduce Lu Chen and Yu Jie to each other. Lu Chen learned that Yu Jie lived with his grandfather and father, who was often away hunting snake-type magical beasts for a living.
"My grandfather is in the backyard tending to the young snakes!" Yu Jie said curiously, glancing at Lu Chen before dutifully walking into the backyard to call his grandfather out.
"Uncle Yu Tong, this is my neighbor, a Spirit Herbologist named Lu Chen."
"Brother Yu, this elderly gentleman is my friend's father, Senior Yu Tong," the Wu cultivator introduced them to each other.
Lu Chen greeted the elderly man respectfully.
The three of them sat down inside the cottage, and Yu Jie soon returned with a tray bearing three cups of hot tea. He then quietly sat in a corner, remaining silent but occasionally glancing at Lu Chen with curious eyes.
Lu Chen found the boy's gaze peculiar, as if he were being scrutinized by a venomous snake, though he sensed no malice, only pure curiosity.
When Yu Jie realized Lu Chen had turned to look at him, he shyly lowered his head.
"Is Brother Yu Tong out?" the Wu cultivator asked the elderly man.
"Yes, he's gone out to the wilderness. When he returns, remind me to get some fresh snake bones and gallbladder from him," the old man replied slowly.
"There's no rush for that. This time, I've come here with my neighbor, Brother Lu, as he has a request for you," the Wu cultivator explained their purpose for the visit.
"I've heard that your family has made a living capturing snakes for generations, and that you possess unique secret techniques for hunting snake-type magical beasts," Lu Chen said.
"I wanted to ask about the usual disposition of the blood from the slain snake demons."
"The blood of snake-type magical beasts?" Yu Tong inquired.
"Its usage isn't very widespread. We only bring the blood back when there are cultivators with special requirements or when the blood of the slain snake beast holds some value," Lu Chen nodded.
The old man continued, "Since the blood needs to be kept as fresh as possible and can't be stored for long, we don't bring it back often."
"It's usually used as an ingredient by alchemists for refining certain special pills, or occasionally, a cultivator might need it for their cultivation technique."
Nodding in satisfaction, Lu Chen continued, "I require a consistent supply of snake blood, preferably mid-grade or higher. High-grade would be ideal."
As for top-grade, that was out of the question. A top-grade serpentine demon was equivalent to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and even if they stumbled upon one in the wilderness, the outcome for a mere sixth-layer Qi Refining serpent-catcher like Wu would be disastrous.
"Mid-grade snake-type demon beasts... Let me think. There's one called the Green Water Viper, its blood a mix of red and green, useful for refining a particular detox pill. What do you think?" Yu Tong pondered for a moment before replying to Lu Chen's request.
"As long as you can supply it consistently, that won't be a problem."
Lu Chen suspected that using serpent blood with unique properties to nourish the Dragonvine might induce unusual changes in addition to promoting its rapid growth.
"Providing it consistently is doable, but the quantity won't be substantial since Green Water Vipers of that grade aren't exactly common, and they can be quite challenging to deal with," Yu Tong cautioned.
"How much would it cost?" Lu Chen asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Ten spirit stones per pound. What do you say?" The elderly Yu Tong ventured, gauging Lu Chen's reaction.
Lu Chen had to struggle to maintain his composure. He had recently acquired a tiny vial of Twin-winged Golden Serpent blood from the Wanbao Building, and it had cost him a hefty sum of seven spirit stones.
While the price had been slightly inflated due to the advance order, the comparison was stark: seven spirit stones for less than a pound of low-grade serpent blood versus ten spirit stones for a pound of mid-grade serpent demon blood. The better deal was obvious.
"Those middlemen really know how to rake in the profits..." Lu Chen mused to himself, realizing how much the snake blood's price had surged after passing through the Wanbao Building's hands.
Obtaining the raw materials directly from the source, the Yu family, would save him a considerable amount of spirit stones, not to mention the steady supply of mid-grade serpent blood that could foster unforeseen benefits for his Dragonvine. This rare opportunity prompted the usually frugal Lu Chen to set aside his haggling instincts.
"Alright, agreed," he said, nodding in acceptance.
Yu Tong and the young Yu Jie couldn't help but smile in satisfaction at Lu Chen's agreement.
In the past, unless specifically requested by cultivators, the serpent blood they brought back rarely fetched a good price, often languishing unsold and eventually discarded. Only the blood of low-grade or mid-grade serpents could turn a modest profit.
With the Green Water Viper's blood priced at ten spirit stones per pound, they stood to make a much higher profit, and the slight risk associated with hunting mid-grade serpentine demons was negligible compared to the financial gain.
Moreover, the Green Water Viper was prized not only for its blood but also for its rare hide, bones, gallbladder, and venom.
The prospect of hunting these mid-grade serpents had the once-retired Yu Tong eager to relive his glory days.
A simple contract was drawn up between the parties. As the Yu family didn't currently have any Green Water Viper blood in stock, Lu Chen left five spirit stones as a deposit, promising to pay the remainder when Yu Jie's father returned with the serpent blood.
Before Lu Chen took his leave, the elderly Yu Tong insisted on slaughtering a low-grade demon snake from their collection and presenting Lu Chen with a full bottle of its blood as a gift.
Despite Lu Chen's repeated refusals, he eventually accepted the gift, unable to turn it down any longer.
(End of Chapter)
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