CHAPTER 47: CHAPTER 047 CREDIT

The trade went more smoothly than expected.

White Ivy felt even happier seeing Ink Orchid so delighted.

The trade of this Divine-Given Seed was now secured, marking her first customer in her Roving Merchant career to own such a seed.

However, this Little Dragon Cypress...

Melde had warned her before she came. This fellow had been with the caravan for a year, was familiar with the caravan’s goods, and understood the trade rules. He was also quite cunning, so she had to be careful.

True enough, the Little Ant King kept asking for small gifts.

Finally, Dragon Cypress expressed his gratitude, indicating that it was enough. "White Ivy Mountain Lord, thank you."

I’d love to crush him with my claw, White Ivy thought, but outwardly feigned generosity. "It’s nothing. You’re welcome."

Dragon Cypress asked, "Do you have any Large Fruit Ghost Fan seeds?"

White Ivy was momentarily speechless.

Then, White Ivy said, "No. If you need them, we can help you get some. Melde will bring them over next year."

"Okay, then next year," Dragon Cypress said, speaking hesitantly and evasively. "We have a large area of wild Ghost Fans in our territory... very nice... I plan to establish a few Ghost Fan orchards."

"Oh! Ghost Fans are barely considered a top-quality Life Seed choice," White Ivy agreed, then quickly added, "All accounts settled, trade completed. It was a pleasure doing business with you. I look forward to our next meeting."

"Okay..."

Dragon Cypress wiggled his abdomen and said, "White Ivy Mountain Lord, haven’t you noticed my change?"

"What change?"

White Ivy’s attention shifted from Ink Orchid to Dragon Cypress. Only then did she notice two new blue rings on the nodes of Dragon Cypress’s carapace. A scan with her spiritual power revealed it, alarming her.

"Very weak Water System Origin Force fluctuations..."

"Little Dragon Cypress, have you mutated?"

"Did you eat something incredible?"

"Could it be because you are a Male Ant?"

"Have you awakened an Elemental Ability? Is it Water System?"

Dragon Cypress fell silent.

He looked at Ink Orchid. Is this your big sister? You two are so alike, always throwing out a string of questions at once.

Remaining calm in such situations is a basic quality of an adult insect, Dragon Cypress thought calmly before explaining, "Last winter, Ink Orchid and I flew south, hugging the Divine Force Barrier. We went to see the sea in the south, and on the shore, we found a blue plant seed. I was curious about what plant it was, so I nurtured it into a Life Seed, and then..."

This was the safest explanation, one they had discussed long ago.

Ink Orchid chimed in, "It had Origin Force patterns, so it’s definitely a Divine-Given Seed, but neither of us recognized what plant it was."

"Then you mutated?"

White Ivy, incredulous, speculated, "The seaside? So it’s a plant that grows by the sea, or in the ocean?"

A realization struck White Ivy. Her spiritual power trembled slightly as she asked, "Did the seed successfully mature into a Life Seed? Have you planted it yet? What exactly is the plant?"

Dragon Cypress calmly answered each question in turn, "The seed was successfully nurtured and planted last late spring. It grew well into a small arbor. Oddly, this plant isn’t recorded in the Inherited Memory. However, we can be sure it’s purely Water System, and we guess that the Origin Force Food it produces strengthens Water Element abilities."

"That’s fantastic!"

White Ivy jumped up excitedly, the metal containers on her carapace clanging loudly.

Realizing her gaffe, White Ivy quickly manipulated her Spider Silk to tidy up the goods and asked, "Dragon Cypress, Ink Orchid, is it because your Inherited Knowledge hasn’t fully awakened due to your insufficient evolutionary Age Period that you don’t recognize it? What does that tree look like? Tell me, I’ll help you identify it."

"Oh..."

"Its trunk is straight, without side branches. When it sprouted, it had two cotyledons, but as it continued growing, it developed single, round, broad leaves..."

Feeling his description was unclear, Dragon Cypress used a claw to draw on the ground, narrating as he sketched a crude image of the Deep Blue God-Given Seed.

Dragon Cypress asked, "White Ivy Mountain Lord, do you recognize this plant?"

White Ivy replied, "I don’t recognize it..."

White Ivy continued, "Probably because the Natural God only governs the land, not the ocean. I’m certain no such plant is in my awakened Inherited Memory."

White Ivy then wondered, "But why could it grow on land? Is it because it’s a Divine-Given Seed?"

Dragon Cypress said, "I don’t understand."

White Ivy said casually, "As long as it’s confirmed to be a plant from the sea, that’s enough! Don’t worry about what specific kind it is."

White Ivy asked the question that mattered most to a Roving Merchant, "Has it bloomed or borne fruit yet?"

Dragon Cypress replied, "Not yet..." He had been worried that this plant from another world might not adapt to the local soil and climate, or that his cultivation methods might be improper, preventing it from blooming or bearing fruit. That’s why he had been so anxious.

"No rush! It will definitely bloom and bear fruit next year!"

White Ivy was even more confident than Dragon Cypress.

It’s good that you’re confident, Dragon Cypress thought, then said somewhat sheepishly, "White Ivy Mountain Lord, here’s the thing: I’m about to evolve into a Mid-Level Ant King of the second Age Period, and Ink Orchid will soon evolve into a fourth Age Period Flower Mantis Warrior. We would like to buy more Origin Force Food on credit and strive to advance to a higher level as soon as possible."

Ink Orchid chimed in promptly, "That way, the yield and quality of our Divine-Given Seeds will reach a new level."

White Ivy said unconsciously, "You’ve already taken more than five thousand Source Stones’ worth..."

She stopped abruptly, questioning, "Are you sure you can finish all that?"

Ink Orchid said resolutely, "Definitely! I’m just worried it won’t be enough! I can eat a lot."

A fourth Age Period Orchid Mantis Warrior could indeed consume Origin Force Food worth 3,000 Source Stones in a year without any problem.

Dragon Cypress said, "Next year, we’ll repay it with the Origin Force Food produced from our territory. You can charge interest, but not too much."

Right! There’s interest to be earned! White Ivy readily agreed, "Okay!"

White Ivy asked, "How much do you want to borrow?"

Dragon Cypress replied, "2,000 Source Stones?"

White Ivy said, "I’ll charge you the minimum rate, just 100 Source Stones in interest."

Dragon Cypress replied, "Okay!"

White Ivy asked, "What kind of Origin Force Food do you need?"

Dragon Cypress said, "Let’s calculate it item by item."

White Ivy said, "Alright. Tell me, what do you need?"

Dragon Cypress said, "Black Peach Kernel."

The Spider Silk swayed, pulling out three Spider Silk Bags.

White Ivy said, "From the territory of a Mid-Level Ladybug Warrior, 2 Source Stones for 3 kernels; from the territory of a High-Level Warrior, 1 Source Stone per kernel; from the territory of a Mountain Lord Level Ladybug Warrior, 3 Source Stones for 2 kernels."

Dragon Cypress pointed to a bag from the territory of a Mid-Level Warrior and said, "Take 90 kernels."

White Ivy said, "That is..."

She calculated for a moment and quoted, "Sixty Source Stones."

White Ivy laid out a large Spider Silk Bag on the ground, counted out 90 Peach Kernels, and arranged 9 red Spider Silk cords.

Dragon Cypress asked, "Do you have White Flower Iron Birch Seeds?"

White Ivy replied, "Of course."

White Ivy said, "That’s a Metal System item..."

Dragon Cypress said, "Ink Orchid can eat some, but only a little."

"Alright. Are you buying these for Ink Orchid?"

White Ivy understood a bit now and similarly pulled out three Spider Silk Bags.

Inspecting goods, quoting prices, selecting products, calculating costs.

Finally, 30 small piles of items were arranged on the large Spider Silk Bag spread on the ground.

Dragon Cypress concluded, "One hundred twenty Liu Dao Zi kernels from the territory of a Mid-Level Grass Mantis Warrior, worth 120 Source Stones."

Finally, Dragon Cypress stated the total, "Not a bit more, not a bit less—exactly 2,000 Source Stones."

White Ivy was silent.

She had heard Grass Dragon boast countless times that Dragon Cypress could directly quote the total for even the most complex trades.

And arithmetic just happened to be White Ivy’s, this Flame Spider Roving Merchant’s, greatest weakness.

Why don’t I quite believe it?

White Ivy said, "Is that so? Are you sure you didn’t miscalculate? Just now, Spider King Spurge lectured me, telling me to be serious and meticulously calculate the accounts."

White Ivy added, "Hold on a moment. Let me do the math!"