Chapter 476: Section 263: Giant Intelligence Potion
The sky was a deep blue, and the sea a lush green.
The temperature was very low.
Snowflakes floated down from the sky, and the mercenaries shuddered from the cold.
The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ fleet finally arrived at Ice Sculpture Island.
“It seems we need to purchase a batch of clothes for the cold,” the Dragon-man youth said.
He was of the King of Flame Dragon bloodline, his tough Dragon Scales maintaining his body temperature quite well.
Zong Ge surveyed the port that lay before him.
He did not feel much affected by the temperature either. Though he appeared to be of the Human Race, this was merely the result of Deception and Disguise Skill, Anti-Intelligence Prophecy Skill.
Zong Ge was a Half-Beast, with the bloodline of a Lion-man, naturally dense fur, and an inherent resistance to cold.
This was Snowbird Port, one of the eight major ports of Ice Sculpture Island.
The terrain of Snowbird Port was flat, with a wide, unbroken expanse in view.
Inside the port buzzed with activity; ships of all sizes were docked at intervals, masts rose like a forest, and many white Snowbirds perched on them, some spreading their wings to fly.
Zong Ge’s gaze was primarily focused on the military defense installations at the port.
Arranged along the port’s levee stood a row of cannons, with the largest main cannon being of Golden Level, while the rest of the cannons were uniformly Silver Level.
Not far from the port stood a Mage Tower.
The Mage Tower was also of Golden Level!
Based on the Mage Tower alone, the defensive strength of Snowbird Port was much stronger than that of Twin Eyes Island.
Guided by the staff, the ships of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps slowly made their way to their berthing positions.
After dropping anchor and once all the vessels were properly docked, the staff came aboard to collect fees.
The docking fees were extremely expensive.
A small vessel’s docking fee was three times the normal price.
The docking fee for a medium vessel was four times the normal price.
And the docking fee for a large vessel was an astonishing five times higher!
“Excuse me, are the docking fees for the ships always, always this expensive?” Fat Tongue inquired of the staff member.
The staff member answered him: this was the result of a recent adjustment.
The Ice Sculpture Kingdom had deliberately raised the docking fees for outsiders’ ships a great deal.
As for the ships of the residents of the kingdom, the docking fees had always been kept low.
After hearing this, Fat Tongue nodded slightly, lost in thought.
To the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, the high docking fees for ships didn’t really matter. What they cared about more was the Ice Sculpture Kingdom’s attitude toward outsiders.
The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps had already made arrangements for what was to come.
Zong Ge would continue to command the fleet, protecting the ships of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.
Almost all the mercenaries were temporarily staying on board the ships.
If it were any other Mercenary Corps, the mercenaries themselves would have started to make a commotion by now. But in the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, disciplined by Zong Ge’s training, such a situation would not occur.
The Dragon-man youth and others split into several groups, heading into the port first to commence their activities.
One group was Menshi and Sanda, responsible for reporting to the Mercenary Guild. The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was a registered and official Mercenary Group, and every time they moved to a new location, they could report to the local guild branch for some support.
Another group was Chi Lai and Lan Zao, heading to the Thieves’ Guild to buy more information.
For reliable details about the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps knew this was the most convenient way. Of course, there was a downside—buying information cost money.
The third group was the Dragon-man youth and Zi Di, who went to investigate the market.
The layout of Snowbird Port’s market was clearly well-planned, divided into five sections, with the largest being the seafood market.
Of course, the seafood market was not their first choice; they entered the most high-end Alchemy Market.
The Alchemy Market was lined with shops, their signs bright and colorful.
The shops were uniformly planned, which made it quite a sight to behold.
Red-colored houses, white walls, yellow rooftops.
Zi Di recognized one, pointing to the yellow roof, and said to the Dragon-man youth, “That’s Light Shimmer Potion. The potion itself is yellow, used as a roof coating. It can absorb sunlight during the day and be used for indoor lighting at night.”
“Although the initial investment in using potions is high, the long period of use means the cost becomes quite affordable once it’s spread out.”
The rooftop coating was just one aspect; the entire Alchemy Market boasted numerous alchemy applications, making the array of shops dazzle with brilliant lights even during the day, lavish and exquisite.
The Alchemy Market was bustling with people, primarily Snow Elves, followed by the Human Race, with Dwarves, Beastmen, and others less common.
Therefore, as the Dragon-man youth walked among them, he was quite conspicuous.
Passersby typically cast watchful glances his way.
The Dragon-man youth walked side by side with Zi Di.
They seldom moved alone like this, and in their exchanged glances, they could both feel the affection between them.
Watching Zi Di next to him, the Dragon-man youth’s fingers twitched slightly, a surge of desire to take her hand welling up within him.
But on the surface, Zi Di’s identity was Red Vine, and public hand-holding—as a squad leader romantically involved with a female Mage under his command—would create quite a negative impact.
A little girl stepped forward proactively, holding up a Snowbird doll: “Big brother, buy a Snowbird for your girlfriend.”
The Dragon-man youth was taken aback.
The little girl added, “Snowbirds represent pure love in our Ice Sculpture Kingdom.”
The Dragon-man youth and Zi Di exchanged glances, both discerning a mutual attraction.
But the Dragon-man youth still refused, “You’re mistaken, little girl, we’re not that kind of relationship.”
The little girl had not given up and still tried her best, “Just because it’s not now doesn’t mean it won’t be in the future. To be precise, the Snowbird symbolizes the coming of pure love!”
The Dragon-man youth couldn’t help but look at Zi Di.
But Zi Di didn’t meet his gaze and instead turned her eyes away to the side.
The little girl giggled.
The Dragon-man youth slowly shook his head and took out 10 copper coins.
The little girl’s eyes widened, “Mr. Dragon-man, this money is not enough!”
The Dragon-man youth said, “This is not for buying the Snowbird doll. If you can help us become familiar with the shops here and tell us everything you know, then these 10 copper coins will be your reward.”
The little girl narrowed her eyes, not in a rush to agree, but after thinking for a while, asked, “So, may I ask, Mr. Dragon-man, how long do you intend to employ me?”
The Dragon-man youth didn’t answer but looked at Zi Di.
Zi Di calculated for a moment, “As I see it, two hours should be more than enough for you.”
Only then did the little girl nod, “Well, Mr. Dragon-man, Ms. Mage, Xue Ni is willing to offer her services to you.”
The little girl temporarily joined their duo.
Whenever they visited a shop, the little girl would tell them information that outsiders could not access.
“This store may look small, but it does good business. The locals come here often!”
“The owner of this shop is very sly and stingy, often defaults on salaries, and likes to take advantage of outsiders.”
“This is the biggest potion shop around, but it’s a pity it’s not owned by our Ice Sculpture Kingdom.”
Eventually, the Dragon-man youth and Zi Di stopped in front of the largest and tallest shop.
The signboard of the shop had four large characters—Secret Medicine Guild!
The Holy Bright Empire had six major Guilds, and the Secret Medicine Guild was one of them.
Not just the Secret Medicine Guild, the other five major Guilds had also set up many branches in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom. On their journey here, the Dragon-man youth and Zi Di had already seen branches of the Gem Trading House and Tianping Commerce.
The three of them entered the Secret Medicine shop.
Almost all the clerks employed in the branch were Snow Elves, but the manager and other positions were mostly held by the Human Race.
Zi Di perked up, silent and observant, carefully noting the layout of the Secret Medicine Guild branch, the variety and scope of the merchandise on sale, and their respective pricing.
At present, although the survivors had a large amount of cash, they lacked a stable source of income.
Selling potions seemed like the most viable revenue stream at the moment.
The potion market in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom was quite significant.
Previously, when Zi Di was on Twin Eyes Island, she had improved potion recipes, sold potions, and earned a considerable profit.
Such a success story was replicable.
Zi Di was confident: With the current Magic Potion production capacity on the Deep Sea Monster Fish and the vast repository of potion recipes in the War Merchant data, no matter where they went, the Magic Potions produced would have competitive market power.
As soon as the Dragon-man youth entered the shop, he drew the attention of the clerks.
His sturdy build, the aura of Silver Level, and the presence of his Mage companion all highlighted the strong purchasing power he might have.
Seeing a Snow Elf clerk approach with a smile, the Dragon-man youth deliberately said to Zi Di, “Red Vine, you are the best potion maker in our Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, see if there’s anything here the mercenaries need? Buy more; the mercenary group’s funds are to be used in places like this.”
“This way, please, you two!” The Snow Elf clerk, hearing this, wore an even warmer smile.
Zi Di approached the counter, carefully observed various potions, asked about prices, and silently compared them to market prices, learning and analyzing the specific market conditions.
The Secret Medicine branch shop was five stories high.
Each floor sold a vast quantity of potions.
On the first floor, Zi Di even saw some Man Clan herbal medicine. This showed just how comprehensive the Secret Medicine branch’s potion offerings were.
After purchasing some, Zi Di went straight to the second floor and saw a large number of Black Iron Grade potions.
By the third floor, the potions sold were on average at Silver Level.
The potions on the fourth floor, far fewer in number than the three below, were already at Gold Level!
Twin Eyes Island, known for its developed commerce, still required one to attend an auction to purchase Gold Level potions.
Yet, in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, Golden Potions were a stable supply item.
“My God, there’s actually a giant model Intelligence Potion! Ice Eagle sir, I want this potion as my birthday gift.”
“Of course, this Intelligence Potion is indeed rare and very suitable for your giant slave.”
This conversation reached the Dragon-man youth and Zi Di’s ears.
Both were immediately drawn and hurried over.
A Human Race girl was standing beside an old Snow Elf.
They were the ones interested in buying the giant model Intelligence Potion.
The clerk attending to them was about to pass a carrot-thick pharmaceutical bottle to the old Snow Elf and young girl pair.
The Dragon-man youth hurried a few steps forward, “We also need such an Intelligence Potion.”
The clerk, however, shook her head, “I’m sorry, Mr. Dragon-man, there is only this one giant model Intelligence Potion available at the moment.”
The Dragon-man youth was stunned.
Zi Di, who had come from behind, smiled, “How much for this Intelligence Potion? We’ll take it!”
Hearing this, the girl immediately called out, “Hey, that’s something we were going to buy.”
Zi Di smiled again, “But you haven’t paid yet, have you? Since the trade hasn’t happened, others have the opportunity.”
The old man huffed, eyebrows knitting tightly in displeasure, “Who are you people, trying to cut in on my deal? Do you know the consequences?”