Chapter 214

Gao De's white teeth looked a bit dazzling in the eyes of this table of locals.

Although they had more or less intended for Gao De to hear, their original intention was actually to persuade Gao De to give up, not wanting to see someone die in vain.

According to normal circumstances, regardless of whether Gao De could take their words in or not, he would generally pretend not to hear.

As a result, Gao De's reaction was to actively "come to the door," which made their emotions suddenly caught off guard, mixed with a bit of embarrassment.

"That little... kid is staying here; Venomous Snake and Mouse is the largest inn in Ailahaimu." Finally, one of the locals spoke up to answer.

The awkward atmosphere eased a little.

"Many thanks." Gao De cupped his hands in gratitude.

Then, he took a silver coin from his pocket, flicked it, and the silver coin landed precisely on the bar, spinning around several times.

Gao De waved his hand and said to the bartender who was watching the fun with a chuckle: "Add a mug of black beer to this table."

While speaking, he had already pushed open the oak door, and his figure disappeared into the shadows.

Leaving the tavern, Gao De came to the three-story stone building on the ground.

The first floor of the stone building was a lobby.

Gao De walked straight in and came to the counter.

"Are there any rooms left?"

Behind the counter was a middle-aged woman in her forties or fifties, tall and plump, who was skillfully knitting clothing with a ball of wool.

In Ailahaimu, most of the locals were of this build; perhaps only by accumulating a little more fat could they manage to withstand the cold wind of Dandong Snow Mountain.

Hearing Gao De's question, the middle-aged woman didn't even lift her head, focusing on the wool in her hands, "There are rooms left; what kind do you want? A dormitory or a single room?"

"I'll take a single room," Gao De said.

The middle-aged woman finally deigned to look up, "Then I'll arrange a single room on the second floor for you, 2 silver coins per night."

Gao De didn't haggle, and handed over 1 gold coin.

"Rent it for three nights first."

The middle-aged woman nodded, then took a copper key from the drawer and slapped it hard on the counter, making a crisp sound, "This is your room key, Room 202, breakfast included."

As she spoke, she gave Gao De 14 silver coins in change, placed them on the table, and pushed them in front of Gao De.

Gao De didn't collect them immediately, but instead pushed 1 silver coin back.

"Was there another outsider who checked into this inn yesterday?" he asked.

The middle-aged woman glanced at the 1 silver coin Gao De pushed over and answered expressionlessly: "No."

Gao De looked at the middle-aged woman's emotionless eyes, thought for a moment, and then separated 2 silver coins and pushed them in front of the middle-aged woman.

"Is there one now?" he asked again.

"Yes," the middle-aged woman nodded, "I remember now; there was indeed a young outsider who checked into this inn yesterday and rented a room for three nights directly."

"Could you tell me which room he is staying in?" Gao De asked again.

The middle-aged woman immediately went silent again.

Gao De pushed two silver coins over calmly.

"Leaking a guest's room number is a big taboo; if it gets out, my business won't be easy to do," the middle-aged woman finally said.

Gao De didn't waste any more breath, but directly pushed 5 silver coins over.

Her face, full of age spots, immediately revealed the most satisfied smile possible, and she pocketed the 10 silver coins Gao De had pushed back in total, then said:

"Room 201, he's staying right across from you; even if I didn't say, you'd likely run into him."

"Many thanks, boss." Gao De didn't feel he had spent money in vain and said politely.

He collected the 4 silver coins in change, took his room key, and turned to go upstairs nimbly.

"Magic user, why wasn't she willing to say at first, but then willing to say later?" Walking on the stairs, a small, miniature head poked out from the pocket of Gao De's clothes and asked in confusion.

"Because money can make ghosts push mills."

"What is money?"

"The shiny, silvery, round things from just now are money."

"What is money?"

Gao De knew he had misunderstood Fuluola's meaning, thought for a moment, and answered earnestly: "Money is something used to buy food to eat and rent a house to live in; if Fuluola-my lord wants new clothes, she can also use money to buy them."

"Oh," Fuluola seemed to understand, "Then money is a good thing."

"You can't say it like that either."

"Why, is there something bad about it?"

"... It seems not."

"Then it is a good thing."

"Fuluola-my lord is right."

"Magic user, you are not smart," Fuluola said with disdain.

While speaking, Gao De had already arrived in front of Room 202, opened the door with the copper key, and walked in.

He closed the door.

Gao De put down a small package he had been carrying.

Inside the package was "Breath of the Wilderness".

A 4th-rank rune construct, not something a 1st-circle magic user could wear.

And such a precious thing, Gao De couldn't feel at ease storing it anywhere, so even if it was a bit of a burden, he could only carry it with him.

Subsequently, he took out his money bag and counted it carefully, tallying his current savings balance: 67 gold, 6 silver, 6 copper.

It was lucky, although he had been sent to the dungeon of the Saint Xi En Magic Tower and the Saint Xi En City Magic Prison one after another, because Kunxi Ese's goal had always been the rune construct, he hadn't gone to confiscate the money bag he was carrying.

Plus, he was released after only one night in prison, so Gao De had been a prisoner once, but hadn't lost a single cent of his money.

After counting the money, Gao De was about to put all the money back into the bag, but when he looked up, he found Fuluola sitting on the edge of the table nearby.

Her two little legs were dangling in the air, swinging unconsciously, and her "big" eyes were staring unblinkingly at those gold coins shining with golden light.

Her gaze was burning.

Gao De was very familiar with that meaning.

He thought for a moment and placed a gold coin beside Fuluola.

"This is for Fuluola-my lord."

"Fuluola-my lord has no food to give you, no house to rent to you, and no new clothes to sell to you," Fuluola-my lord's eyes were shining, but she didn't accept it immediately.

She firmly remembered what Gao De had said earlier.

"Because Fuluola-my lord helped me do something before," Gao De was referring to the matter of detonating the magic array in the rune workshop, "This is the reward for Fuluola-my lord."

"Reward?"

"It is the compensation given to those who put in effort."

"Thank you, magic user."

"Fuluola-my lord is too polite."

Fuluola held the gold coin with both hands.

The small gold coin, in her hands, was like a huge dumbbell plate.

Heavy and big.

However, Fuluola didn't show any disdain, her eyes shining with crystal light.

Soon, in Gao De's envious eyes, the gold coin just disappeared into thin air in Fuluola's hands.

Unlike the storage bags that every Qi-refining cultivator had in the Xianxia novels he saw in his past life.

In this world, except for Fuluola, Gao De had never seen or heard of so-called spatial equipment to this day.

Although Fuluola's "storage space" was very small, not even able to fit a chair, no matter what, this was a skill at the spatial level.

Although Fuluola was small, her ability was truly quite great.

After putting away the money bag, Gao De stood up. "Where to?"

"To meet a new friend."

Knock, knock, knock.

The inn's door was very thick, and the sound of knocking was also dull.

After a moment, the door to Room 201 was opened.

A thin and tall youth, or rather a teenager, appeared behind the door, looking at Gao De expressionlessly.

It was also upon seeing the person in front of him that Gao De finally understood what the local's unfinished words in the tavern were earlier.

After "little white" should be "face".

This was a youth about sixteen or seventeen years old, with an extremely handsome appearance.

It could even be said that among the many people of all kinds Gao De had seen since coming to this world, he was the most handsome one.

His forehead was broad, his brows were dark and upright, his nose bridge was straight, and his facial lines were clear and hard.

The most eye-catching thing was that pair of pupils, which actually had a faint golden luster.

"What is it?" The expression on the youth's face was icy, making Gao De feel that the destination of this trip was ten to one likely to be in vain.

Judging by the other party's temperament, he shouldn't be someone who likes to beat around the bush, so Gao De simply said it directly, "I am the guest staying across from you, I just arrived in Ailahaimu today, and I heard people in the tavern say earlier that you are preparing to climb Dandong Snow Peak."

"Coincidentally, I am too."

"Sorry, I don't team up," the youth said stiffly, with no expression on his cold and hard face.

"No, I'm not here to ask you to team up," Gao De made a final attempt, saying sincerely: "I decided to climb Dandong Snow Peak suddenly for certain reasons, and my preparations are insufficient."

"Since you are prepared to climb Dandong Snow Peak alone, you must be a magic user; I want to ask if you have mastered 【Skating Spell】 or 【Ice-Walking Spell】, and if you have, can you sell me a copy of the spell formula?"

"In Ailahaimu, the official forces' supervision is not strict; I can add money," Gao De offered his greatest sincerity.

"No need," the youth said, then turned and walked into the room, and closed the door behind him.

Looking at the door that was ruthlessly closed, Gao De shook his head helplessly.

He was a bit disappointed, but not annoyed.

After all, private trading of spell formulas had always been strictly prohibited.

Even in Ailahaimu, where supervision was extremely loose, it was difficult for an ordinary person to agree to trade with a stranger, unless they were really short of money.

If it doesn't work, so be it.

Gao De returned to his room.

"Why did he disagree again, didn't you offer money, magic user?" Fuluola asked again.

"It should be that he is not short of money," Gao De answered.

"That's really great," Fuluola sighed.

Just at this moment, a knock, knock, knock sound rang out.

Gao De was surprised.

He was a newcomer, how could someone come to find him? While pondering, he opened the door in surprise.

The youth across the door was still wearing an icy face, standing at the doorway.

He said: "Here."

The youth handed over a piece of parchment, and Gao De looked down in a daze; it was actually a spell formula.

【Skating Spell】.

"How much money?" Gao De raised his head in a daze.

"No need," the other party repeated the words he had just said.

Gao De only then understood that the "no need" the youth said meant he didn't want money? "Dandong Snow Peak, you won't make it; even if you learn it, it's not enough," the youth nodded at Gao De, who was still in a daze, and that handsome and cold face seemed to soften a bit at this moment.

"I will consider it carefully," Gao De said, giving the other party a lot of face.

The youth frowned, "Still want to challenge it?"

Is he this direct? Gao De was helpless and said truthfully: "I have a reason why I must challenge Dandong Snow Peak, and I also have this ability."

A rookie who doesn't know his own strength... The youth gave the most fair evaluation unceremoniously in his heart.

He hasn't even mastered 【Skating Spell】 and 【Ice-Walking Spell】, clearly a novice, how could he think, how dare he think of challenging the most difficult Dandong Snow Peak? Sure enough, he doesn't understand anything.

Even for him, facing Dandong Snow Peak, he held absolute awe.

Although he had the confidence to do this, could the other party be the same as him?

"I know," the youth glanced at Gao De expressionlessly, replied with his usual response, and turned back to his room.

Seeing off this youth who was somewhat strange.

He was indeed very strange.

If you say he is friendly, that cold face that keeps strangers away and the stiff tone of speaking don't seem to have anything to do with friendliness.

If you say he is unfriendly, he was actually willing to give away a 1st-circle spell formula for free.

This, officially, has a selling price of over 20 gold.

Gao De picked up this spell formula, which was clearly handwritten by the youth just now, and started reading.

Compared to buying spell formulas officially, the biggest flaw in private trading of spell formulas is that the authenticity of the spell formula cannot be guaranteed.

Especially after moving beyond the level of cantrips, the construction of spell models requires taking corresponding spell potions.

If the spell model is fake, at most it's a waste of some time and energy.

But if the spell potion formula is fake, if you are unlucky, it could kill you.

"One serving of 1st-rank ice blue butterfly powder..." Gao De looked at the spell potion formula and began to study it earnestly.

The "Pharmacology Research" course he took as an elective at the Saint Xi En Academy at the time played a role here.

Although it couldn't allow Gao De to verify the authenticity of the spell potion formula, at least it could let him understand whether the formula would cause harm to his body.

After studying it carefully several times and confirming that the spell potion formula would not cause harm, Gao De finally felt relieved.

"Stroll around the city tomorrow, and after replenishing the equipment necessary for climbing Dandong Snow Peak, see if I can gather the main and auxiliary materials for the 【Skating Spell】 potion..."

"【Skating Spell】 potion materials are all specialties of the snow region; it shouldn't be a big problem to gather the materials in Ailahaimu, and perhaps I can even get them at an extremely cheap low price..."

Following market laws, any "product" is generally cheapest at its place of origin.

If he can gather them, and spend a few days constructing the spell model for 【Skating Spell】, he can set off to prepare to cross Dandong Snow Peak and enter the northern realm.

Having planned his trip to the northern realm slightly like this, Gao De lay down on the bed with peace of mind.

After soaking in the river for a month or so, although he would go on the ship to rest at night, the hard ship boards still made Gao De miss a soft bed extra much.

After a night's rest, Gao De got up early the next day, enjoyed the free breakfast provided by the inn: fish roe bread, and then went out to stock up.

Mountaineering equipment was easily bought.

After some haggling, spending only about 5 gold coins, Gao De made himself look brand new and armed to the teeth.

Sturdy and durable goat-skin mountaineering boots, thick and warm bear-skin gloves, soft and close-fitting cashmere underwear, a cloak made of fox fur—people rely on clothes.

With this set of equipment on, Gao De's appearance, at least, would no longer make people see at a glance that he was a rookie climbing a snow mountain for the first time.

Equipment purchase went very smoothly, but the main and auxiliary materials needed for the 【Skating Spell】 potion made Gao De wander around the city for a long time.

Because there was no potion shop in Ailahaimu that specifically served magic users.

So, he could only find them material by material.

Especially the 1st-rank ice blue butterfly powder, which Gao De finally bought only after the introduction of a small shop owner, by going to the home of an extremely remote local hunter.

Although it took a lot of time, fortunately, he gathered all the materials.

Moreover, these potion materials, which would cost nearly 40 gold in other places, only cost Gao De 23 gold in Ailahaimu.

It was almost half cheaper.

This made Gao De's mood much more pleasant.

(End of chapter)