Chapter 17: Meimiao Tiyan Potion Shop

When the two were leaving, they ran into the innkeeper. She was leaning against the doorframe watching people argue in the street. Seeing them, she said, "You're leaving already? Won't you taste the free ale?"

Xia'er's stomach churned at the mere mention of ale. She waved her hands hurriedly and said, "No, no, I can't drink any more."

"And what about him?" The landlady looked at Mali.

"He only drinks the water in that little metal cup of his." The half-elf girl paused, then added hopefully, "If he doesn't drink it, can we exchange it for money?"

"No."

"Uh, alright then."

Xia'er then asked the landlady about the potion shops in the city.

She learned that there were three potion shops in Yingjiao City—or rather, two, as one was a general store that sold everything. Potions made up only a small fraction of their stock, and they were restocked from one of the other shops, effectively acting as a distributor.

The two first went to the nearest one, Giant Bear Strength, a potion shop primarily catering to adventurers. The magic potions sold there were mostly combat-related; their primary strength potion was the most famous and widely acclaimed among adventurers.

Unfortunately, they didn't have the potion Mali needed. They then went to Dulin Zahu not far away, but they came up empty-handed there as well.

Finally, the two arrived at Meimiao Tiyan, located in the Old District.

Unlike Giant Bear Strength, Meimiao Tiyan's clientele leaned more toward nobles and the wealthy. Their selection of potions was the most comprehensive, not limited to combat use, and they also sold many auxiliary potions with strange and curious effects.

The storefront was also the most sophisticated of the three. As Mali and Xia'er arrived outside, the copper-rimmed doors opened automatically to both sides, and an iron owl poked out from the roof, calling out, "Distinguished guests have arrived! Distinguished guests have arrived!"

Perhaps because it was still early morning, there were no other customers in the shop, making the spacious front hall seem a bit desolate.

Only one young clerk was taking inventory. Behind him was a row of massive cabinets with hundreds of drawers; he had to stand on a scaffold to reach the ones at the very top.

Hearing footsteps, he carefully placed a small, glowing purple vial back in its place before turning around.

His initially enthusiastic expression turned cold upon seeing Xia'er. However, when his gaze shifted to Mali, it turned into confusion.

He found he couldn't determine the other person's status from his attire or demeanor.

The man before him was different from everyone he had ever seen; he didn't look like a noble, but he certainly wasn't an ordinary commoner either.

Moreover, compared to the reserve the half-elf girl showed upon entering, Mali, while curiously looking around, moved and acted with complete naturalness, showing no intention of hiding anything.

The young clerk, unsure of the newcomer's background, decided to play it safe and showed a fair amount of respect. He climbed down from the scaffold and bowed.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

"We are looking for a magic potion," the half-elf girl spoke up first, "one that allows a person to quickly master a foreign language."

"A potion to master a language?" The young clerk thought for a moment and shook his head. "I have never heard of such a potion, at least not in Yingjiao City."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Let me put it this way: if you can't find a potion at Meimiao Tiyan, you won't find it at any other shop," the young clerk said proudly. "No one has a more complete inventory than we do."

"Wait a second."

Xia'er pulled Mali aside, muttered to him for a while, and then turned back. "Then we want Animal Communication Potions."

"We do have Animal Communication Potions."

"Twenty bottles," Xia'er added.

"How many?" The young clerk was stunned. "Although the Animal Communication Potion is only a primary potion, it's quite niche. Not many alchemists know how to brew it. One bottle costs five Gold Eagles, so twenty bottles would be one hundred Gold Eagles."

"What? Animal Communication Potions are that expensive?" The half-elf girl jumped.

The two potions she had were left to her by her father, and she didn't know their specific prices. Had she known Animal Communication Potions were so valuable, she might not have been so decisive when she drank one.

But since there was still one left, Xia'er hurriedly asked, "What about Poison Potions?"

"Poison Potions are cheaper, one Gold Eagle." The young clerk's tone was becoming impatient. He had been so polite because he couldn't figure out Mali's background, but now he realized the two didn't seem very wealthy.

"How much money did you actually bring?"

"Let me think... altogether, about eighteen Silver Shields."

The young clerk's face changed instantly. "You want to buy twenty Animal Communication Potions with eighteen Silver Shields? Are you here to cause trouble?"

"No, we have this." As the half-elf girl spoke, she extended her palm, revealing a small gadget.

The young clerk walked over a few steps, took the object from her hand, and examined it closely.

It had a semi-metallic casing, while the bottom was made of some unknown, mysterious translucent material, with a string of strange, mysterious symbols engraved on the surface.

"This is... an alchemy creation?"

The young clerk hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"That's right."

"What does it do?"

"Flick the gear on top, and it will spray fire," Xia'er said, pointing to the disposable lighter printed with a hotel's advertisement.

The young clerk tried it as she instructed, but unfortunately, he flicked it too slowly and couldn't light it, seeing only a few sparks fly out. It wasn't until he tried again that he finally saw the flame shoot out.

Seeing the young clerk startled, it was now the half-elf girl's turn to be smug.

"How about that? Magical, isn't it? It's more than enough to trade for your twenty bottles of Animal Communication Potion."

"I don't know," the young clerk said, finding himself in a difficult position. "I don't know much about alchemy creations, and I can't make the call on such a big deal."

"Then what are you waiting for? Go find someone who can!"

The young clerk stomped his foot. "You wait here. I'm going to get Mr. Barta. Don't touch anything in the shop; you'll trigger the magic array."

After saying this, he ran toward the second floor. Before long, a middle-aged man with a hooked nose, a slightly stout figure, wearing a tight vest and a gold brooch on his chest, walked down from upstairs.

His gaze swept over Mali and Xia'er, and he said, "The two guests want to sell an alchemy creation?"

"Not sell, we want to trade it for the magic potions in your shop," the half-elf girl corrected.

However, after she finished speaking, Barta returned the lighter. "No, this thing is interesting, but it's not worth twenty bottles of Animal Communication Potion."

"Then how much do you think it's worth?"

Barta held up four fingers.

"Four bottles? That's way too little," Xia'er said, dissatisfied. ===== CHAPTER 18 =====