Chapter 758: Farm

After agreeing to use Lady Hela's messenger to communicate the time, location, code, and method for the real-world gathering, Lu Mi quietly listened as the members of the "Academy" group exchanged ideas, occasionally joining the discussion.

With the occult knowledge he now possessed, he no longer needed to deliberately conceal his ignorance.

After a while, Lu Mi directly asked if anyone had the potion recipe or related materials for the "Harvest Priest," and received a negative answer.

He then moved toward another small group near the ancient palace's main gate.

That group was called "Farm," formed by members who enjoyed cultivation and accumulation; Lu Mi had once overheard them, and found their daily chatter consisted of: "I bought another few hectares of land," "I'm saving up to build a pasture," "My orchard had a bountiful harvest," "The compost is working well," "The Church of the Earth Mother has a batch of improved wheat seeds ideal for water-scarce regions," "My savings have increased again," "Labor makes me happy"…

After that, Lu Mi never attended their gatherings again.

As soon as he neared the "Farm" members, Lu Mi caught the scent of long-term contact with soil, fertilizer, grass, grain, and livestock.

It stirred in him an indescribable sense of familiarity and relaxation, as if he had returned to Kordu Village, to his sister's side.

Lu Mi, whose experience was already considerable, immediately felt alert.

"This… one reason is it reminds me of life in Kordu Village, but another is that farming, herding, and harvest-related matters resonate with my Omeibera bloodline, making me feel close? No wonder she was once the 'Goddess of Harvest,' no wonder she is the Child of the 'Great Mother'…" Lu Mi quickly understood the reason.

He realized that though consuming the remnants of Omeibera's umbilical cord had brought no change to his power or abilities, beyond drawing the "Great Mother's" attention and allowing beings directly created by her or granted her blessings to sense his bloodline, it was not without some effect.

A trace of Omeibera's bloodline had subtly altered his perception of certain things, indirectly influencing his spirit.

As he listened to the "Farm" group's discussion, Lu Mi carefully observed each member's condition.

Although only specific creatures lacking sufficient intellect would mistake him for the "Great Mother's" child, anyone who had received the "Great Mother's" blessing or was directly created by her could sense his Omeibera bloodline—though they would not misidentify his identity.

This could help Lu Mi determine, through any abnormal reactions from the "Farm" members, whether they secretly worshipped the "Great Mother."

After several minutes, Lu Mi preliminarily confirmed that none of the "Curly Baboon Research Society" members in this area had any issues.

Only then did he mimic Aurora's lowered voice and scan the group:

"Does anyone have the potion recipe or related materials for the 'Harvest Priest'?"

"If you're unwilling to reveal the recipe, you can sell me the prepared 'Harvest Priest' potion directly."

"Muggle, I remember you're a 'Wizard,'" asked a "Farm" member named "Breeding Master."

He was tall and bore a rugged, wild aura, wearing a mask made of animal fur with a primitive tribal design.

"A friend needs it," Lu Mi chuckled. "I want to help while making a profit."

"Breeding Master" pressed further:

"You know perfectly well that a prepared potion must be consumed immediately, or it will be absorbed by the container and become a highly dangerous sealed object. And the transaction should be handled through Lady Hela's messenger, right? That alone causes delays—you must ensure you drink it the moment you receive it.

"No problem?"

Lady Hela's messenger really is busy… Lu Mi mentally joked:

"No problem."

After questioning and observation, he was certain Lu Jianuo's "Physician" potion had been fully digested.

This was the "Physician" potion that had treated an angel and a false angel!

—Ludwig's wounds, shredded by Loki, had been treated by Lu Jianuo, and Lu Mi himself had received multiple treatments from Lu Jianuo.

"Breeding Master" thought for a moment and said:

"Twenty thousand Jin Lisuo for a prepared 'Harvest Priest' potion.

"It's more expensive than buying the raw materials alone, but we must respect intellectual property—normally I'd charge thirty to thirty-five thousand Jin Lisuo. But since we're all members of the Research Society…"

About forty thousand Fei Jin… Lu Mi nodded slightly:

"No problem."

He already had nineteen thousand Jin Lisuo in banknotes and coins; he prepaid ten thousand, agreeing to pay the remainder upon receiving the potion.

For this, they summoned "Sanctuary" group's "007" as notary.

"Pleasant transaction," said "Breeding Master," smiling at "Muggle" as he tucked away the deposit.

He turned to the other "Farm" members and said:

"Now I've got money for experiments again!

"I've been researching the mushrooms created by the legendary Druid Frank Lee—I find his ideas fascinating and worth pursuing.

"If this world has countless supernatural creatures—yes, including the extraordinary—why not fuse their blood, flesh, milk with ordinary plants? Whether through hybridization or genetic modification, aided by occult forces, it's relatively easy to achieve, then stabilize the traits over generations, giving us plants devoid of extraordinary properties but possessing certain magical effects…"

As Lu Mi listened, a strange unease suddenly arose.

He had never felt this way during the "Hell" group's discussions on death!

He first heard the name Frank Lee in his dream of Kordu Village, when the official extraordinary officer Ryan Cos mentioned a saying circulating among sailors: "Rather face those pirate admirals or kings than encounter a man named Frank Lee."

Later, when Lu Mi reached the sea, he heard no rumors about Frank Lee—whether Ryan had exaggerated in the dream, or those who knew of Frank Lee dared not or refused to speak of him again, he could not tell.

"Sanctuary" group.

Fu Lan Ka glanced at the member nicknamed "Someone," smiling:

"Aren't you still searching for the extraordinary characteristic of the 'Thief' path's Rank 5 'Dream Thief'? Do you still need it? A friend of mine just obtained one.

"If you don't want it, I'll go to the 'Artisan' and use it to craft a magical item."

"Someone," wearing a black half-mask resembling eyewear, sized up Fu Lan Ka:

"Your 'friend' clearly isn't you."

"I no longer need it, but I wouldn't mind getting another."

"Flat rate: five thousand pounds."

About 120, 00 Fei Jin… Fu Lan Ka chuckled:

"Two hundred thousand Fei Jin. Not a penny less."

"Someone" calculated:

"Maximum one hundred fifty thousand Fei Jin. If not, forget it."

Fu Lan Ka thought for a few seconds:

"You can pay in two installments: the first now—120, 00 Fei Jin—the second within three months after you receive the extraordinary characteristic: 60, 00 Fei Jin, guaranteed by '007's notarization."

"Someone" paused, then smiled and asked:

"Aren't you worried I'll default after getting the extraordinary characteristic?"

"The 'Notary's' notarization isn't unbreakable. Remember—I was once a famous 'Con Artist.'"

Fu Lan Ka smiled:

"Who's better—the 'Minstrel' or you?"

"Someone" fell silent.

"The 'Minstrel' has been eliminated by me and my companions. Unless you're willing to abandon such a useful trading platform for 60, 00 Fei Jin, I have no reason to fear you defaulting—your extraordinary characteristic is valuable too." Fu Lan Ka, having once been in the underworld, delivered her threat as casually as discussing tonight's dinner.

"Not long now, I'll be better than him," replied "Someone" after a few seconds. "Deal!"

"Not so fast," Fu Lan Ka smiled. "The balance must be paid in gold."

…………

In the following days, Lu Mi had little to do, wandering throughout Trill, tracking several "Mirror People" based on "007's" intelligence and searching for Harrison's trail.

He was supposed to collect his reward from Mr. K, but inwardly resisted, continually delaying.

Fu Lan Ka completed the transaction with "Someone" from the "Sanctuary" group, receiving a down payment of five thousand pounds in banknotes and coins.

Simultaneously, she gave Jianna 15, 00 Fei Jin in banknotes, agreeing that the remaining payment from "Someone"—the 60, 00 Fei Jin worth of gold—would be entirely hers.

Jianna lost the "Dream Thief" extraordinary characteristic but repaid her 45, 00 Fei Jin debt to Fu Lan Ka; now she possessed 16, 00 Fei Jin plus 120, 00 Fei Jin worth of Ruin gold pounds.

She had never been this wealthy before.

She had always known potion recipes and extraordinary characteristics were valuable, even their approximate price ranges, but had never bought one outright or sold one—now she finally understood how "Pirate Hunter" Gelmán Spáro felt when making money.

That evening, Lu Mi had just returned to his rented apartment and was about to change clothes, gathering the courage to visit Mr. K, when the wall lamp's flame suddenly turned a sickly greenish-white.

The colors mixed strangely.

Then Lu Mi saw his messenger—the corpse-like "Penitent" clad in black clerical robes—step out from the void.

Almost simultaneously, Hela's messenger—a skull crafted of pure silver—appeared with a patch of darkness.

Immediately after, the silhouette of the "Doll" messenger rapidly formed.

Lu Mi stared, stunned:

Will the messengers fight?

Do I have three letters?

One should be the "Harvest Priest" potion, one is almost certainly the sealed object made from the "Siso" extraordinary characteristic—what's the third?

ps: Last day before double moon ticket request~

(End of Chapter)