You Might Earn a Little, But I'll Never Lose! (Seeking Recommendation Tickets!)

Chapter 38: You Might Make a Small Profit, But I'll Never Lose! (Requesting Recommendation Tickets!)

Are recipes important?

They are important, and they are not important!

They are important because they break through that thin veil, representing creativity.

If I don't tell you, you'll never know!

And they aren't important because a recipe alone is useless!

What's truly valuable is the thing that's made using the recipe!

But to create something, you need not only the recipe but also every single ingredient involved in it!

Neither can be lacking!

Just like the medicinal bath recipe Qingyu discovered in the Navy Body Tempering Method - Foundation. If he had no money to buy the medicinal ingredients, it would just be a piece of scrap paper!

If he had plenty of money, he could, of course, enjoy it all by himself.

But the problem was, he was poor!

If he hadn't risked his life to go up against the Uchiha and received 100,000 ryo in compensation, he wouldn't even have been able to afford the ingredients for one bath, let alone use it!

Therefore, taking it out to exchange for all the resources he could currently use was the most correct and also the smartest move.

He suffered no losses, gained many useful things he needed right now, earned the goodwill of Hokage and many others, increased his own importance and standing, and could also use this opportunity to latch onto a powerful figure, making those who wanted to trouble him, like the Uchiha, hesitate...

The benefits were endless!

So he got a little carried away, until he heard Jonin Mikawa clear his throat, which made him notice Minato's slowly darkening expression.

"Uh, did I ask for too many small favors..."

The requests were indeed small, but there were just so many of them, over a dozen or twenty, it was overwhelming!

So Minato cleared his throat, deciding to stop Qingyu from continuing.

"I've heard all your requests, but all I can promise you is a certain amount of cultivation resources each month. Too much is not possible! As for the medicinal bath supply, that request is reasonable and can be granted, but I can only give you one packet per day. You yourself said that prolonged use can lead to a certain resistance, and it's recommended to only use it once a day. You wouldn't have forgotten what you said, would you?"

What else could Qingyu say? He could only blame himself for being too talkative and nodded dejectedly.

Although most of his conditions were casually dismissed by Minato with a single sentence, the basic bottom line was preserved.

The monthly allocation of cultivation resources alone would save him tens of thousands of ryo, and as time went on, he would earn even more!

And the medicinal bath supply was even better. It not only solved his immediate urgent need but also saved him 150,000 ryo every month. This was a fortune to him!

After all, even Jonin Mikawa, working hard for a whole year, only earned three to four million ryo, and that was by taking huge risks on missions.

And him?

He didn't have to do anything, and he'd get over two million ryo worth of cultivation resources (including the medicinal bath) for free every year.

It was simply wonderful~

Of course, the money to be made from this deal was far more than that.

But so what?

As a mere child, he couldn't swallow such a large cake. It was better to share it, let himself eat his fill comfortably, and not get indigestion.

And there was no pressure; if the sky fell, Hokage and the others would bear it.

Greed was the original sin!

However, starting with a high price and negotiating down, Qingyu still tried his best to bargain: "Actually, the extra portion I asked for was for Jonin Mikawa. Jonin Mikawa has helped me a lot, and I've always wanted to repay him..."

Standing silently to the side, like a wooden statue, Mikawa trembled upon hearing this but still coolly said without any expression, "I don't need it..."

But after saying that, he seemed to feel that such a cold tone might make Qingyu misunderstand, so he immediately added a superfluous explanation: "My taijutsu is very ordinary, and I don't usually need these medicinal ingredients, so there's no need for the village to spend money."

He was telling the truth. He was almost 40 years old, his physical condition was already set, and he wasn't a ninja known for his taijutsu. His daily training was just enough to make a point, so he naturally didn't need to strengthen himself by soaking in medicinal baths.

In the end, the medicinal bath Qingyu offered was most suitable for children building their foundation, followed by taijutsu ninjas like Might Guy. It didn't help others much, but it wasn't completely useless either.

Jonin like Mikawa, who diligently dedicated his life to the village, would naturally not waste the village's resources for such a small benefit, regardless of whose good intentions it was, it was purely a matter of awareness!

Minato, however, began to consider it seriously...

Clearly, Qingyu's desire to repay Jonin Mikawa's kindness was very much to his liking and gave him a new perspective on Qingyu.

This was a good child who knew how to repay kindness!

Although he had a great talent for getting into trouble and was a bit vengeful...

He was a good child!

Coupled with Jonin Mikawa, whom he also greatly admired, and who was "one of them"...

So he made a decision.

"Well, Jonin Mikawa has reported meritorious service. Since you don't need this, let's consider another reward. In the name of Hokage, I permit you to choose one ninjutsu from the village's recorded techniques to learn. How about it, are you satisfied with this reward?"

This kind of practice was not unprecedented. Many ninjas in the village could learn corresponding ninjutsu as compensation or reward after performing great deeds.

After all, at the Jonin level, money and other material possessions were no longer their primary pursuit.

The vast array of ninjutsu collected by the major ninja villages naturally came into play at this time.

Of course, dangerous forbidden jutsu, secret techniques of various clans, and the like were certainly not included. There were hardly even any S-rank ninjutsu, but with so many techniques available, even if they were only A-rank and below, it was enough.

Jonin Mikawa was somewhat stunned upon hearing this news.

It wasn't that he hadn't picked out ninjutsu before, but those were rewards received only after completing difficult missions through great hardship.

This time, however, he had merely guided the way, spoken a few words, and received such a reward. It truly made him feel a bit out of sorts.

Although Jonin Mikawa's personality was rather rigid, he wasn't a fool.

No one ever complained about having too much ninjutsu, and it could even enhance one's strength. So, after hesitating for a moment, he still couldn't bring himself to refuse this temptation.

He also knew that his current gains were entirely due to Qingyu beside him.

This feeling was strange...

It was like helping a down-and-out vagrant without expecting anything in return, only for the vagrant to show up the next day with a chest of gold bars. Then, while you were dumbfounded, he bashfully said, "Thanks!"

PS: Please vote with your recommendation tickets, as well as collect, invest, and tip. It's a new week, and the recommendation slots are quite good. Old Faceless implores everyone for their support!