Lupe's Transaction

Chapter 36: 35's Trade

"Add a bit of poisonous mushroom, and an old shoe heel..."

In the village, Yuan Chen stood by a large cauldron, constantly stirring the bright red dragon blood. With Nedeli's assistance from the sidelines, Yuan Chen continuously threw prepared ingredients into the cauldron.

The Frost Mushroom could reduce the heat of the Fire Dragon Blood, and although the Shoe Heel Grass was poisonous, it could neutralize the toxicity of the Frost Mushroom and enhance the medicinal properties...

While adding ingredients, Yuan Chen kept Nedeli's words in mind. With Scout Skill and Wilderness Blessing at his disposal, it was easy for Yuan Chen to distinguish the medicinal and poisonous properties of plants. However, understanding their synergistic effects was more difficult.

But for Yuan Chen now, being able to distinguish which foods were edible and non-poisonous was enough... If all else failed, he could always call for backup.

Looking across the entire Runeterra, Nedeli was probably the only one who had leveled up Life Profession skills like Herbalism to such a high degree.

Although the villagers had been packing for three days, it was still a village-wide migration. Furthermore, Lupe's family was an exiled family. Therefore, before departing, they had to apply to the nearest prefecture.

Approaching the Miasma Jungle and far from civilization, Audan, who had gone to the prefecture to apply, had not yet returned. With nothing else to do, Yuan Chen joined the Meat-toothed Beasts in refining the dragon blood, and also made use of the discarded scraps like meat fragments and Scale Fragments that were cleaned out.

More than ten large cauldrons were continuously boiling in the village square. Based on the concentration, weight, and quality of the dragon blood in each pot, Yuan Chen added varying amounts of ingredients.

The Fire Dragon Blood contained dense Fire Element, so simple fire heating was insufficient. To address this, the village's Element Apprentices and Blacksmiths also joined the dragon blood refining project, using the Fire Axiom to heat the dragon blood with their breath.

"Teacher! I've made what you asked me to!"

Just as Yuan Chen was observing the state of the dragon blood in the large cauldrons, Milio's voice rang out from the side.

Following the sound, the young man's face was filled with excitement, holding a small bottle of pills in his hand.

After his awakening, Milio had grown at an unimaginable speed. In just a few days, he had advanced from an Element Apprentice at level 2 to level 4. Although it seemed like only a two-level increase, it represented that Milio was now competent enough to serve as an Element Tutor.

Of course, levels only guaranteed the lower limit of combat ability. Milio's true value lay in his ability to carve out a new path based on the existing Yuan Chu Axiom.

And now, in Milio's hand was a special pill that fused Elemental Drake materials, Nedeli's Herbalism, and Milio's Gentle Flame.

Name: Bright Candle · Dragon Blood Secret Medicine.

Quality: Excellent

Effects: A special medicine synthesized from the flesh and blood of an Flame Drake, high-quality herbs from the Miasma Jungle, and Bright Candle · Gentle Flame. It can rapidly restore a large amount of health and energy, enhance physical fitness, magical damage, and magical resistance for a short period. During the duration, the user's stamina and magic recovery speed will significantly increase.

Seeing the effects of the Dragon Blood Secret Medicine, Yuan Chen nodded with satisfaction.

In a game, a Greater Healing Potion would cost five hundred yuan. This bottle of medicine, with its all-around enhancements, couldn't possibly be priced below a thousand.

It's no wonder dragons are treasures. Even the scraps of their flesh and blood can yield immense value after proper processing.

Thinking this, Yuan Chen patted Milio's head. "Well done! Your grandmother will be proud of you!"

Milio nodded excitedly upon hearing Yuan Chen's praise. Yuan Chen then reconfirmed the status of the dragon blood in the large pot. Once assured there were no issues, he took the medicine bottle and headed towards the mansion at the center of the village.

The door wasn't closed—nor did it need to be. The entire village was immersed in the joy of a successful dragon hunt and the impending journey to the prefecture. Every household was busily packing their Golds and Silvers and daily necessities onto carts, waiting only for Audan and the Road Protectors to return so they could depart for the prefecture immediately.

Lupe was lying on a long bench by the mansion's entrance, feigning sleep.

Although she appeared energetic, Yuan Chen knew clearly that Lupe didn't have much time left.

The "Aging" DEBUFF continuously limited Lupe's condition. Furthermore, during the dragon hunt battle, Lupe had forcefully depleted her already scarce remaining life force to fight after exhausting her energy.

Though both were human, the life force of a young person and an old person was worlds apart.

Take Yuan Chen as an example. If he exhausted his energy and continued to fight, it would consume his stamina. However, as long as he was well-prepared and had sufficient medicinal resources, even if his core was injured, Yuan Chen could recover through tonics and health preservation.

The climate and soil of Ionia were the most nurturing, coupled with its culture, customs, and natural beliefs. When it came to health preservation, Ionians were superior to all other regions in Runeterra.

But Lupe was different... Simply put, when Yuan Chen expended his life force to fight, he consumed hit points, which did not affect his maximum HP. Lupe, however, consumed one point of maximum HP for every two points of HP she lost.

Aging, death, illness... Even someone like Lupe, who had once been a formidable Great Elementalist, commanding respect and awe, could only endure them silently.

Despite her good mental state, Yuan Chen estimated that Lupe had only two to three months left to live.

Or perhaps... the reason Lupe was still alive and in good spirits now was entirely due to her own powerful magic sustaining her life.

This was a characteristic of mages in this world—excluding geniuses with special traits, at the same level, the older they were, the stronger they generally became.

But even so, Lupe was content.

Her family had hunted a Dragon... Even looking across all of Runeterra, it had been a hundred years since the last feat of dragon slaying. Presenting such a Dragon as a congratulatory gift would be enough for King Yuen to pardon her family's past crimes.

After all, it was her sister, Lunye, who had committed the treasonous offense. Lupe's branch of the family was mostly punished due to association through bloodline, not as masterminds.

If she had been a mastermind or one of them, Lupe would have been executed long ago.

Moreover, Milio's awakened talent filled Lupe with immense excitement. While the Yuan Chu Axiom was constantly iterating, it was always building upon existing foundations.

Milio's flames were entirely different; it was a completely new path. Unlike the precise, rigorous, and cold Yuan Chu Axiom of the past, the flames of this path were filled with emotional fluctuations, possessing a soul, and imbued with the power of emotions unique to living beings.

Elements with souls, capable of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, were entirely different from pure elements!

This wasn't a new axiom researched based on the foundation and achievements of the existing primordial axioms; it was a new foundational axiom!

If Lupe's mastery of the Earth Axiom was like adding another floor to an existing skyscraper, then Milio was laying a new foundation!

And it was a new foundation that encompassed all existing Yuan Chu Axioms! If flames with souls had appeared, what about water, earth, wood, wind, and even more elements with souls?

It was just that Lupe was old now. Otherwise, she would currently be engaged in innovating the spiritualization of the Earth Axiom.

But regardless, such a discovery was enough for Milio to become a revered Elemental Master in the central tower of Yishuaoken—an Elemental Master under the age of twenty!

How old was I when I became an Elemental Master? If I recall correctly, I was in my fifties.

Thinking of this, Lupe almost burst out laughing.

With such talent, what did the crime of rebellion by a collateral branch matter? In Yishuaoken, which revered the Yuan Chu Axiom, Lupe had no doubt that this talent alone would be enough to move King Yuen—

Even if King Yuen still held a grudge, it would be useless. The scholars of Yuentar would not tolerate a young Elemental Master being buried like this...

"It's quite comfortable, lying here." Yuan Chen walked over from the side, looking at Lupe who was dozing in the lounge chair and said casually:

"In a good mood? Everyone else is busy packing, and you're here enjoying life."

Lupe didn't mind Yuan Chen's teasing and said relaxedly, "I'm practically on my deathbed, what's there to enjoy... but it is true that I'm relaxed."

Lupe opened his eyes and said, "Three... no, two months left. That's enough time for me to return to Yishuaoken."

Lupe's voice was filled with excitement:

"The merit of hunting Dragons, and Milio's talent... Yuan Chen, you know, the family will honor Milio, and all the Nobles will re-establish contact with us, just to share this wisdom and nobility!"

The glory of the family had become an obsession, a burden for Lupe. Milio had once shown powerful talent, but Lupe was immensely disappointed because he couldn't control the constraints of the Axiom.

And now, Milio's true talent had finally been discovered. This fire elemental Axiom, which Yuan Chen called Gentle Flame, or more simply, "Healing Fire," allowed Lupe to see the revival of the family.

Indeed, when the family was tragically exiled, those Nobles who had been friendly with them severed ties.

But Nobles were like that. Once Milio displayed his talent, they would re-establish contact even faster and actively help the Lupe family regain their former glory!

"Even go a step further, right?" Yuan Chen shrugged in understanding. "But compared to being an Elementalist, you're more like a political creature now...

I must say, it's truly lamentable to see an Elemental Master reduced to this state."

"This is the path I chose myself." Hearing Yuan Chen's words, Lupe shook his head.

"You haven't experienced what we've endured... From the prosperous central seat of Yishuaoken to the wilderness village nestled deep in the mountains. We went from the noble Yuentar to become barbarians in the wilderness, not even qualified to leave the mountains."

"The members of the family went through immense hardship to adapt to this land... Many couldn't bear the drastic change and chose to commit suicide."

"Milio is fortunate. He was born when we had already become accustomed to these mountains and forests... But that doesn't mean we've forgotten the past. We've just become numb."

Perhaps because he was close to death, or perhaps for other reasons, Lupe became much more talkative.

Although she was still the political creature that Yuan Chen disliked, at least her past allowed Yuan Chen to understand her change.

After a long silence, Lupe said, "I've already told my successor that the family will be led by Milio from now on. And until Milio has fully grown, the family will follow your lead."

Hearing Lupe's words, Yuan Chen raised an eyebrow. "What? Trying to tie me to your family's chariot?"

"I don't think a family like ours is qualified to coerce a Prophet." Hearing this, Lupe shook his head decisively and said calmly:

"You are Milio's teacher, and even more so, a Prophet... but even a Prophet needs powerful support."

"Although Yishuaoken is far from the outside world, it never lacks struggle. I guarantee you, my family will always stand behind you... I know that the current Lupe Family is not qualified to be your ally."

"But with me leading, all the resources of the families in the Lupe Lineage will be at your disposal, including past connections and favors."

Hearing this, Yuan Chen nodded thoughtfully.

Although the families of the Lupe Lineage had fallen on hard times, their connections had not. The reason they were exiled was that rebellion was an unforgivable crime in Ixialia; even if one didn't participate, merely having a blood relation would lead to collective punishment.

Because of this, other families would not risk getting involved in the vortex of rebellion. But once the crime of rebellion was pardoned...

Then all the favors and connections would also quickly be restored...

Well, if it were merely a pardon, it would undoubtedly be difficult to regain their former glory. But how does that saying go? "Wealth in the mountains attracts distant relatives."

With the talent Milio had displayed, in the eyes of the Lupe Family's former allies, restoring their alliance would be seen as an investment in the future.

No one would pass up an opportunity to establish a relationship with a future Elemental Master.

And an Elemental Master who was less than twenty years old and had independently established new fundamental axioms!

It could be foreseen that Milio, as long as nothing unexpected happened, would inevitably become one of the most powerful individuals in the Elder Council of Yuentar...

No, considering this is an entirely new set of fundamental axioms, even King Yuen would have to show Milio considerable respect in the future!

In Ixialia, the royal family and Yuentar jointly governed the world. And the fundamental axioms Milio had established were enough for King Yuen to respect and honor.

"Then what is the price?" Yuan Chen said, tilting his chin up. "You've promised so much, even involving your entire family... what do you want from me?"

"All the resources, connections, and relationships of the Lupe Lineage will be at your disposal. What we want is very simple, perhaps even insignificant to you—"

Lupe said, almost with his head bowed:

"Friendship, and a good relationship."