Setting everything else aside, she felt that even D-Rank Devilish Creature Cores were beyond anyone's reach right now. Getting one meant fighting a D-Rank Monster.
But most people were only around level three or four at best.
Some, like her, had been lifestyle players since the game launched. They hadn't fought at all, so their levels had stayed at lv1.
There was no way people like that could take on D-Rank Monsters, was there?
Most importantly, what kinds of D-Rank Monsters were there?
The monsters they'd encountered in the Abandoned Forest so far had basically all been E-Rank.
She couldn't make heads or tails of it.
Lan Qingyou shook her head. After crafting the Tray Balance, she picked up the Water Bucket and flew out of the room.
Some might say Lan Qingyou shouldn't have revealed the upgrade requirements, since doing so would drive prices up. But that wasn't a problem for her at all.
If she couldn't solve a problem, it could only mean she hadn't offered enough Healing Potions.
As long as she offered enough, there wouldn't be any materials she couldn't buy.
Look at how D-Rank Devilish Creature Cores, which had been unavailable before, were now everywhere.
Besides, the potion business was already hugely profitable. She had no reason to worry about taking a loss.
Lan Qingyou ignored the Regional Channel. She was now giving it her all, filling every large container she had with water, including the Water Tank, the cauldron, and the soup pot.
No one knew what things would be like once the Novice Protection Period ended.
Maybe it'd be like in the novels, with a beast tide attack. Or maybe something else would happen.
Either way, Lan Qingyou had made up her mind to stay inside for a while and wait until other people had tested all the dangers that came with losing novice protection.
But apart from books, there wasn't much to do at home, so she decided to stockpile water. That way, she could brew potions whenever she needed a break from reading.
It was a good balance between work and rest.
Once every container was filled with Creek Water, Lan Qingyou made another trip to Albert's Basement and gathered all the Luminous Mushrooms there.
While she was at it, she sprinkled some Creek Water over the roots still in the soil.
When she returned, she went straight to the second-floor room.
She still hadn't decided what to do with the third floor, so she continued living on the second.
Beside the Mattress on the second floor stood the bookshelf she'd made using the bookshelf blueprint she'd gotten earlier.
Since she had no curtains and cloth was too much trouble, she'd placed the bookshelf by the head of her bed after crafting it, using it as a screen to block the morning sunlight.
That left the space behind the bookshelf pitch-black, but at least she didn't have to worry about getting hit by a Solar Fist first thing every morning.
Holding Basic Magic Circuitry, she went out onto the terrace and settled into the Recliner beside a winnowing basket filled with snakes, insects, and rodents. She basked in the sun, enjoying the last rays of the Novice Protection Period, and read her book.
She'd crafted the Recliner from a blueprint, and it couldn't have suited her better.
When the sun sank below the horizon and its final rays set the sky ablaze, Lan Qingyou flew down to the first floor and went over to the desk.
Then she sent Gu Xiaobei a message ordering dinner and included ten Healing Potions as payment.
Don't doubt it.
That was how expensive Gu Xiaobei's food was.
Lan Qingyou had only found out earlier that day, after getting up and trading with Shang Chuan.
Ever since Gu Xiaobei had started selling stone bowls yesterday, her food had become a bestseller in District 666, just like Lan Qingyou's potions.
The whole channel was buzzing about it.
But unlike them, who were after powerful buffs, Lan Qingyou was simply a foodie.
After trying the Silverfish Potato Noodles yesterday, she'd become a huge fan of Gu Xiaobei's cooking.
She'd even given Gu Xiaobei some of her kitchen-related items, such as a Steamer, a Small Two-Eared Clay Pot, a soup ladle, a kitchen knife, and even some ingredients she'd gotten that needed to be prepared.
That included the enamel mug, too.
Gu Xiaobei hadn't wanted to take them at first, since she felt she hadn't done anything to deserve them. But Lan Qingyou persuaded her, and in the end, she accepted.
As Lan Qingyou had put it, they were things she didn't need. All she had to keep were her Chopsticks and bowls.
Of course, she'd kept the convenience food.
She'd stockpiled enough convenience food to last a month, in case she needed it while she went out every night as the "Green Ghost."
Or, more accurately, emergency rations.
In a strange world like this, anything could happen. It was better to be prepared.
Gu Xiaobei had actually sent her some homemade food at noon, but since it was midday, she couldn't get her hands on many good ingredients. She'd said she'd have to wait until the evening to make something better.
That was what Gu Xiaobei had said, but the Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles she'd made at noon had still tasted pretty good.
Gu Xiaobei didn't keep Lan Qingyou waiting long.
A few minutes later, a tray appeared on Lan Qingyou's Magic Desk. On it sat a clay pot, a bowl of steamed buns, and a small dish of Chili Powder.
There was also a pair of Chopsticks and a small soup spoon.
They looked familiar. They were the ones she'd given Gu Xiaobei yesterday.
Gu Xiaobei: "Boss, from now on I'll pack your orders in this clay pot. Just give it back to me after you're done eating, and I'll wash it."
Of course, Gu Xiaobei knew about the Healing Potions.
She'd been busy at the stove when the news broke, and by the time she found out, they'd all been snapped up.
She'd been a little disappointed.
Then Lan Qingyou had paid for a meal with a Healing Potion, and Gu Xiaobei had been over the moon.
Lan Qingyou was fine with Gu Xiaobei's suggestion.
The little one-liter clay pot could hold about two pounds of food. It was perfect for using as a bowl.
So she checked it with the Small Screen. When she confirmed it wasn't poisoned, she grabbed a towel and lifted the steaming pot's lid.
Inside was a whole chicken leg, with bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and Ham Sausage on the side. The broth was clear, steam billowed into the air, and its fragrance wafted all around. Lan Qingyou's appetite stirred at once.
She picked up the steamed bun and Chopsticks from the bowl beside her, ready to dig in.
But she quickly realized there was no way she could pick up the whole chicken leg with Chopsticks.
Luckily, it had been stewed until tender. She could easily pull off a piece of meat, dip it in Chili Powder, then take a bite of bun and a bite of chicken. It was a delight.
Whenever the food went down the wrong way, she took a sip of the clear broth, rich with the flavor of medicinal herbs, to refresh her palate.
Mm, the soup seemed to have been made with Chongling Grass, Tianshun Flower, and Sanma Grass, along with something she hadn't identified yet.
An expert could tell at a glance.
She didn't know what kind of monster the chicken leg came from, but she spent all day working with herbs, and one sip of the soup told her what it contained.
They were all ingredients used to make Healing Potions, or substitutes for them.
No wonder the Small Screen had rated the food as restoring two points of health every five seconds for ten minutes.
Eating it before a prolonged battle would provide a steady 240 points of health. At this stage, it was a rare and valuable thing.
Gu Xiaobei: "This is Steam Pot Chicken made with Colored Feather Chicken. It's an improved version from another world, but it tastes pretty much like the original. I also added Yellow-Ringed Legless Worms and Mucus Mushrooms to improve blood circulation, so the soup is not only delicious but beautiful, too. It has the perfect color, aroma, and flavor."
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