Amethyst Spirit Bee Honeycomb

But the thought only flashed through Wang Shouzhe's mind. He only knew that the earliest sodium glutamate had been extracted from kelp, but its content in kelp was very low, making industrial production difficult.

Modern methods extracted sodium glutamate from crops such as soybeans through microbial fermentation.

Yet Wang Shouzhe knew next to nothing about the techniques and principles of extracting sodium glutamate. If he had to develop it himself, who knew how many years it would take to succeed? He could only set aside this notion of making a fortune for now. It was safer to begin by improving and optimizing the clan's existing industries.

"Second Brother, you understand the principles now. I hope you'll hurry with the experiments and improvements. Don't let Sixth Uncle's Fishing Brigade waste all their hard work catching live fish. Of course, you must also safeguard the Wang Clan's secrets. I trust you know better than I do how to handle that."

After giving a few instructions, Wang Shouzhe led his family retainers away.

Having received this "inheritance," Wang Shouyi had long been itching to get started. He could not even be bothered to see Wang Shouzhe off before eagerly going to try it himself. Once it succeeded, the fish stall—the clan's traditional business—would be able to show its strengths.

At the eastern gate of Changning Guard.

Beyond the city lay a broad, straight official road.

With two family retainers in tow, Wang Shouzhe rode at full gallop. After traveling with a few stops along the way, he reached Changning Ferry on the An River in less than half an hour.

Changning Ferry was an official ferry, effectively controlled by the Changning Guard authorities. The influence of Ping'an Town's three great clans stopped here, making it a clear boundary line.

A Wang Clan retainer had already been waiting there. The moment he saw Wang Shouzhe and the others, he came forward. "Wang Wu pays his respects to the Clan Leader."

"Enough formalities. Have Mother and Fifth Sister arrived?" When Wang Shouzhe had left the clan overnight, he had left a letter for Gongsun Hui, telling her to act according to the plan within.

"Reporting to the Clan Leader," Wang Wu said respectfully, "Madam Hui and Fifth Miss's carriage is waiting ahead."

Led by Wang Wu, Wang Shouzhe soon joined up with Gongsun Hui and the others. Once inside the carriage, Gongsun Hui poured him a cup of tea. Worry lingered between her brows. "Zhe'er, is the matter you mentioned in your letter truly this serious?"

"I'm afraid it's even more serious than we imagined." Wang Shouzhe took a sip of tea to steady himself, then said with a frown, "The Qian Clan Trading Firm's businesses span all of Longzuo, yet they haven't noticed anything. This means that, at least within Longzuo Prefecture, no major force has issued any warning about this disaster."

"How could that be?" Gongsun Hui's face turned pale as she blurted out, "With so many powerful aristocratic clans throughout Longzuo Prefecture, not one of them noticed? Wouldn't that mean countless commoners will suffer?"

"Mother, you worry too much. If the sky falls, there will always be tall people to hold it up. What our little Wang Clan can do is go with the current. Finding a way to survive and grow stronger is the proper path," Wang Shouzhe said calmly. "Still, Mother has a point. In a vast place like Longzuo Prefecture, we cannot possibly have been the first to notice the insect disaster. Most may overlook it, but there will always be some clans that spot something amiss and secretly prepare in advance. Or perhaps someone has already issued a warning, but the news has yet to reach Changning."

Human nature was much the same everywhere.

The moment Wang Shouzhe discovered this matter, he immediately kept it strictly confidential and prepared to make a killing from it. Other clans that had discovered it through luck or ability most likely thought the same way.

Besides, Wang Shouzhe had discovered it too late. He only had time to ride the tide of the situation. Even if he spread the news, it would merely cause the chaos to erupt earlier and would do nothing to help the overall situation.

"You're right, Zhe'er. For a small household like ours, it's already good enough if we can take care of ourselves." Gongsun Hui was also relieved. "The Great Qian Government, Purple Mansion Academy, and those great aristocratic clans will surely step in to provide disaster relief when the critical moment comes. Zhe'er, thank you on behalf of the Shanyang Gongsun Clan for thinking of helping the Gongsun Clan at such a time."

"What are you saying, Mother? The Gongsun Clan and our Wang Clan have intermarried for generations; our bloodlines have long since mingled as one. We should naturally watch over and help one another," Wang Shouzhe said with a smile. "Besides, it has been a long time since I visited Grandfather to pay my respects."

As Wang Shouzhe knew, the intermarriage between the Gongsun Clan and the Wang Clan truly ran deep. Take Gongsun Mo, the current Gongsun Clan Leader—his biological grandmother had been Wang Lingdie, a legitimate daughter of the Wang Clan's fourth generation. Even Gongsun Hui had to call her Great-Grandmother.

Likewise, the Wang Clan's direct line had married a legitimate daughter of the Gongsun Clan in its fourth generation. She was Wang Shouzhe's great-grandmother.

This showed just how close the Gongsun Clan and the Wang Clan's direct lines were.

At the mention of the words "Grandfather," Gongsun Hui froze slightly before delight immediately filled her face. She said emotionally, "Zhe'er, you've truly grown up. You've become sensible."

Though Gongsun Hui was not Wang Shouzhe's birth mother, she was his legitimate mother. Her father, Gongsun Mo, was naturally Wang Shouzhe's grandfather. However, Wang Shouzhe's former self had been rather withdrawn since childhood. On the few occasions he had visited Gongsun Mo, he had been cold and distant, and they had never been particularly close.

As for Gongsun Hui, after marrying Wang Dingyue as his second wife, she had only borne one legitimate daughter and no legitimate son. Thus, she had devoted all her attention to her legitimate son, Wang Shouzhe.

This was the rule under the laws of the Great Qian Kingdom, as well as the rules observed by all Profound Martial Aristocratic Clans. Whether they were blood-related or not, a legitimate mother and legitimate son were a proper mother and son.

While Gongsun Hui was speaking, Fifth Sister Wang Luojing sat quietly and obediently beside them. Even though she found it boring, she only blinked her eyes and did not dare say much.

"Luojing, Fourth Brother brought you a gift. See if you like it." Wang Shouzhe took out a parcel and handed it to her.

When Wang Luojing opened it, she saw a honeycomb. She immediately covered her mouth in surprise and said through muffled sounds, "Th-this honeycomb is round as a whole, like a sphere. Its openings are hexagonal, and its color has a faint crystalline jade quality. Could this be the legendary Amethyst Spirit Bee honeycomb? Thank you, Fourth Brother! This is wonderful."

Wait, what the hell was an Amethyst Spirit Bee?

Wang Shouzhe's expression turned slightly stunned. "Luojing, your studies are lacking. This is clearly a Tiger-Headed Spirit Bee honeycomb."

Wang Luojing paused, then bit her jade-like finger. "I understand. Fourth Brother is testing me again. The Insect Classic records that Tiger-Headed Spirit Bees and Amethyst Spirit Bees look rather alike in their first-stage forms. The tiny difference is that Amethyst Spirit Bees are more slender. But their honeycombs differ greatly. Tiger-Headed Spirit Bee honeycombs are usually rather flat, with slightly rough openings. Amethyst Spirit Bee honeycombs, meanwhile, are generally round, and the hive itself takes on a crystalline jade quality. This colony of Amethyst Spirit Bees is still at the first-stage level, so it has only begun to crystallize slightly. If they advance to the second stage, their honeycomb will grow more than ten times larger than this, and its entire body will gradually take on the appearance of purple crystal jade."

As she spoke, Wang Luojing carefully poured out several bee pupae. Her little face immediately filled with distress. "The person who picked this honeycomb was such an idiot. So many pupae transforming into larvae have died. Wuwu... These really are Amethyst Spirit Bees. There are only a few dozen living bee pupae left. What a pity!"

"They really are Amethyst Spirit Bees?" Wang Shouzhe's expression became somewhat strange as well. "Does this count as finding a bargain?" His former self had been the Young Clan Leader, so he naturally had to study much knowledge. Tiger-Headed Spirit Bees were generally common among Spirit Bees, so he was fairly familiar with them.

But he knew little about Amethyst Spirit Bees, only that they were a rare variety capable of growing into second-stage Spirit Bees.

Gongsun Hui, seated nearby, was also astonished. Covering her mouth, she said, "Zhe'er, don't tell me you really bought this as a Tiger-Headed Spirit Bee honeycomb? How much Qian Gold did you spend?"

"I was just wandering through the market when I found this honeycomb. Thinking Fifth Sister had the potential to become a Spirit Insect Master, I bought it for her to play with..." Wang Shouzhe said with a laugh. "After haggling for a while, it only cost ten Qian Gold. Looks like both that rogue cultivator and I failed to recognize it. Heh heh."

"More than failing to recognize it—you were both blind," Gongsun Hui teased with a smile. "Among second-stage Spirit Bees, the Amethyst Spirit Bee produces Amethyst Spirit Honey once it truly matures. It can strengthen one's foundations, nurture one's vitality, preserve beauty, and enhance one's complexion, making it a primary ingredient in many second-stage spirit pills. If it can produce Amethyst Queen Bee Honey, that is a standard third-stage spirit material and one of the main spirit ingredients for the renowned third-stage Spirit Awakening Pill."

Hiss— Wang Shouzhe sucked in a sharp breath. "The Spirit Awakening Pill? Isn't that the legendary spirit pill that can improve one's Xuanwu aptitude?"