Chapter 82: Chapter 082 Northern Tour Trade
Dragon Cypress returned to the Ant Nest, asked around, and took a tour.
This year, Round Cypress had done very well. When the Cypress Fruit ripened and was harvested, the fruiting branches were pruned at the same time to avoid wasting the plant’s nutrients.
The five Cypress trees in Dragon Cypress Territory and the nine Common Orchid Grass Life Seeds in Ink Orchid Territory had all been harvested, dried, and stored.
Round Cypress kept the territory in perfect order.
The Spiked Cypress was guarding the Divine-Given Seed of the Mountain North Fruit Fragrant Orchid.
「...」
After confirming that everything had been fine during his absence, Dragon Cypress felt relieved. He then worked through the night, carrying Swamp Water down the mountain in Bamboo Tubes.
He was busy until the latter half of the night.
After resting for a short while, he began to pack up the goods the following morning, preparing to head north to Silver Cypress Mountain.
Inventory summary:
240 Divine-Given Ghost Fans, valued at 6,000 Source Stones.
500 Divine-Given White Rice Seeds, valued at 1,300 Source Stones.
200 Divine-Given Southern Sour Jujube Cores, no discount, valued at 2,000 Source Stones.
The Cypress Seeds and Orchid Seeds produced from the Common Life Seeds in Dragon Cypress’s and Ink Orchid’s own territories could also fetch about 1,000 Source Stones.
Then there were the various common Origin Force Foods just collected from Ghost Fan Territory, including 3,000 ordinary Ghost Fans.
They had collected goods worth 4,300 Source Stones. After giving items worth roughly 300 Source Stones to White Willow, goods worth 4,000 Source Stones remained. Calculated at a Roving Merchant’s minimum 20% profit margin, these equated to a value of 4,800 Source Stones for Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid.
All in all, the total value amounted to 15,100 Source Stones.
The north might already be in winter.
Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid did not want to suffer the cold again, and neither could the Specialized Blue Ants endure it.
They set out urgently around mid-morning.
「...」
The cold wind howled, the vegetation withered, and the northern plains were silent and desolate.
Silver Cypress Mountain.
At a glance, the persimmon orchards, laid out in strips, wrapped around the mountainside like a golden-red belt.
Mountain Persimmon was busy picking Persimmon Fruits, careful and fully focused, only noticing the Dominating Throne as it approached.
"Mountain Persimmon!" Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid called out.
Mountain Persimmon was stunned for a moment and then replied with joy, "Dragon Cypress Ant King! Ink Orchid!"
Dragon Cypress took the initiative to explain, "This year’s trade has been so busy, and the Dominating Throne can’t fly fast, so Ink Orchid and I are a bit late."
Ink Orchid asked, "Mountain Persimmon, your Persimmon Tree Life Seeds’ fruits must have matured a while ago, right? Are they still there?"
Mountain Persimmon answered, "They matured about ten days ago, and I’ve kept them all."
Ink Orchid: "That’s great! Are they in the cave? Let’s go take a look."
"Alright." Mountain Persimmon led the way.
His cave dwelling was piled high with persimmons, from front to back and top to bottom. Numerous birds had been attracted to the site. Mountain Persimmon vigorously waved his tentacles to chase them away, pushed aside the dead branches blocking the cave entrance, and squeezed into the cave. Soon after, he carefully emerged, holding a Mountain Persimmon Fruit.
"Dragon Cypress, Ink Orchid, they’ve been stored too long and have become too soft..."
"No problem!" Dragon Cypress said. "That’s perfect; my Specialized Blue Ants can’t withstand the cold outside either. We’ll arrange for them to work inside your cave, and we’ll clean it up when we leave. Is that okay?"
"Of course..." Mountain Persimmon replied. He then asked, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, how shall we trade?"
Ink Orchid spiraled down to land, took the Persimmon Fruit back to the Throne, and handed it to Dragon Cypress for inspection.
Persimmon Fruit had a rather good shelf life.
Fortunately, the fruit pulp showed no signs of Origin Force depletion yet.
After scanning with his spiritual power, Dragon Cypress quoted, "Mountain Persimmon Fruit, 3 Source Stones for 2, with both the fruit pulp and Persimmon Seeds going to me. How about that?"
Mountain Persimmon: "I don’t really understand... I’ll leave it to you..."
Dragon Cypress inquired, "How many do you have?"
"547 Mountain Persimmon Fruits."
Mountain Persimmon turned and delved back into the cave, then carefully emerged again holding a Dried Persimmon.
Dragon Cypress examined it and quoted, "The fruit is rather small. 1 Source Stone each."
Without saying much more, Mountain Persimmon turned and went back into the cave...
「...」
Mountain Persimmon only mastered four types of Persimmon Trees: Mountain Persimmon, Dried Persimmon, Wood Persimmon, and Large Persimmon. All provided enhancement effects on the Carapace—not great, but not bad either.
Dragon Cypress bought all of them and did not exploit the insect, offering a reasonable price for each.
The output of the nine Persimmon Tree Life Seeds amounted to a total price of 3,700 Source Stones.
Dragon Cypress relocated 20 Specialized Blue Ants to the cave, directing them to start working.
Ink Orchid asked, "Mountain Persimmon, where are your Silver Cypress Seeds?"
Mountain Persimmon picked up an inflated Spider Silk Bag and handed it to Ink Orchid.
Various types of dried fruits, including Cypress Seeds, were messily stuffed into the bag.
Dragon Cypress first picked up a Cypress Seed to examine, ate it, felt the effects, and commented, "Mountain Persimmon, you’re right! The Silver Cypress Seed does have an enhancement effect in optimizing body type! The quality is excellent!"
Mountain Persimmon inquired, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, how will you purchase them?"
Dragon Cypress pondered for a moment and quoted a rather high price, "Cypress Seeds are small. How about 15 for one Source Stone?"
Ink Orchid asked, "What’s the yield of the Silver Cypress Seeds?"
Mountain Persimmon appeared baffled. He struggled for a moment before answering, "A lot... The yield from other Life Seeds is also plentiful, too much for the Spider Silk Bag, so I ate some. But I saved all the Silver Cypress Seeds for you."
Ate some? That’s lost profit! Both Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid felt a pang of regret.
Dragon Cypress was also troubled; this jumbled mess would likely mean he and Ink Orchid would have to sort and tally everything themselves.
It wasn’t until deep into the night that they managed to settle the accounts.
"Mountain Persimmon, the total price for the Origin Force Food you’re selling is 7,100 Source Stones." In the end, Dragon Cypress announced the total.
Based on a 20% profit margin, they could sell it onwards for 8,520 Source Stones.
Ink Orchid picked up a Ghost Fan, enthusiastically promoting, "This is a Ghost Fan from a Divine-Given Seed, each selling for 25 Source Stones. Mountain Persimmon, have a look."
Ink Orchid then retrieved a common Ghost Fan. "This is from a common Ghost Fan Tree Life Seed, selling for 1 Source Stone each. Mountain Persimmon, you can compare them."
Ink Orchid handed the two types of Ghost Fans to Mountain Persimmon. After waiting for a while and seeing Mountain Persimmon buried in thought, she picked up a White Rice Seed. "These White Rice Seeds are from a wild Divine-Given Seed," she announced. "They sell for 13 Source Stones for five, and only 500 seeds are left."
Ink Orchid also took out a Southern Sour Jujube Seed and explained, "This is from a wild Southern Sour Jujube Divine-Given Seed. I’m selling them at a loss, 10 Source Stones each."
A prolonged silence filled the cave.
Mountain Persimmon said, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, Ink Orchid, I’ll take all of your White Rice Seeds and Southern Sour Jujube Seeds! I’ll also buy all of the common Ghost Fans! As for the Ghost Fans from the Divine-Given Seed... I want... I’ll take a look at the others first."
The Southern Sour Jujube Seeds sold again?! Ink Orchid and Dragon Cypress were secretly thrilled.
Ink Orchid began tallying the goods for Mountain Persimmon first.
Dragon Cypress helped with the calculations. "200 Southern Sour Jujube Seeds, 2,000 Source Stones; 3,000 common Ghost Fans, 3,000 Source Stones; 500 White Rice Seeds, 1,300 Source Stones. That totals 6,300 Source Stones."
"Mountain Persimmon, you still have 800 Source Stones at your disposal."
"Oh—"
After much thought, Mountain Persimmon declared, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, you don’t need to tell me the prices of these common Origin Force Foods. Just help me pick a bit of each to make up 800 Source Stones."
It was Dragon Cypress’s first time encountering someone who bought goods without even asking for the prices.
Since the other party was so straightforward, he couldn’t take advantage of him.
Dragon Cypress listed each item by name and price, selecting a variety of Origin Force Foods to make up the 800 Source Stones, and then added an extra gift of four Divine-Given Ghost Fans for him to try.
「...」
The transaction was complete.
They rested for one night.
The 20 Specialized Worker Ants were busy refining the Persimmon Fruits in the cave.
Mountain Persimmon was busy picking persimmons.
Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid headed to the abandoned Silver Cypress Nursery to collect a batch of seeds from the 23 surviving Silver Cypress Trees.
After searching the mountain high and low again, they still couldn’t find any other Silver Cypress Trees.
There were plenty of Large Fruit Round Cypress, though.
Dragon Cypress planned on cultivating Cypress on a large scale and also collected a large batch of their seeds.
It was already very cold up north.
Two days later, after the Specialized Worker Ants completed the Refinement of the Persimmon Fruits, Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid bid farewell to Mountain Persimmon and left Silver Cypress Mountain as if fleeing.