Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 162
Old Man Fu possessed a unique talent that made him one of the world's finest alchemists, a gift that appeared when he was still very young. When his master discovered his talent, he made sure that Old Man Fu would learn the art of alchemy. His master guided him personally and never allowed his potential to go to waste.
Old Man Fu was sensitive to mana, an energy that was nearing extinction and barely detectable in modern times. It was said that Thera had 100 times the amount of mana thousands of years ago, when magic still flourished.
He couldn't control mana, but he could sense it, like feeling heat without touching fire. Using this talent, he could determine the potency of ingredients and concoct medicine accordingly.
"Holy Goddess of Growth!" His voice cracked, unable to hide his shock.
The Goddess of Growth was the protector of plants, trees, and flowers. She was worshipped by farmers and gardeners, especially those whose lives depended on their harvests. Old Man Fu also worshipped her, as his profession was closely tied to plants.
"This is an ancient ginseng! More than 1,000 years old."
His hands trembled as he held it, as if he were holding a sacred relic.
"Its mana is so immense that every part of it can be used as medicine!" His voice was filled with disbelief.
The most important part of a ginseng plant was its root, but the ginseng in Old Man Fu's hand was so ancient that it had absorbed the mana of the earth for countless years. It was as if its leaves, stem, and even berries were faintly pulsing in his hands.
Old Man Fu began to tremble, his face covered in sweat.
"Master Fu, what did you say? This ginseng is more than 1,000 years old!?" Roman was shocked.
"I'm not joking!" Old Man Fu snapped back as he clutched the ginseng closer.
"This is the first time I've seen a ginseng with such immense and dense mana." Old Man Fu's face flushed red.
"You're Karlos, right?" Old Man Fu turned to him.
"Yes, Master." Karlos didn't know who the old man was, but since Roman respected him and several bodyguards followed him, Karlos assumed he was an important figure.
"Where did you find this ginseng?" Old Man Fu's gaze sharpened.
"Brandon and I found it floating in the sea." Karlos and Brandon nodded. They had already prepared a story. For now, they wanted to keep it a secret that they had found the ginseng on a small island.
"The sea?"
Old Man Fu glanced at the ginseng again. He leaned closer and smelled it.
"No wonder it smells salty. I thought it was just because we are close to the sea."
Old Man Fu wasn't surprised that ginseng could be found floating in the sea.
Ancient ginseng could absorb the essence of the earth, but it needed to be at least 200 years old to adapt to different environments.
'The mages in the era of magic used magical arrays and created gardens in many places, such as underground, underwater, and even in harsh environments.' Old Man Fu nodded, recalling ancient records.
In the high mountain range of Dal Bhat Country, there was a garden at the peak of the tallest mountain, a place considered sacred. Ordinary people couldn't traverse it because of the intense blizzards year-round. Even airplanes and helicopters couldn't get close to the garden.
However, some people had the determination and reasons to reach it. Some sought miraculous plants to save their loved ones, while others wanted to profit from them to change their lives. Some succeeded in reaching the garden, but they were only allowed to take one type of plant. The garden had a magical array that punished greed.
Within that garden, there were magical plants that were more than 3,000 years old. The highest mountain was protected by Dal Bhat Country, but people still tried to reach it illegally, risking their lives. Most of them didn't survive the climb.
'If my assumption is right, this ginseng came from an underwater garden, or the magical array lost its power, allowing the ginseng to surface.'
He recalled that an ancient ginseng had been found floating in the sea in this region three years ago.
'Too bad. We tried to find where the plant came from, but we couldn't locate it.'
"You guys are lucky," Old Man Fu said as he looked at the two of them.
"Roman, this ginseng is an ancient one. I can definitely cure your grandmother, but I will need other ingredients to concoct the medicine. Some of them are rare and expensive, with this ginseng being the most important part." Old Man Fu turned to Roman.
Roman was overjoyed to hear that. Money was not an issue.
"Thank you, Master." He bowed deeply to the old man, showing his gratitude.
"Well then, I suppose you invited me here to appraise this ginseng, right?" Even while speaking, Old Man Fu continued to examine the ginseng, unable to stop admiring it.
"Indeed."
"This year, an ancient ginseng that was over 2,000 years old was auctioned in Kimchi Country. The price reached $3 million, causing quite a sensation. As for this one..." The old man stared at the ginseng in his hands, carefully evaluating it.
Karlos, Brandon, and Maya waited for his answer. They were shocked that a ginseng could be sold for such a high price.
"$1 million. That is the appropriate value I can give."
"..."
Karlos and the others were speechless. One million dollars, when converted to pesos, was about 50 million pesos!
"Karlos, I'll pay you 60 million pesos. Is that alright with you?" Roman immediately made an offer.
"I..." Karlos swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry.
"If you're not satisfied, I also have a plot of land that I'm planning to turn into a shrimp farm. It's located in the southeast of Una Town, near the mangrove river. It already has most of the equipment, and its valuation is around 3 million pesos," Roman added sincerely.
"Deal." Karlos had no reason to refuse. He could clearly see Roman's sincerity.
[Thank you for reading this novel.]