Chapter: Return to Snow City
Before the sun rose, the military transport convoy left the Northern Fortress.
Bailu Town was located between the Northern Fortress and Snow City. To go to Snow City, they had to pass through Bailu Town.
When the convoy reached the entrance of Bailu Town, Cheng Yu saw an acquaintance.
A young person in white stockings and puffy shorts stood on the side of the road—handsome face, a broken bowl placed in front. Eyes closed, plucking a harp, singing poetry affectionately.
"Who caressed your wounded but resolute face, by the stream and by the huge rock."
"Who hugged your tired and noble soul, in the deep dream and in the sky."
"Dear friend, I will hold your hand and take you into the bright lights of the summer night."
Cheng Yu asked the soldier driving the carriage to stop. He took out two silver coins and tossed them into the broken bowl.
Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~
Two silver coins clinked against the porcelain bowl. The youth opened their eyes, eyes shining. "Thank you for the tip! Thank you for the tip!"
"Long time no see, Charles."
Cheng Yu greeted them.
"Huh? Cheng Yu? Where have you been for half a month?"
Charles noticed the person who'd tipped them was Cheng Yu.
Half a month ago, Cheng Yu had taken Mina and Ivennie to the Northern Fortress to sell barbecue.
At that time, Charles had been wandering around Bailu Town.
When Charles returned to the manor, they'd found the manor door closed—unable to get in.
There was no choice but to return to their old profession and sing for money.
"I went to the Northern Fortress to sell barbecue."
"You couldn't get into my manor. Where have you been staying for half a month?"
Cheng Yu looked at Charles. In Cheng Yu's impression, Charles was a poor person. After not seeing them for half a month, they didn't seem to be hungry and thin from poverty.
"Hehe, under the eaves."
With a cheerful smile, Charles pointed to the eaves outside a shop not far away. That was their home.
After traveling around the cities of the Celsis Continent, Charles had become accustomed to a wandering life. Bridges, eaves, and roadsides were all good places to live.
"Here's thirty silver coins for you. Find a better hotel."
Cheng Yu pulled out a handful of silver coins and placed them into Charles's broken bowl.
Seeing the bowl full of silver coins, Charles's eyes turned pitiful—so moved they almost cried. They took Cheng Yu's hand. "Cheng Yu, you're such a good person!"
Cheng Yu shook Charles off. "Get lost. I'm not interested in men."
"Hehe~"
Charles smiled, picked up their broken bowl, and put away the silver coins.
"With the huge sum of thirty-two silver coins, I don't have to worry about wine money for the next half month!"
Cheng Yu was a bit speechless. "I gave you money to rent a hotel, and you're using it to buy wine?"
Charles waved their hand nonchalantly. "As long as there's wine, anywhere is heaven."
"Goodbye, drunkard."
Cheng Yu waved to Charles and returned to the carriage.
"Master Cheng Yu, why did you give Charles money?" Ivennie said, taking Cheng Yu's hand. She didn't quite understand Cheng Yu's actions.
"Investment."
Cheng Yu said lightly.
A youth who traveled to various countries and was proficient in many strange magics—their identity definitely wasn't simple.
Give some money. Build relationships.
Anyway, there was no shortage of these few dozen silver coins. Low investment, high returns.
The transport convoy passed through Bailu Town and continued toward Snow City.
The vehicles of the Northern Fortress transport convoy were of much better quality than civilian carriages.
The horses in the transport team weren't ordinary horses but first-tier magic beasts: Wind Chasing Horses.
Wind Chasing Horses looked similar of an ordinary horses, but their strength and speed were much greater.
It had taken Cheng Yu a day and a night to reach Snow City by carriage last time.
This time, riding in the transport team's carriage, it took only half a day to reach Snow City.
At noon, after Cheng Yu thanked the captain of the transport team, he took Ivennie and Mina out of the convoy and headed to the Snow City Magic Association.
Having been to Snow City once before, Cheng Yu knew where to buy magic materials.
The Magic Association was also on the street where the magic materials shop was located. After purchasing the magic materials needed for pickled earthworms, it would be perfect to go to the Magic Association to test his magic level.
The three walked toward the center of Snow City for about half an hour.
The center of Snow City was a huge circular fountain square with many stalls and vendors. People were everywhere—including local Snow City residents and travelers from foreign countries.
Cheng Yu looked at the direction and walked toward the street north of the fountain square.
After turning two blocks, he arrived at the street where the magic material shop was located.
This street was full of shops selling magic materials. The Magic Association was located in the middle of this street.
Standing at the entrance of the street, looking around, the street was almost entirely filled with mages wearing magic cloaks.
Some mages came here to take mage professional level tests. Others came to buy magic materials and make magic tools.
Cheng Yu walked into a magic material store. The shelves were full of various plants, various minerals, various monster bones, and monster crystal cores below second-tier.
Coming to the counter, Cheng Yu asked the shop owner, "Do you have the three magic materials: snow dragon grass, corpse flower, and asparagus seeds?"
The owner thought for a moment. "Snow dragon grass and asparagus seeds are available, but corpse flower is relatively rare. We don't have it in our store."
"Give me a hundred snow dragon grass and ten kilograms of asparagus seeds."
Cheng Yu bought what was available first.
"Snow dragon grass is 2 silver coins per piece. Asparagus seeds are 50 silver coins per kilogram. That's a total of 7 gold coins."
Cheng Yu paid 7 gold coins to the shop owner.
The shop owner placed 100 snow dragon grass and 10 kilograms of asparagus seeds in a cloth bag for Cheng Yu.
There were over ten shops selling magic materials on the whole street.
Over the next half hour, Cheng Yu went door to door and asked all the magic material stores. None had corpse flower.
Corpse flower grew in cemeteries or places where corpses piled up. It had a strong rotten smell and was disgusting. Few alchemists used this plant to prepare potions.
It wasn't profitable, so merchants naturally weren't willing to sell it.
"Let's go eat first and ask again tomorrow."
Cheng Yu was a bit hungry.
"Eat! Eat!"
Mina had been hungry for a while.
Hearing Cheng Yu say "eat," she immediately became energetic, raised her pointed ears, and walked ahead with her head held high.
"Cheng Yu, where are we going to eat?" Mina asked.
"Let's go eat fried rice."
Last time, Cheng Yu had written the secret recipe for making fried rice to the slave trader Marcus. Marcus had opened an egg fried rice restaurant in Snow City. Time to see how his business was doing.
"How do we get there?" Mina asked.
Cheng Yu remembered the location of Marcus's egg fried rice restaurant. "Turn left at the intersection ahead."
The three walked to the intersection ahead and turned left, arriving at the door of an egg fried rice restaurant.
The egg fried rice restaurant was almost full.
Marcus was obese with a mustache, counting bills at the counter.
"Marcus, my friend! Business is booming!"
Cheng Yu walked to the counter and greeted Marcus.
Seeing Cheng Yu, Marcus's face darkened at first. Why did this sly fox come?
The MSG Cheng Yu sold him cost one gold coin per pack—taking away half his egg fried rice restaurant's profits.
Truly detestable.
Others said Marcus was a black-hearted businessman, but the one in front of him was the real black-hearted businessman.
However, if the fried rice restaurant wanted to prosper, it couldn't do without Cheng Yu's MSG. Marcus immediately plastered a professional fake smile on his face. "Brother Cheng Yu, why are you in Snow City? Come, come, come!"
"I'm here to buy something," Cheng Yu smiled. "Your store is doing well. You've made a lot of money during this period, right?"
"Business is okay, but profit isn't high."
Marcus was cursing internally—you bastard took away half my profit.
Though he cursed internally, Marcus had made money during this period. Market demand was strong.
When market demand was strong, operational scale should be expanded to gain more profits.
"Brother Cheng Yu, I plan to open a few more fried rice chain stores in several nearby major cities. Remember to sell me more MSG when the time comes."
"Okay."
Cheng Yu readily agreed.
He was happy to sell MSG to Marcus.
Opening a store required selecting a location, renting space, decorating, hiring chefs, purchasing ingredients, gathering popularity, daily management, regular tax payments... a series of troublesome business processes.
Now all these troublesome things were done by Marcus, the tool man. Cheng Yu only needed to sell MSG to earn half the profit. Easy and enjoyable.