Chapter 2331: Purchasing Raw Stones

“Is fifty thousand jin a lot? If the Feng Family really needs Immortal Rice, I can sell a bit more to them, but the price might have to increase somewhat.”

Tang Ming looked at Feng Rui with a gentle smile.

Feng Rui hesitated for a moment, then said, “Let’s do it according to City Lord Tang Ming’s suggestion. I’ve settled on eighty thousand gold worth of Immortal Rice with City Lord Tang Ming, paying with ore, is that alright?”

“Naturally, there’s no problem. Just follow the market price. However, the extra thirty thousand jin will be priced one tier above the market rate. Mei’er, you’ll be responsible for this.”

Tang Ming’s gaze fell on Hu Mei’er.

Hu Mei’er nodded: “Don’t worry, I’ll handle the negotiations with Elder Feng. Elder Feng, if you want to inspect the goods, please prepare a suitable open space, as the Immortal Rice is in my Storage Ring.”

Feng Rui finally became cautious at this point. Tang Ming was serious about this, and truly intended to sell the Immortal Rice to him.

Did he not know what Immortal Rice represented to Taoyuan World at present? The Immortal Rice from the Immortal Mountain could no longer be transported. The Immortal Rice produced in Taoyuan World was simply not enough to meet the demand. If Tang Ming indeed sold this batch of Immortal Rice to him at a price higher than the market rate, he could sell it to others for a profit.

“Alright then, I won’t accompany City Lord Tang Ming further. Miss Hu, let’s proceed over here for discussions.”

Feng Rui’s face displayed an excited smile as he spoke.

Hu Mei’er nodded: “Alright, Elder Feng, please lead the way.”

Although Hu Mei’er was quite interested in Source Stones as well, Tang Ming intended to make a profit from the Feng Family, and she still needed to consider the interests of West Continent City.

Hu Mei’er led Gehou to negotiate the Immortal Rice trade with Feng Rui. Meanwhile, Tang Ming followed behind Yao Jian, directly entering the central trading market.

Due to Source Stone City’s preparation to hold the grand Immortal Craftsman competition, this year’s Source Stone trading conference was particularly magnificent, with the number and price of Source Stones higher than in hundreds of years.

“Is this Treasure Ore Source Stone? This is my first time seeing it.”

Barton Nake picked up a dark Source Stone from a nearby stall to inspect it.

Yao Jian smiled and said, “Source Stones come in several grades. Master Nak is holding the lowest-grade grey-covered Source Stone. Of course, this doesn’t mean that grey-covered Source Stones can’t produce Treasure Ore; rather, according to records, the chance of extracting Treasure Ore from this type of Source Stone is slightly lower than from others.”

“Master Yao Jian is right, gentlemen, would you like to open a few to see? In honor of Master Yao Jian, I’ll waive the fee for these grey Source Stones.”

The stall owner, a chubby old man, looked at Tang Ming and the others with a warm smile as he spoke.

Yao Jian shook his head and said, “Business is business; even if we’re going to open them, it’s only fair to pay. City Lord, what do you think, interested in trying it out?”

“Sure, how do I pick them?”

Tang Ming picked up several Source Stones and raised an eyebrow; these Source Stones looked identical, lacking any spiritual patterns or Spirit Veins as mentioned in the Divine Machine Refinement.

“Look here, these marks were left from when the Source Stones were extracted. The outer stone has been stripped, but some remnants remain. Look at the color of this piece, and the spiritual patterns and Spirit Veins here.”

Yao Jian picked up a Source Stone and began explaining.

Tang Ming nodded, having previously speculated about the spiritual patterns and Spirit Veins, but hadn’t anticipated the need for such detail.

“These are nice ores, all from the Dark Gold Stone vein. If I recall, your family’s Dark Gold Stone mine is indeed a Treasure Ore mine, right?”

Yao Jian’s gaze landed on the old man.

The old man nodded, a faint smile on his face: “That’s right, don’t you remember, the Dark Blood Scythe from back then was crafted by you using our family’s Dark Gold Stone.”

“Hmm, the Dark Blood Scythe is among the top-tier of my creations. City Lord, do you have any thoughts about these Source Stones? And Master Nak, you both can select a few; this will be on me, Yao Jian.”

If they were high-grade Source Stones, Yao Jian really couldn’t foot the bill, but since these were grey and black, relatively low-grade, Yao Jian could afford it.

“Don’t worry, Old Yao, I’m not short on money; I just closed a deal with the Feng Family. And don’t forget, the area around West Continent City is rich with Spirit Stone veins; spiritual coins are the least of my concerns.”

Tang Ming smiled and started selecting Source Stones, following the criteria noted in the Divine Machine Refinement.

It’s really hard to predict with Source Stones; the spiritual patterns and Spirit Veins on these stones showed no discernible pattern. Without opening a few, it was hard to understand the purpose of the spiritual patterns and Spirit Veins.

Tang Ming thought for a moment, then grabbed a Source Stone and said, “Master Yao Jian, do you know where I can crack these Source Stones open?”

“You want to dissolve Source Stones?”

Yao Jian and the shop owner were both surprised.

It’s known that Source Stones are generally opened for personal reasons unless exceptions apply. The price of Source Stones isn’t low, and their content, if revealed, might attract the attention of others.

If no Treasure Ore emerges, one risks ridicule. Thus, opening Source Stones in the trading market is usually done by those master Source Stone traders who can sell them on the spot.

“Yes, I want to study these Source Stones, to understand the role of spiritual patterns and Spirit Veins.”

Tang Ming nodded, prompting the stall owner to laugh heartily.

“City Lord Tang, people like you appear every year. If you want to dissolve stones, I’ll get you the solution and hammer for the job.”

The stall owner was quick to leave and faster to return, carrying a large transparent bucket filled with emerald-green liquid.

“This is called Stone Dissolving Liquid, made from the liquid of Stone Creation Grass. This large bucket requires only a single leaf from the Stone Creation Grass and can still hold water.”

Yao Jian explained to Tang Ming, pointing at the Stone Dissolving Liquid.

Tang Ming nodded, aware of the Stone Dissolving Liquid. It was recorded in the Divine Machine Refinement, drawn from an herb named Stone Creation Grass found deep within mines.

Due to the herb’s growth habits, its medicinal properties have a strong corrosive effect on the stone skin of Source Stones. Just one drop can be transformed into tens of thousands of jin of Stone Dissolving Liquid.

Tang Ming placed the Source Stones he purchased into the large bucket, and bubbles began to rise. Previously rough-textured stones became smooth.

The chubby shop owner handed Tang Ming a scoop: “City Lord Tang, scooping Source Stones is a matter of luck, something we all believe in. So please, do it yourself.”