freeallnovels Chapter 27 Adding Some Ingredients to the Tribute
Chapter 27 Adding Some Ingredients to the Tribute
The voices of pirates and fishmen came from behind; the celebration square was right there.
But Fang Qi was not sent in that direction.
There was no interaction between the fish. The soldiers stood silently in place, while the fish-man officer unloaded Fang Qi from the cart and personally pushed him toward the spiral path.
At the entrance, four level 40 elite murloc guards stood motionless like statues.
When the merman officer approached, he simply focused his gaze on the barrel, without stopping or questioning him, as if he had already received orders.
Unlike the cheerful laughter behind me, this side was unusually quiet.
Logically speaking, entering such an important building as an altar should require inspection and questioning before permission can be granted, right?
Even if fishmen aren't very intelligent, it's impossible for them to be completely united and free from treachery.
Fang Qi recalled that, if he remembered correctly, the fishman officer hadn't said a word after they passed the halfway point of the mountain. Even when they changed their destination at the last minute because of "salt blood," it seemed that they hadn't consulted with the other fish.
Did they already convey the information and even complete the approval process without my knowledge?
He recalled the word "link" he had seen at the fish fry shop, and a thought stirred within him.
The spiral path has five checkpoints, each guarded by elite merfolk.
A bucket and a fish moved slowly along, but no fish came to inquire; only the creaking of the wheels echoed in the empty altar.
At the end of the road lies the true heart of the altar.
Dark red, intricate patterns were etched into the ground, with the bony spikes of unknown fish stuck in the four corners.
A blue light flickered at the very center of the altar, attracting Fang Qi's attention.
It was a semi-transparent, soft tissue emitting a faint blue light, like a giant heart, surrounded by dark red bands of light.
[Tidal Gel, Grade B material, possesses excellent spiritual energy conduction capabilities and can also be used as a stabilizer.]
He was given a fleeting glimpse before being led into the room next door.
This is probably where the murlocs store offerings; a level 43 murloc priest is squatting on the right side of the entrance.
"Bo-bo, you did a great job. Good wine should be offered to the gods."
Bo-bo nodded, clutching the bag at her waist: "Then what about before..."
"Keep it; it's a reward you deserve." The priest waved his hand, saw the merman officer off, and closed the door.
"Finally, the Gluttony has arrived!" He rubbed his webbed feet and circled the barrel twice. "The ceremony hasn't started yet, let's have some to try."
Fang Qi panicked upon hearing this.
How come the orders came in so quickly? The new project isn't even finished yet!
He quickly asked Luo Xi, "Is the seasoning ready?"
In front of Rose was a pot of thick sauce, emitting a pungent, spicy aroma.
She stirred the food with a spoon in one hand and covered her nose with the other, saying in a muffled voice, "Almost there, almost there, just one last concentration and it'll be about right."
A standard one-handed sword worth 150 points fell into the warehouse. It was similar in style to the one in the hands of the sentry captain on the mountaintop, but more refined.
This murloc priest actually lined his own pockets, dumping all the spoils from the warehouse into wine for himself!
Another piece of standard armor descended from the sky.
The two items already exceeded the value set by "Salted Blood," and since the order was placed with a high-ranking member of the merfolk, it was not advisable to delay any longer.
If it doesn't work out, just give up this opportunity and get a regular glass of saline blood.
"It's done," Rosie's angelic voice suddenly rang out: "Your hallucinogenic ghost pepper concentrate!"
We made it!
Fang Qi ignored Luo Xi's strange alchemical terminology and quickly multitasked, adding ingredients while shipping the goods.
The merman priest's goblet was filled with "salt blood" that was white with a hint of red.
"That's right, this is it!" The merman priest's movements were exactly like the officer's, sniffing the food before putting it in his mouth.
Its green face suddenly turned bright red, it gasped, and its mouth trembled.
"Bo Bo... Bo Bo actually shared fake...information!"
"Spicy, spicy, spicy! It's so spicy!" The merman priest tried to use magic to neutralize the spiciness, but to no avail.
It frantically glanced around, then simply flung open the door and rushed toward the lake behind the room.
With a few gulps of icy lake water, the merman priest finally felt a little better.
Breathing in the cold air as it returned to its room, it saw the remaining half-cup of salted blood on the table and involuntarily pursed its lips.
Now, calming down and reflecting on it again, the merman priest was surprised to find that the wine was spicy with a hint of saltiness, salty with a hint of fishiness, and fishiness full of power—truly a rare and excellent wine.
"Indeed suitable as a sacrifice for Lord Gulga." It nodded, took a small sip, and then savored it.
Fang Qi watched the merman priest's actions and was finally relieved to see that it could accept this level of dark potion.
If possible, Fang Qi wouldn't want to add so much spice, since the saltiness alone was already pushing the limits of human taste buds, forcing him to sell it only to fishmen.
If we add too much spice, even the fishmongers might not like it, and then this batch of goods will be stuck in our hands and we'll have to throw it away in the end.
However, there's no other way; in order to accomplish a larger plan, this is a necessary cost of trial and error.
Fang Qi and Luo Xi studied the matter for a long time and found that only adding spice was feasible; other colorless and odorless methods of administering the medicine...
We either lack the materials or the tools.
There's no problem drinking this spiked liquor, even just a sip, a couple of sips, or a whole glass.
However, once the total amount increases, a positive state called "Rage" will emerge.
It's not the traditional "violent" kind, but rather a spicy base that's driven by the hallucinogenic effects of the [Iridescent Crystal Branch], making it "violent" in its spiciness!
Fang Qi plans to give the merman some enhancements.
He observed as he walked, and realized that this group of murlocs was indeed rather weak.
Soldiers are at levels 10 to 20, while officers and ordinary priests, who form the backbone of the force, are at level 30.
Only the elite guards near the altar and the murloc priest elder in front of them have broken through the level 40 mark.
Talos's guards are generally 5 levels higher than the murlocs, and with a large number of players at level 20 to 30 attacking together, how can the murlocs and pirates, a ragtag alliance, withstand it?
Before the gods can even be summoned, they might be overrun and wiped out.
That can't be done!
If war doesn't break out, how will Fang Qi get enough to eat?
With both sides locked in a stalemate, the scenario he most desired was for the fishmen to sell Berserker Brew while he turned around and sold hangover cures to the Wan family!
That's right, "Rampage," based on hallucinations and spiciness, certainly has an antidote, and that is...
"The chilled hangover-relieving mint milk is ready too!" Rose's voice entered my mind.
Fang Qi quickly shifted his gaze back to his stomach area.
After a careful review, the instructions in the trading terminal did indeed confirm the effect I wanted.
Mission accomplished! Time to start packaging!
With bottles and jars salvaged from the pirate ship's galley filled to capacity, the Fishman Island's special merchandise was freshly produced:
[Iced Mint Milk, a Grade D consumable, is made with milk and iced mint. It effectively neutralizes spiciness.]
"The first step of the plan is progressing smoothly; now we just need to wait for the players to come and attack."
Fang Qi was excited; he finally had a chance to cook something substantial!
He was aiming for the gods.