Chapter 659: Ban Tu Discusses

At that moment, an examiner's voice commanded the alchemists to exit the hall in an orderly fashion.

As they filed out in a line, Zi Di overheard others conversing in the elven tongue.

“The first assessment task was unexpectedly difficult?”

“Indeed, far harder than previous years.”

"Sigh, I made a mistake. I used far too many raw materials trying to refine toad dung. Honestly, I could have used far fewer materials to refine the other three substances instead."

Zi Di listened patiently, saying nothing.

Combining this with what she had glimpsed earlier, she was certain her performance likely placed her among the top three in the hall.

As she stepped out of the Alchemy Guild, someone approached her.

It was the steward of the Li Jian Clan.

“Congratulations, congratulations, Magician Yao Ma! Your alchemy results this time are quite impressive. With such an achievement, you're certain to pass the first round,” the steward offered his congratulations.

The Li Jian Clan truly lived up to its reputation as one of the kingdom's top powers. Having placed spies within the Alchemy Guild, they could effortlessly gather intelligence on Zi Di's assessment.

Zi Di's expression remained composed. "The difficulty of the assessment exceeded my expectations. This is only the first round. The real challenges lie ahead."

Her results were achieved through cheating.

Though her performance was outstanding, it brought her even greater psychological pressure.

"My alchemy talent isn't exceptional, and my techniques remain unrefined. I once thought my skills were sufficient, but stepping onto this level of competition immediately revealed a vast gap."

“Sigh, my innate talent was simply too poor.”

Zi Di's original aptitude was limited. It wasn't that she lacked the will to strive, but her innate gifts restricted her, many things were beyond her reach no matter how hard she tried.

This world was so cruel and hopeless. Some people yearned to improve themselves but were denied the chance. Because for most, the very right to strive was stripped away at birth.

Without a good bloodline, what's the point of striving?

But now, Zi Di had hope.

“After bloodline purification, my body's bloodline reached gold level.”

“If I can deepen my utilization of the Bloodcore in the future, I might even replace my bloodline.”

"All this is thanks to you, but where are you now? Why haven't you returned yet?"

At this thought, Zi Di couldn't help but feel a pang of longing.

She quickly gathered her thoughts and turned to the Li Jian Clan's steward: "Did your invitation succeed? I hope you're bringing me good news."

The noble steward smiled and nodded: "We haven't disappointed you. Lord Ban Tu has been summoned. But he's only granted you three minutes for conversation."

Zi Di nodded. “Then let's go see him at once.”

Ever since learning of the alchemy breakthroughs, such as the sorrow-dispelling red wine and time ice cube from Elder Jiu Jin, Zi Di had been deeply intrigued.

These alchemy creations could drastically reduce leveling time, making them ideal for the dragonman youngster.

In Zi Di's heart, her beloved commander was still only of silver level.

Magician Ban Tu was the mastermind behind this alchemy project. Zi Di had once extended an invitation but Ban Tu hadn't even glanced at it.

Primarily because news of this alchemy breakthrough had leaked, causing Ban Tu's status and reputation to skyrocket. He was now meeting with countless high-ranking figures daily, how could he possibly spare time for a mere silver level magician from the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps?

With no other option, Zi Di turned to the Li Jian Clan to arrange a meeting with Ban Tu.

True to their reputation as one of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's most powerful factions, the Li Jian Clan successfully secured Ban Tu's presence.

Not long after.

Inside an upscale restaurant, Zi Di met Ban Tu.

Magician Ban Tu appeared decrepit; his face etched with deep wrinkles. His hair resembled a tuft of gray, dry straw—dull and brittle, seemingly untouched by a comb.

He merely glanced at Zi Di as she sat down, then ignored her entirely.

Ban Tu fixed his gaze on the blue liquid in his wine glass: “For the sake of this blue wine, get to the point.”

Zi Di stated plainly, “I wish to purchase the sorrow-dispelling red wine, along with the complementary method for using the time ice cube.”

Ban Tu lifted his eyes to Zi Di and shook his head slowly. "You? That seems rather unlikely."

Zi Di smiled. “Then please, Lord Ban Tu, take a good look at the bargaining chips I can offer.”

With that, she retrieved a set of documents, placed them on the table, and pushed them toward Ban Tu.

Ban Tu picked up the two thin sheets of paper and scanned them.

Almost instantly, the disdain vanished from his face. His eyes lit up with intense interest.

He examined the papers several times before asking, “You truly possess the recipes for these wines?”

Zi Di smiled: “Lord Ban Tu, even if you don't trust me, surely you trust the Li Jian Clan?”

Ban Tu instinctively glanced at the Li Jian Clan steward standing in the corner and gave a slight nod.

His reaction was exactly as Zi Di had anticipated.

These wine recipes naturally came from War Merchant's database.

Ban Tu himself was a wine enthusiast, possessing an innate passion for fine liquors. He was also a believer of the Intoxication Church, though his exact position within the cult remained unclear, it was undoubtedly high.

Presenting these recipes to the Intoxication Church would undoubtedly be a significant contribution.

After all, the church worshipped none other than the Wine God.

Zi Di was confident that presenting these recipes would secure her the sorrow-dispelling red wine.

Yet the next moment, she heard Ban Tu sigh.

He shook his head slowly, his gaze lingering on the recipes with a mix of longing and regret. “We cannot give you even a single bottle of sorrow-dispelling red wine right now.”

“Why?” Zi Di froze for a moment before asking.

Ban Tu's face showed hesitation.

But soon, he sighed again: "Never mind. The news has already leaked out; soon the whole capital will know. I'll just tell you directly."

“The sorrow-dispelling red wine isn't something ordinary alchemists like us can create, because its main ingredient is the blood of the wine god!”

"Our church poured every effort into crafting 600 bottles for the royal banquet. Unexpectedly, the fleet was raided by pirates!"

“What?!” Zi Di gasped.

These past days, she'd been fully immersed in exam preparations, oblivious to external events.

This news had actually been deliberately suppressed for some time by the Li Jian Clan and other factions. After all, it concerned the cooperation between the Ice Sculpture Kingdom and the Intoxication Church.

Therefore, this intelligence had been officially classified by the Ice Sculpture authorities as “unverified.”

Only now, with the Intoxication Church in Drunkard Harbor desperately seeking aid and reinforcements everywhere, had it become impossible to conceal, forcing them to acknowledge it.

Zi Di listened intently as Ban Tu revealed more detailed intelligence.

“Feng Lian?” Zi Di was surprised, not expecting the thief who stole this batch of wine to be someone they knew.

“In that case...” she lowered her voice, “we're also interested in purchasing the research records and specific alchemy formula for this alchemy achievement.”

Ban Tu looked surprised. “You want to brew it yourselves?”

He shook his head. “Do you have the blood of the wine god?”

Zi Di asked, “Couldn't we modify the formula and replace that god level ingredient?”

Ban Tu chuckled. “It's the most essential component. I shan't elaborate on the specifics.”

The elf's pride showed through in that moment.

Zi Di immediately replied, "I understand. All knowledge holds value. I can offer just one of the wine recipes contained within this document. I humbly request Lord Ban Tu enlighten me."

A sharp gleam flashed in Ban Tu's eyes: “Two recipes!”

Zi Di shook her head. Though she held many recipes, she refused to concede so readily. This was merely the opening phase of negotiations; yielding too readily would only fuel the opponent's greed.

Thus, Zi Di argued her case, employing every rhetorical tactic to persist.

Ban Tu, not one skilled in bargaining, soon waved his hand. “Enough. One recipe it is.”

“I'll tell you this much, it involves divinity.”

“Divinity?” Zi Di pressed for clarification.

After explaining, Ban Tu continued: “It's precisely because the blood of the wine god contains divinity that the sorrow-dispelling red wine achieves such astonishing effects.”

“You surely know that buried at the deepest point of the Ten Millenia Ice Lake lies the corpse of a god level dragon.”

“The reason the ice water within the lake possesses temporal power is due to the constant diffusion and erosion of the time divinity emanating from that dragon corpse.”

“Only the power of the wine god's divinity can neutralize the reflected power of the time divinity within the time ice cube.”

"This was the primary reason my earlier attempt to brew the [Beautiful Future] potion failed. I simply couldn't afford god level ingredients!"

Zi Di's eyes widened in astonishment.

Her previous understanding had been far too limited, as divinity was the secret of the gods themselves.

According to Ban Tu, he hadn't known about it either until he personally participated in the Ice Cube Red Wine alchemy project, which afforded him the opportunity to learn about it.

Upon gaining this knowledge, Zi Di immediately realized she had offered too low a price.

This knowledge wasn't even recorded in the War Merchant's database, perhaps it had been lost? After all, the records preserved by the tower spirit were incomplete.

Only to Ban Tu, in the eyes of this wine connoisseur, did the wine formula hold immense value and irresistible allure.

Having pinpointed this weakness in Ban Tu, Zi Di seized the opportunity immediately. During subsequent negotiations, she made it clear she intended to purchase the alchemy technique for creating the Ice Cube Red Wine. Even without the sorrow-dispelling red wine, she would buy it.

“You can't afford it,” Ban Tu shook his head.

Zi Di merely smiled, producing another document. “Lord Ban Tu, perhaps you should review this.”

Within seconds, Ban Tu's eyes widened in shock.

He struggled, hesitated, his expression torn. “This project's success isn't solely my achievement; it involves members of the Intoxication Church.”

“Moreover, this formula holds immense importance to the Intoxication Church...”

Zi Di countered, "Compared to the blood of the wine god, is the formula truly that vital? Why guard it so fiercely?"

“Lord Ban Tu, doesn't your prestige and standing within the Intoxication Church hold enough sway to seal this deal?”

“Is this wine recipe truly non-negotiable? Are you genuinely unwilling to sell it?”

Ban Tu's brow furrowed deeply. “Come to think of it, no one in the church has ever explicitly prohibited it.”

His eyes remained fixed on the thin sheets of paper, motionless, his Adam's apple occasionally rolling as if he were already savoring the exquisite wine described in the documents.

Zi Di took in this scene, her confidence growing.

She pressed on, continuing her persuasion.

Ban Tu's expression shifted, his hesitation deepening, yet he still couldn't make up his mind.