Chapter 242: Aphrodisiac Eyes

In the hotel, they casually asked a waiter, who immediately provided clear answers. Apart from this central area, almost everywhere in the Krodia Archipelago's port is a market, but for materials or sundries, one must go to the western district.

The streets were bustling with people, and what was called a street was actually just a series of simple stalls, like an open-air market. Souvenirs and trinkets ranging from a couple of euros to precious materials costing thousands or even tens of thousands of euros per gram were casually displayed on these rudimentary stands, available for anyone to choose from, with all kinds of rare treasures on offer.

Karida was particularly interested in shiny, beautiful trinkets. A colorful seashell bracelet, though simple in appearance, was quite valuable, said to be a concentration of the essence of the Shell People, with significant calming effects. She bought five strands at once but didn't wear them, probably intending to give them as gifts.

Old Wang, on the other hand, was more interested in food, buying two large bags of assorted snacks and various peculiar trinkets. It was customary to bring small gifts, after all, he did have friends.

As they wandered around, buying more and more items, they even found a beastman to help carry their purchases.

"Wow! Brother Da, look at this!" Old Wang spotted a rather rare beast horn, over three meters long, white as jade, yet incredibly hard, radiating a diamond-like luster. The owner claimed it was a sea dragon horn and vividly described a hero slaying the dragon, mentioning the high cost in terms of lives lost.

"Fake, it's probably just some kind of sea monster," said Karida, dressed in a human man's robe.

There was no need to verify; while dragons weren't entirely mythical on the continent, they were extremely rare, each one incredibly powerful, far beyond human capabilities. A real dragon horn, if it existed, would never be sold at such a black market stall. She glanced at Wang Feng indifferently, "Don't act so naive, be careful not to get cheated."

Despite her words, Brother Da couldn't help but take a few more looks. Though the dragon horn was lifeless, it still emitted a faint soul pressure, quietly narrating its former glory. Even if it wasn't a dragon, the beast it came from must have been very powerful, at least a Ghost-level creature.

Karida was also curious about these things; she genuinely didn't recognize it. Although she had traveled widely and seen much, the outside world wasn't as exaggerated as people claimed. In just a few years, how much could one really explore?

Moreover, the more one traveled, the more one realized how much they didn't know. The world was too vast, and the unknown always existed; no one dared claim to know everything.

"Such a keen eye, beautiful lady," someone nearby said with a smile. "It's just a sea monster's horn. I've seen this kind in the Abyssal Sea, with a bull's head and a snake's body, covered in turtle shell armor. Its impact force in the water is astonishing, capable of easily sinking a Tiger General-class warship. The local sea races call it a Unicorn Crab Monster. For the horn to be so intact is quite rare, but passing it off as a dragon horn is a bit too much."

The stall owner glared, selling this item to gullible customers was his business, and having someone expose him like this was pure trouble. He turned sharply, ready to confront the person, but upon recognizing the visitor, his expression instantly changed to a bright smile, and he gave a thumbs up, "Ah, Mr. Lun, ha-ha, my goods can only fool outsiders, in front of Mr. Lun, there's nowhere to hide."

They turned to see a tall, handsome man, about thirty years old.

He wore expensive golden armor, a cloak made of precious red sea sable fur, and carried a massive sword nearly as tall as himself. He looked like a powerful martial artist, but his appearance was strikingly handsome and gentle, with short golden hair, sharp and spirited eyes, and a face that radiated a sunny, golden smile.

Damn, a classic rich and handsome guy, the type that women find most appealing.

He ignored the fawning boss and walked over enthusiastically, speaking gently to Karida: "This lady has an extraordinary aura, yet I haven't seen you on the island before. May I have the honor of being your guide and showing you around?"

"Thank you, but no need," Karida politely declined: "We're just browsing and will be leaving soon."

"That's truly a pity." Mr. Lun showed a regretful expression, still wanting to say something to Karida, but Old Wang, growing impatient, said: "Alright, alright, can't you see she doesn't want to talk to you? Come on, let's go look around somewhere else!"

Old Wang pulled Karida away, and when they looked back, the man was still watching them, smiling, not at all bothered by Old Wang's rudeness, and even nodded politely at him.

As the saying goes, beware of the tall, the handsome, and the rich second generation. Trying to poach my Old Wang? You're dreaming. I'm the expert here.

Giant algae nuclei are a magical ingredient, but their use is relatively obscure, generally only used in fourth-order potions.

Old Wang had seen this stuff selling for at least ten thousand at Clara's place, with better quality ones reaching up to twenty thousand. However, during a chat with Old Sha on the ship yesterday, he learned that such items could sell for at most one or two thousand on these free islands. If you knew a friend from the sea folk who could bring it directly from the underwater city, the price could be even lower, possibly as low as three or four hundred euros, all thanks to merchants like Clara inflating the prices.

From the seabed to Aurora City, the price increased fiftyfold from the lowest to the highest, which left Old Wang speechless. No wonder the seas were so dangerous and filled with pirates, yet so many people still flocked to them; the reason was right here.

Fifty times the profit!

Forget those sea merchants, Old Wang would go crazy too.

The problem was that the demand for fourth-order potions was very small. After all, for ordinary people, the cost-effectiveness of this stuff was too low, and they might not even need it. Without market demand, no matter how high the profit or value, if you couldn't sell it, it was useless—beautiful but impractical. This is why ordinary merchants had little interest in such items, leading to the huge price difference between the sea and the mainland.

After searching for quite a while, Old Wang finally found the giant algae nuclei he was looking for at a small stall. They were about the size of apples, entirely green, submerged in water, with fine, dense hairs swaying in the water, almost alive. But there were few of them, and the tank seemed to contain only about twenty.

All this effort for such a small amount, it might not even cover the travel expenses.

"Karida, help me put on a show, I've got a big plan!" Old Wang straightened his chest and back, lowering his voice as he spoke to Karida: "Follow closely behind me, act like we're very close..."

Karida shot him a sidelong glance but didn’t object.

Old Wang then put on a lazy demeanor, strolling over to the seaweed nucleus stall and casually pointing at the algae nuclei in the water tank: "Hey, how much for this?"

The stall owner, who had been listless due to the lack of customers, immediately perked up upon hearing someone inquire about the price, his eyes narrowing into slits with a smile: "Oh, sir, you’re interested in this? Let me tell you, it’s a fine product..."

"Cut the chatter." Old Wang waved him off, acting as if he knew everything: "My alchemist told me all about it. I know what this is; it’s a great tonic... Just tell me the price!"

"Young master is a straightforward man," the stall owner grinned when he heard it was a great tonic: "Then I won’t beat around the bush. Two thousand!"

As he spoke, he sneakily glanced at Wang Feng’s expression. In truth, selling it for one thousand two or three would be considered a high price, and two thousand was definitely overcharging. But no matter, he could always ask for an exorbitant price and let the customer haggle down to fifteen hundred, perhaps?

To his surprise, Old Wang didn’t hesitate for a moment and smiled: "Deal!"

"This one, that one, and these three..." Old Wang casually pointed out the five largest ones in the water tank: "I don’t want the rest of the trash. I only want the best, just these five!"

The stall owner opened his mouth, his face breaking into a broad smile: "Sure thing! You’ve got a good eye, picking the best ones. I’ll wrap them up for you right away! However—"

He chuckled: "The two thousand I mentioned was the bulk price. If you want the best five, it’s going to be two thousand five! Sir, you know your stuff. The best ones are all yours, so..."

"What did I just say? No more chitchat!" Old Wang tossed him a money bag: "Two thousand five, then two thousand five. Does Young Master look like someone who’s short of money? Count it, see if it’s the right amount!"

The stall owner was overjoyed, estimating the amount just by the weight.

Honestly, no matter how eloquently he had spoken before, nothing felt as real as the solid silver lios in his hand.

He couldn’t help but take a closer look at Wang Feng, noticing for the first time the girl dressed as a boy standing behind him.

Holy crap!

Even if the other party was dressed as a man and had concealed some of her beauty, the boss's eyes were still almost locked onto her.

What a beauty! And she looks quite distinguished; she must be a noble from the Blade!

She must be this gentleman’s friend; this is what they call birds of a feather flocking together. This is truly someone who doesn’t skimp on money...

The boss felt a bit regretful, wishing he had started with a price of three thousand instead of just two thousand, which was too low!

But before he could finish regretting, he saw Old Wang pick up an algae nucleus, sniff it, then show an excited expression, turning his head to look at Karida rather lecherously: "Unfortunately, there are only five. That would only last for about ten days..."

Karida wasn't entirely sure what Wang Feng was planning, but she knew a bit about giant seaweed nuclei, understanding that they had aphrodisiac effects. Coupled with Wang Feng's suggestive glance...

She smiled slightly, not exposing him, but pinched Old Wang's waist hard behind her back.

"Ouch!" Old Wang cried out in pain, bending over.

The boss, however, only now realized what Wang Feng had meant by "ten days' worth."