Chapter 28: The Potion King Seven Ears

The Potion King was called Seven Ears, and he was regarded as the grandmaster of Potioneering in Lin Jie’s previous life. The most famous of his legends was this: as Seven Ears had owed a newbie potioneer a favor, he had “mentored” him personally as his last disciple. In just 99 days. The newbie potioneer had attained high-level Potioneering skills!

How could one achieve high-level Potioneering skills? Under normal circumstances, players would need at least one year and a half to reach high-level Potioneering proficiency, as well as lots of materials, efforts and luck would be required to reach that level. Even though that newbie had only started learning potioneering very much later into the game and there had been plenty of potioneering resources around, it had been still a feat to be able to achieve what his predecessors could not in such a short time. Many other players had been envious of this newbie’s encounter and had begged the Potion King to show them the ropes of achieving this feat, but none of their wishes had been granted.

Donning a Natural Potion Master Set, and always holding a White Jade Reagent Bottle in his hands, the Potion King also had excellent battle scores even though he was a professional Living job gamer. He had once faced up to thousands of Cursed Mammoths alone in the game, but using his potions, he had conjured up a venomous fog and poisoned all the mammoths at a single go. One month later, the Kingdom of Glory had established its invincible Mammoth Knights Team and overpowered the players in the game.

As the memories from his previous life matched up to the happenings in the game now, Lin Jie felt unbelievable at the scene that unfolded in front of his eyes.

Seven Ears was now sitting helplessly by the roadside, eyes staring blankly at the surroundings. His hands were clenching his White Jade Reagent Bottle tightly. Lin Jie had tried many methods to find out where it was, but he still could not find it.

It could be said that Seven Ears’ predicament now was solely due to Lin Jie’s actions. He had learned Perfect Potion Mastery, changing the fate of Potion King Seven Ears.

Seven Ears sighed heavily and raised his head to look up at the sky in a self-deprecating manner. The City of Light always seemed so warm, yet the passersby’ stares were so cold. He looked at the beginner set he was wearing and pondered, what else could he do? Be the cannon fodder for a guild and just earn the 1,000 plus dollars static monthly salary for a living?

A figure appeared in front of him and blocked off the strong rays of sunlight from the sky. Blinded temporarily by the bright sunlight, Seven Ears was unable to identify the features of this person, but he did not feel any contempt from the person. In fact, he felt as if this person was… empathizing with him?

“Seven Ears?” asked Lin Jie cautiously.

Seven Ears nodded his head blankly.

Lin Jie reached out his hands. “My name is Fu Sheng.”

When he was pulled up from the ground by Lin Jie, Seven Ears was still in a somewhat blank state, his lips trembling. Lin Jie continued saying, “I think you have a lot of potential. Would you like to work for me as a potioneer?”

Seven Ears was surprised beyond words. He considered for several moments before biting on his lips determinedly and showed his potioneering achievement page in front of Lin Jie. He pointed at a column and said, “See this column? My success rate is just 17%. This means if you employ me, you will definitely lose money. If you are doing this just because you pity me, I will advise you to give up.”

Lin Jie laughed merrily. In his previous life, he and the Potion King had been opponents. Thus, he had always held a deep resentment for Seven Ears due to his prejudice. Hearing this confession now did make Seven Ears seem like an honest fellow.

“I am not just employing you, I am inviting you to join my business!” Lin Jie corrected him. “Our contract will be similar to that of the contract with a guild. I will provide you with the medicinal materials, while you are solely in charge of making potions. When the potions are sold, I will give you 30% of what was earned as your commission. Other than that, I will not hold you responsible for any losses. As for now, your basic salary starts off at 10 silver coins per month, and there will be an increase in your salary in the future. Do consider and let me know your decision.”

Seven Ears was stunned. A monthly salary of 10 silver coins? With an additional 30% commission amount to be earned? Even in the Kingdom of Glory, this kind of treatment was only served to top-notch Potioneers.

‘Could this person be up to no good?’

Logically thinking though, he didn’t have anything that seemed worthy enough to be schemed on… Seven Ears nodded his head then and replied, “Okay.”

Lin Jie brought Seven Ears to the Potioneers Guild, and requested smilingly to the Dwarf receptionist, who had tied up her hair in a double ponytail style, “I would like to rent a personal Potioneering Lab for three days.”

“Glad to be of service to you, my Lord,” The pretty lady dwarf replied in a sweet voice, and added, “It will cost 90 bronze coins in total. We will charge you additionally for all the Basic Potions and Dissolving Potions used in the lab.”

A contract was given to Lin Jie, who passed it to Seven Ears.

“A personal Potioneering Lab…” Seven Ears was excited beyond words. This fellow had treated him in the best way one could treat a Potioneer! As the saying goes, ‘the scholar dies for his confidants.’ Seven Ears was determined to produce results, but when he thought of his potioneering success rate, his eyelids drooped down in disappointment again.

Lin Jie clapped encouragingly on his back. “Let me see you make a potion now.”

Placing the low-level Poison-Antidote Potion recipes and ingredients on the lab counter, Lin Jie pointed to the materials with his chin and indicated that Seven Ears could begin now.

‘Now is the time for assessment!’ Seven Ears grabbed a reagent bottle and dripped several drops of the Dissolving Potion onto a Night Luminous Herb and an Octagonal Flower, making a thick pudding-like paste from it. He shook it slowly…

Bang!

The bottle blasted opened from within, and the glass shards flew everywhere.

-5!

-13!

The skin on Lin Jie’s face was cut open slightly. Witnessing this, Lin Jie creased his forehead deeply.

If it weren’t for his name and the signature White Jade Reagent Bottle, Lin Jie would have doubted the identity of the person standing in front of him. ‘Look at him. Shaky hands, hasty breathing, and even pinching the stamen of the Octagonal Flower which has the greatest medicinal use when handling the flower…’ Those were mistakes which even new players would not commit. Was he really the Potion King of Lin Jie’s previous life?

“Continue.” Lin Jie’s tone turned cold.

“Yes, yes…” A drop of cold sweat dripped down from Seven Ears’ forehead. With trembling hands, he took up another Octagonal Flower, in the process pinching its stamen again. He vowed secretly that there would be no mistakes this time, and he would succeed.

For the next half an hour, all the medicinal herbs were destroyed without a bottle of potion made successfully.

“I’m so… sorry.” Seven Ears’ eyes reddened. Other people had already given a chance to perform, but he was the one who screwed it up.

Lin Jie took up a reagent bottle and held the Octagonal Flower carefully by its stalk. He dripped the Dissolving Potion lightly onto each of the flower’s stamen, and as it merged with the Night Luminous Herb, a delicate fragrance filled the enclosed lab, signaling the success in making the potion. He commented, “No matter what you are doing, you must do it without haste. Clear your mind, steady your hands, be confident. With this mindset, you will be able to achieve success much faster.”

“I can provide you with the medicinal herbs you need, but I will require you to produce the expected results accordingly. I am not doing charity, so if you continue to be like this, I will dismiss you,” Lin Jie added, “But if you show me that you are able to learn from your mistakes, I will continue to employ you if you can maintain a success rate of 30%.”

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Just a 30% success rate! Seven Ears face flushed red from shame. A Potioneer should at least have a basic 55% success rate. Lin Jie was obviously negating his abilities with those comments.

However, Seven Ears refused to give up. He agreed with Lin Jie’s words. Since Lin Jie had already provided him with the input materials, he must produce the desired output, that was fair. Who else would want to keep a cow which could not produce milk? One might as well kill it and sell off the beef!

Seven Ears took another reagent bottle and inhaled deeply. He mimicked Lin Jie’s actions and smeared a little of the Dissolving Potion on the stamen of the Octagonal Flower, then shook it in an anti-clockwise direction… Drops of perspiration dripped down from his face. After a long while, a bottle of low-level Poison-Antidote Potion was finally completed.

“Look…” Seven Ears took up the bottle of potion happily as if he was a child who had gotten high marks for an examination.

[Low-Level Poison-Antidote Potion (Enhanced)]: You can be cured of poisons of Level 10 or below, and be immune to other poisons for the next two seconds.

In Lin Jie’s previous life, Seven Ears had attained the alias of Potion King not just because of his ability in potioneering, but also from a passive skill which he had learned. The potions created by him had a 2% chance of additional effect! Although no one knew what kind of additional effect it would be, this had made his potions seem more mysterious and full of possibilities, as if they had magical powers!

“Continue.” Lin Jie now wore a smile on his face.

Seven Ears nodded heavily. His hands no longer trembled, and though he still failed a lot of times, he eventually attained the standards of a normal Potioneer. As Lin Jie watched him, he became more confident in his decision.

Although lacking in experience, this person was indeed the Potion King!

Everyone would require an incident to enlighten them to their talents. This incident might be one that incited hate, or perhaps due to love, or perhaps… humiliation! It would be the worst decision the Kingdom of Glory had ever made to kick him out of their guild!

Seven Ears gradually became more confident. It was near night time when he came to his senses and got distracted from the potioneering process. Lin Jie had left long ago.

A scroll named [The Potioneering Complete Guide] was left on the table. There were also a few words carved onto the tabletop in fine penmanship, ‘Report to the Sky Provisions Shop tomorrow morning.’

“Per… Perfect Potion Mastery!” Seven Ears picked up The Potioneering Complete Guide with trembling hands. He flipped it opened delicately, and the symbols of the various potioneering skills on the scroll transformed gradually, giving off a bright light. Seven Ears’ heart warmed up again after such a long time of feeling neglected. The scholar dies for his bosom friends—to repay this trust, he was determined to make things work out.

Lin Jie would never have expected that such a small gesture could allow him to gain a powerful helper—a loyal Potion King who swore to never betray him!

——

Lin Jie strolled along the streets in the City of Light, holding a few pieces of white paper. The paper he had bought with 10 silver coins from the goblin merchant.

He was in the midst of brewing up his emotions and put a long, depressed expression on his face.

‘Nah, this looks as if I am constipating.’ He shook his head in frustration, as he reviewed his reflection against the Shield of Courage. At this moment, he received a prompt message from the game system.

——’As you had vandalized the Potioneering Lab’s public resources, you will have to pay a penalty of three silver coins.’

“Wtf!” Lin Jie cursed involuntarily. He had carved those words for Seven Ears on the tabletop just to fulfill his vanity and appear dashing in front of his subordinates, but he never expected that it would cost him so much money!

Sorrow loomed above Lin Jie’s head, but he caught sight of a change of his reflection from the Shield of Courage. It now showed the expression of a person who had bought a packet of instant noodles just to discover that there was no seasoning packs in it.

Ah, this was the correct expression!

Lin Jie hastily blocked the paths of a team of patrolling guards donning silver mails and wailed loudly as he waved the pieces of white paper in his hands. “Oh, let me die!”

Everyone was taken aback by such a scene. Was this fellow mad?

Noticing the probing looks from the onlookers, the guards had no choice but to ask him politely, “My Lord, what happened?”

“I was cheated! See these paper?” Lin Jie started to spin his tale, “The goblin from the Provisions shop told me these were scrolls engraved with magical spells, and hence sold them to me at the price of one silver coin per piece. I am now bankrupted!”

“As a Viscount, I was actually conned in the virtuous City of Light? This is such an unscrupulous city! I need to complain about this on the players’ forum!”

The captain of the patrolling guards was alarmed. In the NPCs’ impression, the “forum” used by players was a scary space which allowed players to converse in mysterious, spiritual methods. Any information in this space would be spread like a curse in an enclosed space, yielding terrible consequences. He commented quickly, “My Lord, please tell me what happened exactly. The City of Light swears to punish all despicable and dishonest merchants!”

Lin Jie wailed and sniffed loudly while making up the whole story. He was a friend of Gamon, who endorsed in all sorts of immoral activities like hiring prostitutes and gambling, etc. Gamon was finally broke from all those activities and thus handed his land deed to Lin Jie to help him sell it so he could get some money. Following that, he met the goblin and was cheated of Gamon’s land deed and also into buying those white paper.

The captain was infuriated when he heard Lin Jie’s story. “The City of Light was already kind enough to let goblins trade here. Shame on them to resort to such underhand methods to make money! My Lord, please bring us to find Gamon, we will return justice to you!”

“Thank you, thank you so much!” Lin Jie tugged on the captain’s arms and led them to Gamon’s shop.

Bang!

The shop’s door was kicked open violently by the captain, who was a Level 60 Elite. The goblin was in the process of renovating the place happily. It was thinking of opening another sub-branch here and had just finished decorating the place. The shop would be ready once the goods were displayed.

The goblin was known for its stinginess and had not hired anyone to get rid of Gamon’s corpse. It was intending to use two bronze coins to buy Magical Dust to bury Gamon’s body after it finished re-furnishing the shop.

“Oh dear, Gamon, my friend, my brother!” Lin Jie dropped his weapon on the ground and appeared to be heartbroken at witnessing this scene. He sat on the ground, his expression full of sorrow and despair.

“Goblin, you have violated the laws of the City of Light.” The captain drew his Crucified Longsword from its sheath and enhanced it with Blessing Spells. Six Paladins followed him and came into the shop.

“Oh, Lord Captain, oh, damn it, what’s going on?” The goblin squeaked loudly as it dodged the attacks. “What law have I violated? Hey, don’t touch my golden chandelier which I just installed!”

“Prepare for your death, goblin!”

The longsword, which the captain carried behind on his back, transformed to the Judgement Crescent, and bright moonlight filled the entire space.