Chapter 007: Xu Qing

In another corner of the hall, in a small room separated by transparent glass, Xiao Hong could clearly see Xu Qing leaning sideways against an exquisite wooden chair, a cigarette held between his lips. On the small wooden table in front of him sat a cup of clear tea, and beside him was a graceful woman.

Upon seeing a spot of crimson on the rock face, a glimmer of light flickered in Li Leyuan's round eyes. Undoubtedly, with just this gentle gesture from Xiao Hong, all his questions were resolved.

Xu Qing is the person in charge of the quarry, and can be considered a local tyrant. Other small pharmacies cannot operate here at all and are directly expelled. Moreover, with the strength of a Level 3 Beast Tamer, ordinary people are simply no match for him, and thus no one dares to act recklessly.

Certainly, the inspections in this regard are not particularly stringent; as long as there are no major oversights, it suffices. The reason is simple: white jade is not a rare commodity.

This can also be considered a method of urging miners; otherwise, if the miners collectively cease work, how would the quarry generate profit

The medicine basket on his back was already brimming with all sorts of peculiar herbs, and in his hand, he was carrying a lively green forest fish along with a small pouch of red flower fruit. This was not any kind of herb, but rather an extra meal for Xiao Hong.

At the foot of the mountain, where the stone processing took place, the wages were changed. After sending the wooden box back home, Xiao Hong hurriedly made his way to a pharmacy not far from the quarry.

However, in the eyes of the miners, it is a treasure. The quarry has regulations stating that one such stone can be exchanged for 10 pieces of low-quality jade or 3 pieces of high-quality jade. Of course, due to its extreme rarity, it is unrealistic to rely on it as a long-term source of income

After the sound of a "pop," a spot of deep crimson appeared on the rock face, which was the Battle Blood Stone, a type of low-cost carrier stone used for crafting master-level magic runes.

Certainly, with Xiao Hong's current abilities, he can only operate in the outskirts of the forest; as for the treacherous depths of the forest, he does not dare to step even half a pace inside

Certainly, the level of a Master Driver is still distant for Xiao Hong. At present, it is most practical for Xiao Hong to remain grounded and proceed step by step.

Although precious herbs grow there, it is indeed an extremely dangerous place, inhabited by powerful spirit beasts. For an ordinary person to step inside is akin to delivering a meal to the spirit beasts

Especially in the area of pattern making, both materials and tools require financial investment. This is also why most people can enhance their control, yet the number of individuals practicing control is relatively small.

"This time it's quite a lot, ten pieces," Li Le said with a tearful expression.

Xiao Hong did not respond to anything, instead he turned around in place, his eyes resembling a pair of probing magical patterns, observing the extremely subtle changes in the surrounding rock. After about a minute, Xiao Hong slowly took a step forward and gently tapped on a rock wall.

Moreover, the higher the driving force, the higher the required magical patterns, and correspondingly, the value also increases

However, there is no other option; this is the only medical clinic in the vicinity. One either comes here to be exploited or endures the situation.

At the Dongcheng Quarry, there are clear regulations stating that everything within the mine belongs to the Dongcheng Quarry. All miners are prohibited from claiming any materials from the mine as private property

In my mind, I continuously recall the shapes of the herbs I need, as well as the suitable environments for their growth, and then I search for them purposefully

On the right side of the hall, there are two hospital beds, and the patients on them are groaning and moaning. They are all local miners who have been injured by falling rocks.

Undoubtedly, this has become a significant question mark. However, Xiao Hong now has little time to waste on idle speculation. Glancing at the time magic pattern, it is already exactly 8:00. Clearly, if he does not enter the mountain to gather herbs soon, it will be difficult to return on time in the afternoon. Missing the time window for calming the fourth level of the mine will disrupt the entire plan for today.

A year ago, at the Magic Pattern Auction House in Taiwu City, a sensational price was set when a Master-level Battle Magic Pattern was valued at 2,800 gold coins

Standing at the mountain top, one can even faintly see the outline of Taiwu City, a square and rectangular metropolis, with towering and clustered buildings at its center, and streets that are prosperous and straight

Li Le's consistent style is to be completely carefree at the beginning of the month, living an extraordinarily relaxed life, and then to start panicking at the end of the month, likely due to not meeting the task quota.

Having taken care of everything, Xiao Hong left the mine without a moment's pause

"Let’s study this properly later," Xiao Hong murmured to himself. He carefully placed the two magic pattern beads into the small pocket of his inner garment, sealing it to prevent loss. After tidying up his belongings once more, he hurriedly left his home and waited alone in the nearby forest.

It is located on the outskirts of the East City Quarry, named Miaodan Pharmacy, which not only sells various elixirs, herbs, and the most basic medicinal runes, but also provides medical treatment.

Business is thriving, and the reason is that there are many miners here. Scrapes and bumps are inevitable. Of course, the cost of medical care is also quite high, being a full one-third more expensive than the medical facilities in Taiwu City

The Dongcheng Quarry, located at the foot of the mountain, is approximately a dozen kilometers away, which is not considered very far. Between the two, there is also a small town named Dongcheng Town and a library.

As Xiao Hong pushed the door and entered the medical hall, a faint herbal scent wafted into his nostrils. This was a modest-sized hall, with a shelf directly opposite him displaying a variety of medicinal pills, most of which were for treating external injuries. Notably, in a prominent position, there were two medicinal talismans placed in exquisitely crafted wooden boxes, almost like exhibits.

Every time he enters the forest, Xiao Hong brings back game. Although there is a cafeteria at the quarry, food is not free, and it is rare to find meat.

This forest can be described as vast, almost enveloping more than half of Taiwu City.

How much is still needed?" After glancing at Li Le's expression, Xiao Hong did not bother to ask what the matter was and went straight to the point.

However, at that moment, Xiao Hong noticed Li Le holding a brand new pickaxe, with a sorrowful expression on his face, desperately digging at the rock wall in the mine

Places rich in precious herbs often coincide with the presence of spiritual beasts, and the existence of spiritual beasts undoubtedly signifies the potential for conflict

Li Le presented himself in such a manner, and Xiao Hong did not find it strange in the slightest. Although the quarry imposed few restrictions on the miners, with more work leading to more pay, less work resulting in less pay, and no work yielding no pay, it was essential to complete the corresponding workload by the end of the month. Otherwise, the wages for the following month would be calculated at 80%.

After just two short hours, Xiao Hong was ready to leave. After all, times have changed, and there was no need to push himself so hard. Glancing at the six pieces of high-quality white jade rough stones in the wooden box, as well as a small handful of crystal sand the size of a fingernail, a faint smile appeared on Xiao Hong's face, indicating that the harvest was quite satisfactory

Xiao Hong had seen this scene countless times before, and he felt no particular sentiment. He turned and descended the mountain from another slope, quickly making his way into the depths of the forest. His movements were agile and precise, his eyes constantly darting around in their sockets, carefully observing the nearby dangers and the herbs he needed.

As for the relatively valuable crystal sandstones, unfortunately, the East City quarry is still unaware that such materials exist in their mines. Firstly, the reserves are limited, and secondly, among the four layers, only Xiao Hong remains alive.

Saving a meal is still saving a meal. This is also in line with Xiao Hong's consistent approach to treating his illness, where every penny must be saved. Although life is a bit difficult, Xiao Hong firmly believes that as long as he can survive, everything will get better

Only those rune masters of level three and above who can harness battle runes dare to enter in pairs. This is also why Sang Hongyun invests a significant amount of effort in training a group of elite medicine boys.

Whether it is pattern making or pattern manipulation, both are quite costly. Practicing pattern making requires a substantial amount of materials for practice, and a substantial amount of materials implies a substantial amount of money

"Brother Hong, I am truly grateful to you. Your great kindness and virtue are something I will never forget in my lifetime," Li Le said with a beaming smile, her expression changing with remarkable speed, and her face, which was already so tempting that it made one want to kick it twice, blossomed even more beautifully.

Place the green forest fish, still tethered by a thin vine, into a basin filled with clear water, and put a small scoop of red flower fruit into a small bowl on the desk to enjoy in the evening. Then, consume the last two pieces of pine oil cake from the drawer, replace them with a hoe and a wooden box, and leave the house.

The same applies to the runes of control. Take the most common Lightwing Battle Demon Rune as an example; a single piece can be used 100 times and is valued at 50 silver coins, which is roughly sufficient for an ordinary family's living expenses for half a year

Although he currently has a savings of 18 gold coins and his health issues have improved, Xiao Hong is not inclined to squander his resources. He is well aware that there will be many future expenses.

The owner of the pharmacy, Xu Nan, is carefully attending to the customers, and this Xu Nan is indeed the younger brother of Xu Qing. It is now understandable why there is only one pharmacy here and why the prices are extraordinarily high.

As for the miners, it is even more so; although the prices are relatively high, they can only harbor their anger without daring to voice it

Seeing Xiao Hong approaching quickly from a distance, Li Le instantly put on a tearful expression and pitifully said to Xiao Hong: "Brother Hong, help me."

At noon, Xiao Hong emerged from the forest, having timed his exit perfectly. This habit, developed during his time on the fourth level of the mine, involved a meticulous awareness of time, almost calculated to the second

"Take this piece of battle bloodstone to make up the numbers; the wages earned will belong to me," Xiao Hong said with an impassive expression to Li Le, who repeatedly nodded in agreement, his face filled with gratitude.

For high-quality white jade, Xiao Hong is already quite familiar with the search process. As for crystal sand stone, Xiao Hong had previously discovered it while collecting white jade, so finding it is not a difficult task.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the mine, Xiao Hong did not pause and swiftly entered, navigating the tunnels with ease. He soon reached the vicinity of the entrance to the fourth level of the mine.

A portion of the miners from the Dongcheng Quarry comes from there, and at this moment, wisps of smoke have already risen from that place

Xiao Hong did not say anything further, grasped one end of the rope, and directly descended to the fourth level. He then began to search tirelessly for the items he was looking for—crystal sand and high-quality white jade.

Opening a hidden compartment in the wooden box, Xiao Hong wrapped a crystal sand stone the size of a fingernail in a small piece of cloth and stuffed it inside, then resealed the compartment.

Because ordinary miners simply do not have the economic strength to use potion magic patterns that cost dozens of silver coins