In the space, Celine was waiting for Red.
As soon as she saw him appear, she quickly walked over.
"Is it enough?" she asked.
Red nodded again and again.
"Yes, yes, it's more than enough."
Actually, he only planned to trade for some warm clothes and blankets. He didn't expect Celine to give him far more than he imagined.
Thick winter clothes, soft quilts, a windproof and warm tent, even a stove and charcoal.
And all he gave in return was just a small handful of crystal cores.
Thinking of this, Red quickly thanked her.
"Miss Celine, thank you. I didn't give you many crystal cores, but you gave me so much."
Celine casually waved her hand.
"It's enough. Your crystal cores are worth this much."
After all, she had already used a few of them to trade for Hogan's jade disc, and that was the real treasure.
Red felt a warm feeling rise in his heart. He thought she was just being kind and not saying the truth out of pity, and he was deeply moved.
"When the snow stops, I'll take people into the city to collect gold, silver, jade, and jewelry. I'll bring them all to you. These things can be used as money, crystal cores can't really be circulated."
"That would be great." Celine nodded firmly.
Gold and jewelry were indeed more useful than crystal cores.
Her family wasn't well-off, and everyone did whatever work they could to get by. Her oldest brother's leg injury and her younger brother's autism both needed money.
Also, from the looks of it, Red would probably be trading often. She would need money to buy the things he needed.
"Red, there's something I don't understand." Celine frowned slightly. "Why is it that when I held the crystal core, nothing happened? But when my brother Shenan touched it, he reacted so strongly?"
She clearly remembered that the first time she touched a crystal core, it just felt cold and smooth. Nothing special.
But when Shenan got it, it was like something triggered him. He got excited all of a sudden.
Red thought for a moment, then explained,
"Crystal cores come from zombies and people with powers. They're formed through infection."
"If your brother can absorb the power from the core, it means his body has injuries. He's not physically healthy. The energy from the core is repairing those damages."
"I see." Celine nodded in understanding.
"So only people who have suffered serious injuries can sense the crystal core's power and get help from it."
She thought of her brother's disabled leg, and her younger brother's condition. A flicker of hope rose in her heart.
Maybe, just maybe, crystal cores could really help them.
Could it be that this was the medicine of eternal life?
Outside the western gates, near the border of Qin.
Hogan held the glowing crystal core, feeling the warmth it gave off, and looked at the old pawnshop behind him slowly fading away.
He spoke to himself in a low voice.
His father, the Emperor of Qin, had spent years looking for the way to live forever. He used countless people and resources, even sent Fulan with three thousand young men and women across the sea to search for it.
But Fulan never returned. No one ever heard from him again.
And now, by such strange fate, he might have found the legendary medicine of eternal life?
Hogan gripped the crystal core tighter. His fingertips could feel its strange waves of energy. His heart was full of emotions that words couldn't describe.
He imagined his father healthy again, ruling over Qin for many more years.
In the camp of General Meng, the firelight flickered, showing his worried face.
"What did you say? Prince Hogan disappeared while walking in the fog?" General Meng suddenly sat up, no trace of sleep on his face anymore.
"Yes… yes, General," the soldier reporting to him stammered, sweat forming on his forehead.
General Meng quickly dressed, grabbed his sword, and said loudly,
"Hurry. Gather the troops. We're going out to look for him."
Night covered the border. Cold wind howled as General Meng led a group of soldiers with torches, searching everywhere for Hogan.
But after a long search, there was still no sign of him.
General Meng's heart grew heavier and heavier. At that moment, he was even ready to face the punishment of being torn apart by horses.
Although Hogan was sent to the border by the Emperor as punishment, General Meng knew clearly that the Emperor probably wanted to train him through hardship.
As the heir, Hogan was too kind and gentle. He needed to see real danger, real battles, to become stronger.
But if Hogan just disappeared like this
General Meng couldn't imagine how furious the Emperor would be or how he himself would be punished.
He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and continued ordering the soldiers to expand the search area. In his heart, he prayed for a miracle.
Just when General Meng was getting more anxious and almost losing hope, a familiar figure slowly appeared through the thick fog.
That person was mumbling about the elixir of immortality and Emperor Qin.
General Meng looked closely. It was Hogan who had gone missing.
"Young Master"
General Meng shouted loudly, finally letting go of the heavy worry in his heart.
He rushed forward and hugged Hogan tightly.
But Hogan was even more excited than him. He grabbed General Meng's arm with a surprisingly strong grip, and his eyes were full of intense light.
"General Meng I saw an immortal I really did I received the elixir of immortality"
General Meng was shocked by Hogan's sudden excitement.
An immortal
The elixir of immortality
Had the young master gone mad
How could there be an immortal in a remote and wild place like this
Before General Meng could speak, Hogan quickly took out a glowing crystal from inside his clothes and placed it into General Meng's hand.
"Look General this is what the immortal gave me it's the elixir of immortality"
General Meng looked at the strange crystal in his hand. Just as he was about to say something, a strong and gentle energy came out from the crystal.
The energy flowed from his palm into his body. It made him feel comfort and strength like never before.
He froze in place and stared at the crystal with wide eyes, as if he had just witnessed something unbelievable.
What is this thing
Seeing General Meng's reaction, Hogan became even more certain that he had truly found the magical elixir.
He excitedly described what had happened. He walked into the fog, reached a magical place, met an immortal, and received the elixir directly from him.
General Meng listened to Hogan's story and felt even more confused.
A magical place
This all sounded like something from a made-up story.
But the crystal in his hand was real. It was giving off strange and powerful energy.
Could immortals really exist
Could this really be the elixir of immortality
General Meng wanted to deny it.
He wanted to say there's no such thing as immortals or potions that make people live forever.
But the crystal in his hand felt like it had a life of its own. It pulsed in his palm and sent warm, strong energy through every part of his body.
His body felt stronger. He felt full of energy. It was like he had become ten years younger.
General Meng had no choice but to believe that this crystal might really be the thing the Emperor had been searching for all this time.
But after everything the Emperor had done to find it, spending so much time and effort, now it had been found by Hogan, the gentle and slightly foolish young master
General Meng looked at Hogan and suddenly smiled. His smile showed a bit of helplessness, a bit of relief, and something hard to explain.
Some people really are lucky because of their kind hearts.