I was a lord farming, how did I become an emperor?

Chapter 289 The Holy Book of Potions
……

……

The next day, at the blacksmith's shop.

The crisp sound of the hammer striking metal echoed in her ears, and the scorching air made Vivian feel uncomfortable, so she kept fanning herself with a wooden board.

Rhodes, however, remained unmoved, listening quietly to Sainda's explanation.

"This alchemical cauldron has three enchantment effects."

Holding up the alchemical cauldron engraved with intricate runes, Senda introduced it with a slightly boastful tone: "These are for purifying impurities, harmonizing magic, and enhancing stability."

"You should understand what 'purifying impurities' means, so I won't explain it further."

"The purpose of magical blending is to allow different materials to fuse together better,"

Sainda's voice carried a professional confidence.

"It can reduce the loss of magic during the refining process, thereby improving the efficacy of the final potion."

"Stability is also simple. It makes the process of combining various materials more stable, and it is less likely to fluctuate when magic is injected, thus reducing the chance of refining failure."

After finishing his introduction, Sainda tilted his head back and said, as if taking credit, "So, do you like it?"

"Excellent, truly worthy of a master craftsman with extensive experience."

Rod didn't hold back his praise, saying with satisfaction, "It's even better than I had imagined."

Sainda's chest was noticeably straighter.

"what about this?"

Rhodes then looked at the stirring rod beside him. "What about its enchantment effects?"

"This one is much more difficult to make."

Senda frowned slightly, a hint of regret in his voice, "There's only one effect: accelerates fusion and increases the efficiency of potion making."

“That’s enough, Senda.”

Rhodes's expression showed great satisfaction, even a slight exaggeration.

"Are you satisfied with this?"

Sainda raised his voice and said, "Do you have a Flame Transcendent Gem? I'll make you a Constant Flame Brazier, which will greatly increase your success rate in making medicine!"

"Let's put this suggestion on hold for now."

Rhodes shook his head slightly and said with a smile, "You can do something else."

Rhode had already used the Flame Transcendent Gem in his hand to upgrade the system entries, and there was none left.

"Alright then, we'll talk about it another time."

Although somewhat disappointed, Sainda quickly rallied, "Then what else do you want?"

"For the next period of time, you will lead the yak artisans to make various armors and weapons."

Rhodes lowered his head and whispered, "If you have enough time, you can also try to make some magical ornaments for self-defense."

Upon hearing this suggestion, Senda's eyes lit up instantly.

"Crafting magical accessories requires quite a few precious materials!"

Senda cautioned, "I'm only a junior blacksmith after all, so there might be some waste."

"It's okay, it's nothing."

Rhodes chuckled and patted Senda on the shoulder, saying generously, "You are my chief blacksmith and alchemist. It's entirely worthwhile to expend some materials to improve your skills; it's not a waste!"

"Haha, it's so pleasant to hear you speak, you nobleman!"

Sainda laughed heartily: "Since you are such a generous lord, I assure you that your investment will not be in vain!"

At this moment, Senda was radiant with excitement and joy after hearing Rhodes's words.

Rhodes was also happy to see Senda's expression.

Rhodes not only highly praised his craftsmanship, but also took the initiative to give him a new position and more responsibilities.

Overjoyed, Senda accepted these offers without hesitation.

In this way, Senda's connection with Frostleaf Town increased, and his sense of belonging grew stronger.

Slowly, Senda will become completely Rhodes's man.

"Okay, I won't bother you anymore."

Rhodes smiled and said, "If you need any special materials or tools, you can give me a detailed list."

"No problem, I'll get it sorted out as soon as possible."

Senda nodded, without offering any further pleasantries.

"Okay, then you can continue with your work." Rhodes waved his hand.

Sainda unexpectedly nodded slightly to Rhodes before going into the back room of the blacksmith shop to get busy.

Rhodes beckoned to the guards beside him to bring the alchemy pot and stirring rod, and then turned and left the blacksmith shop filled with steam with Vivian.

With all the pharmaceutical equipment completed, Rhode walked around while browsing the information about the potion workshop on the system.
"We only need eighty-one more doses of the potion to unlock it."

Upon seeing this number, Rhodes felt a surge of urgency and quickened his pace, rushing towards the pharmaceutical room...

A week later.

Rhodes, who had personally prepared the Knight's Roar Potion, received a system notification.

[You have personally mentored and trained three potion-making apprentices (successfully crafting three different potions), designed and created three auxiliary potion-making vessels, and produced five hundred potions within your territory, unlocking the entry: Potion Workshop]

[Potion Workshop (Purple): The potion master apprentices you train will become more intelligent and have a stronger understanding of the properties of various materials and herbs;]
At the same time, you and all your potion-making masters will have a 20% increased success rate and a 20% increased potion efficacy, and will be more focused when making potions.

[Next entry: Collect potion recipes (100 beginner, 30 intermediate, and 10 advanced), and successfully craft 10 intermediate potions and 2 advanced potions to unlock the entry: Potion Bible (Gold)]

"...That's a bit outrageous."

After reading the requirements for the next entry, Rod couldn't help but shake his head.

Collecting potion recipes is easy, but making them is extremely difficult.

Let alone in this day and age, even in ancient times, making two high-level magic potions would not be a simple matter.

This entry cannot be completed by relying solely on liverpower.

Even with the added benefit of the "Potion Workshop" tag, who knows when we'll be able to train advanced potion masters!

But Rhodes was still a little unwilling.

"It seems we'll have to seek outside help to complete this entry."

Rhodes couldn't help but think to himself, "If we can recruit a blacksmith, can we recruit a pharmacist too?"

"I wonder if dawn will ever break..."

……

……

On a high point outside Feiyu Village in the eastern part of Xiongying Ridge.

This is a hillside that is not very high, covered with sparse shrubs and wild grasses, and a few scattered pine trees.

Of course, the important thing is that this location offers a panoramic view of the entire Feiyu Village, as well as the surrounding rolling hills.

Cook, the loyal blade, a high-ranking knight of the Coldblade family, stood with his hands behind his back, gazing intently into the distance.

He was a middle-aged man of about forty years old, tall with broad shoulders.

His brown hair was neatly combed, his face was angular and well-proportioned, and his brown eyes revealed experience, calmness, and a hint of arrogance.

He was wearing finely crafted armor, bearing the emblem of the Cold Blade family.

At this moment, his second-in-command, also dressed in knightly attire, hurried up the hillside, his face showing obvious anxiety.
He stopped in front of Cook and bowed respectfully.

"Commander, all the reconnaissance teams we sent out have returned one after another."

The deputy's voice was tense.

"But unfortunately, we found no trace of Madreh or his men."

He paused for a moment, then said, "It's as if these people never came at all, they've completely vanished."

"disappear?"

Cook chuckled softly.

He remained standing with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the endless mountains and fields ahead.
"I don't believe he will disappear unless they die."

Cook's voice was deep, carrying a calmness born of years of experience.

"Either he has already escaped."

"Or they found a very secluded hiding place, deep in the mountains and forests."

Cook waved his hand and ordered, "Bring the map."

"Yes, my lord."

The guards nearby immediately handed over the scroll, which the deputy took and quickly unfurled.

Cook's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, swept across the entire map, his mind calculating all the possibilities.
“Look, based on their previous movement trajectory, from north to east, the villages around us could all be targets.”

"But it's been almost a week and we still haven't found them, which means they must have known about it beforehand and escaped."

"Maderik is more cunning than we imagined, what a pity..."

Cook looked away and gazed at the distant mountains. "If it's winter now, they'll freeze to death in some dark corner."

Upon hearing this, the deputy sighed slightly and remained silent.

"Then what should we do next?"

The deputy asked cautiously, his tone tentative, "Should we consider retreating? At the current rate of consumption, our food reserves can only last for a week at most..."

Although the army could sometimes "borrow" some food from local residents to maintain its supplies, it could not ultimately plunder as recklessly as those bandits.

The army's more than 400 soldiers are consuming mostly their own personal rations, which amount to over a thousand kilograms per day.

This immense logistical pressure caused his deputy a major headache.

"These are issues that shouldn't be our concern."

Cook smiled casually. "Go and communicate with the commander of the Falcon family first."

"If they are willing to provide the necessary food supplies, we will continue to stay here and search."

"If they feel it's a waste of time and food, then we'll just withdraw our troops and go back."

Cook's tone was relaxed.
"After all, we are here to help them solve their problems. This is their territory, and we shouldn't be the ones worrying about their food supply."

"Yes, my lord."

The deputy bowed respectfully and then hurried down the mountain to deliver the order.

Soon, the commander of the Falcon family personally replied to Cook.

Unsurprisingly, the Falcon family readily agreed to the request for food supplies.

Cook didn't slack off either, and proactively dispatched more reconnaissance teams to conduct a thorough search along the tracks of the villages that had been attacked before.

Including those mountain valleys, caves, and deep forests that are rarely visited, all were investigated one by one.

Despite several days of effort, the result was still nothing.

Just as the commanders of the two armies were pondering what to do next, a fast horse galloped into the village.

"Commander, something terrible has happened!"

The rider had clearly been traveling for a long time, and he stumbled and fell off the bike, barely able to stand.

The rider, ignoring his fatigue, reported loudly.
"News has come from Shanfeng Village in the west: it was robbed three nights ago!"

"All the guards in the village were killed, and their bodies were hung on a rack in front of the village!"

This news came like a bolt from the blue, instantly stunning everyone present.

"Damn bastard!"

The Falcon family commander, Salen, suddenly stood up from his chair and slammed his fist on the table.

"These bastards are threatening us!"

In contrast, Cook, though his face was grim, remained calm.

"Are they raiding slaves like before?" Cook asked the rider.

"No, sir!"

The rider answered without hesitation, "They only had food and silver coins, but they burned the village down!"

Cook's face darkened further, and he said coldly, "They're not just demonstrating, they're playing us for fools."

“He deliberately drew our attention here, then quietly moved on to other places to continue looting.”

"That disgusting wild boar, Madre, once I catch him, I'll crush his head!"

Salun was a burly, muscular man with a weathered face contorted in a menacing expression; his fists were clenched so tightly they cracked.

"I can't wait any longer! Let's set off now to catch up with them!"

"It's too late."

Cook shook his head, a hint of helplessness in his voice, and analyzed:
"Three days is enough time for them to run a long distance."

"And they didn't want any prisoners; they were just waiting for us to pursue them."

“Once we leave here, the attacks will likely repeat themselves.”

"They will disappear again, and we will just be running around like headless flies."

Upon hearing this analysis, Salon nodded in agreement.

But his anger did not make him give up.

"Then what do you think we should do?"

"Are we just going to stand here and do nothing, watching other villages get plundered?" Salen said irritably.

"of course not."

A smug smile suddenly appeared on Cook's face.

“I’m certain that the attack on the village to the west was no accident; it must be because Madre knew our location.”

"This suggests that there may be spies of theirs in this village."

"Then we'll immediately seal off the entire village so that no news can get out."

Cook smiled confidently, “Then you stay here, keep everything as it is, and let Madrei lower his guard.”

"Tonight I will lead the army to leave here under the cover of night and ambush Madrei in the west."

"it is good!"

Salen readily agreed, "In that case, I'll find some more villagers to disguise themselves as soldiers, and have my deputy lead half the army to leave with you!"

"This is better."

Cook nodded in agreement and smiled at Salen, "Don't worry, I'll give you all the credit after we capture Madre, after all, Baron Ruris is your lord."

"Haha, then I'll thank you in advance, Lord Cook!"

Salun laughed heartily, "I'll give you a generous reward then!"

Cook nodded and raised his glass.

"Happy cooperation!"

"Happy cooperation!"

Salen also raised his glass, and they clinked it together joyfully.

It was as if they were already enjoying the fruits of victory.

……

……

Late at night.

Sparse stars peek through the clouds, occasionally casting a faint glow.

Feiyu Village was unusually quiet at the moment, with only a few torches flickering.

Most of the villagers were already asleep, and the whole village was immersed in the tranquility of the night.

A gentle breeze swept through the village, rustling the leaves and deepening the tranquility.

Under the cover of this tranquility, an army was quietly slipping away along a side path.

They were dressed in black robes, and their weapons were also covered in black cloth.

The officer leading the group occasionally used hand gestures to direct the direction of the team, avoiding all the brightly lit areas of the village, and left silently like ghosts.

As everyone left, no villagers noticed, not even the village dogs barked.

It seems no one has noticed.

However, they overlooked the watchers in the sky.

On the edge of the village, a falcon was quietly perched on a branch of a tall locust tree.

It watched the retreating army not far away without moving, taking in everyone's movements.

Even after the army had completely disappeared from the village's sight, the falcon remained alert.

After waiting a while longer and confirming that there were no other abnormalities, the falcon flapped its wings and followed the army.

Meanwhile, a few miles away from Feiyu Village.

In a secluded corner surrounded by huge rocks and bushes.

The figure of the Lynx-Man, Wright, moved silently from the shadows like a ghost.

His pointed ears twitched from time to time, catching the sounds around him.

Once they were sure there was no danger around, they crawled into the bushes.

"how is the situation?"

Wright looked at Tucson, who was hiding in the bushes, and asked softly.

"There are about 340 people, all moving westward."

Tucson lowered his head and replied in a low voice, "It seems they are indeed very clever, having seen through the first plan set up by the Holy Lord."

"Now they are probably trying to conceal their movements and quietly go to the west to capture Madrei."

"So the lord is right, never underestimate the enemy."

Wright's lips curled up slightly. "However, they didn't expect that Madrei wasn't in the west at all, and the lord had given us another plan."

"How could they possibly fathom the wisdom of the Holy Lord? Right now, they only believe that Madre was the one who committed the murder."

Tucson gave a light hum and then asked, "Shall we carry it out?"

"No rush, let's be cautious. I'll go and investigate further."

Wright paused for a moment, then said, "Pass the message out after they've gone far away."

(End of this chapter)