Timeline Player

Dragon Blood Crystal

[Rank: Iron]

[A treasure containing traces of dragon blood essence, when fully absorbed through a specific processing method, will increase Flesh and Blood Mastery by one point, up to a maximum of eight points. Each increase requires one more item.]

He once served under someone and firmly believed that His Majesty would surely become a ruler who reigns supreme over all.

[Cooking is possible once the chef reaches blue level, but special processing methods are required; otherwise, the effects may be weakened.]

Chi Que felt a little envious for a moment.

He experienced firsthand the increased strength brought about by the enhancement of his flesh and blood today. If he could use this to raise his flesh and blood to eight points...

He quickly shook his head.

Don't dream dreams that can't be realized.

Moreover, the chef's level needs to reach blue, and he can't handle this Dragon Blood Crystal for the time being.

'It seems obtaining the past has improved my proficiency...' Chi Que pondered, 'and also, there's that mysterious princess...'

......

Past timeline.

Chi Que woke up in bed at the food stall, stretched, and began to plan what he needed to do.

Ingredients.

He quickly finalized today's plan. While the blood coin stew was effective, the cost was too high. Using relatively inexpensive local ingredients, combined with cooking skills and seasonings, would be more efficient in gaining proficiency.

So, Chi Que arrived at the local market early.

To his surprise, the local market was much cleaner and more orderly than he had imagined.

The market is located in a spacious square, with stalls arranged along the road, dividing the area into different sections.

Several guards stood watch at the main road, chatting listlessly, but at least someone was on guard.

He wandered around for a while and finally stopped in front of an egg stall. The stall owner was an elderly woman. The brown-shelled eggs in the wicker basket were of uniform size and had a smooth appearance. They were the best quality eggs he had ever seen.

He planned to buy some more flour, but suddenly noticed a huge building not far away that was very different in style from the surrounding vendors.

The building occupies a large area and is made of huge gray-white stone blocks, making it look quite grand, with frequent flow of people coming and going.

"Excuse me," Chi Que gestured to the old woman, "what does that place sell? It looks quite lively."

The old woman looked in the direction he was pointing, a somewhat subtle expression on her face, and lowered her voice to say, "Oh, you're asking about that place? That place sells livestock, they do that kind of business."

Chi Que nodded, "Selling livestock, huh?"

That's not surprising. No wonder he didn't smell anything strange in the market; it turns out there's a special place for it.

The old woman sighed and said, "Wasn't I sold there when I was twelve? It's been almost thirty years."

Wait a minute, which animal is being sold?!

Chi Que did a quick calculation: sold at twelve, almost thirty years have passed, so he'd be around forty this year...

He looked at the old woman's face and silently looked away.

Unaware that Chi Que's expression was somewhat off, the old woman continued to explain, "However, the rules have changed now, and it's really about selling livestock, but in private, they're still doing the old business. It's said that the Duchess's Mansion often goes there to buy slaves."

She smiled and said, "Judging from your demeanor, you're definitely not an ordinary person. You should have a clever maid to run errands for you. You're at the market, why worry about those petty thieves who have no sense of right from wrong..."

These were compliments, but Chi Que had no interest in them at the moment. He shook his head, forcibly shifting his attention to the statement that "the Duchess's Mansion also goes there to buy slaves."

His intuition told him that there must be a secret behind this.

Moreover, according to ancestral custom, when he goes to the slave market, he should be able to pick out a pretty, pure-looking girl who is untainted by the mud, and then take her in as an employee, thus beginning a series of delightful stories.

Chi Que suppressed his thoughts.

How could such a good thing happen? If there really were beautiful female slaves, they would probably be violated on the way.

Sigh, there must be something wrong with my brain if I'm trying to find a sense of reality in another world.

Although he was somewhat tempted, reason told him that venturing into such a place alone was still risky.

Looks like I need to find someone to go with me.

Then let's buy a slave.

But you need someone to accompany you when you go to the slave market.

Then go buy a slave!

Damn, the logic is closed.

Chi Que was somewhat helpless, but he did think of a suitable candidate: Vincent seemed like a good fit.

As for why he didn't go to Red, firstly, Red lacked social experience, and secondly, having a religious person accompany him to the slave market felt like a cruel joke, like showing a monk a beheading...

After leaving the egg stall, Chi Que wandered around other parts of the market and bought some refined white flour.

He plans to adopt a reasonable sales strategy, selling a small dish of stew as a dipping sauce, served with bread as a main course.

Another strategy is to use omelets as a relatively inexpensive snack to attract more potential customers.

That way, you can really grind your proficiency level!

Chi Que returned to the shop, made a price list, hung it on the wall, and then posted a sign announcing the shop's opening at the entrance.

Based on cost accounting, he set what he considered to be a fair price.

Before long, a huge crowd rushed in, instantly filling the once empty restaurant.

"This is it! It smells exactly like yesterday's communion!" "Where is the shop owner?"

Looking at the customers, Chi Que smiled with satisfaction, cleared his throat, and raised his voice: "Please be quiet!"

Everyone held their breath and stared at him. Facing their gazes, he pointed to the price list on the wall: "All dishes in this restaurant are clearly priced. No bargaining, and we do not accept credit."

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted into an even louder roar:

"Three copper coins for bread? Are you kidding me! Old George's black bread only costs a penny!" "A stew for a silver coin?! Who can afford that?" "The cheapest meal costs a copper coin?"

Discontented voices rose and fell, the crowd began to stir, and some even glared fiercely at Chi Que, cursing under their breath.

"Heartless shopkeeper!" "Robbering stranger!" "Smash this shady shop!" "Get him off this street!"

Several burly men had already rolled up their sleeves and were approaching Chi Que with hostile eyes, clearly thinking he was an easy target.

Chi Que silently raised his head.

This was not what he had imagined.

Yes, completely different.

Chi Que understood the prices of the era and the purchasing power of ordinary people. In a world where ordinary people's monthly income was only two or three small silver coins or even less, the food he sold was undoubtedly exorbitantly priced.

However, he was even more aware of the value of his own food.

"What a bunch of troublemakers." He thought to himself, speechless. "Are they thinking of robbing me because I'm outnumbered and outmatched?"