The Alchemy of Equivalent Exchange, Deciding to Leave the City

Lin Mo and Yin Xue arrived at the market.

It wasn't very lively here; in fact, it was rather deserted.

The stalls on both sides of the street were sparse, and pedestrians hurried along.

All the shops that specialize in selling the essence of skills were closed.

There were still traces of a rough search at the entrance.

As Lin Mo was wondering what was going on, the door of a specialty shop in front of him suddenly creaked open.

You can vaguely see that the shop has been ransacked.

The shelves were askew, and items were scattered all over the floor.

The shop owner was a short, stout middle-aged man.

He was all smiles and bowing as he saw several soldiers in the city lord's armor out the door.

"Don't worry, we will cooperate fully! We'll report any leads immediately!"

Once the soldiers were out of sight, the shop owner's smile vanished instantly.

He spat hard in the direction of the soldier's back.

"Pah! What Ironclad Turtle essence... Everyone in the city knows that this thing was lost to that idiot hero last night, only a fool would dare to collect it!"

After saying that, he scratched his hair in frustration.

With a loud bang, the shop door was slammed shut again, and the bolt was fastened.

Lin Mo withdrew his gaze and murmured, "It seems the whole city is searching for that thing... Luckily, I didn't wait for it last night."

If you had hesitated back then and tried to acquire level 30 essence through purchase, you probably wouldn't even have a chance to find a way now.

Without pausing, he turned and headed straight for the neighborhood where the pharmacy he remembered was located, with the blood hidden in his collar.

Fortunately, the pharmacy appeared to have only undergone a simple search.

The counter was a bit messy, but it was still operating normally.

Pushing open the door, the copper bell hanging on it rang crisply.

A young man wearing a gray apron immediately came forward.

With a professional smile on his face, he asked, "Sir, what would you like to order?"

The images he had observed yesterday flashed through Lin Mo's mind, and he recalled the doctor's instructions to his father.

Mom needs to regain her strength and calm down.

He asked, "Are there any medicines that can help restore physical strength and also have a calming effect?"

The man's eyes lit up when he heard the request.

They immediately led Lin Mo to a large display container inside the shop.

The container was divided into many small compartments, which contained all sorts of colorful glass bottles of medicine.

The light from the magic lamps inside the store reflects a luster.

"Look, this!"

The clerk picked up a bottle of scarlet potion and enthusiastically introduced it, "This is a basic healing potion. It can quickly heal minor skin and flesh wounds, and also restore a small amount of stamina. An adventurer's essential!"

Lin Mo looked at the small label at the bottom of the medicine bottle. Besides the medicine name and its effects, there was also a line of small print:

Side effects: Mild drowsiness and slowed reaction time may occur within three hours after ingestion.

The waiter picked up another bottle of sky-blue potion: "This is a mental potion. It can quickly restore depleted mental energy in a short time, making one's mind clear. Of course, it also has a very good calming effect..."

The small print on the label reads: [Side effects: May cause temporary taste disturbances; a very small number of sensitive individuals may experience temporary auditory hallucinations.]

"And this pale yellow stamina supplement..."

The side effect is that you will feel thirsty for the next half day.

"This purple calming aromatherapy essence..."

The side effect is an allergic reaction to certain floral scents within twelve hours of use.

Lin Mo's gaze swept over the almost invariably small print beneath each bottle of medicine, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

He interrupted the shopkeeper's long-winded explanation: "These potions... all have side effects?"

The waiter paused, his smile fading slightly, and looked at Lin Mo with some surprise: "Sir, you... still care about this?"

His tone suggested that he was saying, "Isn't this common sense?"

At this moment, Yin Xue's soft voice rang directly in Lin Mo's mind.

"Alchemy has a fundamental principle called 'equivalent exchange.' To obtain effects beyond the norm, you have to pay something else. So the price of these potions is that they all have some minor drawbacks. However, for adventurers whose physiques far surpass those of ordinary people, these side effects are basically negligible."

Lin Mo's heart sank.

Adventurers can ignore it, but moms can't.

She was just a weak, ordinary person, suffering from a serious illness, and any extra stimulation could bring unpredictable consequences.

The waiter, observing Lin Mo's hesitation, had a sudden inspiration.

He crouched down, rummaged around at the bottom of the container for a while, and pulled out a slender glass bottle that was covered in dust.

The bottle contained a clear, light green liquid.

It didn't look nearly as vibrant and eye-catching as the other potions next to it.

"Sir, please take a look at this!"

The shop assistant wiped the dust off the bottle with his sleeve and handed it over.

"The biggest advantage of this 'Stone-Clad Herb' is—it has no side effects! Really, not one at all!"

Lin Mo took the bottle; it felt slightly cool to the touch.

"However," the man rubbed his hands together and added, "this medicine only has this one advantage. Although it can restore physical strength and energy, its effect is far inferior to others... tsk tsk."

Lin Mo uncorked the bottle and gently sniffed it.

A light, plant-like aroma mixed with a subtle sweetness filled my nostrils.

It's not stimulating; in fact, it makes you subconsciously relax a bit.

Even his current mental strength, which is nearly three thousand, felt a slight sense of relief.

That's it!

The effects are gentle, with no side effects, and will not irritate the mother's weakened body.

This is perfect!

Lin Mo immediately pushed the cork back in and looked at the shopkeeper: "How much medicine is there? I'll take it all."

Upon hearing this, the waiter's excited expression froze, followed by an embarrassed look.

He extended his right index finger, shook it, and chuckled dryly:

"Well... sir, I'm really sorry. This is the only bottle we have left in stock."

Lin Mo was taken aback by the waiter's words, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

Is this an attempt to raise prices arbitrarily?

The guy was shrewd; he immediately read the meaning from Lin Mo's expression.

He quickly waved his hand, his expression becoming even more earnest: "Sir, I'm not kidding you! It really is, really, this is the only bottle left. Think about it yourself, this medicine is so... mild. Apart from having almost no side effects, it's practically watered down compared to other medicines. Nobody would buy it. Only some elderly people or patients who don't leave the city and are particularly weak would occasionally buy a little."

He pointed to the empty compartments at the bottom of the container.

"This medicine is just for decoration, taking up space in the product category. Our store hasn't been stocking this much since last month; it just doesn't sell. This bottle is from our previous stock."

Lin Mo nodded; the shopkeeper's explanation made perfect sense.

In a world where power reigns supreme, the market for slow-acting, gentle medicines is indeed very small.

"Thank you, I understand."

Having said that, he didn't say anything more.

He took out a gold coin, placed it on the counter, and didn't ask the clerk for change.

He picked up the bottle of light green "stone-cloth herb" and turned to leave.

Since this store doesn't have it, let's try asking at other pharmacies.

With a city as big as Mingbei, there must be some stock left.

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up as he looked at the gleaming gold coin.

The normal price of this medicine is at most a few silver coins.

By the time he recovered from this unexpected joy, Lin Mo was already almost at the store entrance.

He hesitated for a moment, then jogged after him and called out to Lin Mo in a low voice.

"Hey! Sir! Sir, please wait a moment!"

Lin Mo paused, turned her head, raised her eyebrows slightly, and looked at him.

The man licked his lips, his eyes flickering slightly.

As if afraid of being overheard, he lowered his voice even further: "Sir, ... to tell you the truth, I'm afraid this medicine is not sold in any other store."

Why?

Lin Mo's voice was calm, but his gaze was fixed on the waiter.

"This medicine... is a specialty of 'Stone Robe Village' in the north."

The man explained, his tone tinged with a sigh.

"The main ingredient for making it, 'Stonecloth,' can only be found near Stonecloth Village. In previous years, the villagers of Stonecloth Village would make it and deliver it to the city regularly to sell, with each pharmacy taking a share."

He sighed, "But this year... well, you've probably heard, things aren't peaceful in the north, the monsters are causing a lot of trouble."

"Shiyi Village was the village most severely affected by the attack; I heard many people died... This bottle in our shop might be from the last batch of goods."

"Given the current situation, it's questionable whether the villagers who are still alive can even scrape together this year's taxes, let alone have the mind or the ability to make medicine."

Lin Mo listened in silence, his fingers unconsciously stroking the cool glass bottle in his hand.

In other words, the source of this medicine is in grave danger, or may even have disappeared completely.

"Shiyi Village, in which direction exactly? How far is it from the city?"

Lin Mo asked, but a hint of determination flashed in the depths of his eyes.

The man hesitated for a moment and said, "It's about a day's walk from the north gate, or less than half a day if we hire camels, but..."

The man paused for a moment, then continued, "Mingbei City is now under lockdown; there's no way to get out of the city."