I Became the Alchemy Master by Picking Up Trash-Chapter 88 - 87: Preliminary Round (Part 5)

The sweetener effect is so effective that not only do low-level Water Beasts stay far away, but even mid-level Water Beasts don’t dare to easily approach. The people on the ship finally have a moment to sit down, recover their strength, and chat.

Cui Tianxiao lay on the deck, propping his chin with his hands, his watery peach blossom eyes fixed on Li Xing with an infatuated look.

"Ah Xing, you tell me, how is it that both of us have brains, but yours works so much better? Your head doesn’t seem any bigger, so where did all the extra brain matter grow?"

Qi Ming was also curious: "Ah Xing, Sister Xing, did you prepare the formula before getting on the ship?"

Li Xing shook her head: "I really didn’t know there were so many carp beasts in the river. I just got lucky. When chopping wood, I casually collected some herbs, and it turns out, they’re all bitter. After being harassed by the carp beasts, I had a brainstorm and thought of this method. I had the materials on hand, so I just casually concocted it."

Cui Tianxiao: "So, you’re saying the sweetener didn’t use any rare herbs?"

Li Xing: "Um, they’re all common plants."

Qi Ming: "Sister Xing, are you always this fast at alchemy? That’s amazing!"

She made up the recipe herself, using whatever she had on hand, and finished a product in hours. If all Healing Masters were at Li Xing’s level, it would be a great blessing!

Unfortunately, the higher-ranking the Healing Masters, the less grounded they are, insisting on using only rare herbs. They act so superior, charge a high price, and demand incense and rituals before doing any work. Compared to them, Li Xing is practically a model laborer.

Cui Tianxiao egged her on: "Such a powerful medicine needs a name, Ah Xing, give it a blast of a name!"

Qi Ming: "Yeah, Sister Xing, bestow a name!"

Li Xing pondered for a long time and murmured, "I’m the worst at naming things. How about... ’Middle-Aged’?"

Everyone was stunned: "What?"

Li Xing scratched her head: "Because it’s bitter, just like middle-aged life."

"..."

A group of "middle-aged" men and women in front of the auditorium screen heard the name and had a subtle expression.

Wen Dao spat out his tea with his mustache raised high: "This is outrageous, which damned fool taught that girl culture class? No taste at all!" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Luo Jun’s veins popped: "True! I must’ve had dust in my eyes earlier to think she was smart; now she seems just average!"

Wen Dao: "She’s just a little kid, what do they know about life? I think midlife is the most glorious and sweet phase, like aged wine, getting better with age, not bitter at all!"

Jin Hua nodded in agreement: "I concur!"

Zhou Song: "Seconded!"

All the teachers: ... Why do we feel you guys are just a bunch of stubborn ducks?

"How about we call it sweetener instead? It’s easier on the ear than ’Middle-Aged’.

Ye Qingting spoke up to help Cui Tianxiao and Qi Ming, who didn’t know how to respond. The three were puzzled; how did Li Xing have such mature insights at such a young age?

"Yes, yes, this is good!"

"Let’s call it sweetener!"

Li Xing thought about it and nodded in agreement. It didn’t matter what it was called; it was just a code name, but she still felt ’Middle-Aged’ was more fitting.

Ye Qingting: "Ah Xing, did you know that the instinct of low-level Water Beasts to avoid danger is a nightmare for all seafarers? Each voyage is a gamble with one’s life. If you’re lucky enough not to encounter a group of low-level Water Beasts, that’s incredibly fortunate. If you do, you can only rely on elemental attacks or talisman arrays for defense."

"The Elder Council does have a few large-scale defense talisman arrays researched, but all require a large amount of high-grade Energy Stone for consumption. And they need an Earth Rank talisman master to control the array, which is completely unaffordable for ordinary people."

"The medicine you’ve concocted works better than large-scale defense arrays and is far cheaper. It’s simply the perfect solution! Nobody has ever thought of using medicine to repel low-level Water Beasts; you’re the first in history!"

Ye Qingting, as the designated successor of the Ye Family, has a sharp eye for medicine and a broader perspective. Regardless of whether they advance in this competition, Li Xing’s reputation is essentially established.

"Really?" Li Xing hadn’t thought that her casual actions would actually break new ground. It seems the sweetener’s market potential should be good.

"Can I apply for a drug patent then?"

Ye Qingting nodded: "Any medicine invented during official competitions with video records automatically grants the patent to the inventor according to federal law. Our every move is recorded and transmitted online by invisible cameras; your patent is clearly yours now."

"But as I analyze, after the match, many will contact you to purchase the sweetener’s patent at a high price; even the Elder Council might come. But as long as you don’t want to sell, nobody can take your patent rights, and the Elder Council can’t force you. So, whether you want to sell the sweetener or not, you don’t need to worry about getting caught up in commercial wars. Legal backing is there, so you can go ahead confidently."

Li Xing nodded; people on the Qianyuan Continent have a soul-deep respect for inventors and innovators. Plagiarism is rare, and once discovered, it’s a severe crime, which she likes very much.

Cui Tianxiao: "Ah Xing, are you selling this medicine?"

"Do you want it? I’ll give you one." It’s not something valuable; if Cui Tianxiao likes playing with it, she can just give him a few.

Cui Tianxiao shook his head, looking serious: "It’s not that. My eldest uncle runs a shipping company, and over the years, several large ships have sunk due to Water Beast attacks, losing a lot of money. Of course, when buying new ships, the first consideration is the safety of sea navigation. My uncle’s funds have shrunk, and he’s recently been worried about purchasing protective talisman arrays for the ships."

"Your sweetener is practically tailored for my uncle; I don’t even need to guess. He definitely won’t consider expensive arrays anymore, so I want to secure a partnership for him before others."

Li Xing: "Alright, after the competition, I’ll brew more to sell at Youjian Shop, let your uncle come and buy them; the price will be fair. I can adjust the dosage based on ship size. Large ships can use concentrate. If your uncle thinks the sweetener is good, we can even offer discounts for long-term collaborations."

Cui Tianxiao was positively ecstatic: "Ah Xing! I love you to death!"

Cui Tianxiao pounced forward intending to bear hug Li Xing, only to be pulled back by Ye Qingting and Qi Ming, each grabbing a leg, causing him to land face down on the deck rubbing against it, emitting an uncanny squeak that made everyone cringe.

In front of the screen, Luo Jun frowned and asked:

"Youjian Shop? Which shop is this exactly?"

Wen Dao sniffed disdainfully: "Haven’t you heard? Those kids invested in a shop, and they named it ’Youjian Shop’. Do you think that’s a name a normal person would come up with?"

Luo Jun: "... a band of naming wrecks gathered together!"

Jin Hua silently jotted down the shop’s name, determined to buy a sweetener to study after the competition ends.