Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 135: For some, the Elixir of Tranquility is life saving

Chapter 135: For some, the Elixir of Tranquility is life saving

News of Marcus and Baldwin’s injuries had already swept through the academy, and Zora’s role in saving Marcus had elevated her reputation overnight. To many, she was no longer just a beautiful new special-enrolment student. She was a miracle-working physician.

Hearing those whispers, Clarissa’s eyes darkened with resentment. A storm churned in her chest.

She told herself that Zora was simply putting on a show, using her reputation to intimidate her. There was no way this woman could really succeed at this stall. If Clarissa backed down now, she would become a laughingstock.

Grinding her teeth, she lifted her chin and sneered, "Fine. I accept."

The words burst out, sharp and decisive, but her heart pounded wildly. One hundred thousand gold coins and fifty demon crystals. If she won, the resources alone would be enough to support her cultivation for a long time.

A wave of excitement instantly swept through the crowd.

"Oho!"

"Now this is getting interesting!"

More and more people gathered, even drawing the attention of nearby stall owners who paused their own business just to watch the spectacle unfold.

Zora raised her brows slightly, the corners of her lips curving into an alluring smile. "A deal, then."

"Don’t worry," someone in the crowd shouted eagerly. "We’ll all be witnesses!"

"That’s right, we’ll testify!" others echoed, slapping their chests with enthusiasm.

Stepping forward, Zora stopped in front of the stall. The stall owner, who had been half-asleep until now, finally opened his eyes under the pressure of so many gazes. His sharp, lazy eyes swept over Zora and Clarissa, assessing them without a word.

"Mister," Zora asked calmly, "what exactly are you interested in?"

The stall owner leaned back in his chair, scratching his chin. "potions, weapons, leather, equipment... I don’t lack any of that." His gaze sharpened slightly. "If you want something from me, bring something related to cultivation. Only that will interest me."

A glimmer of understanding flashed through Zora’s dark, luminous eyes. The stall owner’s words had sounded casual, but the scope of what he wanted was anything but small. Only something directly tied to cultivation could move him. That alone proved how high his standards were.

Clarissa remained silent, her gaze fixed on Zora with barely concealed mockery.

She wanted to see for herself what Zora could possibly take out that would interest such a strange and notoriously picky stall owner. In her heart, she was already convinced this was nothing more than empty bravado.

Zora, however, did not rush.

Her eyes swept calmly over the stall owner, and in that instant, she noticed something most people would overlook. The blue veins bulging across the back of his hand twisted unnaturally, like coiling dragons beneath the skin. They were rigid, strained, and wrong.

A faint, knowing smile curved her lips.

She finally understood.

Without another word, Zora reached into her Ring of Chaos and took out a white porcelain bottle. She placed it directly into the stall owner’s hand, her movements unhurried and confident.

"I believe," she said softly, "you’ll be interested in this."

The moment the bottle touched his palm, the stall owner’s lazy indifference faltered. He hesitated for a brief second before opening the lid. As the fragrance escaped, his expression froze completely.

His pupils shrank.

Inside lay the potion with a unique texture and a medicinal scent so familiar that it struck straight at his heart.

It is the Elixir of Tranquility, a medicinal potion that is akin to a treasure, used to widen the meridians.

For cultivators, the width of one’s meridians directly determined how much mana could flow through the body. Wider meridians meant stronger circulation, faster cultivation, and greater explosive power in battle.

Those with resources would drink this elixir to broaden their meridians safely. Those without could only rely on forcibly expanding them with mana, which was a dangerous and painstaking process.

If the force was even slightly excessive, the meridians would suffer irreversible damage.

Just like his.

The stall owner’s breathing grew uneven.

Years ago, he had injured his meridians during cultivation.

From that day on, his progress had stalled completely. Desperate, he had searched everywhere for a solution, consulting countless doctors and alchemists. In the end, they had all given him the same answer. Only an Elixir of Tranquility could heal his injury.

But the potion’s formula is not something he could get his hands on. It is only available in the hands of one guild, the Immortal Guild, and they would never to let it out of their organization.

Unable to cultivate, unwilling to give up hope, he had gathered demon crystals and set up this stall. He told himself that as long as he waited long enough, perhaps fate would eventually take pity on him.

Years passed. Hope faded.

And now, this potion lay in his hand.

Clarissa and the surrounding onlookers watched in confusion as the stall owner stood motionless, his fingers trembling violently around the porcelain bottle, as though the world around him had ceased to exist.

A chill crept into Clarissa’s heart.

Something was wrong.

Zora’s smile deepened ever so slightly. From his reaction alone, she already knew she had guessed correctly.

After a long silence, the stall owner finally lifted his gaze to her. His eyes were bloodshot, filled with suppressed emotion, and his voice came out hoarse and tight.

"Is this... the Elixir of Tranquility?"

Though his expression was rigid, the tremor in his hand betrayed him completely. He was afraid. Afraid that this hope, too, would vanish the moment it was spoken aloud.

Before Zora could respond, Clarissa let out a sharp laugh, unable to hold herself back.

"Elixir of tranquility?" she scoffed loudly. "Stall owner, you must be confused."

She raised her chin, her voice dripping with disdain. "Why would such a thing be found in the hands of a 16-year-old like her?"

Even though Clarissa hated Zora, she wasn’t merely trying to mock because it was Zora. She also believes that Zora has no way to get it. That was precisely why the stall owner’s words sounded so absurd to her, almost laughable.

"This is ridiculous!" she was just about to sneer again—

"Shut up!"

The stall owner suddenly roared.

His voice was hoarse and furious, like a wounded beast driven into a corner. His eyes were blood-red, filled with a ferocity that made him look like an enraged leopard. The terrifying aura in that single shout left Clarissa stunned, her words forcibly choked back down her throat.

She had never expected such a reaction.

The stall owner no longer spared her even a glance. His entire focus locked onto Zora, as if the rest of the world had ceased to exist. His gaze burned with desperation, hope, and a fear so deep it bordered on madness. He needed an answer. A definitive one.

"It’s genuine."

Zora’s clear, steady voice fell like a thunderclap in his ears.

For a moment, the stall owner felt as though his soul had been struck. His breathing stopped, his heart slammed violently against his chest, and the world before his eyes blurred.

Ten years.

For a full ten years, he had been unable to cultivate.

Ten years of wandering, ten years of humiliation, ten years of clinging to a hope that even he himself had begun to doubt.

And now, that impossible hope stood right in front of him.

His gaze shifted between Zora and the round, glossy pill resting in the porcelain bottle. His emotions surged so violently that words failed him. Without realizing it, he reached out and grabbed Zora’s arm.

"Say it again," he demanded hoarsely, his grip tight. "Is this really the Elixir of Tranquility?"

Zora’s eyes flickered with brief surprise, then softened into understanding.

In her previous life, the Elixir had been nothing special, no rarer than a strength boost potion. But judging from the stall owner’s reaction, it was clear that in this era, the potion had all but become a legend.

When she thought about it, she remembered how her namesake husband, Prince Kael, gave one to her. Her heart softened slightly.

Meanwhile, pain suddenly flared as his fingers dug into her arm, but she did not pull away. She understood too well what this potion represented to him.

Before she could speak again, a powerful force suddenly struck the stall owner’s wrist, knocking his hand aside.

A tall figure stepped in front of her.

Zora looked up slightly, her brows lifting in surprise. "Alaric Von Seraph?"

Dressed in black robes, his tall and straight figure stood like an unyielding pine. His face was cold and sharp, his eyes dark and deep, radiating an icy pressure that made people instinctively retreat.

At his appearance, the surrounding crowd sucked in a breath.

The first-ranked student of Imperial Academy. His reputation was no exaggeration.

Clarissa’s heart skipped violently. Alaric Von Seraph was famously indifferent to everyone. Even if someone died before his eyes, he would not spare a glance. Yet now, he had stepped in without hesitation... for Zora?

Zora smiled faintly and turned her head toward him. "What brings you here?"

"Just passing by," Alaric Von Seraph replied flatly.

Typical of him. Short, cold, and to the point.

She chuckled softly, then turned her gaze back to the stall owner. "It is indeed the Elixir of Tranquility. If you still doubt it, you can identify it yourself."

The stall owner stared at her for a long moment before suddenly shaking his head.

"No need," he said firmly. "I believe you."

Over the years, he had pored over ancient texts. The descriptions matched perfectly. More importantly, Zora was a student of the Imperial Academy. She had no reason to deceive him. Even if she tried, he could find her again.

A refined smile curved Zora’s lips. "Then... can we conclude the trade?"

"Yes! Of course!" the stall owner answered without hesitation, nodding repeatedly. "Everything on this stall is yours!"

The moment those words fell, the surrounding crowd erupted into an uproar, while Clarissa stood frozen in place, her face pale and stiff.

"What? Everything?"