Comprehensive network wizard, magic emperor.

Chapter 41 Travelers Chasing the Trend

Shita Town has been more lively than usual these two days.

The shipwreck and ancient coins attracted more than one wave of curious people. The false news about the lost treasure of the ancient dynasty spread more and more outrageously in Hongdu. In this era of underdeveloped information media, the creation and spread of rumors are not complicated, but it is extremely difficult to dispel them.

Ordinary people believe that the rich are not fools, the rich believe that the experts are not fools, and the experts believe their own eyes and determine that the ancient coins from the shipwreck are not forged. As for the authenticity of the lost treasure, it is difficult to confirm.

The newspaper exaggerated the story, claiming that experts had confirmed the existence of the treasure, and people from all walks of life in Hongdu believed it.

This autumn, a small archaeological boom has swept the imperial capital, and it is showing signs of spreading to other regions.

Waves of explorers came across the sea, including nobles and guards, mercenary teams sent by wealthy businessmen, and unemployed people who dreamed of getting rich.

They all wanted to hear about the treasure from the residents of Stone Tower Town.

The smart townspeople have begun to disguise their worthless old items as Dynasty antiques, and sell them at high prices to those short-sighted fools.

Especially some old people who look weathered, they can brag about the low-quality gems they picked up on the beach as the gains from their seafaring adventures in the most dangerous places.

But their disabilities and illnesses caused by labor and accidents seem particularly convincing, and uninformed explorers fall for it.

Many years after the rise of urban industry brought about population growth, a tourism boom caused by a rumor brought considerable economic benefits to this unremarkable seaside town.

Private homes were vacated for travelers to use as dormitories, and the fees collected for one night were more than a working-class family's income for three days.

The Bailuo Tavern was packed with customers every day. The only waiter, Ji Ling, was so tired that she stuck out her tongue, and the boss laughed so hard that his apple cheeks grew bigger.

The streets, which were originally deserted both day and night, were crowded with tourists who were as noisy as chickens, ducks and fat geese. They strolled around during the day and asked people questions.

Fishermen who were sleeping after returning from a night fishing trip were pulled out of bed, still sleepy-eyed. The old priest in the church was annoyed by the disturbance. Even the children in the school were tricked by the adults at the wall with candy to go and question them.

The children didn't care about the treasures. The rule was to eat the candy first and then say they didn't know. These primary school students have tasted the sweetness of the tourism economy.

The coast was plowed again and again by explorers, who wanted to dig deep into the ground to find the treasures from the shipwrecks washed ashore by the waves. However, they found nothing except some shells and stones.

The lonely white lighthouse on the cape is also frequently visited.

However, the lighthouse keeper was often away from home, so the courtyard gate could be opened easily, but the main door of the tower was always locked with an iron lock.

Polite visitors would turn away upon seeing this, or simply enjoy the seaside scenery at the headland.

But there were still some unruly thieves who, seeing that the door was locked, gave their companions a smile that said, "Let me show you what I can do," and pulled out wire from their sleeves and a screwdriver from their pockets.

When they were excitedly preparing to pick the lock, they found that there was no keyhole on the lock of the door.

How does a solid iron lock get attached to a door? And how does the owner unlock it?
The thief and his companion were puzzled. They saw the ghost and had no idea what to do with it. Then they looked at the high windows which were out of reach, so they had to leave in disappointment.

Lin Bo was not concerned about the tourists' visit, and his schedule was not greatly disturbed.

In the morning, I sampled and recorded herbs deep in the woods, and at noon I went to the East Cliff Grottoes. Both places are rarely visited by people, and the wizard communicated more with wild animals than with humans.

After the all-purpose fungus entered a new stage of growth, Lin Bo began to continuously feed herbs to the fungal mat.

His communication with the mycelium was extremely smooth. As his vocabulary of the magical language became more and more extensive, Lin Bo was able to speak some coherent and complete sentences.

Before feeding a herb each time, Lin Bo would first find out the real name of the herb. Then, when the fungal blanket devoured and absorbed the herb's genes, he would tell it the real name of the herb over and over again, hoping that the mycelium would leave enough impression.

The all-purpose fungal strain can indeed remember these real names. When Lin Bo recited the real names of the herbs and asked the fungal mat to produce the corresponding mimic mushrooms, it executed the task flawlessly. This is the core communication concept in "Fungal Agronomy".

The relationship between the cultivator and the strain is not just that of a farmer and crops, but the all-round strain should be regarded as an intelligent biological tool. Just like humans make friends with artificial intelligence, they can also get along very closely with the all-round strain.

The True Name Mage communicated with all things, and after teaching the fungus to produce mushrooms with specific genes, Lin Bo obtained a steady supply of herbs.

Research into developing a psychotropic potion has only just begun, but initial results have already been achieved. A whale oil tincture mixed with a soothing herbal decoction can significantly restore mental alertness, and is much quicker and more convenient than meditation.

This is the 1.0 version of the whale oil potion. After taking one dose, it can completely replenish the depleted spell power within fourteen minutes.

Perhaps due to the limited absorption speed, taking whale oil potions continuously in a short period of time will not increase the recovery speed.

There are certain side effects after using the drug, including rapid heartbeat, sweating, increased body temperature, and blurred thinking. This is not a poisoning reaction, but just the body's natural metabolic process. The first side effect subsides after one hour and seven minutes.

As the number of times the drug is taken in a day increases, the duration of side effects also increases and the severity of the reaction also increases.

The next research direction will mainly be to reduce side effects, and secondly to improve recovery efficiency.

He hoped to replace meditation with potions as soon as possible so that he could increase the number of times he practiced control in a day.

When Lin Bo tasted the whale oil, he felt its profound silence. This substance, imbued with magical energy, had never spoken to the mage. He was powerless to do anything about it.

When Lin Bo returned to the lighthouse every afternoon with a bag of medicinal mushrooms, he began to experience the recent craze in Shita Town firsthand. There were too many outsiders who followed the townspeople.

The people visiting Shita Town these days include people from all social classes, and not everyone respects the local residents. There are many cases of petty theft and even fraud and extortion, and conflicts are increasing.

The town's garrison is barely adequate, and the primary security force is maintained by a group of young men with warrior beliefs, led by a sailor with a scar on his face.

Lin Bo had also met this scarred man several times. He noticed his prestige among the sailors and fishermen when he attended church for the first time on Sunday.

As the number of visitors to the lighthouse increased, maintaining order became more difficult. Often, people would break the rules and crowd into the lighthouse to ask the night watchman for information, and the watchman would have to drive them away one after another.

In the past, the waitress at the White Snail Tavern was happy to help, but recently she has been too busy to get away.

I don't know whether it started on Tuesday or Wednesday, but the scarred sailor started bringing a group of men to the scene every afternoon when the lighthouse was open for medical care, driving away strangers with bad intentions, and not leaving until the sun went down.

Lin Bo and Scarface had never spoken to each other, but he learned from casual conversations with the townspeople that this prestigious sailor was a semi-professional thug.

The folk customs of the Kening Empire are quite fierce, and boxing and fighting are very common. A manly and bloody fight can be used for viewing and entertainment, as well as for adjudicating disputes.

When the owners of large whaling ships encountered disputes over the ownership of their catch, if negotiations failed, they would arrange a duel. Scarface was the man responsible for initiating such fights. His reputation among the people was based on his record of victories. Everyone said he had a powerful fist and had never lost.

With such a person taking the initiative to guard the house, the townspeople felt much more at ease when seeking medical treatment. At dusk, Scarface left with the crowd, never dragging his feet, and would show up on time the next day.

Jingle Bell--

The sound of the lighthouse keeper's iron bell had become familiar to the townspeople. In the past, they would come with medical fees and gifts and return empty-handed, but now some began to leave the lighthouse with a few bags of herbs.

All the herbs looked a little strange, having been chopped so finely that the raw materials could not be distinguished.

According to the night watchman, one should boil the herb over a high fire, boil three bowls of water into one bowl, and then drink it. Everyone who drank it felt their condition improved, so no one cared about the source of the herb.

(End of this chapter)