032: Common Artifacts
"Let me try it!" Zemirah gestured to Martin who was about to barbecue the skewers.
Martin turned to Roch for permission and only handed a skewer to Zemirah with his nod. Everyone sat around the campfire with Martin and Zemirah holding each skewer stick to roast in the fire.
Zemirah felt that something was wrong and thought that this should be marshmallow. Though it was a question if there is even a marshmallow in this world.
Zemirah sat on a log together with Roch while Martin and Teal Jade Town Lord sat on a log on their own.
She enjoyed roasting her barbecue as if a fight to kill the spy opposite her was not about to break out in a few hours.
Roch was meditating beside her, not looking like he was planning to kill the person opposite him.
Most cultivators spend their time cultivating besides looking for opportunities when they have nothing to do. Some even went into seclusion for years, Zemirah can't imagine sitting hidden while the world was quietly changing and forgetting you.
Though it was something common to many cultivators.
Today is the first night she spent away from her comfort zone and many things happened.
She killed so many people.
The one in the Flying Ship where blood from both humans and beasts dripped on her body and sword. Then there is the one in the rose garden where she joined forces with Roch to capture and imprison a Foundation Building Realm Demonic Cultivator.
It is a well-known fact that capturing the enemy alive is harder than killing one.
But she did it together with Roch, a person she just met a few times.
It was fascinating how fate works.
Who would've thought that she would be this close to a person she just met a few times?
Zemirah stopped her thoughts as she felt her barbecue roasted enough. She blew on it a few times before taking a bite.
"Hmm! It tastes good." Zemirah exclaimed as she chewed the meat. She felt the taste first before sensing the rich spiritual energy flowing in her body.
It must be the meat of a spiritual beast.
"Of course, that's my specialty sauce!" Martin laughed proudly as he roasted skewers on his side.
Zemirah noticed a plate of cooked barbecue and sighed, "You cook so good and fast. I only roasted one for myself."
Martin chattered at his expertise in cooking. Zemirah was interested so they talked happily while eating. Martin offered the barbecue to the Teal Jade Town Lord who refused saying that he already ate Fasting Pill.
Zemirah speculated that he must be afraid of being poisoned.
She turned to Roch who suddenly moved. She saw him slowly open his eyes from his meditation and greeted him with a smile, "Hey, done practicing?"
She was so casual with her words that she did not even notice it herself.
Roch returned the smile after he saw her eyes, "Mm, what are you doing?"
Zemirah showed her third barbecue that was halfway of being eaten, "Eating barbecue. Martin made them."
Roch can see her satisfied look even with the veil covering half of her face. He noted that this beautiful lady is very fond of food.
"Let me have a taste," Roch said.
Zemirah nodded and turned to find Martin's plate of barbecue and took one. Roch saw her action but his eyes fell on the half-eaten barbecue before he turned his attention elsewhere.
"Here you go," Zemirah handed the barbecue to Roch who accepted it with a smile.
"Many thanks."
They started chatting in a low voice while Martin boiled spring water for tea.
"I heard that there is a famous drink in the Aeros Empire that is suitable for cold weather." Martin lamented as he poured tea for everyone, even the Teal Jade Town Lord forgot to refuse his enthusiastic tone.
"Really? Have you tasted it?" Zemirah asked before taking a sip of her tea.
Martin nodded, "Yes, just once. It was dark in color and tasted bitter. But you can add sugar or milk and it tastes good."
Zemirah found his description familiar and thought, 'It is a coffee?'
Roch confirmed her guess as he interjected, "It's coffee."
"Yes! Coffee!" Martin agreed loudly like he finally remembered something he has been having a headache about.
Zemirah chuckled at his reaction.
"I'll give you some coffee beans next time," Roch added to Zemirah.
Zemirah agreed happily.
After that, everyone finally decided to rest and left the campfire to their tents. Aside from the faint light in the campfire, everywhere else is complete darkness.
The shadow of trees, the whistling sound of night wind, and the faint sound of wild beasts are all left.
Zemirah settled on her tent, musing at how cultivators really know how to be comfortable. The tent artifact is a simple artifact that doesn't need to be bound to be used. Unlike some natal artifacts that cultivators need to spend a long time to bind.
Natal artifacts are carefully chosen and have a small chance of advancing with the cultivator's cultivation.
The most precious artifact is the Treasure Artifact which is linked to the cultivator's soul. Zemirah hasn't found one for herself despite the lot of artifacts she has on hand.
Speaking of artifacts, Zemirah took out the items she bought today from the stalls.
Except for some trinkets, the most precious is the artifacts she bought from the old man.
Four weapons, three ornaments, one flute, and one calligraphy brush.
Zemirah started her inspection with the two sword artifacts.
A wide sword and a short sword.
The first sword is wider and taller than Zemirah. A sword like this would give an impression that it is rough looking but it was not.
On a closer look, the blade and the hilt were carved with something. Zemirah didn't know if it was a symbol, an image, or a word. She just knew that the design made the sword more domineering.
Then she managed to find words she could recognize, the name of the sword.
"Mountain Fall Sword." Zemirah raised a brow and praised, "What a domineering name since it is an earth element sword, my disciple may like it."
Zemirah did not think deeply whether her disciple Wendy who is just a few years old could hold such a wide and tall sword.
'System, let me see the sword description.'
[Ding!]
[Mountain Fall Sword], a Common-Quality Low-Stage Grade 1 weapon artifact made from common forging materials. The sword is hard and can be used as a shield.
Zemirah did not know whether to laugh or cry seeing the pitiful description of the sword. She can't remember when she last saw such a poor-quality sword who did not even have a skill.
She knew that artifacts would only have a skill when reaching Rare-Quality, though the probability is small. Supreme-Quality artifacts have a high probability while Celestial-Quality is a sure thing.
Besides the [Mountain Fall Sword], Zemirah bought another sword artifact.
This time, the sword is shorter, only a little bit longer than a dagger.
Zemirah touched the hilt and the blade, they have no special carvings besides the name of the sword, [Purple Phantom].
The sword blade seems to be made from special ore as it changes color mysteriously. It was like water mixed with different shades of purple.
The hilt was much more normal but a special black tassel was embroidered with a beautiful poppy flower.
Zemirah instantly knew that this sword was for a special type of cultivator, an assassin.
'System.'
[Ding!]
[Purple Phantom Sword], a Common-Quality Low-Stage Grade 1 sword artifact. The sword is short and thin, made from common materials and a small amount of an exotic ore called [Purple Sin Ore]. The ore was so small that it failed to let the artifact obtain a skill.
Zemirah raised a brow at the description, not expecting that a special ore was used to make the [Purple Phantom Sword] be beautiful and not strong.
She sighed with pity, thinking that the old forger was good at making beautiful artifacts but was not able to unleash their potential strength.
She wondered what skills this sword would've gotten in the hands of a master forger with real and solid skills.
"Forget it, let's wait to see what Sia would reward me with this sword." Zemirah did not linger on her thoughts and moved on with the other two weapon artifacts.
A whip and a spear.
The whip was beautiful, even with Zemirah's experience of many Celestial-Quality artifacts.
With one look, one would not think this is a weapon but a vine composed of a hundred petals. The spine seems to be made of a dragon whose scales are composed of the most exquisite petals from hundreds of flowers.
The handle is made from pinkish wood that Zemirah doesn't recognize, and the knot at the end of the whip is shaped like a small flower that is waiting for prey to bite for it to bloom.
Any female cultivator will surely be captivated by the whip's appearance.
Zemirah smiled as she asked the System for the description.
[Ding!]
[Flower Petal Scale Whip], a Common-Quality Mid-Stage Grade 1 weapon artifact. The handle is made from the common Pink Peach Blossom Wood, the spine is made from 999 petals of common Blood Blossom Flowers that can only be found deep in swamp regions, and the knot is made with a combination of Purple Poison Ore and Weeping Widow Flower. Can poison all mortals and slightly poison Low-Stage Energy Refinement cultivators.
Zemirah did not expect this whip to be so troublesome to make, it can be seen that the forger really made an effort to increase its appearance value.
Next is the spear artifact, it was golden in color with the handle engraved with dragon symbols.
[Ding!]
[Golden Dragon Spear], a Common-Quality Low-Stage Grade 1 weapon artifact. The spear has a long handle and sharp tip that can pierce through defenses.
The spear was not remarkable in Zemirah's opinion but she thought that maybe some people would appreciate it. Anyway, she doesn't use a spear neither her disciple.
After checking the weapon artifacts, Zemirah moved on to the ornamental artifacts.
A vase, a lamp, and a bell.
These ornaments are something Zemirah doesn't have so she was eager to have them to enrich her artifacts reserve. Maybe she can find an artifact that can be refined as her own natal artifact.
Zemirah held the vase and observed every image painted on it. The vase was not big, it had many painted images outside and inside.
The exterior appearance of the vase is painted with vague images of flowers. Zemirah thought it was a garden of colorful brilliant flowers, she recognized some common flowers such as roses and sunflowers. Then inside the vase is full of blues, mainly the ocean and the clouds.
[Ding!]
[Brilliant Flower Holder Vase], an Uncommon-Quality Low-Stage Grade 1 ornament artifact. It has the effect of maintaining the vitality of Mortal-Grade and Grade 1 flowers for half a year.
It was a simple introduction yet Zemirah was happy. It meant that any flower lower than Grade 2 could be maintained for six months per year.
Even for alchemists, spiritual planters, and other cultivators, it is a good artifact for their spiritual flowers. Though Zemirah thinks that they may have better artifacts with similar effects on this vase that is why she got the chance to buy it.
Next is a white lantern artifact that has no oil or fire inside. The lantern seems to be made of a special type of white paper which Zemirah recognized as one of the materials used for making talisman. This detail picked her interest as she asked the System for the artifact description.
[Ding!]
[Snow Bark Lantern], a common-quality mid-stage Grade 1 ornament artifact. An artifact made from common lantern materials and Snow Bark Paper that was enchanted with a simple cooling and lighting rune.
The lantern's function is to keep the surroundings cool and bright, like a convenient airconditioner and flashlight.