Berkeley, with a beaming smile, looked toward the statue in the center of the square:
"General Andrew is a legend in our Laine Kingdom."
"His life can be described as rich and eventful." Owen, playing along, hummed inquisitively, "How so?"
"General Andrew slew a fire bear at the age of three."
"He started learning martial arts at six, became famous at twelve, and was admitted to Laine Kingdom's strongest martial arts academy, Pralo Academy."
"At thirty, he became renowned for defending Toka against foreign invasions."
"That battle was fierce and bloody. The walls of Toka were stained red with the blood of the invaders." Owen's eyes twinkled slightly.
If Andrew was as formidable as Berkeley claimed, he was indeed a formidable figure.
"Old people say that during the ten days of continuous battle, even the sky turned blood-red, as if the clouds were soaked in blood." Berkeley paused for a moment.
Erin, her curiosity piqued, eagerly asked, "And then what happened?"
Berkeley glanced at Erin, a glint in his eyes, "Well, as you see, Toka erected this statue to commemorate General Andrew, for us to pay homage."
"I see..." Erin's green eyes sparkled with fascination. What young girl doesn't harbor a longing for heroes?
"Do you know why General Andrew was so powerful?" Berkeley, sensing Owen's lukewarm interest in his tale, turned his attention to Erin.
"Why?" Erin, ever so innocently, followed Berkeley's lead.
"That's because General Andrew had a remarkable adventure when he was four." Berkeley smiled mysteriously.
"Another story?" Owen chimed in again.
Berkeley turned his gaze to Owen, chuckling softly,
"Of course, General Andrew showed his potential early in life, but what truly propelled his rise was the dragon bloodline he acquired at the age of four."
"Hmm?" Erin looked at Owen with a puzzled expression upon hearing this.
Owen's lips curled into a smile, his eyes narrowing slightly, "Mr. Berkeley, I'm quite intrigued by this story."
"Interested? Then come with me to my shop, where I happen to have the same kind of dragon blood that General Andrew had."
Oblivious to the exchange of glances between Owen and Erin, Berkeley eagerly invited Owen to his shop.
Owen didn't decline.
He was curious to see how someone in a human city dared to openly sell dragon blood.
Such audacity!
Berkeley led Owen through the bustling streets, quickly arriving at his shop.
It was a small store on the edge of the city, its exterior somewhat worn.
Berkeley pushed open the door, which creaked as if welcoming their arrival.
"Please come in, esteemed guests."
Owen and Erin entered the shop, and the first thing they saw was a series of tall wooden shelves laden with various animal bones.
There were deer, wolf, and bear bones, along with some from strange animals Owen had never seen before.
Each bone had been meticulously polished, its smooth surface glistening in the sunlight, resembling a crafted artifact.
The shop's walls were adorned with blood vials of various shapes and sizes.
These vials, made of delicate glass, were filled with blood of different colors: deep red, golden yellow, emerald green...
Each vial glowed with an otherworldly light, exuding a sense of immense power.
Every vial was carefully labeled, detailing the origin and characteristics of the blood within.
Owen and Erin exchanged a glance, a hint of amusement in their eyes.
Just from a cursory look, Owen could tell that these blood samples were fake; the arcane energy within them merely floated on the surface and couldn't be considered authentic.
However, some of the bones seemed more genuine.
Berkeley took down a glass bottle containing golden-yellow blood from the wall.
He said to Owen,
"Sir, take a look. This is the earth dragon blood that General Andrew obtained in his youth. He accidentally consumed it and miraculously didn't perish from the explosion of power."
"Instead, he gained some of the earth dragon's strength, propelling him to unmatched heights among the young talents. His Majesty the King noticed him and bestowed upon him the title of General."
"If you buy a vial, along with my unique potion, you too can soar to great heights like General Andrew! You'll have a safeguard in the Laine Kingdom."
Owen's eyes showed a flicker of interest, and he asked with a hint of excitement, "How much for a vial of this blood?"
"What do you think it's worth?" Berkeley deftly turned the question back to Owen, his eyes gleaming.
"Five thousand gutecoins?"
"Five... five thousand?" Berkeley's eyes dimmed, his voice breaking slightly with the intensity of his reaction.
Berkeley looked confusedly at Erin.
Could a pauper have such a beautiful companion?
Erin laughed outright and said candidly, "Fake earth dragon blood, five thousand gutecoins is way too much."
Berkeley's eyes sharpened instantly, pointing at Erin, he retorted,
"What are you talking about? How can my earth dragon blood be fake? Do you know how many vials I sell each year?"
Erin pursed her lips and murmured softly, "If I say it's fake, then it's fake."
"Fine, fine, fine, get out, both of you! Two paupers, can't afford it and still want to slander my goods!"
Berkeley's demeanor was no longer amiable; he grumbled and pushed them out.
Owen found the situation amusing and walked out, shaking his head.
Suddenly, a young man in a long coat ran to the shop's entrance and upon seeing Berkeley, he bellowed,
"Scoundrel, where do you think you're running off to? You sold me fake earth dragon blood!"
Upon seeing the young man, Berkeley's expression changed slightly.
He didn't bother with Owen anymore and bolted away like a rabbit who had seen a predator.
The young man, undeterred, chased after Berkeley.
Erin nudged Owen and whispered, "Master, should we help that human?"
Owen raised an eyebrow, gathering arcanergy in his hand, forming a small pebble-sized ball.
With a slight flick of his finger, the ball of arcanergy shot towards Berkeley's knee.
Berkeley was flung forward by the impact, and the young man, seizing the opportunity, leaped on him, pinning him to the ground.
"Scoundrel, still trying to run? You're really asking for it..." he said, angrily pounding his fists on Berkeley.
Berkeley cried out in pain, pleading, "Stop hitting me, I'll give you your money back, alright?"
At this moment, Owen approached and looked down at Berkeley, "See, I told you your earth dragon blood is fake."
The young man looked at Owen in surprise, "You knew all along?"
Berkeley, now devoid of his earlier arrogance and beaten black and blue, begged, "Can you let me stand up before we talk?"
The young man gave Berkeley a few more punches before letting him return the gutecoins.
After counting them, he grabbed Berkeley's collar again, "Why are there five thousand gutecoins missing?"
Berkeley, trying to pry the young man's hands off, quickly explained,
"That blood had my specially made arcanergy fluid in it. Selling it to you for five thousand was a bargain. Normally, it goes for twenty thousand gutecoins!"
Arcanergy fluid?
Owen's gaze shifted slightly, intrigued.
The human approach to cultivation was indeed different from that of dragons.
Dragons had a natural advantage in their bodies, accumulating arcanergy as easily as eating and drinking, never needing external aids.
Just by the name, arcanergy fluid seemed like something used to aid human cultivation.
The young man narrowed his eyes, raising his fist again: "You're still trying to deceive me!"
Berkeley, his eyes swollen like a panda's, pleaded miserably:
"I'm not deceiving you this time. Didn't you feel an increase in your arcanergy when you used the earth dragon blood?"
The young man frowned: "Well, that's true."
"See, you know it now. And you know the market price for arcanergy fluid, five thousand is a steal for you."
"Hmph!" The young man shoved Berkeley away, "Get lost, I never want to see you again."
With those words, the young man left in a huff.
Berkeley stood there, on the verge of tears.
Seeing Owen and Erin watching the scene, he almost broke down.
"What are you still doing here? Get out!"