Fiona was truly astounded initially to hear Xu Feng's impromptu negotiation when she was expecting to see something interesting, and not hear something interesting.
After all, Xu Feng had been quite to her liking very well during their interaction.
Not once did she think he would suddenly pull a fast one on her.
What made it more frustrating was that she couldn't find herself disgusted or hatred toward him.
"Aren't you afraid that I might just kick you out for suddenly bringing up such a topic?" Fiona questioned, keeping her grin hanging on her expression.
She found it hard to control her expression when such an amusing and confident person appeared in front of her from out of nowhere.
Normally, when people interacted with her, there was only a tone of politeness and cautiousness.
They dared not offend her in any way, lest their request would be denied.
Yet not only did Xu Feng prattle around her emotions, effectively bringing her joy, but he also knew when to strike while the iron was hot.
"Fiona is a frank person, so I'm being frank as well now that I have accomplished the criteria to be eligible for the negotiation, to begin with." Xu Feng responded and smiled amicably.
"Looks like I need to teach you a lesson some other day." Amused, Fiona didn't find any flaws in his reasoning.
She had finished checking the wounds of the Pyrite Drakes and obtained an estimated calculation on the cause of their death.
Given Xu Feng's profession, she could confirm that he dabbled in herbology as well and utilized them effectively to his advantage. Otherwise, there was no way he was able to kill so many Pyrite Drakes with his mediocre ability.
Nevertheless, to confirm her suspicion, she made sure to walk closer to him and gave a few sniffles, confirming the existence of herbs lingering in his clothes.
"What kind of synthesis did you make to cause the Pyrite Drakes to be severely weakened in such a state?" Fiona questioned casually.
Smiling, Xu Feng retrieved an explosive pod that he kept and gave it to Fiona.
"Elemental Disruption Elixir, utilizing four different types of herb to synthesize." He explained.
Fiona gave another few sniffles on the explosive pod and continued her questioning, "Which four herbs are used?"
"They are Drakebane Root, Frostpetal Blossom, Aetherleaf, and Sulfurvine."
"I might not be an herbalist or someone dabbling in herbology, but those herbs are extremely rare and should not be in the Verdant Valley."
"Naturally, these herbs wouldn't be found in the Verdant Valley, or even within the surrounding regions."
"Then where did you obtain these herbs?" Fiona narrowed her eyes. "Even if you go to a black market, they might not necessarily have these types of herbs either."
"Apologies, but that's my trade secret." Xu Feng lightly smiled, unwilling to answer the last question.
As if he would be foolish enough to outright say those herbs were obtained from Miracle Herb Garden. The amount of trouble that it would bring was impossible to calculate, and he had no plan to shoot himself in the foot.
Of course, with that answer as a response, most might think he would dissatisfy Fiona, but they would be wrong to think that.
"Heh, if you answered such a sensitive question to me as well, then I will really boot you out." Fiona snickered coldly, returning the explosive pod to him.
"I'm glad I didn't disappoint you then." Xu Feng said and adjusted his glasses.
"Anyway, your staff was also coated with the Elixir, and your response seemed coherent to the circumstances as well. So I shall temporarily believe you are the killer of these Pyrite Drakes." She exclaimed, unwilling to let him off easily for deceiving her.
"Haha, only temporaril—"
Before Xu Feng could continue his words, he coughed repeatedly and nearly fell from his chair.
Startled, Fiona hurriedly rushed to Xu Feng's side and helped him regain his balance.
Her expression gradually turned solemn once she finally took notice of his pale complexion.
Earlier, she was distracted by their swift return, followed by Xu Feng's enticing and mysterious items that would interest her. Thus, she didn't pay much attention to Xu Feng.
Now that she had the opportunity to do so, she finally realized he was in a terrible condition.
"How are you still trying to come up with a negotiation deal when you're abnormally fatigued?" She questioned, albeit in a scolding manner.
"I-It's fine," Xu Feng attempted to put up a strong front, but the side effect was taking a toll on his body.
'Looks like my mana is dried up completely.' He lamented silently.
Had his mana not dried up, he would have been able to buff himself continuously to endure the conversation.
Alas, his pitiful level 4 only had so much mana before it would run out.
Not even consuming mana potions could restore the large consumption of mana needed to maintain the buff.
"You better rest properly, otherwise, your body might not be able to endure any longer," Fiona warned sternly.
Her expertise might be in forging, but she had witnessed many beginner blacksmiths who overworked themselves too much.
It was to the point where they even walked to their demise of never being able to hold a hammer again. They destroyed their body so much and didn't rest properly, which resulted in the ending of their career as a blacksmith. "But the deal…" Xu Feng persisted, unwilling to give up this golden opportunity.
"As long as you can continue to provide me with good materials, I don't mind giving you some discount. As for the customization, we'll talk further once you are in good condition." Fiona responded coolly.
"I'll just need a few minutes to rest." Xu Feng continued but still decided to take it easy now that Fiona had given her words.
A reputed blacksmith's words are credible after all.
"Hmm, you can head down while I dismantle these goodies." Fiona subsequently said, waving her hand. Her initial concern seemed to have vanished from thin air as well.
"..."
Speechless, Xu Feng realized why she was overly concerned about his well-being. 'So she treats me as her future materials supplier.'