Book 2 - Fame Spreads - Chapter 19.1 - Pulpless Fruits

The color of the sky had evidently started to darken. However, it didn’t affect He Yiming and Xie Grace much. With their strength, even if the color of the sky turned completely dark, they could easily see their surroundings with the help of starlight.
After a hour, Xie Gracing, who was leading the way, eventually stopped and pointed at a huge tree, “We’re here.”
He Yiming felt apprehensive inwardly. At the time of leaving, this man had claimed an early return before Xie Mingjin and rest. However, they had continuously rushed through the forest for an hour before finally arriving at the lair of the long-armed raccoons. Adding in the time to return, this simply couldn’t even be associated with an early return.
He faintly shook his head. However, since they had already arrived, he’d no intentions of complaining.
“Mr. Xie, why you wished to come here? Is there some treasure here?” He Yiming said with a chuckle.
Xie Grace said in a grave voice, “Whether there is treasure or not is hard to say. However, I’ve come here due to seek confirmation of the words contained in a certain medical book of my clan.”
He Yiming was quite curious but since the counterpart had said clan’s book, he felt too awkward to ask another question.
Xie Grace arrived underneath the tree. With a slight jump, his body quickly climbed up the tree. After a few moments, his pleasantly surprised voice could be heard down below, “Brother He, quickly come up. We’ve found some good stuff.” He Yiming faintly started before binding the broadsword with the vine strips.
These vines were rather unique, perfect for binding the broadsword. However, climbing up while such a heavy weapon made him feel quite sour.
As Internal Energy covered every part of his body, the strong feeling of being pushed downwards gradually disappeared. Subsequently, He Yiming quickly climbed up like Xie Grace had done a few moments ago.
Amidst the dense clusters of trees and branches, He Yiming suddenly spotted a treehouse.
The only noticeable aspect about this tree house was its immense size. Its interior contained thick, bulky branches placed horizontally across. This treehouse was quite simple. Even those mud huts of common people on the surface seemed far more glamorous than it.
Upon finding this tree house, Xie Grace’s face was slightly flushed due to excitement.
He Yiming immediately understood that the former had found something truly good. Otherwise, with his shrewd temperament, he wouldn’t have showed such emotions.
After a few twists and turns, He Yiming arrived beside Xie Grace. Not too far away from the top end of the treehouse, he could see ten green colored fruits growing down.The size of these fruits was not big at all- hardly different than the fist of a grown man. However, somehow, they were causing He Yiming to feel like plucking them and take a bite.
“Mr. Xie, which fruit is this?” He Yiming gravely asked.
“This is pulpless fruit. According to the book, this kind of fruit only grows on a tree that is more than three thousand years old,” Xie Grace suppressed the excitement in his heart and said, “Not only this, only if a spirit beast lives on such a tree for a hundred years will such a fruit be born.”
He Yiming threw a quick glance at the treehouse and immediately understood that it was made by the two long-armed raccoons. He hadn’t expected long-armed raccoons to be possess such wisdom.
“What is the use of such a fruit?”
“This thing is extremely useful,” Xie Grace took in breath, “Originally, these two long-armed raccoons wouldn’t have taken initiative to attack us humans, especially since we were big in numbers. As long as we hadn’t provoked them or entered their territory, it would have been completely safe.”
He Yiming nodded. If it wasn’t safe, Xie Grace wouldn’t have come in the forest with his son and attendants.
“Brother He, today, these two long-armed raccoons suddenly appeared and surrounded us from both sides, wishing to kill us all. This is quite queer. Do you know why it happened?”
He Yiming faintly trembled inwardly, “Does it have something to do with these pulpless fruits?”
“Correct. A pulpless fruit is born on an ancient tree and receives breath of a spiritual beast for a hundred years. Thus, it has miraculous effects. If a spiritual beast swallows it directly, it could certainly increase its physical strength and spiritual Qi. However, after consuming the fruit, its blood and qi will be stimulated, making its temperament aggressive. In this state, it could easily attack harmless creatures.”
He Yiming unhurriedly nodded. However, inwardly, he supplemented, ‘Although these raccoons tried to kill us after swallowing the fruit, it can’t really be said as attacking harmless creatures.’
Not to mention him killing the two beasts, even Xie family had been planning to kill them for so long. If not for their adequate strength, Xie family wouldn’t have allowed them to trespass on their lands.
He had a feeling that precisely because these two long-armed raccoons recognized Xie Grace and rest had they taken the initiative to attack their group after consuming the fruits. His appearance here was merely a coincidence, and because of this coincidence, these two long-armed raccoons had to lose their lives.
Xie Grace didn’t pay attention to He Yiming’s expression and unhurriedly continued, “Apart from increasing the strength of spiritual beasts, pulpless fruits has another significant use. They will increase the success rate of refining our long-armed raccoons’ inner cores.”
He Yiming’s shook inwardly before asking, “Mr. Grace, how much do they increase the success rate?”
Xie Grace pondered, then confidently said, “Normally, it’s around eighty percent. However, now that we’ve obtained this rare fruit, it should increase to ninety percent.”
He Yiming calmed his surging heart. Sighing inwardly, he thought if his grandfather knew that the efficiency was ninety percent how would he feel? Even without pulpless fruits, the eighty percent efficiency was quite high. Xie Grace had taken the initiative to refine the gold cores because he was brimming with confidence, which was backed by his clan’s legacy of millenniums.
Lightly exerting himself, Xie Grace’s body jumped up like a light feather floating in air before he reached out with his hand, plucking down all ten fruits one after another in one swift motion.
Subsequently, he took out two square, blue cloth strips. Dividing the ten fruits into two equal parts, he made two wrappings.
Offering one wrapping to He Yiming, he said, “Brother He, finders are keepers. We will divide this equally.”
He Yiming faintly started before declining, “Mr. Xie, I have no use for this thing. Since your noble family possess a medicinal legacy, it would be better to leave them in the safekeeping of your noble residence.”
Xie Grace chuckled and said, “Brother He, you are looking down on this thing’s value too much,” Restraining his smile, he continued in a lowered voice, “This thing’s value is not one bit below that of a golden core.”
He Yiming was inwardly alarmed, involuntarily revealing a trace of unconvinced expression.
Xie Grace could tell the former’s thoughts from his expression. He smilingly said, “Brother He, actually the most important use of the pulpless fruits is not to increase the success rate of refining inner cores of long-armed raccoons.”
He Yiming suddenly realized and astounded said, “Could it be…..this thing can also be used to increase the efficiency of refining inner cores of other spiritual beasts?”
“Correct,” Xie Grace said, pleased with He Yiming’s reaction, “Refining inner cores to gold cores, which are then consumable by cultivators, is not an easy task. Just refining the inner cores of spiritual beasts below life expectancy of five hundred years is extremely difficult in itself. Our clan, even after going through an experience of a thousand years in this field, can only manage about eighty percent efficiency. However, as far as the spiritual beasts above five hundred years are concerned, not only are their inner cores extremely precious, the efficiency of the refining process is simply pathetic. Even if a Xiantian cultivator were to undertake the task of refining, the success rate would not be good. However, after adding the pulpless fruits, the success rate can be increased to cross the mark of seventy percent.”
He Yiming sucked in a breath of cold air and said, “Mr. Grace, didn’t you just say that this thing only increases the efficiency by ten percent?”
Xie Grace chuckled and said, “Brother He, there isn’t a person who could guarantee hundred percent efficiency in refining golden cores. We already had some confidence to complete the refining process with eighty percent efficiency. However, the addition of the pulpless fruits will further increase the chances. However, for the refining of golden cores that have bad efficiencies, this fruit works wonders.”
He Yiming finally understood and didn’t decline any further, carefully placing the wrapping in his bosom.
The duo tried to look for more fruits, but returned empty handed.
However, these ten fruits were already an unplanned gain, making them feel that they had not made this one hour trip in vain. After coming down from the tree, Xie Grace raised his head and saw the color of the sky. He was quite familiar with the forest. At the very least, he was much better than He Yiming who had yet to completely mature.
“Brother He, we should return,” Xie Grace patted the wrapping in his bosom with satisfaction and said, “If we wait longer, I’m afraid Mingjin, that chap, will begin to search the entire forest for us.”
He Yiming naturally didn’t have any objections. With but a flicker, the two figures hit the path back.