Swallow is Smarter Than Three Flower Lady

"We should be going too."

"You're leaving already? I was even saying we'd lay out a feast in the village tonight and catch up with you, sir..."

"There are other important matters to attend to."

"You came here this time to...?"

"The True Dragon left something behind in Cloud Pool. I came specifically to retrieve it."

"..."

The middle-aged man surnamed Liu heard this and at once dared not ask any further about the gift, nor did he dare keep the Daoist any longer, afraid of delaying an immortal's important business. He could only cup his hands and say, "Then many thanks to you, sir, for using your wondrous art to bestow us this tree."

"I should be thanking Duke Liu for his hospitality."

The Daoist returned the salute before turning and leaving.

Whether the craftsmen on the mountain had always been diligent, or whether they were making a special effort because Duke Liu had arrived, not long after lunch, many of them skipped even their midday nap and went back to working beneath the blazing mountain sun. The clanging and banging echoed through the hills, accompanied by discussions of the Daoist's spell.

Strictly speaking, it had nothing to do with the Daoist.

Three Flower Lady had found the sapling, she had dug the hole, and she had buried the soil. Swallow was the one who had cast the spell. The Daoist had merely asked one of the watching workers to pour a bucket of water over it.

"What kind of tree was that?"

After they had walked some distance, the discussions behind them could no longer be heard. The hammering and sawing had faded into a blur, and even the loudest shouts had clearly grown distant. Only then did the Three Flower Cat raise her head and ask the