The Filthy Thing on His Back

Among the clumps of green grass, pale white flowers swayed gently in the breeze.

"These flowers... They look like medicinal herbs."

Bai Xiaowen moved closer. As a pharmacist, he had a keen eye for medicinal herbs.

He used Insight on a small white flower and received its information.

[Jade-Phosphor Flower: A flower formed from condensed yin energy and Grievance Power. It has some medicinal value.]

Bai Xiaowen had never seen this flower before, and it was not recorded in the Pharmacopoeia Compendium. Still, he could judge the proper way to harvest it from its appearance. An Awakened without a background in pharmacy might damage it through careless picking.

Parting the leaves, Bai Xiaowen gently lifted the stalk and drew the flowering stem out inch by inch. Then he rolled some soil from around the plant's roots into a small ball and wrapped it around the delicate stem.

Once he had picked it, Bai Xiaowen could see the Jade-Phosphor Flower's composition and age.

"I'll take a sample for the Awakened Association to study. Hmm, I should pick some more as spares."

Bai Xiaowen had no qualms about disturbing graves. He picked every Jade-Phosphor Flower in the little graveyard and put them in his Storage Space.

That was the advantage of a Treasure Ground Space: he could take any psionic items he found without needing Psionic Particle resonance.

While picking the flowers, Bai Xiaowen kept part of his attention on his surroundings.

Suddenly, he heard soft footsteps.

He straightened and looked toward the sound. An elderly woman with graying hair and a hunched back was walking slowly toward him, leaning on a cane.

"A local? Or... a ghost?"

Bai Xiaowen used Insight, but received a notification instead:

``` "The target is protected by the Blessing of the Netherwhite Stone. She