Continuing to Heat Up

The next day, as dawn broke with the sky faintly lit and morning dew still clinging to the ground.

Xiao Yixian rose as soon as it was barely light, meticulously cleaning the inside and outside of the small wooden house. She even changed into a brand-new light purple dress and spent a long time adjusting her hair in the blurry reflection of the water basin, a sense of joy and anticipation she couldn't quite explain bubbling within her.

As soon as she finished arranging the drying rack for herbs, her gaze involuntarily drifted towards the valley entrance.

When a figure in green appeared right on time in the morning mist, walking slowly towards her, her heart skipped a beat for no reason, and the corners of her lips curved upwards uncontrollably.

"Good morning," Lin Hai's voice carried the slight coolness of the morning, yet it held a more familiar warmth than the day before.

He carried nothing in his hands today, but as his deep eyes looked at her, it was as if they brought the entire morning's light.

"Good morning," Xiao Yixian replied softly, her cheeks warming. She quickly lowered her head, pretending to organize the herbs beside her, "You're here quite early."

"I was thinking about those Star Spirit Flowers, and also..." Lin Hai paused, his gaze falling on her eyelashes trembling slightly with nervousness. He chuckled softly, "...afraid I'd be late and disrupt the best time for you to gather herbs."

The concern in his words was just right, warming Xiao Yixian's heart without feeling frivolous.

She looked up, gathering her courage to meet his gaze, "Then let's go see the Star Spirit Flowers quickly. They really haven't been doing well lately."

The two walked side-by-side towards a slightly secluded patch of land.

Several peculiar small flowers, entirely blue with silver specks like stars adorning their leaves, drooped listlessly.

Lin Hai squatted down, his fingers gently brushing over the leaves of the Star Spirit Flowers and the soil near their roots, his movements professional and gentle.

Xiao Yixian also squatted beside him, watching his actions closely. She could smell the crisp, clean scent of him in her breath, mixed with the fragrance of earth and herbs, which made her feel a little flustered.

"It's not pests or lack of water," Lin Hai concluded after a moment of examination. "It's that the Star Power in this land is too sparse. Star Spirit Flowers need to absorb the Star Power at night to grow vigorously. Qingshan Town is situated at a lower elevation, and most of the starlight is blocked by the surrounding mountains."

"Star Power?" Xiao Yixian blinked. She had only heard of this concept in ancient legends. "Then... is there no way?" Her tone was tinged with disappointment; she had gone to great lengths to find and transplant these Star Spirit Flowers.

"There's no ordinary way, indeed," Lin Hai stood up, his tone calm but with an undeniable confidence. "But it's not absolute. If there were an Alchemical Grandmaster skilled in soul power and star perception, or some special method, perhaps a small formation could be set up to guide faint starlight, or a specific 'Star Glow Pill Liquid' could be refined and poured on them to compensate for the deficiency."

"Alchemical Grandmaster?" Xiao Yixian's beautiful eyes widened, then a bitter yet longing smile appeared. "Someone like that, from legend, how could they possibly appear here for a few flowers... An alchemist, even the lowest first-grade alchemist, is a significant figure in Qingshan Town." Her tone carried a yearning for that unattainable world, along with a hidden sense of inferiority.

She possessed a passion and talent for medicinal herbs, but due to her constitution and environmental limitations, she couldn't truly step onto the threshold of alchemy.

Lin Hai took in her dejection, his gaze flickering. He casually interjected, "Yes, a good teacher is indeed crucial. Not only can they guide in pharmacology, but they can also systematically teach the use of soul power, control of flames, and even resolve many... difficult ailments related to one's constitution." He deliberately paused slightly on "difficult ailments."

Xiao Yixian's delicate body trembled almost imperceptibly, and she suddenly looked up at Lin Hai.

Constitution? Did he... did he see something? Impossible! She had never told anyone about her Woeful Poison Body!

However, Lin Hai's gaze was calm and profound, as if he had merely spoken casually just now, with no other intention.

He continued to look at the Star Spirit Flowers, as if murmuring to himself, "Speaking of which, I do know an old gentleman. His attainments in alchemy are... well, passable. He's a bit eccentric, but kind-hearted. He especially likes to travel around, looking for seedlings with pure hearts and unique talent in the Way of Medicine to take as disciples, so that their brilliance isn't hidden."

He turned his head, looking at Xiao Yixian with a gentle gaze, his tone carrying a hint of jest, yet sounding like the most sincere sentiment. "I think if he were to meet you, to see your dedication and intuition towards medicinal herbs, he would surely be delighted and might even take you as a disciple out of his own accord. After all, to cultivate so many rare medicinal herbs so well under these conditions, this talent would be a true waste to neglect."

Boom!

These words exploded in Xiao Yixian's mind like thunder!

A teacher whose alchemy attainments were "passable"! Traveling the land! Liked to take disciples! Valued dedication and intuition in the Way of Medicine! Thought she had good talent! A waste to neglect!

Every word precisely struck the deepest desires and softest parts of her heart!

All her years of persistence, all her dreams, all her grievances, seemed to find an outlet and a clear path forward at this moment!

Overwhelming surprise and hope instantly shattered her defenses!

Her eyes reddened with excitement, and she instinctively took a step forward, grabbing Lin Hai's sleeve, her voice trembling, "Is... is it true? That... that old gentleman you mentioned, would he really... would he really be willing to take someone like me... an ordinary herb-gathering girl, as a disciple?"

She looked up, her eyes shimmering with immense hope, like a traveler who had journeyed through darkness for too long and finally saw the light of a lighthouse ahead.

Lin Hai looked at her slender fingers clutching his sleeve, feeling her excitement and vulnerability, his gaze growing even gentler.

He didn't pull away. Instead, he gently patted the back of her hand with his other hand. The touch was cool, yet it stirred a strong protective instinct within him.

"Of course," his voice was deep and firm, carrying a convincing power. "Your talent far exceeds your imagination. You just lack an opportunity and a guide. As for ordinary?" He chuckled and shook his head. "In my eyes, all the so-called alchemists in Qingshan Town combined don't measure up to the purity of your love for the Way of Medicine."

This almost blatant praise and affirmation poured into Xiao Yixian's heart like the sweetest honey, instantly filling her.

An immense sense of happiness washed over her, making her feel dizzy.

She realized she was still holding his sleeve and quickly let go. Her cheeks flushed like the sunset, her heart pounded as if it would leap out of her chest, and she shyly lowered her head, her voice a mere whisper, "Th-thank you... I, I..."

She didn't know how to express her feelings at that moment; gratitude, joy, shyness, and a hint of apprehension and immense anticipation for the future intertwined.

Lin Hai looked at her in this state, knowing the timing was right. Too much would be as bad as too little.

He said gently, "No need to thank me. You deserve it yourself. When the time is right, I will introduce you. For now, let's figure out how to solve the problem with these Star Spirit Flowers. We can't have your future teacher think you can't even take care of a few small flowers, can we?"

He skillfully re-introduced the concept of "future teacher" and steered the conversation back to the present, giving her immense hope while avoiding potential pressure from delving deeper.

Xiao Yixian was amused by his words and nodded vigorously. When she looked at the wilting Star Spirit Flowers again, her eyes had completely changed. They were filled with drive and hope, as if they were no longer just flowers, but the starting point on the path to her dreams.

And the source of all this hope was the mysterious, gentle, and powerful man beside her.

She secretly glanced at Lin Hai's focused profile, a feeling of extreme gratitude, admiration, dependence, and a hint of nascent affection quietly entwined around her heart like vines, quickly taking root and sprouting.

Their relationship, propelled by their shared "secret" and immense "hope," instantly deepened to a new level.