A Source of Trouble (1)

The Medicine Garden behind the Medicine Department covered several thousand mu. They had only looked around the outermost edge; anyone wishing to venture deeper needed a jade token issued by the department.

Dongfang Minghui caught the rich medicinal fragrance drifting from the Medicine Garden and felt her heart stir. Once there, she hardly wanted to leave.

She had no idea how Situ Hao had persuaded the dean of the Medicine Department, but the dean directly instructed a senior disciple to assign her to tend the Medicinal Herb Garden. This garden, however, was not the one they had visited.

The Medicine Department was a key part of the entire Royal Academy, and people from every department often came seeking spiritual herbs. For that reason, the dean had set aside a small garden to supply supplementary herbs specifically for the students. Dongfang Minghui became one of its herb attendants.

Situ Hao drew her aside and whispered, "Don't underestimate the herb attendants here. Many pharmacists started as attendants and worked their way up. Just do your work well, and I'll put in a good word for you with the dean. Settle in here for now."

Herb attendants kept an extremely low profile within the academy, which pleased Dongfang Wanyu greatly. "Take good care of yourself. Once I've settled everything, I'll come visit you."

Being an herb attendant and getting to handle these medicinal plants personally was more than she could have hoped for. She moved into White Angelica Garden that very day, and the academy provided a room, bedding, and all the other necessities.

"Junior sister, this is your room."

The garden steward led her into a secluded little courtyard. Several rooms stood in a row, with a separate cottage on the far left. "Senior Brother Situ specifically asked us to arrange this room for you."

It seemed Situ Hao was quite reliable after all. She had never held much hope of getting into the Royal Academy, given her level of ability.

Dongfang Minghui looked around and found the room considerably better than the shabby inn she had stayed in before. It had not only a bed and wardrobe, but a table and chairs as well. Small as it was, it had everything she needed.

"Junior sister, you must gather in the front courtyard during the hour of the tiger tomorrow to collect dew." The steward made a point of reminding her. "You must be tired today, so get some rest. Be alert tomorrow. Pharmacist Xu occasionally sets questions to test you. Just keep your wits about you."

"Thank you, senior brother." Dongfang Minghui did not quite understand what he was talking about, but he kept offering her advice, both openly and indirectly. She reflected that having someone backing her really did make a difference. Building good relationships could never hurt.

After seeing the steward off, Dongfang Minghui flung herself straight onto her bed. The bedding was brand-new. She wrapped it around herself and did not want to move again.

With her recent troubles resolved, all that remained was to wait for The Female Lead to pass the entrance examination. There were three rounds in total, and the first seemed to start the day after tomorrow.

Should I sneak over and watch?

Dongfang Minghui drifted off while pondering it.

Bang, bang, bang.

Dongfang Minghui was jolted awake by the rough pounding on her door. Seeing that it was barely light outside, she rubbed her sleepy eyes, yawned, and went to answer it.

"Oh, junior sister, everyone's gathered in the front courtyard! How are you still asleep?" It was the steward again, looking anxious. "Didn't I tell you yesterday to gather during the hour of the tiger? Everyone's waiting for you!"

She snapped awake and remembered that he had indeed told her that yesterday. But there were no alarm clocks in this ancient world, and she normally slept until she woke naturally.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry and get ready! White Angelica Garden has plenty of rules. You'll be punished if you're late."

Dongfang Minghui changed into an herb attendant's outfit and rushed over. Naturally, she was late on her very first day.

A woman with her long hair tied up stood before the herb attendants. Her imposing presence made her look rather difficult to get along with. Dongfang Minghui felt the woman's gaze on her as soon as she arrived. She lowered her head, and the steward quickly pressed a small porcelain bottle into her hand.

"The usual rules apply. Whoever collects the most morning dew will receive a poria plant."

Dongfang Minghui stared blankly as everyone rushed into the Medicinal Herb Garden the moment the woman finished speaking. The steward tugged repeatedly at her sleeve. "Everyone's gone to collect dew. Hurry up!"

Remembering the reward the woman had mentioned, she immediately followed.

The medicinal fields in White Angelica Garden were laid out in a grid, with narrow paths separating each plot so the attendants could harvest the spiritual herbs.

She watched everyone bend over the tips of the plants' leaves, carefully tilting them by hand so that the dew dripped into their porcelain bottles, one drop at a time.

"I'm your most loyal friend, so make me proud." Dongfang Minghui held her bottle up to the herbs' leaf tips and let them shake their droplets into it themselves. Even so, filling one bottle took her over an hour.

The steward was still walking back and forth, supervising them and checking that no one was slacking off, when he saw Dongfang Minghui twist her waist, take a long stretch, and trot cheerfully toward him with her bottle.

"Senior brother, I'm finished." She looked around. Everyone else was still bent over collecting dew, so she should have been first.

The steward blinked, then took her bottle and weighed it in his hand. "Well done, junior sister!" he said, pleasantly surprised.

As the first to finish the task, Dongfang Minghui was brought before Pharmacist Xu.

"You collected this bottle?" Pharmacist Xu opened it and sniffed, then asked, "How did a mere Spirit User like you manage that?"

"I collect it often, so I'm used to it. That makes me faster." Dongfang Minghui spun her story without blushing or missing a beat. She felt she was becoming a first-rate liar.

Seeing her standing obediently to one side, Pharmacist Xu did not pursue the matter. Instead, she said, "You were late in front of everyone today. Normally, you would be punished with a month of branch pruning. Since you came first in collecting morning dew, your achievement cancels out your offense. Is that clear?"

Dongfang Minghui pouted and answered reluctantly, "Yes."

Inwardly, she could not help grumbling that the woman simply did not want to part with the poria and was using this as an excuse to confiscate her reward.

Afterward, she followed the others in weeding, catching insects, and watering under the blazing summer sun, transforming completely from a pampered young lady into a Medicine Slave.

They worked from dawn until late at night, leaving her dizzy with exhaustion before she finally had a moment to rest.

Back in her room, Dongfang Minghui washed briefly, changed her clothes, and collapsed on her bed, unwilling to move another inch.

Still, she remembered that The Female Lead's entrance examination was tomorrow. Hmm, how could she sneak out under such strict supervision?

She rolled over with her quilt in her arms and drifted off to sleep.

Early the next morning, noisy knocking woke her once again.

"Junior sister, why are you still asleep?" The instant Dongfang Minghui heard the steward's voice, her mind went blank. "Senior brother, I overslept again," she said miserably.

A body clock could not be established overnight. Besides, yesterday had been her first day of work, and she had been utterly exhausted.

"I guessed you would oversleep, so I came early to wake you. Hurry and change." The steward had a headache too. If Senior Brother Situ had not asked him to look after her, he would not have bothered.

For once, Dongfang Minghui was not late. She lined up, and the steward handed each attendant a porcelain bottle. The usual rules still applied: whoever finished first would receive a reward.

This time, the reward was a pinellia plant.

She had no idea how much spiritual energy these herbs contained, but a free reward was a free reward. She charged into the Medicinal Herb Garden and, as before, filled her bottle with morning dew in just over an hour.

Before she could claim the pinellia, the steward hurriedly led her outside. "Senior Brother Situ has urgent business with you."

Wonderful. She had urgent business with him too.

"The moment you left, Blue Star Dream started attacking people again." Situ Hao grabbed her and pulled her away.

Dongfang Minghui could tell he intended to take her to the Situ Residence. "Hey, let go first! I haven't collected my reward!"

She had finally managed to enter the Royal Academy. She did not want him whisking her away again with a single word.

Situ Hao asked patiently, "What reward?"

"Here's the thing. Pharmacist Xu said whoever finished collecting morning dew first would get a reward. Today it's a pinellia plant, but you dragged me out before I could claim it. What if she refuses to give it to me when I get back?"

Her earnest explanation nearly made Situ Hao cough up blood. "Which matters more, Blue Star Dream or your reward? What did you promise me before?"

His eyes were practically shooting flames, so she immediately backed away. "Can you be reasonable? When I visited before, Blue Star Dream wasn't aggressive at all. By nature, it basically doesn't attack anyone unprovoked. You people are the problem."

Situ Hao fell silent. He actually thought she had a point.

Seeing him staring at her with a grave expression, Dongfang Minghui smiled again. "I can help soothe Blue Star Dream, but that will only solve the problem temporarily."

"Go on."

"To solve the underlying problem, you have to respect its decisions." Seeing his puzzled expression, Dongfang Minghui explained, "Let me give you an example. Say it doesn't like the spiritual liquid you feed it, but you insist on feeding it every time. Would you be happy in its place?"

Situ Hao promptly shook his head.

"Exactly. You keep doing things that upset it. When it gets angry, naturally it attacks people." Dongfang Minghui finally managed to explain Blue Star Dream's situation clearly.

To her, Blue Star Dream was just a little child, isolated in a courtyard and terribly lonely. Situ Hao had also raised it to have a violent temper, so it hit people whenever it was unhappy.

In a situation like this, humans needed to give it enough space and enough love.

"I think I understand now," Situ Hao agreed. Then he caught her wrist again. "But right now, you still need to soothe it first."

By the time he pulled Dongfang Minghui into the Situ Residence, several people had already been carried out, covered in blood and gruesome wounds.

"What exactly did you do?"

Dongfang Minghui was a little angry. She had not spent much time with Blue Star Dream, but it was clearly a sweet, obedient plant.

She had only been gone for one day. Just look at what these people had done.

"None of you come in." Dongfang Minghui shot Situ Hao a fierce glare.

Baffled by her accusations, Situ Hao rubbed his nose and stared incredulously at her retreating back. "Well, look at this little girl! She's practically climbing all over me now."

He simply could not understand why Blue Star Dream was only nice to this little girl. It made no sense. He was the owner who had cared for it so attentively.

"What are you staring at? Tell me exactly what each of you has done these past two days! Blue Star Dream was showing signs of improvement before. How did it get worse so quickly?" Turning around, Situ Hao unleashed all his anger on the Medicine Slaves tending Blue Star Dream.

Dongfang Minghui's aura was gentle. Even though she was upset and puffing out her cheeks, Blue Star Dream sensed her presence immediately.

Every thorny branch on the tree unfurled, gradually extending toward the entrance until it was completely blocked. The Medicine Slaves trying to peek over the wall were whipped straight off it. Some branches spread from the entrance across the walls, sealing every exit in an instant.

Only the path Dongfang Minghui walked remained clear.

"Blue Star Dream, you seem stronger." Dongfang Minghui stroked its trunk. Perhaps she was imagining it, but she could sense a powerful, violent force stirring within its body.

"Huihui, I feel awful." A thorny branch reached toward Dongfang Minghui, but seemed afraid of something. In the end, it lashed the ground twice and withdrew.

She hugged it and stroked it repeatedly, soothing it. "Don't be afraid."

Even through this surface contact, she felt an enormous amount of spiritual energy seeping into her meridians from every direction. Using her own Spiritual Power, she circulated the incoming energy through them and actually opened another three meridians.

"This is bad." Dongfang Minghui was stunned. Not only had her Spiritual Power recovered, she even felt on the verge of a breakthrough. This could not have come at a worse time.

With her absorbing most of its spiritual energy, Blue Star Dream felt considerably better.

"Huihui, what's wrong?" A thorny branch tugged at her sleeve.

Dongfang Minghui immediately sat cross-legged. "Blue Star Dream, I'm about to break through. I can't be disturbed. Will you guard the entrance and keep everyone out?"

"Sure." Blue Star Dream did not understand everything she meant, but it understood that no one should disturb her. It extended its thorny branches again, reinforcing the already secure blockade. Now, never mind a person—even a fly would probably have struggled to get inside.

Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Dongfang Minghui sank into her own consciousness. Within her Soul Sea, she clearly saw the six meridians she had opened. Cleansed by spiritual energy, they glowed faintly emerald green. The remaining eight were all dark gray.

Spiritual energy from outside kept charging wildly into her body. Patiently, she guided it into her meridians, cleansing them one by one, and soon opened another.

She remembered Little Color's cultivation method mentioning that she should first open the Fourteen Meridians, then seven hundred and twenty acupoints. After that, her cultivation speed would shoot straight upward.

Now it seemed Little Color's method truly was correct. She had only opened seven meridians, yet all her Spiritual Power had recovered, and she could faintly sense another breakthrough approaching.

Just as she hesitated over whether to break through in one go, Little Color suddenly woke. "Breaking through too quickly will only harm your future advancement. You should suppress it for now and wait for the right opportunity."

"Little Color, you're awake!" Dongfang Minghui was overjoyed, but could not help complaining. "Why did you go silent after saying just one sentence last time?"

Little Color sighed. "You're too stupid. Talking to you is exhausting."

The scorned, stupid Minghui fell silent. Their little boat of friendship had capsized just like that.

"Why are you spacing out? The spiritual energy is about to burst you apart! Suppress it!" Dongfang Minghui immediately used her own Spiritual Power to force the incoming energy into her Dantian. Together, they compressed it into a sphere the size of a fingernail.

Only then did the storm of Spiritual Power subside.

"Good thing I woke up in time, or you wouldn't even have known how you died!" Little Color roared furiously at her. It had seen stupid people before, but never anyone this stupid. She had done nothing but mindlessly absorb spiritual energy without considering whether she could withstand it.

The sound shook Dongfang Minghui's Soul Sea, leaving her a little dazed. Still, hearing Little Color's childish yet vigorous voice reassured her considerably.

Only after she wheedled and made a fuss did Little Color finally grumble, "That Golden Thorn Tree outside is a perfect match for you. Unbearably stupid. Humans fed it too much Spirit Liquid, and it's about to burst. As you humans say, they pulled on the seedlings to make them grow."

Understanding dawned on Dongfang Minghui. "So that's what happened." That explained why Blue Star Dream's towering body was still juvenile.

Little Color snorted haughtily. "Luckily, I woke up and helped absorb some of the spiritual energy. Otherwise, both of you would have burst."

Dongfang Minghui had no desire to undermine it and send it into another fit. Her little companion had only just returned; she did not want to anger it into leaving. "You're amazing, Little Color. So, does that mean Blue Star Dream will be fine now?"

"What do you think?" Little Color asked cryptically.

Trying to decipher its meaning gave Dongfang Minghui a headache. She could not help sighing. "Forcing growth..."

People subjected to such forced growth usually ended up ruined, let alone a plant.

"No way. Blue Star Dream is so sweet. It'll be heartbroken if it can't keep growing," Dongfang Minghui murmured.

Little Color gave a couple of dissatisfied snorts.

Dongfang Minghui emerged from cultivation for the moment. Her Spiritual Power had now recovered to that of a first-level Spirit Master. To advance to Great Spirit Master, she needed practical experience—or, as Little Color put it, she had to build a solid foundation.

"Huihui, are you better?" Blue Star Dream had been guarding her all along. Outside, everyone was frantic. It had sealed the courtyard, and Dongfang Minghui still had not emerged, but none of them dared attack for fear of provoking an even more frenzied assault.

Thinking of its tragic fate, Dongfang Minghui could not help aching for it. She stroked it and asked, "Are you still feeling bad?"

Blue Star Dream waved its thorny branches. "Not anymore. I feel comfortable when you're with me."

"Hmph, of course it's comfortable. All its spiritual energy went to you." Aggrieved, Little Color extended its vines and lashed wildly at it.

"Why are you hitting me?"

"Because you're the one I want to hit."

Dongfang Minghui was speechless. She had no idea why the two little creatures were fighting.

Vines and branches danced through the air in a chaotic frenzy. Both were fighting with their true bodies, so she stayed obediently where she was, not daring to move. She had experienced both little creatures' lashes before. They hurt when they struck her body, and hurt even more across her face.

For her own safety, Dongfang Minghui huddled beside Blue Star Dream's trunk to watch. She felt the peculiar excitement of watching her own child pin someone else's child to the ground and beat them up.

Naturally, every fight had a winner and loser. The towering Blue Star Dream took a beating from Little Color, then ran crying to Dongfang Minghui for comfort.

"Little brat. All you know how to do is cry." Little Color thoroughly scorned Blue Star Dream, unaware that calling someone a little brat in its own babyish voice made it even less convincing. Dongfang Minghui nearly laughed herself silly.

Dongfang Minghui's shoulders shook. She could barely hold it in.

"Stupid woman, I just dispersed some of its excess spiritual energy by beating it. It'll be fine for now." Little Color gave her a haughty sidelong glance, its expression practically demanding her gratitude.

"You're amazing, Little Color." Dongfang Minghui inwardly gave it thirty-two thumbs-up. She could not help reflecting that, arrogant though her little companion was, it never faltered when it mattered.

After its beating, Blue Star Dream seemed to feel even more comfortable. It sniffled a few times, then forgot everything that had just happened and tugged at Dongfang Minghui's sleeve. "Huihui, was that your little companion? Can you let it play with me?"

The mention of that gave her an enormous headache. She felt she needed to have a proper talk with Situ Hao about Blue Star Dream.

"You finally came out." Situ Hao had waited outside all day. If she had stayed inside any longer, he would have started wondering whether Blue Star Dream had swallowed her alive.

Dongfang Minghui gave him an irritated glance. "Good timing. I need to speak to you too. Let's find somewhere quiet and discuss Blue Star Dream."

These incidents showed her how much Situ Hao doted on Blue Star Dream. The problem was that his thoughtless actions had nearly destroyed a Golden Thorn Tree that might have grown into a high-level Demon Plant.

"There's nothing wrong with Blue Star Dream, is there?" Situ Hao ushered her into the hall, but when she remained silent, he asked somewhat anxiously.

"There is. Otherwise, why would I need to talk to you?"

Situ Hao immediately grew nervous. "What's wrong?"

Dongfang Minghui glared at him angrily. "Were you watering Blue Star Dream with Spirit Liquid every day?"

"Yes. I even had people refine the purest Spirit Liquid especially for it, so it could grow well. How else could it have shot up so tall?" As he spoke, Situ Hao even began to look rather pleased with himself.

"What are you so pleased about?" Dongfang Minghui slammed her teacup onto the table with a bang and said scornfully, "If you hadn't forced its growth, why would it have become so irritable that it attacks people indiscriminately?"

Situ Hao was dumbstruck. Pointing at himself in bewilderment, he asked, "You're saying it's because I gave it too much Spirit Liquid?"

"Yes! Haven't you wondered why it's been refusing the Spirit Liquid you feed it lately? The Spirit Liquid has already become a burden. Not only can it no longer help it grow, it causes unbearable suffering." Dongfang Minghui took a bottle of Spirit Liquid from her storage space and set it on the table. "This is what you had me bring in that day. It didn't want to drink it, so I put it away."

Seeing Situ Hao remain silent, Dongfang Minghui continued, "What I mainly wanted to tell you this time is that, if you truly care about Blue Star Dream, the best solution is to let it stay with me for a while."

Situ Hao frowned deeply. "That's no problem. I'll have the Medicine Slaves prepare a room for you right away. Stay at my residence for now. I'll arrange leave for you with the academy."

"You misunderstood. I never intended to leave the Medicine Department."

Situ Hao froze, then narrowed his eyes at her in disbelief. "When you said you wanted Blue Star Dream to stay with you, did you mean you wanted to take it into the Royal Academy?"

Dongfang Minghui nodded.

Situ Hao suddenly stood and paced irritably around the hall. This was insane. This idea was fucking insane. "Blue Star Dream is too special to me. It's never left my side. Now you want me to—to—to... How could I possibly do that? No."

"Oh." Dongfang Minghui stood and smiled. "Since you can't bear to part with it, keep it by your side. When Blue Star Dream withers, prepare a torch and burn it. That will end its suffering once and for all."

With that, she walked straight out of the hall.

Missing The Female Lead's first examination had already left her furious. On top of that, Blue Star Dream's situation still meant a great deal of follow-up work for her.

Yet he was willing to disregard Blue Star Dream's life simply because he could not bear to part with it. Why should she stand around fretting helplessly?

After she returned, the steward did not make things difficult for her. He merely told her to rest early and make absolutely sure she was not late the next day.

"Ugh." Dongfang Minghui tossed and turned, unable to sleep. "Little Color, how can I avoid the herb attendants in White Angelica Garden and sneak out to watch Seventh Sister's examination?"

Little Color said, "Go wash up and get some sleep."

Dongfang Minghui irritably rolled over again. "Even if Seventh Sister gets into the academy, she'll be in the General Department. That's so far from our Medicine Department."

They were clearly in the same academy, yet it felt as though they were worlds apart. She couldn't even see her. Didn't that defeat the whole purpose of entering the academy?

"Stupid woman, do you want another Mu Qing incident? Didn't you learn your lesson last time? Your Seventh Sister is so amazing, and you're so useless. I might as well call you a professional burden from now on."

Dongfang Minghui covered her mouth. She had accidentally spoken her thoughts aloud.

"Let me tell you—"

"Pfft." Dongfang Minghui couldn't hold it in. Little Color's baby image was already firmly rooted in her mind. She imagined a bare-bottomed baby standing with hands on hips, solemnly lecturing her.

"Hahahaha!"

Little Color immediately stretched out vines, binding her hands and covering her mouth. "From now on, I'll supervise your cultivation at all times. You won't get even a moment's rest."

"Mmph, mmph." Let me go!

Little Color planted her hands on her hips and howled at the sky. "Your most urgent priority is to find a skill so you can wield your Spiritual Power more effectively."

A skill?

By the end, Dongfang Minghui had fallen asleep. Little Color talked until parched, then looked up and stamped in fury. "You useless burden!"

Early the next morning, before Dongfang Minghui could figure out how to sneak out and cheer on The Female Lead, an opportunity came knocking.

Pharmacist Xu gathered them together. Several plants stood before her. Dongfang Minghui examined them carefully and discovered that some were actually sick.

"I'm sure you all know that these past few days are the Royal Academy's busiest time. During our annual admissions, we'll also be accepting fifty people into the Medicine Department. Yesterday's first round eliminated half the applicants. More than a hundred and thirty will take part in the second round. I've gathered you here to assign you a task."

The moment Dongfang Minghui heard there was a task, she pricked up her ears. She felt it probably had something to do with the entrance examinations.

Sure enough, Pharmacist Xu soon continued, "Ten of you, step forward and carry these ten pots of spirit herbs to the examination site. A pharmacist there will tell you what to do."

White Angelica Garden had thirty herb attendants, two senior male students serving as stewards, twenty junior pharmacists, ten Intermediate Potion Masters, three senior pharmacists, a deputy dean, and a dean. With a chance to get noticed right before them, who wouldn't want to seize it?

None of the thirty would yield. In an instant, the clamor turned White Angelica Garden into a marketplace.

Seeing this, Pharmacist Xu couldn't help pressing a hand to her head. "Stop arguing."

Her voice was cool and quiet, yet it was enough to make every herb attendant stop arguing and listen.

"There are ten pots of medicinal plants before me. Three are intermediate spirit herbs, and one is advanced. If you can identify one or two, I'll consider you qualified."

Everyone was momentarily bewildered, exchanging helpless looks.

This was a difficult challenge. Herb attendants were responsible for tending the spirit herbs in the Medicine Garden. If they could identify medicinal plants, why would they still be herb attendants? They could go straight into becoming pharmacists.

Dongfang Minghui smacked her lips and was the first to step forward. "I'd like to try identifying them first."

"This is an advanced spirit herb. These two are intermediate spirit herbs. I can't identify the remaining one." Dongfang Minghui deliberately held a little back. After all, she was only an herb attendant.

Pharmacist Xu glanced at her without betraying any emotion. Though greatly surprised, she merely said, "Does anyone else want to try?"

After Dongfang Minghui, others stepped forward one after another to identify the plants. Most were wrong, though some guessed correctly. Once all thirty had finished, Pharmacist Xu whispered a few words to the senior student in charge.

Afterward, ten people, including Dongfang Minghui, each took a pot of medicinal plants to the examination area.

The others all selected healthy-looking spirit herbs. By the time her turn came, only a sickly pot of Beauty Bamboo remained. Beauty Bamboo was a beautiful flower, so named because its blossoms were as lovely as a beauty's smiling face. Its flowers could be used as medicinal ingredients.

But this Beauty Bamboo's flower was drooping almost to its roots. Something was clearly wrong. "Hey, what's wrong with you?"

As Dongfang Minghui followed the group toward the examination area, she communicated with it through her mind.

The Beauty Bamboo apparently hadn't expected anyone to talk to it. It said weakly, "I'm dying."

"Why?" The herb attendants removed pests and tended these medicinal plants at regular times every day. They were well cared for, so how could one die for no reason?

Beauty Bamboo shook its head. "Someone cut off part of my legs."

Dongfang Minghui couldn't understand it. Beauty Bamboo's flower contained the most spiritual energy. What ignorant fool had cut off its roots? What a sin.

"Little Color, Beauty Bamboo's roots have been cut off. Can it survive?"

Little Color felt it was necessary to teach her the most basic knowledge about plants, especially spirit herbs. Since she wanted to become a pharmacist, identifying the characteristics, medicinal properties, and uses of different spirit herbs was essential.

"What are you trying to do now?" Little Color already understood her tendency to meddle quite well. "Don't go causing trouble yet. First, see what they need you to do at the examination area."

Dongfang Minghui stroked Beauty Bamboo's flower. "Hang in there."

Only after arriving at the examination area did Dongfang Minghui learn why they had brought these spirit herbs: to test the pharmacists' ability to identify them and make judgments.

There were ten different spirit herbs, with different medicinal properties and Spiritual Power levels.

"Put them down. You can leave for now and come back in four hours." Dongfang Minghui couldn't have been happier to hear that. This was the very moment she had been waiting for.

The herb attendants headed back to White Angelica Garden. Dongfang Minghui trailed behind, then quietly slipped onto another path.

"Where would Seventh Sister be?" She remembered that when the heroine entered the Royal Academy, she had already awakened her third attribute. Right, darkness.

But that attribute couldn't be exposed to the public. It would cause an uproar.

That left the other two attributes: lightning and earth.

"Let's go check Thunder Hall." Dongfang Minghui asked for directions along the way before finally finding Thunder Hall. But as soon as she arrived, a group blocked her at the entrance.

"An herb attendant from the Medicine Department."

Dongfang Minghui gave a small sound of surprise, then realized she was still wearing her herb attendant's uniform. No wonder they had noticed so quickly.

"Miss, what brings you here?" Seeing that she belonged to the pharmacists' department, the newcomer was particularly courteous. Anyone else barging into the dual-attribute hall would probably have been beaten and thrown out without a second thought.

The lightning-attribute prodigies tended to have fierce tempers, and every one of them was burly. They surrounded Dongfang Minghui.

"Senior Brother, here's the thing. A relative of mine is taking the examination here. I only managed to slip out after asking the dean for leave. Could you make an exception and let me take a look? Once she passes, I'll leave right away." Dongfang Minghui immediately took yesterday's reward, the pinellia, out of her storage space and pressed it into the man's hands.

Anyone who had spent enough time in the academy knew that, no matter whom else you offended, you must never offend someone from the Medicine Department. Otherwise, you would suffer for it.

Everyone was willing to befriend someone from the Medicine Department. The senior student gave a noncommittal smile. "Junior Sister, I'm only letting you in as a favor. You can watch, but don't cause trouble, or even I'll be punished."

"I absolutely won't." Dongfang Minghui assured him repeatedly.

He soon let her through. She slipped inside and watched from the back for quite a while without spotting The Female Lead, though she did see someone familiar.

Li Yunan, a senior student assisting with the examination, was something of a legend at the Royal Academy. A prodigy with both water and lightning attributes, he had awakened his Spiritual Power as a child and was now a level-three dual-attribute Great Spirit Master.

There were quite a few dual-attribute prodigies at the Royal Academy, but reaching level-three Great Spirit Master in both attributes was truly remarkable.

Dongfang Minghui knew that The Female Lead would meet several members of her harem at the Royal Academy, but she really hadn't expected to run into one every few steps.

It had to be because the author was lazy. Those closest at hand got the first chance at romance—that was the logic behind it.

"Seventh Sister must be here." Dongfang Minghui sat in a corner, waiting for The Female Lead to appear. Li Yunan, one of the male leads, was already here. There was no reason she wouldn't be.

"Miss."

Someone tapped Dongfang Minghui on the shoulder, startling her. When she turned around, she was frightened out of her wits. Pointing at him, she stammered incoherently, "Y-you, you—"

Li Yunan had thought she looked familiar and guessed that he must have seen her before. Since her clothes also marked her as someone from the Medicine Department, he had come over to ask. He hadn't expected a tap on the shoulder to frighten her so badly that her face went white.

"Miss, have we met before?"

Dongfang Minghui immediately remembered how she was supposed to die. It was recklessly stealing The Female Lead's men that had led her to such a fate.

"I don't know you. We've never met." She covered her face, terrified that he would remember their encounter at the workshop when she had helped Seventh Sister out of trouble.

She didn't want to get involved with these men again. Men were savage beasts—far too frightening. Most importantly, she never knew when she might run into a man destined to join The Female Lead's harem. She still wanted to live to a ripe old age. Boo-hoo!

Li Yunan was handsome and distinguished, and his exceptional talent had earned him great fame at the Royal Academy. His junior sisters had always adored him. Never before had he met a girl who looked at him as though he were a venomous snake or a wild beast, desperate to get away.

He couldn't help chuckling and touching his handsome face. "Miss, surely I don't look that frightening?"

Dongfang Minghui was so worried she could practically feel her hair turning white. She wasn't listening to him at all and merely kept agreeing. "Frightening."

Li Yunan burst out laughing. He had never met such a frank, adorable girl.

"Ninth Sister, what are you doing here?" Dongfang Wanyu hadn't noticed the person in the corner earlier. It was only when Li Yunan, the senior student serving as a judge, suddenly left his seat that everyone's attention was drawn over.