Framed (1)

The Royal Academy's entrance trials grew more bizarre with each round. Everyone understood that the first round tested their spiritual power to record their initial stats. But in the second round, they were thrown straight into battle.

Most students in Thunder Hall possessed either the lightning attribute or dual attributes. Lightning was the way of deception.

Dongfang Wanyu was led into a training room, its interior transformed into a mist-shrouded forest. Outside the room, an illusion mirror the size of a gemstone recorded everything that happened within.

Unable to follow her inside, Dongfang Minghui was terribly frustrated.

The moment Dongfang Wanyu stepped into the forest, she caught the rich scent of fresh grass. Every blade of grass and every tree possessed spirituality. Clearly, the simulation had achieved a one-to-one recreation.

"Be careful," Qing Mo warned.

A blazing ball of fiery lightning suddenly hurtled toward her. Thanks to Qing Mo's timely warning, Dongfang Wanyu narrowly dodged it, rolling across the ground in an ungainly tumble.

With a thunderous boom, a hole was blasted into the spot where she had stood. The surrounding green grass was utterly destroyed.

Just then, a towering, wolf-like magic beast approached her step by step. With each step, the ground shook. It charged toward Dongfang Wanyu, instantly making the earth tremble and the mountains quake.

"It's a Silver-Fanged Thunder Wolf. Be careful."

Dongfang Wanyu wanted to curse. How could they unleash a vicious Silver-Fanged Thunder Wolf in a mere simulation test? It resembled a wolf, with four legs and silver fur covered in lightning, each hair standing upright like a hedgehog's spines. It could race across the ground as fast as lightning. Most importantly, it could spit fiery lightning anytime, anywhere, like a crawling, fire-breathing dragon.

Dongfang Wanyu did not dare let it get close. If it approached, the lightning on those bristling spines might fry her crisp outside and tender inside. Worse, its fiery lightning was immensely powerful, exploding upon hitting the ground. If she failed to dodge in time, her hair would be scorched, just as it had been moments ago. Its searing breath washed over her face, filling her with a sense of danger, as though she had brushed shoulders with death.

She had only experienced this feeling in the Purple Demon Mountains. Every training excursion had been a battle with her life at stake. Whenever she encountered a magic beast stronger than herself, she had no retreat. She could only fight, walking along the edge of death.

"Excellent. You've really gotten me fired up." Dongfang Wanyu licked her lips, her blood inexplicably boiling with excitement.

Likewise, the Thunder Wolf had been enraged by her repeated evasions.

What she did not know was that the simulation was tailored to each individual's combat ability. The greater their talent, the greater the danger they faced.

She was a Spirit Master with three attributes, and the magic beast confronting her possessed two-the only dual-attribute magic beast in the entire assessment.

Dongfang Wanyu knew none of this. All she could see or think about was how to destroy this Silver-Fanged Thunder Wolf. She tried a ranged attack, gathering all the lightning in her body into her palm. While dodging, she turned and hurled it viciously at the Thunder Wolf.

The Thunder Wolf was also an agile magic beast. Sensing Dongfang Wanyu's murderous intent, it promptly spat fiery lightning at her lightning attack.

When fiery lightning met lightning, it was truly raging fire colliding with fierce thunder. The two powerful forces clashed, ultimately unleashing an explosion more than ten times stronger. The entire assessment area shook at the same moment, with the tremors affecting different stretches of it.

The training room had originally been designed to withstand five times the pressure, but the actual explosion Dongfang Wanyu caused exceeded its limits.

In the blink of an eye, everything vanished.

White light flashed, and Dongfang Wanyu found herself outside the training room.

"Congratulations. You passed the assessment." The senior student beside her wiped away his sweat. Had he not shut down every simulation in the training room in time, the assessment area would probably have been reduced to rubble. What kind of lightning had that been? It was astonishingly powerful-ten times stronger than the fiery lightning he had simulated.

Dongfang Wanyu was surprised. It was over already? Wasn't that a little too fast? She had not had her fill yet. She had just thought of another way to fight it. Perhaps she could have defeated the Silver-Fanged Thunder Wolf in close combat as well.

"Ninth Sister, what are you doing?"

"Counting ants." Dongfang Minghui looked up and saw the heroine's smiling face. She immediately stood. "Seventh Sister, congratulations on passing the assessment."

"Are you really going to be all right, sneaking out like this?" Dongfang Wanyu asked, taking in her medicine attendant's outfit.

Dongfang Minghui wrinkled her little nose. "Seventh Sister, I'm leaving right away. They said we had four hours."

"Junior Sister, you've just passed the assessment. You still need to come over here and sign your name." A senior student from Thunder Hall spotted Dongfang Wanyu and immediately hurried over.

"Seventh Sister, go take care of things. I'm leaving." Dongfang Minghui guessed that the heroine's test must have been spectacular. Those who passed the second round could essentially stay at the Royal Academy for the time being, and someone would arrange their accommodation afterward.

"All right. Once everything is settled, I'll come see you." With that, Dongfang Wanyu followed the senior student into Thunder Hall.

Dongfang Minghui calculated the time and figured the apothecaries' second round of testing must be nearing its end. She immediately rushed over at a frantic pace.

Who would have thought that the moment she entered the examination area, she would see a figure in red? By the time she tried to stop, it was too late, and she crashed squarely into the other person.

"Ow." That hurt.

"What blind fool was that?"

Their voices rang out almost simultaneously. Small as she was, Dongfang Minghui took the full force of the collision and fell straight onto her backside.

But why did that voice sound a little familiar?

"Which institute are you from? Don't you watch where you're going? Apologize to me this instant." Murong Qingyi, with all the temper of a spoiled young lady, kicked Dongfang Minghui furiously.

Dongfang Minghui failed to dodge, and now her ankle hurt too. Still, she thought this arrogant, overbearing girl looked somewhat familiar. She stood and pondered for a long while.

"What are you staring at? Keep staring, and I'll whip you to death!" A long whip lashed toward her. If someone had not caught it in time, it would likely have struck Dongfang Minghui's face.

Oh, heavens. This scene looked awfully familiar.

An image suddenly flashed through Dongfang Minghui's mind. She likes using a whip just like the heroine and lashes people at the slightest provocation. Damn, isn't this the girl who challenged the heroine back then? Li Yunan even fought her over it. Why has she come to the Royal Academy too?

"And what are you, daring to grab my whip?" Murong Qingyi snapped at everyone she saw, completely unable to read the situation.

Dongfang Minghui turned to look at her savior. She was a fair, clean-featured young woman dressed in lightweight clothes, with an enormous, broad sword strapped to her back. Judging by the warrior emblem on her clothing, she was probably a senior disciple from the Warrior Hall, since the new students had not yet been issued uniforms.

"She was wrong to bump into you, but that doesn't mean you should whip her." Bai Rou had judged that the lash had a ninety percent chance of destroying Dongfang Minghui's delicate, doll-like face. She had never seen such a ruthless new student before, so she had meddled and caught the whip.

Dongfang Minghui immediately fawned, "I'm sorry. I didn't do it on purpose."

Apologize first. As for that lash she wanted to give me, I'll settle the score another day.

Murong Qingyi tugged for ages, only to find the other end of the whip motionless in Bai Rou's hand. She immediately realized she had encountered an expert. With Dongfang Minghui apologizing sincerely and the surrounding people pointing and whispering about her, she had no choice but to soften her attitude a little. Still stubborn, she said, "Let go."

Bai Rou released it so quickly that Murong Qingyi stumbled back several steps before she could react. She glared fiercely at Dongfang Minghui, then flicked her whip and left.

Dongfang Minghui rubbed her nose. Strange. With such a mild temperament, what exactly had I done to get on someone's bad side?

"Be more careful next time." Though Bai Rou's expression was icy, her tone was very gentle.

"I will." Seeing that she was about to leave, Dongfang Minghui immediately hurried in front of her. "Senior Sister, are you from the Warrior Hall? Would you mind telling me your name?"

"Bai Rou."

With that, she left.

Dongfang Minghui's mouth fell open so wide she could almost have stuffed an egg into it. Bai Rou, Bai Rou-so she was Bai Rou! She would join the heroine's team in the future, another formidable fighter.

Having encountered two harbingers of disaster in a single day, Dongfang Minghui felt it was all because she had not checked the almanac before going out. Had she known, she would have stayed safely in the White Angelica Garden today.

"I'm done for."

The collision and commotion had delayed her. By the time she arrived, only a scattering of people remained in the examination area. From their appearance, they were senior students from the Pharmacy Institute who had come to help supervise.

Dongfang Minghui emerged awkwardly from a corner, grabbed someone at random, and asked, "Senior Brother, may I ask whether the assessment here has ended?"

The senior student glanced at her and continued cleaning. "It ended nearly an hour ago. You're a medicine attendant from the Pharmacy Institute, aren't you? All the spirit medicines we borrowed from you today have already been returned."

Dongfang Minghui: "..."

Now she was truly done for. She had no idea what excuse to give when she returned.

Hesitating and dragging her feet, Dongfang Minghui racked her brains without finding a remotely reasonable excuse. After lingering outside the Pharmacy Institute for quite a while, she bravely charged inside with the resolve to seek life by plunging into death, shut her eyes, and hurried toward the White Angelica Garden.

"Oh, my dear little lady, where on earth did you go?" The sharp-eyed senior student in charge spotted her and immediately stepped forward to stop her.

"Actually, I got lost on the way back." The Royal Academy was enormous, and she had indeed asked many people for directions.

Dongfang Minghui lowered her head like someone caught doing wrong. Scold me, then.

"Good heavens, Senior Brother Situ has been waiting for you for over four hours. He's smashed several teacups. Be careful when you go see him."

"Huh?" Wasn't Apothecary Xu going to punish her?

Looking utterly bewildered, Dongfang Minghui was escorted before Situ Hao by the senior student in charge.

"Senior Brother, Qian Minghui is here."

As long as she did not have to face Apothecary Xu, Dongfang Minghui could breathe a sigh of relief. Seeing Situ Hao's gloomy expression, she could not resist a sarcastic remark. "What wind has blown Senior Brother Situ here?"

Situ Hao did not know whether to laugh or cry. "You little brat certainly know how to hold a grudge. You made me wait over four hours, and now you think you're in the right? If another apothecary discovered you were slacking off, you'd probably be punished."

Counting on him not daring to report her, Dongfang Minghui gave a smug little hum. "Fine. A magnanimous person won't hold a petty person's faults against them. Out with it-what do you want?"

Situ Hao sighed. "I thought about it all last night and decided you were right. If I hadn't failed to understand what Blue Star Dream needed, I wouldn't have caused so much suffering."

Dongfang Minghui blinked. The fact that he had come around in a single night showed that Situ Hao genuinely cared about Blue Star Dream.

"I went to Blue Star Dream's courtyard last night and said I would bring Blue Star Dream to you. There was so much happiness. I haven't felt that kind of joy in ages." Situ Hao was heartbroken. He was the owner, after all, yet he could not even compare to an outsider like Dongfang Minghui.

Any more talk would only bring tears.

"Can you guarantee Blue Star Dream will get better and better?" Situ Hao's question was actually quite unnecessary.

Dongfang Minghui could not help rolling her eyes. She had never met such a fussy man. "You've already come here. What's the point of asking again? Or did you actually come just to chat with me?"

Situ Hao spread his hands. "You should consider how I feel. As Blue Star Dream's owner, shouldn't I-"

"Don't worry, don't worry. Blue Star Dream is so well-behaved. I'll make sure everything gets better, and once Blue Star Dream has recovered, I'll send Blue Star Dream back to you."

Situ Hao tugged at his ear. Had he misheard? How could Blue Star Dream return on their own?

"You proposed the method. Tell me, with Blue Star Dream's true form being so enormous, how can we move it to the Pharmacy Institute?" Having made his decision, Situ Hao immediately began arranging what would come next for Blue Star Dream.

Dongfang Minghui had anticipated this from the beginning. The only thing she had misjudged was that Situ Hao would need only one night to think it through.

"First, Blue Star Dream is a Golden Thorn Tree, a fairly dangerous magical plant. You need the dean's permission first. If he allows you to transplant Blue Star Dream, step two is finding me a secluded, unoccupied courtyard about the same size as the one Blue Star Dream lives in at your place. I'll move in and live with Blue Star Dream. Understand?" Dongfang Minghui felt that having connections was wonderful. She could get a large courtyard all to herself with hardly any effort. Oh, yeah.

Situ Hao froze for a moment. "You still haven't told me how to transplant Blue Star Dream."

Dongfang Minghui looked at him, then looked at him again, and said with unfathomable profundity, "Finish those preliminary tasks, and I'll handle the rest."

Situ Hao gave her a suspicious look. "All right. I'll speak with the dean first."

Dongfang Minghui did not know what he and the dean discussed, but she waited two full days before Situ Hao finally appeared.

The senior student in charge was somewhat more deferential in Situ Hao's presence. He led the way, with her and Situ Hao following behind, until they reached a secluded little courtyard as far from the White Angelica Garden as possible. Weeds ran rampant inside; it seemed to have been abandoned for some time.

"Senior Brother, why don't I find Junior Sister a better courtyard? This one really is far from the White Angelica Garden. It's been abandoned for so many years, and no one has cleaned it in ages. Having Junior Sister live here alone wouldn't be very good, would it?" the senior student in charge urged.

Situ Hao frowned. He had probably never seen such a neglected courtyard before.

Dongfang Minghui, however, thought it was excellent. First, it was remote, so no one would disturb her. Second, it was far from the White Angelica Garden. With its countless spirit medicines and abundant spiritual energy, the White Angelica Garden would actually be harmful to Blue Star Dream.

"I think this is a great place. It just needs cleaning." Dongfang Minghui smiled until her eyes curved, secretly communicating with Little Lecher in her mind. "Little Lecher, did you feel that? What exactly is it?"

Little Lecher replied in a childish voice, "No idea. Let's wait until they leave, then investigate more thoroughly."

Situ Hao opened his mouth, intending to persuade her too, but abandoned the idea when he saw Dongfang Minghui's unwavering expression. "I'll have someone come help you clean it. Otherwise, it really isn't fit to live in."

The senior student in charge immediately stepped forward. "If you trust me, Senior Brother, I'll send someone to tidy Junior Sister's rooms."

Dongfang Minghui smiled. "Thank you, Senior Brother."

Situ Hao glanced at the senior student in charge, then said, "Now that we've chosen the place, tell me what to do next."

Dongfang Minghui blinked. "Take me to see Blue Star Dream."

Situ Hao questioned her the entire way, but she did not divulge a single detail. She only said she had a way to transplant Blue Star Dream easily, without making a great fuss.

Had Situ Hao known how she intended to transplant Blue Star Dream, he probably would have called her a fraud. What happened to not making a great fuss?

When Dongfang Minghui reached the entrance, she told him, "Don't let anyone come in and disturb us. If anything goes wrong with Blue Star Dream, I won't take responsibility."

Situ Hao had been planning to sneak onto the wall to watch, but her warning genuinely frightened him. He ordered everyone to guard the outside. No one was permitted to set even one foot inside. Yes, climbing the wall was forbidden too.

"Huihui, have you come to take me with you?" Blue Star Dream was delighted. Every thorny vine danced through the air, though none dared truly approach her.

Dongfang Minghui nodded. "Yes. We'll do as we agreed. Transforming into human form may hurt a little, but you must endure it. You have to hold on."

"It's all right. I'm not afraid of pain."

Despite those words, Dongfang Minghui still felt a little worried, because her little companion would also be involved.

"Little Lecher."

A plump little toddler appeared in the courtyard, a tiny vine sprouting from the top of the child's head. It swayed from side to side with the breeze, quite rhythmically.

"Lecher." Thanks to Dongfang Minghui's introduction, Blue Star Dream also knew Little Lecher's name.

Little Lecher shot Blue Star Dream a sideways glare. "Come on. Gather all the spiritual energy in your body into your tree core. Imagine yourself in human form, then slowly send it into your limbs, little by little."

Blue Star Dream was an obedient darling. Every thorny branch began to dance, and Dongfang Minghui could clearly feel that the place where she stood had become the center of the gathering spiritual energy.

Occasionally, the spiritual energy from Blue Star Dream's body strayed into hers, rushing straight into her extraordinary meridians. Within moments, the foreign spiritual energy had swollen her meridians almost to bursting.

Blue Star Dream was very gifted, understanding Little Lecher's instructions after hearing them only once. When all that spiritual energy gathered in the tree core, it felt as though the entire body had broken apart. The pain brought an urge to cry.

But remembering the earlier promise, Blue Star Dream clenched teeth tightly and made no sound.

Outside, Dongfang Minghui had to withstand the enormous quantities of spiritual power pouring into her while watching the towering tree break apart section by section. Blue sap spilled across the ground, some even landing on her face. It was warm and contained immense spiritual power, frightening her so badly that she nearly suffered cultivation deviation.

"Endure it," Little Lecher reminded them. Those words were not only for Blue Star Dream, but also for Dongfang Minghui.

They were both in agony. As Dongfang Minghui suppressed the spiritual energy to her limit, she felt her bottleneck begin to stir again. Just as she thought she could bear no more, the other seven gray meridians in her body were all forced open in rapid succession. Even more spiritual power came sweeping wildly toward her.

Spiritual power raged, and an unusual phenomenon descended from the heavens. The sky, which had still been fairly bright, suddenly filled with dark clouds, flashing lightning, and rolling thunder.

The three at the center of the spiritual power vortex completely failed to notice the phenomenon. Even if they had noticed, they would probably have been powerless to stop it.

Guarding outside, Situ Hao stared at the sky in astonishment. A powerful vortex had formed overhead, seemingly brewing something.

"An unusual heavenly phenomenon only occurs when a spiritual treasure emerges. Hurry and find out where it is." After giving the order, he continued guarding outside the courtyard, pacing back and forth.

The great tree in the courtyard crashed to the ground. Most of its thorny branches fell, breaking into several pieces upon impact. Blue liquid splashed everywhere, leaving a shocking scene of devastation.

A flash of heavenly light appeared within the vortex overhead. A lightning bolt as thick as five people's thighs was about to descend.

"Hold on." With no time to explain anything, Little Lecher poured every bit of spiritual power into Blue Star Dream, lending a helping hand.

"Ooh, it hurts." Blue Star Dream had never experienced pain like this, as though every root were snapping and every inch being pulverized. Then the broken branches regrew, only to break again. After several repetitions, it was truly a fate worse than death.

The lightning had descended only halfway when it suddenly, bizarrely vanished.

The sky cleared again, blue and cloud-dappled, as though none of those strange phenomena had ever existed.

The spiritual power vortex in the courtyard also vanished without a trace. When Dongfang Minghui opened her eyes, the ground was a complete mess, and Little Lecher had disappeared as well.

"Huihui." A little boy of five or six gently touched her stray hair and gave her a sunny smile. His azure eyes were like a beautiful ocean, pure and clear.

Dongfang Minghui was astonished. "Blue Star Dream?"

"Huihui, why have I become a little strange?" He looked at his short little arms and legs, sounding rather sad.

Dongfang Minghui did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Blue Star Dream, you've transformed into human form now. Look, you're just like me." She reached out and gently pinched his little cheek.

Blue Star Dream did the same to her, then burst into giggles.

"Enough, you two idiots. Hurry and take him back to the Royal Academy. I only lent him my spiritual energy temporarily. It won't sustain him for long." Within her soul sea, Little Lecher extended a little vine and brandished it at her.

Dongfang Minghui immediately came to her senses. "Blue Star Dream, I'm afraid you'll have to stay in my space for a little while."

Blue Star Dream stepped forward to hug her, then entered the ring.

"How did it go?" Situ Hao was still quite nervous. The sudden phenomenon in the sky had frightened him badly; he had even thought Blue Star Dream and the others had caused it.

Dongfang Minghui nodded. "Come back to the Royal Academy with me."

"What about Blue Star Dream? Aren't we bringing Blue Star Dream along?" Situ Hao peered into the courtyard and froze at the sight of broken branches littering the ground. He picked up one of Blue Star Dream's snapped branches, his eyes instantly reddening with fury, and roared at Dongfang Minghui, "What happened here?"

"Calm down, calm down. I've already taken Blue Star Dream with me. These are just leftover roots. Don't worry. I'll give you a lively, bouncing Blue Star Dream in a moment."

Only after Dongfang Minghui repeatedly reassured him did Situ Hao believe Blue Star Dream was still well. Even so, he remained anxious the entire way, asking one question after another without stopping.

Dongfang Minghui grew thoroughly annoyed by his questions. For the first time, she felt the road to the Royal Academy was far too long.

Upon reaching the courtyard, Dongfang Minghui stopped Situ Hao outside. "Guard the entrance for me. I must not be disturbed by anyone during this."

Seeing her resolute gaze, Situ Hao was successfully intimidated once again. Since this concerned Blue Star Dream, he did not want even the slightest mistake.

Dongfang Minghui released Blue Star Dream from the spatial ring and led him around the courtyard. "Blue Star Dream, we'll be living together for a while. Now, choose a spot you like."

Hearing that he would be living with her, Blue Star Dream was especially happy. He lifted his smiling face and pointed to a spot near a corner of the courtyard wall.

"Why choose that spot?" Dongfang Minghui did not quite understand. Didn't plants like open spaces? That cramped corner probably would not even have enough room for him to grow.

"I don't know. I just feel comfortable in that corner."

"Stop dawdling," Little Lecher reminded her in her soul sea.

"Don't be afraid. Huihui is here with you." Dongfang Minghui hugged it, then stepped back a little.

She saw two vines plunge straight into Blue Star Dream's arms. Blue spiritual energy seeped out bit by bit, all of it absorbed by Little Lecher.

Soon, the vines became solid, while Blue Star Dream seemed to grow weaker and weaker. Its form began to change, and slowly, a tiny baby appeared on the ground.

Dongfang Minghui dared not disturb them. In fact, when Little Lecher had first proposed this idea, she had rejected it. Exchanging spiritual power and physical forms would be agonizing for both companions. One careless mistake, and both would be injured.

But considering their long-term survival, she had ultimately agreed. Now it seemed the danger Little Lecher had described back then was not even a hundredth of what she was seeing.

Hmph. She knew her little companion had duped her.

Blue Star Dream soon turned into a small sapling, resting quietly in that corner.

Little Lecher quickly returned to her soul sea as well. "I'm going into seclusion for a while. Try not to stir up trouble while I'm gone."

Dongfang Minghui: "..." Her little companion was getting more and more old-fashioned. What was she supposed to do?

After that, Little Lecher fell silent.

"Blue Star Dream, are you all right?" Dongfang Minghui went over to the sapling and stroked its newly sprouted buds. Seeing its fresh green branches, she thought this was what natural growth should look like.

Blue Star Dream swayed its branches and gently curled one around her wrist to show that it was fine. With most of its spiritual energy drawn away, it actually felt much lighter, as though the shackles binding it had suddenly been unlocked.

When Dongfang Minghui called Situ Hao inside, she pointed at the little sapling in the corner. "Blue Star Dream is over there. Go take a look."

The contrast between a towering tree and a tiny sapling made Situ Hao's eyes widen. He pointed at Blue Star Dream for a long moment. "You're pulling my leg, aren't you?"

"If there's anything in your heart, hurry up and tell it." Dongfang Minghui yawned. After such an exhausting day, she felt sore all over.

Little Lecher had absorbed Blue Star Dream's excess spiritual power, saving Blue Star Dream while also benefiting itself.

Dongfang Minghui thought her little companion was a little rascal. She had wondered why Little Lecher would willingly offer to help Blue Star Dream. So it had had an ulterior motive all along.

"Ah, I'll find ways to make it up to Blue Star Dream later." She would consider it payment for the spiritual energy taken from it.

Dongfang Minghui and Blue Star Dream got along wonderfully. In the mornings, Blue Star Dream tried to wake her by whipping its branches, though it succeeded only once in ten attempts. Once she woke, she watered Blue Star Dream and loosened its soil, then went to White Angelica Garden to assemble and begin the day's work.

Without her knowing, a large number of new herbal apprentices had suddenly appeared in White Angelica Garden.

When she arrived, she saw a dozen or so people gathered together, chattering about something. Their presence made White Angelica Garden much livelier than usual.

She immediately approached the senior brother in charge and pointed curiously at the group. "Senior Brother, are they here to be herbal apprentices too? Do we still need to collect morning dew today?"

"Of course. Morning dew is indispensable for preparing potions."

Dongfang Minghui pointed at the women. "They have to as well?"

The senior brother in charge pulled her aside. "The Pharmacy Institute has finished its admissions this time. These are all people eliminated in the final, third round of testing. They refused to leave, so they were assigned here."

Dongfang Minghui nodded in understanding. The Pharmacy Institute held considerable weight within the Royal Academy, yet apothecaries were still relatively scarce across the Seven-Colored Continent. The applicants probably thought that as long as they stayed at the academy, they would eventually have a chance to rise above the crowd, so they had all become herbal apprentices.

Soon, Apothecary Xu arrived. At the sight of her, everyone lined up swiftly like mice spotting a cat. Dongfang Minghui stood obediently to one side. An inadvertent glance made her pause. Wasn't that the dying beauty bamboo Apothecary Xu had brought yesterday?

"There are three things I need to explain today. First, White Angelica Garden has gained twelve new herbal apprentices. Steward, explain all the garden's rules to them later, and arrange suitable accommodations for them. Second, regarding this beauty bamboo, whoever carried it to the examination area yesterday, step forward."

Dongfang Minghui pointed at herself and took a step forward, utterly bewildered.

Apothecary Xu declared openly before everyone, "Yesterday, I saw it blooming beautifully, so I brought it from the mountain behind us. Yet in just one day, it began to wither. You should all know that anyone who deliberately damages a spirit medicine plant in White Angelica Garden will be expelled from the Pharmacy Institute, and may even be expelled from the Royal Academy outright."

"Apothecary Xu, are you saying I deliberately damaged the beauty bamboo?" Dongfang Minghui asked with a smile.

"Yesterday, only you and I touched this pot of beauty bamboo. Unless someone else touched it?" Apothecary Xu's narrow eyes swept lightly over the other nine people present.

Dongfang Minghui glanced at them too. The other nine who had gone to the examination area yesterday all lowered their heads and stared at their toes, treating the matter as none of their concern and hanging it high out of reach.

Apothecary Xu's implication was that she had already decided Dongfang Minghui was responsible, and was eager to convict her.

Just then, the senior brother in charge stepped out from the side and addressed her. "Apothecary Xu, could there be some misunderstanding here? I happened to see Qian Minghui when she returned yesterday. She came back empty-handed. I didn't see her bring the beauty bamboo back."

The senior brother in charge was quite loyal, willing to stand up for her at a time like this. Still, she did not celebrate too soon.

Following his lead, Dongfang Minghui offered an explanation. "Yesterday, after taking this pot of beauty bamboo to the examination area, I went to run an errand for Senior Brother Situ. When I returned to collect it, the senior brothers in the examination area told me someone had brought it back for me."

So Dongfang Minghui spread her hands and said, "Apothecary Xu, I think our most pressing task is to find whoever brought the beauty bamboo back for me yesterday."

Apothecary Xu's lovely eyes shifted, lingering on her and the senior brother in charge for quite a while before she smiled. "Hearing your explanation, it does seem there may have been a misunderstanding. But we can't uncover the truth immediately, and everyone is waiting here. Why don't we set this matter aside for now? What do you think?"

This sort of person was clearly stirring up trouble on purpose, trying to humiliate her in front of everyone. If the senior brother in charge had not spoken a fair word on her behalf, today's matter certainly would not have ended so easily.

When Dongfang Minghui did not respond, the senior brother in charge tugged at her sleeve.

"We'll follow your arrangements, Apothecary Xu." Dongfang Minghui forced a thoroughly insincere smile.

Afterward, the senior brother in charge pulled Dongfang Minghui aside. "Did you offend Apothecary Xu somehow?"

Dongfang Minghui looked baffled. She had been working here for less than a week. When would she have had time to offend anyone? Besides, with such a mild temperament, how could she offend people so easily?

"Senior Brother, think about it. What would I gain from offending an apothecary?" And a junior apothecary at that. If she was going to offend someone, she would at least pick someone important.

The senior brother in charge said quietly, "Why don't you ask Senior Brother Situ for help and see if you can let this matter blow over? After all, Apothecary Xu has someone backing her."

Dongfang Minghui was not happy about that. Someone was already trampling all over her. Why should she swallow it, and even trouble Situ Hao over it?

Never mind having someone backing her-even if she had the Heavenly Emperor himself, surely she still had to listen to reason?

"Senior Brother, let's not panic. Let's first see exactly what she wants."

When Dongfang Minghui returned to the courtyard, she was in a terrible mood, and even Blue Star Dream sensed it. It swished its tender branches, wanting to hook one around her, only to discover that its branches had shortened along with its body. Out of nowhere, it suffered ten thousand points of damage.

"Blue Star Dream, I'm back."

As soon as she returned, she checked Blue Star Dream's soil and moisture, then inspected it for any foolish insects that had dared crawl onto it.

"Is Huihui unhappy?"

"Yes. Someone deliberately accused me falsely today. She wants to drive me out of here." Hmph. She even wanted to drive her out of the Royal Academy.

She carefully thought over everything she had done from her first day through today. Soon, she guessed that the trouble had probably started on the day she identified the intermediate- and advanced-grade spirit medicine plants.

She had always been close to plants, so naturally, she could tell the strength of a spirit medicine plant's spiritual energy at a glance and distinguish its grade.

"That's probably why she wants to get rid of me." Dongfang Minghui thought she had been far too careless. Even though she had deliberately misidentified one plant that day, it had not stopped others from growing suspicious.

Situ Hao had once said that, aside from exceptionally gifted apothecaries, many worked their way up step by step from herbal apprentices. Could she be worried that I'll climb over her head someday?

"Huihui."

Blue Star Dream's tender little branch tickled her palm again and again before finally drawing her attention back to it. "Let's go beat her up."

"Hey, that's the spirit! But Blue Star Dream, with that little body of yours, can you beat her?" Dongfang Minghui found it truly heartwarming. When she was upset, there was someone-no, a tree-to comfort her.

Blue Star Dream extended a tender branch and lashed the ground fiercely. A continuous pattering rang out, though the sound was exceedingly faint.

Dongfang Minghui could not bear to discourage it, so she stroked it. "Blue Star Dream knows how to cherish Huihui now too. Oh, I'm so happy."

Blue Star Dream shyly curled its tender branch around her finger and rubbed against it affectionately.

Just as she had expected, the matter was not over.

"Qian Minghui, Apothecary Xu wants you to come over. They found the person who brought the beauty bamboo back for you that day," said another herbal apprentice who came to find her in the courtyard.

The herbal apprentice looked around for a while, then said enviously, "You have this whole courtyard to yourself?"

Dongfang Minghui nodded. "Let's go. I'll go take a look right now."

The two walked one behind the other.

Pretending to make idle conversation, Dongfang Minghui asked, "How strange. I don't think I've seen the senior brother in charge today. He normally wouldn't leave White Angelica Garden. Have you seen him?"

"No. Early this morning, he said he had something to do and went out. I don't know what he went to do, but he still hasn't come back," the herbal apprentice said candidly. "Apothecary Xu happened to see that I was free, so she sent me to fetch you."

Well, well. Nicely done.

Apothecary Xu had deliberately sent the senior brother in charge away, leaving her isolated and without support.

"Hey, Qian Minghui, why did you move into that secluded little courtyard? I heard someone died there once, and it was often haunted. Over time, it fell into disuse."