Gifts (1)

Dongfang Minghui was surrounded by onlookers like a monkey on display, yet her face remained calm.

In truth, she was frantic inside. Good grief, she had only ever crushed herbs into medicinal liquid to treat the heroine's wounds in the Purple Demon Mountains. She had not touched anything like medicinal herbs since, much less learned how potionists prepared their medicines.

Apparently, potionists secluded themselves somewhere when preparing medicine, and each had a unique method, so she could not even steal a lesson by watching.

She knew she had four hours. Although she did not know how to prepare medicine, she understood the principle of balancing things against one another. She arranged the herbs one by one according to the strength of their spiritual energy.

Though she had done it without thinking, the dean caught the whole thing.

"Her medicine-making technique is rather bizarre, but this little girl has a very keen spiritual sense."

This so-called spiritual sense was the ability to perceive the strength of spiritual energy.

Dongfang Minghui feared that one careless mistake would use up all six spiritual herbs. If she failed the medicine-making test in the end, this crowd would laugh their teeth out.

So she held something in reserve. She found the part with the weakest spiritual energy on each herb, separated those pieces one by one, and began experimenting as though no one else were there.

"Look, what is she doing?"

"What use could that one leaf possibly have?"

"Hey, hey, she even tasted it! Isn't she afraid of being poisoned?"

Unable to understand Dongfang Minghui's actions, everyone began discussing them.

Dongfang Wanyu did not understand either, but she could roughly guess what the other girl was doing. Was she experimenting? They said a woman was most beautiful when she was focused. Now she found that her own Little Nine seemed to be growing more and more dazzling.

"Wanyu, have you thought about how you're going to refine your Divine Soul Pill?" Qing Mo had talked himself dry, but she paid him no mind. "You're wasting four hours of cultivation time here. What's gotten into you lately?"

When Dongfang Wanyu learned that the other girl was taking the Junior Potionist assessment, she had hesitated, but ultimately came anyway. She was glad she had made the trip. Otherwise, just imagining Ninth Sister's helpless expression earlier made her feel a little-sad.

"I'll have someone find another herb. If that really doesn't work, I'll substitute another pill for the Divine Soul Pill." Dongfang Wanyu spoke with utter ease.

Qing Mo no longer knew what to say. They had spent nearly half a year gathering all those herbs, only to favor someone else in the end. Dongfang Minghui was surely Wanyu's nemesis.

Dongfang Minghui's first experiment failed. She crushed all the spiritual herbs into liquid and tried to refine it with spiritual energy. Perhaps her control was faulty, because she ended up evaporating the medicinal liquid dry, leaving a small pile of powder.

"Well, powder should work too." She tried a tiny pinch. It tasted quite bitter and held only a trace of spiritual energy.

Seeing her taste the medicine, the dean very much wanted to know what remarkable effects her first medicinal powder possessed. But mindful of his position, he could only remain seated and continue waiting.

For her second attempt, she took another small piece from each herb, crushed them repeatedly, and poured them into six separate porcelain bowls. The first time, she had paired the herb with the strongest spiritual aura with the weakest, and so on. This time, however, she broke that pattern and blended the two strongest medicinal liquids together. Who knew that when the two powerful forces collided, their spiritual aura would burst forth and completely overwhelm the mixture of the two weakest liquids? Without even continuing, she knew her second attempt had failed too.

She poured all the medicinal liquids together and arrived at a principle: strong and weak spiritual energies had to blend harmoniously before she could continue the preparation.

For her third attempt, she took a little more of each herb and crushed them into liquid, but reversed the sequence of her first attempt. Then she applied a little control with her spiritual energy. As she watched the liquid slowly thicken, she seized the opportunity to compress it, pressing hard until she finally kneaded it into a small round ball.

"Hehe, a medicinal pill." One of her greatest wishes since coming to the Seven-Colored Continent had been to turn medicinal liquids into pills. They were so convenient to carry.

Dongfang Minghui opened her mouth, intending to lick it, but the Junior Potionist beside her stopped her.

"You have one hour left."

She immediately stored the pill in a porcelain bottle, cut off all the parts of the spiritual herbs with the richest energy, and crushed them. That took just under an hour. What remained was controlling her spiritual energy, which had always been a weakness of hers.

If Little Lecher were there, perhaps her chances of success would be a little higher.

She controlled her spiritual energy with the utmost care, using it to blend the medicinal liquids in the small porcelain bowls. Slowly, she poured in the liquids from the remaining four spiritual herbs and kneaded them together, portion by portion. She was extraordinarily patient, her eyes fixed on that small mass.

Success or failure hinged on this one attempt.

Dongfang Minghui enveloped the medicinal liquid even more carefully. Watching it thicken, she proceeded through the final step more slowly and meticulously than ever.

The crowd, which had been buzzing with discussion, watched as sweat covered her forehead, yet she continued pouring spiritual energy into the medicinal liquid. Soon, a pill began to take shape.

Until the Junior Potionist called time, she kept wrapping the pill in spiritual energy and compressing it hard, just as she had once compressed the unruly spiritual energy that darted everywhere in her soul sea.

At that moment, enlightenment struck her.

The spiritual energy she had been fiercely suppressing suddenly erupted, and a rich spiritual aura radiated from her body.

Dongfang Wanyu and the dean rose almost simultaneously. The dean called out, "All potionists, heed my command! Everyone retreat three hundred meters. Without my express permission, no one is to approach!"

Dongfang Wanyu instead stepped forward, snatched the pill as quickly as she could, and placed it in a porcelain bottle. Then she whispered into Minghui's ear, "Ninth Sister, focus your mind and sit cross-legged. Seventh Sister is here to guard you. Advance without worry."

The dean had intended to send her away, but he saw Dongfang Wanyu find a spot some distance from Dongfang Minghui and sit cross-legged. She drew a sword from her storage space and planted it in the crowd's path. Her action clearly told everyone that if they dared take one step forward, blood would splash three feet.

Dongfang Minghui could no longer sense even the slightest stir in the outside world. She found herself on a vast, emerald-green grassland, with fresh air, blue skies, white clouds, and a herd of adorable alpacas in the distance.

"Idiot, steady your mind. Stop thinking about nonsense." Little Lecher suddenly spoke up in warning. Clearly, the fluctuations of spiritual energy in her soul sea had forced Little Lecher awake.

Dongfang Minghui immediately began dealing with the vortex of spiritual energy in her dantian.

"Remember, from now on, you must advance one level at a time until you find a skill suited to you," Little Lecher warned within her soul sea.

The barrier between a Level One Spirit Master and a Level Two Spirit Master was very thin. She released a little spiritual energy and broke through it with ease.

In less than four hours, she suppressed all her remaining spiritual energy within her dantian.

When Dongfang Minghui opened her eyes, she found the heroine sitting opposite her, cultivating too. But the instant she moved, Dongfang Wanyu opened her eyes as well.

"Congratulations, Ninth Sister."

Although Dongfang Wanyu wondered why the other girl had advanced only one small level, she was still happy for her. She pulled up her sword effortlessly and tossed it straight into her storage space.

"Is this the elixir pill you just refined?" Dongfang Wanyu handed her the porcelain bottle.

Dongfang Minghui corrected her with amusement. "I call it a medicinal pill."

Well, this was Dongfang Wanyu's first time seeing anything resembling an elixir pill. "How is this different from an elixir pill?"

That question truly stumped her. Their common point was that they looked basically identical. The difference was probably that alchemists refined elixir pills in furnaces, whereas she condensed medicinal pills using spiritual energy.

"You've certainly opened our eyes. You actually gained enlightenment and advanced while preparing medicine." It had been a long time since the dean had seen such a gifted young person. Smiling, he held out his hand. "Let me see the medicinal pill you condensed."

Dongfang Minghui handed it over, feeling a little apprehensive. She had successfully made the pill but had not yet had time to taste it.

She had not even checked its effects before turning it in.

The dean tipped it out of the porcelain bottle. Faint green patterns ran through the pill, making it look exactly like something produced in an alchemy chamber. Had he not personally watched Minghui condense it, he probably would not have believed it.

Its appearance was decent, though it still had one small flaw: a tiny corner was missing.

The dean held it beneath his nose and sniffed. It smelled fresh and fragrant, and rich spiritual energy wafted toward him. Even for no other reason, the fact that this pill could preserve its spiritual energy without letting it dissipate was enough for him to pass Qian Minghui.

"Not bad."

To receive even a "not bad" from the dean of the Pharmacy Institute made Dongfang Wanyu genuinely happy for Dongfang Minghui.

Dongfang Minghui could hardly believe it either. The very first medicinal pill she had condensed had actually earned praise.

"But, little girl, I saw today that your technique was unpracticed. You're a complete novice. Though there was order amid the confusion when you prepared your pill, it remains a weakness of yours. Come study with me another day and broaden your knowledge." The dean promptly pointed out her shortcomings. She should not think his old eyes were dim. He had seen clearly that her hands were trembling as she worked; plainly, she was not nearly as calm inside as she appeared.

Nevertheless, she had produced a new kind of medicinal pill, which greatly surprised him. More surprising still was her excellent aptitude for comprehension.

This only strengthened the decision the dean had made deep in his heart.

The plump old man's words left Dongfang Minghui rather embarrassed. She was entirely a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse-just lucky. Had she not performed several experiments, she reckoned this round would have gone up in smoke.

Then she would have slapped herself in the face, smack after smack, and that woman Xu Lian would probably have laughed herself to death.

Seeing something resembling an elixir pill in the dean's hand, everyone drew closer in curiosity and began discussing it all at once. Some even wanted to snatch it from his hand for a look.

"Upon inspection, I have determined that this medicinal pill's spiritual energy is perfectly preserved and exceptionally abundant. Therefore, Qian Minghui passes the second round of the Junior Potionist assessment."

"Congratulations."

"Congratulations, congratulations."

Many had witnessed her failures firsthand. She had used three attempts alone, so success had not come easily. Having seen her talent as well, many readily accepted it. At the very least, she had shown them that anyone could make mistakes in a task. So long as they did not give up, success might await in the very next moment.

"Isn't there still a third round?" Seeing everyone gathered around Dongfang Minghui, Xu Lian felt as though the other girl enjoyed the honor of a moon surrounded by adoring stars. Unable to swallow the imbalance in her heart, she impulsively threw a bucket of cold water over everyone's enthusiasm.

The dean glanced at her and said with a smile, "Potionist Xu is right to remind us. The third round will begin in half an incense stick's time."

Dongfang Minghui likewise smiled and stuck her little tongue out at Xu Lian. Her provocative expression nearly made Xu Lian abandon all decorum, rush forward, and slap her twice.

In the third round of the Junior Potionist assessment, a qualified potionist naturally had to be able to save people with medicine. The theme was treating patients. Saving a life was like fighting a fire, so candidates had to prepare medicine as quickly as possible and then administer it to the patient.

This round tested rapid diagnosis and the ability to find the right remedy.

An entire table of bottles and jars stood before Dongfang Minghui. Every porcelain bottle was the same height and bore no label, undoubtedly increasing the difficulty of the assessment.

A Junior Potionist would be assigned specifically to time her.

Dongfang Minghui looked at Xu Lian, who was glaring furiously at her from the crowd. Her mind took a slight turn, and she said, "Dean, to demonstrate the fairness and impartiality of the assessment, I have a better proposal. I wonder whether I should speak."

The dean smiled. "Please do."

"Timing me alone won't convince everyone. I believe the third round should involve selecting an outstanding Junior Potionist, someone excellent in both ability and talent, to compete against me. We'll diagnose simultaneously, and whoever selects the right medicine and cures the patient fastest will naturally be the winner. I'm sure no one will have any objections then."

She phrased it beautifully, as though her sole aim were to prevent later disputes.

Everyone thought it over and found it reasonable, so they nodded in agreement.

The dean smiled too. Three months ago, the Junior Potionist assessment's three rounds had not been designed for a single candidate either. Thus, Dongfang Minghui's casually proposed plan happened to coincide with the regular rules. One winner would be chosen from two competitors.

Dongfang Wanyu smiled with her lips pressed together. Ninth Sister was far too mischievous, always finding ways to make trouble.

"Your Ninth Sister's move is truly underhanded. It looks like she's demonstrating fairness and impartiality, but she actually wants to step on someone else to climb higher," Qing Mo commented without mercy.

"Ninth Sister isn't that sort of person," Dongfang Wanyu said with a smile.

"In that case, which exceptionally capable and talented potionist would you like to choose?" the dean asked good-naturedly. He was almost certain this little girl had begun digging another pit.

Dongfang Minghui's eyes shifted, sweeping over her senior brothers and sisters one by one before finally settling on Xu Lian. "Dean, I think Potionist Xu is outstanding in both ability and talent. Moreover, she looked after me a great deal at the White Angelica Garden. I believe there could be no better choice than her to compete against me. What do you think?"

The dean was naturally delighted to watch a good show. He said, "Does Potionist Xu have any objections?"

At this, Xu Lian stepped forward. "I would be more than happy to."

She had waited a long time for this moment. As soon as Dongfang Minghui provoked her, she charged forward without a second thought.

"Apothecary Xu, please look after me." She even gave Xu Lian her brightest smile.

To Xu Lian now, every friendly gesture the other girl made was another provocation.

The dean said with a smile, "The third round is about to begin. To demonstrate the fairness and impartiality of this contest, I will personally determine the patients' ailments. What happens next will depend on you two."

With the dean personally selecting the ailments, there were bound to be hidden traps. Yet that actually reassured her; she would not have to worry about anyone cheating.

The patients were soon brought in. Both had identical symptoms and were rolling on the ground.

Dongfang Minghui approached and held her patient still. "Where does it hurt? Is it your stomach?"

The patient's face was white with pain, and they could not even speak clearly. Without the slightest disgust, Dongfang Minghui gently pressed different places on the patient's abdomen, asking each time, "Is it here?"

She repeated this until she pressed a spot on the abdomen that drew a groan from the patient.

"Is it here?"

She pressed once more to confirm.

The patient nodded with difficulty. "Yes."

For that moment, she felt as though she had returned to her previous life and was treating a patient in a hospital. Her movements were practiced. She was about to take out her stethoscope, but only when she reached out did she realize she was still in the contest venue, not a hospital. She rubbed between her brows, feeling muddled.

To prevent the two competitors from interfering with one another, a blue cloth had been hung across the middle of their areas, separating them.

While Dongfang Minghui was still examining her patient, Xu Lian had already finished her diagnosis and begun selecting the spiritual medicine her patient needed.

"Did you eat anything you shouldn't have today?" Dongfang Minghui continued asking, unhurried.

The patient shook their head, then remembered something and nodded.

She saw that the patient's lips were purple, bean-sized beads of sweat were falling, their face was pale with pain, and their limbs were weak. The pain was worst in the abdomen, so severe that they wished they could roll around on the ground.

Having reached a preliminary judgment, she walked to the table, opened each porcelain bottle, sniffed it, and set it down. She moved very quickly, taking about one incense stick's time to divide the spiritual medicines into two groups.

Afterward, she opened the bottles again, but this time spent longer sniffing each one. With every sniff, she eliminated another bottle.

Finally, only one bottle remained.

She smelled it twice more and even tasted a mouthful herself. Feeling warmth spread through her abdomen, she poured the medicine into the patient's mouth.

Soon, the patient's pain gradually eased, the purple color of their lips began fading, and their face was no longer as pale as before.

On the other side, Xu Lian made a swift diagnosis. Initially, she thought it was mild poisoning, but then decided that a problem set by the dean should not be so simple and performed another examination.

Like Dongfang Minghui, she also spent considerable effort identifying the spiritual medicines.

Once she selected a medicine, she poured it straight into the patient's mouth, confident of victory. The patient's pain faded little by little, and color returned to their face.

"You're cured," Xu Lian declared.

Yet just as the patient tried to get up, unbearable cramps seized their abdomen, the pain even worse than before.

On Dongfang Minghui's side, she helped her patient slowly stand and said with great patience, "Actually, you don't have any serious illness. You accidentally ate something that caused mild poisoning. I've already given you the antidote. Rest in bed for three days, and don't eat things carelessly again."

Everyone had watched how the two treated their patients. They all knew perfectly well who had won and who had lost.

The dean had the curtain removed. Xu Lian was still trying to determine why her patient's condition had worsened after taking the spiritual medicine.

"As everyone can see, the result is unmistakable. Now, as dean, I personally announce that Qian Minghui has successfully completed the challenge and become a Junior Potionist."

Xu Lian seemingly could not believe she had lost just like that.

Everyone stepped forward to congratulate Minghui. The Pharmacy Institute gaining another Junior Potionist seemed to be a major event worth celebrating.

Dongfang Minghui did not even have time to tread a few more times on the distraught Potionist Xu Lian and throw a few stones down the well. Her enthusiastic senior brothers and sisters crowded around and swept her aside.

"Congratulations, little junior sister."

"We look forward to learning from you."

Dongfang Wanyu could not help laughing at how flustered Minghui became amid the crowd. After watching for a while, she slipped away silently, just as her arrival had disturbed no one.

Xu Lian still could not believe she had lost. Only belatedly did she realize she had fallen into Dongfang Minghui's trap. The other girl had proposed the contest not merely to challenge her, but more importantly to use her as a stepping stone and trample her mercilessly, just as Xu Lian had done to her own master years ago.

"Impossible!" Xu Lian cried.

Her shout did not disturb the others, but the dean heard it.

"Do you still not understand where you went wrong?" Without his smile, there was a sharpness to the dean's narrowed eyes.

Xu Lian shook her head and murmured, "This shouldn't have happened. I clearly diagnosed Duoloman poisoning. How could it turn out like this?"

Duoloman poisoning?

The dean tugged at his white eyebrows. "Duoloman poison does indeed invade the internal organs, and its early stage does indeed cause abdominal pain. The symptoms are similar, but did you ask the patient how they felt?"

This problem had been prepared specifically for those who were self-righteous and conceited. He had known quite well who would fall for it. But someone who failed to act cautiously when treating patients could not be considered a competent healer.

Having heard this much, if Xu Lian still did not know where she had gone wrong, all her years as a potionist would have been for nothing.

"Go back and reflect carefully on exactly where you went wrong."

"Yes, Dean."

Xu Lian rose despondently and walked away step by step in the opposite direction from the others. Her expression was cold and dark, her fists clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh without her noticing. The laughter behind her was like a sharp blade plunging deep into her chest. From this day onward, the good reputation she had once enjoyed would cease to exist.

It was all Qian Minghui's fault. She longed to tear out the girl's tendons, strip her bones, grind them to dust, and scatter the ashes.

Watching her retreating figure, the dean kept shaking his head and sighing. He hoped reflection would help her realize exactly what she needed to correct. Otherwise, her career as a potionist would advance no further.

"All right, everyone, disperse. Go back and prepare properly for the advancement assessment in three months." Once the dean spoke, everyone could only leave.

Dongfang Minghui could not help sighing with relief. "Dean, thank goodness you helped me. Otherwise-huh, where did my Seventh Sister go?"

She had wanted to celebrate with her.

Seeing her little face fall, the dean said, "Your Seventh Sister must have had something to attend to and left early."

That was true. She comforted herself with the thought that the heroine was a cultivation fanatic to begin with. Making eight to ten hours for her had already been no easy feat.

"Starting tomorrow, move directly to the rear mountain. A potionist happened to leave recently, and his courtyard is currently vacant. This is the first benefit the Pharmacy Institute provides its potionists." The dean stroked his beard, feeling that giving her an intermediate potionist's courtyard counted as compensation for what had happened earlier. Of course, he also intended to give her a little advancement.

Once he returned, he would carefully study the medicinal pill's effects.

Dongfang Minghui glanced at him. "Dean, you know I already have a courtyard of my own. I don't want to move out just yet."

Transplanting even one Blue Star Dream was a tremendous hassle, never mind the beauty bamboo now in her courtyard, which she wasn't even sure would grow successfully.

For the sake of those adorable little plants, Dongfang Minghui could only give up the perks within easy reach. She couldn't help sighing. "But Dean, I'd like my seventh sister to move into my courtyard. Would that be possible?"

"Of course not." The dean glanced at her through narrowed eyes and watched her little face fall again, looking so disappointed that the sky might as well have been collapsing.

"However, since you haven't accepted the courtyard I arranged for you, I could grant you something you want instead." The dean's words were very tactful.

Fortunately, Dongfang Minghui caught his meaning. She asked quietly, "Could I ask to have my senior sister move into my courtyard?"

The dean gave a dry cough and clasped his hands behind his back. Pretending not to have heard, he announced loudly, "You have one day to rest. Report to my office tomorrow."

That counted as agreeing, right?

He agreed, he agreed, he agreed!

"Yes, Dean."

Once Dongfang Minghui returned, she immediately shared the good news with her two plant friends. Hearing that someone else would soon be moving in, Blue Star Dream immediately went wild with delight.

The little beauty bamboo branch had only been buried in the soil for a few days. She stared and stared at the small patch she had marked off, but simply couldn't make anything out.

"Don't let all my efforts go to waste. Grow well, understand?"

News that she had become a potionist soon reached everyone in the Pharmacy Institute. When the senior brother in charge learned that she had passed the assessment, he specially brought her a set of clothes reserved for Junior Potionists.

The potion apprentices' uniforms had all been the same drab, ugly gray. She hadn't expected potionists to have uniforms too, but these were silvery white, with an emblem on the chest and sleeves. They looked much better than the apprentices' clothes.

"You don't know, do you? If you walk down the streets of the Golden Star Empire wearing this, plenty of people will show you respect. Look here, too. This is the Pharmacy Institute's emblem, and here's your name. If you ever run into trouble, anywhere on the Seven-Colored Continent with a branch of our Pharmacist Guild, you can go to them for help."

"Thank you, Senior Brother." She would certainly accept the clothes. If she ever fell on hard times, she could pawn them. They would probably fetch quite a bit.

Dongfang Minghui looked thoroughly disdainful. She felt indignant on behalf of her own face-it wasn't even worth as much as an outfit. Fucking hell.

"Little Junior Sister-ah, I'll have to change that now. From now on, I should call you Apothecary Qian," the senior brother in charge said with a smile.

"Senior Brother."

"Don't call me Senior Brother anymore. I'm only a steward at the White Angelica Garden. Just call me Yong Xing from now on." Yong Xing couldn't help mocking himself.

Dongfang Minghui pursed her lips. "Senior Brother, I'll get angry if you talk like that. Ever since I came to the White Angelica Garden, you've been helping me along. Does our friendship really need such distance? I'll keep calling you Senior Brother, and you can keep calling me Little Junior Sister."

Through her dealings with the medicinal plants in the White Angelica Garden, she had learned quite a few little secrets that others didn't know.

Yong Xing, for instance, had lived in the Royal Academy since birth. He was the child of two potion apprentices who had secretly had him together. Probably afraid of being punished, they had abandoned their newborn in the mountain behind the academy and left him to live or die on his own. The child had gone hungry for days and cried until he had no strength left. If the dean hadn't found him while searching for medicinal plants, he would probably have died.

At the time, the dean had found a patch of Yong Star Grass growing around him, so he had named him Yong Xing.

Yong Xing had no idea that the person before him knew his history, but her words made him feel he had been overly sensitive. Friendship truly shouldn't be shackled by such formalities.

Back then, he had still been young, but his long years there had easily earned him the steward's position. Among that batch of potion apprentices was a girl named Xu Lian. To deliberately curry favor with him, she had fussed over his well-being, gradually warming his heart, which had always lacked affection. But that concern had vanished once she became a Junior Potionist, followed by sneers, ridicule, and warnings.

Even now, remembering those things made Yong Xing feel as though a stone weighed on his heart, leaving him struggling to breathe.

"You're resting tomorrow. Is there anything you'd like to arrange?" Yong Xing had meant to suggest a celebration.

Dongfang Minghui wanted the heroine to move in, so she said, "I'd like to cook and treat you both to a meal."

Dongfang Wanyu was puzzled when she heard the knock. Opening the door, she looked surprised. "Ninth Sister, how did you find this place?"

Ever since becoming a Junior Potionist, Dongfang Minghui had found it suddenly much easier for a nobody like her to get around the Royal Academy. Especially when she wore her potionist's uniform, people looked at her wherever she went.

Dongfang Minghui pointed at the emblem on her clothes. "I asked, and they told me."

Dongfang Wanyu more or less understood from her smug tone. Still, seeing her look like a proud little kitten whose tail was about to stick straight up, she said, "All right, my potionist. To celebrate your promotion, your seventh sister has a gift for you too."

Her eyes immediately widened. Oh my goodness, did I hear that right? The heroine actually said she had a gift for me!

She blinked, blinked, and blinked again.

Seeing her dazed, silly expression, Dongfang Wanyu took the gift out of her storage space and set a small chest before her.

Dongfang Minghui scooped up the little chest. It was quite heavy. "Seventh Sister, what's inside?"

Dongfang Wanyu looked mysterious. "Open it yourself and see."

She opened it apprehensively. Something lay quietly inside the chest, leaving her utterly bewildered. "Huh? An egg?"

"This egg should belong to some kind of magic beast. I happened to pick it up," Dongfang Wanyu explained rather irresponsibly.

The heroine's move left Dongfang Minghui thunderstruck. Of all the gifts to give, she had given her an egg-and an unidentified one at that.

"Thank you, Seventh Sister."

Whatever. Dongfang Minghui cradled the egg, which was larger than both her hands put together, and stroked it twice. Her feelings were one hell of a bittersweet mess.

Dongfang Minghui soothed her startled heart before finally saying, "Seventh Sister, I came today to tell you some good news."

Dongfang Wanyu watched her intently, but couldn't stop wondering whether she had chosen the wrong gift. Just now, Ninth Sister hadn't seemed as happy as she had imagined. Still, seeing her hugging the egg tightly again, she reassured herself that her ninth sister liked it.

In truth, Dongfang Minghui had no choice but to hold it tightly. Not only was the egg big and heavy, it was also too slippery. If she accidentally dropped it onto the ground, it would probably shatter.

And if the heroine snapped her in half in a fit of anger, she would be shattered too.

It was truly a case of the egg breaking and its keeper breaking with it, the egg surviving and its keeper surviving too.

"Seventh Sister, here's the good news: the dean has agreed to let you move into my courtyard." Dongfang Minghui leaned mysteriously toward her ear and whispered.

The warm breath brushed her neck, unexpectedly making her heart tremble with a tingling sensation. Uncomfortable, Dongfang Wanyu turned her head away and shifted slightly, putting some distance between herself and Dongfang Minghui.

She understood now. The other girl had taken her casual remark that day seriously. At the time, she had merely meant to tell her that without power, without a voice, she was nothing.

She hadn't expected the other girl to misunderstand her words, but this was fine too.

"Then I'll bask in your reflected glory, Ninth Sister."

Dongfang Minghui laughed inwardly. As if the heroine were basking in her glory! The heroine's halo shone so brilliantly that it might even bring her some good luck.

Hehe, someone with incredible luck is about to move into my courtyard. My little friends and I are sure to get lucky too.

Dongfang Wanyu packed up that very day. There wasn't really much to bring. She locked her door and followed Dongfang Minghui to the courtyard.

Seeing them return, Yong Xing immediately said, "Miss Qian, I've already prepared your room."

Dongfang Minghui couldn't stand seeing him always act so deferentially. "Senior Brother, this is my seventh sister. Don't be so formal from now on. My seventh sister doesn't go in for that either."

Then she introduced him to the heroine. "Seventh Sister, this is Senior Brother Yong Xing. He's taken care of me ever since I came to the White Angelica Garden. He's such a good person."

Yong Xing lowered his head, but his eyes couldn't help growing a little damp.

"All right. Thank you for looking after my ninth sister, Senior Brother Yong. I'm Wanyu. You can just call me by my name from now on." Dongfang Wanyu smiled at him.

Yong Xing nodded, then turned to Dongfang Minghui. "Little Junior Sister, is there anything else we need to prepare for tomorrow?"

If his previous care had been out of consideration for Situ Hao, then from now on, it would be something he gave willingly.

Dongfang Minghui shook her head. "Thank you, Senior Brother. Thanks for all your hard work today, too. Go back and get some rest."

That night, Dongfang Minghui tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep no matter what she did. The heroine's arrival had left her far too excited.

Now they could keep cultivating their revolutionary friendship. She had to work hard, keep going, and rise to the challenge.

When her gaze happened to drift toward the egg beneath the covers beside her, Dongfang Minghui looked so despondent that she wanted to die.

"Oh, Mother of mine." She hugged the egg to her chest and gave it a gentle pat. The shell was perfectly fine; her hand, on the other hand, turned red.

"I'm warning you, don't get cocky just because Seventh Sister has your back. The day you hatch will be my perfect chance to deal with you. Just you wait." She simply sat up straight and muttered viciously at the egg. "And you'd better hatch into a pretty little thing, or I'll fry you like a chicken egg and make a whole tableful of egg pies. Believe me?"

Eventually, she wore herself out talking and fell asleep hugging the egg. Naturally, she didn't notice it shift on its own, nestle against her belly, and turn in a circle.

The next day, Dongfang Minghui rose early. As usual, she watered Blue Star Dream and the beauty bamboo, loosened their soil, and checked for insects and the like.

Not long after she finished everything, Yong Xing brought all the groceries he had bought into the courtyard.

Dongfang Minghui busily began washing and snapping the vegetables.

"Little Junior Sister, I wouldn't have guessed these hands of yours had ever cooked!" Yong Xing pointed at her slender hands.

"Senior Brother, you're teasing me, aren't you? What can you do? When you're hungry, you start thinking about finding food. Actually, I just figured it out by muddling through on my own." Dongfang Minghui laughed and spouted a stream of nonsense.

The moment Dongfang Minghui got up, Dongfang Wanyu knew. In fact, she had clearly heard her tossing and turning the night before, muttering to the egg.

That was one advantage of having stronger spiritual power.

If Dongfang Minghui knew the heroine had heard everything she said, she probably wouldn't dare babble nonsense again.

Dongfang Wanyu watched them for a while, then closed her door and continued cultivating.

Only when someone knocked outside did she come out of her meditation.

"Seventh Sister, time to eat."

Dongfang Minghui called several times outside, but there was no movement within. She thought the heroine had gone out, and had just turned away when the door opened.

Dongfang Wanyu caught the aroma of food. In truth, the higher her cultivation level, the less food she needed to consume. More often than not, she felt she didn't need to eat at all; spiritual power alone was enough.

Three people, and a whole tableful of dishes.

Seeing the table laden with food, Dongfang Wanyu suddenly gained a little appetite. She picked up her chopsticks and tried a bite. It was a little sour and spicy, but very palatable.

"Junior Sister Wanyu, Little Junior Sister made this especially for you. You should eat more."

Dongfang Minghui also watched her apprehensively, afraid she would say it tasted bad. Back in the Purple Demon Mountains, whether her roasted meat was undercooked or overdone, the heroine had always said so bluntly, often leaving her tender little heart battered beyond recognition. Sob, sob, sob.

"All right." Dongfang Wanyu took another couple of bites.

The three of them put food into one another's bowls, sharing a meal