In the early morning, Xilutaiya stood in the quaint flower garden dressed in a plain white gown. Holding a watering can, she watered the plants at her side. Today was a rest day, so she did not need to go to Scholar Haide's and could stay leisurely at home.
Water droplets dispersed into mist, refracting faint halos in the morning sunlight, misty and enchanting.
This was a small flower plot exclusively hers, holding the Swan Orchids and Bubble herbs she had transplanted, as well as the newly sown Fire Cloud Orchids and White Camellias—seeds provided by Madame Falan.
After she mastered the Branch Trimming Method, the lady had departed once again, asking Xilutaiya to help look after the flower fields. Once that was done, her free time was spent focusing on this little plot of her own.
After inspecting the condition of the newly planted flora and confirming they were well, Xilutaiya let the emerald hue suffusing her eyes fade away and stood up.
"Tiya, breakfast is ready~" Taliel jogged over to let Xilutaiya know.
Working at Madame Falan's manor, Taliel's task was to take over some of Lining's duties, and lately she had started with the simplest one: making breakfast.
"It just so happens that Madame is away from home right now. Even if your cooking tastes terrible, it won't affect Madame—though it remains to be seen whether Miss Tiya is willing to put up with it."
That was how Lining had put it that day. Such words had immediately ignited Taliel's competitive spirit, and she swore she would make breakfast just as good as Lining's.
"All right, I'm coming." Xilutaiya set down the watering can, took another look at the plants swaying in the morning breeze, and left.
Breakfast did not take much time. While it could hardly be called delicious, Taliel's progress was evident—today's meal was quite edible and not too bad.
"The eggs are burned," Lining criticized coldly from the side. The underside of one of the fried eggs had already blackened somewhat.
"It's fine. Don't be too harsh, Lining," the girl comforted Taliel.
"I am strict because this concerns Madame's dignity." Lining turned her head aside, though she indeed did not criticize Taliel any further.
Compared to the near-perfect maid Lining, Taliel was indeed still far too clumsy and green. It was no wonder Lining looked down on this awkward, scatterbrained girl.
"Everyone needs time to grow. Please give her a little grace, Lining. At the very least, you can leave errands to Taliel from now on," the girl placated Lining.
During the morning, Xilutaiya walked through the flower fields, observing the sunflowers' growth while practicing her newly acquired Branch Trimming Method to become familiar with the new ability.
After lunch, she moved a reclining chair to the manor's backyard. Located in a cool shade, the spot offered a view of a vast sea of flowers, refreshing air, and bright blue skies—a wonderful place for an afternoon nap or reading.
Slipping off her shoes, the girl drew up her legs onto the recliner, held a favorite book on gardening lore, and flipped through its pages, occasionally pausing to take in the distant scenery.
Even with December fast approaching, the climate here remained warm; autumn in the Rising Wind Season lingered exceptionally long.
Just as Xilutaiya thought the day would pass peacefully like this, the chime of a bell drifted from afar—at the manor's main gate.
Has someone arrived? She slowly sat up.
...
Outside the main gate, a well-dressed old man paced back and forth, followed by several guards and young attendants.
Before long, Lining approached the gate with steady steps, and the old man stepped forward as if seeing a savior.
Handing over a handwritten letter of introduction, the group waited patiently outside.
After looking over the letter for a moment, Lining returned it and told them to wait briefly.
"Of course. Please consult Madame Falan, miss." The old man pressed a hand to his shoulder and bowed.
Cicadas chirped incessantly in the trees, and the slanted sunlight grew slightly stifling for the party. Fortunately, their wait was not long. A little over ten minutes later, the maid returned to the gate, unlocked the iron latch, and let them in.
Passing respectfully through the front courtyard of the manor, the group was guided by the maid into the parlor to wait.
"Madame is not home today," Lining turned and informed them. Her words gave the old man a start.
"However, Miss Anluo'er is here. She is Madame's student and has full authority to handle matters on Madame's behalf for now."
Letting out a soft breath of relief, the old man nodded in understanding.
They waited in the parlor for a second time. About three minutes later, a silver-haired young girl wearing a bright yellow summer dress walked unhurriedly down the stairs. Appearing sixteen years old, the girl commanded the visitors' gazes the moment she appeared, captivating them completely with her stunning beauty and bearing.
Fair skin, a well-proportioned and healthy figure, slender ankles and wrists, and that ethereal face—when Xilutaiya changed into an elaborate gown and fully revealed her charms, all present were instantly overwhelmed by her beauty.
Their breathing seemed to slow. Only when Lining guided the young girl from the foot of the stairs and helped her sit on the sofa did the visitors hurriedly offer their bows and greetings.
"Please, be seated as well." The girl gave a slight nod and spoke, her clear, melodious voice striking them with a second wave of astonishment.
The old man in the lead sat down cautiously, while the rest remained standing behind his sofa.
"Miss Anluo'er, please forgive our sudden intrusion..." The old man began explaining the purpose of their visit.
They came from Mosswood Keep, located some distance away, which was the residence of Baron Beituo, surrounded by several villages and small towns.
"So you have come seeking herbal medicine?" the girl responded softly.
As it turned out, Baron Beituo's wife was gravely ill. Even after treatment by physicians, the malady could not be eradicated, only barely suppressed. The situation remained critical and could worsen at any moment. After discussions between the physicians and the local scholars, they determined that herbs with the Blazing Sun attribute were needed to replenish her vitality and purge the malignant sickness from her body.
"We searched the Apothecary Guilds across the surrounding cities, only to learn that Madame Falan is the only one here who possesses herbs that meet the requirements."
As one of the higher attributes, Blazing Sun herbs were inherently rare, and gardeners capable of cultivating them were rarer still. Not just in the southern region, but in the entirety of Raygas Principality, there were probably very few who could cultivate Blazing Sun plants on a large scale like Madame Falan.
"Could you tell me the specific details of your lady's condition? While I have ingredients of the Blazing Sun attribute here, we must consider whether they are suitable for the patient," the girl replied after a moment's thought.
She did not know how to treat diseases, but she understood some of the symptoms caused by the erosion of attribute power.
When ordinary practitioners trained in various abilities, they guided and controlled attribute power within themselves, circulating and absorbing it in an orderly fashion, so little went wrong. But if ordinary people completely ignorant of the relevant skills and knowledge rashly came into contact with attribute power in the outside world, all kinds of complications would arise.
The most common occurrence in the Rising Wind Season was exposure to the scorching sun, where a person became infused with faint traces of the Blazing Sun attribute, resulting in heatstroke, persistent fever, coma, and shock—and in severe cases, even death.
Additionally, when people traversed mountain forests, they might encounter hidden supernatural phenomena or be attacked by supernatural beasts, becoming tainted with attribute power that proved difficult to dispel.
"This is the physician's handwritten diagnosis, complete with notes from the scholar." The old man instructed an accompanying attendant to take out the letter kept in a copper box.
It was handed to the maid Lining, who spread the letter out before Xilutaiya for her to read.
After a few minutes, the girl gave a slight nod and had Lining put the letter away.
"I understand."
From the descriptions in the letter, the baroness had most likely contracted a disease transmitted by certain insects or birds in the forest. Such illnesses struck swiftly; lacking a targeted cure, the only way was to fortify the body and endure through sheer resilience.
"Lining, could you fetch two bottles of Sunseed Oil for me?" Xilutaiya looked at the maid beside her.
"Yes, Miss." The maid curtsied respectfully and withdrew.
Before long, amid everyone's tense and curious wait, the maid returned carrying two glass bottles filled with an amber liquid.
[Sunseed Oil] (First-Order Blazing Sun): A pure oil extracted from sunflower seeds, rich in Blazing Sun attribute power. Can be used for alchemy, medicine brewing, dispelling cold, and harming spectral creatures.
Each bottle held about three hundred milliliters. Its color was pure and golden like liquid amber, leaving the visitors across from her wide-eyed with awe.
"The stoppers have been sealed with a special technique. Once opened, the Blazing Sun power inside will slowly dissipate, so take care when using it," Xilutaiya cautioned.
"We shall remember."
The old man took the two bottles of Sunseed Oil with deep respect and gratitude. Only then did he realize that the young girl before him had not mentioned payment at all.
Whether out of respect for Madame Falan or gratitude for her help, he could not simply walk away without offering anything in return; doing so would make Baron Beituo a laughingstock among the nobility.
"We do not know how to adequately thank you and Madame Falan for your generosity. This is a token of appreciation we prepared in advance; please accept it, Miss Anluo'er." He had an attendant bring forward a small box once more and opened it on the tea table.
Neatly arranged inside the velvet box were twenty gold coins, stamped with the exquisite design of a Cold Plume Bird, reflecting a radiant golden gleam.
Even though the Blazing Sun attribute was a higher attribute, first-order supernatural items cost no more than three times those of other attributes—at most three gold coins each, or roughly six gold coins for two bottles. Offering twenty gold coins all at once demonstrated immense sincerity.
This was likely because they had arrived unannounced without notifying Madame Falan in advance and feared offending her if they offered too little.
Should she take it? The girl pondered briefly.
There should be no issue accepting it, but knowing the market value of the goods, she felt rather unaccustomed to such an exorbitant premium.
It seems I really don't have a knack for making money, she thought to herself.
Wondering how Madame Falan usually handled such situations, she glanced at the maid beside her. Lining seemed to understand Xilutaiya's dilemma; stepping half a pace forward, she bowed and spoke.
"Thank you for the gift, my lord. Our young lady rarely receives outside guests and is not yet accustomed to these matters," she explained first.
"Yes, yes, of course—how presumptuous of me." The old man seemed to realize something and quickly had the attendant put the box away.
Indeed, it had been a bit too blunt, almost making it look as though Madame Falan and this young lady were avaricious. Even as an expression of gratitude, it should not have been done like this.
Pondering for a few seconds, the old steward reached into his robes and drew out another small box. Wrapped in red silk, it was placed on the table and opened, revealing a white chess piece resting within. The piece looked somewhat like a pawn in chess from Xilutaiya's memories of her past life.
[White Stone Chess Piece] (First-Order Castle): A chess piece condensed by a titled noble through their own station, imbued with the attribute power of 'Castle'. It allows an individual capable of bearing it to advance to 'First-Order Castle'. (The bestowal of such a piece often signifies an investiture or knighting.)
"This is a Castle piece bestowed by my master, Baron Beituo. Because there is currently no suitable candidate in our territory, it has remained unused. Having brought no proper gift for Madame Falan on this visit, I ask that Miss Anluo'er please accept it."
Seeing Lining give her a slight nod, Xilutaiya accepted.
"I have only offered a little assistance; Lord Beituo is too generous."
After exchanging a few more courteous pleasantries, the old man asked permission to take his leave.
"As the lady of our house remains ill, please forgive this servant for not staying longer. Once our lady recovers, we shall come again to pay our respects to Madame Falan and express our gratitude."
Xilutaiya then stood to see the party off.
Chapter 59