To Find a Flower, Think Like a Flower (2)

And so we reached the Flying Ship, cheerfully bickering. Aina was a pleasant girl and knew how to keep a conversation going. If only it weren't for the constant teasing, she would have been priceless.

We didn't encounter any dangerous spiritual beasts. That bird was actually the only one who decided to attack. The rest tried to escape or hide when we appeared. And it's unclear. Either we were so lucky, or there's simply nothing dangerous in this part of the forest.

"Better than I expected, young Kai. Much better," the beautiful So Yun nodded approvingly. I wonder, if I ask her if she's ever taken a beauty pill, will she smear me on the wall immediately or will she torture me first and then finish me off? "You say you collected the flowers together?"

"Yes, Master Yun. And Kai doesn't know how to process herbs," the girl sold me out completely.

"How so?" her eyebrows crawled up. "Alchemy is the most honorable art for any Taoist. The heavens themselves blessed practitioners for this noble occupation! What's going on in the Shen clan if they didn't even teach their genius the basics of the basics? It's decided, when we return to the fort, I will personally take up your training in the art of alchemy!"

"So you're a genius, brother Kai?" Aina giggled as soon as we left Master So's cabin. "And you hide it skillfully. Well, shall we repeat tomorrow or are you tired of walking through the Silver Forest in the company of the beautiful rose of the Fort of Eternal Ice?"

The girl was contentedly tossing in her hand a token with a bunch of accrued points. Given that we'll also be credited as expedition participants, it added up to a tidy sum.

"I would be glad if you, sister Aina, would keep me company," I replied and gave a recently learned bow.

"The rose part was better," she smirked. "At least it was honest and from the heart. But so be it, barbarian Kai, we'll meet tomorrow at dawn."

And so the next day, at the crack of dawn, we were again wandering through the forest in search of wonderful herbs. I managed to spot the first plant after almost an hour of aimless wandering. I'm afraid we collected most of the flowers in the immediate vicinity yesterday.

"I'm surprised where there are so many of them here at all," my companion sighed. "I think we were very lucky yesterday. If we find even a couple more, it will be akin to a heavenly miracle."

"Hm, what's that over there?" I asked, sensing an unfamiliar tinge of power. Aina stared at me in surprise. She had long since realized that with my intuition, I replace a good bloodhound.

The source of the strange power turned out to be a small clearing overgrown with low silvery grass. Here and there, small spikes stuck out from the grass.

"Ah, moon burdock," she sighed disappointedly.

"What?"

"Moon burdock. Only the spikes are suitable for ingredients, and they go into the weakest pills. It's not very valuable and easy to grow in the garden. We usually assign this to novices so they can gain skills," the girl explained and gave me a studying look. "Since we're so lucky, do you want to have a training session?"

"Sparring?" I was surprised. "I don't think it's reasonable to have a duel now."

"You!" she frowned. "What does a duel have to do with anything? You have a not particularly valuable spiritual plant in front of you, you don't know how to process spiritual plants. Come on, genius of the Shen clan, build a logical connection."

For a second I felt terribly ashamed. Indeed—lately I hadn't been thinking about anything except fights and danger around every corner. Even now I expected some kind of setup from the girl. In my defense, I could say that my life situation had turned out such that there was simply no time to sit down and rest. Literally everyone wanted to kill me. In the Shen clan. But I'm not in the Shen clan now!

"I'm sorry," I squeezed out of myself.

"Sorry?" the girl suddenly exploded with anger. "Are you mocking me? On the very first day, you took a combat assignment, although I told you several times not to do it. And what happened in the end?! You almost died! And what did you take for the next assignment?! Right! Patrol again! And yesterday you went alone into a forest full of monsters, including meridian sphere ones, being yourself a practitioner at the Qi concentration stage. How will your huge physical strength help when an immaterial spiritual beast attacks you? Tell me, Kai Shen, do you want to die so badly?"

I was silent. I had nothing to answer. The girl was completely right, and it made it even more offensive. Yes, in my current state, only I and my stupid self-confidence were to blame. But I survived!

"Where does such care for me come from?" I couldn't help but ask.

"We're both in the same sect. And I was the first one you ever talked to. Heaven doesn't bring people together by chance," she snorted. "Maybe it sent me to you to knock some sense into your stupid head?"

An oppressive silence fell. This time the girl's resentment was clearly not feigned—I had accidentally touched some strings in her and she poured out her pent-up anger on me. And indeed, she couldn't be blamed for anything.

"So what about that training?" I tried to change the subject. It was clear that the girl had more to say, but she just sighed heavily and gave me a long disapproving look.

"Alright, barbarian Kai," repeat after me. The girl demonstrated several times how to properly form a film of Qi. It wasn't some full-fledged technique. Just bare control of spiritual power. And yes, I simply burned the very first spike.

"Try again," she threw at me. She didn't seem surprised at all.

On the tenth burned spike, I realized that I was doing something wrong. Maybe I should slightly change the technique? The flame of life immediately wrapped around the plant and... Success! I managed to collect this damned herb on the first try.

"I did it!" I shouted, scaring some bird that looked similar to yesterday's. Hm, strange, I could barely feel it in Qi.

"Congratulations. I guess. You managed on only the tenth try," she smirked. "Now collect all the other spikes. You'll reinforce the skill. And we shouldn't let good things go to waste, right?"

In the end, we managed to find one more flower. We wandered through the forest almost aimlessly all day. Apparently, indeed, on the first day I was smiled upon by heavenly luck or something like that. However, I wasn't complaining... The girl had moved on from her morning outburst. And honestly, I was even grateful to her for it. It's useful sometimes to look at yourself from the outside.

The next day everything repeated. Except that this time we didn't find a single flower. Other students enviously glanced at our couple—it's clear as day, no one simply wants to work, and they envy us. And I definitely didn't hear someone whispering about some scoundrel Kai who seduced the beautiful fairy of the Fort of Eternal Ice.

"Don't be so upset," the girl said, after several hours of useless wandering. "We already have plenty of points now. By the way, since you like danger and risk so much, don't you want to guard me a bit while I cultivate?"

"Is this some kind of test?" I became wary. "You recently stated yourself that I only think about fights."

"Aha," she laughed. "Not far from the grove there's one special place—the spiritual power there really helps in cultivation. Most students go to the Frosty Plum grove precisely to get there and advance a bit in cultivation. That's why, by the way, all the students on the ship are already at the meridian stage. Weaker practitioners would be glad to get so many points for simple work, but the competition is too great. You didn't know this either, did you?"

"How would I? And you've been wasting time for the third day in a row, wandering with me through this forest," I sighed. Again I feel ashamed before this girl. Is she doing this on purpose?

"I need points too," she smiled. "And don't worry unnecessarily, it's pleasant to spend time with you, I don't regret anything. And the flower... Thank you. Just don't tell anyone about it!"

She bashfully lowered her gaze and didn't continue. Yes, she kept the very first flower for herself. The ingredient was too rare, and a beauty pill remained a beauty pill. Although in my opinion, the girl didn't need it at all.

"Of course, I won't tell anyone, and there's no need to thank me. Let's better go to this special place. I don't have much else to do here anyway," I smiled, looking at her.

"Excellent! Actually, there are no dangers there. Of course, quite strong beasts sometimes wander in, but Master So Yun is always nearby and strictly monitors to ensure there are no problems."

And the place indeed turned out to be right next to the Grove and our ship! A small arch overgrown with pale blue ivy was radiating spiritual power. Of the icy spectrum, of course, so it was useless for me.

It was already getting dark, and quite a few practitioners had gathered here, preferring not to waste time in vain. That's why I thought half of them don't spend the night on the ship. It turns out they work during the day and cultivate at night, not doing what I initially thought. Yeah. The girl immediately occupied a free patch of ground and started drawing Qi towards herself.

"Interesting," I squinted, looking at the arch. The system unexpectedly came to life, and a message appeared before my eyes. After reading it, I looked at this place again, but with a completely different view. Hm, it turns out the arch is actually a spatial portal. And, it seems, I know how to activate it.