Chapter 207: Skeleton Flower |
"Graveyard?"
Hilia looked utterly baffled. "Who would place a graveyard in a spot like this?"
"Aym."
"Who?"
"I meant the symbol on the tombstone..."
Carved on the tombstone was a symbol resembling 'M'.
He'd seen this symbol before.
In the alchemy notes he stumbled upon in the Misty Mountains, this character was the signature.
And then.
When he first traversed here, the semi-automatic alchemical cauldron stored in the basement of the cabin had 'M' inscribed as its maker.
The same symbol.
Could it be the same person?
If it were, was this ahead his endpoint?
Just from the alchemy notes, this 'M' seemed a remarkably powerful figure.
But no matter how powerful, everyone meets their end.
What felt odd to Hua Mi was how coincidental this was—encountering traces left by 'M' thrice in succession...
"Do you know what 'M' means?"
Hua Mi gestured inquiringly to this well-versed witch.
Hilia hesitated, "Are you asking or testing me? Why do you know the pronunciation of this symbol?"
"..."
Hua Mi realized the misunderstanding.
Because the symbol resembled the English letter 'M', he subconsciously read it as "Aym."
Hilia assumed he understood the symbol because of that.
"Misread it, I'm clueless about this symbol. Any leads? Like whether it's an ancient giant language or ancient elven, something of the sort."
Hilia pondered, "In the languages I know, there's no similar symbol... but if it is part of some language, perhaps the Headmistress would know. You could ask her."
Ah, this... a bizarre additional reason to head to the Witch Academy.
Was it fated?
Daydreaming here was futile, time to focus on the task at hand.
Hua Mi shook his head, shelving this query for now.
Sensing no imminent danger, they pressed on.
Soon, they left the foggy section and reached the graveyard area at the end.
The space wasn't vast, enclosed by cliffs on all sides, the night sky visible when looking up.
At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary valley.
However, without dispelling the illusion, it would be impossible to spot this place from outside.
Moonlight streamed in, illuminating the graves in the middle and the surrounding flora.
These flowers thrived abundantly.
They appeared to be blessed by flower spirits, perennially vibrant and bright.
The petals were entirely white.
From a frontal view, they seemed normal, divided into three layers—creating a sense of depth.
But from above, one could see the petals formed a pattern resembling a skull.
At first glance, they seemed like three-dimensional tiny skulls, screaming to the sky.
An inexplicable eeriness.
Despite their peculiar growth, these were undoubtedly nectar-producing plants.
The reconnaissance bees that had entered earlier were drawn by the floral scent, buzzing within the bushes, confirming this.
"Skeleton Flower?" Hilia exclaimed with some surprise.
"You're familiar?"
The petals resembling skulls, and it being named Skeleton Flower, quite direct.
"Well... Skeleton Flower is the common name; its scientific name is 'Medicinal King Flower.' It's a rare kind of plant used to refine high-level restorative magic potions. Even without alchemical processing, its petals and sap possess medicinal properties. If poisoned, consuming Medicinal King Flower raw could significantly increase the chances of emergency recovery."
"I see."
"Deep in thought, Hua Mi nodded.
The fact that this can be used to refine restorative magic potions indicates a rich presence of corresponding magical elements. In that case, it wouldn't be surprising if the flower spirits born from these flowers possessed healing abilities.
Hua Mi didn't inquire about how she came to know about this type of flower.
Probably something learned at the academy, as usual.
The Witch Academy is hailed as the foremost institution in the Western Continent for a reason.
Fulin mentioned that the Medicine King Flower typically grows in valleys rich with pure magical elements, surviving in extremely harsh conditions, hence its rarity in the wild.
It's surprising to find such a patch here.
Now, not only Hua Mi wanted to pluck these flowers.
Fulin also desired to take some samples back for cultivation and study.
"This trip has been fruitful; I've definitely earned enough credits," the witch said gleefully. "Thinking about it, I'm truly lucky to have met you on the way."
"Yes, meeting me is your good fortune."
Hua Mi spoke, but he raised his hand to stop her.
"What's wrong?"
"Before picking the flowers, it might be better to seek permission first."
If the flower spirits originated from this patch, strictly speaking, these flowers wouldn't be ownerless.
This patch of flowers was under the care of that particular flower spirit.
Fulin glanced around and shrugged. "Looks like Miss Flower Spirit doesn't want to meet with us, so let's take that as tacit approval."
"…"
Fulin was actually not wrong.
Hua Mi also wasn't genuinely seeking the flower spirit's consent.
He wanted to inquire about the owner of this tomb, perhaps hoping the flower spirit knew something.
So, he halted Fulin's actions, attempting to coax the flower spirit out.
"Xiao Bai, it's up to you now."
Hua Mi conveyed his thoughts to Xiao Bai.
Xiao Bai flew into the flower patch, surveying around.
Though not speaking aloud, Xiao Bai was already using telepathy to request communication.
"Found her."
Xiao Bai suddenly looked towards a certain spot.
Both Hua Mi and Fulin glanced over; it was empty air.
However, evidently, Xiao Bai had established contact with the other through telepathy.
Both remained silent, not interrupting their conversation.
After a while, Xiao Bai turned and said, "She said you can each collect up to 5 flowers."
"Great!"
Fulin praised and eagerly bent down to select flowers.
Hua Mi said, "Ask her again if she knows anything about the occupant of this tomb."
Xiao Bai nodded and turned back, using telepathy to communicate once more.
Moments later, Xiao Bai received an answer and relayed, "She said, buried here is the former owner of the hot spring inn."
The owner of the hot spring inn?
Hua Mi was momentarily stunned by this revelation.
This answer was unexpected, yet upon reflection, it seemed logical.
Her reference to the 'owner' should be about the person who owned the hot spring inn long before it fell into disrepair, perhaps the one who built it.
Fulin, wholly engrossed in gathering Medicine King Flowers, paused upon hearing this response, piquing her curiosity about this tomb occupant.
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