Chapter 208: Digging into Matters |
Next, Hua Mi and the flower spirits hiding in the shadows engaged in a back-and-forth exchange.
The history of the first owner of the hot spring inn in this area unfolded like a painting, slowly revealing itself before them.
The flower spirits, born from the King of Medicine Flowers, weren't particularly familiar with that owner.
Because at the time of her birth, the owner was already an elderly man on the brink of death.
"So, this flower spirit wasn't naturally born but artificially cultivated."
In other words, this grove of flowers had been planted before the owner's death, and the tomb was constructed later.
Perhaps this place was initially the owner's medicinal garden, growing precious herbs. It's no wonder it was protected by such intricate illusions.
Similar to his greenhouse.
Being buried after death in the land he poured his heart into, it might be considered fulfilling his wishes.
According to the flower spirits' description, the owner was an optimistic and cheerful gentleman, always wearing a smile.
He built this hot spring inn in the mountains, providing accommodation and meals for passersby.
Simultaneously, he offered free treatments to the villagers at the foot of the mountain.
For minor injuries or common colds, as long as they took his medicine, they almost immediately recovered.
For more severe illnesses or injuries, like when a hunter was attacked by a fierce beast while hunting in the mountains, as long as there was a breath left, the owner could revive them.
He was a highly skilled alchemist.
Of course, the villagers didn't understand alchemy; they only knew him as a formidable apothecary.
The villagers held him in high regard. Even though he didn't charge for his treatments, they voluntarily provided him with some necessities.
Thus, the owner didn't need to engage in any productive labor; he didn't worry about food and clothing. He dedicated this illusory space to cultivating rare medicinal herbs.
Among them, the King of Medicine Flowers birthed the flower spirits—
After the owner's death, the other herbs here turned to dust over time.
Only the King of Medicine Flowers, blessed by the magic of the flower spirits, continued to thrive, just as before.
The flower spirits didn't know where the owner came from, why he settled here, or why he opened a hot spring inn in such a remote place—actually, hardly any guests ever stayed there.
Once, the owner told her he simply wanted a quiet place to study alchemy, aiming to surpass his current limits.
As for why he opened the hot spring inn.
The owner's response was that he liked soaking in hot springs.
He liked to contemplate while soaking.
This whimsical answer suited the owner's personality quite well.
However, the flower spirits always felt he was concealing his true purpose.
Because based on their daily observations, he wasn't all that devoted to alchemy; at most, he devoted only a tenth of his time to alchemical studies.
Most of the time, he locked himself in his room, doing who-knows-what, not even allowing the flower spirits to enter.
It's worth mentioning that the flower spirits had glimpsed ethereal beings entering and leaving his secret room several times.
But they weren't human spirits; they were a type of otherworldly creature resembling birds.
"They should be messengers."
Fulin interjected, "Making a contract with spirits lingering in the mortal realm, making them act as messengers—this method was passed down from the elf clan for its speed and safety."
It indeed sounded quite convenient.
"If I get a chance, I'll also get myself a spirit messenger."
Hua Mi thought to himself.
Additionally, from her descriptions, it could be inferred that the owner secluded himself here but still maintained contact with the outside world.
That's not surprising.
What's peculiar is the sudden aging of the owner.
The owner didn't seem very old in appearance, at most middle-aged, but one day, his body suddenly aged.
He became much more haggard, with whitening hair, numerous wrinkles, and spots on his skin.
He even had trouble walking steadily.
"Such sudden aging is abnormal... Could it be a strange illness? Is this another case of a healer unable to heal themselves?" Hua Mi pondered, glancing at the witch, thinking she might know something given her extensive knowledge.
However, the latter stood there in contemplation, seemingly unsure about what was happening.
Regardless, after the boss fell seriously ill, he no longer had the energy to treat others.
Before his passing, the boss constructed a tomb for himself and, using his last strength, did one thing.
He hoped the flower spirits could stay behind after his death to guard the village at the foot of the mountain.
For this, the boss concocted a certain magical potion for the flower spirits to consume.
This potion could enhance her abilities.
After drinking the potion, the flower spirit fell into a deep sleep.
By the time she woke up, the boss was already gone.
All that remained were scattered king's crowns on the ground and a tomb in the midst of the flowers.
Since then, the flower spirit has honored the agreement with the boss, staying here and using her strengthened healing abilities to aid the villagers at the foot of the mountain.
After hearing the flower spirit's account, Hua Mi fell into contemplation.
This seemed like a plain, uneventful story, lacking twists and turns.
And there was no useful information about M in it.
The boss, however, seemed rather intriguing to Fuline.
She suspected that the boss didn't die.
It's highly likely that the death was merely an incarnation.
Simply put, an incarnation is a more advanced ability than a mere projection.
Apart from representing the core will, the body would manifest additional characteristics, making each incarnation slightly different in personality compared to the core.
And once the main body dispels the spell, the incarnation doesn’t immediately disappear.
Instead, much like an ordinary person, it undergoes aging and death, eventually returning to dust, vanishing completely from this world.
However, this aging process is much quicker than that of an ordinary person.
Fuline deduced the boss's sudden aging as a characteristic of this inexplicable incarnation.
"If it truly is an incarnation, then this hot spring innkeeper has quite the background."
Even among the witch community, those capable of creating incarnations are exceedingly rare.
What could be the purpose of such a powerful figure sending an incarnation into seclusion here?
It couldn’t possibly be solely to study alchemy.
On that note, the flower spirit remains unaware.
"There is actually one way to figure this out," Fuline stated seriously.
"What way?"
"Didn't the little flower spirit mention? The boss had a ghost messenger. If we summon that ghost messenger, we might learn the boss's secret—ghost messengers capable of communication are quite sentient."
"Reasonable."
The issue now is, where to find this messenger?
"After signing a contract with the ghost messenger, there will be an item used to summon them, commonly a bell. Simply ring the bell, and the messenger will appear before you."
"So, the crux now is, where to find this 'bell'?"
Fuline didn’t say it outright but glanced towards the nearby tomb.
"..."
"..."
They exchanged a glance, understanding each other without words.
Both felt that an artifact like this might be buried in the tomb.
So, should they dig up the grave?
The little flower spirit might disagree, right?
Thank you for reading this far! You can access more chapters from HERE by joining my Patreon community. You'll gain exclusive early access to the COMPLETE NOVEL.
As a member of my Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For $5
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public.
- You also get access to all the novels I'm translating, you can find them here HERE.
- Your name will be featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
For $10
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- You get access to Digital art.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
For $20
- You get to recommend a Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
