I looked at the seed for a moment, picking it up, as I sensed the Gu present in it. My eyes shifted to the scroll present inside the box and I picked it up, opening it to reveal the contents within.

I continued to read, my frown growing deeper the further I read. It was a short note, with details on possible methods to grow the seed of Gu without letting it spread. A formation was inscribed on the scroll itself that would prevent the vicious plant from spreading.

At the end section, some mentions and possible ways to improve the lotus bloom I’d set in Zhang’s core were written as well, alongside the flaws caused by my impromptu method.

A thought lingered in my mind as I read through the scroll a couple of times, trying to see if there were any other hidden messages. How did he know any of this? That I needed a seed of Gu, much less providing me with one.

A strange anxiety filled me at the idea that someone might be observing me from afar, and if so, why reach out to me like this? It’d likely been naive to hope after causing a tribulation that no one would notice me. Yet, why would anyone think the old outer sect disciple who likes to hole up in his room surely must’ve been the one? I’d banked on the fact that my presence was barely noticeable within the sect to keep people from figuring things out.

Did Yan Yun or any of the others mention something about me?

I shook the thought out of my head. I doubt they would, but even if they did, who would believe them? Another thought occurred to me, at that same instance. Perhaps this is a test? The elder could’ve figured out that since we’d freed Sheldon from the cave, and the miasma had been present there that I might somehow be related and left this as a way to gauge my reaction.

“What’s eating at you boy?” Granny Lang asked you, looking at me and I turned to stare at her. Her eyes shifted towards the seed in my hand and she squinted. “Ah, so it had been bloodroot. Figures.”

“Bloodroot?”

“It’s one of the few demonic plants that can absorb Qi from the blood of living creatures. Nasty thing, that, but it’s good to form some elixirs as it can suck up all the impurities, leaving the pure Qi at its flower. It’s a rare herb, boy, but just as deadly as well.”

“They allow the use of this?” I asked, surprised. I’d think something like this would be set aside and eradicated on the spot, due to the miasma present in it.

“The halls don’t allow the sale of bloodroot, but using it to craft pills is fine, as long as you can prevent its spread. There’s a hefty fine, if you do. If allowed to grow out of hand, it can become a danger to powerful cultivators as well.”

The image of Sheldon suffering, struck under the ties of this plant, with Qi slowly being drained out of his at all times came to me and I nodded. I put the seed back in its box, closing the lid as the seal reactivated.

I guess I had the miasma plant I’d come looking for. That was a bit underwhelming.

“Granny, how do you think the elder knew I needed something like this?”

“The spirits of the moon are tied to dreams. And dreams are tied to both the past and the future. The elder must’ve seen a vision, it isn’t rare with powerful cultivators that follow the path of divination and the lunar arts,” Granny said, walking outside the room and I followed behind her.

The first encounter I had with the moon spirit came to my mind, of how I’d been led to Liuxiang, right as I’d been looking for a way to access the second floor of the library.

I shrugged. Somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to worry too much over the topic. The Elder had been nothing but helpful to me so far, if he’d wanted to do something, I suspect he’d long since done it.

I walked out of the chamber, to the front area and saw Su Lin and Zhang working nearby. I walked over, alongside granny and coughed to catch their attention. With a smile I looked around at the people present here.

“Not to disturb all of you as you guys set up your new home, but I had a few things I wanted to talk about. Especially for my plans regarding all of you, this village, and my own future,” I said, and dug into my sleeve to take out a notebook.

“I plan to move to have my lab in Taizhou, possibly the perfect place for me with its proximity to the Qi vein, the city, and abundance of spirit herbs. And alongside moving here, I also plan to open a lab and something like a school. This is what I’ll be using to do that,” I said, extending out the little notebook.

Su Lin took the offered notes, opening them as he glanced through the pages. “Aren’t these what’cha were talking about that day?”

I nodded. “Yes, it is indeed, what I had talked about that day. Science. Or the very basics of it, the portions that I could write without my dear Heavens getting angry with me. It needs a lot, and I mean a lot of work and refining before it will be anywhere near a satisfactory level. But this book contains the basics for most of what the scientific model of the world is based on, albeit an incomplete one,” I said, and got a look of confusion all around.

“To put it simply. I want the kids here to know how to read and write and do basic maths at the very least, and I plan to teach that. I also looked into how they made books here, and managed to come up with a very basic idea for a printing press. All we now need is to find some sort of mechanic who can take a look at the plans in there and tell me if they are feasible or not. I have a lot of other plans and diagrams for things I want to make as well, so that is another thing I’d like your and the villagers to help with. Finding people who can help me build things, and build my lab.”

“What’cha need all this for though? Why teach all the runts how to read? They’d be grateful for sure, but I see nothing in it for you and I know even you ain’t that big a saint,” Su Lin said, frowning.

“That’s where you are wrong. The nothing in it for me part, not the saint bit. There is something in it for me. I want to spread knowledge, and understanding and I refuse to live under the chains the Heavens are trying to put around me. For how long though? How much will be done to stop me? How many people must know before the Heavens accepts its losses? I don’t know, but I plan to find out,” I said, almost wondering if I’d get a theatrical rumble from the heavens to my blasphemy.

“Yer insane,” Su Lin whispered and I heard Granny Lang cackle behind me.

“Kids. At this rate, this old lady will outlive all of you!” she exclaimed and cackled once more.

“I don’t understand the purpose behind this, but my life is already yours Lu Jie. I’d gladly help out,” Zhang said, with a bow.

“No need to be too stiff. It’ll be a slow process, but one, I anticipate will have a long lasting impact, if things somehow work out. In either case, I plan to open my lab here, and I’ll need people for those. Not to mention, I’ll need herbs, and I’ve got some notes there for methods on how to start a spirit herb farm using Zhang’s lunar blossom. It probably won’t work, honestly, but with Granny around, I’m sure you guys can find a way.”

I looked around, sensing a presence nearby, whoever it was quickly ran away in a rush. Odd. I let the thought go, as I turned back to face everyone around.

“The prize from the spirit herb hunt will likely help with the money side of things, and I do plan to win. I’ve got just the thing being prepared for the tournament afterall,” I said, as my grin grew wider as the closer I reached to creating my drugnade 2.0.

“Let us start preparation, for the seeds of our future Drug Empire,” I announced to the world and this time, I did get a theatrical rumble from the heavens as I broke out in merry laughter.

***

Yin stumbled back, her hand covering her mouth as she ran back to her home. She knew that eavesdropping was shameful and no matter how friendly these cultivators appeared she should've been more careful.

Yet, the cultivator Lu Jie had simply been too strange for her to ignore. Too familiar in the strangest way. And with what she’d just heard…

Yin rushed back to her home, walking in as she went to her own chamber, the chamber her grandfather had lived in, and had gifted to her, in his will. She walked up to the rows of books on medicine and herbs kept by her mother, and found crouched down, pulling on an old dusty drawer that she hadn’t opened in years, ever since she’d lost her grandfather.

She opened the drawer, taking out his diary. The only thing he’d let no one but her look at. Yin stared at the diary, slowly opening the pages, to the words written underneath. It were words, everyone else in this world was unfamiliar with. Words that curved and squigled and twisted and turned, instead at the regal sharp strokes.

A language that only she and her grandfather had known in this whole entire world.

She flipped through the pages, eventually finding his musings about historical advances from his home, as he’d said, and her eyes soon stumbled upon the “printing press” written in one of the pages, as something he’d thought about building himself one day.

Yin covered her mouth, as tears welled up in her eyes. Was Lu Jie truly… no, the cultivator would’ve been born long before her grandfather died. Yet, the similarities were all there to notice. The attitude, the disregard for customs, the strange method of talking. It had been different enough to not be in her notice instantly, but the more she thought over it, the more similarities she saw.

Yin closed the book, hugging it close to her chest. She didn’t know yet, but she would watch. And if he truly knew… then perhaps there truly would come a day when her grandfather’s dreams would finally come true.