Druid Fairy

Chapter 134 Farewell Today

Since becoming a disciple of Su Qingxue, Li Mengze's academic life has included an additional major course—alchemy.

Dantang is nestled deep within the Orchid Garden, in an elegant courtyard where the refreshing aroma of herbs wafts through the air year-round.

Su Qingxue's teachings, like the person herself, are gentle and meticulous, like a spring breeze and nourishing rain.

"Mengze, the way of alchemy begins with recognizing herbs. All things in heaven and earth have their own nature, some cold, some hot, some warm, some dry. Today, I will teach you to distinguish these two most basic herbs."

On the stone table, there were two plants that looked remarkably similar. One had leaves like dragon whiskers, swaying gently in the wind, while the other had leaves that branched into five lobes, resembling tiger claws.

“These two are different. One is ‘Dragon Beard Grass,’ which is mild and helps to calm the mind and focus the spirit; the other is ‘Tiger Claw Fern,’ which is aggressive and helps to invigorate blood circulation and clear the meridians. They look very similar and are easily confused. Please look at them carefully and tell me the differences between them,” Su Qingxue said softly.

Li Mengze leaned forward and sniffed the air first. The dragon's beard grass had a fresh scent like grass after the rain, while the tiger claw fern had a faint, earthy smell.

"Teacher, this tastes different."

“Not bad.” Su Qingxue nodded approvingly. “Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch and thought are all methods of identifying medicine. Now feel it with your hands.”

Li Mengze reached out his small hand and gently touched it. The leaves of the dragon's beard grass felt warm and smooth to the touch, while the edges of the tiger claw fern had extremely fine bristles.

"This is tough."

As a descendant of druids, they have an innate affinity for all things in nature and possess a superior wood-type spiritual root. When their fingertips touch the herbs, a faint life energy flows between them.

He could "sense" that the life force of the dragon's beard grass was peaceful and soothing, while the tiger claw fern was full of flamboyant vitality.

"Well said." Su Qingxue's eyes were full of satisfaction. "Mengze, you truly have extraordinary talent in the way of plants. Ordinary disciples would need at least several days to distinguish between the two without repeated memorization, but you were able to identify the key point on your first meeting."

Upon hearing this, Li Mengze quickly lowered his head, his face slightly flushed, adopting a humble demeanor as if to say, "I was just lucky." In his heart, however, he thought, "Father is right. Hiding one's abilities is indeed a skill; if the timing isn't right, it's easy to give oneself away."

He kept his father's teachings in mind and, in his subsequent studies, perfectly played the role of a disciple who "has good spiritual talent but lacks comprehension and needs to make up for his shortcomings through diligence."

He left early and returned late, meticulously copying down every pharmacology taught by Su Qingxue and repeatedly memorizing it.

When he encountered something he didn't understand, he would humbly ask for help. His earnestness made Su Qingxue like him even more.

But his "low profile" has taken on a different meaning in the eyes of some people.

Wang Teng, Liu Kai, and Zhao Yi are all alchemy disciples and are considered to have some influence among ordinary disciples. They usually like to flatter the powerful and belittle the weak.

Seeing that Su Qingxue, the great alchemist, showed special favor to Li Mengze, they felt that the boy had gotten incredibly lucky, and they were both jealous and resentful.

"Hey, isn't this our young master Li? Why is he still reciting herbal medicine guides?"

Li Mengze was studying in the corridor when Wang Teng's sarcastic voice rang out, "Everyone says you have a superior spiritual root, how come it's been almost a month and you still haven't memorized the most basic Hundred Herbs Diagram? Seeing is believing!"

"Wang Teng, shut up!" Zhang Ao frowned and shouted from the side.

Since being ambushed by Lin Feng last time, he has become much more restrained and has become friends with the taciturn Li Mengze.

"Am I wrong?" Liu Kai curled his lip. "If he hadn't been so obsequious, Teacher Su wouldn't have bothered to give him a second glance!"

"Exactly!" Zhao Yi chimed in. "He's always following Teacher Su around, his words as sweet as honey, but he's all show and no substance. He's a disgrace to our academy!"

The three of them spoke in unison, their words extremely sarcastic and cutting.

Li Mengze simply raised his head, glanced at them calmly, said nothing, and then lowered his head to continue reading, as if he hadn't heard anything.

His unyielding attitude left Wang Teng and his companions feeling utterly frustrated, as if they had punched a pillow.

"Okay, shut up!"

Zhang Ao couldn't stand it any longer and stepped in front of Li Mengze, saying, "Mengze is just a low-key person who doesn't like fighting. If you have the ability, let's see who's the real deal at the alchemy competition at the end of the month. What kind of heroes are you, just spouting nonsense here?"

Wang Teng and his companions turned pale and then red-faced after hearing his words. They snorted coldly and left dejectedly.

"Mengze, don't take it to heart," Zhang Ao comforted her.

"I'm fine." Li Mengze shook his head, his face still calm, but a hint of doubt, unnoticed by anyone, flashed deep in his clear eyes.

I've already been so low-key, so why are there still people who are dissatisfied with me?
Does keeping a low profile mean allowing yourself to be bullied?

That night, he lay in bed, still troubled, and fell into a deep sleep.

Consciousness returned to that familiar emerald dreamscape, where the usually vibrant green lights were unusually subdued today.

In the heart of the lake, atop a white jade lotus platform.

Li Pingcan was taken aback. He sensed the ripples of confusion spreading through his son's soul and immediately understood everything that had happened during the day.

I couldn't help but chuckle slightly; those are the troubles of growing up.

With a thought, a warm spiritual power, like moonlight, shone upon Li Mengze's spiritual light.

A dream constructed from thoughts quietly descends.

In Li Mengze's dream, a peerless divine sword with its sharp edge was quietly stored in a simple and unadorned scabbard.

The scabbard exists not to prove the sword's dullness, but to conceal its sharpness and ensure its safety when it is not drawn.

However, when some ignorant mosquitoes and flies tried to provoke it, the divine sword was suddenly drawn, and its dazzling light instantly cut down all the villains.

Concealing one's edge does not mean having no edge at all.

Being low-key is not a sign of weakness.

A sudden realization, like a clear spring, flowed into Li Mengze's heart.

When Li Mengze woke up from his dream again, the morning light was already faint outside the window. He felt refreshed and clear-headed after a good night's sleep, and his confusion was easily resolved.

"Thank you, Senior Dream..."

Li Mengze thought to himself.

He sat up, and in his clear eyes, there was less of the childlike confusion and more of a sharpness.

He knew what he had to do.

…………

The academy's monthly alchemy competition arrived as scheduled.

This competition is about alchemy.

The task was simple: to refine the most basic first-grade low-level pill in the academy—the Qi Gathering Pill.

Although this pill is not of high grade, it is the best standard for testing a pill refiner's basic skills. The quality of the pill depends mainly on the patterns formed on the pill, which are called pill patterns. There are one to nine patterns, with nine being the ultimate. It is not easy for ordinary students to refine pills with pill patterns.

The competition was divided into two rounds: the first round was identifying the medicinal herbs; the second round was creating the elixir.

In the herb identification field, dozens of herbs were mixed together, including some counterfeit products that were extremely similar in appearance and smell. The students were required to pick them all out within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Li Mengze walked forward unhurriedly. Unlike others, he did not pick up each herb for careful examination. Instead, he closed his eyes and gently brushed his hand over the herbs.

The life force of each herb was clearly presented in his perception.

In less than half an incense stick's time, he had sorted all the herbs with 100% accuracy!
This move amazed the teachers and students present.

It was time for the second round of Dan to be completed.

Li Mengze walked up to the alchemy furnace.

He didn't rush into action, but first carefully processed each medicinal herb before starting to refine the elixir.

His movements weren't as visually appealing as others', but rather as steady and composed as an old ox grazing.

Upon seeing this, an alchemist shook his head slightly: "Although the identification of the herbs was correct, the processing speed of the herbs is too slow, and it may not be able to keep up with the completion of the pill."

Master Chen shook his head. "He is dull-witted and not cut out for alchemy."

“Master Chen is right.”

Another teacher chimed in, "I've watched him practice a few times, and his control over spiritual energy is clumsy. It's such a waste of all the effort you've put in, Teacher Su."

Su Qingxue simply smiled faintly upon hearing this.

“You are all mistaken,” she said gently. “The art of alchemy values ​​focus and sincerity, not momentary skill. Mengze is a calm and diligent student, which are the most precious qualities of an alchemist. His current ‘slowness’ is laying the most solid foundation for his future ‘speed.’ I believe that his future achievements will be extraordinary.”

Seeing her insistence, the two teachers didn't say anything more, but they secretly shook their heads, both feeling that Su Qingxue was blinded by the child's well-behaved appearance.

Li Mengze was unaware of his teachers' evaluations and focused solely on refining medicine.

Finally, just before the competition was about to end, a refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted from the alchemy furnace.

"Turn on the furnace!"

With a soft shout, the stove lid opened.

At the bottom of the furnace, three round, plump pills, emitting a faint bluish light, lay quietly.

The judge stepped forward, his expression one of utter astonishment: "Three Qi Gathering Pills, all bearing pill patterns! Two with three patterns, and one... with four patterns!" "My God! Four pill patterns! I can't believe my eyes!"

"This Li Mengze, didn't he say before that he even had difficulty absorbing Qi? How come..."

"This is a true genius in alchemy!"

It should be noted that when disciples of the academy refine Qi Gathering Pills, it is already considered good if they can produce one with pill patterns. If they can refine one with three pill patterns, they can be called geniuses. And four pill patterns are enough to show that the alchemist's control over the heat and pharmacology has reached a very exquisite level!

Master Chen and the others looked embarrassed and ashamed, never expecting to be proven wrong so quickly. Their previous "honest" advice now seemed to prove they hadn't recognized its value and were short-sighted.

Wang Teng and the other two were completely flustered when they saw the pill with clear patterns in Li Mengze's hand; their faces turned pale and ashen.

'How is this possible? Isn't he a good-for-nothing? Four Dan patterns!'

The huge difference made his Dao heart unstable. When he lit the fire, his hand trembled and the fire suddenly flared up, burning one of the main ingredients to charcoal. The remaining flames burned them to ashes, and even their eyebrows were singed and curled.

With a muffled bang, a plume of black smoke billowed from the furnace, signaling the failure of this alchemy attempt.

The teacher in charge of recording the results glanced at the list and said indifferently, "Wang Teng, Wang Teng, Liu Kai, and Zhao Yi all destroyed their pills and are therefore unqualified for the competition."

Wang Teng's face turned deathly pale. If he failed again, the fourteen-year-old would be deemed to have no talent for alchemy and would be expelled from the Pill Hall!

"Haha!" Seeing the deadpan faces of Wang Teng and the other two, Zhang Ao felt instantly relieved and walked over to Li Mengze with a smile: "Good lad, I knew you could do it! Let's see if those guys dare to gossip again!"

"Hehe." Li Mengze smiled shyly, then looked at the three people.

With their ability to discern good from evil taking effect, the three men's originally intense black aura was mixed with a complex gray, an emotion called "cowardice and retreat." Clearly, these three men had remembered the lesson of today.

Feeling the awe and envy around him, he felt a sense of peace.

His talent shone through, and he achieved third place in alchemy. This proved to be more effective than a hundred words of explanation.

…………

The news that his nephew had displayed a talent for alchemy at the academy quickly reached Yunshui County.

Upon hearing this, Li Ping'an, who was handling official business, paused in his writing, then clapped his hands and laughed heartily, feeling extremely pleased.

"Good! Good! Good! My Li family has a worthy successor!"

He put down the file and felt all the fatigue of the past few days vanish.

Just then, a trusted confidant strode in, holding a secret letter stamped with the Mu family's wax seal.

"My lord, a letter has arrived from the Mu family."

Li Ping'an took the letter, opened it, and his smile grew even brighter.

"God help me too!"

The letter stated that due to his outstanding achievements in Yunshui County over the past few years, with both tax revenue and public security far exceeding previous years, and with the high praise of several officials in the prefectural government, as well as the influence of the Mu family, he had been officially transferred to Songling Prefecture.

Although he was only promoted to a minor official position in the "Minsheng Division" of the prefecture, he truly stepped from the "county" level into the core circle of the "prefecture"!

The official he needed to assist was Chen Wangdao, a physician in the State Administration of Civil Affairs.

This Physician Chen is a well-known pragmatist, an upright man, and he appreciates talented young people the most. He is an ally of the Mu family faction and Li Ping'an's biggest backer in the state government in the future.

"Late Autumn, pack your bags, we... are heading to the prefectural capital!"

Li Ping'an hurried home and told his wife the good news.

"Really? Then we're closer to Father and the others!" Mu Wanqiu was overjoyed upon hearing this.

"Mom, are we not staying here anymore?" Li Nianhe heard the noise and ran over, tugging at her mother's sleeve, her little face full of reluctance. "I still want to play with Brother Yuanhu."

"Yes, Mother, I don't want to leave." Li Nianjun, who was usually quiet, rarely spoke up, her eyes red.

Seeing the two children's reluctant expressions, Mu Wanqiu's joy was somewhat diminished, replaced by a touch of maternal tenderness and helplessness.

She knelt down, embraced the two children, and gently comforted them.

…………

The old family home in Peach Blossom Village soon learned of Li Ping'an's "promotion".

Qin was busy preparing clothes and supplies for Li Ping'an's family, from robes for all four seasons to everyday bowls and chopsticks, leaving no detail unattended.

Li Pingcan then pulled his second brother into his study.

"Second brother, you are going to the prefecture. The officialdom is like a battlefield, and people's hearts are unpredictable. You must have some treasures to protect yourself." As he spoke, he took out a few items.

First, there are several talismans.

The Swiftness Talisman, Golden Knife Talisman, Protective Talisman... all have been adjusted in detail so that even mortals without spiritual energy can use them through the "blessing of fortune" of the Taoist temple.

Looking at those valuable talismans, Li Ping'an asked, "Where did you get so many treasures?"

Li Pingcan smiled but remained silent, taking out a breastplate made of armor plates from the soldiers' armor. "Don't let its ugliness fool you. Ordinary swords and even precious weapons can't harm it in the slightest. Wear it close to your body; it can save your life in a critical moment."

He then handed Li Ping'an a white jade porcelain bottle, saying, "Inside are 'Heart-Clearing Pills' and 'Body-Strengthening Pills.' The Heart-Clearing Pills can cure all poisons, so it's better to be prepared."

It's a pity that the divine berry's effects will disappear after twelve hours, otherwise I would have prepared some for my second brother as well.

Li Ping'an looked at the pile in his hand and felt moved.

"You..." He carefully put the things away, "You also need to be more careful."

"Don't worry, second brother," Li Pingcan laughed, "Your younger brother values ​​his life very much!"

…………

While adults worry about their future and safety, the children's sorrow at parting is all the more genuine.

In the training ground in the backyard.

Li Mengjin reluctantly handed his most treasured wooden sword, which his father had personally crafted, to Nianhe, his sister.

"This sword is really powerful. My dad says it can ward off evil spirits."

Li Nianhe's eyes were red. She knew that this wooden sword was Li Mengjin's most beloved treasure, and she was usually not allowed to touch it even once.

She took the wooden sword, hugged it tightly to her chest, and took out a peace knot carefully woven with colorful silk threads from her small purse.

"Here, take this." Her voice was trembling with tears. "I prayed for your safety."

Li Yuanhu, a tough young man, also had slightly red eyes: "If anyone bullies you, tell them that your older brother is Li Yuanhu from Yunshui County! Anyone who bullies my sister will be punished no matter where they are!"

Li Yuanxi and Li Nianjun, who were standing to the side, also exchanged gifts awkwardly.

Li Yuanxi stuffed the last lifelike sugar figurine, which he had kept hidden for half a month and couldn't bear to eat, into Li Nianjun's hand.

Li Nianjun gave her favorite comic book with illustrations to her brother Yuanxi.

“Brother Yuanxi, if you miss me, take a look at this comic book.”

"Yes!" Li Yuanxi nodded heavily, but tears welled up in her eyes.

The five figures hugged each other and cried together.

Jiang Ling'er and Mu Wanqiu, who were watching from the side, couldn't help but have tears in their eyes.

…………

The day of parting finally arrived.

The entire Li family, young and old, came out to see him off.

"Ping An, once you arrive in the prefecture, think things through carefully and don't act impulsively." Li Rongzhou patted his son's shoulder, his eyes filled with reluctance.

Qin Shi held Mu Wanqiu's hand, tears streaming down her face, and stuffed a bulging package into her hand. "Inside are clothes and shoes that your mother made for you, as well as some local produce. Don't be offended..."

"Father, Mother, please take care." Li Ping'an and Mu Wanqiu knelt down and respectfully kowtowed three times.

The carriage started slowly, its wheels rolling over the bluestone slabs with a "gurgling" sound.

"Goodbye, Uncle!"

"Nianhe, remember to write to me!"

The children chased the carriage for a long way until its magnificent body completely disappeared at the end of the old locust tree at the village entrance.

Li Pingcan stood there, watching the carriage disappear into the distance, and sighed softly in his heart.

Today we part ways, and who knows when we'll meet again.

(End of this chapter)