High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 186: Chapter 110 Bowl Flower_1

The field where the Taste Thorns are located, originally belonged to the plant called ’Emperor Xi’.

’Emperor Xi’, also known as ’Don’t Worry Wood’, helps calm the mind and nourishes tranquility.

An old book once said, on Shaoshi Mountain, a countless variety of plants grow. Among them, there is a tree named ’Emperor Xi’. Its leaves resemble those of a poplar tree, its branches intersect and extend in all directions, blossoming yellow flowers and yielding black fruits. One who consumes it can achieve inner peace and tranquility, free from anger.

Due to this effect, modern wizards have categorized it as a ’Neural Soothing’ type of plant. The temperament of the shrub and its functioning in pharmacology are quite similar - they are both incredibly mild-mannered and humble.

However, under the rule of natural selection in the wild, a humble plant is not necessarily adaptable. Many seeds of various plants, taking advantage of the mild mannered ’Emperor Xi’, grow wildly within its root system, forcibly seizing nutrients that rightfully belong to ’Emperor Xi’.

Just like the Taste Thorns.

Zheng Qing suspected that if these magical ancient trees didn’t have the wizard’s protection, they would have likely disappeared in the long river of history.

When Old Man Sistanda distributed small bamboo baskets to each person, the duo allocated to capture the ’Wild Bunny Grandpa’ in the desert have already returned with a slender plant with yellow flowers and red leaves.

The old gardener happily received the spoils with a broad smile while Professor Li Qihuang seized this opportunity to gather everyone together and reiterated the rules of the garden.

”Do you all remember what I told you before entering the garden?” The professor’s gaze slowly swept over the green, excited faces in front of him and raised his voice: ”Once you enter the garden: first, obey the teacher’s instructions; second, do not touch anything; third, listen to the teacher’s instructions and do not touch anything!”

”Did you all do that?” His warning gaze lingered on several faces for a brief moment.

Many students guiltily lowered their heads.

”Now, Uncle Sistanda has assigned you tasks.” Professor Li frowned, adding unwillingly: ”Although I don’t advise using newly-enrolled students for field work, since the garden didn’t raise any objections, I hope you can demonstrate the qualities an excellent Jiuyou person should acquire.”

”Are you confident?”

”Yes.” The students responded unevenly.

”Hmm?” Professor Li raised his eyebrows and asked again: ”Are you confident?”

”Yes!” This time, the answer was unusually crisp and tidy, full of spirit.

The professor nodded in satisfaction and prepared to leave.

Zheng Qing seized the opportunity to raise his hand, shaking it vigorously.

The classmates next to him quickly cleared enough space for him to do so.

”Any questions?” Professor Li’s tone softened again.

”Yes.” Zheng Qing glared fiercely at those classmates who had given him way, nervously ruffled his bangs, and asked: ”Why aren’t we allowed to use magic in the garden?”

”What I mean is, spells or magical tools should greatly improve our work efficiency, right?” He explained and then threw out a question that had been bothering him for a long time: ”Sistanda’s hoe seems to be able to transform into many tools, doesn’t this count as magic?”

”Very good.” Professor Li always lavishly praised valuable questions. He straightened up his body, with a rather serious look scanned his eyes around, and reiterated the rules: ”The student mentioned magic, very good, so let me restate the rules.”

”Any magic, that is not allowed beforehand, is forbidden in the Hundred Herb Gardens.”

Zheng Qing pursed his lips, which meant that the old gardener’s Crane Beak Hoe had already received approval.

Apparently sensing the students’ disgruntled mood, Professor Li organized his words and gave everyone a complete explanation:

”There are a total of 136,927 types of medicinal herbs in the garden, and there are 372 types of medicinal herbs in the medicinal garden under this environment.”

”Each type of medicinal herb is a precious life, and also a fragile existence.”

”Those familiar with medicine making have probably all wondered.”

”Why don’t we use magic to grind the medicine powder, but clumsily use mortars, pestles, and different types of knives to slowly process it?”

”Because magic interferes with the properties of the medicinal powder.”

”Just like a drop of ink falling into a basin of pure water, even if you can’t see the change in the water color, the water has indeed been contaminated.”

”You must remember, never use magic-contaminated materials to formulate medicine!” Professor Li emphasized, citing an example:

”Over a hundred years ago, at the beginning of the 20th century in White Ding Calendar, the grand wizard of Fresbeleia, Tongus, caused a terrible accident because he used a screening magic to purify the ’Blue Fluorescence’ and formulated the ’Final Fantasy’. The horrifying explosion could be likened to the destructive spell ’Makapolo’.”

”The sky was filled with strange lights and colors, as if a show of force against the Holy Spirit; only a thousand suns could compete with it!”

”So, you must, you must, not use magic to handle your medicinal materials.”

Professor Li looked at the somewhat shocked crowd and laughed: ”Of course, you don’t need to worry too much. That accident was caused by a research team. Given your level, the medicine made from magic-contaminated materials will at most lose its efficacy, and will not cause drastic changes.”

”The prohibition of magic in the Hundred Herb Gardens is largely based on this idea.”

”Strict, but it can avoid risk to the greatest extent.”

”Yes, Professor Li explained it well.” Uncle Sistanda appeared at the edge of the crowd at some point. He clapped his hands, directing everyone to spread out into the fields, shouting, ”One row per person, remember to clean it up!”

”Put the Taste Thorns you pulled up into the small baskets we gave you, don’t just throw them away. These little things won’t give up their effort to root in the soil as long as they touch the earth’s energy!”

Xin Fat Man and Zhang Ji Xin, each holding their small baskets, joined the ranks of the weeding army with a blank look.

Zheng Qing followed beside Xiao Xiao, pulling weeds and listening to this encyclopedia explain various strange herbs and insects.

In this herb field, besides the Taste Thorns, there were many chaotically growing magical plants.

After weeding for half the day and feeling tired, they looked around. There were no supervisors around.

The sun overhead was always so dazzling.

Such a good weather for a nap.

Zheng Qing found a shady spot, sat down, and took out the ”Principles of Rune Construction” by Man Kun from his backpack, intending to take a break for a while.

Although he hasn’t agreed with Yilian on tutoring Talisman lessons yet, Zheng Qing decided to face this matter with the most positive attitude.

So, recently, whenever he has time, he has been working hard to review the basic theoretical knowledge of the Talisman.

”What’s the use of this Morning Glory?” Xin Fat Man’s surprised voice echoed.

Zheng Qing turned his head and saw Xin Fat Man grabbing a pink flower from the edge of the field, raising it and asking out loud.

”Don’t!” Professor Li was horrified, but it was too late to stop him.

Xin Fat Man quickly dropped the flower in his hand out of fear, but he felt no discomfort after a while.

”Trying to die in new ways again.” Zheng Qing rubbed his face weakly, very doubtful that his classmates could survive four years safely in this dangerous magical world.

”No problem, no problem, it’s just a Bowl flower.” The old gardener waved his hands laughing in the distance, not caring at all: ”Besides, that flower is not mature yet, the effect is at most for a week.”

”Bowl flower? A week!” Xin Fat Man’s face turned green immediately.

”Don’t worry, don’t worry.” Uncle Sistanda casually turned over a piece of hard mud under his feet, broke it up with a hoe and stood up laughing: ”This flower will only take effect tomorrow. You need to eat more tonight, and then you can bear it for a few days. It’ll pass. Young fellow, what are you afraid of?”

Xin Fat Man drooped his head dejectedly and did not respond.

Under Xiao Xiao’s explanation, Zheng Qing finally understood.

This pink flower, like Taste Thorn, also belongs to the herbs for controlling emotions. However, as against the small herbs that only leave a pungent smell after being crushed, the Bowl flower carries with it a powerful curse bestowed by its ancestors.

Any unauthorized picking of flowers will lead to a loss of hand coordination for a certain period of time. In plain terms, one’s hand will shake after the fact.

For a wizard, the most common form of loss of control is dropping the bowl.

Picking this flower will make the wizard drop fragile porcelain pieces on the floor while eating or pouring tea and water, because of the shaking hands.

The ’hand’ here refers to a hand in a broad sense, so even if the wizard who is affected by the curse uses a spell to eat or drink, they cannot avoid this risk.

”But that flower really only looks like a Morning Glory!” Xin Fat Man still dwelled on this matter after school, venting his grievances.

”I thought so too.” Zheng Qing comfortingly patted his shoulder and turned to look at Xiao Xiao: ”What’s the difference between a Bowl flower and a Morning Glory?”

”Look it up in the ’Wizard’s Encyclopedia’ yourself.” Xiao Xiao was increasingly frustrated by this kind of attention: ”Like the Morning Glory and Speaker Flowers, the Bowl flower is part of the Solanaceae family — in fact, apart from its actual effects, they don’t look all that different on the outside. The Bowl flower simply happens to be a paler colour, and it takes a long time for the plant to flower. It only blooms about once every thirty years.”

”Thirty years!” Zheng Qing was in disbelief: ”What is it used for? Can it make people become gods when they eat it?”

”No real use, it’s just a minor component necessary for the ’beauty-nurturing pill’ recipe.” Xiao Xiao glanced at Xin Fat Man: ”Generally speaking, one bloomed plant could assist in producing one furnace of medicine. As for its value, it varies from person to person.”

”Ha ha, but the old gardener said that flower wasn’t ripe!” Xin Fat Man’s chubby cheeks twitched, and he quickly changed the topic: ”By the way, do you want to go to the Alchemy class tomorrow morning? I heard from the senior students that the old professor who teaches Alchemy only shows up in the first class, and lets his assistant handle the following lessons.”

”What are you going to do if you don’t go to class?” Xiao Xiao Hu suspiciously looked at the fat man.

The fat man laughed and didn’t answer.

”I can’t.” Zheng Qing was listless and sighed: ”Tomorrow is Friday, and then Saturday, I have to patrol on Saturdays. If I skip class on Friday and get caught, I will definitely be called to the office on Saturday.”

”That’s true.” Xin Fat Man sympathetically looked at him, his tone filled with relief: ”Who told you to be a scholarship student!”