Cornflower Witch

Chapter 4 The Power of Sexuality and Basic Swordsmanship (Thanks to Ms. Shenqi for being the leader of the "Want to Get Closer with Alice" guild).
Late at night, Hilti was finally able to lie quietly in bed, while Taliel slept on the wooden floor of the room. Because it was the warm autumn season, it was not cold even though it was autumn, and there was still some heat.

Today has been quite eventful. Hilti had trouble sleeping, and as she closed her eyes, all sorts of memories and images flashed through her mind.

What exactly is the power of sexuality? How big is this world? How will she make a living in the future? Where will she go from here? All sorts of thoughts and questions swirled in her mind.

I was exhausted, and I fell asleep in less than half an hour, my breathing gradually becoming steady.

……

The night passed peacefully

The crisp chirping of birds under the eaves woke Hilti in the early morning. She rubbed her eyes, her snow-white hair sticking up and falling over her shoulders and neck. She shook her head, and the girl was about to get up to go to the toilet, but when she stepped on the uneven, hard muddy ground, she realized something was wrong and suddenly opened her eyes wide.

“This is…” Right, this is no longer Earth. Ju Lan’s eyes closed slightly, her voice filled with emotion.

Forget it, forget it, I shouldn't think about it anymore. What was I supposed to do today? She groped her way up, put on her little leather shoes, and fastened the shoelaces.

The light-colored leather shoes paired with snow-white socks accentuated the soft curves of her ankles and calves, creating a natural beauty even without further embellishment. After tidying her clothes and hair, Hilti walked around the room a few times but couldn't find a mirror or anything like that.

There are probably no mirrors here, so I wonder how the villagers usually groom themselves. To be honest, she's also curious about what she looks like now.

Taliel wasn't there. She had slept in the same room with her last night. Had she gotten up early and gone out? Sylvia wondered as she walked toward the closed wooden door.

Pushing open the door and stepping outside, the bright sunshine felt warm. Some villagers had already gotten up and were walking around the village. Compared to the fierce battle of last night, today was exceptionally peaceful and tranquil.

The village square in the distance had been cleaned up, with only a few traces remaining to show what happened last night. Some houses had smoke coming out of their chimneys, probably from cooking. Hiltiya skipped lightly down the pebble path on the hillside.

After what happened last night, many people in the village already knew that there was such a noblewoman, but they didn't actually see her face until today.

Out of curiosity and awe of her noble status, most of the villagers watched her walk down the hillside from a distance until Hiltiah returned to the square, at which point the aunt who had brought her the pie the night before came over.

"Miss Tia, are you up? Would you like something to eat?" she called to the girl, indicating that she was also preparing breakfast today.

“Okay.” Hiltiya nodded, and then received the toast from the aunt.

The bread was slightly larger than her hand, still warm, and had a slightly sweet taste. It had coarse bran and was black bread, but of better quality than ordinary black bread.

"How is it? Are you enjoying the food?"

"Mmm, it's delicious." In the current situation, this should be considered good food, and Hilti is easily satisfied.

"I'm glad Miss Tiya likes it, hehehe." Seeing this, the aunt smiled broadly, probably because she was quite proud and happy that her work had been recognized by this noble young lady.

While eating bread, the two talked about their current situation.

"Taliel must have gone to help the wounded. I'll call her for you later."

……

"We were busy all night yesterday, and many people are still sleeping and resting. We don't have much to offer you."

……

"Captain Frien is resting in that stone tower at the edge of the village. He probably won't wake up until noon."

……

“Old Master Pound should still be arranging the aftermath. How about I take you to the caravan? They should have a lot of interesting things there.”

Worried that the noblewoman might be bored, the woman led her to an open space behind the village, where caravans would camp overnight, currently surrounded by a simple fence.

"Henry—"

The woman waved, calling over a young man in the distance.

"What is it, Aunt?" The honest-looking young man walked over. He was a head taller than Hilti and quite sturdy. He was wearing a linen shirt.

"You accompany Miss Tiya to the caravan and help her carry things. Also, when those unscrupulous merchants are selling their goods, make sure they don't try to fool Miss Tiya."

"Oh, I see, Auntie." He scratched the back of his head, stole a few glances at the silver-haired girl in front of him, and then lowered his head again, probably because he was a little shy and embarrassed.

"Alright, you can go ahead. Remember to bring Miss Tia back for lunch."

"know."

Henry then led the way, guiding Hilti towards the caravan. Along the way, people occasionally greeted Henry, but their attention was more focused on the rare noblewoman behind him. They were amazed by her appearance and demeanor, and some were even stunned by her beauty.

Faced with this situation, Hilti could only lower her head slightly to avoid an overly offensive gaze, occasionally brushing her fingers through the hair on her forehead to cover herself.

If only I could buy clothes to cover my head, like the raincoats I saw in my previous life.

This made her look forward to the location of the caravan she was going to.

After passing through most of the village, the two arrived at the caravan's encampment, where a few villagers were already negotiating and shopping.

"I have two bags of white peony root at home. I wonder if you would buy them?"

“We’ll buy any white wind roots as long as they’re not rotten. Do you want to exchange them for this spearhead?” A member of the caravan took out a spearhead made of pig iron.

"This will do. I'll give you another bag of black pebbles. That should be enough."

"That's enough, go get the White Wind Root."

After the negotiation, the middle-aged villager left the caravan's camp, presumably to go home and get his belongings.

After listening to the conversation between the two, the girl walked into the caravan's encampment and carefully examined the goods on display. Many of them were scattered in bags and wooden boxes, while a few more valuable items were placed in tents. Among them were ironware, honey, spices, cloth, and some everyday trinkets such as candlesticks, needles and thread, bath towels, and soap.

Walking among the piles of goods, Hilti's gaze was curious, her eyes blinking frequently as a few pieces of information surfaced in her mind.

【Purple Turnip】(Quality: Common), a common vegetable that can be stored for a long time.

【Iron Spearhead】(Quality: Common), made of cast iron, can be inserted into a wooden pole.

……

【Coarse Salt】(Quality: Inferior) contains many impurities and has a poor taste.

……

After looking around, Hilti couldn't find the hooded coat she wanted, so she asked a member of the caravan for help.

"Do you sell coats here? I need one that can cover my hair." She gestured simply with her hands.

"You mean one of those hooded cloaks? Let me look." He quickly found a few, but the style and quality were really nothing to write home about.

[Linen Cloak] (Quality: Poor), the cuffs are of uneven length, the stitching is rough, probably a practice piece made by an apprentice.
“That won’t do.” Henry, who had been by Silti’s side for a long time, finally spoke up, blocking the girl’s way and stopping the shop assistant’s sales pitch.

Hiltia tilted her head slightly and peered at the clothes through the gap on Henry's shoulder. Most of them were of poor quality and ugly in style, no wonder they couldn't be sold and were just sitting in the back of the closet.

Moreover, she compared the size of the hood to the size of the head, and realized that it would probably have to be tightly wrapped around her head to form a ball to cover her up, which would be extremely uncomfortable to wear.

"Isn't there anything better?"

"That's all, I'm sorry, miss, that's all we have." The other party was also helpless, as they were currently experiencing a shortage of stock.

Hiltiya turned her gaze to the other goods around her, looking for some alternatives.

Do you have any hats here?

"Hat? Only straw hats."

After searching for a while, the straw hat she found was deflated and covered in splinters. Just as the girl was about to pick it up to see if she could use it, a familiar voice came from behind her.

"Are you Miss Tia? I am Van der Hee, the leader of this caravan." A bearded merchant wearing a felt hat walked over, followed by two bodyguards.

"Hello." Hiltiya put down her hat, turned around, and nodded in return.

He glanced around, and when the salesperson who had just been promoting the product to Xilutiya told Van der Hee about the situation, he quickly understood and nodded and smiled at the girl.

“Miss Tia, do you want clothes and hats? These things are indeed not suitable for your status. Please come with me.” With that, he gestured for the girl to go to the inner part of the caravan, where a relatively exquisite wooden carriage with glass windows was parked, exuding a certain grandeur.

He opened the car door, invited Silti to sit opposite him, and had tea prepared before starting to talk with the girl.

“I have a few nice clothes here. They were originally ordered by a wealthy family in the city, but it’s not a big problem to transfer them to you. I can find other channels to replenish them later when I go back to the city. It will just take a little more effort.” He showed his generosity.

"Thank you." Hiltiya nodded slightly, knowing that this merchant must have more to say, otherwise he wouldn't have specially invited her over.

"...I wonder where Miss Tia is going next? If it's on the way, I might be able to help you out." Seeing that the girl didn't respond, he stroked his beard and continued speaking.

"I don't know where my family is right now. Maybe I should go to a larger city to look for channels and methods," the girl replied, twirling a strand of her hair with her finger.

“In that case, I suggest we go to Jiaoshi City, which is nearby. It’s quite prosperous and has all kinds of businesses. I’m going there this time too.” Van der Hee planned to use this trip to get closer to the noblewoman. As for why he believed she was a noblewoman, her temperament, clothes, appearance, and skin condition were something that commoners simply could not fake.

"Thank you for your kindness, but I don't have any money on me at the moment, so I'm afraid I can't repay you right now," Hiltiya replied politely.

"That's alright, just consider it as getting to know a friend, don't you think?" This was exactly the result Van der Hee wanted. If the girl really offered him money, he would try his best to refuse, otherwise it would be difficult to use this opportunity to build a closer relationship.

"Thank you." With that, Hiltiya felt somewhat relieved.

If she can move to a larger city, she should be able to find a suitable job and pay off her debts. As for establishing herself in the future, that will depend on other opportunities.

At this moment, a member of the caravan came over with a wooden tray carrying brewed tea, placed the tea on a small table inside the carriage, and then bent down to leave.

"Please have some. This is a rare and excellent Musang Mountain tea that I sourced from the Afira Manor in the north." He then picked up his teacup and took a small sip. Hiltiya followed suit, her eyes flickering, a thought flashing through her mind.

【Black Tea (Musk Mountain Souchong)】(Quality: Good): Summer-picked tea, 82% fermentation, with honey, mellow and sweet aroma, slightly astringent, with a slight restorative effect (affected by the 'blazing sun' phase of the Asahi season).

Seeing that there was nothing wrong with the tea, she took a small sip. The hot tea flowed between her teeth, bringing a hint of sweetness.

Taking a small breath, Hirutiya put down the tea; it was a little hot.

Across from him, Van der Hee didn't seem to care about the heat. He savored his black tea with great satisfaction, and the honey added to it also pleased him. His eyes narrowed slightly.

Taking this opportunity, Hilutia and Van der Hee talked about the situation in the surrounding villages and towns.

"Besides Linden Village, there is a Honeybee Village about 20 kilometers away, which produces good honey. Then there are Tieyan Village and Changsuo Village, which are even further away."

"The nearest town is Heshi Town. Thirty miles west along the road to Heshi Town is Jiaoshi City. It is a city built against the mountain. It was burned by a fire before, and many of the stones are blackened, hence the name Jiaoshi City. It is the territory of Viscount Xuefeng."

"Approximately how many people live in Jiaoshi City?" the girl asked again.

"It's estimated to be around 4, but no one has counted them exactly." As a businessman, Van der Hee knew about this; the city's population directly affects the market size and the demand for goods.

Afterwards, Hilti learned a lot about the local situation from him, and finally gained a general understanding of this world.

Currently, the Principality of Regas, where she resides, has a population of approximately 300 million. It is located in the southern part of the continent, surrounded by several smaller principalities scattered across the fragmented mountain plains, with varying strengths among them.

Furthermore, she also deduced some information about sexuality from Vanderhee's words.

This world has many extraordinary 'attributes', which can be understood as a special kind of conceptual magic. They can transform into each other in a special way, and they can also weaken and strengthen. When they strengthen, the secret arts and abilities of using that attribute can be strengthened in sync.

Ordinary people can choose at most one aspect to focus on and obtain the power of that aspect. Due to race and origin, the 'Blood Law' aspect is a latent aspect engraved in the blood of all living beings. As long as red blood flows in the body, even if one practices other aspect classes, it will not prevent one from obtaining the power of the 'Blood Law' aspect, such as techniques like 'breathing techniques'.

However, this compatibility only exists at the low level. If the acquired 'Blood Law' aspect ability becomes stronger, it will interfere with and affect the cultivation of the main aspect power.

Similarly, the "beast teeth" trait is a latent trait inherited from the bloodlines of many beasts, the "dragon eyes" trait is inherited from the bloodlines of dragons, the "snail fish" trait is inherited from the bloodlines of aquatic and amphibious creatures, the "insect moth" trait is inherited from the bloodlines of insects, and the "emerald honey" trait is a latent trait contained in all plants.

Mastering the power of sexual forms is not limited. As long as the conditions are right, humans can also obtain the power of sexual forms such as 'snail fish' and 'dragon eyes'. However, compared to creatures that inherit it innately, it requires more skills and resources to cultivate.

Those who focused on cultivating a particular spiritual path gathered together, exchanged ideas, and learned from each other, thus forming the earliest school of thought.

Today, the kingship on earth is built upon the 'castle' aspect. Wherever there are villages and towns, there are 'castle' aspect magic arrays. Their main components are pillars, towers, castles, city walls, and other foundational structures. These structures subtly form a mysterious ritual, causing the 'castle' aspect barrier to envelop villages and towns, protecting the residents inside from the influence of other aspects.

Wild animals that acquire sexual energy will feel a sense of oppression and discomfort when approaching towns, and therefore they will actively avoid such places, unless—

“They wouldn’t dare to break into a village unless they were led by a high-ranking leader.” A deep voice broke in, causing the two people talking to look up.

“Captain Frien, you’ve arrived.” Van der Hee stood up to greet him, and the other man, back to the sunlight, bent down to enter the exquisite carriage and sat down beside him.

Ignoring Van der Hee's greeting, Frien nodded slightly to Siltiia, "Thank you for last night, Miss Tia."

Thanks to Hilti's rescue, many cavalry members survived, which relieved him and filled him with gratitude. He then came specifically to find Hilti.

"I only did what little I could," the girl replied modestly, though she did have something to ask the cavalry captain.

"I noticed you used breathing techniques during the battle last night, didn't I?"

“That’s right, this is one of my current abilities.” Apart from the Destiny Card, each being has three slots for [Ability Cards].

"I would like to learn breathing techniques to protect myself. I wonder if you could teach me?" Hiltiya asked earnestly.

"This... is not difficult. In fact, I often teach those soldiers and the village militia. After all, this is not a rare thing, and many people know how to do it."

“But Miss Tia, are you sure you want to learn this? Because there are only three slots for ability cards for level 1-2 superhumans. If you take up all of them, it will squeeze out the space for learning other skills.”

"Once you gain the ability of [Breathing Technique], can't you give it up?" Upon hearing this, Siltiya hesitated.

"We can give up, but it will take some time, and we will probably need some medication to help alleviate the side effects during the process."

"I see, then I have nothing to worry about." Hiltiya breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing this, Frien stopped interfering, but there were some things he didn't say: the potions needed to neutralize the [Breathing Technique] were often expensive, but for nobles, this should be a small matter.

"I also need to recuperate in the village for a while to prevent that red wolf from returning. I will do my best to teach Miss Tia during this week."

For the next few days, Hilti stayed in Linden Village, helping to take care of the wounded cavalrymen, changing their bandages and treating their wounds, and learning the 'breathing technique' from Frien.

……

The next day

In the open space behind the village, several people stood under a tree listening to Frien explain how to train in the 'breathing technique'. Among them were several other young villagers besides Hilti, including Henry and Talil.

Because of the battle a few days ago, many people felt a sense of crisis and listened with extra attention as Fryen explained the application of the 'breathing technique'.

"Although the 'breathing method' for strengthening the body is much simpler than some 'meditation method' for training the mind, it's already quite good if one out of ten people can learn it. If you can't master it, don't be too discouraged." He warned in advance before teaching, based on his past experience, that on average only one out of twenty young people could learn it.

"Okay, now follow the rhythm I just mentioned, close your eyes and gradually adjust your breathing."

……

Hiltiya stood in the last row, where she felt more comfortable and it was also more shady. At this moment, she began to adjust her breathing, closing her eyes to search for that rhythm and the strange cadence hidden deep in her heartbeat.

The open space quieted down. The eight young people carefully felt their heartbeats and breaths, slowly following the steps to adjust their breathing so that it gradually synchronized with the rhythm of their heartbeats. Some frowned throughout the process, unable to notice any changes. Some seemed to notice subtle differences, but still couldn't grasp them and could only repeat in vain. Others couldn't even keep their breathing steady and gradually became anxious.

Looking at the group of people in front of him, Frien shook his head inwardly, feeling that none of them had any hope of learning it. If they really had talent, they would have been discovered long ago. He remembered that the village chief was an adventurer when he was young and knew breathing techniques. He must have tried to teach these children on his own.

Baron Hollin's territory contains 11 villages, each with about 300 people. In each village, about ten people can master the 'breathing technique'. After removing the elderly and those who have gone out to explore, only four or five people remain in the village.

He remembered that in Lindenwood Village, there were only two hunters, two security patrolmen, one butcher, and then the old village chief. This was the accumulation of more than ten years in the village. Judging from this, if two people in Taliel's generation could produce someone who could use the Breathing Technique, then there would be a successor.

As Frien pondered and reminisced, Hilti's consciousness gradually immersed itself in a peculiar state. The sounds of the wind and birdsong disappeared, and only her own heartbeat became clearer and clearer.

A hazy feeling emerged. Although she couldn't see her own heart, an invisible sensation of expansion followed by contraction gradually appeared. Following the leaping, blurry shape, her breathing slowly became longer and her heartbeat became slower.

Each heartbeat became regular, gradually matching the rhythm of her breathing. Invisible and hidden crimson threads appeared in her mind, these threads seemed to have an extremely faint crimson quality, flowing with the blood and circulating continuously.

Little by little, these threads spread out, reaching into the unknown distance, twisting and turning, flowing silently within the body, until finally completing a cycle and returning to the starting point.

('Breathing Technique' Completion +12)

……

When Hilti opened her eyes again, there were no other students in the open space. Only Frien was sitting under the tree. When he saw that she had opened her eyes, he stood up and walked over.

“I had them all disperse so as not to disturb you.” He looked at Siltia with a mixture of joy and surprise.

"Have you studied 'breathing techniques' before? I've never seen anyone master it so quickly." In his memory, being able to complete the first breathing cycle in three days was a rare genius, and he had only known one such person in all these years.

The girl completed her first breathing cycle in just half an hour, and the process was remarkably smooth without any unexpected interruptions.

"I don't know. I don't remember anything from when I was little, but I definitely don't know 'breathing techniques' right now." Hearing Frien say this, she also doubted whether she had learned them before.

“Anyway, if you practice and repeat it more over the next few days, you’ll gradually master the first stage of breathing techniques,” Frien told her expectantly.

"There are a few things I need to tell you. The first stage of breathing will put a lot of stress on your body. If you want to use it, the duration should not exceed 10 seconds in the beginning. It is best to rest and relax immediately after use. The total time used in a day should not exceed 1 minute."

"Is it that short?" Hiltiya asked in surprise.

"Hehe, of course, what do you think this is? This is a decisive measure, the most crucial moment. If you are just a few points faster, it can immediately determine life or death."

"Here, take this wooden sword." He handed the girl a wooden sword, then pointed to himself.

"Try chopping it down."

Grasping the wooden sword, Hilti tried to attack Frien, but as she stepped forward to swing the sword, Frien dodged the blade with a speed that the girl couldn't react to. Then, his palm slashed at Hilti's neck like a knife, finally stopping 2 centimeters away, lifting a few strands of hair.

"See? Just a third faster and I can take your life. And what's the price? Two seconds of breathing technique usage. Do you still think it's weak and not enough?" Frien grinned as he spoke.

Only then did Hiltiya truly realize how powerful and practical the power of sexuality was. Even ordinary sexuality abilities were enough to make an individual's strength far surpass that of ordinary people, reaching the point where one could take on ten. However, mastering such abilities was still a very long way from becoming a true first-tier transcendent.

That crimson giant wolf was far more terrifying than imagined. Even Captain Frien could only barely fight it by relying on the village's 'castle' magic circle.

[Breathing Technique Lv.0] (Blood Rhythm): An undeveloped ability, current progress (12/100)

Seeing the information appear in her mind, Hilti felt a surge of anticipation and motivation, wondering what she would be like after she had fully mastered the [Breathing Technique].

"Haha, aren't you excited? I also have a few sword and spear techniques, and I'll teach them all to you when I have some free time these next few days."

"Just knowing how to breathe isn't enough. You also need to combine it with suitable techniques, and finally, the courage and will to fight. You'll understand later. Only when all these are combined will you have a chance to truly embark on the path of pursuing the power of sexuality." As he spoke, he recalled certain things deep in his eyes, his voice full of emotion.

"I understand, thank you, teacher." Hiltiya bowed respectfully.

-

Sexual Phase [Blood Rhythm]: The pulse of blood and life, the first sound and surge in the world, the beginning of all flesh and blood life, and also proof of survival.

　Thanks to the old man from the Northwest for his perilous adventure, and to Yingming for his support.

　　Thank you Tianyi, Mo Ran Lang Wu, uYeXiu, Yi Tiao Xiang Li Wen Xi Xian Yu, and Qing Qiang Feng.

　　Winter Strings, ~xy~, Zige 3rd, Ink-dyed Wolf Five, Flowers Bloom and Clouds Sway, Forget Suffering and Seek Joy, Starry Sky and Purple Cloud Sea
　　Heartless Fallen Leaves, Unable to Cross the South Wind But Met Ah Jiu, Offering Love in Sleep, Salted Fish Cuisine, July's Dream 7726, Starry Ballad, Once a Shooting Star Striked, iIi, Waiting for readers' rewards~
　　Many thanks to Kiyohime for the great victory, and thank you to the guild leader, Shinki-sama, for wanting to be close to Alice! Thanks (ω)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)