Cornflower Witch

Chapter 85 Crimson Berry

"Waaah, Tiya, you're finally back!"

In the village chief's room, Taliel held Hilti and wiped away her tears. She didn't know what to do if the girl didn't come back soon.

"It's alright, you're back now." Hilti hugged Taliel's back, comforting her while stroking her hair.

It was indeed my fault; because I didn't understand my innate abilities, I fell into the shadow world.

After catching up for a while, Hilti asked the old village chief how long she had been missing.

"I've sent many people from the village to search for you in the mountains for about a day and two nights, but to no avail. If we still can't find you today, I'll have to send someone to Jiaoshi City immediately to inform the important person." The old village chief looked worried and fearful.

"I'm sorry, Village Chief." Hiltiya was still very grateful to the old village chief.

I entered this world in a daze, and it was only thanks to the kindness of the villagers that I was able to integrate peacefully into the environment without any accidents happening.

"Alright, it's good that you're back. Now Taliel and I can finally get a good night's sleep, hehe." The old man's mood had improved considerably.

After resting at the village chief's house for another night, Hilti and Thaliel set off the next day to return to Scorched Stone City.

December is drawing to a close, and the assessment will take place sometime in January or February of next year, leaving Siltiya with little time to prepare.

……

Back at Lady Fran's mansion, Hilti took the opportunity to recount to the lady the general details of her fall into the Shadow World, but omitted the story of "Melelanco praying in the lake," as this holy book involved many things, and besides, there were currently no records of the "Silver Glow Church" circulating outside, so asking her teacher would be of little use.

"I didn't expect that you would have experienced the Shadow World beforehand and returned unscathed." For the first time, Lady Fran looked at Hilti with surprise, making the young girl a little embarrassed.

“Your situation does happen occasionally in various parts of mainland China, but it is extremely rare for someone to fall into the shadow world and then return on their own like you did.”

"The reason why everyone lives in cities and towns is to use the ritualistic array of the 'castle' aspect to stabilize the space and avoid encountering this strange 'fall' phenomenon," Mrs. Fran explained.

“However, once you advance to the next phase rank, you generally won’t encounter these kinds of things anymore,” she continued.

"It's like filtering wheat flour through a bamboo basket; the large particles won't fall through, and the higher-level phases have a hard time passing through such a faint spacetime gap." Mrs. Fran didn't seem to know anything about the 'alien' phase either.

"Have you transformed from Emerald into Blood Law?" She discovered something else interesting.

"Uh, yes, because it was too dangerous inside. My later-formed Emerald class was also shattered, so I had to temporarily switch to 'Blood Law' to survive," Silti replied apologetically.

"The Blood Law is nothing to worry about," Madame Fran said, shaking her head dismissively.

"In the first and second stages, the power of sexuality is unstable and easy to transform; many rituals can be performed."

"It's just that these rituals require resources, which most people can't afford."

"Hiltiya, do you think there are good and bad gardeners?" she asked the girl in front of her with interest.

"Can gardeners be categorized as good or bad?" In her memory, the most powerful gardeners were probably like her mother, who almost had the ability to change the local climate and seasons.

“Of course, just like the difference between a black wizard and a white wizard.” Mrs. Fran tapped her fingers lightly.

"I mean, there are a small number of gardeners who are particularly good at combining 'blood rhythm' and 'emerald honey' to utilize the power of blood pulse."

"This line of thinking isn't exactly evil, but some of its methods are so effective that they've been abused, giving it a bad reputation." "What are they?" Hilti asked curiously, noting that Lady Fran was speaking so indirectly today, not stating it directly.

“It’s using living people as nourishment, Tia.” Madame Fran raised her eyes and looked at the girl.

"A common evil use is to extract the blood and pulse of the enemy to nourish the mutated plant in his hands, and then condense it into 'blood-red fruit'. This fruit can strengthen the body of people who cannot learn breathing techniques."

"A slightly better use is to nourish the plant with one's own flesh and blood, and then gain the ability to control a certain special plant like one's own fingers or arms."

"The highest level of use is the legendary birth ritual of the 'Blood Flower Fairy,' which involves using one's own flesh, soul, consciousness, and everything else to nourish a flower. Once the flower blooms, the original self dies and disappears, giving birth to a 'Blood Flower Fairy' that possesses the memories of the original host."

"But the two are ultimately different. The latter merely inherited the memories of the former, and the 'Blood Flower Fairy' is prone to having an extremely strange personality, causing great destruction."

"Uh, teacher, isn't there a kinder, brighter way to use it?" After hearing this, Hilti felt completely distraught.

"Hehe, let me think about it. It seems there is indeed a more righteous use. We can drip our own 'blood law' into the blooming flowers, so that they are stained with 'blood law' and eventually bear 'blood-red berries'. The juice of these berries can be used in place of our own blood."

"Some doctors would use this method to prepare 'blood berries' for soldiers in advance for dangerous surgeries."

“If you are not prepared to continue on the path of ‘Blood Law’, I can use this method to remove the ‘Blood Law’ nature from your body and then let you step back onto the path of ‘Emerald Honey’.”

"Then let's choose this one."

She still wants to continue down the path of 'Emerald Honey'. As for 'Radiant Moon', she can also change its sex through plant cultivation in the future to achieve the same ability effect.

In the days that followed, Lady Fran pricked Hilti's finger with a needle and made Hilti slowly release the 'blood rhythm' element from her own blood to nourish the berries and flowers she had prepared.

About three days later, Hilti sat back in her chair, her face pale, and she returned to the stage where she had not yet solidified her essence.

"Take good care of yourself, little Tia. I'll be home these next few days, so you don't need to entertain guests or tend to the flowers." Mrs. Fran gently stroked the girl's hair.

"Hmm." She drank the 'Blazing Sun Flower Tea' that Mrs. Fran had prepared for her, regaining some of her energy and her complexion regaining some rosiness.

Phew, now it's all over again.

At night, she lay on the soft bed under the window, reflecting on the past few months, a few ripples passing through her heart.

Despite leaving her family, her mother, and the world she once knew, she also met many wonderful people, including the stern Captain Frien, the kind Maester Hyde, the elegant Lady Fran, as well as Winnie, Mylene, Thalys, Vandersee, and others who helped her.

This world is indeed very dangerous. Wild beasts in the mountains, bandits at night, and endless monsters under the twilight sea all threaten many lives. But in this chaotic world, there is also a bit of warmth and faith.

In the distant past, the 'Silver Glow Church' made its initial exploration of the world in the shadows, the steadfast knights who expanded their territory in the barbaric frontier, and the scholars who imparted knowledge. Even if they could not be called perfect and selfless, their actions ultimately brought much positive significance to this world.

Just as Maester Hyde taught her, even if you want to gain supreme freedom, would you rather swim in a filthy and rebellious ocean or stroll in a colorful sea of ​​flowers?

Do you want to reign supreme among a group of poorly clothed and starving primitive people, or become a free member of a wonderful civilized world, witnessing countless sparks of inspiration and experiencing the birth of countless novel things?

The Silver Glow Church, the Knights of Holin, and the witches from the early days of the Kingdom of Regas—these people had no connection to her now, but the traces they left behind gradually changed the world and shaped the life she is living now.

The connection between silk and string, the accumulation of countless subtle details.

Even though 'mushroom silk' has disappeared, as the oldest sexual phenomenon, its concept remains the foundation and starting point of everything.

(End of this chapter)