*Uwrrr*
A muffled scream escaped from my lips.
The potion made it feel like my skin had been flayed off, and everything underneath was being roasted with a small torch.
I tore off a piece of my robe and bit on it. I didn't want anyone to hear me. Especially not the servant girl. She might decide I was sick and unable to catch the Celestial mirror leopard, or worse, Lady Vespara might decide to keep me from her precious books.
There was a book next to me and I picked it up, intending to skim it. My hour was running out, and I wasn't going to torture myself for nothing.
I flipped open the book, and it felt like I was dipping wounds in alcohol. Immediately, the words started to jump into my mind, even the parts of the book that were at the edge of my vision.
I would have jumped for joy if it didn't hurt so much. 'The potion is working.' But I had no time for thoughts. Only action.
After half a minute of skimming through, I found nothing. I put the book back in place before searching for another book. Everything I'd found was either useless information
or inapplicable.
After moving to a new shelf, I finally found something. This one was thin and was a scroll instead of a book.
–
"...the celestial leopard is a stealthy animal, known to be attracted to the smell of roasted chillis.."
—
I threw the scroll to the floor before hurrying to pick it up. It was more useless nonsense. But I couldn't be caught damaging the noble lady's books like that.
I wanted information, otherwise I'd just be wandering foolishly in the forest looking for a plant I wouldn't know bloomed or not.
As I picked it up, a drawing caught my eye. It was just at the end of the scroll, the part I hadn't read yet. I looked again. Why did it seem so familiar?
I started to read.
—
"...the threefold grass, this grass is a type of spirit herb known as blood debt flora. Only used during life or death situations.
It can give a man the strength of two mortal men… the cost of such power is ten years taken from your lifespan and a slower cultivation speed…"
—
"Ten years?" I groaned. The pain was getting worse. But what other choice did I have? Stay weak? I'd seen the life I would have to live if I stayed the way I was. If the price for it was a few more years of my life, then the price was reasonable.
–
"...It must be heated till boiling before being ingested. In life-or-death situations, it is sufficient to just burn with qi as you ingest it. Doing so will take an extra ten years from your life and will further reduce cultivation speed. If you do not heat the grass, then its effects are indistinguishable from normal grass…"
—
I knew of that grass. I even knew where it was. A bear's den, I'd seen it first on my hunts for the beavers. Back then, I ignored it because of how close it was to the bear cave and the fact that it looked so unremarkable, but now…
At this moment, I felt like a starving man who had just been given a slice of bread.
To make sure I hadn't missed anything, I read the scroll again. The only thing I'd missed was that it was only harvestable during the first few days of winter
I knew what to do. I dropped the scroll back where I'd found it. As soon as I did this, a sharp, searing pain tore through my whole body
Within moments, I was on the ground again, begging for the pain to stop.
What did healer Yao Po say? It would last four hours? I had just over three left, and it was supposed to get worse over time.
I crawled to the door of the library. It would be best if I left on my own rather than letting them see me like this.
When I grabbed onto the handle, the pain intensified. Now it felt like I was boiling under the heat of ten suns. I had to hurry. With the last of my strength, I rushed out.
The sweat coated my face like oil. When the servant girl saw me, she gave me a look of surprise, but I rushed past her. I didn't know how long I could keep this up.
When I got far enough away from the mansion, I headed to the first dusting of snow I could find and dove into it. A few people walked by giving me strange looks, but all I cared about at that moment was getting rid of the pain.
I stared up at the sun, trying to get a gauge for the time of day, but the potion was starting to hurt my eyes, and looking at the sun just intensified it.
Small flakes of snow started to pile up on my face, but i chose to keep them there. It didn't help with the pain but any solution was better than none. When I was sure i could walk again, I rushed home and took a bath.
The grass could wait an extra three hours.
###
"Khan," he tugged on my arm, but I ignored him. Sleep felt too good. "Khan," he threw a splash of water at my face
I woke up. It was Huo Qianlei. "Are you fine? What happened?"
It was evening now. The pain had caused me to fall unconscious. "Nothing…just working." From the look in his eyes, I could tell he didn't believe me, but what good would it do me to include him in my troubles? Especially when I'd already caused him to have to move house and lose his farming job.
"If that's true, then I've left some food for you in the kitchen. It's getting cold." He looked at me again, "You're already doing a lot for my family, Khan, you shouldn't be pushing yourself this hard. I can go find work."
"No!" The words burst out of me immediately. I didn't know what Huo Qianlei would do to him if he caught him working in the Mudfoot district, and he didn't have the skills to work in the Silverscale district.
"Don't worry about it, I'll take care of us."
He tried to argue some more, but I stopped him by agreeing to eat. I wanted to look for the plant instead, but every part of my body was drained of energy. I'd need the food anyway.
When I was finished, I left for the forest. This time, I couldn't just walk through the gates. I knew that the field overseer still hated me, and though the guards may not be under his jurisdiction, they didn't say no to a few bribes here and there.
That's why I took a pouch full of coppers with me. If I tried to use silver, they might just decide to rob me and turn me over to the supervisor.
I waited at the gates in a hooded cloak for over three hours, trying to see if the guards would change shifts. I wanted someone I already knew, like Mu Ke or Jie Rui. They'd be more likely to say yes to a bribe from me.
The night wind was like ice. In the distance, over at the sect mountain, I could see that the upper part of the mountain was already cloaked in snow. It wouldn't be long before the same happened to the city.
It took till midnight before the guards changed shifts. Thankfully, the ones who took their place were Jie Rui and Mu Ke. I said a prayer of thanks that I didn't have to wait even more for them to come, and walked up to the two.
If they hadn't come by today, I wasn't sure what I would have done. The allure of gaining the strength of two full-grown men was enough that I might ignore the risk of the overseer.
After the pouches of copper were exchanged and they promised to keep it secret, I left. I'd only taken my bow and quiver and a leather bag to hold the grass.
I ran straight for the beaver's cave, where I remembered I had last seen the grass. The rocks and trees on my way disappeared into blurs of color, and the only thing I noticed was the path to where I wanted to go.
When I reached, I slowed down to a stop. I could hear the heavy inhales of the bear; they sounded like the rumbling of war horses during a campaign.
Thankfully, the bear was asleep. In my hurry, I hadn't thought to check earlier.
But right next to it, just at the tip of its massive head, further in than I thought they would be, was the grass. It was three individual blades, all folded outwards with thin, ash colored veins extending from the stems through the leaves. I shivered in excitement.
Now, I just had to get the grass.
Before coming, I'd already lathered myself in as many herbs as I could remember. Every medicine my father had taught me to hide my scent was scrubbed into my skin at least five times. I only hoped it worked.
I took a step, and a twig cracked in the quietness of the night. I froze. Staring at the bear, and hoping it didn't wake. For a full ten minutes, I remained unmoving, every twitch in the maws of the dark brown bear sending stabs of heart-rending fear through my body.
Thankfully, it didn't wake. I took a few more steps. This time, far more carefully. After an hour, and multiple false alarm circumstances like before, I had crossed the two feet from the mouth of the cave to the grass.
Right next to the jaws of the bear.
Bending down, I slowly plucked one blade of grass from the ground.
*Huff*
A hot, fishy smell blew out of the bear's mouth as it exhaled. I didn't dare to move. Even my breath stopped coming through.
After waiting 5 minutes, I bent down to pick the next blade of grass. I remembered what the scroll said: in a few days, the spirit grass would lose its effectiveness and become useless.
If I didn't take them all now–
Suddenly, the bear hefted its weight, moving its head right onto the grass.
I let out a soft curse. I would have to leave. 'The rest don't matter that much anyway…I've gotten enough.' With at least one spirit grass in my possession. I did not want to risk waking the beast and losing it. Or my life.
Not daring to turn around, I walked backwards, step by step. It was far slower than earlier, but at least I didn't risk waking up the bear.
Outside the cave, a dash of red fur flitted past, a fox, but I didn't give it any thought. To me, all that mattered was to leave with the spirit herb first.
When I was completely out of the cave, I started to take larger, quicker steps. The faster I was gone, the safer I would feel.
I was only paying attention to two things. The spirit herb I'd put in my leather bag, and the brown bear behind me.
That was why I didn't notice when I stepped on the tail of a fox that was passing by.
Immediately, I snapped my leg back, but it was too late. The fox let out a howl that was so loud I almost put my hands to my ears.
I bolted. Behind me, a heavy paw thundered against the ground.
Then another.
I didn't dare look back.