Using his exquisite and gentle Daoist arts, Shin successfully resolved the mass wilting incident at the pet shop "Paw Love," causing his reputation to further spread within Kuoh Town's supernatural circle. It even began to permeate the broader civilian population.
His unique style—solving problems not by relying on brute force, but through precise perception, harmonization, and guidance—was increasingly rumored to be miraculous, even acquiring a legendary aura of being able to "cure all ailments."
Because of this, the Occult Research Club became even more popular, and the types of requests they received grew increasingly varied, with many specifically asking for "that Eastern gentleman, Mr. Shin," to take action.
Rias was happy to see this development. She made it a daily task to filter requests that were suitable for Shin to practice on and that could further expand his reputation, usually assigning one of her dependents to accompany him, both for assistance and for observation and learning.
On this day, the clubroom received a visitor with a slightly unusual presence.
The visitor was not human, but a delicate, palm-sized creature with two pairs of transparent wings on her back and a faint greenish-blue halo surrounding her body—a Garden Sprite. Her small face was filled with anxiety and helplessness, and the breeze generated by her flight seemed somewhat chaotic.
"Gremory-sama! Gremory-sama! Please help us!" The little sprite's voice was clear and urgent, tinged with a sob, as she fluttered anxiously up and down in front of Rias.
Rias clearly recognized this type of low-level Nature Sprite. She softened her tone, her red eyes showing a hint of reassurance. "Don't rush. Tell me slowly. Which garden are you a sprite of? What trouble have you encountered?"
The little sprite stabilized her form and spoke quickly. "I am Little Bell, the Guardian Sprite of the 'Emerald Courtyard' in the west of town! The Emerald Courtyard is the garden of the ancient Field Family, where many precious flowers and herbs with faint magical power are grown."
"But… but starting three days ago, the plants in the courtyard—especially the most delicate Moonlight Flowers and Tranquility Herbs—began showing abnormalities!"
She waved her little hands, gesturing. "Their leaves are no longer emerald green; they've started turning yellow and curling up! The flowers are also wilting and listless, and the fragrance and magical power they emit have weakened considerably!"
"We tried many natural Blessing Spells, but none of them worked! Grandpa Earth (referring to the Earth Vein Spirit) also seems very uncomfortable; the energy he transmits has become very… very 'bitter'!"
"If this continues, those precious plants will wither! Old Madam Field will be very sad! Please, Gremory-sama, help us!"
Kiba Yuto frowned upon hearing this and said, "Widespread abnormal wilting of plants? Earth Vein Energy corruption? This doesn't sound like ordinary pests or nutrient deficiency."
Akeno also nodded. "Since the Nature Sprites' Blessing Spells are ineffective, it suggests the problem might be outside their scope of treatment, involving deeper changes to the energy environment."
Rias's gaze naturally turned toward Shin. Dealing with Earth Vein Energy abnormalities and harmonizing the environment? This seemed to be Shin's "professional domain."
"Advisor Shin," she began, "the Emerald Courtyard is a historically famous garden in Kuoh Town, and the Field Family also has some dealings with the Gremory Family. For this matter, I'm afraid I'll need to trouble you to go and take a look. Yuto, you accompany Advisor Shin and assist with the investigation."
"Understood." "Yes, President."
Shin and Kiba replied simultaneously.
Shin was indeed very interested in problems involving nature, earth veins, and energy balance. Daoist arts emphasize "Harmony between Heaven and Man," and practitioners are particularly sensitive to changes in the natural environment and the energy of heaven and earth. Regulating Earth Qi and nurturing all things is one of the domains Daoists excel at.
Guided by Little Bell the Sprite, the two quickly arrived at the Field Manor located in the west of town.
The manor covered a large area, and the famous "Emerald Courtyard" within it was especially beautiful. Even with the plants in poor condition currently, one could still discern its former meticulous layout and extraordinary heritage.
However, the moment they stepped into the courtyard, Shin and Kiba both sensed something unusual.
The air in the courtyard was not foul, yet it faintly carried an indescribable feeling of "stagnation." The natural magical power, which should have been full of vitality and spirituality, seemed to have become somewhat "viscous" and "dull," unable to flow smoothly.
Looking around, it was exactly as the little sprite had described: many plants' leaves had lost their luster, curling slightly and turning yellow. Especially the magical plants, which required a higher energy environment, looked particularly listless, as if weighed down by an invisible heavy object. The soil also gave off an uncomfortable feeling of "compaction."
Several Garden Sprites, similar to Little Bell, were anxiously circling a few sickly Moonlight Flowers, applying faint Natural Radiance, but with minimal effect.
"It's exactly like this! Mr. Shin, Mr. Kiba, look!" Little Bell pointed at the plants, her voice tearful.
Kiba Yuto closed his eyes and released the pure perception contained within his Holy Sword power. A moment later, he opened his eyes, his expression solemn. "The energy flow of the earth vein definitely has a problem… It's not depletion, but… it has become murky and stagnant, as if some 'impurities' have been mixed in. This is causing the flowing Earth Qi to be no longer pure and vital, but instead carrying a kind of… inertia."
He tried injecting a trace of extremely gentle Holy Light energy into one Moonlight Flower, attempting to stimulate its vitality. The Moonlight Flower briefly brightened, but quickly withered again. It was only treating the symptoms, not the root cause.
"The source of the Earth Qi is contaminated?" Kiba looked at Shin.
Shin did not answer immediately.
He took a deep breath. Instead of directly sensing the energy like Kiba, he quietly activated the technique of "Earth Vein Sensing," slowly sinking his consciousness into the earth beneath his feet. Like an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor taking a pulse, he carefully examined the flow, nature, and "pathological focus" within the Earth Qi.
In his perception, the situation gradually became clear:
The Earth Vein network beneath the courtyard was not damaged, and the total energy quantity was still sufficient. But just as Kiba had said, the Earth Qi was indeed mixed with an extremely subtle yet uniquely characterized impurity of "stagnant inertia."
This impurity was not a strong toxin or negative energy; it was more like an "inhibitor" that could reduce energy activity and make it feel "heavy." Like fine dust, it permeated the Earth Qi, obstructing the normal exchange and circulation between the Earth Qi, the plant roots, and the natural magical power in the air, causing the entire courtyard's energy environment to fall into a "semi-paralyzed" state.
And the source of this stagnant energy… seemed not to originate from within the courtyard, but was continuously seeping in, trace by trace, from the northwestern edge of the courtyard!
"The problem is not with the earth vein inside the courtyard," Shin opened his eyes and pointed toward the northwest. "Instead, there is external energy of a stagnant nature continuously penetrating from that direction, polluting the Earth Qi flowing through this area. We need to find the source of that penetration and block it. Otherwise, merely purifying the courtyard will have limited effect and the problem will constantly recur."
...
📢 Author's Note
The full completed version of High School DxD: The Quiet Immortal Who Guides Devils (Part 1) is now available on Patreon!
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✅ Part 1 Complete — 116 Chapters
🔥 I also have additional **18+ fanfics** available for readers who enjoy exclusive mature stories. 😉
1. Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
3. Doraemon: Filtering with Nobi Tamako
4. The Naive Me Who Became Someone's Everyday Secret
5. High School DxD: Rias Gremory, the Phenex Bride
6. Versatile Mage: Awakening the Succubus System
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