Chapter 65: A Talking Tree?
Song Qingxi's eyes sparkled. She eagerly picked up the box with her name on it and ripped it open.
Inside the box was a jade shortsword, barely a foot long, with a body of verdant green. Its spine was slightly thick, its two edges dull, and a dark green sword tassel hung from it. Engraved on the sword in a flowing script were the words "Jade Radiance."
“This is a superior-grade first rank magical tool that I personally refined, the Jade Radiance Sword. Are you satisfied?” Song Changsheng felt quite confident in his work. This sword was practically tailor-made for her; she would surely love it.
“I love it!” Song Qingxi hugged the shortsword, her eyes curving into crescent moons. She was very appreciative.
Looking at the remaining box, Song Qingxi's eyes darted around. She looked up and said, “The cold blockhead is currently facing the wall in contemplation. Can I open it for him?”
“Cold blockhead?” Song Changsheng was momentarily stunned. He subconsciously looked at Song Qingxing beside him, and a smile involuntarily appeared at the corner of his mouth. You know what, it really did fit.
There were only wrongly named people, never wrongly given nicknames. Song Qingxing was indeed like a cold-faced blockhead.
Song Qingxi didn't notice the change in Song Changsheng's expression at all. In a flash, she tore open the gift box. She had originally expected a flying sword inside but was surprised to find a black magical robe.
“Huh, why is it a magical robe?” Song Qingxi unfurled the robe, a puzzled look on her small face.
“This is a superior-grade first rank Mystic Thread Robe. When worn, it can resist water and fire and is impervious to sharp blade attacks. Its defense is excellent. As a swordsman, Qingxing has more than enough offense but lacks defense. This is to make up for one of his shortcomings,” Song Changsheng had carefully considered the gifts for both of them.
“Thank you, Uncle,” Song Qingxi sweetly thanked him. She happily took the two gifts back to the thatched cottage to put them away. A moment later, she bustled out with a white jade jar.
She handed the jar to Song Changsheng, as if seeking praise, saying, “Your tea leaves.”
Song Changsheng was surprised. He opened the jar and saw eight tender green tea leaves inside, faintly steaming with mist. Their quality was even better than the few remaining leaves he had on him.
“These are the tender sprouts that emerged after the Mistveil Tea Tree ascended to top-grade first rank, right?” Song Changsheng had discovered that the Mistveil Tea Tree had ascended in grade as soon as he arrived on the island, but he hadn't expected this girl to have preserved the tea leaves for him.
“Yes, Xi'er picked them as soon as they sprouted.”
“Oh, Xi'er also knows how to pick tea?” Song Changsheng chuckled, gently stroking the little girl's head. In his heart, however, he was very surprised. Picking spiritual tea was a skilled job; one careless mistake could damage the tea leaves and affect their quality.
He observed that every leaf in this jar was of excellent quality. He had thought that Fourth Elder had picked them, but he hadn't expected it to be this girl.
“Uncle is looking down on people! Xi'er is a mid-grade first rank spiritual plant master!” Song Qingxi tilted her small head up, speaking proudly.
Song Changsheng suddenly realized. This girl was full of spiritual energy, and her wood spiritual root was eight inches long. She truly was excellent material for a spiritual plant master.
“Alright, alright, Xi'er is the best,” Song Changsheng said, smiling as he playfully pinched the little girl's nose. Then he handed the tea leaves back to her and said, “Keep these tea leaves for you two to drink; they're good for you.”
Since Song Qingxi was a spiritual plant master, she naturally knew the preciousness of Mistveil Tea. She didn't decline and happily accepted it.
Afterward, Song Qingxi continued to pester Song Changsheng to tell her stories. This had become an unspoken agreement between them.
Song Changsheng had read many storybooks and novels in his previous life. He thought for a moment and decided to tell a heavily modified version of "Three Beatings of the White Bone Demon(Episode from journey to the west)."
Song Changsheng spoke engrossed and Song Qingxi listened attentively. Before they knew it, the sun began to set. The orange-red sunset reflected on the lake, making a beautiful sight.
“Oh, the sun is setting, and I haven't watered the tree yet!” Song Qingxi suddenly exclaimed, then dashed into the cottage to retrieve something in a hurry.
“Watering the tree?” Song Changsheng was confused.
Song Qingxi walked up to the few green plum trees, took out a jade bottle, and poured some clear liquid onto the roots of the tallest plum tree in the center.
Then she placed her small hand on the rough tree trunk, emitting a faint verdant glow that made one feel immense vitality.
Song Changsheng was perplexed. He used to cultivate under that plum tree daily. Although the tree had a hint of spiritual energy, it wasn't special. What was this girl doing?
A moment later, something surprising happened to Song Changsheng. The plum tree actually moved without wind, its branches and leaves swaying with a hint of human-like joy.
Song Qingxi said softly, “I know, I know. Next time, I'll do it earlier.”
As soon as her voice fell, the plum tree immediately returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.
Song Changsheng formed a sword finger, lightly swiped his right eye and accompanied by an almost imperceptible faint glow, a strange pattern appeared in his eye.
This was the secret art Delusion-Breaking Eye he had comprehended from the Dao Scripture when he broke through to the grand perfection of Qi Refinement. When this art was used, a strange phenomenon would appear in his eyes. To avoid drawing attention, he had rarely used it since cultivating it. Now, however, he had developed a strong interest in the plum tree before him.
Under the illumination of his pupil technique, the world instantly underwent a drastic change. The sky, the earth, the thatched cottage… all turned grayish-white.
But Song Qingxi was bright green, Song Qingxing was a faint blue, and the spiritual plants in the spiritual field also showed different colors.
This was the magical aspect of the Delusion-Breaking Eye. Any object possessing spiritual energy had color, while ordinary objects were grayish-white.
He cast his gaze towards the plum trees. The other trees only showed an insignificant trace of green, indicating they possessed only a small amount of spiritual energy.
But when he looked at the tree in front of Song Qingxi, he could clearly see a bright green line extending from the roots of the plum tree along the trunk towards the crown.
This indicated that this plum tree had accumulated a relatively abundant amount of spiritual energy in its body and it was highly likely to shed its mortal form and transform into a spiritual plant in the future.
Song Changsheng was immediately greatly surprised. He had cultivated under this tree daily back then, so why had he never noticed anything unusual?
“Xi'er, this tree seems to have developed some sentience?” Putting away his pupil technique, Song Changsheng walked over to the little girl and asked.
His intuition told him that the change in the plum tree was definitely related to Song Qingxi.
Song Qingxi exclaimed in surprise, “You noticed too! It can even talk!”
“Talk?” Song Changsheng was stunned. That was a characteristic of a fourth-rank spiritual plant. Although this tree possessed a certain degree of sentience, it hadn't even entered the ranks of spiritual plants yet. How could it talk?
“Mmm, you can feel it by putting your hand on it,” Song Qingxi nodded affirmatively.
Song Changsheng, half-believing, half-doubting, placed his hand on the plum tree's trunk as she instructed and carefully concentrated his senses, but he felt nothing.
“What's going on?” Song Qingxi wouldn't lie to him; she must have genuinely felt something.
Song Changsheng looked back at Song Qingxi, and a thought popped into his mind: “Could this girl be different in some way?”
(Chapter End)