Chapter 274: Flower Cultivation

Chapter 274: Tending Flowers

In the following days, Xie Shu grew increasingly puzzled.

Xiao Wu should have left by now, yet he showed no sign of leaving, calmly residing in the small courtyard in the bamboo grove on the back mountain. Preferring solitude, he seldom ventured out, occasionally engaging in sword practice among the bamboos. When dinner approached, he would put away his bamboo branch and head to the front courtyard.

—It seemed the entire Demon Palace had forgotten he was originally a prisoner.

Spring flowers bloomed vibrantly in the courtyard, with trumpet vines soaring skyward in a riot of color. In his previous life, Xie Shu had always been confined to concrete-and-steel offices where few flowers could thrive—only low-light tolerant plants like pothos (heartleaf philodendrons) or monstera (Swiss cheese plants) survived. He adored the scenery of this courtyard and often moved his dinners here, leisurely flipping open his fan while admiring the blossoms and the moon.

Then, Xiao Wu would inevitably catch him.

Xiao Wu would knock three times in a proper manner, then stand outside the courtyard and ask, "Palace Lord Xie, may I enter?"

His tone was cool, yet unexpectedly deferential.

What else could Xie Shu say? He could only reply, "Immortal Lord, please come in," then instruct his subordinates to prepare an extra bowl and chopsticks.

The Demon Palace chefs were of limited skill, and the dishes were mediocre. Xiao Wu sampled them with restraint before remarking, "Not as good as squirrel-shaped mandarin fish."

As he spoke, he lifted his gaze to Xie Chunshan. The cloudiness in his eyes had completely dissipated, leaving irises as clear and translucent as an autumn lake, reflecting Xie Chunshan’s image within them.

It was truly a pleasing sight.

What else could Xie Shu say? He could only summon Xue Sui and order, "Send someone down the mountain to buy a portion of squirrel-shaped mandarin fish."

In less than half an hour, a demonic cultivator would arrive with a food box.

By then, Xie Shu was already halfway done eating, so he set down his chopsticks and absentmindedly flicked open his folding fan.

The fish, fried to a golden crisp and drizzled with sweet-and-sour sauce, was pushed toward Xiao Wu, who was invited to take the first bite.

Just then, a trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) blossom drifted down from the branches and landed in the bowl. With a flick of his fingers, Xiao Wu caught the flower neatly on his chopsticks.

The bloom was vivid—fiery orange-red and soft pink-purple, bursting with life. Holding it up to examine, Xiao Wu asked, "Palace Lord, what flower is this?"

Xie Shu replied, "Trumpet vine. It clings to trellises and grows everywhere in the mountains. Has the Immortal Lord never seen it before?"

Not only was it common in the mountains, but in his previous life, it had also been ubiquitous in urban greenbelts—cheap, fast-growing, and hardy. A single cutting planted one year would climb an entire tree by the next. Municipal gardeners couldn’t even be bothered to fertilize them; if one died, they simply replaced it. It wasn’t a prized variety.

In the game’s lore, after Xiao Wu retired to seclusion, he cultivated an entire courtyard of flowers.

Yet Xiao Wu said, "I’ve never seen it before. Within the Shangling Sect’s territory, flowers of these colors don’t exist."

Xie Shu paused. "?"

Xiao Wu continued, "The Patriarch disliked them. He found gaudy colors vulgar, far less refined than orchids or plum blossoms."

The Patriarch Xiao Wu referred to was his master, the most senior elder of the Shangling Sect.

Xie Shu lowered his gaze. In later years, when Xiao Wu retreated into seclusion in Zhongnan Mountain, he had cleared a small garden in front of his thatched cottage. He, too, had loved tending flowers, densely planting the courtyard without discrimination—whether precious plum blossoms, orchids, bamboos, or chrysanthemums, or nameless wildflowers, they all grew freely, sprawling across the space. It wasn’t until the player, at the beginning of the storyline, stumbled into the wilderness and pushed open a fence overgrown with trumpet vines that they beheld the garden in full bloom, petals scattering like rain. A white-robed immortal stood in the courtyard, leisurely watering the plants with a jug. Hearing the noise, he turned slightly, his profile—the result of the modeling team’s sleepless efforts—bathed in the dawn light, meticulously lit by the CG team.

This was one of the game’s most pivotal opening scenes. The courtyard also served as the player’s initial safe haven. The art team had logged countless hours perfecting it, iterating through half a dozen versions of the garden’s model alone. The animation team had repeatedly scrapped and restarted their work until, finally, this sequence became one of the most-watched previews in the game’s early promotions.

But now, Xiao Wu didn’t even recognize trumpet vines.

With a sigh, Xie Shu pointed out each flower in the courtyard, explaining which preferred water, which thrived in sunlight, and which were so delicate they’d perish from overwatering. Xiao Wu listened, but his gaze gradually drifted, lost in thought.

What Xie Shu described was a slice of ordinary life Xiao Wu had never known.

Finally, Xie Shu asked Xiao Wu, "Would you like to try watering the plants?"

Xiao Wu: "Is that allowed?"

It was hard to imagine the owner of the courtyard in the game's setting not even knowing how to water flowers. Xie Shu felt an even stronger urge to sigh: "Of course."

After they finished their meal, Xie Shu handed him the watering can. Xiao Wu clearly had never done this before, his expression slightly grave, as if one extra drop would drown Lord Wuwang’s precious weeds. Xie Shu sighed and reached out, tapping the angle of the watering can with his folding fan: "Don’t worry, just water freely. They won’t die from overwatering."

But the moment he tapped the can, Xiao Wu’s body tensed imperceptibly, his breath catching briefly. Realizing who was beside him, he gradually relaxed.

Xie Shu: "What’s wrong?"

Xiao Wu chuckled: "Nothing. Just remembered when I was learning sword techniques as a child. If I didn’t do well, my master would tap my blade like this. Never thought that after all this time, long after I stopped learning under him, I’d still remember."

The memories that followed those taps were far from pleasant.

Xie Shu avoided tapping the can again.

He stood an arm’s length away, watching Xiao Wu water each plant one by one. When it came to a particularly sensitive plant, Xie Shu resisted touching the can and instead gently lifted Xiao Wu’s wrist: "Immortal Lord, this plant can’t handle much water. You can’t water it like this."

Xiao Wu turned to look at him. Xie Shu held his hand with one hand, intently adjusting his movements, his sharp, handsome profile, the faint down on his skin catching the light.

Xiao Wu paused, fingers curling slightly, and replied, "Alright."

Once Xie Shu finished adjusting, he stepped back, crossing his arms as he waited for Xiao Wu to finish. Xiao Wu continued watering, eyes lowered to the ground, but his thoughts seemed to wander.

Xie Shu stood so close that their shadows overlapped, their shadows merging so closely it looked like an embrace.

Back when Xiao Wu couldn’t walk, he was often held like this.

Recalling that sensation, he lost focus on the watering can’s angle.

How odd.

After so many years as a composed and aloof Immortal Lord, he now found himself craving another’s warmth.

*

Much time passed afterward. The morning glories and evening primroses, with their brief blooms, had already withered, yet the two continued their routine—dining together in the evenings, then tending to the courtyard. Life was rather pleasant.

Xie Shu was the first to crack.

After double-checking with Liu Liu that today was past the time Lord Pingwu should have left the palace, Xie Chunshan should have been throwing a fit in the main hall by now. Yet here was Xiao Wu, sitting across from him, taking his time with the fish.

After trying so many dishes, he still preferred the Pharmacist’s original sweet-and-sour fish.

Xie Shu put down his chopsticks, studying him for a long moment before suddenly saying, "Immortal Lord, I’ll call the Pharmacist to check on you."

Things had taken a strange turn thus far, but Xie Shu believed he’d done all he should, saying all his lines perfectly. After much thought, he could only blame it on the Mad Pharmacist’s Art going awry, preventing Xiao Wu from leaving Baibuting.

Xiao Wu froze, lowering his chopsticks: "Why summon the Pharmacist?"

Xie Shu, eager for him to leave sooner, dismissively joked: "I’ve fed you so many poisons and parasites, yet none have taken effect. It’s odd. Let the Pharmacist check what’s wrong. If the poison’s too weak, we’ll add more."

"..."

Xie Shu frowned: "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Xiao Wu lowered his gaze: "...Nothing. It’s just strange."

Losing interest, he went back to eating.

Xie Shu had already set down his chopsticks and, finding himself idle, asked, "Immortal Lord, you’re not afraid?"

Xiao Wu: "Of course I am."

His tone was flat, completely monotone.

After Xiao Wu had picked clean the tender meat from the fish belly, leaving only the last two bites, he finally seemed a little embarrassed. He lifted his gaze and asked, "Palace Lord, do you want the rest?"

Xie Shu: "...No need."

After two cups of tea, the Mad Pharmacist and Wu Buke arrived carrying a medicine chest. Xiao Wu had just finished his last bite. He set down his chopsticks and placed his wrist on the pulse pillow.

Wu Buke bowed slightly and politely greeted Xiao Wu, "Greetings, Immortal Lord. This old man is Wu Buke."

Xiao Wu’s thoughts stirred. Suppressing most of his cultivation, he nodded and said, "Thank you, Poison Doctor."

After taking Xiao Wu’s pulse, Wu Buke stepped aside, and the Mad Pharmacist stepped forward. He mimicked the gesture, about to introduce himself, but Xie Shu coughed, interrupting him.

Xie Shu had previously borrowed the Mad Pharmacist’s identity and couldn’t let him reveal himself now.

Though Xie Shu’s presence had tempered the Mad Pharmacist’s madness, he wasn’t sharp enough to think of changing his title on his own. He tilted his head toward Xie Shu, somewhat puzzled.

Xie Shu took over the conversation, "This is... the Mad Pharmacist from the Medicine Hall."

Mad Pharmacist: "..."

In Wuwang Palace, the Palace Lord’s word was absolute. If the Palace Lord called him the Mad Pharmacist, then he was the Mad Pharmacist.

The Mad Pharmacist nodded. "This old man is the Mad Pharmacist."

Xiao Wu said nothing, his gaze level as it rested on the Mad Pharmacist’s face, making the latter shiver. Not daring to delay, the Mad Pharmacist lowered his eyes and began taking Xiao Wu’s pulse.

Xiao Wu’s meridians had been severed and reconnected, and he had first cultivated the Dao before turning to demonic arts. His qi was in turmoil. Though his cultivation remained intact, there might be hidden dangers. The Mad Pharmacist checked him thoroughly. Halfway through, Xiao Wu spoke up, as if recalling something, "I heard there was a young pharmacist in the Medicine Hall, about my height, who was recently transferred from the palace to the far northern lands to gather herbs for the Palace Lord. Is this true?"

Xie Shu’s hand, holding his tea, paused.

The Mad Pharmacist looked bewildered. Given his usual madness, acting normal was hard enough—asking him to play nice was too much.

Wu Buke nudged the Mad Pharmacist aside. "Replying to the Immortal Lord, it is indeed true."

Xiao Wu: "May I ask what ailment afflicts the Palace Lord? And what herbs are being gathered for him?"

"...This."

It was just a flimsy excuse, an expendable detail. Wu Buke’s gaze flickered toward the Palace Lord’s face, and seeing the warning in Xie Shu’s eyes, he lied without hesitation, "It’s the Heavenly Silkworm Seed from the snowy peaks."

Xiao Wu: "I see."

Deep in thought, he stood and left the table. Xie Shu’s brow twitched, a bad feeling creeping up on him, though he couldn’t pinpoint its source. His gaze drifted toward Wu Buke.

Wu Buke shuddered and quickly added, "Immortal Lord, you must understand—that medicine’s rare and hard to come by. It must be gathered during the coldest depths of winter. Now that spring has arrived, it’s impossible to find. We’ll have to wait till next winter."

Xie Shu leaned back.

By next winter, the Immortal-Demon Grand Tournament would be over, Xie Chunshan would be dead, and there would be no need to worry about the Heavenly Silkworm Seed.

As he counted down to the Immortal-Demon Grand Tournament and planned how to kick Xiao Wu out of the palace, dinner ended that evening—but Xiao Wu did not take his leave.

Instead, he casually wiped his hands with a cloth and asked, "Palace Lord, when are we leaving?"

Xie Shu was taken aback: "Leave? Go where?"

His suspicion was too evident, and Xiao Wu also paused in surprise: "There's a temple fair at the foot of the mountain today. The Palace Lord said they’d go with me."

Xie Shu remained silent for a moment, unresponsive. Lord Pingwu's exceptionally noble eyes visibly dimmed. He pressed his lips slightly, forcing an elegant smile: "Apologies. If Palace Lord is occupied, I can just go ahead..."

What else could Xie Shu say?

He sighed softly and nodded amidst the increasingly bizarre plot: "Let's go. I’ll go with the Immortal Lord."