Chapter 198: Forbidden Texts
It wasn't over.
Hua Mi clicked his tongue, slightly impatient, and turned back to ask what was wrong.
The hunter's brow furrowed into a '' character as he questioned, "We all know that the healing power of the hot springs comes from Lord Flower Spirit. If so, what's the point of soaking in the springs? Just let her use magic outside to heal, right?"
"..."
This guy, surprisingly observant at critical junctures.
After a brief thought, Hua Mi replied, "You only see the surface. Lord Flower Spirit's magic works best when complemented by those specific hot springs. My friend is deeply poisoned and needs the steaming hot spring water to force out the toxins."
The villagers had no further objections.
With the witch on his back, Hua Mi continued into the inn. When they reached the entrance of the main hall, he stopped abruptly, turning back to address them seriously, "As usual, when Lord Flower Spirit is conducting treatment, no spectators are allowed. Tonight, nobody can enter, otherwise..."
Here, he intentionally paused, letting Xiao Bai finish his sentence, "Otherwise, it will affect my decision on the innkeeper's position."
In essence, anyone breaking the rules wouldn't stand a chance at owning the inn.
This hit a nerve among the villagers.
They hurriedly nodded, "Rest assured, we won't cause any trouble by entering."
The hunter even pledged, patting his chest, "I'll stand guard at the door tonight. No frog will hop in, I guarantee!"
"We'll help patrol nearby too!" Another person chimed in, not to be outdone in showing their attentiveness.
Clearly, they all wanted to leave a favorable impression on Lord Flower Spirit.
Satisfied, Hua Mi nodded before entering the inn with the witch on his back.
The hall's floor was sturdy, constructed from wooden panels.
After all, the inn was built during the chaotic period; without some sturdiness, it wouldn't survive until the chaos ended.
A faint smell of sulfur permeated the air - in simpler terms, it smelled like rotten eggs.
It wafted from the backyard.
Hua Mi didn't linger in the hall, heading straight for the backyard.
One side of the backyard was against the main hall's wall, while the other faced a fifteen-meter-high cliff - a natural barrier.
A walkway was built using wood along the walls.
In the center was the hot spring pool, looking murky, constantly emitting steam.
On the cliff side, two springs bubbled, gurgling outward.
Descending the stone steps from the eaves, he arrived at the edge of the hot spring pool.
Stones were stacked around the pool.
Overall, it looked rudimentary but passable.
It was evident the villagers truly took the merchant's words to heart, determined to turn this place into a village attraction.
Hua Mi supported the witch's arms, gently placing her in the hot spring water.
Her black robe clung to her like it was welded on; thus, she could only soak in it.
Compared to saving a life, these were minor details.
Hua Mi had her turn around, upper body leaning outside to prevent drowning.
"You need to drift off for Lord Flower Spirit to appear."
As he spoke, Hua Mi retrieved a bottle of Moon Slumber Flower honey from his ring, scooping out a spoonful.
"This is a potion that will help you sleep smoothly, with almost no side effects. Eat it without worries."
To prevent her from being suspicious, Hua Mi didn't mention that this substance had absolutely no side effects. Using a conservative description aligned more with common knowledge in this world.
The witch struggled to open her mouth and swallowed the Moon Slumber Flower honey.
Hua Mi stayed nearby for a while until she fell asleep, then left the backyard.
He had no intention of engaging in any other activities.
First things first, deal with the witch's situation.
Hua Mi first checked the surroundings.
Xiao Bai was currently playing the role of the healing Flower Spirit and couldn't appear in front of the villagers.
So, he obediently stayed hidden in Hua Mi's pocket.
The two waves of villagers indeed stood guard at the entrance, just as they had said.
As long as they didn't enter the backyard, there shouldn't be any problems.
Of course, for added safety, Hua Mi planned to stay here and keep watch.
He settled in the main hall, beginning to meditate.
During this time, sporadic whispers could be heard outside, some with rather intense tones.
But no one entered.
He couldn't be bothered to open his eyes to look.
The sky gradually darkened.
In the mountains, the sounds of insects echoed from all directions.
The moon ascended into the night sky, casting its bright light.
Time flew by during meditation.
He didn't know how long had passed when Hua Mi's ears twitched, picking up the sound of footsteps drawing closer.
However, they weren't coming from outside.
They were from the backyard.
Hua Mi emerged from his meditative state, opening his eyes and looking in that direction.
The witch was walking toward him.
Her gait was somewhat stiffa tingling sensation in her feet.
She was entirely dry, likely dried by magic.
She sat down beside Hua Mi, tapping the brim of her hat, her voice pleasant, "Thank you, you saved my life."
"You're welcome."
Hua Mi gave her another look.
Now that she had regained her color, she truly exuded the charm of a witch.
Facial features in perfect proportion, golden hair flowing from under the pointed round hat, a pleasant scent emanating from her, completely overpowering the sulfuric smell of hot springs.
Regardless of her original appearance, upon becoming a witch, her temperament, appearance, and figure would become perfect. People often used "as beautiful as a witch" to praise someonebut nowadays, that phrase was somewhat overused.
Hua Mi did have some ulterior motives in saving her.
Witches were an exclusive profession among humans.
A mature witch's talent and abilities were on par with, if not surpassing, those of elves.
However, witches were extremely rare.
So rare that they could fit in just one academy.
From books, Hua Mi had learned that the Witch Academy was situated on an island. Though their numbers were few, they wielded a force not to be ignored.
It wouldn't hurt to be on good terms with such a powerful organization.
Hua Mi was curious why such a mighty witch would be rendered helpless by poisoned mushrooms.
But directly asking felt impolite.
It would have been better if she could reveal the reason herself.
However, she clearly had no intention of doing so.
The witch introduced herself as "Fulin reeba," or simply Fulin to Hua Mi.
As expected, this led to more teasing.
But to be honest, Fulnireeba didn't sound like a conventional name either, and it was quite difficult to pronounce.
"Why were you there?"
Hua Mi intended to subtly gather information from her.
"I came out to track down someone, a thief to be precise," Fulnir said. "That person stole forbidden texts from our academy, and if left unchecked, it could bring considerable trouble to this world."
"Forbidden texts?"
Hua Mi was a bit curious.
Just how forbidden were they?
Fulnir glanced at him with a teasing look in her eyes, seeing his curiosity, and didn't conceal it, "Don't get startled when I tell you. It's about a devil-summoning ritual."
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