Lisa left the alchemy workshop and returned to the library, finding Xia Zhi standing alone by a row of deep shelves.
Just like the day before, he stood by himself, reaching for books, holding each one for a moment before either setting it aside or putting it back—repeating this odd process over and over again.
Lisa walked up quietly, smiling as she greeted him. "Principal Xia."
Xia Zhi turned his head and returned a gentle smile. "Miss Lisa."
"These books around you…"
"All books I believe are worth borrowing."
"Oh? And how does Principal Xia tell which ones are worth it?"
"Just a feeling, really. Miss Lisa, please don't laugh."
"A feeling, huh… I didn't expect you to have such a curious ability, Principal."
"Well, I am blind."
"Oh?"
"Without sight, my other senses have grown sharper—touch, for example. What might look like a brand-new book to most can, to my fingers, reveal signs of wear and handling."
Lisa's expression turned thoughtful.
"I see… So you're using the texture to judge how much a book has been handled, deducing its popularity from that?"
"Exactly."
"But popularity doesn't always reflect quality…"
"True. But if a book is well-loved, it usually has something of value."
"Fair enough."
"Besides, being blind, this is the only rough method I have to go by…"
"Principal Xia, you're already doing more than enough."
"Thank you for your kind words. So, Miss Lisa, was there something you needed?"
"Well… yes. There is something I wanted to ask you."
"Please, go ahead."
Lisa hesitated a little before speaking, a rare trace of embarrassment in her voice.
"So… yesterday, Acting Grand Master Jean gave me a few cups of instant noodles. I really liked them and thought I'd try making some myself. Jean mentioned they were a gift from you…"
Xia Zhi nodded with a smile. "Ah, so Miss Lisa would like to learn how to make them. I'll walk you through the steps."
First came kneading techniques, then frying methods, followed by the proper ratios for sauce and broth...
He spoke in his calm, warm tone, never too fast or too slow, while golden sunlight poured gently through the gaps in the shelves, lighting the side of his youthful face in such a way that Lisa found herself briefly entranced.
Principal Xia may not have his sight, but his looks and aura were something else entirely.
Lisa quickly lowered her head, refocused her thoughts, and mentally noted every word Xia Zhi said—comparing it with the parameters she'd researched the night before. She found them largely consistent.
After he finished explaining, Xia Zhi asked, "Do you have any other questions, Miss Lisa?"
"I've memorized everything. Just… the mushrooms used in the noodles. I studied edible fungi while at the Akademiya in Sumeru, and I don't recall ever encountering such a delicious variety…"
"You must be referring to the Cream Mushroom."
"Cream Mushroom?"
"It's a strain I cultivated myself. It's not surprising you've never seen it."
"You cultivated it? Do you remember which original strain it came from?"
"Not really. I just remember finding it in the mountains after a rain. I brought it home, forgot about it in a corner, and it started growing on its own in the damp."
"..."
"If you're interested, I can send you some fresh Cream Mushrooms later."
"Thank you, Principal Xia."
"No need to be so formal."
—
Outside the Church of Favonius, on the main plaza.
Fischl slumped weakly on a bench.
She'd been sitting there for several hours.
In that time, she'd made multiple trips to the restroom due to her upset stomach.
Oz, perched on her shoulder, said, "My lady, perhaps we should head to the Adventurers' Guild?"
"What for?" Fischl didn't even have the energy to speak in her usual dramatic tone.
"To quit Benny's Adventure Team, of course! Rumor has it that since Heckler joined the team, he's had a full week of severe diarrhea. And your current state is practically identical!"
"You can't seriously believe those rumors. This is clearly the fault of that canned fruit."
"No one else who ate the canned fruit had any issues."
"Maybe… maybe I just got a bad can."
"My lady's misfortune is definitely linked to Bennett."
"Stop talking."
Fischl clutched her stomach again.
She glared at the distant stall selling canned peaches, "I'm going to the Knights of Favonius. That scammer needs to be reported!"
—
Around noon, Cloud Retainer and Ying'er returned from the alchemy lab at the Knights of Favonius. The group went out for lunch—and brought Klee along too.
During the meal, they asked about the [Breaths of Joy] research. Cloud Retainer and Ying'er both shook their heads, saying they'd made no progress and would resume in the afternoon.
After lunch, everyone went back to the library.
Klee was a little restless and wanted Yaoyao and Xia Lin to go play with her. But the two good kids politely refused, so she reluctantly stayed to read with them.
Yaoyao enjoyed reading. Back at Yujing Terrace, Madame Ping often encouraged her to read. Those were mostly serious books, though—until she stumbled upon a novel written by Sister Zhu Zi, which had opened up a whole new world…
Xia Lin didn't read much, but she liked the library's peaceful and cozy atmosphere. She couldn't understand the kinds of novels Yaoyao liked, so she stuck to fairy tales.
After finishing one, Xia Lin got up, hugged the book to her chest, and carefully placed it back on the shelf. Then she looked around for another fairy tale she hadn't read yet and pulled one down.
Only when she had it in her hands did she realize the book was old—its pages slightly yellowed.
The title: The Boar Princess.
It seemed to have sat here for many years.
But the cover was clean and barely worn, suggesting it hadn't been borrowed much.
Xia Lin hugged the book and returned to her seat, flipping it open and reading slowly.
The story was bizarre and whimsical, about a kingdom in the forest.
But then again, fairy tales were supposed to be strange.
Xia Lin read with great interest and turned the page.
A slip of paper was tucked between the pages.
"Huh?"
Curious, Xia Lin gently pulled it out.
Delicate handwriting, elegant and neat—likely written by a woman.
[If you can complete these tasks, the Lamp of Bliss shall light, granting you the Supreme Blessing.]
[Find a flower that doesn't exist in the world. Find a guide who never gets lost. Find someone who never lies. Find a legend that never ends.]
???
Xia Lin had no idea what it meant.
She brought the note to her two companions and showed them.
After reading it, Yaoyao tilted her head. "It kind of sounds like… a prophecy?"
"A prophecy?" Klee's eyes lit up. "Klee knows! Let's go find that sister Mona! She does divination—she'll definitely know what it means!"
The three girls found Mona reading quietly in a corner and handed her the note, explaining the situation.
Mona inspected the paper but sensed no strange magic.
It was just an ordinary note.
Rather than some mysterious prophecy, it was likely something a previous reader had scribbled and left behind as a joke.
But when she saw the hopeful sparkle in their eyes, Mona couldn't bring herself to crush their dreams.
She nodded solemnly. "Yes. It is a prophecy."
All three girls lit up. "Oooh!!"
Mona held a finger to her lips. "Shh—quiet down. Don't disturb others."
The girls immediately quieted.
Klee whispered excitedly, "Mona, is the prophecy real?"
Mona nodded again. "Of course. If you find all four things mentioned, you'll receive a powerful blessing."
The three girls looked awestruck. "Wow!"
Yaoyao, ever the clever one, quickly asked, "Mona, where do we find those four things?"
Mona adopted a thoughtful pose. "Well…"
Klee immediately exclaimed, "Klee knows! We ask Mona to use her divination orb—then we'll know right away!"
All three girls looked at her expectantly. "Yeah!"
Mona froze. "..."
Wait—hold on. That was just a little performance! You weren't supposed to take it seriously!
Don't look at me like that!
Ugh… fine. May as well commit to the bit.
Putting on a serious face, Mona said, "Klee is right. But divination isn't always reliable…"
Klee beamed. "But Mona is the greatest astrologer ever—she'll definitely find it!"
"…Fine." Mona sighed.
She pulled out her Astrological Orb.
Not the old one from her mentor—that one cracked mysteriously during a reading a while back, probably from overuse. This was the new one she'd bought from Dori's stall… for six hundred thousand Mora.
In front of her three adoring fans, Mona gently placed her fingers on the orb and began a casual reading.
She had no idea what kind of lamp it was or where it might be…
As the divination unfolded, strange constellations shimmered across the orb's surface.
Mona was about to interpret the patterns when—familiar dread struck.
The orb made a sharp crack.
Crack…
A long fissure appeared across the orb's surface.
Mona's expression changed. She immediately tried to stop the divination.
But it was too late.
The orb's glow dimmed until it looked like nothing more than a discarded glass ball.
Mona stared at it, stunned.
The three girls also sensed something was off.
Yaoyao asked softly, "Mona?"
Mona didn't respond. She just murmured, "Six hundred thousand… six hundred thousand… my six hundred thousand…"
Her voice climbed higher and higher.
Klee quickly raised a finger to her lips and whispered sternly, "Shhh. Mona, don't be loud—you'll disturb everyone reading."
Mona froze.
She looked up—on the verge of tears.
----
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