It was just a song, after all.
A small request like that—of course he could do it.
Xia Zhi nodded. "Now?"
"Not yet. Let's wait until night," Madame Ping said softly, passing him the [Seed-Converting Box]. "I'll be waiting for you under the Sacred Sakura Tree."
With that, she left, her steps light and almost excited.
Watching her retreating back, Xia Zhi couldn't help but feel like he'd just agreed to meet someone for a secret rendezvous.
And since Madame Ping happened to be Cloud Retainer's close friend, that made the whole thing feel even more... illicit somehow.
He chuckled quietly to himself. That was a ridiculous thought.
Madame Ping had never once come to him for a massage.
She was about as conservative as immortals came. There was no way someone like her would ever think of poaching her best friend's man.
He looked down at the little Box in his hand.
It wasn't made of gold or jade, yet it felt cool to the touch, carved with elegant, flowing patterns.
There was a faint aura of adeptal energy coming from within—it was clearly a unique artifact crafted by an adeptus.
Someone who made a tool just for collecting seeds… must've loved flowers deeply.
Probably Madame Ping herself.
After all, when Xiangling went off for her training journey, Madame Ping had specially crafted her a personal Serenitea Pot. Clearly, she was skilled in the art of making adeptal artifacts.
Xia Zhi placed the little Box into his inventory and checked its description.
[Seed-Converting Box – Worn]
Quality: Gold
Type: Auxiliary item
Trait: Seed Transformation
Effect: Plants placed within will, after a period of time, be converted into their corresponding seeds.
Hidden Effect: Plants within remain alive and active for an extended duration.
Recyclable: No
Xia Zhi studied the item window, intrigued.
This was the first time he'd ever seen an item with a "Worn" tag appended to its name.
No wonder Madame Ping had said it wasn't working properly anymore—the Box had clearly taken some [Erosion], reducing its effectiveness.
Last night, when he'd been talking with the Shogun, she'd mentioned that [Erosion] was one of the unchanging laws of Teyvat.
Everything in this world, living or not, would eventually succumb to it.
That included artifacts, apparently.
He pondered for a moment, then took the [Seed-Converting Box] back out.
Opening it, he found it filled with soft, pink sakura petals—what Madame Ping had just gathered earlier.
According to the description, they needed time to steep in the Box's energy before becoming sakura seeds.
He picked up a petal and studied it briefly before putting it back and closing the lid.
Then, focusing his power, he cast the Law of Time upon it.
Time Acceleration.
Immediately, the adeptal energy within the Box flared, pulsing with life.
Moments later, Xia Zhi reopened it.
The pink petals had vanished, replaced by tiny rose-colored seeds.
He picked one between his fingers and gently dropped it into the soil before him.
Channeling the Dendro energy he'd learned from his cousin, he infused it into the seed.
It responded instantly—sprouting roots, pushing up a tender shoot, then rapidly growing into a lush, blooming cherry blossom tree.
Petals fluttered down around him as a soft breeze passed through the branches.
Xia Zhi withdrew his hand, quietly admiring the newborn tree, then gave a satisfied nod.
The test had been successful.
Just as Madame Ping said, the Box could indeed transform petals into seeds.
He scattered the remaining sakura seeds across the nearby ground, then gathered a handful of petals from the Sacred Sakura Tree and placed them into the Box again.
Now came the real test—whether the [Seed-Converting Box] could truly produce [Sacred Sakura] seeds as Madame Ping had hoped.
---
Sumeru, Outside Gandharva Ville
Collei and Lumine walked side by side along a forest trail, patrolling the area.
Paimon floated nearby, curiosity shining in her eyes.
"Collei, Tighnari said something about cleaning the Statue of the Seven, but I didn't think that counted as ranger work?"
Collei nodded. "It does, actually. Forest Rangers handle all sorts of things—checking road conditions, maintaining forest facilities, preventing fires, helping travelers and locals... When it's Master, he even goes into the deeper, more dangerous parts of the rainforest."
Lumine tilted her head. "Dangerous parts?"
Collei hesitated. "He means the Withering Zones."
Both Lumine and Paimon blinked. "Withering Zones?"
"Yes," Collei said softly. "You're new to Sumeru, so you might not know. Aside from monsters, beasts, and bandits, there's something far more dangerous here—the Withering."
Paimon tilted her head. "So, what exactly is the Withering?"
"In some areas of the rainforest, strange phenomena occur," Collei explained. "Those regions are called [Withering Zones]. They're filled with a highly corrosive energy that drains the life from everything—plants, animals, even people. Without a Vision, it's suicide to approach them."
She looked at Lumine seriously.
"Master wanted you to stay in Gandharva Ville for a while to recover precisely because new Withering Zones have been appearing nearby. He was worried that, being outsiders, you might wander into one by accident."
"Ohhh, so that's why!" Paimon said, smacking her fist into her palm. "Tighnari could've just told us that! We almost thought he didn't trust us!"
Collei blinked. "Didn't trust him?"
Lumine coughed, a little embarrassed. "It's nothing… We've met a lot of strangers on our travels. When someone suddenly acts overly nice, it's hard not to get suspicious."
Collei smiled faintly. "That's understandable. Master doesn't talk much, but he's a good person."
Lumine nodded. "If the Withering's that dangerous, can it even be dealt with?"
"Only those with Visions—people who can control elemental power—can withstand its corrosion for a while," Collei explained. "For ordinary rangers, the most we can do is mark the location and report it. Then specialists like Master handle it."
Lumine's gaze drifted to the Dendro Vision hanging at Collei's waist. "You have one too. Have you ever handled a Withering Zone yourself?"
Collei went quiet for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I haven't."
"Why not?" Lumine asked.
Collei looked down at her hands—now smooth and normal. "Because I used to have something called [Eleazar]. If I got near the Withering, my symptoms would get worse. So Master never let me go near it."
Paimon's eyes widened. "Eleazar? What's that?"
"It's a disease unique to Sumeru," Collei said quietly. "People who have it develop grayish-black scales on their skin. At first it just feels numb, but later your strength fades, your fingers go numb… Eventually, you can't move your body at all."
Paimon shuddered. "That sounds awful…"
Lumine's eyes softened. "Can it be cured?"
"If treated properly, it can be controlled," Collei said. "But as of now, there's still no known cure in Sumeru."
"Ah…"
She smiled faintly. "But don't worry. I said in Sumeru. When I traveled to Mondstadt, I met Mr. Xia—and he cured me."
"That's amazing!" Paimon cheered, then rested her chin in her hand thoughtfully. "Mr. Xia again, huh? He cooks amazing food, heals incurable diseases… He sounds like a total prodigy!"
Collei nodded with quiet admiration. "He really is incredible."
Lumine glanced at her, noticing the subtle reverence in her tone.
It wasn't hard to guess—after being cured by him, it was only natural Collei would feel that way.
She smiled lightly and didn't pry further.
The group continued chatting as they went, with Collei stopping now and then to inspect the forest lamps along the path.
If a lamp was fine, she left it alone; if it was loose or broken, she noted its location for maintenance.
By the time they reached their destination, Lumine and Paimon had learned a lot more about Sumeru's rainforest, and Collei had heard plenty of their travel stories in return.
Finally, Collei pointed ahead. "The Statue of the Seven is up there, on that big rock. You probably saw it when you came through this path."
Lumine and Paimon exchanged looks and shook their heads. "Actually… we kinda missed it."
"That's normal," Collei said with a laugh. "The forest here grows so fast it blocks the view. Even locals get lost if they don't visit for a while."
Lumine smiled. "You've been doing all the work so far. Let me handle the cleaning this time. You take a break."
Collei hesitated. "It's pretty high up. If it's too much trouble to climb, it's fine. Master won't mind."
"It's okay," Lumine said confidently. "I'm good at climbing."
"I'll help too!" Paimon said eagerly. "I can reach the high spots!"
Seeing they wouldn't be stopped, Collei relented. "Alright. Just be careful. I'll go check the facilities ahead."
"Got it," Lumine said. "Come on, Paimon!"
Collei watched as Lumine nimbly climbed the rock and reached the statue with ease. Remembering what Nahida had told her, she took out her phone and began recording.
Paimon floated up beside Lumine.
"This is the Dendro Archon's Statue of the Seven. Try touching it like before, Traveler—you'll get a new element again!"
"Alright." Lumine pressed her hand against the statue.
A brilliant green light burst forth, enveloping her before merging into her body.
Paimon leaned closer. "Well? How'd it go?"
Lumine opened her eyes, summoning a swirl of green energy into her palm. "It worked. I can use Dendro now."
"Yes!" Paimon cheered. "That means we can finish commissions way faster!"
Lumine gave her a look. "You're just thinking about the Mora again, aren't you?"
Paimon crossed her arms indignantly. "Because we're broke! You promised to treat me to a feast!"
"Yeah, yeah, I won't forget," Lumine sighed. "For now, let's just clean this statue."
"Leave it to me!"
----
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