Wei Ji stood in the ruined courtyard, catching his breath as bits of petals drifted around him like the aftermath of some bizarre floral storm. He wiped the dirt off his cheek, then flicked a torn vine aside with the tip of his foot.
He stared at the fallen monster plant for a long moment.
Then he let out a low sigh.
"…I did not expect that."
The thought came slowly, almost dazed.
He walked closer to the defeated creature and nudged its core with a stick. It crumbled into dust, leaving behind a faint pink shimmer that was unmistakably Lu Shaohua's spiritual signature. It tingled against his skin like warm fire.
Wei Ji let out a breath that was half a laugh and half disbelief.
"This was supposed to be a simple gardening spell…"
His own voice sounded tired.
He leaned down and picked up one of the petals. It was soft, beautiful, and harmless now. But just a moment ago, the same bloom was trying to tear him apart.
"Shaohua… what did you do?"
No.
What did he do?
