Chapter 444: Hua Can Talk
Bai Ming prepared the room, and it was still the top-tier suite.
But Sang Zhe had no interest in admiring the luxurious decor and went out to find Si Jingzhu, who was frolicking about.
When he found her, she was squatting in front of a monk dressed in simple robes, gazing at the stall in front of him.
“Miss, trust me.”
The monk, with enthusiasm, continued to promote: “This is the most concentrated place for spiritual energy in the Flower Sea of Starview Valley, where the Jade Hairpin Flower King blooms.”
“Look at its appearance, it has two to three more petals than the usual Jade Hairpin Flowers, looking even more stunning.”
“This Jade Hairpin Flower King has accompanied the practitioners of Starview Valley in cultivation day and night, nourished by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and has already gained sentience. Its petals can cure all ailments; even made into a scent pouch worn close can prolong one’s life!”
“Since it’s currently the season when flowers are wilting, I’ll sell it to you at a discount, just 200 mid-grade spirit stones. What do you say?”
Si Jingzhu blinked softly, staring at the vividly colored flowers.
Yet, she remained unmoved by the monk’s pitch.
Seeing that Si Jingzhu hadn’t responded for a long time, the monk assumed she was a poor child with no money and let her be while he turned to attract other customers.
“Hey, you, esteemed guest! I see you have a dignified air about you; how about buying a bouquet for your lady companion? Our Jade Hairpin Flower King is…”
A pair of young travelers were also slightly tempted by the monk’s pitch, carefully contemplating.
“This flower has no sentience at all.”
Suddenly, Si Jingzhu’s voice rang out nearby.
Not only did the young couple freeze, but the sales monk’s face stiffened, then he replied, somewhat displeased, “Hey, little girl, even if you’re not buying, you shouldn’t just smash someone’s stall, right?”
“But it really has no sentience,” Si Jingzhu said, slightly annoyed, “I tried talking to it, and it ignored me.”
The monk blinked, looking at Si Jingzhu as if she were a simpleton.
“Little girl, is your brain broken or something?”
“I’m saying this flower has sentience; having sentience doesn’t mean it’s not a flower! How can a flower talk?”
Si Jingzhu frowned slightly, her lips pouting.
“Why can’t flowers talk…”
“Hey, you little brat, you’re being contrary, right?”
The monk promptly got angry: “If you keep disrupting this place, I’ll call people! This is Starview Valley, do you believe I can shout and bring over a dozen brothers to keep you from leaving here today?”
“Is that so?”
Before the monk finished speaking, Sang Zhe’s light voice came from the side: “I remember, your Starview Valley should only have the right to sell tickets, right? Like this, setting up a stall inside the valley, you should be paying Floating Splendor Commerce a stall fee, right?”
“W-What does it have to do with you?” The monk looked at Sang Zhe, anxious and defensive.
“Nothing much.”
Sang Zhe turned his head silently and whispered to the middle-aged fat man in charge beside him: “Double his stall fee from now on.”
“Yes, Young Master Sang.”
Seeing that the plump middle-aged man was the official head of Starview Valley’s scenic area, the monk’s face instantly turned pale.
Sang Zhe then walked over to Si Jingzhu, softly asking:
“Do you like it?”
Si Jingzhu shook her head.
“I feel a little sorry for them.”
Sang Zhe observed the flowers cut off at the roots, placed in jade vases, and fell silent.
“What he said might not be wrong.”
Si Jingzhu said softly: “These flowers might have had sentience before.”
“But their picking method is wrong. It’s too rough.”
“These flowers… are already dead.”
For the first time, Sang Zhe saw a feeling named sadness in the eyes of this little girl, Si Jingzhu.
Si Jingzhu remained silent for a moment, then gathered all the flowers in her arms and walked alone toward the valley.
The monk looked heartbroken but dared not speak, only following after tossing a bag of spirit stones.
—
—
The planning of Starview Valley’s scenic area was quite simple.
Most of the peripheral areas were filled with tourists enjoying the flowers; they merely strolled around the Flower Sea before leaving.
Deeper inside were tourists waiting in the flower sea for nightfall to watch the stars.
As they moved deeper into the valley, the flower sea grew denser, and the tourists became increasingly sparse.
Eventually, Si Jingzhu stopped in a lush Flower Sea.
Surrounded by emptiness, only the thriving Jade Hairpin Flowers were everywhere.
She scattered the flowers from her hands into the sea of blooms and quietly crouched down.
Behind her, Sang Zhe slowly followed.
“Speaking of which, before coming to Water Moon Sect…”
Si Jingzhu suddenly mused aloud: “In the secret realm where I grew up, there were many flowers and grasses with sentience too.”
“At that time, I hadn’t yet taken a form, and my intelligence had just awakened. My favorite thing to do every day was to listen to them tell me about what they saw and heard.”
“Before taking form, they were my friends. They accompanied me through what felt like countless years before leaving the secret realm.”
“So flowers can indeed talk.”
“I know.” Sang Zhe chuckled, “If you can talk, of course flowers can talk too.”
Si Jingzhu turned her head to glare at him with a hint of grievance and huffed.
“I am the noble Original Immortal, the king of medicinal herbs. Even if those flowers have sentience and can talk, they can’t compare to me in the slightest.”
“Okay, okay, you’re the best.”
Sang Zhe shrugged helplessly while Si Jingzhu plopped down next to him.
The gentle breeze caused ripples in the flower sea, creating a breathtaking view.
“This is quite a nice place.”
Si Jingzhu stretched lazily: “You, this smelly wood, are occasionally quite perceptive. You managed to pick such a romantic spot.”
Sang Zhe was about to mention that it was chosen by Little Ying but, after blinking, he simply smiled silently.
“As long as you like it.”
Si Jingzhu’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she awkwardly turned her head aside.
“You really helped a lot this time. Thank you.”
“Ha. Of course.”
Si Jingzhu immediately started to brag, “Who told you I’m the noble and beautiful Original Immortal? Sigh, with great power comes great responsibility; sometimes my beauty and capability burdens me too.”
Sang Zhe couldn’t help but laugh.
This little demoness was still the same little demoness.
Her personality remained so nasty, always dripping with an air of annoyance.
Yet.
He didn’t know when it started.
It seemed that he and his family had already begun to get used to her chattering presence.
Sometimes, when he didn’t hear her noise.
He would feel a bit out of sorts.
“…But.”
Si Jingzhu’s voice suddenly became softer.
Her expression turned slightly bashful, as if feeling a little shy. She mumbled:
“If… I could help you a little bit…”
“I-I would still be very happy…”
Sang Zhe blinked.
“What did you say?”
“I said!”
Si Jingzhu’s face turned crimson, but finally, she couldn’t help but tilt her head up, beaming with pride:
“With me, Miss, by your side, you’re truly the luckiest person in the world!”
