Chapter 8: A Reasonable Explanation
That night, Lin Daofeng stood quietly in the courtyard.
The spiritual peach tree had already stabilized. Its aura was no longer weak—instead, it carried the clear presence of a first-order high-grade plant. The difference was not subtle. Even without careful inspection, anyone familiar with spiritual plants would be able to notice it.
Even now, he found it slightly unexpected.
"…It advanced."
The change had been smooth, almost natural. There had been no violent fluctuation, no instability, no trace of forced interference. If someone had not seen its previous condition, they might assume it had always been like this.
Yet he had seen it.
A plant that had been declining… had not only recovered, but improved.
His gaze lingered on the leaves as they swayed lightly in the night breeze. The flow of qi around it was stable, even slightly denser than before. Compared to yesterday, it felt like an entirely different plant.
Then his attention shifted inward.
The vine remained as before—silent, coiled, unchanged. There was no visible reaction after the droplet had been used. No growth, no variation.
Only stillness.
Yet—
The effect of that single droplet was undeniable.
"…Effective."
His thoughts moved steadily.
Not rushed.
Not scattered.
But precise.
The result confirmed several things. The droplet could directly influence essence, not just qi. It did not merely stabilize—it enhanced. And most importantly, its effect exceeded normal expectations by a considerable margin.
A plant that should have required time, resources, or intervention from a skilled spiritual plant master had advanced overnight.
That alone—
Was dangerous.
Daofeng's gaze lowered slightly.
Within the Lin Clan, even experienced spiritual plant cultivators would not be able to produce such a result so easily. If word spread, it would not stop at simple curiosity.
It would become attention.
And attention—
Was something he could not afford.
He exhaled slowly.
"This cannot happen again carelessly."
One success was valuable.
Repeated anomalies would only invite trouble.
He considered the process carefully.
The droplet had been stable. Easy to guide. Its effect was strong, but also too obvious. Compared to the earlier thread-like control, it lacked subtlety.
If he continued using it in the same way, changes like this would inevitably be noticed again.
"…I need control."
Not just the ability to use it—
But how much to use.
Where to use it.
And when.
His gaze shifted once more to the peach tree.
Then he withdrew it.
The night passed quietly.
—
The next morning, Lin Daoxin did not come as usual.
Daofeng stepped out and made his way to the field on his own. The air was fresh, carrying the faint scent of soil and spiritual plants. A thin mist lingered near the ground, slowly dispersing under the rising sun.
As he walked, his gaze swept across the surroundings.
Disciples were already at work. Some checked plant conditions, others adjusted soil or guided qi. Their movements were steady and familiar.
Everything appeared normal.
But Daofeng did not let that mislead him.
If the peach tree had been inspected—
If its condition had been recorded before—
Then the change would already be known.
After a short while, he found his cousin.
"You came early," Daoxin said.
"Mm."
Daoxin stretched slightly. "I had something to do earlier. The tasks are the same—nothing changes."
He repeated the key points once more: daily maintenance, observation, and practice of the Spiritual Rain Technique.
Daofeng nodded and returned to his work.
—
The morning passed steadily.
No disturbance.
No unusual glances.
—
But Daofeng did not relax.
Even while working, part of his attention remained on his surroundings. Observing. Measuring.
If the change had been noticed—
Someone would come.
And when they did—
His answer needed to be ready.
Not complicated.
Not detailed.
Just reasonable.
—
He briefly considered different explanations.
Directly claiming success?
Too obvious.
Attributing it to chance?
Unreliable.
Blaming environmental factors?
Too vague.
—
In the end—
He settled on the simplest approach.
Control.
Observation.
Stabilization.
—
Nothing beyond his level.
Nothing that required special ability.
—
That was enough.
—
By afternoon, his tasks were complete.
Daofeng sat briefly to rest.
—
Then—
Footsteps approached.
—
"Daofeng," Daoxin called. "Aunt is asking for you."
—
A brief pause.
—
Daofeng stood.
"…I see."
—
There was no visible reaction.
But inwardly—
His thoughts aligned.
—
It's come.
—
He had expected this.
The change in the peach tree was too obvious to ignore. A first-order medium-grade plant advancing to high-grade overnight was not impossible, but it required time, resources, or a skilled spiritual plant master.
And that tree had been declining.
That contradiction—
Was the problem.
—
Still—
There was no need to complicate things.
—
The more detailed the explanation—
The more flaws it would reveal.
—
Simple.
Direct.
Within reason.
—
That was enough.
—
Daofeng followed quietly.
—
When he arrived, Lin Yunyi was already standing in the courtyard, her gaze resting on the peach tree.
She had clearly inspected it.
—
"Daofeng," she said without turning. "Come here."
—
He stepped forward. "Aunt."
—
Only then did she turn.
Her expression was calm.
Not sharp.
Not probing.
—
But attentive.
—
"This tree," she said, "you worked on it yesterday?"
—
"Yes."
—
A brief pause.
—
"What did you do?"
—
Her tone was direct.
—
Daofeng answered calmly.
"I didn't try to restore it directly."
—
Yunyi's gaze sharpened slightly.
"…Explain."
—
"I noticed its internal qi wasn't completely gone," he said. "It was scattered, but still present."
—
He paused briefly.
Keeping the explanation measured.
—
"So I didn't inject qi forcefully. That would have disrupted it further. I slowed the flow first, then guided it back into a stable circulation."
—
Silence.
—
Yunyi did not interrupt.
—
"It responded better when treated like cultivation… instead of repair," he added.
—
Another pause.
—
"I wasn't expecting it to improve this much."
—
The courtyard fell quiet.
—
Yunyi turned her gaze back to the tree.
From first-order medium-grade to high-grade—this alone was not impossible. But combined with its previous condition, it was unusual.
—
Still—
She did not question further.
—
Because the explanation—
Was reasonable.
—
And more importantly—
It stayed within limits.
—
He had described control.
Not power.
—
At his level—
That was acceptable.
—
"…Your control is precise," she said at last.
—
Not praise.
—
Just acknowledgment.
—
"You can stay responsible for this tree. Continue observing it."
—
"Yes."
—
"And focus on learning the Spiritual Rain Technique."
—
"I understand."
—
The matter ended there.
—
No further questions.
No deeper probing.
—
Daofeng did not linger.
—
As he stepped away—
His expression remained unchanged.
—
But inwardly—
His thoughts settled.
—
It passed.
—
Not perfectly.
—
But sufficiently.
—
Behind him, the peach tree stood quietly, its leaves swaying gently, its aura stable.
—
But the situation had changed.
—
A single use—
Had already drawn attention.
—
That meant—
Every future action had to be controlled.
Measured.
Planned.
—
No unnecessary risks.
No repeated anomalies.
—
Daofeng's gaze lowered slightly as he walked.
—
Strength… without exposure.
—
That was now his path.
—
Deep within him, the vine remained silent, continuing its slow, unnoticed absorption.
—
And somewhere within that silence—
Another possibility was already forming.
—
Unseen.
—
Unnoticed.
—
But inevitable.