Chapter 166: The Creation of SP Bailu
"A girl with horns on her head... and a tail behind her? Can't say I've seen anyone like that." Rekka's tone was utterly sincere, his expression a mask of pure innocence. He even played along, craning his neck to look around the crowded street. "Where would you even find a little girl with horns and a tail around here? Sir, are your eyes playing tricks on you?"
As he spoke, Rekka glanced at Bailu, who was standing right beside him.
'No, this... they...?'she thought, a deep sense of bewilderment washing over her. It felt like she was trapped in an episode of a children's cartoon.'Do you see the fox?''I don't know. Do you see the fox?'
But what happened next was even more stunning.
"Looks like they didn't come this way after all," one of the Cloud Knights said, turning away. The entire group followed, their gazes sliding right past Bailu as if she were nothing more than a trick of the light.
Bailu watched the backs of the departing patrol, her large, clear eyes wide with disbelief.
"You... what kind of black magic did you just cast on them?!" she finally gasped, taking two sharp steps back and pointing a trembling finger at Rekka.
"A simple cognitive interference field," Rekka explained with a shrug. "In their eyes, you're just another passing child. The horns on your head and the tail swishing behind you are automatically filtered by their subconscious into something mundane, like hair accessories and a belt ornament."
"...Although I don't understand a single word of that, it sounds incredibly impressive."
Bailu pinched her chin, her bright eyes circling Rekka twice. She peeked toward the alley entrance again; the patrol was indeed searching elsewhere like a flock of headless birds, not even glancing back once.
She let out a long, shaky breath, her tense little shoulders finally slumping in relief. Then, with a delayed reaction, she reached up to touch the smooth dragon horns on her head and the long tail behind her, as if to confirm they hadn't actually been magicked away by this strange person.
After Rekka treated her to a meal, the little girl's affinity toward him had risen to the level of a friend. Through their back-and-forth banter, Bailu had quickly grown comfortable with him.
"A Trailblazer... how enviable," Bailu complained to Rekka, nibbling on a snack. "Sigh, my biggest wish right now is just to grow up."
She puffed out her cheeks. "Can't I have that kind of... that kind of dignity? The kind where I can just stand there and intimidate people without even saying a word?"
[Beep. Keyword detected: Wish.]
"You want to grow up that badly?" Rekka asked, a glint in his eye.
"Is that even a question?!"
With a practiced motion, Rekka pulled a small glass test tube from his pocket. It contained a translucent, pale green liquid that refracted the sunlight into a faint, ethereal glow.
"Hmm... I do have a potion that can make things grow quickly," he mused, tapping the vial. "But it has some... minor side effects."
He swirled the contents. "This is a special formula for plants. I'm not sure what it would do to an animal, but we could always find something to test it on."
After hearing Rekka's explanation and seeing a demonstration on a nearby potted plant, which shot up in a matter of seconds, Bailu fell silent.
Then, her eyes widened in accusation. "You're researching the Plagues of Abundance!"
"This is not a product of the Abundance," Rekka corrected calmly.
"Then tell me, what is this bottle of stuff?!" Bailu demanded, planting her hands on her hips.
"Why don't you take a sniff?" he offered. "Does it smell of the Abundance? You of all people should be able to tell with a single whiff, right?"
"Then... then let this young lady study it!" the little girl declared, hopping in place. "This young lady is merely doing this for safety's sake!"
After carefully, very carefully, checking the ingredients of the green potion, Bailu reached a conclusion.
This stuff really had nothing to do with Abominations of Abundance or their vile plagues.
"You actually managed to concoct this kind of potion!" Bailu looked at Rekka with eyes now full of shimmering anticipation.
"That... it's just... could you give this to me?"
She quickly realized her tone was far too eager and gave a light, dignified cough to cover it up.
"I mean, the ingredients of this potion are quite peculiar. Although it doesn't seem related to the Plagues of Abundance for now, for the sake of precaution, this young lady has a need... a need to examine it carefully!"
For a Vidyadhara High Elder who had been stuck in a petite form for who-knows-how-many years, the temptation of the words "grow taller" was simply incomparable. The fact that her growth was stunted by the shackle-like seal on her tail was a constant source of frustration.
'This is a stroke of genius!'her mind screamed.'Who cares about this or that! More! Give me more! I need it!'
It was a Rapid Growth Potion, also known as a Sculpting Potion.
"If you want to drink it, just say so," Rekka said, a smirk playing on his lips.
"You, you are such a..."
After some more half-hearted protests and theatrical negotiations, Bailu finally left with the vial of potion clutched tightly in her hand.
Not long after, Jing Yuan received an urgent message: the High Elder of the Alchemy Commission had gone Mara-Struck.
'Huh? Mara-Struck? Lady Bailu?'
Jing Yuan seriously considered what day it was; it wasn't April Fools', was it?
How could a Vidyadhara become Mara-Struck? The proper term was Dragon-Frenzied. But how could the High Elder possibly succumb to that?
Immediately, an image of a certain infuriatingly smug face surfaced in his mind.
Although Bailu was young, the power contained within her was the same as that of the former Dan Feng. If she truly lost control...
Jing Yuan quickened his pace, his expression grim as he rushed toward the Alchemy Commission.
When he arrived, he found Bailu sitting on a stone bench, her long legs swinging restlessly. She had changed into a set of loose-fitting adult clothes that were clearly not her own.
'Although my chest feels a bit heavy now that I'm grown up, and I'm not quite used to it,'she thought,'and there are ginkgo leaves growing on my head... none of that matters. What's important is that I'm an adult now!'
It really was a growth potion for plants. After she drank it, ginkgo leaves had even sprouted from her hair.
When Jing Yuan arrived, Bailu was tilting her head back, watching the clouds drift across the sky.
She had short, light purple hair with slightly upturned ends, and a pair of clear, curious eyes were examining her own palms. The clothes she wore were obviously a poor fit, hanging loosely on her new frame.
'No way!'Jing Yuan's mind reeled.'How could a Vidyadhara grow ginkgo leaves on their head?'
So that report of her being "Mara-Struck" wasn't a typo after all. It was just... something else entirely.
"Oh, General, you're here!" Hearing the commotion, Bailu turned her head, her eyes lighting up.
"Do you still recognize me? I'm Bailu!"
Jing Yuan stared at the girl before him, who wore the face of an old friend yet acted with a disarming childishness. He felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.
"What... is going on with your head?" he managed to ask, his voice strained.
"Oh, this?" She reached up to touch the foliage. "This is just a side effect of the plant growth potion. Although it made me grow up quickly, it also made leaves grow on my head... General, don't misunderstand! This young lady and the other healers at the Alchemy Commission have already examined it carefully; it has nothing to do with the Plagues of Abundance."
"Are you sure you're conscious right now?" Jing Yuan pressed, trying to keep his voice even. "Do you know what you are saying?"
"I am very clear-headed! I just grew taller, that's all!"
Jing Yuan was silent for a long moment.
"...Then what about these ginkgo leaves on your head?"
"I told you, it's a side effect of the potion!" Bailu reached up and ruffled her hair. A few golden leaves fluttered down with a soft rustle. "And this stuff doesn't grow continuously. It falls off after a while, and then new ones grow back... kind of like dandruff."
Jing Yuan felt his blood pressure becoming a bit unstable.
What kind of absolute mess was this?
Rekka never did anything truly malicious, but his sole purpose in life seemed to be sending Jing Yuan's blood pressure on a wild, unpredictable roller coaster.
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