Chapter 39: Now There Is a Basis for Comparison

Leng Baihe not only "found" a Grade 6 spiritual peony but also composed many exquisite poems about it, making her and her mentor, Luo Ping, the center of attention in the Planting Department for a time.

Where there are people, there is bound to be conflict. Especially since Ye Moxi had directly clashed with Mentor He Mali just a few days ago, comparisons were inevitable.

Ye Moxi rubbed her nose. It was only a Grade 6 spiritual plant; she wondered if it could be successfully cultivated further. However, since she could produce the first one, she could surely produce a second or third. It was truly enviable!

Leng Baihe’s family had always been unremarkable, and her siblings were nothing special. It was merely the family head’s calculated strategy to send the girls to the Talent Academy to gain prestige and secure better marital alliances. Leng Baihe’s entrance exam scores were only a Grade A for spiritual power and Grade 3 for earth-type abilities.

If she hadn't heard those beautiful poems earlier, Ye Moxi might have attributed the sudden appearance of a Grade 6 spiritual plant to the legacy of a predecessor from another world that Leng Baihe had stumbled upon by luck. But now, she was one hundred percent certain that, like her, Leng Baihe was a transmigrator. The difference was that she had her little white companion, while Leng Baihe likely possessed a system.

Should she go back and dig up a fresh Bodhi Lotus for her mentor? First, it would prevent others from using it as an excuse to challenge her mentor, and second, it might provoke Leng Baihe, potentially forcing her to bring out other treasures, which could be considered "benefiting" the galaxy.

"The older a Bodhi Lotus is, the better its medicinal efficacy. There is no reason to dig it up prematurely just to spite others. Don't worry, if they want to compete with me, they would need to bring out a hundred spiritual plants rarer than a peony to even stand a chance."

With the Feng family’s foundation and rising stars like Feng Yanqing, how many high-grade spiritual plants could Feng Xun not find if he wanted them? Besides, as for who would sit in the position of the Planting Department’s sub-dean, the higher-ups had long since made their decision.

The Military Academy’s rest days were staggered from those of the Talent Academy. Ye Ximo wore his training gear; his skin was tanned by the sun, but his youthful face now held a newfound sense of confidence. He had spent the morning taking specialized training classes arranged by the Ye family, so the afternoon was his rare time off. He had come to the Talent Academy at noon to eat with Ye Moxi.

The young man stood tall, his badge indicating he was a young S-class Sentinel. As he walked, he drew countless gazes.

"Hey! Sentinel, I’m Qu Miaomiao from the intermediate Planting class. What’s your name?"

Before long, Ye Ximo was cornered by a posturing female student. Her delicately painted face could not hide the calculation and greed in her eyes.

"Sorry! We don't know each other." Ye Ximo was not particularly polite just because she was a girl.

"Don't play coy! Fine, I’ve taken a liking to you and want to date you." Qu Miaomiao acted as if she were doing him a favor, expecting him to accept immediately.

Ye Ximo frowned. "Sorry! I don't like people older than me..." He didn't want to be harsh, but the other party clearly only thought from her own perspective.

Older!

"You are so rude! A rude Sentinel like you will never be chosen by any Guide..." Qu Miaomiao’s face flushed with anger. The boy was a young S-class Sentinel, so he had the capital to be arrogant. But she refused to accept it—he had actually dared to say she was old! She was in the prime of her youth; how could she be old?

"Then that’s no concern of yours, senior!"

Ye Moxi walked over. Ye Ximo bounded up to her like a large, excited dog. "Why aren't you using an umbrella? You’ll get tanned..." As he spoke, he pulled an umbrella from his spatial storage and held it over Ye Moxi’s head.

Qu Miaomiao was the very senior who had given Ye Moxi a hard time that day. Now, she glared at the siblings with jealousy and humiliation. "She’s just a wood-type ability user; she’ll be a gardener for the rest of her life. What can she give you? My cousin is a Grade 2A Guide!"

The siblings looked at her with deadpan expressions.

Ye Ximo retorted, "You’re in the Planting Department too, destined to be a gardener yourself. What right do you have to look down on her? Besides, she’s my sister. If you dare to be rude to her again, be careful, or I’ll beat you up!"

Sister... sister? Qu Miaomiao was stunned. Her mind raced—the desire to get her hands on Ye Ximo grew even stronger. Her talent wasn't outstanding in her family, so she had to be extremely cautious in choosing a spouse. Ye Moxi was Mentor Feng Xun’s direct disciple, her brother was an S-class Sentinel, the Feng and Ye families were related by marriage, and then there was... the Feng family’s formidable adopted son, Feng Yanqing...

Perhaps, she could even dream of landing that "greatest killing weapon" of the Empire?

"Sister, is the atmosphere at the Talent Academy always like this... you haven't been bullied, have you?"

Ye Moxi smiled. On the first day of school, she had already been taught a lesson. Without this Qu Miaomiao, that Mentor He Mali would have found trouble with her anyway—she wasn't even responsible for the freshmen, yet she had managed to arrive at their classroom right after class ended. And then there was that opportunistic, sycophantic Leng Baihe.

According to the plots of the novels from her original world, wasn't this the perfect time for the protagonist group to show off and slap faces? She just didn't know if she or Leng Baihe was the protagonist. However, in terms of talent and status, she feared no one.

...

"You knew your period was coming, yet you ate so much ice cream last night..."

"Oh, I didn't think it would be so punctual this time... hiss, the painkillers from the school infirmary are nothing special..."

"And you still say that! Go back to the dorm, I’ll boil some ginger tea for you to warm up..."

"No... I’d rather drink star-beast milk..." What fairy could endure that spicy, pungent taste?

Click, the door opened. A sweet, clear scent drifted in.

"It smells so good! What are you cooking?" Ye Moxi’s figure appeared from the kitchen. "You’re back? I made white fungus and pear soup. Would you like some?"

"Yes!" Luoxue drooled shamelessly. Xingmiao helped her sit on the sofa.

"Huh? You are... if you’re like this, don't drink the pear soup yet. I’ll make you something else, give me ten minutes..."

"Why?" Luoxue was confused. Xingmiao didn't understand either, so she brought her a cup of hot water.

In less than ten minutes, Ye Moxi brought over a bowl of hot brown sugar ginger tea with poached eggs.

"Ah! That smell, take it away, take it away..." Luoxue pinched her nose in disgust.

"Just try it, I’ve already strained out the ginger slices."

The reddish broth was flecked with red dates and dried goji berries. It had a rich aroma of brown sugar mixed with a hint of ginger and dates, with two poached eggs lurking beneath the surface.

Though still skeptical, Luoxue was suffering from abdominal cramps and hadn't eaten lunch, so she did need something warm. She hesitated, picked up a spoon, and took a tiny sip.

The expected harsh spiciness wasn't there; instead, it was sweet and soothing, with the clear sweetness of red dates and only the faintest trace of ginger.

Doubtful, Luoxue took a larger spoonful. It really didn't have that pungent spiciness she remembered. Spoon by spoon, before she knew it, she had finished more than half the bowl.