7 Spiritual Beas (1/2)
”Hmmm… from the footsteps this is an animal that is not too big not too small just like the size of a hunting dog…”
Fang Yuan kneeled down and observed the distinct footprint, ”It is not too deep into the ground so it shouldn’t be too big in size. A wild wolf? Fox? Or a weasel or a badger?”
”What a clever animal it managed to destroy our trap…”
Since growing up from the mountains Fang Yuan was skillful in catching wild animals because he often had to catch wild chickens and rabbits for food.
And for a trap this meticulously set up even a wild wolf or boar should not have been able to escape.
But right now the trap was completely destroyed as though the animal had thoughts of provoking the one who set up the trap.
”Master once said in the deep mountains there might be unusual beasts. Even if they started out as normal animals given the right circumstances and conditions they will evolve and become smarter could it be one of those smart animal’s doing here?”
By setting up the trap and attempting to ‘steal’ the animal Fang Yuan felt wiser as though he was not facing a normal animal but a human. This led him to have a heavy heart.
”Hmmm… our losses are not much…”
He scanned around the surroundings and suddenly jumped up. He urgently made his way back to the tea garden, ”This isn’t good… My spiritual plants!!!”
Since the thief was not a normal animal normal crops would not be able to attract them therefore the only possibility was the Questioning Heart Tea Tree and Vermillion Jade Rice that attracted it!
After sorting out his thoughts Fang Yuan felt very uneasy and could not calm himself down.
A moment had passed and Fang Yuan felt very angry. He shouted within the secluded valley, ”Go and die… Don’t let me catch you…”
Fang Yuan stood in front of the Questioning Heart Tea Tree with sorrow on his face.
What used to be emerald-green tea leaves was now empty branches with bite marks on where the branches were broken.
The entire tree looked worn-out. Fortunately, its roots remained undamaged otherwise Fang Yuan would have lost it forever.
”What is this?”
After a close inspection, Fang Yuan discovered more clues around the Questioning Heart Tea Tree.
He rubbed his right hand against the broken branches of the tree. A layer of fine crystal droplets covered his fingertips. He realized the fine crystal droplets were all over the tree not only at the surroundings of the broken branches but near the roots of the tree as well.
”I did not put this here could it be the thief that brought it here?”
Fang Yuan placed these droplets near his nose and immediately smelt a fragrance followed by a putrid smell.
”Fertilizer?”
He looked at the worn-out Questioning Heart Tea Tree made a conjecture and had mixed feelings about it.
This spiritual plant thief dared to treat the Questioning Heart Tea Tree as its own and even defecated on it to make sure it would grow again so it could have another meal.
”It surely must have left the place because if it saw me it would have approached me…”
Fang Yuan shook his head and rushed to where the Vermillion Jade Rice was planted at.
On the contrary, the Spirited Red Corn was left untouched and even grew a little taller than it was before. The surrounding plants around the Spirited Red Corn seemed like they had dried up.
”The Spirited Red Corn couldn’t even attract its attention the thief must have quite high standards…”
Seeing that the entire garden was left untouched and that the thief only had the intention to damage the Questioning Heart Tea Tree Fang Yuan was left speechless, ”I will immediately set up another trap and wait here day and night just to see who is the thief!”
When his anger had subsided Fang Yuan thought that the whole incident was quite interesting as he could not wait to see who was the one who stole his tea leaves.
...
After calculating all his losses he had to carry on with his normal life.
Fang Yuan processed the Realgar Powder mixed it with the rest of the ingredients according to the correct ratio and placed it in the cellar for three days. He managed to produce a large amount of Still Fire Liquid.
This recipe was passed down from Master Wenxin and was a great fertilizer for many fire-type plants.
Since the Vermillion Jade Rice was a spiritual plant Fang Yuan had to water it thrice a day for it to grow and develop. It no longer had to compete and take the nutrients from surrounding plants to survive anymore and Fang Yuan felt relieved.
Days passed but the mysterious thief had not appeared. On the other hand, the constant lookout day and night took a toll on Fang Yuan.
Midnight with a clear moon.
Fang Yuan placed his trap and observed silently at a hidden spot.
Within the Tea Forest was silence and only occasional crickets which echoed within the secluded valley.
”Could it be that the thief saw me and is unwilling to approach?”
After keeping watch for a few hours Fang Yuan felt sleepy and a little disappointed, ”I shall keep watch for another night and if the thief doesn’t appear I will graft the Questioning Heart Tea Tree to somewhere safe… as for the crystal droplets it’s a pity…”
Through the past few days of observation Fang Yuan became sure of his conjecture and true enough the crystal droplets was a fertilizer to spiritual plants.
Not only did the condition of the Questioning Heart Tea Tree improved its branches had healed and on the Spirited Red Corn which he scattered some of the crystal droplets they too began to grow larger than usual.
This unique fertilizer for the spiritual plants immediately aroused Fang Yuan’s interest. He even considered letting the thief go if the thief was willing to share where it obtained the fertilizer from.
”Ahhhchooo...”
The next midnight had arrived and Fang Yuan’s eyelids were heavier than before; he was ready to sleep anytime.
”It seems that it will not come tonight and since I have to wake up tomorrow morning to loosen the soil for the Spirited Red Corn I shall go… eh?”