Chapter 277 - [Bonus] Honey Cake Offerings (1/2)

On several occasions, Zero has noticed that the garden tended to themselves magically. Hua Tuo has also mentioned some mysterious helpers who were behind the healthy herb garden. Who exactly were they and why did Zero have to offer them honey cakes every week?

From flipping through many books and research, Zero has narrowed the mysterious helpers to be either garden gnomes or garden pixies. Mii claimed to not know any pixie relatives and Zero could only depend on his brains to catch a glimpse of them.

The first step to catching one is the good old honey trap.

[Zero's Honey Trap Lessons!]

Step 1: Place a plate of delicious honey cakes at the usual offering place.

Step 2: Set up the trap of a box and hold it open with a stick. Tie a thread to the stick so that it will collapse when pulled, trapping the mystery guests inside.

Step 3: Carefully hide behind a rock and wait for the mystery guest to appear. Don't forget to pull the thread when they appear!

[End of Zero's Special Lesson.]

The boy scurried behind a rock and stifled an excited giggle. His heart pounded so fast and his fingers trembled in anticipation. Hua Tuo never forbade him to peak at their mysterious garden aides but his teacher would also not say anything about their identities. That made Zero very curious so he decided to meet them himself.

Ten minutes later, the guests showed up. Although Zero wasn't able to see them, the tiny tinkling sound of wind chimes and high pitched laughter told the boy that they were here. He quickly ruled the possibility of garden gnomes because gnomes didn't giggle or flutter around. They were most like garden pixies at this rate.

Zero couldn't see the pixies but he could tell that they were near. Pixie dust glimmered as they came closer, flying at high speeds in zig-zags through the air. Zero waited for them to land and take the honey cake but that didn't happen. Instead, the cakes suddenly vanished before Zero's eyes and the stunned boy stood up. The laughter faded in the distance and Zero was severely disappointed. He knew that their guests were elusive but that happened way too quickly!

Fire up, Zero kept the box away and took the plate back to the hut. Just because he failed the first time, it didn't mean that he would give up. Maybe that trap was too obvious. Those pixies were smart. They could've guessed what Zero was up to. The apprentice decided that he would revise the plan and try again next week, taking into consideration of the plan's weakness this time.

Hua Tuo was amused. Zero wore his heart on his sleeve and the cloud of frustration over his head looked like it might just burst and turn into a full-fledged storm if Hua Tuo didn't do something soon.

”You're back. Did our guests like the cake?”

Zero stared at the empty plate bitterly. ”They liked it a little too much... not even a single crumb left.”

Hua Tuo hid his smile behind his sleeve. Zero was still trying to catch those garden pixies? If there was one way to catch them, it would be to use glue or nets. However, these garden pixies were naturally swift. Zero had to think out of the box for this. Hua Tuo didn't disapprove of Zero's attempt to catch those pixies as long as nobody was hurt in the process.

”Those guests of ours must really like honey. I guess we could add a little more next week.”

Hua Tuo's off-handed comment gave Zero an idea and the boy volunteered to harvest honey. ”I'll harvest a pot! No... two pots worth of honey! Let's make it extra sweet next time.”

The physician didn't stop Zero from running back into the forest. The child was now an expert in foraging, hunting and stealing honey from the tree hives. Zero often hunted bears if they tried to hinder his honey stealing claiming that it killed two birds with one stone. Hua Tuo lost count of the number of times he scolded Zero for it.

Killing bears should be banned. They've eaten bear roast so much ever since Zero started hunting bears and Hua Tuo was seriously craving for something else. When he lived alone, he'd never eaten this much meat. Usually, he only visited the forest for foraging vegetables and mushrooms. The physician's diet consisted of mostly vegetables and fish before he took on a student. It was understandable for boys of Zero's age to like meat more. However, must they really eat tough meat like bear and boar on such a regular basis? Would it kill to have pheasants or rabbits from time to time?

By the time it was dusk, Zero thought that he might have overdone it. Those bees were going to suffer for a while. He emptied out five honey holes in his frenzy and wondered what he could do with it. Would garden pixies enjoy honey baths? Could he use it to make a sticky thread for them or add new treats to ensnare them?

Zero didn't know much about traps so he would have to search that up tonight after Hua Tuo had gone to bed.

Zero didn't have to wait long. Hua Tuo must be tired because lights out came a lot earlier than usual. The boy sneakily retrieved his reading device and threw the blanket over his head so that the light wouldn't disturb his teacher. As he tapped away and read up on the different types of sticky traps he could make, Zero thought back about how fast the pixies escaped. If he made a trap, they would quickly escape it as soon as they sensed something wrong. The problem laid with how Zero couldn't counter their speed.

Sticky traps were good but Zero needed something more invisible and a multi-layered trap in case the previous trapped failed. Zero didn't need to capture many pixies, he just needed one. In fact, he didn't need them to be trapped forever, Zero just wanted to have a good look at them before setting them free.

”The traps should not hurt them,” he noted and started sketching a rough design.