Chapter 2: First Trial of the Strange Blooms

The night sky was pitch black, a void of ink, yet the Withed Wood Flower bloomed in shades of deep blue and crimson that no one had ever seen before. Its petals layered over one another, shimmering with iridescent light, while a strange fragrance cut through the surrounding smell of decay. It wasn't heavy, but it carried a crisp, spiritual resonance that crept into your lungs on its own, forcing anyone nearby to hold their breath.

Su Miao slumped on the ground, staring at the fully opened Anomalous Flower. A faint smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. It held the relief of having narrowly escaped death, but also a mocking laugh at the way fate had pulled the string. The Spirit Plant Nurturing Ring on her wrist buzzed with heat—that was the residual warmth of her Azure Rain Power hitting zero, and the only chip she had left to turn the tide.

She looked down at the cold iron band, her fingertips tracing the inner wall. She felt the emptiness of her spiritual power draining away, but her mind was eerily calm. The air around them seemed to freeze. Fear and curiosity toward the “demon flower” were quietly sprouting in everyone’s minds.

Gu Tingzhou’s gaze swept across the scene. The tension spiked instantly; even the insects stopped chirping. The silence was dead, broken only by the harsh, cold white of the moonlight hitting the withered branches. He looked at Su Miao, a probing glint in his eyes, as if trying to pierce through the secrets hidden behind the flower.

His robes snapped in the night wind. His aura was freezing, but he didn’t make a move. He just stood there, watching. Su Yao’s wrists were restrained; her face was a sheet of white, but she refused to loosen her grip on her anger. Her eyes were full of venom.

Her nails dug into her palms until blood seeped out, but she didn’t notice. Her entire focus was locked on Su Miao, as if she wanted to swallow the other girl whole. Maid Wang came out serving tea, but the porcelain cup shattered on the ground. The sharp crack of breaking china echoed jarringly in the dead silence.

She trembled, covering her mouth with her hand. Disbelief flooded her eyes. The spilled tea soaked her skirt hem, but she didn’t react. She froze in place, as if witnessing some miracle that defied logic. The old servant had lived half a lifetime, seen plenty of rare treasures, yet he had never seen a flower like this.

Shock hit him like a tidal wave. He instinctively stepped back, bumping into the courtyard wall behind him with a dull thud. But he kept staring at the flower swaying in the night darkness, muttering to himself in a voice that was old and shaking.

By the next morning, the dew was still wet. Su Miao forced her weak body to the backyard. The morning breeze was cool and damp, making her thin clothes flutter. Ignoring the dull ache in her wrist, she carefully bundled up the trimmed Anomalous Flower materials.

The blossoms were vividly colored, but they carried a subtle spiritual aura that wouldn't be obvious to the untrained eye. She tied the bouquets with rough hemp rope, deliberately dimming part of the spiritual light so they looked like high-quality, but ordinary, wild flowers.

She planned to test the market at a low price to earn more Azure Rain Power, which would allow her to expand the Spirit Soil inside her ring. Su Miao took a deep breath. The morning mist swirled in her lungs, waking up the last scraps of residual power in her chest. She hugged the bouquet to her chest, her gaze firm.

She knew that if she sold at a high price, she’d attract unwanted attention. Only a low price would keep her under the radar while enticing the real experts to come find her. This was the survival rule for a cannon-fodder character in a transmigration story: stay silent, then make a splash.

At the street corner, a few small vendors gathered, curiously eyeing the bouquet in Su Miao’s hands. The materials gave off a faint, mysterious scent. The iridescent flow on the petals flickered in the sunlight, drawing murmurs of awe. One of them reached out to touch a petal, but Su Miao blocked him coldly. But when she quoted an incredibly low price, they hesitated.

To them, such a strange material couldn't possibly be worth that little. Because her spiritual power was insufficient, she couldn't use the Spirit Plant Nurturing Ring to directly transmit the true value of the flowers. She just watched the vendors look at her with confusion, suspecting she was playing a prank. She knew clearly: waiting for the real expert to show up was the key.

Minutes ticked by. The onlookers drifted away, and anxiety started to creep into Su Miao’s heart, but her face remained calm. She slowly closed her eyes, regulating her breathing, pressing down the surging worry inside. She knew that the more impatient she got, the more likely she was to slip up. Outside this man-eating mansion that swallowed people without leaving bones, caution mattered more than talent.

Lin Feng, the flower merchant, heard the rumor and rushed to the scene with his retinue. The sound of hooves grew louder, kicking up dust. He was in his fifties, with sharp, calculating eyes that immediately spotted the strange flowing light in the flower material. He pushed through the crowd and walked straight to Su Miao, scrutinizing the bunch of Anomalous Flower.

Lin Feng deliberately offered a low price, his words full of tests, trying to buy this potential treasure at a bargain. He squinted, a sly smile on his lips, weighing the pros and cons. Su Miao watched him calmly, unbothered by his probes.

She knew that as a major player in the flower trade, Lin Feng was too shrewd to be fooled by appearances. This game had just begun.

Lin Feng reached out and lightly stroked a petal. The instant his fingertip touched it, the flowing light traveled a fraction along his finger, and his pupils contracted. He lowered his voice. "The flower looks fresh, but it has no roots and no soil. How long will it live?"

Su Miao didn’t answer directly. Instead, she calmly pointed out that the material changed color if it touched water incorrectly; only a specific care method could preserve its essence. She said lightly, "If Boss Lin really wants to buy it, try it with water."

Lin Feng, half-believing and half-skeptical, took the bowl of clear water his retainer held and dripped it onto the root of the flower material. Sure enough, the material didn't fade. Instead, it became more lustrous, the flowing light brighter, and it released a fragrance that was a joy to the senses. Lin Feng was shaken. He started seriously evaluating Su Miao, his gaze losing some of its condescension and gaining more scrutiny.

He no longer hid the awe in his eyes. He looked at Su Miao deeply, seemingly trying to figure out who this woman really was.

Lin Feng stared at the material, his eyes sharp. He probed, "Miss, is there a breeding secret behind these flowers?" Su Miao used the chance to demonstrate her precise control of the Spirit Plant Nurturing Ring on her wrist, revealing the breeding secret and her unique aesthetic sense. She whispered, "This flower needs morning dew for watering, combined with a specific frequency of vibration, to activate its flowing light."

Lin Feng was won over by Su Miao’s professionalism and composure. He dropped his merchant-like cunning and bought the material at a price twenty percent higher than expected. As he paid, he gave Su Miao a quiet warning: a flower this rare would attract attention from various factions. She had to be careful in the fights between the powerful families.

His voice was so low only the two of them could hear, but there was an unbottomed chill deep in his murky eyes.

Gu Tingzhou happened to pass by. He noticed the residual spiritual energy waves from the direction of the flower fields, slowed his steps, and stopped at the street corner. His gaze passed through the crowd, landing on Su Miao. A spark of inquiry and interest flickered in his cold eyes, but he didn’t reveal himself to interrupt. Lin Feng paid and quietly warned Su Miao that such a rare flower would definitely draw attention from various forces, advising her to handle the struggles between elite families with caution.

Su Miao thanked him and left. Gu Tingzhou silently followed half a step behind, confirming her destination before turning into an alley. He blended into the crowd as if he had never been there, but his cold eyes had already cataloged every move Su Miao made.

Deep in the alley, the bluestone path stretched long shadows in the setting sun. His footsteps were so light they were nearly inaudible, yet in that silent dusk, they felt loaded with meaning.

Back at the mansion in the evening, with the sun setting, Su Miao returned triumphant. The golden afterglow spilled over the vermilion gates, washing the oppressive atmosphere in warmth. Su Yao saw the exquisite flower box in Su Miao’s hand. The venom in her eyes deepened, and she immediately accused Su Miao of stealing the family’s Seed Jade, kicking up a storm. She screamed, "How dare you steal from our house!"

The shriek was piercing, startling the crows resting on the eaves. Su Miao sneered but didn’t back down. She stopped, turned around, and faced the sunlight, her cold gaze sweeping over Su Yao’s face, which was twisted in anger.

Su Miao didn’t defend herself. She simply slowly raised the jade pendant in her hand. It was not the "Seed Jade" the Su family claimed, but a warm, ancient mutton-fat white jade, engraved with faint cloud patterns.

Her fingertip lightly flicked the pendant. In the sunset, it reflected a sharp, cold glint. Her tone was calm, bordering on cruel: "Second Sister, this pendant is a piece of junk I bought yesterday at the market. It doesn't store spiritual power; it stores low-level poison mist. If you force yourself to wear it now, you’ll ruin the skin you’ve been so careful maintaining. Did you even forget that common sense? You’re just desperate to frame me."

"If it were a real Seed Jade, it would be humming in your hands by now, not lying silent like a corpse."

Su Yao’s face drained of color. She reached out frantically to grab it, her nails nearly digging into Su Miao’s hand, but she pulled back sharply at the faint scent of poison mist. Extreme fear and rage flashed in her eyes. She hadn't expected Su Miao to use the characteristics of a "fake seed" to turn the tables. The onlookers—servants and passersby—slowly woke up, whispering among themselves. The momentum had quietly shifted.

Just as things stood stalemate, hurried footsteps came from inside the mansion. Steward Wang Fu rushed over, his face grave. "Miss, the Master is summoning you. Miss Su Yao is also requested to come along."

The corner of Su Yao’s mouth curled into a smug arc. She assumed the evidence was ready for her father, and Su Miao would be forced to kneel and take her punishment. However, as they stepped into the inner courtyard, the familiar pressure didn't descend. Instead, a chilling, icy aura filled the air.

Gu Tingzhou’s figure appeared on the corridor again. He wasn’t there as a guest, but leaning casually against a pillar as if he had always been there. He didn’t look at Su Miao. He just glanced at Su Yao, his voice clear like ice: "Miss Su, if you accuse someone of theft, you need proof."

"If this pendant belongs to the Su family, why haven't I seen it in the Su family’s collection list? I’ve heard that Miss Su has been selling off old items from her private vault lately. The origin of this pendant is probably far more complicated than you think."

The room froze. Su Yao stood rooted to the spot, her face pale white, sweat dripping down her forehead. Gu Tingzhou’s statement not only proved the pendant wasn't Su family property, but also hinted at the shady dealings in Su Yao’s private vault. It was a move that used her own attack against her, hitting the vital spot.

Su Miao watched the scene, her respect and curiosity for this seemingly cold Prince growing. Gu Tingzhou lowered his eyes. His gaze swept past Su Miao’s fingers, which tightly held the jade pendant. The probing depth in his eyes grew deeper, as if in this moment, he had identified the only variable in this chess game.

The sun fully sank below the horizon. Darkness swallowed the mansion, and the storm over the Seed Jade had just torn open the first bloody corner.