Chapter 31: Seven Scents of Flowers, Crystal Glass Grass

Why is it that things we should forget can never be forgotten, while those we should remember always elude us? (Gu Long)
……
Gilly giggled and said, “Come on, don’t be so stingy. It’s just a mushroom. Go find some herbs. Once we have enough, I’ll make you mushroom soup when we get home.”
What else could Liu Yi say? He shook his head and asked, “What other herbs do we need?”
Gilly replied, “We’re looking for a ‘Crystal Glass Grass’ as a medicinal guide. We already have the rest at home, so no need to look for them.”
Liu Yi asked, “Do we just need one ‘Crystal Glass Grass’?”
As she walked ahead, Gilly answered, “Of course. ‘Crystal Glass Grass’ is a very precious herb—much harder to find than ‘Merciful Heart Grass’. Dad said it usually grows on rocks and cliffs, and it takes ten years to grow one plant. It’s extremely hard to find; it depends on luck.”
Liu Yi nodded and said, “You mean… it depends on luck? What if we can’t find it?”
Gilly laughed, “How could that happen? Yuecang Mountain is so vast and sparsely populated. Although it takes ten years for one ‘Crystal Glass Grass’ to grow, few people have come here specifically to pick it in a hundred years. As long as we search carefully, we’ll definitely find it.”
Following Gilly, Liu Yi said with a smile, “I didn’t expect someone so small to know so much.”
Gilly walked on, laughing, “That’s just how it is—there are many trades in the world. You’re surprised I know so much, but I’m surprised you know so much too.”
Liu Yi was speechless about this little girl. Her wit was incredible. If she started talking, even the top scholar of the realm wouldn’t be her match.
Suddenly, Gilly stopped… stretched out her little hands, and bent her waist.
Liu Yi asked curiously, “Why are you stopping?”
Gilly laughed, “Brother Liu, you’re too silly. Look… this is the cliff on the east side of Yuecang Mountain. If we keep walking, we’ll fall.”
Only then did Liu Yi understand why she had stopped. There was no way forward. He blamed himself for only focusing on the ground and following her without checking the path ahead.
Liu Yi looked down at the cliff below. The white clouds swayed like waves in the sea—a truly magnificent sight. He couldn’t help but say, “In the heavens tonight, in this world below, I am but a passerby in the wind. Haha.”
Gilly said, “Do all scholars have this habit? They have to say something whenever they see something interesting.”
Hearing this, Liu Yi smiled awkwardly and said, “It’s just a habit, hehe.”
After the laughter, Liu Yi fell silent. For some reason, standing here, he felt incredibly familiar, as if he had been here just yesterday. What surprised him even more was the image that appeared in his mind: “A middle-aged man, holding a dead woman in his left arm and a long sword in his right, standing in his position, facing a vast crowd…”
Liu Yi shook his head violently. Suddenly, he noticed a reflection of light coming from the upper right beside him… He thought to himself, “Is it some strange thing again?” He turned to look at the source of the light, but since it was on a rock behind him, at least dozens of feet high, with a strong reflection, he couldn’t see clearly.
Liu Yi quickly called out, “Hey, Gilly! Gilly!”

She called out twice, but Jillier didn’t respond—clearly lost in her thoughts. Liu Yi gently pulled at the hem of Jillier’s loose clothes and said, “Hey, wake up.” Jillier quickly pulled herself away from that strange image in her mind and asked, “What’s wrong?” Liu Yi pointed at the mountain rock over ten zhang high behind them and said, “Look, what’s that?” Jillier examined it carefully and said, “Although… it’s not clear, it might be the ‘Crystal Grass.’ I’ve never seen it before, but my father told me that once this grass grows, its entire body becomes crystal-like, transparent, able to reflect sunlight, and it has the scent of seven kinds of flowers. It’s called ‘Crystal Grass’ because it doesn’t bloom on its own.” Liu Yi nodded and said, “I didn’t expect you to know so much about this. I’ll climb up and pick it.” Jillier quickly grabbed Liu Yi and said, “I’ll go up. If you don’t know how, the ‘Crystal Grass’ might wither.” Liu Yi gave a strange look and said, “Isn’t this grass that delicate?” Jillier untied the items from her body while saying, “You don’t know. It’s fine in normal wind and rain, but once it’s dug away from the rock, it withers immediately. So, special methods and items are needed to preserve it.” Jillier took out a black, iron-like round bottle and a small shovel and said, “I’m going up.” Liu Yi stuck his folding fan around his neck and said, “Go ahead. I’ll watch from below. If you fall, I can catch you.” Jillier smiled and said, “You bookworm, you can’t say anything nice.” With that, she went to the base of the rock and began climbing. Clearly, after long-term natural erosion, the surface of that huge rock was no longer very solid. After slipping several times, Jillier finally approached the ‘Crystal Grass’ slowly. She shouted loudly to Liu Yi below, “It’s the ‘Crystal Grass’! I can smell its fragrance.” Then, happily turning her head, she continued climbing. Watching Jillier’s joy, something mysterious in Liu Yi’s mind seemed to be stirred. She was a mountain spirit, an immortal free from worldly troubles. Her world was full of happiness, without the sorrows of the mortal world. Perhaps… this was the feeling Liu Yi had the moment he first saw Jillier but couldn’t put into words. With a clatter, some rocks fell down. Liu Yi quickly stepped aside and looked up as fast as he could, asking anxiously, “What happened?” Jillier shook her head from above and said, “It’s nothing. Just a scratch on my arm.” Then she began digging up the ‘Crystal Grass.’ Her method was strange—first, she covered the grass with the black round bottle, then used the small shovel to dig at the roots bit by bit. With each dig, the black bottle moved forward slightly to ensure that the dug part remained completely covered. The light reflected by the ‘Crystal Grass’ was blocked, allowing Liu Yi to clearly see how hard Jillier was working. Finally… Jillier wiped the sweat from her forehead, covered the bottle, and put it at her waist. Turning around, she said, “It’s done.” Then she began climbing down slowly… Just as Jillier reached the middle, her arm slipped, and she failed to grasp the rock. With a “Ah!” she fell straight down.

Liu Yi had already prepared below to respond at any moment. As soon as he saw Jiliel slide down, he quickly gathered his inner energy and used the “Hidden Spin Nine Shadows” technique. Three afterimages moved with Liu Yi’s leap, gently lifting the petite Jiliel into his arms as they fell together…

In an instant, time seemed to stop. Clouds drifted around them, and the wind blew past their ears, as if they were in another world…

They landed steadily on the ground, their eyes meeting. It was unclear what they saw…

Liu Yi felt his hands were sticky. He quickly looked down and saw blood—Jiliel’s right hand was bleeding nonstop. Liu Yi rolled up her sleeve and saw a long wound on her arm. He asked anxiously, “How could you be so careless? Such a deep wound. Does it hurt?”

Jiliel shook her head and smiled, “It’s just a superficial wound. It’s fine.”

Ignoring that, Liu Yi used his left hand to tear off the front half of her right sleeve. “Come, let’s bandage it first,” he said, rolling up her sleeve and slowly wrapping it around the wound…

Watching Liu Yi’s serious expression, Jiliel thought to herself, “Is this happiness? In front of him, even pain feels like happiness.”

Suddenly, a voice laughed in her mind, “Haha, silly girl. Your happiness is ahead.”

Jiliel exclaimed, “Sister Nalan, how did you eavesdrop on my thoughts?”

The Nalan elf laughed and said, “Alright, alright. I didn’t do it on purpose. I’m going to bed now.”

Liu Yi lowered Jiliel’s sleeve. “Done. It’s bandaged.”

Jiliel smiled happily. “We can go down the mountain today. I thought it would take a long time to find both of these herbs this time, but we’re so lucky.”

Liu Yi smiled. “That’s because I’m here. My presence brings good luck.”

Jiliel looked at Liu Yi. “Hmph, your words clearly imply you want a reward!”

Liu Yi took out the folding fan from his neck and fanned himself. “Oh, Jiliel is so clever. I heard someone is going to make me mushroom soup. I suddenly feel a bit hungry.”

Jiliel smiled, picked up her bag, and said, “Put it on your back.”

Liu Yi took the bag and slung it over his back, then asked, “Jiliel, you’re often forgetful. Haven’t you forgotten the mushroom soup?”

Jiliel also packed up her things, stretched out her small hand from her wide sleeve, and said, “Come on, let’s go home and I’ll make you mushroom soup. Haha.” Then she led the way, clearly a girl with strong determination.

Looking at the crazy girl ahead, Liu Yi suddenly felt something new toward her. What was it? “Others laugh at my madness, but I laugh at their inability to see through.” That described it perfectly.