Ch65 - Bringing him back to the palace isn’t impossible

But Shen Huai hadn’t expected Jian Mei’s determination.

Ever since he promised to take good care of the flower, Jian Mei could always be found wandering around the garden. He was incredibly dedicated—watering, weeding, and tending to it with great care. He even started experimenting with fertilizers, using wild grasses for testing before making his own. The sheer effort he put in was truly impressive.

At first, Shen Huai didn’t expect much from the deal. After all, Jian Mei was just a commoner with no divine powers. But seeing how hard Jian Mei worked, Shen Huai couldn’t help but be moved. Deep down, he decided that even if the flower couldn’t be saved, he would still help Jian Mei with the farming.

But a proud divine official like him couldn’t just admit that he was willing to be freeloaded for free. So, once again, as Jian Mei was thinking about the nutrient solution for fertilizing, Shen Huai walked over and asked, “Still busy?”

Jian Mei didn’t even answer, only nodding lightly. “Mhm.”

“I saw some new flower seeds recently. If they’re shipped here, they’d be perfect for planting. But if this flower’s beyond saving, then it’s beyond saving.” Shen Huai cleared his throat. “I think you should stop with it. It’s been days, and it’s still lifeless. I can’t even save it, so you shouldn’t waste your time either. But seeing how hard you’ve worked, I’ve decided to…”

Thinking Shen Huai was about to end the deal, Jian Mei stood up anxiously and said, “Please don’t!”

Shen Huai: ?

“I think it can still be saved,” Jian Mei said, lifting his head. Life in the village had worn him down, but after just half a year at the mansion, he was noticeably fairer and cleaner. His once thin face had become rounder, and his voice sounded bright and fresh. “Shen-ge, don’t worry. I’ll do my best.”

Shen Huai looked lost in thought as he gazed at Jian Mei. But after Jian Mei finished speaking, he quickly snapped back to reality when their eyes met. He cleared his throat and said, “It’s up to you.”

Jian Mei was truly an odd child. Though he had been just an ordinary commoner with no divine power, there had been a kind of drive within him. Many people had been worn down by life, and the eyes of most commoners often seemed devoid of light, but Jian Mei was completely different.

Although he might have seemed a bit clumsy most of the time, he had always been hardworking and ambitious. Even though he hadn’t been one of those exceptional children, his perseverance and refusal to give up had made him shine brightly.

……

A few days later, Shen Huai had originally thought that Jian Mei was probably just saying it for the sake of it. After all, no matter how you looked at the flower, it had clearly seemed beyond saving and couldn’t possibly be revived. But to his surprise, when he passed by the garden again one day, he saw a flower that was brimming with life, clearly radiating vitality.

When Jian Mei walked over holding a small bucket, Shen Huai was still in a state of shock. He asked, “Is this the same flower from before?”

Jian Mei nodded. “Yeah.”

“You…” Shen Huai’s finger trembled as he pointed at the flower. “You really brought it back to life?”

Jian Mei tilted his head, a smile playing on his lips. “Yeah!”

If there were a joke in this world, it would probably be that he, an earth priest, couldn’t revive a flower, while the commoner Jian Mei had managed to do it after just tinkering with it for a few days.

Shen Huai was still skeptical and asked, “Meimei, do you have some kind of divine power or something?”

Jian Mei tilted his head in confusion and looked at him. “Huh?”

“……”

Shen Huai walked over to the garden pavilion and sat down. “Our town doesn’t have advanced testing devices, but when you go to the capital for school, all new students have their divine powers tested with stones. Based on their attributes, they’re assigned to different faculties. Let me give you an example.

Powers like thunder, fire, and metal which are more aggressive are assigned to the Qian Faculty. Meanwhile, powers like wind, earth, and water, which are gentler, are placed in the Kun Faculty. These are the two main faculties, and each one is further divided into smaller categories.”

This was the first time Jian Mei had heard anyone talk about school. Xiao Ban had often told him he would be going to school, but Jian Mei had thought it would be like how things were on Earth, where, after taking an entrance exam, everyone would be in the same classroom.

“If we break it down further, divine powers are categorized by their level, specific abilities, and practical use.” Shen Huai, who had a good impression of Jian Mei, was happy to explain.

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Jian Mei focused on the important part. “So, why are you in Class B then? What’s Class A like?”

“People in Class A are definitely stronger than me. You see, I can only make plants grow, right? But that’s really all I can do. Powerful earth-type priests don’t just make plants grow—they can also control the soil and manipulate plants.” Shen Huai’s tone grew more serious. “Abilities like mine belong in Class B, and above Class A is Class SA. Those individuals have very dangerous powers, and there are only a few of them in that class.”

Jian Mei was curious. “Class A is already pretty strong—so how powerful is Class SA then?”

“That’s a class for those with truly incredible abilities,” Shen Huai explained. “The latest graduate from Class SA is the current crown prince, Lu Xingwang.”

Lu Xingwang.

This was the second time Jian Mei had heard that name. Although everyone said the prince was dangerous, Jian Mei just couldn’t bring himself to be afraid of him.

Jian Mei asked, “What kind of powers does he have?”

“He possesses a five-element divine power that only appears once every thousand years, and his power levels are all at their peak.” Shen Huai spoke with a sense of deep respect when mentioning the crown prince.

“His power is incredibly dangerous, with a very high ceiling. For example, when we face someone, we usually counter their divine power. Fire-type priests are countered by water-type priests, and my earth-type power is countered by metal-type priests. But the danger with the crown prince is that he has almost no weaknesses.”

Jian Mei said in awe, “He’s just too strong.”

“He’s not just strong, he’s terrifying,” Shen Huai replied. “No one would want to be enemies with Lu Xingwang. After all, he’s the kind of person who can even punch through the hull of an interstellar pirate’s warship.”

Jian Mei felt like he was hearing some kind of myth. Gradually, Lu Xingwang’s image in his mind began to take on a magical, almost superhero-like quality, similar to Ultraman Tiga.

Shen Huai returned to the main topic. He took a sip of water from the pavilion and continued, “There are also some unique abilities that might land someone in Class SA. For example, I heard about a young boy from the Sorcerer’s Clan this year. His earth-based power is a mutated one. You know how we manipulate plants to make them grow, right? Well, this boy—anything he touches, be it plant or animal, instantly withers and turns to ash.”

“……”

Jian Mei’s pupils widened in shock.

He had always known that this world was strange, but he never imagined it was this magical. Divine powers, monarchs—things that once seemed so distant and unreal to him. They now felt suddenly so close, yet so absurd.

“Isn’t that scary? And he’s starting school this spring!” Shen Huai sighed. “I also heard that some kids from noble families are the right age to start school this year. What kind of luck do we have? You’re fine—being a commoner, you might never even encounter them. But me? I’m the one who’s going to be in trouble.”

Jian Mei nodded. “That’s good, that’s good.”

Shen Huai then looked at him and said, “By the way, when you go to school, remember to check your abilities. I think you might have divine powers.”

Jian Mei replied, “I don’t think I do. I’ve never used them, and I didn’t have any before.”

“Divine powers are classified into two types: one is innate, and the other is awakened later due to special circumstances,” Shen Huai said, taking a sip of water.

He continued, “The innate type is the more common one, accounting for 95%. As for those who awaken later, it depends on luck. So far, there are only two known cases. One is those who survive life-threatening situations like someone who falls off a cliff but miraculously survives. After offering sincere prayers and receiving divine favor, they awaken divine powers.”

Jian Mei asked curiously, “What about the other one?”

“There’s another, but it’s extremely rare—less than 1%,” Shen Huai replied. “These people are considered very lucky, and it’s called shared divine power.”

Jian Mei blinked. “Shared?”

“Yes,” Shen Huai nodded. “The conditions to achieve it are extremely strict. As far as I know, only the Lan family in the far south possesses this forbidden technique, and there might be some unknown side effects.”

Jian Mei nodded. “I see.”

“As for you, try to think back. If there were no life-or-death situations, maybe you’ve already awakened divine power without even realizing it,” Shen Huai advised.

“Got it,” Jian Mei replied.

Shen Huai could tell immediately that Jian Mei hadn’t really listened to what he said. Sometimes, this kid seemed like he was daydreaming, not very sharp. Shen Huai had also speculated about Jian Mei’s divine power before.

Originally, that flower was definitely going to wither, but Shen Huai was sure that Jian Mei’s fertilizing methods might have helped a bit, though they couldn’t have made the flower recover so completely. More importantly, when he checked the flower just now, he didn’t sense any trace of other divine power on it.

This was a flower he had grown himself, so there was no way he could be mistaken.

But that raised the real question: how did Jian Mei manage to bring the flower back to life without using any other divine powers?

Unless he had somehow enhanced the divine power he’d already used. However, his divine power was still basic and weak. To truly bring the flower back to life, he would need to reach a much higher level of strength.

Could it be that Jian Mei’s divine power was enhancing one’s own strength? Like a medicine that originally had only 20% potency, but after being boosted by a skilled alchemist, it could unleash its full 100% power?

……

Shen Huai was shocked by his own guess.

If this was true, the entire noble world would be thrown into chaos. Enhancement-type divine officials hadn’t appeared in thousands of years. But Shen Huai dared to boldly guess that if one were to appear, it would undoubtedly cause a massive uproar—perhaps even leading to a fight for control.

After all, anyone who could endlessly increase their own divine power—who wouldn’t be tempted? If that flower really was revived by Jian Mei using his own enhanced power, and if you were someone who constantly sought to get stronger, wouldn’t you be tempted?

Shen Huai thought he would. Even someone as humble as a farmer like him would be drawn to that. But what about those powerful noble families?

If Jian Mei went to the capital and his abilities were tested, this seemingly harmless ability at first glance would likely be classified as A or even SA. It might not seem powerful on its own, but when combined with other abilities? That would be like holding a trump card!

……

Suddenly, Shen Huai found himself silently praying that Jian Mei would just stay an ordinary person. After all, if he truly had such power, who in the world could protect him? His whole life would likely be nothing but turmoil.

……

The next day, after Jian Mei’s relentless efforts, Shen Huai, who had been tricked into helping, found himself lost in thought as he stared at several acres of land.

Pingping’s mom kept praising, “Jian Mei, you’re amazing! Where did you find such a great priest? Not only is he so powerful, but he’s also such a kind person.”

The real reason she was so impressed was that his services were free.

Jian Mei humbly replied, “It’s all because Shen-dage is such a good person.”

Meanwhile, Shen Huai couldn’t muster a smile.

The autumn season had brought with it a surge of illness and injuries. The local hospitals were overcrowded, and since priests required rest to use their divine power again, many people continued to suffer.

Pingping’s mom often appeared to be a delicate and frail woman, but when it came to sales and running errands, she was incredibly industrious. As a full-time mother with no other job, she had more time to search for customers. She was also very resourceful; after drying the medicinal herbs, she would sort and package them meticulously before selling them.

Gradually, the first batch of people who took the medicine began to see results, and many of them had recovered. As a result, word of mouth started to spread, and people began to talk about it.

Initially, Pingping’s mom had to promote it everywhere, but now, more and more people came to her house asking for the medicine. With the growing awareness, the topic of medicinal packets had become a common subject of conversation over tea and meals.

At a tea stall by the roadside in Golden Town, a group of people were having a conversation.

“Did you buy the medicine from Pingping’s family?”

“My wife bought it last night. When we got home, she took out a small stove and started boiling it right away. It’s extremely bitter.”

“That stuff is bitter, but it works pretty well.”

“Really? I was planning to go to the hospital and wait in line.”

“Trust me, don’t bother with the hospital. They charge one gold coin, but Pingping’s medicine only costs a copper coin!”

The conversation of the commoners was overheard by the people at the next table, and not a word was missed.

There were two people sitting at the table. One man wore simple clothes, but a closer look revealed that his fabric was of fine quality. The woman sitting across from him was wearing a veil, but her beauty was still unmistakable.

Imperial Concubine Xi smiled and said, “It seems you’re quite interested, milord.”

Once they left, their manner of address shifted.

The emperor nodded. “Do commoners no longer go to the hospital when they get sick?”

“It seems there’s some kind of folk remedy,” Imperial Concubine Xi replied quietly. “Strangely, of all the places we’ve passed, only the people in this town refuse to go to the hospital.”

The emperor’s interest was piqued. “These days, all healing divine priests have official status and are stationed in hospitals. A priest who studies folk remedies—I’d like to meet such a person.”

The autumn wind blew strong along the roadside, and after speaking, the emperor broke into a fit of coughing.

Over the years, his health had steadily declined. Now, he was so frail that even a cool breeze was too much for him.

Lady Xi quickly patted the emperor’s back, her worry evident. After all, the emperor was her only source of support—if something were to happen to him, her own future would be bleak.

She said softly, “Your Majesty, the palace healers haven’t been able to help you all these years. Since we’re already out here, why not give a reputable folk healer a try? It wouldn’t hurt.”

The emperor chuckled lightly. “”I know my body well enough—it is what it is. There’s no point in discussing treatment. But…”

Imperial Concubine Xi looked at him, confused.

“This healer who developed those remedies—I’d like to meet them,” the emperor said, his tone tinged with curiosity. He had long given up hope of healing himself, but his concerns were now directed elsewhere.

“You know how Xingwang is. He’s inherently suspicious, refuses to see palace doctors, and has an aversion to priests. He spends all his time handling state affairs and completely ignores his health when he’s busy. A regular healer wouldn’t be able to manage him. But this one… their methods seem unconventional. If they’re capable, perhaps they could come to the palace and take care of Xingwang.”