Chapter 39

"Here, me."

Nalasha tried to stand as straight as possible, lifting her head to make herself more noticeable despite her small size.

"Oh, oh, what a lovely little princess," Laurell tried to appear less excited.

He showed what he thought was his most amiable smile and asked, "So, lovely little princess, would you be willing to tell me where you got this flower from?"

"Of course... not." She gently shook her head, her large eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint as she smiled in response.

"Uh!" Laurell instantly experienced a transition from joy to sadness.

He persisted, "Then, little princess, would you be willing to sell this ugly flower?"

"Ugly? Oh, if you think it's ugly, I'll keep it for my own appreciation." Nalasha continued to blink her eyes.

"Master Laurell, please tell us what this flower is, or we'll go ask someone else." Gong Sun Murong suddenly spoke up.

Laurell's expression changed slightly. After sizing up the people in front of him, he smiled.

"Why don't we go inside and talk?" He invited, his attitude becoming even more enthusiastic.

Nalasha looked up at Gong Sun Murong, knowing that the other party wanted to take it.

She was seeking guidance on what to do next.

If they were in the desert, she would have happily followed them inside.

Gong Sun Murong stared at Laurell until the man's gaze shifted away, then he picked up the gray flower and led Nalasha out without a word.

"Wait, wait." Laurell hurriedly called out, "I can tell you, it's called a Sunflower, a common flower by the riverside in the countryside. In the capital, it just looks rare. I'm willing to offer ten silver coins for it. Wait, wait a moment."

Laurell spoke quickly, but when he reached the door, he found that the two children had no intention of stopping.

He gritted his teeth and instructed a clerk, "Go, follow them, and find out where they live."

The clerk obeyed.

******

"Murong brother, he took us for fools," Nalasha said with a smile.

"He said it's common in the countryside, and ten silver coins, we need to sell twenty thousand pounds of water to earn that much." Nalasha was even more delighted.

Gong Sun Murong nodded, "He was too nervous, but the name 'Sunflower' is probably real. He only made up for it by saying that name."

"Right! I felt it too." Nalasha took the Sunflower and examined it, then said, "The clerk was secretly following us."

"Let them. If they want to die, we'll oblige them." Gong Sun Murong said indifferently, further confirming that the Sunflower was precious.

The two walked for about five minutes and arrived at another pharmacy.

Nalasha tiptoed to place the Sunflower on the counter and asked the curious clerk, "Do you want a Sunflower?"

The clerk was initially stunned, then looked at the leafless, gray flower on the counter in surprise, as if speaking to himself or asking, "A Sunflower? Is this the legendary Sunflower?"

"Yes, the legendary Sunflower." Nalasha agreed, though she didn't know why 'legendary' was added to 'Sunflower.'

The clerk swallowed a few times nervously and immediately shouted to another clerk organizing potions, "Jim, quickly, go get Master Max. No matter what Master Max is doing, tell him it's a Sunflower, a Sunflower."

The other clerk was also stunned for a moment before turning and running, "Okay, okay, Paul, watch them."

"Are you going to lock us in the store?" Nalasha asked, hearing Jim's words.

"No, no, beautiful miss, don't misunderstand. Jim isn't good with words, but he means well. He means... would you like something to drink?"

Paul pointed to his head, silently cursing Jim, while comforting the two guests.

"No, thank you." Gong Sun Murong led Nalasha to a nearby bench to sit and wait.

Paul held the Sunflower with both hands, standing beside them with great respect.

A minute later, a bearded old man rushed in through the back door.

The old man had messy hair, multicolored beards, and an even more colorful face.

"Give it to me, the Sunflower, give me the Sunflower." The bearded old man's first words were these.

The clerk Paul awkwardly looked at the two sitting guests, and upon seeing the older child nod, he carefully handed over the Sunflower.

The old man received it even more carefully, lowered his head, and stared at it intently, as if trying to see it into his eyes.

After a while, he exhaled contentedly and said, "The Sunflower, it's real, a Sunflower rarely found on the Lanskent continent. I can use it for at least five experiments, no, ten. I might even develop a new potion. Good, very good. Let me think, what should I use to complement the research, I need to think..."

As he spoke, he was about to leave with the Sunflower.

Gong Sun Murong had to stand up, "You must be Master Max?"

"Ah? Yes, I'm Max. Choose whatever you like, I need to conduct a great experiment." Max was about to leave again.

"The Sunflower is ours." Gong Sun Murong deliberately emphasized the word 'ours.'

Max, who was about to return to his experiment, finally reacted, showing an exaggerated smile and saying warmly, "Ha ha ha, welcome, young... young guests. This... that... beautiful little princess, are you thirsty? Would you like something to drink?"

"Grandpa Max, Murong brother and I need to know some things about the Sunflower. If you're willing to tell us, we can... give it to you."

Nalasha exchanged a glance with Gong Sun Murong before saying the word 'give.'

In that moment of silent communication, they confirmed many things.

They believed they should have their own family alchemist and physician. The old man in front of them seemed suitable, and the Sunflower would be a nice gift.

Max's expression froze for a moment, then he cautiously scanned the store. There were only two clerks, no customers.

He ran to the door as fast as a warrior charging into battle, hurriedly closing it and instructing the two clerks, "Jim, Paul, go around to the front and close the door. We're not open for business."

The two clerks were quite frustrated. Why couldn't they just leave through the door he had just closed? Did they have to go around?

Knowing there was no point in arguing, they ran out the back door.

Max breathed a sigh of relief, pulled a single chair, and sat in front of Gong Sun Murong and Nalasha.

"I'm very willing to explain and introduce the Sunflower to you. The Sunflower is rare on our Lanskent continent. It grows deep underwater and follows the sun's movement as it rises. Even on cloudy days, it remains still until the sun rises again."

Max's tone was gentle.

It felt more like he was telling a story about a person rather than introducing a plant.

Gong Sun Murong and Nalasha listened attentively.

Max continued, "It is a precious herb. Combined with different herbs, it can be used to make medicines for treating diseases and injuries, and potions to enhance magic and battle qi. If you place it in a water-filled glass tank on a windowsill or in a hall, it will make you feel happy."

"Does it have a unique aura? Murong brother and I didn't feel anything," Nalasha frowned slightly and asked.

"No, it doesn't have an aura. It makes you feel happy because of its growing environment. You can keep it in shallow water, but it can only reproduce in deep water. I'm sure you can understand some things about water. For example, in deep water, there is pressure, and underwater creatures are usually flat or soft. But the Sunflower is neither flat nor soft, especially its main stem. When we describe the Sunflower, we don't say it's ugly because of its color, but... under immense pressure, it still grows towards the sun."

Max spoke the last ten words with great passion—under immense pressure, it still grows towards the sun.

"So when you keep it at home, even if you encounter great difficulties, seeing it will fill you with determination. If a flower can be so resilient, what reason do you have not to strive and fight?"

Max's demeanor changed, filled with determination.

Gong Sun Murong and Nalasha were stunned, then their own demeanors changed.

Max immediately felt a mysterious aura spreading, like the sea, making it hard to resist.

Then a powerful magical fluctuation spread.

Max almost collapsed under the two auras, letting out a pained sound.

Fortunately, the two auras vanished as quickly as they appeared, as if they had never been there.

"Murong brother, I like it. It's such a beautiful flower, so resilient, and the name is so nice—Sunflower, under immense pressure, it still grows towards the sun!"

Nalasha clenched her fists tightly and said with wide eyes.

Gong Sun Murong nodded, feeling good.

Nalasha smiled at Max, "Grandpa Max, this is for you. I'm sure you can be like the Sunflower, withstand all pressure, and become an even better master."

"Oh, almost forgot, Grandpa Max, do any nobles use the Sunflower as their emblem?"

Max was initially too excited to speak. Hearing Nalasha's question, he took two deep breaths to calm down.

"No, it's too precious. All nobles have an unwritten rule: any noble who wants to use the Sunflower as their family emblem must have at least ten Sunflowers. This is because the competition for Sunflowers is very intense, even bloody. Only if you gather ten will others recognize that your family possesses the qualities and spirit of the Sunflower. I'm sure you can imagine how difficult that is. Even the Duke of Gers doesn't have it. You'd have to go to the imperial royal family, but they already have an emblem that has been passed down for countless years."

Max gently stroked the Sunflower in his hand and explained slowly.

"Grandpa Max, the imperial royal family can grant it to nobles, right?" Nalasha thought of a solution.

"Ha ha ha! The royal family prefers to see a noble earn the Sunflower emblem through their own efforts. A granted resilience isn't true resilience; it doesn't match the Sunflower's resilient qualities."

Max laughed and explained to the two.

He continued, "The Sunflower is too precious. I plan to buy it. Ten thousand gold coins, plus I'll make you a hundred level-five potions for free, using the materials you provide. I can only make level-five potions."

"No need, we're giving it to you." Nalasha waved her hands, then turned excitedly to her Murong brother, "Murong brother, I've decided our family emblem will be the Sunflower."

"Good, let's use it." Gong Sun Murong said firmly.

"Great! Let's go find out how to do it, preferably today." Nalasha clapped her hands, excited.

"What?" Max jumped up suddenly.