Chapter 14

"Oil extracted from things like tree leaves, roots, and seeds. This is oil extracted from lavender, and it has a very pleasant fragrance. Would you like to smell it?"

The oil was in excellent condition. Rian nodded with shining eyes.

‘Lavender...’

A calming, pleasant scent, a blend of floral and grassy aromas, wafted up. Rian looked around the vials. Various names flashed by quickly: Wintergreen Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Menthol, Peppermint Oil, Camphor, Sandalwood Oil, Thyme Oil...

A clear but strong light entered Rian's eyes. She had a hunch that the opportunity to use her blending skill had come. Her blending skill was currently at level 7.

At level 1, the ingredients would blend without clashing, and at level 2, they would balance. Rian had thought it was just about balancing the body's sense of balance until now. But the moment she saw those oils, she knew it was more than that.

And to move forward here, there was something she needed to do. Rian looked up at Dan Muxianwu.

* * *

First, 40% Wintergreen Oil, 30% a 1:1 mix of Peppermint Oil and Menthol, 20% Eucalyptus Oil, and 10% a mix of Camphor, Lavender, Sandalwood Oil, and Thyme Oil.

While using Insight, Blending, and Purification simultaneously, she gathered the clear oil into a vial and slowly stirred it. A refreshing scent rose to her nose.

Rian smiled as she watched the essence seep into the spaces between the oil particles.

By using Insight to see through the materials, Blending to mix them in the right proportions for the desired effect, and finally Purification to refine them, it was perfect.

‘Right, right! The essence is being consumed steadily!’

When she completed the vial, Rian's essence had dropped to 15. It was the first significant achievement since she woke up.

‘Blending is a big catch with Insight? That’s why they say Insight and Blending complement each other.’

When she used Insight to see through the materials, she thought she would have to immediately replace the herbal supplier with a better one.

But the moment she carefully examined the essential oil vials:

Wintergreen Oil

Grade: Superior

Condition: Moderate

Oil made from the fermented and distilled leaves of the wintergreen tree. It has a refreshing and deep fragrance. It has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.

Peppermint Oil

Grade: Best

Condition: Superior

Made by distilling peppermint leaves. It has analgesic, anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic effects. It is also effective for indigestion.

[Do you want to use Blending?]

While she was glancing at the sleeves, a message asking if she wanted to use Blending appeared.

She had never seen this before, so she quickly used her Blending skill.

[You can combine recognized materials to create a product with better effects. Do you want to confirm the method? This function consumes essence.]

Of course, she would do it!

Since Purification could improve the condition of the materials, she used it enthusiastically. The result was this clear, water-like essential oil.

When applied to a headache, it clears the mind, and when applied when feeling drowsy, it can wake you up. It can be applied to any area, such as arthritis or soreness, and will have an effect.

In this era, such a thing is called a "panacea."

At that moment, a clear sound was heard.

* Purification 3 Achieved (1▲) *

You can purify qi.

Rian savored the moment her Blending achievement increased.

"Rian, this is..."

Rian took a deep breath and filled a small vial, smaller than a child's palm, with the completed essential oil.

The really important part was about to begin. Rian looked around, then grabbed Dan Muxianwu's hand and whispered seriously.

"Uncle, do you know what this is?"

Even though she knew Dan Muxianwu couldn't know what she had just made, she asked anyway.

Dan Muxianwu shook his head gently. His eyes were filled with affection as he looked at his niece.

‘Uncle...’

Rian held her uncle's hand. Since seclusion training was usually very harsh, his hands were very rough.

How could she tell him that he didn't need to feel guilty about the time she spent lying there?

‘Even if I say this, it won’t do any good, but still...’

"While I was sleeping, I lived on a cloud. That's when the immortal told me."

"What...?"

"While I was sleeping, Uncle, you were in a lot of pain, and you still are... But this can help you."

"What? No, Rian. I... I’m not..."

Dan Muxianwu was about to say he wasn't in pain, but Rian shook her head gently.

Of course, his body wasn't in pain, but he had a mental illness and couldn't shake off his headaches.

"If you apply this, the area will feel cool, and your headache will go away. It’s also good for a sore neck. I really wanted to make this for you."

Rian extended the vial containing the blended essential oil.

Dan Muxianwu tilted the vial slightly, letting the almost clear oil drip onto his fingertips, and rubbed it on his temples.

At first, it felt slightly cool and tingling, but as he gently rubbed it, the constant heavy feeling in his head began to feel lighter.

Taking a deep breath, the sharp, refreshing scent spread clearly.

As the headache that had always enveloped his nephew after he lost consciousness subsided, his heavy breathing, which he hadn't even noticed, became much more comfortable and lighter.

Dan Muxianwu looked back at Rian with a surprised face. Rian smiled at him.

She had thought of the immortal excuse because she remembered the servants' gossip.

When autumn came and leaves fell everywhere except in Rian's courtyard, which remained green, the servants had whispered that an immortal must have taken Rian's soul and returned it after seven years.

It wasn't entirely wrong, was it?

After seeing everything at the end of the world and returning with such abilities, if the end of the world was the Immortal Realm, then her status window must be the voice of the immortals!

She was afraid that if others found out, they might try to take her, so she asked him to keep the immortal part a secret. Dan Muxianwu nodded hurriedly.

"Yes, that's right... Since you are so clever, who wouldn't covet you?"

Dan Muxianwu muttered, looking at his hand with the remaining essential oil. Rian quickly changed the subject.

"If Uncle finds it good, can I give some to Grandfather?"

"Huh? Of course! Of course, you can. I'll go get a good vial right away!"

While rubbing the back of his neck, where he had applied a small amount of the essential oil, Dan Muxianwu jumped up and said something to a servant.

The servant, looking surprised, quickly brought a small jade vial, about the size of a child's palm.

Even though it was small, it felt heavy because it was made of jade. Dan Muxianwu, looking at it, suddenly said:

"Qinglianshui... What do you think?"

"Huh?"

"Something that clears the mind and body, and though it's oil, it's as clear and transparent as water... So, the name of this essential oil... If there's no special name..."

Dan Muxianwu seemed to be very surprised and flustered, speaking in a disjointed manner.

Rian felt the affection in his naming. The middle character in 'Qinglianshui' was her name. Rian smiled widely and nodded quickly.

"No, I like it! Qinglianshui... Qinglianshui. I like it."

Seeing Rian's expression, Dan Muxianwu also smiled, then quickly became serious again.

"From today, let's study herbal medicine together. Or, let's say you've been studying it bit by bit..."

Though it was sudden, Rian nodded. It seemed that was all he had to say, as Dan Muxianwu looked dazed for a moment, then slowly asked, looking very tense.

"But, Rian. That... You were in the Immortal Realm, or on a cloud, while you were sleeping... Is that true...?"

Is he doubting it?

If she doesn't need to lie, should she just tell the truth?

While Rian was pondering this, Dan Muxianwu cleared his throat and said:

"Did... the immortals make you feel any pain?"

"Huh?"

"Were you cold... or hot?"

Rian blinked and looked at him for a long time before slowly shaking her head. Dan Muxianwu's tension finally eased, and he smiled.

"Okay, then. ...Thank you for making this for me."

Rian involuntarily avoided his gaze and bowed her head. Then she noticed:

Dan Muxianwu's 'worry' item was completely empty.

* * *

"You... Rian made this?"

"Yes, Father. This morning."

Dan Muxian, who had been preparing to teach his granddaughter after hearing that she had memorized the Thousand Character Classic, was suddenly interrupted by his youngest son.

His youngest son, holding the item his niece had made, had a radiant face.

It was the first time his face, which had been shrouded in a gloomy shadow since the accident a few years ago, looked as if it was bathed in sunlight.