Chapter 1373: Summer Flowers

"What exactly do you want?"

Luvia asked with some impatience.

"I don't like playing guessing games, and I like staying in this stinking place even less."

After all, this was a sewer, and the only illumination came from the orb of light Luvia had summoned. The girl reached out and pointed at Xia De:

"I want his blood."

"My blood?"

Xia De, who had been silent on the side, raised an eyebrow. Before Luvia could object, he asked:

"I can give you my blood, but you must answer me: why do you need it?"

He frowned slightly:

"I once used a peculiar relic to verify my lineage. As far as I know, I am one hundred percent human."

The young flower-selling girl pursed her lips to keep from laughing, preventing the moon from falling and crushing her while she walked the night path:

"I am just a girl who sells flowers; I don't understand the things you speak of. Give me your blood—it doesn't need to be much—and then I will leave this city. Twisted soil and the hot blood of the noble will nourish the most beautiful flowers; that is all I require."

"Xia De, the witches said you just recovered from a serious illness a few days ago..."

Luvia looked at Xia De hesitantly. Xia De shook his head and continued to say to the girl: "If you won't answer me, then that is already an answer in itself. How is my blood different from anyone else's?"

The girl blinked:

"Hmm... there is a very great power in your soul, which gives your blood a power beyond that of ordinary mortals... that is all. Yes, don't let your imagination run wild; you are just an ordinary human. My words absolutely did not give you any answer."

She spoke as if she were somewhat afraid, and "She" beside Xia De's ear began to laugh, though the laughter was strange this time.

"Fine, I will take it as that."

Xia De said softly, raising his wrist:

"How much do you need?"

"Just drip it into my flowerpot. Once it blooms, that will be enough."

"I'll help you."

Luvia said with concern.

And so, the two of them and the little girl went to the depths of the room, to the table against the brick wall. The girl carefully hopped onto a stool so she could see the flowerpot.

Luvia took out a small knife, very carefully pricked Xia De's finger, and squeezed out a drop of blood.

"Luvia, aren't you being too conservative? Shouldn't it be the wrist?"

"You've only just recovered from a serious illness; don't go doing any bloodletting therapy. That should have been eliminated back in the old era."

The seventeen-year-old girl said.

The first drop of blood fell into the pot, and the seedling inside grew rapidly, soon becoming a tall branch. The second drop fell, the branches grew, and flower buds appeared one by one. The third drop fell, and white daisies bloomed.

At least, they looked like daisies.

"My blood has this kind of effect?"

Xia De was skeptical and decided that when he had time, he would find a flowerpot and test it himself.

"Under normal circumstances, of course not. It was my flowerpot and my power that brought about this result."

The girl looked at the flowers blooming in the pot and seemed very happy:

"You can take those four girls away; I don't need them anymore. I am leaving this city now; after all, something big is about to happen here, and it's good to leave early to avoid the trouble."

She picked up the flowerpot, which was relatively large for her size, and a brilliant smile appeared on her face. But then she thought of something else and set the pot back down:

"There is also a gift for you."

"I don't want your gift."

Luvia snorted, but the girl just smiled and didn't speak to her.

She reached into her small basket and took out a pair of scissors used for pruning flowers: "Since you don't want my gift, then both gifts will go to this gentleman. Can you give me a drop of your blood? To dye this pure white flower, which I intend to give to this gentleman, with your color."

. 」

Luvia reluctantly reached out and dripped a drop of her blood into the flowerpot, onto one of the freshly bloomed white flowers. The blood quickly dyed the flower a crimson hue, like the morning sun of summer.

The flower-selling girl then pruned that small flower from the stem and handed it to Xia De:

"This is a summer flower born from the twisted earth. Eating this flower may bring you the power belonging to this young woman who has just come of age."

She smiled and repeated Luvia's words about her own age. Xia De took the flower and immediately felt a warmth spread through his whole body.

"Carrying this flower, you will not fear the cold of winter. Born from the twisted earth, born from the blood of the sage, born from the gift of the hero of destiny. This is the most beautiful flower; this is the bravest flower."

She said in a childish voice, as if singing. Then she picked up her small flower basket and hugged the large flowerpot:

"Also, I chose this place because there is a piece of twisted earth nearby. If you are interested, you can go take a look. Farewell, hero of destiny. Next time you meet me, don't be so angry; anger makes girls grow old faster."

"You..."

Luvia felt she couldn't control her temper today, while the flower-selling girl smiled and asked Xia De:

"Sir, do you have anything else? If not, I'm leaving."

Somehow, Xia De felt he saw the shadow of 【Desire】 on this girl. This did not mean the girl before him was the same as 【Desire】, both possessing that near-infinite charm, but rather that as humanoid relics, neither of them seemed much like relics at all.

"Desire?"

The girl asked suddenly, and Xia De was startled:

"Can you read minds?"

"Of course not, but you practically have what you're thinking written all over your face."

The little girl said with a smile, her voice very sweet:

"However, your line of thinking is correct. Autumn is the season of harvest and reaping, which is very similar to the abilities represented by 【Desire】. If you want to find autumn flowers, you can seek her help."

After saying this, she bid farewell to Xia De and Luvia, who was still angry:

"Goodbye, I look forward to our next meeting."

With that, she hugged the flowerpot and carried her small basket, skipping away from the iron fence. By the time Xia De followed her out to see where she had gone, the relic's figure had already vanished, leaving behind only a song that sounded like a nursery rhyme:

"Praise the earth and you,

Praise the earth and me.

Buy the little flower,

Harvest the fruit of a sincere heart.

Bless the girl who sells flowers,

Gods of other worlds protect us.

May the earth be with you and me,

May a childhood like a delicate flower never fade away."

The second half of the song was blurry, and Xia De did not hear the full lyrics.

"Do I look... very old?"

Luvia didn't care at all about the girl from just now, but instead hesitantly tugged on Xia De's sleeve.

Xia De twisted the flower in his hand:

"Why would you think that? Even Princess Angelina, who is the same age as you, looks more mature than you."

"Why does it feel like you aren't complimenting me... never mind."

She put her hands behind her back and asked Xia De hesitantly:

"Knight, can you give me some help? Let me... feel more confident in my own charm."

Xia De looked at her too:

"I have always thought you were very charming, even compared to the Great Witches... alright."

He leaned close to Luvia, and as Luvia closed her eyes and leaned forward slightly, he kissed her.

Just like that, the investigation into the "Missing Flower Girl" case officially concluded, and Xia De had thus harvested a summer flower. After completing the mission for the "Worm Cave" Time Key, the white flower obtained, composed of petals gifted by friends, was a spring flower. In this way, Xia De had gathered another part of the sacrifices for the Chosen One ritual.

That white flower, composed of petals gifted by friends, was a flower of spring; with this, Xia De had once again gathered a portion of the sacrifices for the Chosen One ritual.

Of course, they couldn't leave the sewer area yet, because when the flower-selling girl left, she said there was also a piece of twisted earth nearby, which meant the existence of "Mad Earth."

Because they didn't know the specific location, Xia De and Luvia could only search the two sides of the sewer pipes after ensuring the safety of the four sleeping girls. Even Xia De could only detect the presence of "Mad Earth" after coming into contact with it.

But unfortunately, the search at both ends was not successful; neither Xia De nor Luvia found any abnormalities.

After regrouping in that sewer shack, Luvia proposed another line of thought: "Since that annoying girl wanted to use the power of the twisted earth to grow flowers, it means the place where she grew the flowers should be very close to the Mad Earth."

Xia De cast his gaze toward the brick wall behind the table. He walked over and touched it with his hand, but did not detect the power of Mad Earth:

"Could it be that the space behind this wall is empty?"

"Why don't you try opening it and see?"

Luvia was eager to try, and she had Xia De move the table to the side:

"I recently learned a new move, watch."

She rubbed her palms together, then had Xia De step back while she faced the brick wall:

"Watch this—Ha!"

She struck forward with her palm, as if a white mist flew out from it. An invisible force field formed a huge impact, directly causing the wall to cave inward:

"It really is empty behind it, one more time—Ha!"

Luvia struck forward with her palm again, and this time the bricks of the wall finally detached from the structure, flying backward in pieces. The sound waves echoed continuously in the empty sewer.

And this move of hers inexplicably reminded Xia De of the hit he took from the long-haired Luvia when he was at the Night Temple.

Behind the brick wall was a sealed secret room with no other exits. As soon as Xia De lowered his head and crossed through the hole, he sensed the power of Mad Earth.

The situation here was not severe; one probably couldn't even feel it on the city ground directly above. Because the ground was covered in a layer of black mud, Xia De didn't let Luvia follow him in. He lit up the moonlight at his fingertips to check the general situation of the secret room, and then said to the girl outside the wall:

"I don't see any specific characteristics of the Mad Earth here; it seems to be just pure pollution." ===== CHAPTER 1374 =====