bookrandom Chapter 35 Demon Soldiers
Chapter 35 Demon Soldiers
After the shop assistant left, Ning Xiaoxi began to look around the shop.
The shopkeeper wasn't exaggerating; the flower shop was indeed very large, filled with a rich yet refreshing floral fragrance. The aroma wasn't a single, overpowering scent, but rather a unique blend of various flowers. The indoor temperature was noticeably higher than outside.
Two flower stands are arranged against the walls on the left and right. The flower stands are simple yet elegant in design, with smooth and natural lines, without any redundancy or extravagance. Each edge of the flower stands is carved with delicate meander patterns.
The upper flower shelves displayed some relatively rare and precious flowers; Ning Xiaoxi could only recognize orchids. The middle flower shelves showcased various colorful herbaceous flowers. The lower flower shelves and the large ceramic pots in the central garden tower of the store mainly contained woody flowers and bonsai.
In the center of the shop stood a circular flower tower, five tiers high, each tier overflowing with potted flowers of every color, a riot of vibrant hues. Seeing such a colorful display in the still-chilly early spring was incredibly relaxing. If only I could grow so many beautiful flowers and plants in Youzhou!
Passing around the flower tower, there is a flower gate passage. Passing through the passage, you will find another, smaller greenhouse, where the temperature is noticeably lower than outside.
One-third of the entire greenhouse is used to display peonies, with nearly thirty pots of peonies of various colors.
Peony is a perennial deciduous shrub. There are many varieties of peonies, in a wide range of colors, with yellow and green being particularly prized. They can withstand temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius, and some varieties can even tolerate -30 degrees Celsius.
Hosta is a perennial herbaceous plant. It is extremely cold-hardy, tolerating temperatures as low as -30°C, and flowers and fruits from August to October. The roots of Hosta have a sweet and bland taste, are slightly cold in nature, and possess medicinal properties such as reducing swelling, detoxifying, and stopping bleeding.
Larkspur, an annual herb, flowers from June to September and fruits from July to October. It is cold-hardy down to -30°C and relatively cold- and drought-tolerant. It has a pungent, bitter taste, is warm in nature, and is poisonous. The whole plant and seeds can be used medicinally; the seeds have emetic and laxative effects; externally, it is used as an insecticide to treat scabies and head lice; the main root is used externally to treat bruises and sprains.
Witch hazel (Hamamelis japonica) is a deciduous shrub or small tree, reaching up to 8 meters in height; it is an alpine species, typically distributed at altitudes of 600-1600 meters. It is relatively cold-hardy, able to grow outdoors at temperatures as low as -15°C. Its flavor is sweet; its properties are neutral. Its functions and indications include: tonifying qi; primarily used for fatigue and weakness due to overwork.
The sudden flood of introductions overwhelmed Ning Xiaoxi, leaving her completely bewildered. How was she supposed to choose? She wasn't a flower farmer. Or perhaps, slaying demons and monsters didn't seem so difficult after all!
"Lady, have you chosen one yet?" The waiter looked at the lady in front of him strangely. She had been standing there for a long time without moving. It seemed that she was confused by the choices.
Ning Xiaoxi rubbed her forehead, feeling that she had oversimplified things. If she bought all these flowers, how was she going to get them into her cave? Besides, she wasn't good at growing flowers. These plants looked so delicate. What if she went through all that trouble only to fail to keep them alive? That would be embarrassing.
【Xiao Xi, you can buy some seeds and plant them in the fields of your cave. Then you can see which ones are easy to grow and move them out.】
"Hey buddy, give me a whole pack of all the flower and plant seeds in your shop." Ning Xiaoxi agreed, deciding not to dabble in areas she wasn't good at.
The shopkeeper readily agreed, "Sure, I'll get it ready for you right away." Although the young woman seemed a bit odd, her purchasing power was undeniable.
Looking at the bag in front of her, which weighed about 30 pounds, Ning Xiaoxi felt that she had been a bit hasty. This flower shop really lived up to its reputation as the largest in the city. She was just buying some flower and plant seeds!
Carrying the bag of seeds, I left the flower shop under the enthusiastic gaze of the shop assistant.
By then, it was completely dark outside. Turning out of the alley, under the dim streetlights, the number of people on the street had decreased significantly, with only a few still hurrying home.
Ning Xiaoxi placed the seeds by the spirit field inside the cave in the darkness, planning to try planting them when she returned.
After walking along the main street for about a mile, a slightly faded banner with the word "grain" written on it swayed gently in the breeze, the hooks of the banner creaking as they struck the wooden pole.
Ning Xiaoxi turned and walked into the grain store, a smell of grain and old wood hitting her. The store was dimly lit, with rows of tall wooden shelves neatly arranged, filled with various sacks of grain, some full and some slightly shriveled. In the middle of the store were several huge cabinets, filled with all kinds of grains.
"Oh, young lady, are you looking to buy grain? It's getting late, and our shop is just about to close. If you're not in a hurry..."
"Urgent." Before the shop assistant could finish speaking, Ning Xiaoxi took out a piece of silver and placed it on the counter next to the shop. The shopkeeper behind the counter saw the silver, his eyes lit up, and he quickly reached out to put it away.
"Xiao Gu, hurry, hurry, see what the lady needs and serve her well."
Ning Xiaoxi smiled and turned around to focus on selecting grains from the grain cabinet, holding a handful of brown rice and carefully checking the plumpness of the grains.
Suddenly, an unusual aura crept in, cold and sinister, as if emanating from an endless abyss of darkness, sending a chill down her spine. Her spiritual energy reacted instantly, surging and expelling the chilling aura from her body.
She looked up alertly, her eyes scanning the shop. Just then, she spotted a figure—a tall man in a black cotton robe, with a dark complexion, thick lips, high cheekbones, and large, bright eyes. He appeared honest and kind. Yet, it was he who exuded a faint, eerie aura, like black smoke slowly swirling in the air.
[Tao Jiang, a demonic soldier, has just been upgraded from a demonic servant. Demonic energy has formed within her body, placing her under the control of the Blood Soul. She is not strong in combat and primarily serves to collect blood for the Blood Soul. She can be killed by force.]
Ning Xiaoxi's heart sank. This was what made demons more terrifying than monsters. Unlike monsters, they didn't strike directly. They were hidden forces in the shadows, luring out the deepest desires in the human heart, which could never be eradicated.
"Boss, you've arrived." The shopkeeper behind the counter bowed to the man who had just entered, then handed him an account book and a money box. "These are today's accounts, please take a look."
Tao Jiang chuckled as he took the ledger and box, and started comparing them right there at the counter.
[Blood Soul's subordinate? I didn't expect it to still be alive.] Tuanzi quietly perched on Ning Xiaoxi's shoulder, looking at the brown rice in her hand with her.
Do you know Blood Soul?
[It is one of the ten demon generals under the Demon Lord Hou Qing, and the only one among them who shares the same origin and lineage as Hou Qing. It feeds on human blood. Since it is still alive, Hou Qing is probably still alive as well.]
"You didn't participate in the siege of Hou Qing, did you?" Ning Xiaoxi put down the brown rice in her hand and turned to look at the millet in another cabinet.
[System upgrade in progress...]
Holy crap...!