Nan Gong Huan arrived at East Field Twelve, where the Dream Spiral Grass didn’t seem to be in the best condition, likely due to the strong wind that day.

  A few stalks of the Dream Spiral Grass were already showing signs of withering. These delicate plants, if they detected the scent of their "dead" companions, could also wither in large patches.

  However, this wasn’t a headache for Nan Gong Huan.

  She released her spiritual energy, and before her eyes, all the Dream Spiral Grass visibly turned lush green, standing tall as if competing to show off their vitality to her.

  Next, Nan Gong Huan walked around the field. At the moment, she didn’t see any insects or weeds, perhaps because they had been cleared the day before.

  Initially, she didn’t notice any issues, but suddenly, Nan Gong Huan realized that whenever she passed by, the Dream Spiral Grass curled away in the opposite direction, as if afraid of her.

  What was going on? Nan Gong Huan released her spiritual energy again to soothe them, but they didn’t return to normal.

  So she checked herself and finally found a small, withered vine clinging tightly to the corner of her clothes. It seemed to move slightly. Nan Gong Huan immediately plucked it off and tossed it aside. She noticed that within a three-meter radius of the small vine, the Dream Spiral Grass desperately leaned away!

  If they had legs, they might have run faster than anyone.

  Seeing this, Nan Gong Huan couldn’t help but feel a bit exasperated. She picked up the small vine to examine it.

  It swayed pitifully with its withered little body, resembling a matchstick figure with a nearly wilted bud. It looked so fragile that it might die if crushed.

  "Is this... sentient?" Nan Gong Huan opened her palm, watching as the small vine slowly coiled around her hand. She could feel its intense will to survive.

  Ordinary plants, nourished by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, could develop a certain level of sentience and become wood spirits.

  Wood spirits weren’t particularly rare, but most had low intelligence and were quite dull. Stepping on one wouldn’t even make it move, much like the wildflowers and weeds by the roadside that no one paid attention to.

  This was the first time Nan Gong Huan had seen plants so afraid of a wood spirit.

  This wood spirit indeed had low intelligence and shallow cultivation, but it had caught Nan Gong Huan’s attention.

  Her fingertip glowed with a trace of spiritual energy, and the small vine immediately began greedily absorbing it. Its withered body showed signs of turning green.

  As if afraid Nan Gong Huan would toss it away again, it coiled around her middle finger, its tiny bud facing upward like a ring.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Then, the small vine trembled, putting in effort to open its bud!

  With a soft *pop*, the bud bloomed into a vibrant purple. It looked like a very ordinary wildflower, known as Wansheng, which could be found everywhere and was incredibly resilient.

  The tiny bud swayed as if trying to please her, yet its fragile appearance made it seem like it might break with a gust of wind.

  Nan Gong Huan was amused by this flash of purple. "Alright, you can stay if you want. It’s not much effort to nourish you with spiritual energy."

  She left with the small Wansheng flower. After walking a few meters, she turned back to look. The Dream Spiral Grass in the field had returned to its vigorous state, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

  As long as they weren’t dead, it was fine.

  Nighttime.

  Two sneaky figures appeared in the herb field, scattering some powder from a pouch.

  "With this, I guarantee these Dream Spiral Grass will wither within two hours!" A snicker followed, as if they were already looking forward to the show tomorrow.

  "She’s definitely going to be punished by the field elders!"

  "Is this field under her care? Doesn’t matter, let’s sprinkle it here too!"

  "Almost done, let’s go."

  The two left furtively, leaving behind large patches of white powder in the field.

  ...

  Morning, clear skies.

  As soon as Nan Gong Huan arrived at the field, she saw the Dream Spiral Grass in disarray. Although they hadn’t completely withered, they were close to death.

  "......"

  Nan Gong Huan frowned, sensing something was wrong. The field had been fine when she left yesterday.

  Thinking this, she stepped into the field to inspect it and found undissolved white powder on the ground.

  She crouched down, pinching some powder between her fingers and rubbing it. The powder emitted a pungent smell, and the Wansheng flower on her finger moved its bud away in distaste.

  "Wan Cao Ku," Nan Gong Huan muttered, her eyes darkening and her brows furrowing. She only had a few enemies in the academy, so it had to be one of them.

  The Dream Spiral Grass, poisoned by Wan Cao Ku, was already beyond saving, even if it hadn’t fully withered.

  The only option was... to clear it all.

  Looking at the three acres of ruined field, Nan Gong Huan’s eyes turned cold, her expression so dark it seemed like water could drip from it.

  At that moment, a scream came from East Field Eleven next door.

  "Ah—Who the hell sprinkled Wan Cao Ku here! My grass!"

  Nan Gong Huan turned to see an herb apprentice kneeling in the field, tears in his eyes as he held a completely withered stalk of grass.

  "What’s going on, making such a racket so early in the morning?" An old man suddenly descended from the sky, yawning and rubbing his eyes as if he had just woken up.

  Seeing the old man, the herb apprentice immediately rushed over as if seeing a savior, crying, "Elder Shan Yi! Someone sprinkled Wan Cao Ku in the field, and all the herbs are dead!"

  "Wan Cao Ku?!" Elder Shan Yi jolted awake, looking at the withered grass in the apprentice’s hands. He nervously glanced around and indeed found several patches of withered fields.

  Field Twelve was the most severely affected, with Field Eleven next to it half-ruined.

  "You’re the new student? What’s the situation with your field?" Elder Shan Yi spotted Nan Gong Huan and immediately called her over, pulling out a crystal board to check the student responsible for the field.

  "Someone poisoned the field while I wasn’t paying attention," Nan Gong Huan lowered her eyes. "I apologize for my negligence. I’m willing to accept punishment."

  Elder Shan Yi remained silent for a moment, glancing at the information on the crystal board and then at Nan Gong Huan, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

  He put away the crystal board, coughing lightly. "It’s not a big deal. First, clean up the poisoned soil and the withered grass. Then go to the seed hall to get new seeds and replant them."

  "Yes! Elder Shan Yi!" The herb apprentice wiped his tears and immediately got to work.

  Nan Gong Huan looked up in surprise, only to see Elder Shan Yi stretching lazily and walking away, his voice trailing behind him. "Find out who did it, and your punishment will be waived."

  "Yes!" Nan Gong Huan immediately responded, then began cleaning the field and replanting the seeds.

  It seemed she needed to set a trap. A dark glint flashed in Nan Gong Huan’s eyes.