Everyone in the group was watching Aaryan closely—some with scorn, others with pity, and many were simply entertained by his misfortune. To them, it was no more than a spectacle. Aaryan, however, wasn’t one to care about others' judgments, but today was different. The situation was dire. Any wrong move could lead to a beating—or worse, death.

“I’ll have to handle this carefully,” Aaryan thought. His heart was heavy with nervousness, but on the outside, he remained calm, a faint smile on his lips. To anyone observing, it seemed as though he was simply being led to a tree to be tied up. No sign of distress.

He clasped his hands, bowed again, and spoke in a voice that was as steady as water, "This flower may indeed look similar to the 12 Petal Earthly Lilly, but it's actually a Blue Vein Ground Flora. It bears no medicinal value and could cause harm if consumed."

The group was silent, no one responding immediately. Most of them had no knowledge of the 12 Petal Earthly Lilly or the Blue Vein Ground Flora. The people in the group came from a small village and had little to no understanding of immortal plants or herbs. They could only rely on what they'd heard from rumours and traders. Aaryan, however, had some knowledge from his time working in different shops, where he’d gotten his hands on a few rudimentary books about herbs and beasts. It was from these books that he recognized the flower.

One of the men in the crowd spoke up uncertainly, "It really does look like the 12 Petal Earthly Lilly."

Another chimed in, "But what if it isn't? I’ve heard that the Blue Vein Ground Flora is poisonous."

One of Aaryan’s team leader’s subordinates sneered, "What do you know? This is clearly the 12 Petal Earthly Lilly. You think Junior Chief Nayan, with his vast knowledge, would make such a mistake? Aaryan was planning to take the treasure for himself, and now he’s trying to talk his way out of it."

The murmurs of agreement rippled through the group. Most of them had no idea what they were talking about, but that didn’t stop them from voicing opinions. The only certainty was that they all seemed to share one thing: they didn’t like Aaryan.

Nayan had never liked Aaryan. From the moment they'd met, there was an instant animosity. Aaryan, being a lowly orphan, had no place in Nayan’s world, and his existence only reminded Nayan of his own superiority. Today, though, Nayan saw an opportunity to further degrade the young boy. When he heard the murmurs of doubt, especially from Aaryan's team leader’s minion, a fire sparked in Nayan's chest.

"Do you think we’re children, Aaryan?" Nayan spat, his voice dripping with disdain. "You think you can fool us so easily? I’ve seen the 12 Petal Earthly Lilly with my own eyes. All the characteristics match. Men, take him away!"

Aaryan’s heart sank as he realized there was no chance of convincing Nayan now. His only hope was to stall, buy time. He was about to be dragged off and tied to a tree, likely to be punished later, and there was nothing he could do to change that. Or was there?

Desperation gnawed at him. He took a deep breath and then called out in a steady voice, "Junior Chief, please examine the last two petals from the bottom side of the flower. You’ll see the unique blue vein structure that’s only found in the Blue Vein Ground Flora."

Sharan, Nayan's older brother, was hesitant. He’d heard of such plants but hadn’t personally encountered one. His suspicion wavered for just a moment. He nodded to Aman, who ordered a few men to inspect the petals. The three brothers moved a short distance away, whispering among themselves, leaving Aaryan alone with the rest of the group.

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Aaryan watched them carefully, his heart pounding in his chest. What if they don’t believe me? he thought. If they decide this is the 12 Petal Earthly Lilly... there’s nothing I can do. I won’t make it out of this alive.

Minutes dragged by, each one stretching longer than the last. He could barely read the expressions on the brothers' faces as they inspected the flower. It felt like an eternity before they returned.

"What you said is true," Aman finally spoke, his voice measured.

Aaryan’s breath hitched with relief, but before he could speak, Sharan cut in with a cool, calculated tone. "But the veins on the petals aren't exactly like the Blue Vein Ground Flora. In fact, only one petal has the full vein structure. The others are incomplete. If I recall correctly, all petals should have the same vein structure."

Aaryan’s eyes widened with surprise. He hadn’t expected Sharan to notice that. It was true that the veins only developed fully once the flower matured, but it wasn’t something a casual observer would catch.

With a forced smile, Aaryan bowed deeply. "What Junior Chief says is absolutely right. Your profound knowledge surpasses even my understanding. I merely wanted to seize this opportunity to show a little of the knowledge I’ve acquired."

The crowd’s eyes widened, as Aaryan’s words were clearly designed to flatter. The leader of Aaryan’s group clenched his fists in frustration, cursing Aaryan inwardly for stealing his own tactic.

Aaryan’s desperation led him to speak quickly, trying to maintain control over the situation. "Both plants are very similar in appearance, and it's hard to tell them apart at a glance. Both thrive in cold, damp environments, absorbing cold energy as they mature their flowers. The Blue Vein Ground Flora, when it matures, develops blue veins on the petals. But since this flower was plucked early, only two petals have veins. If you let it mature, all the petals would show the characteristic vein structure."

His explanation piqued the interest of those around him, even the two silver-armoured men. They had grown silent, watching with keen interest. Even the villagers, who had no real knowledge of these plants, began murmuring among themselves. Some were convinced, others were still skeptical.

"I didn’t know Aaryan had such knowledge," one of the men said, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Seems like he’s telling the truth," another murmured. "Otherwise, Junior Chief wouldn’t have let him continue."

The tension in the air was palpable. But still, Sharan remained silent. His expression gave nothing away, though his eyes were sharp and calculating. Aaryan could feel the weight of his gaze, but he couldn’t predict what would happen next.

As silence hung heavy, Aaryan felt his stomach churn. He couldn’t wait any longer. He had to push his luck. "I didn’t pluck the flower because it wasn’t fully matured and hadn’t borne fruit. The fruit is what’s truly valuable—it can be used to create deadly poisons. The flower itself is almost worthless in comparison. I was hurrying back to report to you, Junior Chief, when one of these men destroyed the treasure. It’s a great loss, and now we’re in this mess."

Gasps echoed through the group. Some had seen Aaryan strolling back calmly, and they never imagined him to be so quick-witted with his words. The man who had plucked the flower was shaking with fury. He had no idea how to respond to Aaryan’s accusation, and he felt his mind going numb.

"You…" the man began to yell, but his words faltered as he trembled.

Just then, the two silver-armoured men stepped forward, silencing the commotion with a glance. Their presence alone caused everyone to hush.

One of the men, his nose sharp and eagle-like, grinned. "You’re all wasting our time. This could be settled easily. Have one of you eat a petal, and we’ll know if it’s poisonous."

The suggestion was simple, but it wasn’t lost on anyone that the silver-armoured men were taking amusement from the situation. Aaryan’s stomach twisted again, but he steeled himself. He couldn’t predict how this would turn out.

Sharan, though, was calculating. He hesitated, his gaze flickering over the group. He knew they couldn’t make Aaryan eat the petal after the warning. Nayan looked frustrated, but he didn’t challenge the decision.

The man who had picked the flower hesitated, his face pale. He was visibly shaking with fear. Then, as if compelled by a force greater than his will, he took the petal and brought it to his mouth. Tears welled up in his eyes as he clenched his teeth and chewed.

The group watched in tense silence, counting the breaths. Five... ten... fifteen... Then, a loud rumble echoed from the man’s stomach. Before anyone could react, a loud voice rang out in the surroundings…...

Pfffffffffffffffffffffffftttttttttttttt….