Wuzhi immediately replied. "Replying to Second Madam. Wuzhi was instructed to hand this pendant over to Sovereign Mu." He then displayed the pendant.
Eyeing the object with a suspicious eye, Second Sister asked, "May I inspect this pendant?"
"Surely," replied Wuzhi. He then walked up and carefully handed over the pendant to the azure-haired fairy, taking special care to not touch her hand by accident.
His overly cautious behaviour solicited chuckles from both the fairies. Fourth Sister even inserted, "It's not like you will be poisoned by simply touching her hand, you know?"
Wuzhi replied with hollow laughter, not daring to speak his mind. He still very much liked having his head over his shoulder.
After having received the pendant from him, Second Sister carefully inspected the item. A simple silver chain, worn and blemished, was strung over an unassuming locket. The oyster-shaped locket was tightly closed.
The azure-haired fairy tried opening the locket. However, no matter her method, the locket refused to unlock.
"Strange," she muttered.
Fourth Sister, who also seemed to be looking at the pendant with interest, commented after seeing her elder sister fail to unlock the locket. "It seems to be magically locked."
Her leaf-coloured eyes then flashed with mystical light. Scanning the pendant with her magical gaze, he said, "An elaborately laid [Restriction] is protecting that locket. Only under the right conditions will it open."
She then innocently blinked her eyes and spoke with appreciation. "Whoever laid down that [Restriction] is a true master of the [Restriction Path]. If I'm not wrong, even Eleventh Sister will have a hard time breaking it."
Their Eleventh Sister was a practitioner who cultivated the [Restriction Path]. Her skills had earned her a spot in the 'Top 100 Grandmasters' of the [Restriction Path] in the current Era. To say that even she would have difficulty breaking open this locket spoke of the skill of the master who laid it down in the first place.
Hearing her words, the azure-haired fairy was stunned. She then looked at Wuzhi and curiously asked, "May I ask who instructed you to deliver this locket?"
Her question left Wuzhi smiling bitterly. Bowing his head, he apologetically spoke. "Replying to Second Madam. Wuzhi apologizes for being unable to answer your question. The person who instructed me to deliver this pendant firmly told me to not inform anyone of their identity."
Cupping his hands, he continued, "Wuzhi is willing to accept any punishment from the two Madams for failing to answer your question."
"I see." Second Sister stared at the pendant with a strange gaze. She then shook her head and returned the object back to its carrier. "Take it as if you never heard my question. Here, you can hand it over to my husband when he returns from his outing with the children and complete your task."
"Wuzhi thanks Second Madam for her generosity." He then carefully pocketed the pendant.
Just as an awkward silence had descended onto the pavilion, a servant entered and informed the two fairies. "Fourth Madam, the flora that you had requested for have arrived. May we start planting them?"
The green-robed fairy immediately bounced with excitement. "Yes, yes! Oh! Be careful to not hurt any of the little creatures!"
"Understood, Fourth Madam." The servant bowed in reply and left to start the work.
Just as the two fairies were about to say their goodbyes and leave, Wuzhi suddenly spoke up. "Just a moment, Madams!" They stopped.
Feeling their curious gazes land on him, Wuzhi lowered his head and evenly spoke. "Wuzhi hoped that he won't be considered presumptuous but I have something to confess." Taking a deep breath, he continued. "I could not help but overhear a little of the Fourth Madam's instructions outside the pavilion. If I may, I have some suggestions to make."
"Oho," the azure-haired fairy let out a strange laugh. She cast a glance at her Fourth Sister before turning and speaking to Wuzhi. "Do speak your mind, Wuzhi."
"Fourth Madam instructed her servants to plant Vermillion Stalks and Moon Shadowing Roses surrounding the pavilion. While it is true that this combination supports both types of flora and promotes the auspicious aura around the pavilion, I wouldn't recommend doing so."
"Why?" The green-robed fairy asked with genuine ignorance.
"It will disturb the natural distribution of the fauna around this region," answered Wuzhi. "If I'm not wrong, the main avian species populating this area are 'Silver Tongued Sparrows' and 'Crimson Beak Larks.'"
"Vermillion Stalks, with their bright red colour, will cause the 'Silver Tongued Sparrows' to mistake their appearance with that of the 'Scarlet Pelicans,' their natural foe. This will cause the avian group to move out of this region, seeking for a different region to settle in."
"As for the 'Crimson Beak Larks,' Madams might not know this but this species of birds loves to perfume their bodies with superior natural scents. The Moon Shadowing Rose, with its delectable natural scent, will attract the species to rub their bodies over their petals. Not only will this ruin the otherwise fine roses, but the thorns dotting the roses might hurt the larks causing many injuries, and in some cases, even death."
"Ah!" The green-robed fairy gasped in astonishment. Her pupils widened while her dainty hands covered her shocked mouth.
Wuzhi's words even caused the azure-haired fairy to seriously consider. After a few seconds, she asked, "How do you know all of this, Wuzhi?"
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"Wuzhi is a small scholar of shallow reading. It just so happens that I have read a few books regarding these species of flora and fauna," he humbly replied.
Just as he had finished speaking, Wuzhi suddenly felt a gust of wind strike his face. A pleasant scent of nature, the kind that would cause people to unconsciously relax themselves, struck his nose causing his eyes to widen.
The green-haired, green-robed fairy clasped Wuzhi's hands in trepidation. Her doe-like eyes stared at him with imploration. Opening her small lips, she hurriedly requested, "What would you recommend me to do, Wuzhi!? I do not want these small creatures or plants to be hurt. Please instruct me!"
Wuzhi froze for an instant. Hurriedly lowering his head, he quickly spoke. "Should Fourth Madam allow it, Wuzhi will share his wisdom with the servants and make proper arrangements."
"Allow it! I definitely allow it! Servant Wang!" she immediately called. An older servant dressed in clean white clothes appeared.
"Please instruct me, Fourth Madam." Servant Wang politely bowed.
"I've requested Wuzhi to assist us with the arrangement of decorations in this area. Please heed his words and make the necessary changes."
Being the obedient and loyal servant that he was, Servant Wang immediately bowed in acquiescence. Turning to face Wuzhi, he then spoke. "Esteemed Master, please instruct this servant."
Having disengaged himself from the green-robed fairy's grasp, Wuzhi humbly faced the older servant and spoke. "I'm nothing but a lowly scholar. Please call me Wuzhi, Sir Wang."
"Of course. Please instruct me, Sir Wuzhi." Wuzhi's humble behaviour immediately won him the recognition of the old servant. He then seriously listened to Wuzhi's instructions before hurriedly interrupting him in the middle.
"Sir Wuzhi, please forgive this servant for interrupting you. If you could follow me, I believe it would be easier if you could instruct the individual servants directly."
Smiling politely, Wuzhi replied, "Alright. Then let us do so." He then followed the old servant outside the pavilion. With Servant Wang backing him up, Wuzhi proceeded to repeat his instructions to the other servants.
Throughout the process, Wuzhi's speech remained even. He was neither overbearing nor demeaning. Whenever someone presented him with a question or met him with confusion, he took his time to patiently explain. While planting certain flowers, he even took the lead to show the servants how it was done and even imparted them with a few tricks which he had read in his books.
Under Wuzhi's lead, not only was the planting and arrangement of the decorations completed in a mere fifteen minutes but it was also done to a degree of precision and elegance unmatched by the rest of the estate!
The azure-haired fairy and the green-robed fairy, both of whom were patiently watching the proceedings from the sidelines, were overcome with astonishment by the end of the process.
"The Nature Aura within this space has at least doubled!" remarked Fourth Sister, shocked.
"Not only that, he even arranged the flowers and the rocks in a way that increased the providential aura of this region! He certainly has some accomplishments in the [Providence Path]!" noted Second Sister.
Some distance away, having finished helping the various servants and workers, Wuzhi dusted the dirt from his hands. He then politely thanked each worker for their efforts before walking up to the two fairies.
"I pray that this Wuzhi was able to accomplish his task to the expectations of the two Madams." He bowed.
It was then that Second Sister suddenly asked, "Are you a practitioner, Wuzhi?"
Startled at the sudden question, Wuzhi shook his head and honestly answered. "Wuzhi has not had the fortune to study the myriad Paths, Second Madam."
The azure-haired fairy furrowed her brows at his answer. While her heart told her that his statement was untrue, her mind could not help but tell her otherwise. Looking at the youth, it was true that she could not feel a single ounce of Energy.
[AN: Energy is the official term for the mystical force that cultivators cultivate. More information will be shed on this later.]
It had to be mentioned that power, especially a cultivator's power, was of an endogenous origin. That is, unless a cultivator voluntarily exposed their strength it was impossible for a third person to estimate their power. Having said that, powerhouses and true masters can still more or less estimate the strength of a cultivator from a glance with their sharp senses.
Second Sister, a famous powerhouse of Rank 8, was naturally gifted in this aspect! Still, even with her supernatural senses, she was unable to feel anything from Wuzhi's body. Reason told her that the young scholar was a simple mortal human. Her feelings, borne from experience, told her that something was different about this boy.
Torn between 'reason' and 'feelings', Second Sister eventually decided to trust her 'reason,' for it had never failed her before. As such, she decided to chalk up Wuzhi's talents to his scholarly knowledge.
"Your scholarly wisdom leaves me in awe, Wuzhi. Should you embark on the road of cultivation, you will have great fortune," she remarked.
"Wuzhi is extremely grateful for Second Madam's blessings. Wuzhi has etched these words to his memory," he replied in gratitude.
"Ah! Forget all that! Wuzhi, you did an amazing job!!" Like an excitable child who had come across her favourite candy, Fourth Sister bounced with noticeable excitement.
She then grabbed Wuzhi's hands, peered into his face with eyes blazing with passion, and exclaiming-ly asked. "Can you help us with the other pavilions too!? Can you!? Can you!?!"
"Uhh…!" Wuzhi was lost for words. He turned to look at the azure-haired fairy, hoping to find some solace over there. Unfortunately for him, Second Sister also looked at him with a gaze of request.
With a cool voice, she requested. "I too hope for you to lend your expertise, Wuzhi. Rest assured; you will be abundantly rewarded for your efforts. I shall also personally help you in seeking an audience with my husband when he returns."
Being an intelligent person, she knew of the phrase 'carrot and stick.' While offering what he sought the most, she requested his assistance.
"Me too! Me too! I also promise those same things to you!" Fourth Sister repeated and intensified her bouncing.
Finding himself in a situation where he dared not to refuse, Wuzhi helplessly accepted. "Madams' requests are Wuzhi's mandates. I dare not refuse."
"Great!" Fourth Sister immediately smiled in innocent joy. After finding her servant in the distance, she shouted. "Servant Wang! Wuzhi's going to help us with the other pavilions too! Please guide him over!"
No worker would deny the leadership of a competent and polite leader. Having already experienced Wuzhi's methods once, the other servants and workers were more than happy to heed him once again.
Moving from one pavilion to other, Wuzhi saw his workforce and responsibilities grow more and more. Eventually, he found himself decorating and correcting not only the various pavilions but also the gardens, residences, great halls, and other facilities within the household. Most of the servants and workforce also learnt of Wuzhi's existence and began recognizing his character and talents. Soon, he went from 'a random, humble scholar' to 'Sir Wuzhi, the esteemed Wiseman.'
He also started meeting with the other Madams of the Mu Household. Each one had a similar immortal countenance and otherworldly beauty of the first two fairies, and each had their own quirks and flavours. Common amongst all of them, however, was their awe and recognition towards Wuzhi's talents.
His sea of knowledge left oceans to shame and the sheer variety and breadth of his knowledge seemed inexhaustible. He possessed answers to every question and wisdom for every predicament. It even reached a point where a few of the Madams began discussing the Paths with him!
This was shocking for the stronger and greater-ranked a cultivator, the deeper and more profound was their understanding of their respective Paths! To be able to incite their curiosities and promote conversations with them spoke volumes of Wuzhi's knowledge.
And it had to be mentioned, Wuzhi had not a speck of Energy on his body symbolizing the fact that he was still a mortal human!
By the end of the day, Wuzhi was no longer a random visitor but was instead an esteemed guest. He was even invited to wait in the main estate while fourteen fairies surrounded him in conversation.