CHAPTER 102 - [LIZARDWINGS], NOT POULTRYGEISTS
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“All you have to do is place the [Spirit Grass] on the tilled square, and it will take care of itself. No need to water it, and it will spread to nearby areas,” I said after demonstrating how to plant the grass.
[Spirit Grass:
A fast-growing and hardy grass that provides a great food source for grazing animals. ]
“When will we harvest it?” asked Kharli.
“Never. This isn’t for us to gather. We’re planting this for the [Prairie Elk],” I said.
“Then we won’t get a lot of exp?” Mo looked disappointed.
“Does this mean the [Prairie Elk] will return?” asked Lari.
“They will probably return. Anyway, this [Spirit Grass] has a small amount of qi in it, so it’s good for spirit animals,” I said. “This is actually the most basic of the pasture seeds that we can use, but the others require rich, fertile soil. Anyway, this isn’t too important right now. We need to focus more on planting trees.”
The four of us planted more of the grass before we checked on the [Lizardwings]. They were now adults, and their current habitat was now covered in lush, green grass, so I contacted one of the clan members and sold the animals. Then I placed six [Lizardwing] eggs in a brand-new pen.
After that, we made our rounds.
The [Wild Seed Mix] that I had planted before my disappearance had grown well, better than I expected, in fact. The patch of ground that had been covered in dry, brown grass was now vibrant, blooming flowers and wild grasses.
The trees were also doing great, and the experiment with the clay pots was likewise successful.
I should be happy, but I was very, very worried about tonight.
“Remember, after dinner, you guys have to stay with me for the entire night, and no falling asleep!” I said for the dozenth time today.
“Yes, Teacher,” they said in unison.
“Promise me!” I said.
“What’s the big deal?” asked Lari.
“You don’t want to know.” I bit my finger.
Kharli gave me a worried look. “I would like to know if there’s any danger.”
“No, there’s no danger,” I said.
“Then why do we have to stay up all night?” asked Mo.
“Are you sure you want to know?” I asked them.
“Yes!” said Mo.
“Because I’m scared of the New Year's Ghost!” I shuddered. This was the downside of having a magical “bloodline inheritance.” Thus far, I and my apprentices had enjoyed the benefits of having a powerful System that helped us with farming and other tasks, but not everything in Adventure Incarnate was so convenient. The ghost was one of them.
Every year’s end, the New Year’s Ghost appeared in the player’s dream and evaluated their performance. Unfortunately, it was almost impossible to get a good evaluation in the first year, and I really didn’t want to be visited by the scary spirit of the player’s dead grandpa who scolded the player about being inept.
Also, a ghost? Really? I did not want to meet one, ever.
“Is this a superstition in your hometown, Teacher?” asked Kharli.
Lari folded his arms across his chest. “I don’t believe in ghosts.”
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“Don’t worry, Teacher, we’ll protect you,” said Mo.
Lari rolled his eyes. “From a ghost? How do we even do that?”
“By keeping me awake all night, I told you!” I said.
“That’s easy. We can definitely do that,” said Kharli.
They showered me with reassurances as we walked to the house. I was hopeful that if I didn’t go to sleep then I wouldn’t have to meet the ghost, but I was so nervous that I was in a daze all throughout lunch until Fengying mentioned something important.
“The Prince has sent word that he will be joining the New Year’s Eve Remembrance gathering,” said Fengying as the maids cleared away the dishes.
“Wait, what gathering?” I was confused. “We’re having a party?”
“No, my lady. As I told you a few days ago, twelve White Tiger clan families will be arriving tonight at their regular site a few miles away to celebrate New Year,” said Fengying.
“Oh yeah.” I vaguely remembered her saying something about that.
“Prince Baiyu sent word that he will be there, too, and that we should all join them right before dawn. He’ll send some carriages.” Fengying looked me up and down disapprovingly. “One of the new maids is well-versed in makeup and hairstyles.”
I took a mirror from my inventory and examined myself. My messy updo would have been perfectly fine on Earth but looked sloppy here. “No, it’s fine I can do my own hair. Why don’t you send her to take care of the girls?”
Kharli and Mo nodded enthusiastically while Lari looked bored.
“May I go and visit the clan members? They should be preparing for tonight’s gathering,” said Lari.
“Hmm, how many will be coming? Should we prepare some refreshments? Maybe I should dig a well nearby so they have fresh water,” I said.
“That won’t be needed. I was informed that they will be bringing everything that they need. They asked us to not disturb them from midnight until the carriage is sent,” said Fengying.
Ah, it must be some sort of private family gathering rather than a big party where everyone was invited.
We spent the rest of the day bathing and getting ready for the New Year’s banquet. I wore a rather flashy red and gold ensemble with a large golden flower headdress that made tinkling sounds whenever I moved. Apparently, the sound of gold on gold was considered very lucky during New Year’s Eve, so I let Lari and the girls wear as much gold jewelry as they wanted. During my absence, the kids had bought better accessories in Anwei City, so we all looked quite fine indeed.
Well, except for Lari who must’ve been conned by a quick-talking merchant because he was covered in golden necklaces and bangles that all had a bat design. Why bats? Because bats were supposed to hide a lot of treasures in their caves.
Wow. All he needed was a bat cowl and he would look ready to fight crime in Gotham City.
These days, of course, I was used to sleeping early and waking up before dawn. Therefore I had a terrible time staying awake. I drank five cups of coffee and the kids played board games with me until my eyes started to feel heavy. Then they took some pots and pans from the kitchen and banged on them while we staggered around in a weird dance.
It was kinda fun but extremely tiring. I was very relieved when the carriages finally arrived.
“It’s close to dawn already? Ha, soon I will be able to rest,” I said. “Just a sec, I need to tidy myself up.”
I went to my bedroom and used the Cash Shop to tidy up my hair. Then I washed my face at the sink. When I sat down on my bed to wipe the water off my face and neck with a towel, I was overcome by extreme lethargy.
I yawned and closed my eyes just for a second.
...When I opened my eyes again, I was in a familiar jungle. All around me, bright green tropical plants grew in riotous profusion. I took a deep breath and smelled damp earth, decaying leaves, wild orchids, and frangipani, among other, less recognizable scents. There was a path in front of me, and I instinctively knew that there was something at the end of it that I needed to see.
Myriad insects buzzed; bird calls filled the air, and leaves were rustled by a hot breeze. This place was always noisy with the sounds of life. As I was walking, a brightly-plumed bird flew towards me, carrying a ripe mango in its beak which it dropped into my waiting hands. I took a knife from my inventory and ate the honey-sweet fruit, its juices running down my chin. I stopped by a stream to wash off and smiled at the small, quick, silver-scaled fish that came to nibble at my fingers.
I continued walking until I reached a small clearing. The jungle canopy let in one large sunbeam that illuminated the most beautiful woman in the world, her husband, and the dragon she was holding in her arms. I froze.
My little dragon jumped out of my mother's arms and ran towards me, but I was too shocked to pick him up.
"Hello, dear," said my mother.
That did it. I ran towards my parents, tears streaming from my eyes. "Mom! Dad! Where have you been?"
"Dead," said my father. He picked up my dragon and all four of us hugged.
"At least you're together," I said. "Are you in heaven? Are you guys going to reincarnate?"
"So many questions," said my mom. She looked just like me but with brown eyes and a hundred times more beautiful. My dad was handsome enough, I guess, but the two of us had nothing on her. My mom was on a totally different level compared to the rest of us ordinary folk.
"What's happening?" I asked.
"We came to say Happy New Year, dear. You've done okay this past year, but you need to do better next year," she said.
"Wait, what?" That line was similar to what the New Year's Ghost said in Adventure Incarnate. Was my mom the ghost now?
"I give you a C minus grade this time. Keep on improving your farm," she continued.
"What?" Oh no, she was just saying stuff from the game now.
"Wakupcher," she said.
"Huh?"
"Wakupcher."