Chapter 35 - 34: Mage Seda’s Legacy

Chapter 35: Chapter 34: Mage Seda’s Legacy

"Gaode, Gaode, Gaode..." In his groggy state, Gaode heard a series of urgent, concerned calls. However, he simply had no strength to open his eyes and respond.

An unknown amount of time passed until a surge of warmth welled up from deep within his body, quickly spreading all over Gaode and jolting him awake from his coma.

Gaode’s eyes snapped open, and he warily surveyed his surroundings. It was a dark, cramped room. A faint ray of light filtered in through a small transom window on the southern wall. This was a very familiar scene. A month ago, when he first arrived in this world, this was the exact same sight that greeted him when he opened his eyes. Gaode instantly realized where he was. This was his own narrow, cramped little bedroom.

"Gaode, you’re finally awake!" Sitting right by the head of the bed, Amy noticed Gaode waking up immediately and leaned in with pleasant surprise.

Gao Degang had just woken up, feeling weak and powerless all over. Looking closely, he discovered various cloth bandages wrapped around different parts of his body. A continuous, refreshing coolness seeped from the bandages, which were likely wrapped with certain medicinal herbs. Gaode steadied himself and recalled everything that had happened before he fell unconscious.

"Mage Seda is dead?" he asked, confirming once again.

"Yes, he is dead!" Amy was almost weeping with joy and said excitedly, "Gaode, you are so amazing! How on earth did you do it?"

Gaode didn’t answer Amy’s question. Instead, he closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. His greatest enemy, the Sword of Damocles that had been hanging high above his head, had finally vanished. Gaode’s Heart and Spirit, which had been tightly wound for a month, completely relaxed.

"How long was I unconscious this time?" he opened his eyes and asked, looking at Amy.

"One day," Amy held up a finger and said. "After the explosion in Mage Seda’s room yesterday, I gathered my courage to check the situation. I saw you and Mage Seda lying together, both covered in wounds. You were holding a blood-stained weapon in your hand, and Mage Seda was already dead..."

As Amy spoke, he gestured with his lips toward the wooden table nearby. On it laid the cleaned "murder weapon"—the Hidden Mist Fang, its bloodstains washed away.

"I hurriedly carried you back to the room on my back, using the herbs from the Medicinal Garden to give you a simple bandage..."

Speaking of this, Amy said, feeling fortunate, "Mage Seda is already dead, so no one will come looking for trouble with me for using his herbs."

"Thank you," Gaode said earnestly to Amy. If Amy hadn’t discovered him in time and treated him with Healing bandages, he wouldn’t have woken up so quickly.

"I should be the one thanking you. You killed Mage Seda; you are a lifesaver to all of us!" Amy couldn’t help but say.

"I only did it to save myself. Saving you all was just a byproduct." Gaode didn’t accept the credit, not because he was being noble or hypocritical, but more so because he didn’t really need Amy’s gratitude. He smiled at Amy. "Mage Seda is dead. You are free."

Hearing this, Amy didn’t look overjoyed as Gaode had expected. Instead, he wore a sheepish expression, looking as if there was something he wanted to say but was too embarrassed to voice.

"Just say whatever is on your mind," Gaode said, noticing Amy’s hesitation.

Amy bit his lip and shouted loudly toward the door, "Gaode is awake!"

Following Amy’s words, the room’s door was instantly pushed open. The six remaining apprentices in the Medicinal Garden had actually been waiting outside, and now they all squeezed in, packing the already cramped room to the brim. Everyone, including Amy, suddenly dropped to one knee in front of Gaode’s bed with a collective RUSTLE.

"What is the meaning of this?" Gaode stared blankly at them, somewhat stunned and failing to understand what was going on.

The group exchanged glances with one another. Ultimately, it was Amy, Gaode’s "roommate of many years," who stepped up to act as their representative speaker. After all, theoretically, his relationship with Gaode was the closest.

"Mage Seda is dead, but the Medicinal Garden is still here, and we have grown used to the work in the Medicinal Garden.

"We also understand that although we have been apprentices under Mage Seda for a long time, we haven’t actually learned much. With our meager abilities, it would be hard to even feed ourselves if we left the Medicinal Garden.

"We want to keep the Medicinal Garden running.

"Without Mage Seda, it certainly won’t be easy to continue operating the Medicinal Garden, but it’s not entirely impossible.

"You killed Mage Seda, and you can independently prepare the Basic Spider Venom Potion. Since that’s the case, why not take Mage Seda’s place and inherit his Medicinal Garden? We will do our best to work for you.

"Other than the Medicinal Garden changing owners, everything else will remain the same," Amy said seriously and sincerely, voicing his thoughts in one breath before falling silent, nervously awaiting Gaode’s reply.

The new master of the Medicinal Garden needed two things: the ability to command respect, and a certain level of expertise in Magic Potion, which was essential to keep the Medicinal Garden running. Among the less than ten apprentices in the entire Medicinal Garden, only Gaode, who had successfully committed "master-slaying," met both conditions.

Caught off guard by Amy’s proposal, Gaode couldn’t help but fall deep into thought. Truth be told, prior to this, he hadn’t thought at all about what would happen after killing Mage Seda. To the Gaode of that time, such thoughts were overly ambitious and impractical. But now that the deed was done, he indeed needed to carefully consider his upcoming arrangements.

It had to be said that although the proposal from Amy and the apprentices exceeded his expectations, it was genuinely tempting. In order to grow into a powerful Mage, resources were undoubtedly the number one priority. Learning Magic required money, cultivating required money, and basic necessities like food, clothing, housing, and transportation required even more money... In short, everything revolved around money. And for his current self, the Medicinal Garden was the greatest money-making asset he could lay his hands on.

Under Mage Seda’s years of management, the entire operational model of the Medicinal Garden had been perfected. As long as the Medicinal Garden could maintain its previous model and continue running, it would generate a steady stream of income. Gaode needed this Medicinal Garden to earn the resources required for his cultivation as a Mage. Meanwhile, the other apprentices in the Medicinal Garden also needed Gaode to ensure that the Medicinal Garden could continue operating under its established model. Therefore, if Gaode agreed to Amy’s proposal, it would be a win-win situation for both sides. Thinking about it this way, there was absolutely no reason to reject this proposal.

"Alright." Gaode nodded slightly, making a decisive choice.

"Greetings, Garden Master!" the kneeling apprentices said in unison the next moment, their faces instantly lighting up with joy upon hearing this affirmative answer after exchanging glances with one another.

Taking advantage of the moment, Amy fished a box out of his pocket and presented it to Gaode with both hands. It was a box meticulously carved from an unknown type of wood. The surface of the box was engraved with complex Rune symbols and patterns symbolizing Magic Elements. These patterns were clearly not mere decorations; rather, they represented Magic Power.

Gaode asked, "What is this?"

"Mage Seda’s room was reduced to rubble because of the explosion. We searched through the ruins for a long time. Most of the things in the room were destroyed, and only this box remained completely intact.

"Whether it’s the Rune patterns carved on the box’s surface or the fact that it could remain unscathed in such a terrifying explosion, it all indicates that this box must be among the Extraordinary Items.

"And for something to be placed in this box with such high regard by Mage Seda, it must definitely be what he values most.

"It’s just that, no matter how I tried, I couldn’t open this box.

"You are now the garden master. Therefore, aside from the Medicinal Garden, Mage Seda’s other belongings rightfully belong to you as your property," Amy looked at Gaode and said respectfully.