"Follow me, Chronicle."

 

Wang Yan said with a wave of his hand, leading Chronicle onto a camouflaged off-road vehicle specially designed for mystical realms.

 

The driver, a young man with a buzz cut and a resolute face, didn't say a word the entire trip.

 

It wasn't until they neared the valley where the 【Tearful Spirit Herb Essence】 was located that they finally stopped the car.

 

Turning to Chronicle in the passenger seat, he said, "I'll wait here for you. Just come straight over after you've encapsulated it."

 

"Alright." Chronicle nodded slightly upon hearing this.

 

After getting out of the car and walking a distance, he raised his hand and summoned General Zeng.

 

The 【Tearful Spirit Herb Essence】 was a plant spirit, not a ghost.

 

His top enforcers, Seven Brothers and Eight Brothers, couldn't suppress her.

 

In contrast, General Zeng, armed with the 【Fire Token】 and capable of summoning divine fire to exorcise demons, was undoubtedly more suitable.

 

"Caw! Caw! Caw!"

 

A group of old crows perched under the shade of the trees in the valley.

 

They squatted on the ancient trunks, their eyes the size of beans, flickering with blood-red light.

 

"Lucky there's no black cat or lamppost, or this would be a perfect night for the Uchiha clan massacre."

 

It must be said, Chronicle really had nerves of steel.

 

Even faced with such a hellish scene, he could still crack jokes without any pressure.

 

And this was the confidence that a host of mythological figures had given him.

 

"Caw! Caw! Caw!"

 

After following the map for half a day, there was still no sign of the 【Tearful Spirit Herb Essence】.

 

And those ugly, annoying old crows kept following them at a distance, occasionally letting out a chilling "caw."

 

Chronicle, unable to bear the nuisance, commanded General Zeng to summon a wave of flames with the Fire Token, burning them several times.

 

But the number of these blood-eyed black crows was as numerous as the trees in the valley that required five people to encircle, and they simply couldn't be burned to extinction.

 

Despite his frustration, Chronicle had no choice but to continue his arduous search in this disturbing environment.

 

After searching for a long time with no results, he found a piece of bluestone to sit on and took out the map for a closer look.

 

The group of old crows seemed to have fixed their gaze on him, each finding a tree trunk to perch on.

 

"Caw! Caw! Caw!"

 

The glass-cutting bird calls grew louder and louder.

 

Chronicle waved his hand irritably, signaling General Zeng to give them another blast.

 

"Boom!"

 

The next moment, the fire elements scattered between heaven and earth surged towards the exquisite Fire Token.

 

Just as General Zeng was about to launch an attack, a loud explosion suddenly rang out, startling the flock of birds into scattered flight.

 

"Boom!"

 

Chronicle instinctively covered his ears, only to see a cloud of dust rise into the sky, slowly forming a small mushroom cloud.

 

The true master of the valley had been awakened.

 

She shot over from the southeast like a cannonball, crashing directly in front of Chronicle, breaking through more than a dozen ancient trees that required ten people to encircle.

 

Then, as if nothing had happened, she rolled to her feet and with a "trainee shoulder bump," slammed hard into the tree where the most crows perched.

 

With a "crack," the tree snapped, and the crows scattered in an instant.

 

But she, annoyed by the noise, was relentless.

 

She took off her coat strung with blood beads, reached down with her right hand, and pulled herself up; she grabbed the upper part with her left hand, stretched her waist, and uprooted an old tree.

 

Then, with a fierce expression, she swung the ancient tree around.

 

With a slight exertion of her slender legs, her "delicate" and slender, agile, and fair body flew up more than ten meters.

 

The big tree in her hand swung back and forth like an old man fanning himself.

 

Left and right, the roots hung with fine soil flew up, and the thick green leaves rustled and fell.

 

The crows, like dumplings in a pot or hailstones falling, one after another tumbled to the ground, crashing into an unrecognizable mess.

 

Chronicle, however, didn't mind at all, directly pulling out a stack of blank cards from his pocket and encapsulating them.

 

In the end, he found that encapsulating a single crow on one card resulted in the most lackluster pale grey border.

 

But encapsulating a thousand crows at once resulted in a standard lustrous white card.

 

With this discovery, he began to recklessly and generously pull crows into the cards.

 

About twenty minutes later, the otherworldly girl who had descended from the sky and swept away the crows with uprooted trees finally ran out of energy.

 

A delicate face covered in dirt, looking even more adorable and honest.

 

And during this time, Chronicle had encapsulated more than twenty white-grade crow materials.

 

Without exerting any effort, he had easily earned over twenty thousand.

 

"Not bad."

 

He smiled very satisfied.

 

Hearing his laughter, the otherworldly girl who had exhausted her spiritual energy finally reacted, turning her head instinctively to face two imposing faces, one red and one blue.

 

She almost instinctively wanted to resist, but she had no strength left.

 

General Zeng with a pair of handcuffs, locked her to the tree trunk.

 

"Hmm?!"

 

Realizing what had happened, she pursed her thin lips and burst forth with potential, almost pulling down the large tree.

 

But Chronicle had already flashed in front of her, pressing a blank card against her forehead and instantly injecting a massive amount of mental energy.

 

With the aid of General Zeng's divine power and her exhausted body and spirit, the otherworldly girl could only hold on for less than two seconds before being collected into the card.

 

Pitiful indeed.

 

…

 

"Mission accomplished!"

 

Looking at the card named 【Tearful Spirit Herb Essence】 that could be remodeled into special material, Chronicle shamelessly smiled.

 

He had recognized this otherworldly girl as his target from the start, but he had kept his presence hidden until her spiritual energy was depleted before making a sneak attack.

 

Although with her strength, he could have crushed her in a direct fight, this method greatly satisfied his wicked sense of humor.

 

"Not bad."

 

This was the first time he had encountered such a "sensible" material.

 

Knowing that he couldn't find her, she "voluntarily" came to him, exhausted her spiritual energy in front of him, and "gave" herself away, also bringing a welcome gift worth over twenty thousand.

 

"If only the creatures I encounter in the mystical realms could be as sensible as her, that would be great."

 

Chronicle smiled, raised his hand to check the mystical realm-specific watch.

 

Just as the predetermined hour and a half was about to end, he summoned the Year Beast and quickly left the valley, arriving at the spot where they had parked earlier.

 

"Get in."

 

The buzz-cut young man was as succinct as ever.

 

He started the car and took him back to the outskirts of the mystical realm, where the Town Abyss Army was temporarily stationed.

 

"Next."

 

Watching Gao Sheng get into the car, Chronicle followed the staff into a standalone tent.

 

Considering that it would take until tomorrow at the earliest for all sixteen people to encapsulate the materials, he decided to start the card crafting work directly.

 

So he carefully locked the curtain, then released Brother Zongzi to take care of security.

 

After taking these defensive measures, he lay back on the hammock, his consciousness ascended, entering the sea of knowledge.

 

Based on the experience gained from the encounter with Ying Tai, the remodeling work for such special materials was more inclined towards 【Role-Playing】.

 

That is, to write a script and perform until both the auditing system and the material being remodeled "believe" it.

 

Then, they could optimize and continuously transform based on the material's own skills and characteristics, guided by the story provided by the Card Craftsman.

 

In this case, the "actor" was crucial.

 

Other roles were modeled after the appearances of people around him, with Jia Baoyu naturally played by himself.

 

Then came the "props."

 

Thinking of this, he directly pulled out the miniature spatial equipment card he had bought for a few thousand not long ago from his sea of knowledge.

 

Ying Tai's mobile phone, the Year Beast's ball, Mountain Ghost's microphone, and some of his own items were all stored inside.

 

In addition, there were some seemingly useless "junk."

 

Such as a mineral water bottle with holes punched in the cap, a stone with a nice pattern, a fake gem hairpin from a two-dollar store, a fake coral bead bracelet, cosplay elixir Maltesers…

 

"They all have their uses."

 

Chronicle thought to himself, swinging his card-drawing pen with great force, drawing out the pale blue thread of fate of the 【Tearful Spirit Herb Essence】.

 

Having prepared a draft before setting out, he wrote without hesitation:

 

【By the West Spirit River, beside the Three Lives Stone.】

 

【Colorful mists and clouds, the sun shining brilliantly.】

 

【There grew a magical herb, nourished daily by the divine servant of the Red Glow Palace with sweet rain, enduring through the ages.】

 

【Over time, it shed its plant form, transformed into a human, and took on a female shape, wandering beyond the realm of lingering sorrow, feasting on fruits of infatuation and drinking from the waters of sorrow.】

 

【Because she had yet to repay the favor of being watered, she was burdened with a thread of lingering melancholy.】

 

【Thus, when the divine servant chose to descend to the mortal world to be reborn, she too descended, willing to repay the past watering kindness with a lifetime of tears.】

 

As the tall and burly, dog-like divine servant watered the small grass bearing coral-like fruits with a hole-punched mineral water bottle, the pale blue river hanging in the sky also slowly released bubbles.

 

Quickly reflecting everything that had just happened, and when the magical herb decided to reincarnate, it burst open with a roar.

 

Vaguely, a series of houses rose from the grand sea of knowledge.

 

And at a visible speed, a garden paradise with mountains, waters, pavilions, and towers was rapidly constructed.

 

The scene moved to the houses, where a refined and handsome scholar anxiously waited outside the delivery room.

 

Until a baby's cry sounded, filled with the aura of plants, dispelling all his worries and anxieties.

 

Having a daughter at the age of thirty, he naturally cherished her and gave her a beautiful nickname…

 

【Daiyu】

 

Chronicle wrote in the air with his mental power.

 

A year after Daiyu's birth, her mother Jia Min gave birth to a younger brother for her, but he died at the age of three.

 

With only this one daughter left, her parents cherished her even more.

 

Seeing her ethereal beauty, unlike any mortal, they invited Jia Yucun to teach her.

 

But this warm and happy family life did not last long, as her mother passed away due to illness.

 

Grandmother Jia, pitying her lack of guidance, took her in to raise by her side.

 

…

 

"I've seen this young lady before."

 

"Big Face Bao," who was nearly six feet tall, said with a chuckle.

 

Daiyu was also surprised, feeling "as if I've seen him somewhere, so familiar."

 

But this rather appealing young man, having just pretended to be human for a few minutes, threw a tantrum.

 

"What a stupid thing, can't even tell the height of a person! I don't want this rubbish anymore!"

 

This was the original book's "Big Face Bao" closing the chapter on "Baoyu and Daiyu's First Meeting," indeed a classic segment that fit his character perfectly.

 

But it wasn't suitable for Chronicle.

 

Although he "occasionally" didn't act human, out of the three hundred and sixty-five days a year, there was always a moment when he was more human than anyone else.

 

Like right now.

 

Even if it was just acting, and the "Spirit Detecting Jade" in his hand was just a stone picked up by Eight Brothers while walking the dog by the hotel's artificial lake, he didn't want to replay this childish drama.

 

It would ruin the good impression.

 

So he made some minor adjustments.

 

The "jade" was thrown as planned, but the catalyst for all this became "Young Bai Ziliang," played with passion by Baoyu's half-brother Jia Huan.

 

The little girl was not only unscared but also enjoyed the commotion.

 

"Master! Master! It wasn't me who made him throw the jade, he's being naughty! He's being naughty! Waaah!"

 

Watching him being whipped by Jia Zheng, who looked like Xie Wenyuan, until his skin split and he wailed continuously.

 

Even though all of this was fake, Chronicle felt a bit of pity and took out the 【Spirit Detecting Camera】 borrowed from Ying Tai, found a good angle, and took a photo.

 

"Let this photo serve as a thorn, constantly pricking my conscience."

 

Chronicle stroked his face, suppressing the slight curl of his lips, and carefully stored the photo for future use.

 

…

 

Meanwhile, under the accelerated projection of the river of fate, the ancestral hall scene of "Jia Wenyuan" beating "Jia Ziliang" came to an end.

 

Time quickly jumped forward.

 

Under Grandmother Jia's care, Daiyu gradually grew up, and her relationship with Baoyu was very close and affectionate, truly harmonious and agreeable.

 

Until one winter when Daiyu was ten years old, her father Lin Ruhai fell seriously ill, and her cousin Jia Lian sent her to Yangzhou to take care of him.

 

Until the third day of September the following year, her father passed away and was buried in Suzhou.

 

After mourning for two months, she returned to the capital with Jia Lian and from then on lived in the Jia residence.

 

A year passed in the blink of an eye.

 

The following year during the Lantern Festival, Yuan Chun visited her family.

 

Under the guise of "celebrating the holy response," everyone was asked to compose poems.

 

In the original story, Baoyu wrote three poems, but the last one, "Apricot Curtain in Sight," was actually written by Daiyu for him, becoming the "best of the first three" in Yuan Chun's mouth.

 

She said that whether in terms of technique or theme, it was somewhat superior to the previous three.

 

So…

 

"Do you have them all?"

 

When the slender and delicate young lady asked him softly, Chronicle unhesitatingly replied, "Not a single one, sister, you do it for me."

 

"…"The little girl must have never seen such a shameless person, and she couldn't help but be stunned.

 

A moment later, with her delicate brows slightly furrowed, she revealed a look of slight disdain: "I only had a bit of tea at your place during the day, and now you're summoning me in the evening."

 

"Sister has the 'talent of chanting fluff', if you could compose a poem for me, Her Majesty would surely praise me for my 'progress', and the master would be so happy that he might spare me some beatings."

 

"With such great skill, I reckon in the entire household, only sister is capable."

 

Chronicle, with his belly full of tricks, managed to fluster even Sister Lin, who was 'wiser than Bi Gan by an extra hole', and he couldn't help but feel delighted.

 

Yet he still said, "Flattery flows more eloquently than poetry, I wonder for which sister it was originally intended, now used on me."

 

After speaking, she even let out a light "hmm."

 

Despite her verbal disdain, her body honestly picked up the paper and brush, imitating his handwriting, and composed a poem in the tiny script of King Zhong's 'fly-head' calligraphy on greaseproof paper.

 

After presenting it, she indeed received Yuan Chun's commendation—the flattering words were naturally also composed by Chronicle.

 

Then, as "Jia Bao Yu", he praised her just right, charming the slightly proud little girl into complete happiness.

 

He was truly a crafty one.

 

…

 

After the visit to the relatives ended, Yuan Chun felt it was a waste to leave the Grand View Garden empty, so she decreed that Bao Yu and the group of beauties move in.

 

Then they experienced events like [Dai Yu Burying Flowers], [Reading 'Romance of the Western Chamber' Together], [Listening to 'The Peony Pavilion'], [Chanting the Burial of Flowers Poem], [The Great Quarrel on Dragon Boat Festival], [Passing Love Through a Handkerchief], and the love between Bao and Dai began to sprout.

 

By the twenty-first of August the following year, the Begonia Poetry Club was established.

 

Lin Dai Yu received the title "Consort Xiao Xiang".

 

Whether composing Begonia poems in the Autumn Freshness Studio or writing about chrysanthemums in the Lotus Fragrance Pavilion, she outshone all the other beauties.

 

Another year passed, and Granny Liu entered the Grand View Garden. She laughed heartily, a rare relief from her worries, joyfully holding onto the table and exclaiming "Oh my!"

 

But her excessive happiness made her forget herself, leading her to recite some controversial verses, for which she was advised by Bao Chai.

 

From then on, their relationship became very close.

 

Many things happened afterward, and Dai Yu's health deteriorated further.

 

And the Jia household, which seemed to be thriving on the surface, was gradually heading towards its doom beneath the intense fire and splendid flowers.

 

Finally, the day came when the Grand View Garden was searched.

 

Though it was a close call without danger, Dai Yu felt increasingly uneasy, even composing such desolate verses as "The Soul of the Buried Flower Under the Cold Moon"…

 

…

 

Two days later.

 

Bao Yu, missing the maid Qing Wen who "suffered jealousy and died young", imagined her as the "Lotus Flower Goddess" after her death and wrote a heartfelt elegy titled "Lament for the Lotus Girl".

 

At this time, Dai Yu walked out from the shadows of the flowers, suggesting some revisions.

 

Her complexion was very poor, and her increasingly thin body seemed to be on the verge of collapse.

 

Although he knew this was all a play, after experiencing this simulation that spanned "ten years", Chronicle was somewhat caught up in the role.

 

Imagining the scene of "Brother Zi Liang's sacrifice" to stir his emotions, he lowered his eyelids and slowly recited, "Beneath the madder red window, I was never destined; in the yellow earth's ridges, why is your fate so thin…"

 

Upon hearing this, Dai Yu's expression became dazed, as if she had a premonition, and she stepped back several paces.

 

Then, covering her lips with a handkerchief, she walked away with a light cough.

 

…

 

After that.

 

Following the incident of seeking Zen, Bao Yu confessed his feelings to Dai Yu.

 

Dai Yu, having received a promise, felt somewhat settled.

 

But then came the out-of-season blooming of the begonias and the loss of the magical jade, which disturbed her already fragile emotions, leaving her unable to sleep night after night.

 

Then came the deaths of Yuan Chun and Prince Teng.

 

The Jia family lost its support and was thrown into chaos, adding to Bao Yu's madness. To cheer him up, Grandmother Jia and Feng Jie planned a "switch" scheme.

 

They deceived Bao Yu into thinking he was marrying "Miss Lin", but in reality, they intended to fulfill his "perfect match" with Xue Bao Chai.

 

…

 

"Sister, are you feeling any better? It's been a long time since I've seen you, why are you still wearing this cumbersome thing?"

 

On the way to the main hall, Bao Yu, with his muddled gaze like a child's, spoke while reaching out to lift Bao Chai's bridal veil.

 

But then he remembered that Miss Lin would want to follow tradition, so he withdrew his hand.

 

However, at the moment of the wedding bow, the angle at which he lowered his head almost caused Bao Chai to lose her veil.

 

And Bao Yu, who never followed the rules and was now even more mad, suddenly reached out and pulled the veil back.

 

Even though not dropping the veil was an old-fashioned notion in his heart, for the sake of his beloved, he was willing to do anything.

 

But it was this one time he followed the rules that he missed the chance to see Dai Yu for the last time.

 

That night, outside the Xiao Xiang Pavilion.

 

Only the bamboo leaves rustled in the wind, and the moonlight shifted across the wall, a scene of utter desolation and coldness.

 

It was the very embodiment of "The Soul of the Buried Flower Under the Cold Moon".

 

The fragrance withered, the soul returned to the great void of illusions.

 

Goodnight to all the readers, tomorrow, no, today during the day, the updates will keep coming.