The Cornflower Witch Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Power of Aspects and Basic Swordsmanship (Thanks to Grand Mistress Shen Qi for wanting to be close to Alice)

Late at night, Hylial finally lay quietly in bed, while Talil slept on the wooden floor of the same room. Due to the warm Aurora Wind Season, it wasn’t cold even in autumn; in fact, some of the heat still lingered.

Today had truly been eventful, Hylial thought, finding it difficult to sleep. As she closed her eyes, various memories and images raced through her mind.

What exactly was the power of Aspects? How vast was this world? How would she establish herself from now on, and where would her future lead? These questions and thoughts swirled in her mind.

Eventually, she succumbed to fatigue and fell asleep in less than half an hour, her breathing gradually becoming steady.

…

The night passed peacefully.

In the early morning, the crisp chirping of birds under the eaves woke Hylial. She rubbed her eyes; her snow-white hair was a bit dishevelled, fanned across her shoulders and neck. She shook her head, then decided to get up to use the restroom, but as her feet touched the uneven, hard dirt floor, she realized something was wrong and her eyes snapped open.

“This is…” Right, this wasn’t Earth anymore. Her indigo eyes narrowed slightly, and her voice carried a hint of emotion.

Never mind, let’s not dwell on memories. What was she supposed to do today? She fumbled as she got up, put on her small leather shoes, and fastened the laces.

The light-colored leather shoes paired with snow-white socks perfectly showcased the soft curves of her ankles and calves. Even without additional adornment, there was a natural beauty. After tidying her dress and hair, Hylial walked around the room a few times but couldn’t find a mirror or anything similar.

Perhaps there were no mirrors here. She wondered how the villagers groomed themselves daily, and she was very curious to know what she looked like now.

Talil was not there. She had clearly slept in the same room as her last night. Had she left early? Hylial thought, walking towards the closed wooden door.

Pushing the door open and stepping out, the bright sunlight felt warm. Some villagers were already up, moving about the village. Compared to the dangerous battle last night, today was exceptionally peaceful and serene.

The village square in the distance had already been cleaned, with only a few traces remaining from last night’s events. Smoke rose from some chimneys, probably indicating cooking. Hylial skipped lightly down the pebble path on the hillside.

After last night’s events, many villagers already knew there was a noble young lady among them, but today was the first time they truly saw her appearance.

Out of curiosity and reverence for her noble status, most villagers watched her walk down the hillside from a distance. It wasn’t until Hylial reached the square again that the auntie who had given her a pie last night came over.

“Miss Lia, are you awake? Would you like something to eat?” she greeted the young lady. It seemed she was preparing breakfast today as well.

“Yes,” Hylial nodded, then accepted the baked bread the auntie offered.

The bread was slightly larger than her hand and still warm. It tasted slightly sweet with some coarse bran—black bread, but of better quality than common black bread.

“How is it? Are you used to it?”

“Mm-hmm, it’s very delicious.” Given the current circumstances, this was probably good food. Hylial was easily satisfied.

“It’s good that Miss Lia likes it, hehehe.” Seeing this, the auntie beamed, probably proud and happy that her cooking was acknowledged by the noble young lady.

While eating the bread, the two discussed the current situation.

“Talil must have gone to help with the injured. I’ll call her for you later.”

…

“Yesterday was busy all night. Many people are still sleeping and resting. We don’t have much to entertain you with here.”

…

“Captain Frien is resting in the stone tower at the head of the village. He’ll probably wake up around noon.”

…

“Old Master Pound should still be arranging the aftermath. How about I take you to the merchant caravan? They should have many interesting things there.”

Worried that the noble lady might be bored, the auntie took her to an open space behind the village, where the merchant caravan had camped for the night, currently enclosed by a makeshift fence.

“Henry—”

The auntie waved, calling over a young man in the distance.

“What is it, Auntie?” The honest-looking young man walked over. He was a head taller than Hylial and quite sturdy, wearing a linen tunic.

“You go with Miss Lia to the merchant caravan, help her carry things, and when those cunning merchants sell their goods, don’t let them fool Miss Lia.”

“Oh, I understand, Auntie.” He scratched the back of his head, secretly glancing at the silver-haired young lady in front of him a few times, then lowered his head, probably a bit shy and embarrassed.

“Alright, you two go. Remember to bring Miss Lia back for lunch.”

“Understood.”

Afterward, Henry walked in front, leading Hylial towards the merchant caravan. Along the way, some people occasionally greeted Henry, but their attention was mostly focused on the rare noble young lady behind him, astonished by her appearance and temperament. Some were even captivated.

Facing this situation, Hylial could only slightly lower her head to avoid overly intrusive gazes, occasionally running her fingers through the strands of hair at her forehead to obscure herself a little.

If only she could buy some head covering garments, like the raincoats she had seen in her previous life.

She began to look forward to the merchant caravan she was heading to.

After passing through half the village, the two arrived at the caravan’s encampment, where scattered villagers were already negotiating and shopping.

“I still have two bags of white windroot at home. Do you buy them?”

“As long as the white windroot isn’t rotten, we’ll buy it. Do you want to trade for this spearhead?” A caravan member held up a spearhead made of pig iron.

“This is it. I’ll give you another bag of black grit wheat. That should be enough, right?”

“Enough, enough. Go get the white windroot.”

After negotiating, the middle-aged villager left the caravan’s encampment, presumably to go home and get his things.

The young lady, who had listened to their conversation, then walked into the caravan’s encampment, carefully examining the goods displayed. Many were piled chaotically in bags and wooden boxes, while a few more valuable items were placed in tents, including ironware, honey, spices, fabric, and some small everyday items like candle holders, needles and thread, bath towels, and soap.

Walking among the piled goods, Hylial’s gaze was curious, her eyes blinking occasionally as some information appeared in her mind.

[Purple Turnip] (Quality: Common), a common vegetable, durable for storage.

[Iron Spearhead] (Quality: Common), made of pig iron, can be inserted into a wooden shaft for use.

…

[Coarse Salt] (Quality: Inferior), contains many impurities, poor taste.

…

After browsing for a while, Hylial couldn’t find the hooded cloak she wanted, so she asked a caravan member.

“Do you have any coats for sale, ones that can cover hair?” She gestured simply with her hands.

“You mean hooded cloaks? I’ll look.” In a moment, he found a few, but their style and quality were truly hard to praise.

[Linen Cloak] (Quality: Inferior), uneven sleeve lengths, crude stitching, probably an apprentice’s practice piece.

“This won’t do.” Henry, who had been by Hylial’s side for a long time, finally spoke, stepping in front of the young lady to stop the salesperson’s pitch.

Hylial slightly tilted her head, peering through the gap by Henry’s shoulder to examine the clothes. Most were of inferior quality and ugly style, no wonder they hadn’t sold and were collecting dust.

Moreover, she compared the size of the hood, and it would probably have to be pulled tightly over her head, forming a sphere, to cover it, which would be extremely uncomfortable to wear.

“Don’t you have anything better?”

“No, I’m sorry, Miss, this is all we have.” The other party also seemed helpless; they had been quite short of stock recently.

Hylial’s gaze turned to the other goods around, checking if she could find any substitutes.

“Do you have hats?”

“Hats? Only straw hats.”

After searching for a while, the straw hat found was already squashed and had many burrs. Just as the young lady was about to take it to see if it could be used for now, a familiar voice sounded.

“Is that Miss Lia? I am Van der Heath, the leader of this caravan.” A bearded merchant wearing a felt hat walked over, followed by two bodyguards.

“Hello.” Hylial put down the hat and turned to nod in response.

He glanced around. The salesperson who had just been trying to sell to Hylial informed Van der Heath of the situation, and he quickly understood, nodding and smiling at the young lady.

“Miss Lia, are you looking for clothes and a hat? These items truly don’t suit your status. Please follow me.” With that, he made a welcoming gesture, inviting the young lady to the inner part of the convoy, where a relatively elaborate wooden carriage was parked, with glass windows, giving it a somewhat imposing presence.

Opening the carriage door, he invited Hylial to sit opposite him, then had someone prepare tea, before speaking with the young lady.

“I still have a few nice garments here, originally reserved by a prominent family in the city, but it’s no problem to give them to you. I can always go back to the city later to find other sources to replenish my stock; it just takes a little more effort.” He displayed his generosity.

“Thank you,” Hylial nodded slightly, knowing that this merchant definitely had ulterior motives, otherwise he wouldn’t have specifically invited her over.

“…I wonder where Miss Lia is heading next? If it’s along the way, I might be able to help you.” Seeing that the young lady didn’t respond, he stroked his beard and continued.

“I’m currently unsure where my family is. Perhaps I should first go to a larger city to find channels and methods,” the young lady replied, twirling a strand of her hair.

“In that case, I suggest heading to the nearest Burntstone City. It’s quite prosperous, with all kinds of trades, and I’m going there this time too.” Van der Heath planned to use this opportunity to build a relationship with the noble young lady. As for why he believed her to be noble, her demeanor, clothes, appearance, and skin condition were impossible for commoners to fake.

“Thank you for your kindness, but I’m not carrying any money with me at the moment, so I’m afraid I can’t repay you for now,” Hylial replied politely.

“That’s all right. Let’s just consider it making a new friend, wouldn’t you say?” Van der Heath wanted precisely this outcome. If the young lady genuinely offered money, he would try his best to refuse it, otherwise, it would be difficult to use this to build a closer relationship.

“Thank you.” Hylial’s worries eased a bit at this.

If she could go to a larger city, she should be able to find a suitable job and then repay the money. As for her future standing, that would depend on other opportunities.

Just then, a caravan member walked over with a wooden tray, carrying brewed tea. He placed the tea on the small table inside the carriage, then bowed and left.

“Please, this is Musky Mountain Small Species tea that I purchased from Arfila Estate in the North, a rare delicacy in the surrounding area.” After speaking, he first picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

Hylial also picked up hers, her eyes moving slightly, and a string of information appeared.

[Black Tea (Musky Mountain Small Species)] (Quality: Good): Summer harvest tea, 82% fermented, with honey, rich and sweet aroma, slightly astringent, has a weak revitalizing effect (influenced by the ‘Blazing Sun’ Aspect of the Aurora Wind Season).

Seeing that the tea was fine, she also took a small sip. The hot tea flowed between her teeth, bringing a hint of sweetness.

Exhaling lightly, Hylial set the tea down. It was a bit hot.

Van der Heath on the opposite side didn’t mind the heat at all, savoring the black tea with great satisfaction. The honey mixed in also pleased him greatly, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

Taking this opportunity, Hylial and Van der Heath talked about the surrounding villages and towns.

“Besides Linden Village, there’s Bee Village twenty kilometers away, where they produce good honey. Further on are Iron Rock Village and Long Rope Village.”

“The nearest town is Riverstone Town. Following the road to Riverstone Town for thirty li west is Burntstone City, which is a city built against the mountains. It was burned by a large fire in the past, and many stones turned black, hence the name Burntstone City. It’s the territory of Viscount Xuefeng.”

“How many people live in Burntstone City?” the young lady asked again.

“About 40,000, probably. No one has counted specifically.” As a merchant, Van der Heath had some understanding of this, as city population directly related to market size and demand for goods.

Later, Hylial asked him about many local conditions and generally understood this world.

The Regas Duchy, where she was currently, had approximately 3 million people and was located in the southern part of the continent. There were several other small duchies scattered among fragmented mountain plains, with varying strengths.

And from Van der Heath’s words, she roughly inferred some information about Aspects.

This world had multiple extraordinary ‘Aspects,’ which could be understood as a special kind of conceptual magic. They could transform into each other in specific ways, and they could also weaken or strengthen. When strengthened, using skills and abilities of that Aspect would similarly be enhanced.

An ordinary person could at most choose one Aspect to specialize in and gain its power. Due to race and origin, the ‘Blood Law’ Aspect was a latent Aspect inscribed within the bloodlines of all living creatures. As long as red blood flowed in one’s veins, even if cultivating other Aspect professions, it wouldn’t hinder gaining the power of the ‘Blood Law’ Aspect, such as techniques like ‘Breathing Method.’

However, this compatibility only existed at lower ranks. If the ‘Blood Law’ Aspect abilities gained became increasingly powerful, they would interfere with and influence the cultivation of the main Aspect power.

Similarly, the ‘Beast Fang’ Aspect was a latent Aspect passed down through the bloodlines of many beasts, ‘Dragon Eye’ was an Aspect passed down through the bloodlines of draconic creatures, ‘Snail Fish’ was a bloodline heritage for aquatic and amphibious creatures, ‘Insect Moth’ was a bloodline heritage for insect creatures, and ‘Emerald Honey’ was the latent Aspect contained within all plants.

Mastering the power of Aspects was not restricted; as long as the conditions were suitable, humans could also acquire the power of Aspects like ‘Snail Fish’ and ‘Dragon Eye.’ However, compared to creatures with innate heritage, it required more skill and resources to cultivate.

Those who specialized in cultivating a certain Aspect path gathered together, exchanged ideas, and learned from each other, thus forming the first schools of thought.

Today, the royal authorities in the land are established upon the ‘Castle’ Aspect. Wherever there are villages or towns, ‘Castle’ Aspect formations are deployed. Their main components are pillars, towers, castles, and city walls, creations built from foundational stones. These creations subtly form a mysterious ritual, causing the ‘Castle’ Aspect barrier to envelop villages and towns, protecting their inhabitants from the influence of other Aspect powers.

Wild beasts, if they acquire Aspect power, would feel a sense of suppression and discomfort when approaching towns. Therefore, they would actively avoid these places, unless—

“Unless there’s a high-level leader commanding them, then they might have the courage to enter villages and towns.” A deep voice interrupted, causing both conversing individuals to look up.

“Captain Frien, you’re here.” Van der Heath was the first to rise and greet him. The other man, backlit by the sun, bent down to enter the elaborate carriage and sat beside him.

Ignoring Van der Heath’s greeting, Frien nodded slightly to Hylial. “Thank you, Miss Lia, for what happened last night.”

Because of Hylial’s help, many cavalry members survived, which relieved him and filled him with gratitude, prompting him to seek Hylial out specifically.

“I merely contributed a small effort.” The young lady replied humbly, though she did have something she wished to ask of the cavalry captain.

“I noticed you used a Breathing Method during the battle last night, did you?”

“That’s right, it’s one of my current abilities.” Aside from the Fate Card, every living being has three slots for [Ability Cards].

“I’d like to learn the Breathing Method, to protect myself. I wonder if you could teach me?” Hylial asked earnestly.

“That… is not difficult. In fact, I often teach it to soldiers and village militia. After all, it’s not a rare thing; many people know it.”

“However, Miss Lia, are you sure you want to learn this? Because low-level transcendents only have three ability card slots. If this one is taken, it will limit the space for cultivating other skills.”

“Once I acquire the [Breathing Method] ability, can I not give it up?” Hearing this, Hylial hesitated.

“You can give it up, but it will take some time, and probably require some potions to assist in mitigating the side effects during the dissolution process.”

“I see, then I have nothing to worry about.” Hylial breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing this, Frien no longer obstructed her, but there were some things he didn’t say: the potions required to dissolve the [Breathing Method] were often expensive, but for a noble, it should be a minor matter, right?

“It so happens that I also need to recuperate in the village for a while to prevent that red wolf from returning. During this week, I will do my best to teach Miss Lia.”

For the next few days, Hylial stayed in Linden Village, helping to care for the injured cavalrymen, changing bandages and treating wounds, and then learning the ‘Breathing Method’ from Frien.

…

Second day

At the open space behind the village, several people stood under a tree, listening to Frien explain how to train the ‘Breathing Method.’ Among them, besides Hylial, were several other young villagers, including Henry and Talil.

Due to the battles of the past few days, many people felt a sense of crisis and listened intently to Frien’s explanation of the ‘Breathing Method.’

“Although the ‘Breathing Method’ for strengthening the body is much simpler than some ‘meditation methods’ for mental training, it’s impressive if one out of ten can learn it. If you can’t master it, there’s no need to be too discouraged.” He warned them beforehand, believing from his past experience that, on average, only one out of twenty young people could learn it.

“Alright, now close your eyes and gradually adjust your breathing according to the rhythm I just described.”

…

Hylial stood in the back row, feeling more comfortable there and it was shadier. At this moment, she also began to adjust her breathing, closing her eyes to seek that rhythm and the peculiar cadence hidden deep within her heartbeat.

At this point, the clearing fell silent. The eight young people carefully felt their heartbeats and breathing, slowly adjusting their breath according to the steps, gradually synchronizing it with their heart’s rhythm. Some furrowed their brows throughout the process, detecting no changes. Some seemed to notice subtle differences but still couldn’t grasp them, only repeating fruitlessly. Others couldn’t even keep their breathing steady, their emotions gradually becoming agitated.

Looking at the few people in front of him, Frien secretly shook his head, feeling that none of them had hope of learning it. If they had true talent, it would have been discovered long ago. He remembered that the village chief was an adventurer in his youth and already knew the breathing method; he must have tried to teach these children during his daily life.

Holm Baron’s territory has 11 villages, each with about 300 people. Around ten people in each village can master the ‘Breathing Method.’ Excluding the elderly and those who have left to venture out, only 4-5 remain in the village.

He remembered that currently in Linden Village, only two hunters, two security patrols, one butcher, and the old village chief knew the breathing method. This was the accumulation of over ten years in the village. Looking at it this way, if Talil’s generation could produce two people who knew the breathing method, it would be considered having successors.

As Frien was lost in thought and memories, Hylial’s consciousness gradually sank into a peculiar state. The sounds of wind and birds outside vanished, leaving only the increasingly clear sound of her own heartbeat.

A hazy sensation emerged. Although she couldn’t see her heart, an intangible feeling of expanding and then contracting gradually appeared. Following that blurry, pulsating form, her breathing slowly became longer and her heartbeat slower.

Each heartbeat became regular, gradually synchronizing with her breathing rhythm. Invisible and hidden crimson threads appeared in her mind. These threads seemed to carry an extremely faint crimson Aspect, flowing with her blood, continuously circulating.

Little by little, these threads continuously spread, delving into the unknown distance, then twisting and coiling silently within her body, until finally completing a cycle and returning to the starting point.

(‘Breathing Method’ completion +12)

…

When Hylial opened her eyes again, there were no other students in the clearing. Only Frien was sitting under the tree. Seeing her open her eyes now, he stood up and walked over.

“I dismissed them all beforehand, so as not to disturb you.” He looked at Hylial with a mix of joy and surprise.

“Did you learn the ‘Breathing Method’ before? I’ve never seen anyone master it so quickly.” In his memory, completing the first breathing cycle in three days was already a rare talent, and he had only known one such person all these years.

This young lady, however, had completed her first breathing cycle in just half an hour, and the process was exceptionally stable, without any accidental interruptions.

“I don’t know. I don’t remember much from my childhood, but I certainly don’t know the ‘Breathing Method’ now.” Hearing Frien, she also wondered if her current body had learned it before.

“Either way, in the next few days, you’ll practice and repeat it more, and gradually you’ll master the first stage of the Breathing Method,” Frien told her expectantly.

“There are also some things I need to tell you. The first stage of the Breathing Method puts a heavy load on the body. If you use it, in the beginning, the duration must not exceed 10 seconds. After use, it’s best to rest and recover immediately, and the total usage time per day should not exceed 1 minute.”

“That short?” Hylial was surprised.

“Hehe, of course, what do you think this is? It’s a decisive technique. That is, at the most critical moment, you’re a few points faster, and that can immediately decide life or death.”

“Come, take this wooden sword.” He handed the young lady a wooden sword, then pointed at himself.

“Try to slash at me.”

Gripping the wooden sword, Hylial tried to attack Frien. As she stepped forward to swing, his figure flickered, dodging the sword’s edge with a speed too swift for the young lady to react. Then, his palm, like a blade, chopped towards Hylial’s neck, stopping two centimeters away, stirring a few strands of hair.

“Do you see? Just three tenths faster, and I could have taken your life. And what’s the cost? Two seconds of the Breathing Method. Do you still think it’s weak and insufficient now?” Frien grinned as he spoke.

At this moment, Hylial truly realized how powerful and practical the power of Aspects was. Even ordinary Aspect abilities were enough to make an individual’s strength far exceed that of ordinary people, reaching a level of one against ten. And mastering such abilities was still a very long way from being a true first-tier transcendent.

That giant red wolf was far more terrifying than imagined. Even Captain Frien could only barely resist it with the help of the village’s ‘Castle’ formation.

[Breathing Method Lv.0] (Blood Law): Undeveloped ability, current progress (12/100)

Upon seeing the information that appeared in her mind, Hylial once again felt a surge of anticipation and motivation, eager to know what she would be like when she fully mastered the [Breathing Method].

“Hahaha, isn’t that exciting? I also have a few sets of sword and spear techniques. I happen to have time these days, so I’ll teach them all to you.”

“Just knowing the Breathing Method isn’t enough. You also need to combine it with suitable techniques, and finally, the courage and will to fight. You’ll understand in the future that only by combining these will you truly have a chance to embark on the path of pursuing the power of Aspects.” As he spoke, memories stirred deep in his eyes, and his voice was full of emotion.

“I understand, thank you, Teacher.” Hylial bowed respectfully.

——

Aspect [Blood Law]: The pulse of blood and life, the first sound and surge in the world, the beginning of all flesh and blood life, and proof of existence.