Chapter 108: The Night Whisperer

Qi Xiao soon strolled to the area indicated by the white-haired elder. At a crossroads hung an exquisite wooden sign, inscribed in golden ink with the words “Section E: Life Magic and Applications.” Below the sign was a small arrow pointing deeper into the bookshelves.

The shelves lined the walls, leaving several wide aisles for wizards to pass through. Neatly arranged were books of all kinds, ranging from basic life magic to complex practical techniques.

Qi Xiao searched carefully and found that books on culinary magic were indeed scarce and placed rather high up, requiring either a ladder beside the shelves or the help of a bookshelf sprite to retrieve them.

He summoned a bookshelf sprite, a tiny magical creature with translucent wings that scattered phosphorescent dust as it flew. It could swiftly navigate the shelves, assisting wizards in fetching books.

The sprite nodded upon hearing Qi Xiao’s request and happily darted toward the top of the shelves. Qi Xiao watched the phosphorescent dust, which vanished quickly after falling, so there was no worry of it damaging the books.

Looking around, Qi Xiao spotted a spiral ladder tucked into a corner of Section E. The handrail was inscribed with anti-slip runes to ensure the safety of wizards who used it.

A cozy reading nook was arranged in a corner of Section E, furnished with a few comfortable chairs and a small table. On the table were some tea sets and snacks, provided for wizards to enjoy while reading.

Perhaps because this category was somewhat niche, Qi Xiao saw only two wizards sitting there, whispering softly to each other. Their conversation did not seem very related to the books, resembling more a quiet place for a romantic meeting.

What surprised Qi Xiao more was that on the other side of Section E stood a small magical workstation, even equipped with cooking tools and ingredients, allowing wizards to practice what they had learned.

With the bookshelf sprite’s assistance, Qi Xiao successfully retrieved a book by a culinary wizard from the late ancient period. At that time, culinary magic had just been created and was still called “Cooking Art.”

After swiping his ID card, he found the book cost only a hundred contribution points—quite affordable. He walked to the reading nook, found a quiet spot, and began to leaf through the book. It detailed methods for handling various ingredients, cooking techniques, and even some ancient magical recipes that greatly broadened Qi Xiao’s horizons.

The couple seemed restless after Qi Xiao arrived. Seeing him engrossed in several books and with no intent to leave soon, they quietly slipped away.

Qi Xiao was pleased to have peace and focused intently on reading. The library did not allow books to be taken out; borrowing required a complicated approval process, which Qi Xiao was too lazy to deal with. He preferred to finish reading there since the library was open 24 hours.

However, things did not go as smoothly as he expected. Perhaps he underestimated his own fame. In less than a day, the place quickly filled with people. Although they were polite and kept silent, having so many all staring at him made it difficult to ignore.

Sighing, Qi Xiao placed the book on his lap and spoke with some reluctance, “May I ask what business you all have with me? I believe none of us have met before…”

Qi Xiao thought he had only been at the Spirit Vault for about three months, rarely leaving his quarters. Among the many prodigies there, he considered himself no more than an unknown nobody. He could not fathom why so many people had gathered.

The group exchanged glances before a young blond-haired, blue-eyed wizard spoke up: “Lord Qi Xiao, we mean no disturbance. We were only worried that after you finish reading, you might leave without contact. After all, you usually reside on Heart Isle. So we wished to discuss some custom alchemy matters with you once you were done. We apologize for the crowd.”

“Yes, yes, Lord Qi Xiao, our elder brother...”

The wizards babbled on, giving Qi Xiao a headache, but he roughly understood their meaning: they sought to commission him for custom alchemy work. Aside from some personal requests, the commissions mainly came from three factions.

Qi Xiao was not opposed to crafting custom links for others. After all, the word “custom” meant a higher price, and he could reliably gain feedback from the system—steady profits with minimal losses.

Yet, he hated feeling trapped and pressured like this. Just as he was about to refuse, he changed his tone.

“You’re too many. I don’t have time to take on so many commissions. Here’s what I’ll do: I’m about to brew a potion that requires a rare herb called the ‘Night Whisperer.’ Whoever brings me one first at my shop gets their commission accepted. No pressure, no deceit. The herb’s cost will be included in the total commission price. Now go—stop blocking my light here.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the organized group quickly agreed and left like the wind. The personal requesters, lacking such resources to find the rare herb quickly, tried to say something but, seeing Qi Xiao’s impatient gaze glued to his book, gave up and left in frustration.

Finally, peace settled. Qi Xiao exhaled deeply. Had he refused outright, he dreaded how many words they would have wasted trying to persuade him. At least now, if someone managed to find a Night Whisperer, he wouldn’t lose out. It was just alchemy after all, and he had been searching for the herb for a while.

The Night Whisperer was a rare flower named for its habit of blooming at night, emitting faint melodic tones. It was a nocturnal plant that slowly unfurled its mysterious petals after sunset, reaching full bloom by midnight.

It thrived under moonlight, requiring this special light to grow and flower properly.

Typically found in temperate climates—not tolerant of extreme cold or heat—it needed a moderately moist environment, wet enough to thrive but not so soggy as to rot its roots.

It grew mostly in secluded valleys or deep forests, places rarely visited by humans, providing a quiet, unpolluted habitat. Yet the Night Whisperer had to be harvested at the exact moment of bloom; otherwise, it would quickly wilt and fall to the ground. This made it exceptionally rare, and each plant bloomed only once in its lifetime.