Blossoming Path

The shop was cold, its silence pressing against me as I carried them inside. Windy's body, once sleek and pristine, hung limp in Tianyi's arms, streaked with blood and torn scales. Underneath the faint glow of the furnace, his injuries became clearer—and more horrific. Entire sections of his flesh were exposed, his pale scales cracked and jagged. I could see faint quivers beneath the open wounds, the muscles twitching weakly as though fighting a battle of their own.

My stomach churned. I forced myself to breathe, to stay steady. Panic wouldn’t save him.

My mind turned inward, reaching into the repository of knowledge I’d painstakingly cultivated over the years. Recipes, techniques, theories—all stored, all ready. What’s the best I can make? What can I use now?

Lines of ingredients arranged themselves, forming pathways of reactions and counter-reactions. I could almost feel the potential, the weight of a hundred choices and their outcomes pressing against me.

One recipe stood out. The Purifying Basin Solution. I’d read about it in the Million Book Pavilion during my quest to refine a hundred recipes, its formula etched into my mind. It was potent, thorough. But it required Verdant Amberroot, an ingredient I didn’t have.

I frowned, my thoughts racing. Could it work without the Amberroot? Its primary purpose was stabilization, keeping the solution from overwhelming the injured body.

Substitute. There has to be something I can use instead.

I lowered him onto the counter as gently as I could, biting the inside of my cheek to stay focused. My hands trembled as I reached for a clean basin. The faint coppery scent of blood mixed with the lingering aroma of herbs in the shop, creating a nauseating contrast.

"Rinse first," I whispered, grabbing a bucket and hurrying outside to scoop up fresh snow. The icy chill stung my fingers, grounding me, though it did little to ease the tightness in my chest.