Chapter 162: Scorchveil.
"Sigh ... fortunately it’s only for three days." Shu Ying said, looking around in slight desperation.
If they hadn’t come here to do the manual labor, it could actually turn into a fun vacation. But now thousands of disciples spread out in the vast valley between two mountain ranges only to pick one type of plant. In fact, it was the most common herb in the Scorchveil world – the blazebloom grass.
"I still don’t understand why we can’t use sickles or scythes." Ling Xiaotao pouted, "I’m not even allowed to use my sword!"
"Senior Sister Hu clearly explained – the roots are more valuable than leaves. So just suck it up and use your hands." Shu Ying said, but her tone was sad and not patronizing, and it seemed that she was saying it more to herself rather than to her young friend.
"I strongly suggest you cover your faces with something." Lee said, "We can’t see any active volcanoes, but the three magma rivers flowing down the eastern slope indicate the air isn’t clean enough to breathe."
"Smartass! Rivers – shmivers! The air stinks! I can tell it with my eyes closed!" Ling Xiaotao angrily said, but followed his advice, and tied the fancy scarf that was around her neck the way Lee suggested.
Before the departure, the three girls – Ling Xiaotao, Shu Ying and Qin Yujian, found Lee and Xiao Lian, and suggested that this time they would form a group of five. For this mission everyone was going to receive a set amount of contribution points, thus they decided to use the time to have some fun.
Clearly the two awkwardly behaving youths who couldn’t look at each other, but strangely enough stayed at arm’s reach, had another reason, but the rest knowingly ignored the fact.
Despite the heat, bad visibility, the air thick with the stench of sulfur, and the painful job, Xiao Lian was having the time of his life. His sweetheart, just like him, was picking blazebloom grass beside him, and their throbbing hearts allowed them to ignore the itch and pain caused by contact with the native plants.