The rain fell, and the once-listless Chinese medicinal herbs burst forth with new vitality!
Tender leaves and new branches sprouted, growing rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The opposite was true for the weeds, which had once been dense and thriving.
The rain, so nourishing for the herbs, was a deadly poison to them.
Weeds touched by the rain withered and yellowed as if doused in herbicide. They rapidly decayed, ultimately turning into piles of ash that became fertilizer for the herbs!
The pests feasting on the herbs met a similar fate in the rain.
For them, the rain was even deadlier than the most potent insecticide!
The slightest touch of a single drop was enough to kill a pest instantly. They fell from the stems and leaves to the ground, becoming another source of organic fertilizer. Strangely, however, beneficial insects like earthworms were completely unharmed. They even wriggled out of the soil and swayed in the rain as if dancing with joy!
The rain didn't last long—not even a full minute.
Yet in those few dozen seconds, the herb garden had undergone a complete transformation!
The garden was no longer decaying, overgrown with weeds, or swarming with pests!
All the Chinese herbs were flourishing, a stark contrast to their previous sickly state!
When the rain stopped, a rainbow appeared over the herb garden. Paired with the fresh air, fragrant with the smell of damp earth, the scene was intoxicatingly beautiful.
Zhao Yuan, however, wasn't entirely satisfied.
'Just as I thought. Using herbs as a substitute for a Magical Artifact makes the effect far too weak.'
Sighing, Zhao Yuan muttered to himself, 'If I had used a Magical Artifact to set up the formation, this rain would have lasted for at least an hour or two. It wouldn't have ended in less than a minute like this. This isn't ordinary rain; it's a Spirit Rain that has gathered the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi! It's so much better than any nutrient solution. The longer the herbs are nourished by this rain, the more potent they'll become!'
Although he had some regrets, tending the herb garden was just for practice, so Zhao Yuan quickly adjusted his attitude. He made a quiet resolution: when he established his own herb cultivation base in the future, he would use only the best materials for his Feng Shui Formation! After all, the herbs he grew would not only be sold for money, but would also be used for his own Cultivation. He couldn't afford to be careless!
As for the school's herb garden? This would have to do for now. 'Fortunately,' he thought, 'even though the Feng Shui Formation's effect was greatly diminished, it was still amazing. It wiped out all the weeds and pests in under a minute. The rest of the work will be much simpler.'
For the next while, Zhao Yuan moved through the herb garden with a hoe, loosening the soil here and turning the earth there. The beneficial insects in the soil, like the earthworms, seemed to be happily working alongside him.
By the time he finished, it was noon.
Zhao Yuan returned the hoe to the small shed and glanced at the revitalized herb garden, smiling in satisfaction.
'The preliminary work is done,' he thought. 'All that's left is to come here every day to loosen the soil, water the plants, and make specific arrangements for herbs with different needs. For example, shade-loving herbs like Ginseng will need a suitably cool, dark environment. Otherwise, it will not only affect their growth but also reduce their potency.'
'Thankfully, all these methods are detailed in the *Chinese Herbal Cultivation Technique*, so I just need to follow the instructions. I'm sure that within a week, I can create the ideal environment for every single herb here! As for the Spirit Rain... at the rate this Feng Shui Formation gathers Spiritual Qi, it will probably take a week to produce another one. The interval is a bit long, but it's better than nothing. What can I do? I don't have a proper Magical Artifact and can only use the Five Elements Herbs as a substitute.'
For Zhao Yuan, tending the herb garden wasn't just an opportunity to practice; it was a process of discovering and solving problems. Once he had this place in order and could handle any issue that arose, he could start working on establishing his own herb cultivation base!
He was confident it wouldn't be long.
He turned on the faucet outside the shed, washed his hands, then locked the garden gate and left.
Not long after he left, a flock of birds flew into the herb garden.
They had all been drawn by the Spiritual Qi, which was far denser here than anywhere else, and hoped to bask in its glow.
In an instant, the herb garden became an aviary. The lively chirping of hundreds of birds broke the silence, filling the space with noise and activity.
The arrival of the birds didn't harm the herbs. On the contrary, their droppings served as yet more organic fertilizer.
Another half hour passed, and Director Ma appeared outside the herb garden gate.
After spending the morning reading the *Outer Canon of the Yellow Emperor*, Director Ma's head felt a bit fuzzy. It was now his lunch break, so on his way home to eat, he decided to swing by the herb garden to see if Zhao Yuan had started working yet.
Glancing at the locked gate, Director Ma frowned. 'Don't tell me this Zhao Yuan hasn't even shown up yet?' he thought, feeling a flicker of annoyance.
He was about to leave, but stopped right as he turned.
'Well, since I'm already here, I might as well check the shed. If any tools are missing, I can have someone replace them.'
With that thought, Director Ma took out his Key and opened the garden gate.
As he opened the gate, he was still sighing to himself. 'Sigh, such a fine herb garden, ruined to this state. It truly breaks my heart to see it... What the hell...? What... what is this?!'
His lament was cut short as the sight before him left him so utterly stunned that, for the first time in ages, he swore.
Luckily, none of his colleagues or students were nearby, or they would have jumped out of their skins in shock.
The ever-gentle and refined Director Ma, swearing? That was a rarer sight than pigs flying!
Director Ma rubbed his eyes hard. His gaze was filled with nothing but shock and disbelief. Mouth agape, he murmured, "Is this really the herb garden? Did I somehow come to the wrong place?"
He had just been here yesterday afternoon. Back then, the place had been a scene of desolation and decay. It was overgrown with weeds and infested with pests, and every last one of the herbs was sickly and frail.
But now, there wasn't a single weed or pest to be seen! The once-withered herbs were bursting with Vitality, many even sprouting new branches and tender shoots! And to top it all off, a great flock of birds was resting and singing in the garden, giving the place the surreal beauty of a Peach Blossom Spring!
No wonder Director Ma was so shocked and found it so hard to believe.
Anyone who saw a garden like this, especially if they compared it to how it had looked just one day before, would have been utterly shocked and incredulous!