Sylvia's life began to become exceptionally regular.
In the morning, she focused on practicing the Dew Praying Method, then read the books Mairin found for her. In the afternoon, she practiced sword fighting and the Breathing Technique, and also watered the newly planted swan orchids in her yard.
Thus, she slowly settled down, and everything progressed in an orderly fashion... A little over a week later, Sylvia finally completed her study of the Dew Praying Method.
[Dew Praying Method Lv.1](Emerald Honey): Collect morning mist at dawn, transform it into emerald dew water. (emerald dew water can promote plant growth and cultivation)
She had finally gotten started, and she breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the one-third bottle of emerald dew water remaining in her hand.
If she hadn't learned the Dew Praying Method by the time this bottle was used up, she wouldn't have the money to buy a second one.
Now she should be self-sufficient, and perhaps even have surplus emerald dew water to sell to the Horticulturist Guild.
Just as Sylvia decided to take a day off to rest and relax, Winnie's notification arrived.
In the afternoon, Talia led Sylvia through the streets of the West District, then pointed to a distant mansion and told the girl.
"Do you see that, Tia?"
"That's Scholar Hyde's home. My sister said she had already arranged with Scholar Hyde a few days ago. Today, you just need to go and meet Scholar Hyde. He will probably give you a simple assessment, and if you pass, you can then study with Scholar Hyde."
"I understand." She took a deep breath, adjusting her slight nervousness.
Logically, her current knowledge should exceed most of her peers, so she shouldn't be afraid of the assessment. But no matter what, this was Sylvia's most crucial assessment to date, just like her first job interview after graduation.
"Let's go." After adjusting her mindset and breathing, the girl walked towards the mansion.
Knocking on the door, being led by a servant, walking across the front lawn, Sylvia arrived at the side hall of the mansion to wait.
Today she wore her plain white dress, and her soft hair was tied with a cornflower hair tie, showing the girl's tranquility and beauty. Just standing there, she was like a beautiful painting.
Soon, Scholar Hyde and the old servant arrived in the side hall together. Today he wore his scholar's robe, exuding a sense of formality and kindness.
Upon seeing Sylvia, he slightly adjusted his round reading glasses, then sat on a separate sofa.
"Sit, child." He raised his hand, gesturing for Sylvia to sit as well.
"This is our first meeting. What is your name?"
"My name is Tia." The girl curtsied gracefully, then sat down, her movements and demeanor almost perfect.
"Tia..." Scholar Hyde murmured the name, seemingly searching his memory for relevant information.
"A very good child." He nodded slightly, revealing a kind smile.
"Classes will start next Monday, and then it will be five days a week. If you encounter any difficulties, you can also tell me."
Huh? The girl was a little surprised; wasn't he supposed to test her first?
"We still have plenty of time today, so let's chat about your recent situation." Scholar Hyde told the girl not to rush off.
"Winnie told me that you've forgotten many things from your past and wish to recover them by cultivating a transcendent essence. Is that right?"
"Yes."
"Heh heh, don't be too constrained, let's continue. If the memory loss is due to the Essence, it's most likely influenced by the Mist Shadow or Nightmare essence." He recalled everything he had learned in his life.
"To recover, the most suitable for you would be the cultivation of the Brilliant Moon essence. However, the Brilliant Moon essence..." He paused for a moment.
"If you want to take this path, it will be quite troublesome to learn." He spoke from experience.
"Why is that?" Sylvia tilted her head slightly, curious.
"The Essence that ordinary people come into contact with most often are 'Castle' and 'Blood Law', followed by 'Beast Fang' and 'Emerald Honey'.
"These Powers of essence are all carried by physical entities, so they are relatively simple to approach and perceive, and easy to cultivate."
"The three essences of the moon attribute are different. These three lean towards the spiritual level, meaning they are insubstantial, ethereal, dream-like existences. Among them, Mist Shadow still has traces to follow, while Brilliant Moon is like the bright moon hanging high in the night sky, distant and difficult to reach."
"Resources related to the Brilliant Moon essence are scarce, leading to an exceptionally small number of transcendents primarily focused on the Brilliant Moon essence."
"However, Brilliant Moon is still revered. It is one of the three top-ranked essences among many."
"Judging by your appearance, you probably don't understand the top three essences. This is actually a classification within transcendents, not to say that these three are absolutely powerful, but rather that compared to other Powers of Essence of the same rank, they are often more comprehensive and dominant."
"Blazing Sun, Brilliant Moon, Dragon Pupil, these three are the top three essences."
"In the Regas Kingdom, transcendents skilled in the Essence of Brilliant Moon are few and far between. If you want to take this path, you will need very high talent." Although this girl possessed an excellent demeanor, no one could guarantee that she would also have exceptional talent in cultivating transcendent Powers of Essence.
"If it truly doesn't work out, then you can also try the path of cultivating the Emerald Honey essence..."
"Emerald Honey cannot directly lead to Brilliant Moon, but the'Silver Moon Orchid', which contains the Essence of Brilliant Moon, can be cultivated. If you truly become a master in the relevant field, you can also obtain high-level Brilliant Moon Essence through this indirect method, and then find a skilled alchemist to formulate a potion for you to restore your past memories."
"Thank you, Teacher."
The girl bowed in gratitude, feeling respect for the elder. No wonder he was the recognized master scholar of Cinderstone City, so easily clarifying the problems she would face.
"Alright, let's not discuss overly distant matters today." He waved his hand, telling the girl to sit back down.
"What abilities and skills do you currently possess? Perhaps I can help you organize and guide them."
"I currently know the Breathing Technique and the Dew Praying Method." The girl recounted her learning experiences during this period.
"How long did it take you to learn the Dew Praying Method?"
"One week." Hearing this, Scholar Hyde nodded, his expression quite appreciative.
"Learning this must have cost a lot of money. I remember that cultivating the Dew Praying Method has always been a luxury, which is why there are so few professional Gardeners in Cinderstone City."
"Uh, isn't emerald dew water available for purchase at the Horticulturist Guild?" Sylvia asked hesitantly.
"Ah, that emerald dew water is used to accelerate the growth of flowers and plants. It's usually diluted. It's not suitable for cultivation because the Essence is too weak." Scholar Hyde shook his head.
"Generally, emerald dew water with a concentration of over 70% is required, but such emerald dew water can only be condensed when the Dew Praying Method has advanced to the second stage, and it is quite expensive."
Is that so? Sylvia recalled learning the Dew Praying Method a while ago. Indeed, in the initial stages, sensing the faint Emerald Honey essence was very difficult. It took her a lot of time to slowly get used to that feeling before she could condense the first drop of emerald dew water.
"It seems you've also met a benefactor who funded the emerald dew water you needed in the early stages." Scholar Hyde stroked his beard. In fact, it was easy to understand; looking at the girl's appearance and personality, anyone with discerning eyes would consider her a promising talent and wouldn't be too stingy.
"I also have many gardening-related books here. You can borrow and read them whenever you have time in the future." In this world, books were exceptionally expensive, and being able to borrow books was, in a sense, gaining a large amount of wealth for free.
"Thank you, Scholar Hyde."
"No, you should call me Teacher now."
"My apologies, thank you, Teacher Hyde." The girl bowed in gratitude, and the old man opposite smiled.
Afterwards, the two chatted about recent events in Cinderstone City. Scholar Hyde occasionally asked Sylvia for her opinions on certain matters, as well as minor issues regarding economics, customs, and even administration. As the girl responded, Scholar Hyde's expression grew more and more satisfied, and their lively conversation continued until dusk.
"Oh, is it dinner time?" Scholar Hyde looked up and saw the colorful sunset outside the window.
"Manson, prepare dinner, and make it as lavish as possible to entertain Tia."
"Yes, Master." The old servant heard and left the room to begin preparations.
After that, Scholar Hyde allowed the girl to take a walk and rest in the courtyard for a while, no longer needing to accompany him for idle chat.
After leaving the side hall, Sylvia saw Talia, who had been waiting for her for a long time at another spot.
"Tia, what did Master Hyde say? You two chatted for so long, almost all morning and afternoon. Aren't your mouths dry?" She grabbed the girl's shoulders, her eyes full of curiosity.
"Perhaps there was tea, but that's not important." The two then strolled in the courtyard, looking at the flowers planted there... "My sister used to study here too. Sometimes when I came to find her, I would see many students her age."
"Where have those students gone now?" The girl was eager to know.
"Ah, them... some, like my sister, work in the city, while others continued their studies and went to other cities for further education."
"Anyway, to become a scholar, you need to learn many things and get recommendations from three official scholars. That's what my sister told me."
"Her grades were average among her peers at the time, so the hope of becoming a scholar like Grandfather Hyde was slim, which is why she didn't continue her studies."
"But my sister said that a few younger classmates are still on the path of learning and have gone to other places."
...At night, Sylvia and Talia sat at the dining table, having dinner with Scholar Hyde. Today's delicacy was 'honey wine stewed wild boar', with black bread and dipping sauce as the staple.
Such a rare meal would probably cost 2 silver coins if Sylvia and Talia were to eat out by themselves.
After finishing their meal, the two bid farewell to Scholar Hyde, and the girl began to prepare for her upcoming studies and life.
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