Chapter 14 The New Home of the Tulip Fairy Bug

The Flower Farm predates the existence of Flower Town itself.

It began eighteen years ago when Lee William Tulip, freshly titled as the Count of Coral Island, dispatched his knights to survey the island's terrain. Amidst their exploration, they stumbled upon this vast expanse of wildflowers, including two novel species of tulips that flourished abundantly.

For the Tulip family, tulips were their lifeblood. The count then relocated his subjects to cultivate these cherished flowers. However, due to the inconvenient transportation, within a few years, he transplanted the new tulip varieties to Coral City, causing the Flower Farm to gradually decline in prominence.

In present times, apart from a small number of tulips, most of the flowers have been uprooted and replaced with other crops, such as barley and wheat.

Upon Liszt's arrival, he didn't witness a vibrant tapestry of flowers but instead, fields of lush green wheat.

"Lord, only twenty acres of tulips remain here now. The red ones are Saint-Dance Tulips, in memory of your noble ancestor; the yellow ones are William I Tulips, commemorating your lordship's boundless glory," said the steward, Victor, whose hair had turned gray, filled with nostalgia.

At its peak, the Flower Farm spanned 800 acres; now, it has shrunk to 200, with 180 of those acres devoted to wheat.

"Are they not magical herbs?"

"To our regret, they indeed are not magical herbs. That's why Lord Count has seldom harvested the tulips here lately. But now, they seem to be reviving. Look, my lord, over there, in the tulip field, that black tulip with its dark purple bloom, I've never seen anything like it!"

Liszt gazed around and indeed, that tulip stood out among the surrounding yellow and red ones, for it was a deep purple-black color.

It was like a proud black swan calmly preening its feathers amidst a flock of geese.

"Is it a magical herb?"

"I'm not sure, Your Lordship."

"I'll take a look." Liszt pushed aside the common tulips and approached the black one. Touching its purplish-black petals, he immediately sensed a familiar yet unfamiliar aura.

His eyes sparkled with realization.

A satisfied smile appeared on Liszt's face. "It's a magical herb!"

Magical herbs were ingredients used in magic practices. Mysterious wizards relied on them for spellcasting, and knights also needed them for their battle aura cultivation. Various magical treasures often required magical herbs as supplementary materials.

Though their prices fluctuated greatly due to their different uses, even the cheapest magical herb could sell for at least one silver coin per plant.

Liszt had never heard of a magical potion that was cheaper than a silver coin.

Mastering a single potion recipe equated to immense wealth.

Now, the Black Tulips were growing on Liszt's territory. Undoubtedly, this wealth belonged to him. According to the noble system and laws, even an Earl had no right to seize the benefits of a petty lord. Loyalty was one matter, while interests were another. When a lord granted a fief to a petty lord, the latter would have control over everything within that territory.

"It seems not only did I gain more wealth, but my Tulip Fairy Worm has also found its new home." Liszt took a deep breath. "The Flower Farm should indeed be revived!"

He gestured for Vicar Vikt to leave the tulip field with his retinue of knights.

Liszt crouched alone beside the black tulip.

He focused and calmed himself.

In a moment, a faint mist appeared before his eyes, twisting to form words.

"Task completed. Reward: New tulip variety."

Then,

Smoke twisted, and the words transformed.

"Quest: The Withered Tulip Farm seems to have encountered a turning point in its destiny. The new black tulip variety, along with the Tulip Fairy Worm, should bear the responsibility of revitalization. Please provide a habitat for the Tulip Fairy Worm. Reward: A young magical beast."

The quest had been updated.

It was effortless, like a gift being handed out.

What caught Liszt's attention was the reward:

"A young magical beast. Even the weakest of low-level magical beasts is stronger than an apprentice knight and can contend with an Earth Knight. The Windblade Wolf I encountered recently was a low-level magical beast, slightly inferior to Earth Knight Marcus. Some low-level magical beasts can even challenge Sky Knights."

Liszt eagerly wondered, "What kind of magical beast cub will it be? Can I raise it or slay it?"

...

"Sir, the Tulip Fairy Worm has arrived," Carter, the butler, said as he arrived at the Flower Farm escorted by a squire, presenting a jade box to Liszt with great solemnity.

Taking the jade box, Liszt could sense a tiny, vibrant life within, connected to his own bloodline.

Uncovering the lid, he immediately saw a "silkworm" that was thicker than his thumb and shorter than his index finger. It had a pale yellow body adorned with blue stripes. Compared to ordinary silkworms, this Elf Worm shimmered with a jade-like luster, resembling a long, undulating piece of jade. It was exquisitely beautiful.

At this moment, the Elf Worm was lazily sleeping on a bed of crushed jade powder.

During its transplantation period, the worm's Cordyceps was still in its belly, unable to provide nutrients. Thus, it relied on consuming the jade powder to maintain its vitality. Jade, also known as Magic Jade, was a magical stone that was much cheaper than the gemstones produced by dragons but was still a rare treasure-class mineral.

"Liszt extended his index finger. "Little guy, have you rested enough? It's time to take a look at your new home."

The Elf Worm sensed his thoughts and slowly climbed onto his finger, lying down in the palm of his hand. Its bright, sesame-sized black eyes looked around, seemingly inspecting its new surroundings.

"What a beautiful life. No matter how many times I see it, it's always mesmerizing," Gort exclaimed in admiration as he rushed over to inquire.

As a fallen Knight Baron, he didn't have an Elf Worm.

As the lowest rank of the noble system, Knight Barons usually had fiefs, and those who were wealthier might purchase an Elf Worm. However, Gort's fief had already declined and been sold by him, making him a destitute knight without a fief. Naturally, he couldn't afford to raise an Elf Worm.

Liszt walked to the center of the tulip field and pointed at the black tulip, softly saying, "Little one, make your home here and plant your Cordyceps."

Bound by their contract, the Elf Worm understood Liszt's thoughts.

It slowly opened its mouth and emitted a green ray of light that fell onto the empty ground beside the black tulip. Immediately, a tulip sprouted, grew branches and leaves, with a pale yellow tulip blooming at the tip of its green stem. This was its Worm Grass, capable of influencing the growth of several acres of surrounding tulips.

As an Elf Worm, it could make a tulip bloom for two seasons in one.

Moreover, the quality of the tulips would improve.

Liszt placed the Tulip Worm inside its Worm Grass flower – its home. It seemed to have expended much energy regrowing the Worm Grass, for the worm lazily lounged within the flower. Liszt had to urge it, "Little guy, there are new tulips next door. Don't you want to give them a taste?"

Intrigued, the Tulip Worm slowly crawled out of the flower, climbing up the stem and leaves, constantly ascending until it reached the tip.

Just as it was about to fall, it lifted its head and climbed into the air.

A faint glow emanated from beneath its body, as if it were crawling on something transparent, inching its way towards the neighboring black tulip flower.

Twisting its plump body,

the Tulip Worm sent a feeling of "excitement" back to Liszt before rolling around in the purple-black flower – this was assimilation.

Representing the Tulip Bug's initiation of the process to gather the "pheromones" of the black tulips, infusing its own abilities into these flowers.

Of course, Liszt preferred to believe that the Tulip Bugs were collecting diverse genetic material to refine their own beings.

Upon accumulating enough, they had the potential to evolve.

Within Tulip Castle, two such bugs had, through this method, evolved into Tulip Sprites. One was given to Liszt's elder sister, Li Weiwei. In Liszt's recollections, he felt a mixture of envy and jealousy towards her. When he was eventually knighted, his jealousy intensified, for he did not receive a sprite of his own.