Chapter 153: The Witch of the Candle

A knock on the door?
Did something happen?
Chen Qi pondered for a moment.
Previously, after acquiring the Book of Keys, he had manipulated his game character back to the Tower of Potions to rest.
It was the middle of the night when he returned, so he hadn't bothered to greet the apothecary apprentices.
Who could it be?
Chen Qi curiously looked at the text.
[You slowly open the door. Outside, you see no one.]
No one...
Chen Qi took a deep breath, and the very next instant, a line of text popped up.
[A Flower Witch grew right out of the earth before your eyes!]
"..."
Is it the Flower Witch...
Why does she still use such a bizarre way of making an entrance?
Chen Qi rested his chin in his hand and let out a long sigh. What was she doing coming to find him in the middle of the night? To throw him a welcome party?
[The Flower Witch patted the dirt off her floral dress and greeted you. She had also just returned to the Tower of Potions.]
[She recently made a trip to the Black River Prison to research potions alongside the current Silk Witch.]
[She has developed a new potion that can turn a person into a plant, allowing them to absorb the energy of the sun and the earth.]
Turn a person into a plant...
At that moment, Chen Qi was surprised to find that the Flower Witch's stats panel was now viewable.
Thanks to the buff from the Deep Sea Compass, he could inspect any enemy whose level was no higher than his own by ten levels.
Inspect.
[Flower Witch:
Aspects: Flowers and Lamps
Level: 21 (She is not skilled in combat)
Attributes:
Strength: 17
Inspiration: 375
Agility: 27
Spiritual Power: ??? (She has mastered an unknown forbidden book power)
Description: A witch of the Tower of Potions, a person whose craft has reached the pinnacle of perfection.
Note: She is protected by the Sunlight and is an important figure in New Capital District 8.]
Level 21. That is a really high level...
The further one progressed, the harder it became to level up, especially after passing level 15.
Chen Qi scanned the attributes. The Flower Witch's strength was inferior to his, but her inspiration reached a staggering 375 points!
However, why would the Flower Witch come looking for him in the middle of the night?

[“Long time no see, Night Watchman.”]
[The yellow flower atop the Flower Witch's head twitched as she curiously looked you up and down. You actually weren't severely injured!]
[She had heard stories about you outside the Dim Light Lands and suspected that you had one foot planted in the frantic path of the Lamp Aspect.]
[However, judging by your current state, your Lamp Aspect seems relatively normal.]
[The Flower Witch shook her head. She had originally prepared a potion; if you had returned with broken arms and legs, she could have used it to make wondrous plant limbs sprout from your missing parts!]
[What a pity, it's of no use now.]
[When the Flower Witch said the word "pity," she sighed, yet a joyful little yellow flower sprouted from the top of her head.]
[Seeing the long-seen Flower Witch, you shrugged to indicate that you hadn't sustained any major injuries.]
Chen Qi clicked on his inventory and retrieved a few items.
He had managed to acquire some medicinal herbs both at the Kin-Eater base and during his recent mission.
They could be sold right to the Flower Witch.
[You take out some medicinal herbs and hand them to the Flower Witch.]
[You managed to acquire medicinal herbs while going to the Fog City and the Spinning Train?]
[An astonished orange flower popped up on top of the Flower Witch's head. She counted and sorted the herbs, then pulled two Sun Coins out of her little floral pouch and handed them to you.]
Chen Qi accepted the two Sun Coins. The quantity of herbs wasn't large, so the price of two Sun Coins was already quite generous.
Chen Qi rested his chin on his hand. Did the news of his exploits in the Fog City and the Spinning Train spread this fast?
Barely any time had passed, yet the word had already reached the Flower Witch.
[After confirming that you were uninjured, the Flower Witch whispered to you that someone was looking for you...]
[She hopes you will go with her.]
[Do you accept the Flower Witch's request?]
Someone is looking for me? Who could it be?
Chen Qi thought for a moment, unable to make a definitive choice immediately.
[Do you wish to ask the Flower Witch for details?]
Yes.
[You ask the Flower Witch who is looking for you.]
[The Flower Witch looks around and makes a "shh" gesture, telling you that this is a secret! No one else can find out!]
A secret?
[The Flower Witch touches the flower on her head and tells you that while this might not be a good thing for the Tower of Potions, it should be a good thing for you.]
[Will you follow the Flower Witch?]
Chen Qi thought for a moment and ultimately chose yes.
[The Flower Witch makes a "shh" gesture, and after confirming that everyone else is asleep, she secretly leads you toward the herb garden.]
[Moving forward...]
[The Flower Witch leads you to a wooden cabin.]
[Following that, the Flower Witch tells you that the other party does not allow her to eavesdrop, so she has to slip away first!]
[The Flower Witch whispers:]
[“See you tomorrow, Night Watchman. By the way, what happened to that little donkey of yours?”]

[You tell the other party that you set it free.]
[“If you have money, you can buy a land-horse...”]
[The Flower Witch lifts the hem of her dress and carefully departs from the scene.]
Just like that?
Chen Qi was startled, clicked on the map, and entered the wooden cabin.
[You step into the wooden cabin.]
[The room is quite simple, furnished with only a plain table and two chairs. A single candle and a matchbox sit on the table.]
[You look around, but see no one else.]
Only a candle and a matchbox.
Does this mean I'm supposed to light the matchbox?
Chen Qi thought for a moment, manipulated his character, and lit the matchbox.
[As the candle is lit, you gasp in surprise. The surrounding space is instantly swallowed by darkness, as if the world around you has vanished entirely, leaving only the burning pillar of the candle before you.]
[As the candle flames rise, golden fire continuously converges upon one of the chairs, coalescing into the form of a beautiful woman.]
[She has hair like the morning sun made of fire, and wears a long robe resembling fiery clouds.]
[You hold your breath. Although the other party is not wearing battle armor, she gives you an overwhelming sense of oppression belonging to both the Edge and the Lamp!]
[She opens her fiery golden eyes and looks at the candle before her:]
[“Hello, Herb Gatherer. Our first meeting. This is a projection of mine, and many people call me Candle Cloud.”]
[“Of course, you may also call me the Candle Witch.”]
The Candle Witch!
Chen Qi was startled, his fingers subconsciously tapping on the table as he looked at the text below.
[You recall the legends you heard from the Night Watchmen—the legends of the Candle Witch!]
[The Candle Witch is the leader of the treasure hunters and also a mysterious witch. Unlike other witches, she does not have a fixed residence.]
[She is a witch skilled in combat and tracking! She is also a witch prone to frenzy!]
[Legend has it that the Candle Witch once possessed a cascading waterfall of fiery red hair, and that fiery red hair was her very life.]
[Every time she fell into a frenzy, every time she utilized her life force, her hair would grow shorter.]
[And when her fiery hair finally stopped burning, that would be the end of the Candle Witch's life.]
[You look at the projection of the Candle Witch before you. She currently sports short, fiery red hair, coming dangerously close to being completely bald.]
[You think to yourself that perhaps her days are numbered.]
A short-haired Candle Witch?
What is she doing coming to find him?
Chen Qi clicked on the inquiry option.
[A flash of curiosity crosses your eyes as you ask the other party about her purpose.]