"Are you the one who has obtained the mission to take care of my herb garden?"
"Yes, Elder Lin."
Smiling meaningfully after confirming that Yang Shen was the disciple who was given the mission she sent out, Lin Meng looked like she knew what happened every time an elder sent out the mission to take care of their herb gardens.
"Is this your first time taking care of a herb garden, or do you have any previous experience?"
"This is my first time, Elder Lin."
Nodding his head without showing any new emotions on it, Lin Meng didn't seem the slightest bit bothered by Yang Shen's lack of experience.
"That's fine. Everyone has their first time."
Showing a kind expression on her face, the woman sipped the tea once again and said, "As long as you follow my instructions, managing the herb garden would be quite easy."
"I have all the details regarding the herbs in my garden, and how to take care of them written inside this book. Take it and make sure to read it completely."
Stepping closer to Lin Meng, Yang Shen stretched his hand to take the book from her hand when his nose suddenly twitched a little.
'What a nice smell.'
Complimenting the pleasant smell which seemed to be coming from Lin Meng, Yang Shen finally realized that she was the source of the soothing sweet herbal scent he smelled since the moment he approached the herb garden.
At the same time, he began imagining how pleasant his night would be if he could hug Elder Lin to sleep.
Snap!
Opening her eyes all of a sudden, Lijuan for the first time since coming inside the Mystic Pill Sect showed a serious expression in her eyes.
'This scent.... Yes! It's that! The Vermillion Herb Body!'
Looking towards Lin Meng with her golden eyes shining brightly like stars, Lijuan almost revealed to Yang Shen that the one known as Elder Lin was a walking treasure which he couldn't just sleep with and throw away. She had to be kept beside him forever!
However on second thought, she discreetly closed her eyes and chose to not reveal anything related to Lin Meng to her Master.
Not just because she wanted Yang Shen to make his own decision, but also because she didn't feel like sharing her status as his companion with someone else…
…
"Starting from tomorrow onwards, you can enter the courtyard on your own when you arrive here. If you face any troubles when taking care of the Spirit Herbs, or have any troubles with Pill Refining, feel free to consult me."
Nodding her head, Yang Shen was indeed seriously listening to every word that was exiting Lin Meng's alluring lips.
It wasn't just because she had a very sweet voice, but because Lin Meng wasn't behaving like an Elder of a Great Sect did.
Not only was she carrying herself with a unique gentleness and overflowing with kindness, but she also didn't look down on him when he said that he had no previous experience.
"As for today, you only need to watch how I take care of the herb garden."
By the time Lin Meng finished saying those words, the tea inside the cup had been finished as well allowing her to leave the table and show Yang Shen what he would need to do from tomorrow onwards.
"Spirit Herbs aren't craved by just us humans and Profound Beasts, worms and insects like the…"
Nodding his head nonstop as Elder Lin explained everything about how to remove the parasites from the herbs without damaging them, how to create a special and unique fertilizer for each of the herbs from various other herbs, how to find out when a herb had been fully matured and needed to be plucked, how to pluck them, and so on, Yang Shen once again found the woman whose hands were covered in dirt from using them to plant a herb inside the soil very pleasing to look at.
What he didn't know though was that while he was impressed by Lin Meng for not behaving like a stereotypical Elder, the woman herself was surprised by his behaviour.
After all, how many disciples would just stand on the side with their arms crossed as an Elder got barefoot inside soil and used their hands to tend to the Spirit Herbs?
Why didn't he step up and tell her that she should just leave such jobs to him?
And what was with that smile on his lips? Was he enjoying himself by looking at an Elder doing the things which were usually done by the disciples?
'Sigh... I'm really unlucky that someone like him took the mission. I can only hope that he doesn't destroy my precious herbs.'
Looking towards Yang Shen and then her herb garden with a concerned look in her eyes, Elder Lin turned around and left to wash the dirt off of her hands.
"Don't you know that you were supposed to stop her and take over?"
"I was?"
"Of course. Why else do you think she looked at you like that before leaving."
Resisting the urge to turn into her human form and laugh loudly while pointing towards Yang Shen, Lijuan said, "With how bad her current impression of you is, it seems like the bud of love will be nipped at its root."
Pondering seriously if Lijuan was telling the truth, Yang Shen looked towards the disappearing back of Elder Lin and began thinking what he should do to make her look towards him in a good light.
After all, the reason he didn't step up to help her wasn't since he was lazy or something along those lines, but rather due to how beautiful she looked while taking care of the Spirit Herbs.