Chapter 291: A New Beginning

“Mmm Is it morning already?”

I stretched a little, my gaze catching the pitch-blackness outside the window.

It was obvious that it wasn't morning yet.

I looked at the time on my phone.

It was just a little past midnight, around one or two in the morning.

Even though I had gone to bed very early yesterday, I found myself full of energy.

It seemed I was also becoming one of those witches who required less sleep.

Big Sis Bai had told me before that witches were nocturnal creatures, and now I believed it.

After getting up, I didn't know what to do.

Before, I might have hesitated for a while, just staring blankly and thinking about what I should do.

That would waste about ten minutes, but now I had a clear goal: to strengthen myself.

What did Teacher Ji Niang tell me was the foundation of everything?

Naturally, it was mental power.

Spellbooks, magic power sources, these were all superficial.

The only true transcendent power I had mastered was my mental power.

Meditation was fundamental.

When I started to meditate, I realized I had no meditation incense.

It seemed I had only bought it once, that first time.

I didn't go back because it felt a bit expensive, and I figured meditation was just meditation, so I didn't pay it much mind.

But now I understood the purpose of incense.

It was the most direct way to assist meditation, to conduct an efficient meditation session.

The key was efficiency.

While one shouldn't be hasty in doing things, it would be foolish to know there was a more efficient method and not use it.

This was a matter of mindset.

I was now beginning to feel grateful to Teacher Dana.

Perhaps it was an unintentional act on her part, or something else, or maybe it was at the Academy Head's behest—I wouldn't be surprised.

I didn't even care if it was a deliberate arrangement; as long as the outcome was good, that was enough.

Perhaps even Dana herself didn't realize how much of a change her cryptic actions had brought upon me.

Oh no… it wasn't a change, but rather about being my true self.

This was me.

Having dropped my mask, everything I did further promoted my own change.

I understood that this kind of gradual change couldn't be achieved overnight.

Others might think I had changed a lot, but that wasn't it.

That was their subjective perception.

I knew I had simply taken off my mask.

Meditation ended.

Morning had arrived.

I took a shower.

According to my habits, I used to prefer showering at night.

The purpose was to wash away all the dust and unhappiness of the day after returning to a safe place, offering my cleanest self to my only sanctuary—my bed.

This was perhaps a rare act of kindness to myself in my life.

And now, I was making a change.

Although one shouldn't drink too much toxic chicken soup for the soul, listening to it sometimes could be very beneficial.

Trying to do things I was afraid of, disliked, or had never done before—that was change.

If a person wanted to change but didn't have the courage to change their own worldview, then it was all just talk.

Showering in the morning, organizing my mood, would give me more energy to invest in responding to external matters.

When I reduced my mental friction, I discovered I had so much energy to spare.

Was this the mental state of a Normie?

It truly made me feel both fearful and fascinated…

Fearing the unknown, yet fascinated by encountering the unknown.

This situation, in the end, was a lack of self-confidence, a lack of confidence in my ability to express myself.

Perhaps I could try taking some language classes to learn how to express myself.

Actually, I didn't have to.

Because in every moment of my life, every conversation with anyone, the other person would be my teacher.

The entire Witch Academy would be my classroom.

They were teaching me something at every moment; the key was when I would realize this.

After arranging my hair and clothes, when I truly started to care about my attire, I found that the clothes Big Sis Bai had picked out for me when she accompanied me were actually quite nice.

And I was no longer using the Disguise Spell.

The original purpose of the Disguise Spell was to avoid being noticed, to avoid trouble.

But just being recognized, was that considered trouble?

For the past me, it was indeed trouble.

When a person's internal friction was severe, their ability to handle pressure was very poor.

Any deviation from their plans could cause them to break down.

A small matter would feel like the sky was falling.

I knew this very well.

Looking back at my past self from an observer's perspective, I could clearly see how fragile I was back then.

The confidence I had built up was all supported by the power I had mastered.

Facing Tan Han, I would worry about gains and losses after she surpassed me, until I eventually gave up.

Even the current me was the same, but the current me would try to make a change.

With change comes feedback, and with feedback, I would know if what I was doing was right or wrong.

Today, I had also made plans with Betty to prepare the wound healing potion at her mentor's laboratory.

I wasn't sure if Betty was awake at this hour.

So I called her directly to ask.

Although I hesitated for a moment, wondering if it would be inconvenient for her, or if she was still asleep.

But I was forcing myself to change that way of thinking.

Whether someone felt disturbed was their business.

When others called me, did they consider whether I would be disturbed?

No matter what the other party thought, the moment I picked up the phone, I was already disturbed.

That was a certainty.

After my call with Betty, we agreed on a time and place.

She was very happy that I had agreed to make the potion with her, and of course, she also complained about me waking up so early.

See… the final result was nothing much, just a single complaint.

I smiled foolishly while holding the phone, feeling as if I had forgotten to do something.

After a moment of contemplation, I finally figured it out!

I was planning to go to the laboratory with Betty to try alchemy, and I had forgotten to tell Big Sis Bai!

“Hello, Is Big Sis Bai awake?”

The moment the call connected, I offered my greetings, my tone carrying a hint of coquettishness.

“Hmm? Little Han, is something urgent?”

At this moment, Big Sis Bai hadn't expected me to call her in the morning, so her first reaction was that it was urgent.

“Ehehe Can't I disturb Big Sis Bai if it's not urgent I'm returning that line to you now.”

“Oh? Little Han, if it's nothing, I'll come find you?”

“There is something I mean I have things to do, so I can't accompany Big Sis Bai like I did these past few days.”

“So there is something after all… Then tell me.”

“Today I've arranged to try some alchemy research with a senior. I'm telling you in advance, in case you get jealous.”

“Jealous? Jealous of what? Wait? Which senior are you going with? Is it for proper research?”

“Yi And you say you're not jealous.”

“Fine, alright… I just wanted to remind you to be careful.”

“Don't worry, by my estimation, she can't beat me, so you don't have to worry. As long as you don't think such a small matter is a bother, I just wanted to let you know.”

“How could it be? Little Han, you're willing to share your plans with me, how could I find it troublesome?”

“It's good that it's not troublesome. After all, it will be just me and that senior in the laboratory, two lone girls together. I was just afraid Big Sis Bai would misunderstand. If you came over after catching a whiff of something, it wouldn't be easy for me to explain, right?”

“Wh-what are you talking about? Little Han, did you call me this early in the morning just to tease me?”

“It's nothing. I'm relieved to see that Big Sis Bai is so energetic in the morning. Bye-bye I'm hanging up now.”

“Hey… you! Little Han…”

Listening to Big Sis Bai's reaction on the other end of the phone, it must be quite a sight right now, right?

As for me?

I naturally wouldn't change my plans.

I was doing something proper, not something I should feel guilty about, so what was there to be afraid of?

But before that, there was still a lot of time.

Even if that senior was woken up by my call, it would take her a while to get ready.

I still had plenty of time.

I planned to buy some incense for myself.

Of course, I also wanted to buy some long-lasting aromatherapy to put in the dorm.

It would be useful for me and also benefit my roommates.

But I didn't choose to just ride my broom and fly over.

Although I admitted that riding a broom was the most efficient choice, taking the bus was also an option.

For meditation, there were no other choices, so I had to choose efficiency.

But for getting to a location, there were many possibilities, and also the scenery along the way.

After getting my license, I had always been looking down at the scenery from the sky.

Perhaps when I wasn't in a hurry, I should stop and look at every part of the Witch Academy from a different perspective.

Even if I got bored on the bus, I could still read a book.

After all, the alchemy book I had borrowed from the library yesterday was still with me.

When I arrived at the location, I closed my book and got off the bus.

Although the ride was a bit bumpy compared to riding a broom, I could still read.

I wondered what time that senior who sold incense opened her shop in the morning.

Speaking of that senior, I remembered her name… was it… Gong Xihuanhin?

Anyway, I remembered that senior's talent vividly!

That kind of... talent that specifically targeted females was truly terrifying!

A complete walking aphrodisiac!

During the school opening, I had already witnessed the low probability of talent awakening.

A talent like this… that senior should be very popular in the Witch Academy, right?

But it seemed she hadn't succumbed to reality and was still running an incense shop in an inconspicuous place… oh, it seemed to be an aromatherapy specialty store.

Thinking about it now, if she didn't have some strength, she wouldn't be able to keep this shop open.

It was even more unlikely for it to be recommended by others as an incense specialty store.

Speaking of which, I had heard about this place from Senior Tang Yihan, right?

It seemed I hadn't been back to the bakery to see them for a while…

And the store manager, I still had a chance owed to me from her little treasury.

I walked to the familiar storefront, which still had the words "Aromatherapy Specialty Store" on it.

The main product here was aromatherapy, and the sale of meditation incense seemed to be a side business.

I smelled a faint fragrance from a distance.

It was the scent of diffused aromatherapy.

Although the effect was not as good as burning incense, it was long-lasting and evaporated slowly.

A bottle like that could last for many days.

“Hmm… a new customer… a rather familiar customer.”

A familiar voice came.

Today, Gong Xihuanhin was wearing a light-colored dress.

When she saw someone walk into her shop, she put down her work and walked towards me.

Even though I was mentally prepared, my heart couldn't help but twitch when I saw her again.

It was a feeling of my heart racing like a frightened deer.

Even now, I couldn't immediately suppress this instinctual reaction.

But it was much better than the first time.

Even though I knew I should be the master of this emotion, I still fell for it.

“Senior Gong Xihuanhin, I came here before to buy incense once.”

“You can still say my name… I remember now, the first-year girl who bought a portion of incense from me back then… Looking at you, I remember now. Yang Yuehan A while ago, you were a legend whose name was worth singing throughout the entire academy.”

Gong Xihuanhin quickly reacted after seeing me.

“I didn't expect you to still remember me, Senior.”

“Of course, I don't have many customers here, mostly regulars I know. Plus, with your image… but I'm very curious why you disappeared after the exchange competition? I found it quite a pity.”

“There's nothing to pity. I didn't come to the Witch Academy to become famous. Fame and reputation should belong to those who need them more, not me.”

I replied with a smile, then prepared to get straight to the point, “Senior, do you still sell incense here? The kind for meditation.”

“So that's how it is… I see. Since you're here to buy incense, let me go get it for you.”

Gong Xihuanhin didn't chat with me for too long.

Seeing that I was getting straight to the point, she understood what she needed to do.

So she walked to the place where the incense was stored and brought it to me, just like last time.

“How much are you buying this time?”

“Hmm… just curious, how long can this incense be stored without a significant drop in effectiveness?”

“If stored properly, it can last for several years without any problem. If you're particular, the best period is actually within a month after it's made. But you know I don't have many customers recently, and I still have quite a bit of stock, so I haven't made much in the past month.”

“I see…”

I nodded.

But Senior Gong Xihuanhin mentioned making incense, which piqued my interest.

More importantly, the newest incense had the best effect, if possible…

“Um… I'd like to ask, is the threshold for making incense high?”

“What? You want to try making it yourself? The quality of incense can vary greatly. There are even different branches in terms of effect, smell, and focus. You could say the threshold is very low, but the ceiling is also very high.”

“I see… is the method of refining it through alchemy?”

“Yes, the entry threshold for alchemy is very low, and incense is also a very entry-level alchemical product. Plus, the raw materials are cheap, otherwise it wouldn't be so popular.”

“Mm.”

I nodded along.

Since it was an alchemical product that could be bought for just a few hundred yuan, it was indeed very cheap.

Many slightly more high-end alchemical products, like some potions, required Red Copper Coins to purchase.

Even if you could use money, it was definitely not cheap.

“Then… where can I find the recipes for this kind of thing?”

I continued to ask.

“You really want to try… alright then. There are many recipes for incense. Most of them are public and can be found in the library. For some precious incenses, you might need to spend money to buy them, and there are processes like signing contracts for authorization. Some recipes are even developed by alchemists themselves, the kind where they don't teach but only sell the finished product.”

“Is that so?”

Hearing that I could get it for free at the library, I felt a little more confident.

But since this senior mentioned a secret that wasn't passed on…

“Senior, then you must be an amazing senior with that kind of special recipe, right? Do you, do you?”

“Eh? You… it's not very good to inquire about someone's secrets so rashly, you know?”

“No, no Senior, I'm not after yours. But your answer just now gave yourself away, didn't it? I just want the finished product, is that okay, Senior? I feel like the regular incense isn't fragrant enough anymore.”

“Eh? Alright, but I have to tell you two pieces of bad news. I'm temporarily out of stock here. And, that kind of incense is very expensive.”