Chapter 15: Innate Dew, a Useless and Hard-Hearted Man

The grains had been soaking for half a day and were ready to be steamed and gelatinized. As for the vessel, it was easily crafted; with some woodcutting and stone chiseling, Cao Kong soon had it prepared. But fire proved to be a challenge for him. The techniques he mastered thus far were merely innate wind manipulation and summoning wind and rain—creating fire from nothing was beyond his abilities.

Fortunately, knowledge itself is power, and Cao Kong understood the principle of fire by friction, so he set about gathering wood. Suddenly, a burst of flame appeared in midair, blossoming in Ao You’s palm, illuminating her cool, delicate face.

Feigning confusion, the girl asked, “Are you looking for this?”

Cao Kong’s spirits lifted; this would save him much effort, and quietly, he began to covet Ao You’s fire-making technique. Yet Ao You, evidently lacking enthusiasm, extinguished the flame with a flip of her hand. “Hmph, someone brews wine without including me. Even when I offer to help, he refuses.”

Cao Kong’s lips twitched—he hadn’t expected this dragon maiden to be so petty and vengeful. He bowed his head at once, saying, “That’s not true. Brewing wine is tedious. If you don’t mind, I’d be glad for your company.”

“But if I teach you the art of brewing, perhaps you might share your fire-making method…”

Ao You laughed, “You truly have no inheritance, do you? Very well, fire-making is no great mystery. You teach me to brew wine, and when it’s finished, I’ll teach you the technique.”

Cao Kong nodded gladly, and soon, following the steps in the wine manual, he began the process. Ao You found joy in the work as well.

Night deepened, and the preparations were nearly complete. All that remained was to place everything in the stone jar and seal it for fermentation. Cao Kong felt a slight regret—after all, it was merely mortal wine. He sighed inwardly:

“If only there were some spiritual spring or elixir, I could follow the method in the wine manual and infuse it into the grains.”

Suddenly, he paused. A cool sensation fell upon his brow; he looked up to see sweet dew forming on a leaf above, slowly dripping down.

In that moment, inspiration dawned within him. He recalled the “Sweet Dew Anointment” phrase from the Taiyi Golden Light Spell he had studied. Since returning from Jade Blossom City, he had been engrossed in cultivation and sword practice, neglecting this particular spell.

Ao You, noticing his pause, asked curiously, “Weren’t you going to put the grains in the jar? Why did you stop?”

“Just wait a moment—I want to test something,” Cao Kong replied.

He closed his eyes and focused on his Niwan Palace, activating the four rune-words of “Sweet Dew Anointment” in his mind. Soon, a strange ripple fluctuated in the atmosphere. Ao You sensed the surrounding spiritual energy thickening and her pupils shrank as she witnessed an even more mysterious and pure energy descending.

A single drop of water appeared out of nowhere, ethereal and illusory, falling onto Cao Kong’s forehead and vanishing. He opened his eyes, though his once-bright gaze now carried a trace of fatigue. The little spirit in his Niwan Palace dimmed slightly, yet his magical power increased.

“So this Sweet Dew Anointment is activated by focusing the mind, thereby condensing ‘sweet dew,’ which augments or restores magical power,” Cao Kong mused, three words inexplicably coming to mind: “Mana Regeneration Skill.”

“Cao Kong, what was that just now? It looked incredible,” Ao You exclaimed, her mouth agape, unable to comprehend the phenomenon. The sweet dew seemed to be born from nothing.

Cao Kong didn’t answer, merely signaling her to keep silent as he continued his experiment. He wanted to see if the sweet dew, which worked internally, could be made tangible.

He focused again, activating the spell. After a while, the same situation occurred, and this time, Cao Kong tried to catch the falling dew with golden light.

Drip.

A true, unmistakable sound rang out—a drop of sweet dew was enveloped in golden light.

Cao Kong felt a surge of joy, but immediately a stronger wave of exhaustion swept over him.

“Is it because manifesting it as real consumes more mental energy? But will the effect be greater?” he wondered, proceeding to repeat the process, hoping to see how many drops he could produce.

After another interval, he managed to condense three more tangible drops of sweet dew, but no matter how he tried, he couldn’t create any more. This puzzled him.

To verify any difference, he swallowed one drop, but noticed no distinction—the tangible dew worked no differently than the ethereal one.

“It seems solidified dew can be used, though it’s more costly; for self-use, the intangible form is more efficient,” he concluded.

“Ah, Lord Cao is finished with his work! Are you planning to pay attention to this little lady now?” Ao You teased, seeing Cao Kong lost in thought for so long.

Cao Kong smiled slightly. “I was just experimenting—my apologies.”

“Hmph, apologies aren’t enough. Unless—unless you let me taste one of those things you’re holding.”

Ao You gazed at the sweet dew wrapped in golden light in his hand, her eyes shining with a craving—not for food, but a deep, instinctual desire. Cao Kong could even hear her swallow.

He wasn’t stingy, so he handed her one drop. Ao You’s eyes lit up as she swallowed it in a single gulp, swiftly absorbing it.

Her expression changed, her gaze adorably fixed on Cao Kong. “Give me another, please. I want more.”

Cao Kong shivered at her look, guarding the remaining two drops with his hand. “Next time, next time. I want to see what happens if I blend these drops into the grains.”

Ao You, seeing his protective stance, blushed at her own eagerness. She grumbled, “What if you break your promise? I’ve taught you wind and rain techniques, helped with the fire, and worked all around…”

Her cool face took on a cute expression again. “No more next time—just now, give me one more.”

Cao Kong, intent on his wine, steeled himself. “No, I said next time and I mean it. I need these now.”

“Then just make another drop, please? I’ll teach you the fire-making method right now.”

Cao Kong was tempted, but knowing his limits, he sighed, “None left, truly. I can’t squeeze out a single drop.”

Ao You, her plea denied, revealed her true nature: “Hmph, useless man—not only useless, but hard-hearted.”

While infusing the three drops of sweet dew into the grains in the stone jar, Cao Kong followed the wine manual’s method to blend them, then sealed the jar with his magic to preserve the spiritual energy. He replied casually to Ao You,

“Just so you know, I’m the hardest-hearted man on Leopard Head Mountain.”

Ao You: [○･｀Д´･○]