Ghost Exorciser: The Oust Fake Heiress Strikes-Chapter 46: Starvine

Mathilda froze in front of the closed door, her fingers tightening around the folds of her shawl. For a long breath, she simply stared at the door, as if expecting it to open again.

Inside, the tension in the air still lingered, sharp as the scent of the sandalwood incense curling from a nearby burner.

Monk Anaro had already calmed himself, though the deep lines at the corners of his eyes still held a trace of displeasure.

Sensing Lana’s presence, he put on his amiable smile again and asked in a gentle voice,

"How are you now, child?"

"Good." Lana’s attitude had softened only slightly; however, the mask of politeness still stayed on her face. "I didn’t know you were so explosive in private!"

Monk Anaro chuckled, his beard shaking slightly. "That’s what I owe you."

Before Lana could retort, Monk Anaro’s expression turned grim, and words of apology rolled out of his mouth.

"I am sorry. I had made calculations the moment you entered the temple that you were the solution Mrs. Ferns was looking for. According to my calculations, you should have remained unharmed, but... sigh... I shouldn’t have blindly assigned the task... I am sorry."

Lana was taken aback by Monk Anaro’s sincere apology; however, she remained graceful and smiled.

"A simple sorry can’t fix anything, Monk."

"Hmm... good question. While travelling to a country, I had come across a very useful herb called Starvine." Monk Anaro said in a meaningful tone, while his eyes swept to Mr. Crow.

Starvine? Eh? What about it?

"Is it valuable? Like worth a billion dollars? Or does it have some magical healing properties?" Lana’s voice was laced with excitement, and her mood soared.

All the remaining complaints that she had for Monk Anaro seemed to vanish in thin air.

How can she be so sure?

Well... wasn’t it how female leads in the stories always receive compensation like that from big-shot characters and later use it as a trump card?

Or... it can also be a hidden gem herb that Lana might possess, and one day, during the confrontation, it might become the very object that can face-slap others?

"Neither." Monk Anaro’s calm and steady voice poured cold water on Lana’s imagination, making her freeze in dismay. "However, you should keep it; it’s useful." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Lana’s mood plummeted, and just as she opened her mouth to retort, Mr. Crow’s claws tightly clamped on Lana’s shoulder as if to prevent her from making a decision, and he communicated with her using telepathy.

"Take it! It’s important."

Lana’s heart skipped a beat, and a huge grin appeared on her face. "How can I..."

"If you don’t want to, I won’t force you." Monk Anaro’s face held a sly smile.

Lana’s grin faltered at the sight of that sly smile.

’This old man...truly loves to tease me, huh?’

She straightened her back, raised her chin a little, and gave a small, respectful bow.

"Since you’re offering it so earnestly, how could I refuse? I’ll accept the Starvine, Monk Anaro."

Monk Anaro laughed in amusement. A character like Lana was interesting to have. Her antics never failed to humor him.

He took out a wooden box from his cupboard and passed it to Lana.

Lana received the box with both hands. It was surprisingly light yet cool to the touch, and a faint, fresh fragrance seeped out as if carrying the breath of a forest dawn.

"So... this is the famous Starvine?"

Monk Anaro’s expression softened.

"It is not famous, merely rare. Starvine strengthens the connection between one’s soul and mystic energy. When cultivated properly, it enhances perception. It is also a rare material required to break through to the Yellow Stage."

"What?" Lana’s eyes widened in astonishment. "There are herbs required to break through?"

Though she had only entered the black rank a few days before, she remembered how no herbs were needed to break through to the black rank.

"That’s because level 0... or the beginner mystic stage isn’t counted as a stage at all." Mr. Crow explained through mind link; his voice was filled with patience.

Lana blinked before asking Monk Anaro,

"Starvine... is rare... so why didn’t you sell it for a hefty sum?"

Indirectly, she was asking if it would be valuable if sold.

How can Monk Anaro not understand the hidden implication?

He chuckled and resisted the urge to tap on her forehead.

"There are very few mystic cultivators in the world. And not many could reach even the beginner stage. Other than being a cultivation material for mystic cultivators, Starvine hardly has any use. As a result, no one considers growing Starvine. Additionally, cultivating one could take up to 1000 years. With the average lifespan of 200 years, who would even bother to grow it, since it doesn’t have a buyer at all?"

Lana nodded, understanding the reason, and bowed to Monk Anaro, "Thank you. I accept your apology."

Monk Anaro’s tensed body relaxed before he said softly, "As additional compensation, you can come back to me in case other healers don’t heal you."

Lana fell silent. She understood the implication behind Monk Anaro’s words. He was ready to ignore the Almond family’s pressure and help her.

The faint sunlight seeping in from the window cast a golden glow on Monk Anaro.

Her throat tightened, and it became a little difficult for her to breathe. Inhaling a deep breath, she gave a forced smile.

"Yes. I... I will leave."

Mr. Crow perched on Lana’s shoulder, felt Lana’s heart skipping a beat, and his eyes narrowed slightly. Without him realizing, the look in his eyes had turned hostile as he looked at Monk Anaro.

Monk Anaro nodded and stared at Lana’s shrinking figure with a hint of pity in his eyes.

"Sigh... such a good child..."

..................

Before Lana could control her emotions, a familiar feminine voice echoed,

"Miss Lana, please wait!"

In an instant, the atmosphere around Lana turned cold, and a polite smile appeared simultaneously.

"Miss Mathilda... what are you doing here? I thought you left because of feeling overwhelming shame and guilt."