Three days had passed since the first leaf had sprouted from the bloodroot and I found each passing day agonizingly slow. I’d spent so more ti reading even more into the bloodroot and how the little plant spirit worked, but even on the second floor of the library, there was surprisingly little information to be found on it.
The plant had grown into a bulb poking from the ground like a little blob of green and red. From what I’d read, it’d blossom into a flower, taking the form of its desire based on my own blood. The ntal image I had right now was of a miniature root man looking just like and running around speaking its na.
I chuckled at the thought, and Labby squeaked in reply. It’d been a while since Labby had stayed with and she was being excessively clingy, refusing to stay away from for even a while, and I ended up indulging her anyway. Heavens know I’d missed her too. I wondered if this was what parents felt like when they sent their kids to school.
I also felt curious about what Labby was getting up to with Yan Yun, but since she’d not broached the topic with at all, I’d just awkwardly decided to do the sa for now. As long as she didn’t hurt herself in the process, I was mostly fine with it, even if I felt a bit sad to not have Labby squeaking about it to excitedly.
Leaving the thoughts aside, I headed towards the central halls of the sect. There was very little ti till the start of the tournant and I could already see people running around making preparations. Multiple wards and formations had been set in place with access restricted to them as work was done in preparation. I was extrely curious about how they planned to prepare an arena for the fighting, but even more so, how they planned to prepare or track people in the spirit herb hunt at all.
I took my eyes off the distant fields, and turned towards the building in front of . It was ti to register for the hunt. I walked towards the entrance of the hall, pausing a step outside the entrance. Would I et Elder Feng here as well? He’d been the one I’d registered Labby with, and he’d been in the library as well. In fact, he’d been around behind most of the desks in here, so it wasn’t a stretch to think that he’d be here as well. But if I did et him, what would I say? Ask him why he gave the bloodroot? Ask him what he knew?
“Labby thinks Master should wait for the Elder to talk to him. If the Elder would like to talk, wouldn’t he go to Master on his own?”
I nodded along with Labby’s words, when I realized sothing. That had been Labby? That was… surprisingly mature and wise for Labby.
“Rude!” Labby exclaid back, thumping her feet.
“You sensed my thoughts?” I asked, bewildered. I hadn’t shared those thoughts with Labby.
“Labby sensed the intention behind them. Sort of. Labby is growing up too!” the little rat exclaid and I ended up laughing. That was a lot more in line with the Labby I knew.
“Yes, you are. Perhaps a bit too fast if anything,” I said, petting her head as she crackled with lightning. I sensed at Labby’s core and noticed the increased lunar Qi in her core. Perhaps the lunar Qi was changing her behavior or perhaps she truly was growing up. I really needed to look up how quickly spirit rats matured ntally. She was still very much a kid, but with the recent changes in her deanor, and the mystical nature of a rat talking and thinking at all, perhaps there was more to their age than just their physical age.
Soone walked past , brushing my shoulders and I realized that I’d been standing outside the sect hall, staring blankly at the air. A bit embarrassed, I walked in, looking around to find where they were noting people down for the participation in the tournant.
A quick glance later, I found the person in question. Walking closer, I dipped my head to the person, slightly surprised that it wasn’t the Elder, but I suppose they wouldn’t have an elder doing a trivial task like this.
“Na?” the man behind the counter asked.
“Lu Jie. I’d like to join the spirit herb hunt,” I said, and the man nodded, writing my na down.
“Any spirits?” he asked, and I held back a grin.
I’d found a very delightful thing as I’d been looking for information against taking spirits in the herb hunt. There was no rule against bringing spirits of a higher realm with you as bonding with one was still considered a asure of your own worth.
“Two- no, three spirits,” I said, realizing that I’d likely have to take the new bloodroot as well with . Unless it was content to stay in its pot, but seeing how I’d been feeding it my blood, I really doubted that would be the case.
“Very well, send your Qi through the jade slip,” the man said, extending a little piece of jade towards . I grabbed it, sending my Qi in as a few characters lit up on it. The man nodded, taking the slip back from . “Your na has been registered. In five days, there will be a selection round for the tournant, you’re expected to arrive there at sunrise,” the man said, continuing to write through his sheets of paper. I nodded, holding back a grimace. Of course there was so stupid participation round.
Struggling not to sigh, I turned around, and headed towards the library. I’d have to prepare for the trial round, although I suspected that having Sheldon by my side was going to be enough for most scenarios. As long as he didn’t accidentally injure soone too badly.
I picked my way towards the library, heading in as I took out my library slip. I’d been holding on to it more often than Liuxiang had, and I’d felt bad about doing so. I’d have to find so way to repay him one of these days.
A chill touched my spine as I entered the library and Labby’s ears perked up as a familiar chi sounded out near my ears.
“Ah, if it isn’t our most curious disciple, alongside his spirit,” the moon spirit whispered, floating out in front of as she shimred with a faint white light.
I dipped my head respectfully. “It’s good to see you as well, spirit Xian.”
The spirit nodded at my words and I raised my head, glancing around. “Is the Elder not here?” I asked curiously. This had to be the first ti I’d ever seen this place empty with just the spirit around.
“There have been tasks pulling him away from his regular duty. If you have any need, I will be here for them,” the spirit said, her voice wispy as she looked at silently. I sensed an odd linger to her gaze that hadn’t been there before.
“No, forgive , just so curiosity,” I said, as the spirit nodded, stepping away and vanishing into thin air. I stood around for a mont longer, before shrugging as I headed further in. As Labby had said, if the elder wanted to talk to , then he’d approach on his own. If not, then I had little reason to be concerned. If they’d found the Gu in one of my cores I doubt things would’ve been this calm. And if sohow I’ve been found out but they still don’t do anything… Well, in either scenario, there was little I could do.
I walked up to the second floor, going through the now familiar rows of books as I picked up the ones on herbs that ntioned the blood root. A very neat thing I’d learned of was divination arts that could be used to find the location of the book with the needed information. If there was anything I ever planned to learn it was that art.
The only thing holding back was that if Qi as a whole was filled with mystical bullshit, then divination arts were mystic bullshit personified. Even just a brief look at the details regarding divinations had confused at the many contradictions present everywhere.
Nevertheless, I’d still picked up a couple books to study and look further into them. It would be a lifesaver to be able to pick out pieces of information as I wished to, and information filtering with Qi seed to be precisely what divination magic was all about. Sothing that sounded just like my thing.
I picked an area to sit and began to make my way through the thick books. I’d long since grown used to the odd way so of these books weighed. An extrely thick book can be quite light and not weigh anything at all, while the thin bundle of notes could weigh like a boulder. There wasn’t anything too heavy in here, which made sense as it was the outer sect but I still couldn’t help but wonder why the Qi giving weight to words was taken so literally.
I flipped through my books on herbs, as Labby chirped and chittered, running around briefly for a while. I noted the spirit talking to her here and there as she explored the second floor before returning to my dantian soon and falling asleep.
The hours passed by as I continued to read, the familiar daze of pleasantly going through text soaking in.
“The lunar blossom was comndable,” the spirit’s voice spoke in my ears, almost making jump as I snapped out of my gaze to turn around. The moon spirit lingered behind , her face covered with a white thin cloth as usual, but sohow, this ti, I could tell that her eyes were directly on .
“Ah, well. It was at least partly a fluke,” I replied, unsure of how to talk about the lunar blossom.
“Humble. Or perhaps unaware? There are few in this world who can heal what you have healed, in your realm certainly so. Does the disciple not see his own rits?”
I stared at the spirit for a mont. “Well, I do. But there are limits to it like everything, and a lot of the details escape right now. How the spirit roots work, how the lunar Qi plays a part, so many things I don’t understand. It would be odd to beco arrogant over just this,” I replied and the spirit glided around .
“What an odd one you are, just like your sleeping spirit I suppose,” the spirit said, her Qi pulsing outwards for a brief mont and I felt as if a hand had rested upon my head. “It had started as re curiosity, but now, even my sisters agree upon your strange deanor. Know that if you ever wish for help, I would be willing to provide it.”
I dipped my head gratefully, when sothing I’d read in the divination book ca to . “Isn’t there a karmic burden on each favor received without sothing returned?”
The spirit’s lips curved upwards in a sly smile, her lips peeking through behind her veil. “Indeed. And your ties are already bound to mine,” the spirit whispered, and I was reminded that who I was talking to was not human in any way whatsoever, even if she looked the part.
“You should head on now. I sense a child awaiting your return,” the spirit said and I frowned.
A strange sensation tugged at , thin, weak and attached to a tiny strand of Qi. The sensation grew, and I felt Thirst touch upon my mind. With my eyes wide, I got up, hurriedly grabbing the books and placing them where they belonged as I rushed back to my room.
My heart thundered with excitent, so much so that even Labby woke up from the disturbance. I quickly made my way back, bursting into my chamber as I stared at the little box containing the bloodroot.
Walking closer, I crouched down, opening the lid as I saw the little bulb pulsating with deep and rich vitality, glowing with golden Qi. The green buds soon began to open, one leaf at a ti. Even Sheldon walked closer to take a look at the birth of the new spirit.
Tiny green hands peeked out of the petals, like a chick hatching from its egg, the hands pulled the leaves apart, stumbling out. I rushed out and caught the little green spirit as it sat, two beady red eyes looking at with a deep white and purple flower set atop its head.
A little girl, small enough to fit in my palm with a flower atop her head, sat there, before turning towards as sothing flashed in her eyes. Qi flared as the bond between us ford and words escaped my mouth before I’d realized it.
“Twilight. You’re going to be Twilight,” I muttered out loud and the little spirit's face split into a smile as it rolled on my hand and then bit my finger drawing blood as it exclaid.
“Chii~!”
Reviews
All reviews (0)