Chapter 44: Budding Friendships

Chapter 44: Budding Friendships

I felt my heartbeat rise for a moment, and I forced it to settle down. I’d think over Liuxiang later, I needed to deal with Yan Yun first. My gaze traveled back to the prodigious girl, who’d pulled herself to her feet. Her Qi had flared, as I could see warmth wafting off her body as steam rose from her, evaporating the water.

Yan Yun’s gaze remained fixed onto Sheldon, the little turtle staring back at her as if to dare her to try and flare her aura again.

I widened my eyes in surprise as Yan Yun bowed her head in respect.

“My apologies, great spirit,” Yan Yun spoke, as Sheldon chirped once more, before burrowing in my arms.

I had always known that Sheldon was strong, yet strong enough to make Yan Yun bow in respect? Perhaps I’d underestimated my little turtle.

“It seems you are quite the fortunate one Lu Jie,” Yan Yun spoke, her voice a notch more calm now. There was still a hidden anger buried within, but the edge was lost. The water had calmed her down visibly.

I stared at her silently, before nodding. “Sorry about Sheldon. I’m not sure why he splashed you like that,” I replied, flaring my own Qi as I began to evaporate the water from my clothes. Generating Qi was a delicate balance as it was just as easy to burn my clothes as it was to warm them. It took me a minute and a bit, even after my months of practice with alchemy to finally dry myself off. Something Yan Yun had done within moments.

“Shi Do? An odd name. Regardless, even if hidden, it was foolish of me to miss the vast presence of the spirit. A shameful display for which I apologize.”

“Leiyu wouldn’t blame Yan Yun. She is disturbed.”

Yan Yun waved her spirit's words away, though I could tell from the way her lips rose a fraction that the thought was appreciated.

“Matters not. I have things to discuss with you Lu Jie. In regards to your trade with Su Lin and—” Yan Yun paused her eyes wandering for a moment as if to scan the surroundings. “In regards to Li and Lei. The twins you sparred with before becoming an alchemist.”

I stared at Yan Yun. Anger and despair rose in my chest and after a long while, I began to feel closer to Lu Jie’s spirit. I breathed out, reining the anger back in, and nodded.

“Alright,” I said, turning towards Liuxiang for a moment. “I have a few things I need to discuss as well.”

The four of us headed further into the grove, Yan Yun and Liuxiang forming a perimeter to keep eyes off, in case someone arrived here.

Taking a breath, I prepared for what I expected, and dreaded, would be a long and awkward talk.

***

I stood staring at Yan Yun, who continued to stare back at me. I had somewhat expected a conversation like this to happen when Yan Yun had found out what the actual deal was. She was the daughter of an Elder in the sect. The birth of this content finds its genesis in Nøv€lß¡n★

But, I had also been expecting this to happen a fair while back, and when it hadn’t, I’d eventually lost track of the thought, too occupied with other details.

“I would like you to explain yourself, about the trade, and the theft the two of you participate in. Bound as I am by my oath, and even though this is ultimately a minor offense, it would do my name shame if I were to let it go without any actions,” Yan Yun said, her voice stiff and cold.

“And, even if misguided, I had kept an eye out on the two of you. And I’d like to believe I am not so poor a judge of character,” she added with a quiet sigh.

I turned to look at Su Lin, who stood silently, his brows wrinkled in a frown. I turned back to Yan Yun. I didn’t believe there was a point in trying to spin half truths at this point.

“I am learning Alchemy. It is the Path I have discovered, the Path I wish to take. But as a third realm disciple, who’s already twenty, the sect would spare no resources over me until I proved myself by breaking through. Which, as you can see I haven’t,” a bitter smile flashed across my face, some of Lu Jin’s feelings mixing in with my own.

“You could’ve joined the alchemy halls. The stature of a devoted alchemist may not be equal to that of a cultivator, but an alchemist of the Cloudy Peaks sect would be treated well, even outside the city,” Yan Yun replied, her gaze still calmly fixed on me.

“Join the halls and continue to produce the same old pills day in and day out, as I crawl ahead, hoping to catch someone’s eye so that I may be granted a better pill making method, or some favour and what not?” I asked, raising my eyebrows, there was a heat to my voice that I hadn’t intended to add. I continued regardless.

“Alongside that, the clan members, when advancing often... shed. It is a process of both physique and spirit. And often, our identities can cross between a man’s and woman’s. This one was born as a woman, but during cultivation, this one's Qi turned towards the Yang aspect. This one is still a woman in physique, but senior senses the Yang in this one’s Qi. As things are currently, this one inhabits the Yang Qi,” Liuxiang said, and I saw him staring at me keenly.

“Huh, that... is intriguing,” I spoke out loud and found Liuxiang staring at me blankly for a moment, before a light smile broke out on his face. I couldn’t help but notice the way his face was slightly different from a human’s in its musculature and my imagination began to run wild.

How did Qi switch between yin and yang? What was the process like? How did a snake have... human children? Spirit animals weren’t completely physical and could take on human form, but to have children... likely something only a very high realm spirit could do.

Should I refer to Liuxiang as she now? Born as a woman but cultivation can turn towards Yang was a bit too confusing. To all my senses, he felt like a guy, his Qi aspect itself was Yang. But apparently, the same didn't go for his body. I turned to look at Liuxiang.

"Umm, so, should I refer to you as a girl now?" I asked, staring blankly.

"Senior can refer to this one as Senior has so far. The Qi reflects this one's spirit after all," Liuxiang spoke and I nodded.

“We should head to the town, before it’s too late,” Su Lin said.

“Where are you heading?” Yan Yun asked, curiously, and I noticed the two of them had been listening in on our conversation as well.

I stopped for a moment, before speaking up. “To Su Lin’s brother. I think I can cure his crippling partially.”

I saw Yan Yun stare at me blankly, as if to say ‘are you serious?’ although the expression faded soon.

“If you don’t mind, I wish to come and see the person in question,” she said, and then in a quieter voice, added. “And... I haven’t... gone out with... disciples my age before.”

I paused, unsure of how to reply to the words, before smiling cheerly. “Sure, it’d be good to have some insight from someone more knowledgeable about cultivation as well,” I said and noticed Yan Yun’s lips curve upwards in a slight smile. I guess you didn’t have many friends around you if you were a genius prodigy.

“Ya catch the eye as it is, are we really gonna grab all these spirits and go out? The whole city would know about it before we’re out of the sect,” Su Lin said, and I paused.

My eyes looked around, at the eye catching serpent-like girl-boy next to me, to the quite literally definition of Jade Beauty prodigy, a lightning rat, a big scary spider, a thunder bird and an overpowered turtle in my hands.

“Fair,” I said. “Time for some disguises?” I said.

“Leiyu needs no coddling.”

“Labby will behave!”

“Zhi Zhu thinks it wise.”

“Chirp!”

The responses came, one after the other as the spirits returned to their owners. I looked at Sheldon who squeaked quietly. Well, I guess he was small enough to stay in my pouch.

I turned my attention towards Yan Yun, who’d suddenly shifted into plain clothes, and looked a lot more approachable, though still quite beautiful.

My eyes shifted to Liuxiang, whose cheeks now had a pink touch to them, making them not as pale and inhumanly white, and I noticed him holding a piece of cloth with some red powder on it.

“This one likes to be prepared,” he replied, and I nodded.

“Time to move out then.”