Labby felt her Qi churn as her great master’s Qi meshed with her own. She felt lightning crackling through her being, as a vast calming presence reached out to her. A bond, through which she could sense her great master.

His Qi was like spirit herbs, tinged in their smell. The Qi drew Labby closer, and she felt safe in its presence, a comforting warmth that she’d grown familiar with even before Labby had known who she was.

Her great master had given her the life she had, he’d given her what her siblings lacked. She was great now. She was Labby. The Qi acknowledged her presence, she wasn’t the nameless rat she’d been before, she had a name and a master and a purpose to fulfil. It burned in her Qi, in her name and she could feel her Path as surely as she could feel her great Masters.

And now she was finally able to talk to her Great master and express her gratitude.

Labby greets her Great Master!!!

Labby sent excitedly, as the Qi flowed through the bond like a smooth stream of water following the path of a vast river.

She felt relieved. She’d greeted her great master. She’d talked to him. He’d heard her voice. Excitement burst forth through Labby’s mind like a raging tide. As her Qi began to soak in his, growing just from his mere presence.

She’d learn and learn and learn some more until she’d seen it all. And she’d find him many many herbs, and feast on them. She’d learn every divine pill there was that her master made, even if she had to learn the squiggly scribbles her great master wrote down in his notes.

Labby rejoiced, feeling a burning desire to learn, bud within her. She’d be the greatest disciple her master had ever seen!

***

I heard Labby squeak delightfully, crackling with sparks as a flood of emotions flowed through our newly formed bond.

I heard Labby shout excitedly, and I felt her happiness at being able to talk with me distinctly in my chest. Happiness permeated her bond, flooding over, not that it’d take more than just a glance at her sparkling fuzzy form to be able to tell that.

I stared at my little companion, feeling a bit strange at how Labby had grown on me so much in just over a month now. It felt odd to be able to talk to Labby, and yet, perfectly natural at the same time.

I stared at Labby for a moment, unsure of what to say, before I simply ended up scratching her head gently, as I felt her delight flow through our bond.

It’s nice to talk to you Labby. I’m sorry it took me this long to finally get to it.

I sent the words to Labby, feeling extremely strange at being able to project my thoughts outwards like this. I sensed confusion travelling through the bond as Labby squeaked out loud.

Great master… Did something wrong?

She asked me as if the very thought was alien to her. I stared at Labby, starting to realise that her opinion of me might just be a tiny bit inflated.

I certainly didn’t pay as much attention to you as I should’ve. I wasn’t prepared or fully appreciated the responsibility that would come with taking you in.

I sent back and smiled when I sensed Labby being extremely confused as to what I meant. I rubbed her head once more, sending a sense of care.

Don’t worry about it. I’ll be looking after you as best as I can now.

I sent and got another excited squeak from Labby.

Labby is eager to learn from her great master! And to eat many many wonderful pills!

Labby exclaimed and I burst out in laughter. I’d forgotten my spirit rat was a hardcore drug addict.

I wiped my eyes of slight tears from my unexpected laughter, as I had Labby jump into my pouch, and comfortably seat herself in. My gaze travelled back to Yan Yun, standing with a quiet smile stuck on her face and I paused in my mirth, staring at her.

A quick look at the spirit art of binding showed me that whatever changes Yan Yun had made, had improved the art by a significant margin. It accepted Labby’s Qi with ease, merging it with my own within my dantian and I could sense my Qi, bolstering Labby’s cultivation as well.

I saw the smile fade from Yan Yun’s face as she realised I was staring, as she coughed. “It seems like the bonding went well, Junior brother.”

I nodded my head, dipping it in gratitude. “I appreciate the kindness you’ve shown Senior Sister. Not many have been as kind as you’ve been, even after you knew about our secret,” I replied, out loud, as I lifted my head to flushed cheeks.

“N-No need to mention it brother,” Yan Yun replied, her voice faltering as I sensed her Qi churning, saw her face grow red and I stared at her once more.

What was she so flustered about?

I paused once more at her behaviour. Was her finding about our little herb trade something she should be so embarrassed by? Was she just not used to gratitude then? I’d left the question hanging of what she’d been doing, not willing to get her more involved than she needed to be. But it was somewhat obvious that she’d been trailing us.

I wasn’t willing to believe that we’d meet up as a coincidence in a random far off alley in the city on the very day I leave the sect. Far too random. Then the question raised itself again, why was she so interested in me?

“Is something wrong?” Yan Yun asked me, as I sat in silence for a while.

Taking a deep breath in, I spoke up.

“I’m very grateful for your help, Senior sister. You’ve been kind to me, kind to keep the secret and swear an oath as well, kind to help us out with the thugs and kind to assist me with the bond,” I paused for a moment, staring at her confused expression.

“But… I fear I don’t understand what I’ve ever done to have caught the eye of someone like you. A prodigy well known in the sect and otherwise. I wouldn’t see what you’d want from an outer sect disciple like me, who’s been unable to break through for a long time now,” I asked, speaking in a single breath.

Once more, I sensed a turmoil in her Qi, as it flared, this time accompanied with golden sparks, similar to what Labby did when excited, but far more potent. A strike would leave me unconscious within a moment.

“I-I… just. I was just…” I saw Yan Yun speak, her voice catching in her throat.

A deep red flush rose on her whole face as I sensed her distress growing. I was about to speak up, and let the topic go when I heard a voice carried by Qi sound out.

Yan Yun thinks you and the boy are lovers.

“Leiyu!!!” I heard Yan Yun scream in outrage, her deep red flush turning a harsh shade of red as Qi burst out in thunderous outrage.

Yan Yun’s delusions need to be stopped now. It’s been weeks and Leiyu is tired and so is Zu Ri.

The spirit spoke once more before the voice was cut off, and I sensed the girl arguing with her spirit within her mind.

I heard a powerful burst of laughter tear itself from Su Lin’s mouth as I saw the guy fall on his back, clutching his gut.

“Me… and this guy? Lovers? By the heavens I’ve seen it all today,” Su Lin muttered, before devolving into a fit of laughter once more and I felt like nothing made sense to me anymore.

“But what about the spirit herbs and the pills… What about the oath?” I asked, unable to hold my mouth.

“Spirit… herbs?” Yan Yun asked before I saw her eyes shot open in surprise. Her gaze travelled to my pouch, and then to Labby, before returning to Su Lin, and the alchemical items he carried for me.

I could almost see the gears turn in her head.

“You thought… we were lovers?” I asked in utter surprise, as a storm of lightning Qi swirled around me, accompanied by the mad laughter of Su Lin’s voice.

“Y-y-you two aren’t- I…” Yan Yun faltered, as her voice died down. I never knew humans could turn this red.

“I-I need to go,” she muttered as Qi exploded near me, in thunder, the blast throwing me back from its impact. Dirt flew in the air, and I coughed, caught off guard by the explosion.

I rubbed my eyes, clearing them of dirt as I made sure Labby was alright. Opening my blurry gaze I saw a distant figure surrounded by lightning gliding away at high speeds through the air, with her face buried in her hands and a quiet scream echoing through the grassy hills.

I looked over to Su Lin rolling in the grass, holding his gut with a pained expression as he laughed in silent agony and decided that I did not want to know what had just happened.

“Let’s head back to the Sect eh? My love,” Su Lin said, devolving into another fit of laughter.

I shook my head, getting up as I picked my stuff and began to walk back, shaking my head. Chuckles burst forth from my mouth as I walked, the mix of emotions in my chest finding a release in the form of laughter as they mixed in with the excitement of experimenting with the new herbs and cauldron.

The shopping trip was over at last, and I felt impatient, to test out all the new things I’d gathered.

It was time to get back to science!