It took me a few minutes before I’d finally stopped laughing, every attempt being thwarted by the confused look that Labby gave me as his fur sparkled and crackled on its own. A few moments later, I’d managed to kill things down to just a quiet snicker as I began to inspect my troublesome rat.

“Come here Labby,” I said, extending my hand. Labby walked on, jumping onto my hand and I felt a quiet tingle from the electric Qi still coursing through his body.

But before I did any poking and prodding I had to make sure of something. I made my gaze be a bit more stern, as I looked at Labby. “You know you did something bad right?”

Labby’s ear drooped and I felt like a heartless monster, but I couldn’t let him gain the habit of sneaking into my closets and eating random herbs. I had no doubt that I was most certainly moving on from the weak harmless pills I was making right now to more potent stuff that I couldn’t test on myself anymore. And Labby eating any of those could be catastrophic.

“You’re not allowed to eat the spirit herbs without asking me, okay? Be glad the only thing this one did was give you an electric charge,” Labby squeaked in reply and I felt agreement come from him.

I paused at the feeling. Labby hadn’t ever sent more than vague emotions before had he?

I extended my senses towards Labby, trying to have a look into his Dantian. The blur of Qi that prevented me from seeing inside was extremely thin for Labby, and I easily managed to pierce through it. The higher the realm of the cultivator the more difficulties I’d have seeing through.

I sensed the Lightning Qi, flooding through Labby’s body. I’d expected the charge to slowly dissipate over time and wash away, but what I saw surprised me. Labby hadn’t just eaten the lightning herb, he’d also started cultivating it.

A meridian was opened in his body where the Lightning Qi was slowly accumulating. If Labby succeeded, he’d be able to learn a lightning elemental art.

My senses shifted from the lightning meridians still forming to Labby’s dantian. The vague blur of swirling Qi was much more defined now, as a singular circle of Qi swirling inside it, just like my own.

Labby had broken through to the first realm.

My eyes widened in surprise as I looked at Labby. I hadn’t heard of rats breaking through to any realm before. I guess he was a spirit animal, but I’d still only expected him to be a quirky rat with Qi.

“You’re one curious little rat aren’t you?” I said to Labby who was busy grooming his spiky fur and pushing it down.

I got an idea in my mind, from a common technique many cultivators with spirit animals used. I swirled my Qi, sending a link to Labby as I packed my thoughts into it.

Can you understand me?

I felt extreme joy flood the link as Labby squealed loudly. I felt a confirmation to my thoughts being sent. The Qi was distorted, but I could hear him trying to form words.

Surprise filled me as I felt Labby’s excitement at being able to communicate with me. Had he been trying all this time? A lot of thoughts assaulted me all at once. I’d need to look into spirit beasts and how to take care of them. Also, find details on what exactly Labby was, there had to be something on spirit rats out there.

I also couldn’t treat Labby like a pet anymore, could I? He was more a small child than a pet, and treating him like one now would make me sick. I shook my head, doing away with the thoughts.

“It doesn’t matter, does it, Labby? You’re my assistant... Junior Brother? Something like that, following me on my journey to understand just how this world functions. A companion on the same Path. What do you say?” I asked Labby out loud, feeling a bit silly for trying to talk to a rat seriously.

The silliness faded instantly as I felt a complex torrent of thoughts come from Labby. Respect, Awe, Wonder and the strongest of them all being agreement.

I smiled even as the burden of a spirit animal began to dawn on me. Well, I’m sure I’ll do just fine. As long as it’s just Labby then I should be able to handle it.

I paused at the thought, staring at Labby with a frown. I’d just jinxed myself hadn’t I?

I heard Labby squeak happily at the prospect of gaining more friends and I shook my head, unable to even be worried.

“Well, well, well, my new Junior Brother, I’ll have to officially register you now won’t I?” I said out loud, and Labby squeaked in reply with one of his paws raised up above his head.

Labby used Cuteness attack. My heart was destroyed.

I pet Labby’s fuzzy head, unbothered by the minuscule amount of sparks that touched my skin. An idea began to form in my head on the various ways I could use the electricity that Labby had now. I could perhaps see if Lightning Qi mimicked electricity, or how the hell did Labby not just spark himself from the lightning.

Perhaps I could even do some electrochemistry?

I grinned, as the ideas began to overflow. I turned towards Labby petting his fuzzy little head even harder, snickering as I imagined Labby protesting at being used as a power source.

Labby, as if in response, crackled with sparks all over and I broke out into laughter all at once.

I’d just acquired a Rattery!

***

A deep breath in, a deep breath out. Lightning Qi crackled in her core, her Dantian brimming with power as she channelled her Qi through her meridians. Her art thrummed in her mind, ready to be used at any moment.

Yan Yun let a calm breath out. Calm was needed to tame thunder, and prevent it from lashing out at random. It was something all lightning and fire cultivators struggled with, the nature of their Qi making them more prone to impulsive and strong behaviours.

“Come in Zu Ri,” Yan Yun said, opening her eyes, as her Qi began to settle down.

A shadow flickered in her vision, as Zu Ri let her arts fade, her form turning visible. “I didn’t wish to disturb you, young mistress,” her handmaiden said, and Yan Yun nodded.

“Just a brief meditation Zu Ri, I wouldn’t be cultivating in my chambers if it was any sort of prolonged cultivation,” Yan Yun replied, eyeing her Ru Zi once. “Did you find anything?”

“I did, young mistress. Extremely easily so. The sect archives had most of the details, and the boy is starkly unremarkable in most ways,” Zu Ri replied, as she dug in her robes, pulling out a scroll.

Yan Yun took the scroll in her hand, looking through it. She quickly read through the pages, finding not much remarkable to be found about Lu Jie written in it.

“There was one curious thing. The boy has stopped sparring and hasn’t been seen in any of the cultivation halls for a couple of weeks. I dug in a bit, and found that he had apprenticed himself to Lao Zhang, the old alchemist of the outer sect who took care of injured disciples.”

Yan Yun curled her eyebrows in surprise. “Alchemy? That does explain how drenched in spirit herb Qi he felt. What a curious boy though. He’s apprenticed himself to an old alchemist in the outer sect? Has he not joined any of the sect’s alchemy halls or any other Alchemy halls.”

“No, young mistress. Not as far as I could tell. The boy had been defeated in a spar and had suddenly decided to take up alchemy. Perhaps, he hopes to pursue a different path in life?”

Yan Yun frowned, something about that didn’t feel right to her. “Perhaps. Do you also know anything about his-” Yan Yun paused for a moment, her cheeks flushing a bit. “His… you know I can’t say it,” she added in a quiet voice.

She could feel the laughter that Zu Ri stifled in her chest. Yan Yun coughed to hide her embarrassment, and Zu Ri made no comment on it. She was the only one who knew about her… hobbies.

“The boy seems to visit the grove every week,” Zu Ri replied.

Yan Yun felt her Qi thrum, as mirth filled her chest. She’d been worried that the encounter would scare them away.

“Do you also wish for me to look into the other boy?” Zu Ri asked.

“No, leave them be. That’d break my oath that I’d given to them,” Yan Yun said, sighing. She regretted her impulsive oath a bit, but the consequences would still be light enough that she could get away with breaking it. She wouldn’t of course, it would ruin the extremely delightful discovery she’d made.

“Perhaps I could sneak in there as they met. No, that’d be too shameful. But. No, I can’t” she saw Zu Ri quietly walk away as Yan Yun continued to struggle. Her handmaiden didn’t share her interests, but that was alright, Yan Yun would be glad to keep her joy all to herself.

Quiet laughter filled the courtyard of the inner sect, accompanied by the occasional crackle of Lightning as a young mistress opened a closet filled with books she hadn't opened in a long time.

***

I shuddered once, as a chill ran up my spine. “Strange, it isn't even cold,” I muttered as I rubbed my arms, letting the chill fade.

My mind returned to the pile of coins in my pouch as I began to list down everything that I needed. Labby squeaked, excited about the idea of going outside and I shared the sentiment.

It was time to do some shopping.