These ferns... Mei stared at them wordlessly. She wasn't going to get in trouble for that, was she?

She sheepishly ran through the hallways and back to the gates. Ah... it was still shut.

"Excuse me!" she shouted with soulsense. "Am I allowed to take these?"

With the sound of groaning hinges, the door opened just a sliver, one of the lions peeking in. Mei held up the ferns high in the air, waving it before them. The lion looked over to the other lion.

"...it's just some kind of grass, isn't it? I don't see why the sect master would mind." it said finally.

Grass? The ferns were as long as her arm... though with their size, she supposed they really were grass-like.

"We'll tell you via soulsense if you really aren't allowed to take something, so don't worry!"

"Thank you!"

Now reassured, Mei went back into the garden happily and began decimating all the local flora.

...

Now was to look for Wang Wei!

Humming to herself, ferns in hand, she teleported to her room to gather the leaves she snatched from the ants on the Heavenreach tree; with a second flash, she reappeared in the Buddhist sect.

Back here from the dark skies, it seemed to be early in the morning. Mei went over to Wang Wei's room, where she could see a faint glow from, as well as faint crackling. She knocked the door.

"Whoa!" someone inside shouted.

Moments later, the door opened, Wang Wei staring at her in surprise.

"You're still working on pills this late?" Mei asked. "Didn't I tell you to relax more in the past?"

"Well, I couldn't sleep. And in the day, monk practice distracts me... so I have much less time to work on my alchemy."

...it seemed that she was naive to think she could change such a workaholic. Not that she was one to speak with how she just brought him yet more work.

"I found those ferns... and managed to get some fresh leaves from the Heavenreach tree. See what you can do with them..." Mei said.

"Oh, thanks..."

Wang Wei beheld the various leaves awkwardly as Mei handed them over.

"Huh. these are actually quite dense in qi. Thanks... They'll be quite helpful!"

"You're welcome!"

Heheh.

Mei closed the door back before he could say more and headed to her room. If she was lucky, he would make some more crazy pills and make her cultivation smooth again... how she missed the water chestnuts...

It was late, so she decided to get some sleep, Xiao Mei taking the opportunity to read.

Hours passed.

Suddenly, something flew in from the window and crashed into the floor!

"There you are!" a voice roared into her mind.

Mei jolted awake, dropping the book Xiao Mei held.

Before her, basking under the window's moonlight... was the lake turtle?! Wait, was it still angry she scammed it with novels for water chestnuts?

Panicking, she reached for her bag and rummaged for the teleportation token, but couldn't find it anywhere.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't trying to trick you!" she yelped in a panic.

"You... you..." the turtle huffed.

It looked like it was about to say something, but suddenly, it looked to the side, as if unsure.

Mei was confused enough that she stopped looking for her token.

"I couldn't sleep because I couldn't stop thinking about that novel! I don't care if it's not real, I'll still pay you to read it to me!"

Mei: ...

Seriously? Wait...

Mei suddenly grinned deviously.

"What's with that look?" the turtle shouted. "I don't like it!"

"I don't know... telling you stories is tiring... and recently I found a much better way to make money."

Mei grumbled loudly as she toppled onto her bed in an exaggerated manner.

"What? But I need to know what happens next to um... what was his name again?"

Huh. Mei had forgotten the name of the main character too.

"Well... maybe if you gave me 10 water chestnuts a day instead..." she mused.

"You bastard! Are you not afraid I will tell the elder monks?"

Just as Mei was about to reply, Xiao Mei suddenly snatched control for a few moments.

"Oh yeah? Then they'd laugh at you!" she grinned.

"Gahhhh!"

This nascent soul... Mei decided to let it slide since she thought it was funny.

After arguing for several more minutes, the turtle finally gave in and agreed. And that was how Mei ended up spending the early morning reading to a turtle instead of sleeping properly... At least now she had chestnuts once again!

"Mei Xiu!"

Suddenly, the door swung open again, Xiuying running in.

Mei sighed. Why did it feel like she kept being interrupted recently?

"There was a notice back in the sect! They said you were blown away in the winds by spirits and went missing afterwards! What happened?" Xiuying shook her.

"Ehhh?"

Oh, right! Previously she let herself got blown away on the Heavenreach tree because there were annoying "tour guides" following her around!

"Some people even put up posters looking for you!"

"Seriously?"

Xiuying took out a poster and showed it to her.

It was a very bad drawing. Mei could hardly even tell it was herself. Below, rough but legible handwriting was sprawled.

"I, Digua have erred greatly! After I argued with this disciple, Mei Xiu in the Spirit Elder's magma chamber, two disciples witnessed her trying to escape by flying with leaf wings, only to be blown away by naughty wind spirits! Please help me find her so I can right this fault!"

Who was Digua? Wait... from his words, he was that annoying earth-like man who questioned how she "recruited" spirits!

Mei grimaced.

If that stupid potato man found out she was here, then she would have no excuses! Better to make him think she was missing for a few days...

Ah, she had a convenient excuse because of the monk's Repentance sutra!

"...is something wrong?" Xiuying asked.

"Xiuying! We must not let anyone find out I am here, apart from you and my other friends!" Mei put on a serious look. Remember yesterday? I am on a secret mission from the sect elders! I trust you!"

"Okay! Don't worry, I won't let a single person know!"

Why was Xiuying looking kind of happy about this?