It’d been three days since I’d taught Yin, and the girl had been making steady progress. She hadn’t made any proper crystals so far, but she was getting the hang of the process so it was only a matter of time. A part of me felt slightly relieved at the lack of instant success on her part. If she’d managed to do it immediately, my self-esteem may not have survived the blow.

I walked around my home, inspecting the perimeter of my garden. My home was one of the larger ones in Taizhou, with a structure not unlike the rest given it had been made with my model. There was a good bit of space up front where the land had been ploughed and tilled by oxen carts with the help of the farmers, but nothing grew in the soil besides the scant few weeds here and there.

The area behind was a pond for Sheldon to play around in. It’d sort of become the new hangout spot for the village children to play with my spirits, and sometimes even Nyan, who mostly seemed to enjoy the attention.

Behind my home, a bit further the forest began, with the Qi vein close by. It made this an ideal spot for growing spirit herbs with the above normal Qi filling the air around me. I walked around inside my fence, running my hand along the wood, as I hummed in thought. There was a decent amount of space beyond the fence, and around the pond, and I mentally began to arrange the layout for the spirit herbs.

“Where should I put this brother Jie?” Zhang asked.

I turned around and saw the boy carrying the potted plant I’d asked him to bring out. A spear was strapped to his back, something I hadn’t seen him be without ever since his oath to me. His cultivation was progressing quite steadily as well, already a good way through the first realm. I wasn’t surprised, he’d reached the third realm once before, so it shouldn’t take him long to attain it again.

“Just leave it near the entrance. I’m still trying to arrange everything,” I said, and the boy nodded, carrying the pot away.

I turned back to face my garden and began to make sections.

There were a few things I knew I needed. One section for frost lilies, which was crucial. Another for fire spirit herbs for my drugnades and explosives, then one for earth, one for lighting for labby, and another for water. But the problem was, having this many spirit herbs in open areas next to each other would cause their Qi to mix, which would lead to problems. It was part of why spirit herb gardens had to be so regulated, and carefully arranged to not disturb the cycle of Qi.

Closing my eyes, I tapped my feet, before coming up with an experimental arrangement for the moment. I’d try and keep opposing Qi types as far away as possible, while keeping similar ones close by. So fire and lighting would be together and away from frost and water, earth I suspected could go anywhere, and would work with most others as an intermediate section.

Deciding, I walked up to where Zhang and Cao Chen stood, with my spirit garden now in little pots. The plants had wilted quite a bit without my spirit anchor, making for a rather pitiful sight now.

“Alright, I think I’ve got an idea for the moment. Just follow along with me,” I said, as I began to pick up the spirit herbs. Guiding Cao Chen and Zhang, I demarked section, separating them before I began to plant the various herbs in different areas.

Zhang and Cao Chen followed me, as we took each spirit herb from its pot, before carefully planting them in their areas and repeating the process. It was a simple task, and almost meditative in some way. I would dig the soil with my hand, creating a gentle hole before lowering the herbs and filling the area up again. Then I did it again. And again.

A rhythm began to develop, flowing into me as I continued. I continued planting the herbs, sensing the Qi that flowed into all three of us, and back, following the earth and the ground beneath.

Before I realised it, we’d planted everything that had been in my garden. I stood, watching the little herbs. They were small, weak, fragile things set in little segments. Silently, I glanced towards Zhang, and then back.

The boys nodded at me, and I sent a call to Sheldon.

The turtle arrived moments later from his pond, carrying Twilight on his back. The little plant spirit chimed as I picked her up. Silverlight too, appeared onto Zhang’s shoulders with an exclamatory chime.

“Can you sense anything here Zhang?” I asked the boy.

Zhang looked around at the garden, looking at the spirit herbs all around him in silence. Slowly, he turned back to me and shook his head. “I’m afraid not, brother Jie. It looks like a regular garden.”

“Well, me neither. Guess it’ll take more than that to figure your core out huh?” I said, before turning towards Twilight.

“Are you ready?” I asked the little vampire spirit.

“Ready!” she exclaimed.

Seeing no reason to delay, I sat down on the dirt, crossing my legs. Silently, I gave my finger to twilight, as she bit it, drinking my blood with a pleased chime. I had not had to feed her since my breakthrough, but that seemed to have not lessened her love for my blood whatsoever.

“Alright, let’s do this then,” I said, closing my eyes before I reached out to the world around me.

My senses expanded, taking in the land. Twilight’s spirit mingled with mine, as our bond grew closer, and I heard the whispers of the grass. They sang, of life, of death, of the breath of the air and the warmth of the earth.

I sensed the death that lurked within the soil, of insects and creates, plants and animals alike. The earth consumed it all, and from it rose life. I felt the Chi in my core swirl, taking in the cultivation of Heaven and Earth, as life and death alike flowed into me.

I guided my senses, reaching out to the spirit herbs that were planted nearby. They hummed with Qi, glowing brightly against the rest, let theirs was a sadder song. Cut off from earth, they had been separated from the source of life itself, and so now they withered.

Silently I reached out and began to gather the ties. One herb at first, connected into the cycle of the world, then another, and then one more. Little streams of Qi and Gu connected to me, with my spirit at its centre, as the roots began to spread through the land. I felt the Chi in my core pulsate and vibrate with energy as the last of the spirit herbs joined me, as the spirit herb garden formed once more.

Yet. Something was missing. An incompletion that I sensed within the flow.

“Lines. Divided!” I heard Twilight’s voice in my head, as I noticed the source of the problem. The separate areas I had formed within the soil for my spirit herbs was not natural, it was… human, simplified order to please.

I could sense the cycle flow and then crash into the separate walls, breaking apart. Each segment of the herb cut the other, as a chaotic array spread around the garden.

I let out a breath, before slowly taking another.

My awareness spread out, out from beyond my body, and to my home, it spanned the land, the breadth of my garden and more. For a moment, I was the land my friends stood on, the home my spirits resided in, and the soil the herbs grew from.

Then, it grew beyond.

I felt my awareness spread out, spanning the village that had harboured me. Uncountable strands and cycles of life ran through the earth, each little plant, each spirit herb, the beasts, the air, the grass, the swirling Qi in nature, flowing in seemingly random chaos. Every creature was part of an unseen connecting that tied all living things together. I sensed it all as an extension of my being, like threads I could touch.

And so I began to weave.

I touched upon the grass, the cycles of Qi, the little critters, and the people, starting with life and ending in death, and then once again, I let the cycle of life and Qi connect to my spirit. The Qi stirred at my awareness, as the roots of my spirit tree began to spread out beyond me, and into the place of my home.

The land beneath me stirred. It was death, the start and end of all things. I sensed the Gu rise from within, flowing into the soil as the decay began to grow, turning the soil fertile. Then, came Qi, as the first buds sprouted from within.

The cycle spread, and the cycle grew, as the Qi of the village flowed from all around me.

I sensed Twilight, glowing vibrantly, as the tree within my spirit stirred. It grew, rising higher, as a new lead bud through. I felt the tree spread it roots, into the land beneath me, and into the people that were around me. Little buds sprouted in cores, anchoring them to me. And me to this land.

To my home.

A pulse of Qi travelled fort as I opened my eyes, feeling rejuvenated. What had once been a barren garden now brimmed with buds and plants all around. I looked around, and saw my friends, and even some of the villagers standing nearby. My spirits stood nearby as well, watching.

Yet, what surprised me the most were the spirit beasts. Little creatures, from foxes, to deers, to birds now stood near the fence of my garden, looking at me. Each one had Qi present in its core, a wild spirit beast.

I stood up, my eyes widening in surprise when suddenly, all the creatures bowed their head to me.

“What’s… going on?” I murmured around for answers.

“Come! To become part of our home!” Twilight said, chiming loudly.

“They have?”

“Chii!”

***

Darkness stirred, Miasma flooding the cavernous walls. The creature awoke, as the memories of battle resurfaced. Ah… he had survived. Though his brothers had not been so fortunate.

How long had it been? He could not recall. He was hurt, still. Gu flowed through his body, lighting in dark flames that rippled along his fur.

Pain. Far too long. He wished to rest. Yet hunger pushed him to move.

Death lingered beyond, and the creature could sense it too. He had known all along that it would die one day. He did not fear it. But nonetheless, he would fight.

The creature sniffed as flames flowed around its body. It was not yet the day of the solstice. Why had he awakened now? The creature could not tell, and so it closed its eyes, and began to listen.

“Home.”

Something called. Not like him, or his brothers. It came from above the ground. From where he had lost his brothers. Yet… it did not reject him. Not like them.

The creature sat in silence, thinking. A home, the voice had said. A home…

Silently, the beast rose, dark flames flowing around its body as it walked towards the voice.