Chapter 24: The Second Floor

Chapter 24: The Second Floor

Labby leapt through the spirit grass, lightning flaring all around her. Qi burned within her with a fervent crackle, as her fur shimmered from the sparkles of lightning surrounding her. She let herself run wild, as she ran through the heaven of spirit herbs all around her.

Her great master had created a miracle! Labby almost felt herself turning dizzy from excitement at being so thoroughly surrounded by spirit herbs all around her. Her core ached to bask in the Qi and her instincts screamed at her to tear through the stalks, and chew through the spirits down to the roots.

She resisted. Her great master had instructed her not to eat through the spirit herbs. And she knew now, that if she waited, her great master would turn the spirit herbs into wonderful pills for her to eat.

Labby crackled once more in delight, envisioning sitting on a pile of spirit pills, on a throne that she’d lay claim to, under none but her great master.

The idea pleased Labby greatly and she found her desire to eat the spirit pills growing. Labby shook the thoughts off, walking through the stalks of grass and beautiful spirit herbs that her great master had grown as she patrolled the area for safety.

She may have also lost control and taken a couple of bites, but surely her great master wouldn’t mind such a small amount?

As Labby was about to eat another stalk of spirit grass, she heard a scratching noise come from the door. Her ears perked up, swiveling towards the direction the sound had come from as she rose to stand on her back legs to look above the tall grass.

Orange paws peeked through the gaps of one of the windows in the chamber, before the furred form of her nemesis revealed itself to labby. The evil orange cat had made an appearance.

Labby tensed, as her fur crackled. This was surely a trial from the heavens for her. To have sent the evil cat to the precious Herb-heaven. The heavens themselves must have been envious of her treasure.

The evil cat put its vile paws on the windows, jumping onto the table where her master kept his notes. She saw the creature's nose twitch as its gaze drifted onto her, and moreover, the precious heaven of spirit herbs that she protected.

Labby felt anger, rising from within. She wouldn’t let the beautiful haven her master had created fall into the evil cat’s hands.

Filled with righteous fury, Labby crackled with thunder, letting her Qi flare. Standing tall on her feet, she stared at the evil cat, and then, with all her might, she shouted.

Squeak!

Silence descended as Labby stared at the cat, looking at her unfazed before it began to walk towards her.

Labby didn’t give up, going for another try as she let out a loud shout.

Squeak!!!!

The cat walked closer, and closer, and Labby decided that there was no other option. She flared, letting thunder burst from her body, as it descended towards the cat. Sparkles and cackles of lightning rushed towards the cat, as it finally reacted to her anger, with a swipe of its paws.

Labby jumped running away, as she saw the Cat licking the paw where she’d sparked it, a small black mark denoting her attack.

She couldn’t give up. Not like this, but she wasn’t strong enough to protect her haven!

Labby tried to reach out to her great master. He could help chase the evil cat away, before it ruined the precious haven of spirit herbs. Her Qi flared as she reached out, yet she found her great master too far away.

The heavens were cruel to her today.

She watched as the cat was about to enter the patch of herbs, when an idea struck Labby. She let out another squeak, trying to catch the cat’s attention.

Yet none of this explained how I’d done something like this in the first place. Or perhaps, I’d simply not looked deep enough. It could be that one of the reasons the spirit herb garden of the sect was secured so much was due to this property. What I had was nothing but a small patch of spirit herbs. I couldn’t even begin to envision what a garden at the scale of a sect could do for a cultivator, if they used it properly.

Another thing to mull over, as I researched more. But having gone through almost half the books in the shelves I’d been pointed at, I was starting to suspect that this section of the library was not going to contain the answers I was looking for.

My gaze drifted across the library, as I saw a well dressed disciple walk up a flight of stairs, up towards the second floor. I got up from my chair, walking towards the upper floor, when I heard a voice speak in my mind.

“The uppers are closed to you, disciple. You’d need to exchange sect tokens to be able to go through them.”

I froze in my steps, at the sudden telepathy before I recognised the voice to be elder Tian Feng. I bowed, staring at the stairs up with slight frustration when I heard a chime ringing in my ears.

I noticed Xian Yue, the elder’s spirit, floating for a moment, before she vanished from my sight. I stared blankly, wondering what that was all about, before I began towards the direction she’d been in.

Walking through the shelves, I felt a presence right on the other side of the shelf and I paused before I bumped into the person. Taking a moment, I looked up and saw deep purple eyes turn towards me as someone stared back at me.

“Apologies, senior, I’d heard the spirit call for me,” the person said, bowing lightly, and I stared at him. The garments denoted it was a guy from the outer sect, though his features were extremely androgynous. I could sense him, being in the middle of the third realm.

There was an odd presence to him, and I felt slightly unnerved the longer I stared into his blank unmoving face. It was as if he wore a mask.

“No need, and I wouldn’t bother with the Senior thing if I were you. I doubt I’ll be making it much higher than I already have,” I replied, feeling slightly awkward.

“Ranks are ranks. Senior is both higher in cultivation than me, and in age. Respect is due from my part,” he said, in a neutral cadence, and the sensation of being slightly unnerved returned.

I was about to walk away when I heard the boy speak up. “Is the senior also looking to enter the second floor?” the boy asked, and I paused for a moment before returning a nod.

“Yeah, I need to look through some books. And I think they might be up there,” I replied.

“This one also desires scripture from the upper chambers. Perhaps seniors could work together with this one, to earn enough sect tokens?” the boy asked, and I raised an eyebrow.

“You mean, you want to do a task with me? To access the upper floor of the library? Why me? We’ve just met afterall,” I asked the boy, curious and a bit skeptical at the sudden offer.

“The task this one was looking at requires the need of two. This one had been looking to find someone to do the task with, when the spirit of the elder guided this one here. This one graciously accepted the path the spirit showed. Zhin Ziu, this one’s spirit also says that Senior smells of spirit herbs. The task requires herbs as well,” the boy said and I hummed in thought.

On one hand, I thought the offer had arrived far too conveniently. Like, I was just thinking about going up there, and here I was being offered a task to do so. On the other hand, the spirit had clearly been luring me here, and I didn’t like being sent on fated journeys or being played by the whims of spirits.

“There is no need to decide now. If Senior makes up his mind, then we can meet near the sect gates on the eve of the full moon in five days at sunrise” the boy said, his face still completely devoid of any emotion, and I was beginning to wonder if he had facial paralysis of some sort.

“Alright, I’ll think about it,” I said, and turned around, when I stopped for a second. “What’s your name?” I asked and the boy smiled for the first time since I’d met him as his dark black hair fell down the side of his face in long bangs, coming loose of the single silver hair pin tying them together.

“This one is called Yi Liuxiang,” the boy said, and I could swear I heard the giggle of a spirit ringing in my ears.

“I’m Lu Jie,” I replied, as the boy bowed, and I began to head back to my table, before I headed back to my chamber. The name remained in my mind as I walked.

What a strange boy, Yi Liuxiang.