Morning mist still hung between the trees.
Dew clung to the grass along the path, and the occasional breeze sent droplets sliding from the leaves.
Yu Jin and Lin Qiqi followed the stone path toward the spiritual spring.
As they drew closer, Yu Jin looked down at her hand.
There was nothing unusual about it.
She turned her palm over, then curled her fingers.
The warmth she had felt after waking was still there, somewhere beneath her skin.
It reminded her of the dream again.
The corridor, the black vortex, the man with six golden wings…
Yu Jin shook her head.
There was no use thinking about it now.
She didn’t even know whether any of it had been real.
“Come on, Sister Jin!”
Lin Qiqi had already gone ahead.
Yu Jin followed her down the last few steps.
The spiritual spring lay between the rocks at the foot of the slope.
A thin layer of mist floated over the clear water, and the spiritual energy in the area was noticeably stronger than elsewhere on the mountain.
Lin Qiqi went straight to the water.
She rolled up her sleeves and took a deep breath.
“I’m starting.”
“Go ahead.”
Lin Qiqi raised her hands and began circulating her spiritual energy.
For a while, nothing happened.
Then the surface of the spring moved.
Lin Qiqi immediately leaned forward.
A small ripple spread across the water and disappeared.
Her face fell.
She tried again.
The second attempt produced another ripple.
The third wasn’t much better.
By the fourth, Lin Qiqi was starting to lose patience.
“Why won’t it move?”
“Concentrate.”
“I am concentrating.”
“Then stop talking.”
Lin Qiqi shut her mouth.
She tried again.
This time, spiritual energy gathered around her fingertips.
A thin stream of water rose slightly from the spring.
Lin Qiqi’s eyes widened.
It lasted less than a second before falling back.
Splash.
“…”
She looked at Yu Jin.
Yu Jin looked back at her.
Lin Qiqi pointed at the spring.
“It did that on purpose.”
Yu Jin nearly laughed.
“It’s water.”
“I know.”
“Then what did it do on purpose?”
“It came up and went straight back down.”
“That’s because you lost control.”
Lin Qiqi pursed her lips and turned back to the spring.
She tried several more times, but the result was much the same.
After a while, sweat appeared on her forehead and her arms began to ache.
Finally, she lowered them.
“Sister Jin…”
“Hm?”
“Am I doing it wrong?”
Her voice was much quieter than before.
Yu Jin walked over.
Lin Qiqi was staring at the spring with her head lowered, clearly discouraged.
Yu Jin wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.
“You’re rushing.”
“But I’ve tried so many times.”
“That’s why you’re rushing.”
Lin Qiqi looked up.
Yu Jin placed a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed it down.
“Relax.
Your shoulders are stiff.”
Lin Qiqi did as she was told.
“Don’t think about pulling the water up yet.
Get your spiritual energy moving properly first.”
“But Third Senior Brother said—”
“Do you want me to teach you, or Third Senior Brother?”
Lin Qiqi immediately answered, “You.”
“Then listen.”
“…Okay.”
She closed her eyes and took another breath.
Yu Jin stayed beside her.
This time, Lin Qiqi didn’t immediately try to move the water.
She concentrated on circulating her spiritual energy first, slowly adjusting her breathing.
After a while, the tension in her shoulders eased.
Yu Jin nodded.
“That’s better.”
Lin Qiqi opened one eye.
“Really?”
“Keep going.”
She quickly closed it again.
Yu Jin smiled and was about to stand when footsteps came from the stone stairs behind them.
There was more than one person.
Lin Qiqi opened her eyes as well.
Before either of them turned around, a voice came from above.
“Oh?
Junior Sister Yu Jin?”
Yu Jin knew who it was as soon as she heard the voice.
She stood and looked back.
Du Ziheng was coming down the steps with several disciples behind him.
He wore the usual blue-green sect robes, neat from collar to hem.
When he saw Yu Jin beside the spring, he slowed down.
His gaze moved from her to Lin Qiqi, then to the water.
“You’re teaching her?”
Yu Jin didn’t answer immediately.
Du Ziheng smiled.
“I thought Third Junior Brother was supposed to be teaching Qiqi.”
Lin Qiqi’s face changed the moment she saw him.
Yu Jin noticed.
She turned back to Du Ziheng.
“Is there a problem?”