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.

Squeak!

Labby shouted, with another sparkle of lightning shooting out. This time, the dastardly cat stopped, the slight burn on its paw was still fresh in its mind.

Labby can show you something better! Labby tried to say to the cat, trying to reach out with her Qi. Yet, she realised she couldn't. The cat had no Qi in it. It didn’t even have a name like she did.

It was the same as she’d been, before her Great Master had found her. Before she knew who she was.

Labby squeaked, as she ran off gesturing for the cat to follow. The cat stared at her silently for a while, before curiosity won over hunger as it followed behind.

Labby quickly climbed the drawer of spirit pills. Grabbing onto the little ledged in between, Labby put her paws in between the hinges as she flared her Qi and pulled. The cat, catching on, leapt upon the drawer as it too, began to paw at the drawer.

Soon, the hinge came off with a click, as the drawer propped open. The path to the greatest treasure of her home was revealed.

Labby rushed inside, surrounded by spirit pills. Her mind spun as she almost began devouring them, but no, she had a purpose to fulfill! She sparkled, warning the cat to stay back, as she picked a few spirit pills with her paws and mouth before jumping out.

Tribute. For the demon cat. Swear fealty to Labby and Labby’s great master, and Labby will give you these. And more as her Great Master will make them.

Labby sent, her intent carried by her Qi. Even the cat understood the idea of serving one for something in return. It meowed, to Labby, before its paws pulled a pill closer and it began to chew down.

Labby picked a pill of her own, as she watched the cat grow more and more excited from eating the pills. Soon, the demon was flipping on its back, and rubbing itself against the desk as the Qi from the pills began to revitalise it from the inside.

Eating her own pill, Labby watched on the cat, pleased at having fulfilled her purpose. She’d shown the great treasure to her enemy, winning over its loyalty for her great master as she protected the haven of herbs. She had gained her first minion today, one in what would surely be many, for her great master’s pills tamed even the foulest of beasts.

And so, in a daze, and filled with pill infused excitement, Labby proclaimed the beginning of her drug empire.

Squeak!

***

Spirit herb cultivation: Unlike regular herbs. Spirit herbs required one to nurture not only the plant, but also the Qi around the plant. Many spirit herbs required certain specific kinds of Qi and locations to be grown. Even now, the empire has only been able to reliably grow only a fraction of the herbs available in the wild. With most potent herbs found in difficult to reach locations, that were often too dangerous for any but high realm cultivators to travel to.

As such, the task of growing herbs reliably, has been a subject of great interest for many alchemists. For it’d allow many pills to be refined much easily. Yet as of now, it remains but a dream of many a scholar like myself.

I breathed out, closing the book. Adding it to the pile of books sitting on both sides around me. To much of my disappointment, I hadn’t found much on a cultivation method that could channel additional Qi through spirit herbs to a cultivator. Like a grove that aided in people’s cultivation.

But the hours-long reading spree through the books had resulted in quite a few insights into what I’d achieved. The spirit herbs within that grove were a part of what I could equate to being a chained formation. A living breathing one. And I was the anchor of the formation consisting of the many threads of Qi.

When I’d cultivated, spirit grass had begun to grow around me. Not only that, but, I’d increased the growth of all the spirit herbs as well, by varying amounts. One theory I had was that the cultivation method I’d been using caused the spirit herbs to cultivate with me. Allowing them to grow faster than me.

It worked in conjecture, my thought that spirit herbs and plants, and other such things couldn’t be cultivated. But nothing was there to say, that they couldn’t be made to cultivate.

If I could induce the spirit herbs to grow, simply by cultivating amongst them, then I saw no reason not to do it. The spirit herbs also acted like mini dantians supplying me with hints of Qi from all around, after they’d consumed most of it for their own growth. The Qi from each herb was a minimal amount, yet when combined, it started to make a difference.

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.