"So? Do you recognise some characters? Your writing is strange, but there are some similarities."

Su Jing shut up, continuing to browse the book in front. She tried to distinguish at least one word but they all looked strange, or better to say, her mind was confusing the language she knew in her previous life with this one, making a mess out of it.

To think she'll be one day called illiterate. Su Jing wanted to cry.

Yawen got up again and went beside her, trying to show her some simple phrases she might recognise.

"Are you sure you read books before or are you lying to me? You know, it is not a shame to not be taught. You can study now from me. "

"I'm sorry," she excused herself, with her eyes down, " it's a little more complicated"

Su Jing didn't know what to say. She told a small white lie about reading a cultivation book to give reason to her background - but to think it would punch her back in the face so fast! In stories characters make out a whole history and aren't caught, why it didn't work with her.

It was stupid to act rashly like this too - Yawen wasn't your usual man either.

She didn't know his reaction to her words since she hid away from his sight. However, she saw him put his finger on the paper, writing a beautiful calligraphy. The ink was going out of his thumb, shaping the characters with ease.

Su Jing stared at his fingers, bewildered.

"Do you understand it now?"

He looked at Su Jing, but she was unfocused, looking at his hand.

"You'll need acute control of all three Qis to do this. If you like it so much we can put it for later."

Yawen gave her back the papers, searching with his eyes for something else.

"Now where did you put the ink and the brush? I want you to write a few strokes..."

Su Jing bit her lower lip when she saw him looking all over the place, not knowing how to get out the truth. When Yawen had one hand on his hip, trying to use his powers, Su Jing coughed a little to attract his attention.

"I spilt the ink. I am sorry."

Yawen raised his eyebrows, finding that strange since there was not even a stain nearby.

"It's alright, you don't have to be scared. Ink is the last thing the sect would be crying about. What about the brush?"

Su Jing continued to evade his sight.

"It is burned."

Yawen was speechless, now directing his eyes to the ash that was now around the soil.

He also saw how the water turned black, giving him enough proof of why the flower changed colour.

He closed his eyes, signalling her to sit down. A few seconds passed awkwardly, Yawen looking like contemplating a matter hard.

Ultimately, he turned towards her, with a strange arch on his lips.

"But I suppose you found out what weakens you, right?"

For Su Jing's luck, he ignored the mess she made, going straight to the point.

"I'm not sure. I'll wait for senior's decision to see if I am right."

She took the three bowls from the line, feeling like she was doing a presentation.

"If I am concentrating on my earth root, my water root will die out and harm me. If the water one is the one I am taking control of, my wood root will flourish, but my earth one will slowly die. And lastly, with the wood, both water and earth will be affected. "

Yawen listened to her, tilting his head.

"You seem to catch it. Though that is all?"

Su Jing looked at the fire and metal, putting to the test her opinions.

"Rather than just concentrating on one root I need to take all of them at once. To balance them with the help of the elements I don't have."

The fact that she burned the brush was totally accidental.

After those small spills, she tried to wash the stains with water. But as she put more and more water the stain got bigger, making her worry about it more than at the uncompleted classwork.

Just when Su Jing panicked more, the plant extended its roots and reached all over the stain.

It was way too strange to touch such a "living" plant so Su Jing refrained from approaching it, watching how it absorbed the water with the ink.

Its roots sprouted rapidly, knocking over the fire bowl and the other things on the table. Luckily, the table had some sort of protection. But the brush - started to carbonise immediately.

She let the brush incinerate on the soil, making the plant scrape away from it and remain in its own bowl. It seemed afraid of fire.

The flower then turned towards the inkstone to absorb more liquid, but as its roots made contact with the metal, it recoiled as though scorched, shrinking in size.

Su Jing watched as things unfolded, trying to stop the energies from clashing.

She soon grasped the predicament Yawen had set before her. That rascal left his brush and inkstone deliberately.

She saw him taking a piece of metal and trying to make the plant refrain from going out of the bowl.

Yes, metal was corrosive to wood, as fire was.

With a snap of his fingers, all the bowls disappeared, only the book and papers remaining on the table.

”Good job. Although that can't be said the same about your illiteracy."

Su Jing's momentary feeling of pride sacked.

"It's my fault since I overlooked that. We will take writing and reading lessons later. It's still early for you anyway to immerse in cultivation books or jades."

Yawen sat up as he said this.

He walked out, signalling for Su Jing to follow him.

She quickly gathered the book and her written papers, rushing after Yawen.

They then began ascending a flight of stairs that curled through a bamboo forest. Fortunately, the way was not that long, and the two of them quickly reached a small courtyard and a garden.

"You'll live here from now on." Yawen stated, turning to her, " It's close to my residence and to Zhu'er's place, in case your poison relapses."

He showed with his cane the directions, making Su Jing squint because it couldn't be so easily seen.

The house wasn't extravagant or full of riches, but it looked cosy, like the perfect place for her. Su Jing leaned her head and cupped her hands, wanting to express her thanks from the bottom of her heart.

"Many thanks, senior brother. I'll take care of it."

Yawen smiled in exchange, raising his hand and patting her head.

"Don't trouble yourself too much. "

Yawen's pats were light, warming up Su Jing. He seemed to like to ruffle her hair.

"There is a medicinal spring in the back of the house. You'll have to stay in each night for at least two hours, as per Yazhu's recommendations."

Su Jing nodded, finding the idea of a real bath rather appealing. She couldn't wait to feel the warmth and relaxation of a proper soak, a far cry from the washing spells Yazhu used.

"I understand. I'll do as you say."

Feeling a sense of gratitude towards Yazhu, Su Jing couldn't ignore the apparent sincerity beneath the cold exterior. It seemed Yazhu genuinely wanted to assist her - although that was more for Yawen's sake.

"Make sure to sleep. Tomorrow you're waking up early in the morning."

Su Jing nodded her head in response, waving her hand while Yawen distanced himself towards his own place.

To clear her mind, Su Jing opted to explore the house.

Upon opening the door, she was welcomed by a hallway full of colourful flowers.

She found a small kitchen next, alchemical tools being put all over the place. Su Jing figured that perhaps Yazhu was the one who had been cooking, given her expertise in medicine.

A dormitory and a rudimentary study room appeared after, the last door bringing her to the much-anticipated bathroom. She saw a small pond with warm water, steam being felt almost everywhere.

Perhaps there was a magic barrier, but the mist didn't leave the room, being constant.

She walked over to the pond, crouched, and dipped her fingers into the warm water. It felt refreshing, and the scent was pleasant, reminding her more of roses than medicine. Su Jing couldn't help but enjoy the calming ambience of the room.

Su Jing quickly found a change of clothes in the dormitory and placed them near the bath. She stripped down to her innerwear and left her things nearby, in case she needed to grab them in a hurry.

As Su Jing immersed herself in the warm water a profound sense of relaxation washed over her. The sensation was akin to being enveloped in comforting honey, soothing her weary muscles.

She gazed at her bare wrist, reminiscing about the feel of Bai Xiuying's bracelet. Somehow, the cream medicine Bai Xiuying gave her was lost, making Su Jing sad for not carefully keeping it.

Yazhu nor Yawen had not seen it, though she searched for it with each of them. Did it disappear like the bracelet?

Su Jing bit her lip as she pondered all the recent events. Feng Zhihao should come soon along with other "events" implicating more or less Bai Xiuying.

Su Jing submerged her head beneath the water, trying to wash away those troubling thoughts. Yawen was enough of a pressure for her.

The warmth and soothing steam soon made her weary. Su Jing leaned on the edge of the bath, crossing her arms to relax.