Yuzhen forced himself to take a breath. Then another. Then he followed. Xiaoren strode along as if it owned the place, hands behind its back, chin up. It didn't bother to check if he was keeping up, just assumed he would. And Yuzhen did. He kept his pace slow and steady, not out of fear the ground might disappear – he knew by now this was all real – but because he was wary of anything that felt like hope. Hope, he'd learned, was incredibly fragile.
They went to the spring first. The water was so clear he could see the smooth stones at the bottom. Spiritual energy rose from it, a steady, controlled stream, gentle rather than wild like a spirit vein. Yuzhen crouched and dipped his fingers in. The water was cool. The instant it touched his skin, the ache in his meridians lessened.
His eyes narrowed. "This..."
"Jade Spring," Xiaoren said. "Drink some later. Not too much, though. You're pretty weak right now."
"I'm not weak," Yuzhen said without thinking.
Xiaoren gave him a look. "You coughed up blood on your floor."
Yuzhen fell silent.
Xiaoren seemed satisfied and gestured towards the fields. "That's spiritual land. You can plant herbs there. The soil is great, way better than anything in Mingzu."
Yuzhen stood and just stared at the rows of dark earth. He'd grown up in a top family and seen plenty of good land, but this was different. The energy here felt soaked into every grain. It made his skin tingle.
"How big is this place?" he asked.
Xiaoren shrugged. "Big enough. It'll be bigger later."
"Bigger later?" Yuzhen echoed.
"You'll see." Xiaoren started walking again, heading for the buildings.
The closer buildings were simple storehouses and small halls. Everything was clean, with empty shelves and a few wax-sealed clay jars. It looked unused, but not abandoned. More like it had been set up and then left waiting. Yuzhen tried a door. Locked. He tried another. Also locked.
Xiaoren watched him with a blank expression. "You can't open those."
"Why not?"
"Because you're not qualified."
Yuzhen's jaw tightened. "Qualified how?"
Xiaoren waved a hand towards the distant halls, partially hidden by mist. "Libraries. Each one holds a different path – alchemy, formations, inscriptions, weapon refining, talismans, and more. They have levels. You can only get into what you can handle. If you can't, the space just blocks you."
Yuzhen stared at the halls. His heart started beating faster. Alchemy. Formations. Inscriptions. Weapon refining. Talismans. Not just one, but many. It sounded utterly ridiculous, like a story meant to fool kids. Yet, the spring water was still cool on his skin, the soil still pulsed beneath his feet, and the spirit in front of him was annoyingly real.
"What do you mean, levels?" he asked.
Xiaoren looked at him like he was being dense. "Just what I said. You learn, you master, you move up. If you don't, you're stuck outside looking like an idiot."
Yuzhen didn't bother arguing with the insult. "So... right now, I can go into the libraries?"
"Some," Xiaoren said, heading for the nearest hall. As they got closer, the mist cleared. The hall was bigger than it looked, its doors carved with simple patterns. No fancy sign, no name, just a faint mark on the wood that looked like a flame. Alchemy.
Yuzhen paused at the steps. Xiaoren didn't wait, placing both palms on the doors and pushing. They opened silently. Inside was a long hall lined with shelves. Jade slips filled them neatly, some shelves packed, others empty. In the middle sat a stone table with an old bronze lamp. The air smelled faintly of herbs and warm metal.
Yuzhen walked in slowly. "This is..." His voice dropped without him intending it to. "All of this is alchemy?"
"Yep," Xiaoren said. "The low level is open. Higher levels are sealed. Don't bother trying to get in."
Yuzhen's fingers hovered over the nearest jade slip, then pulled back. He didn't pick it up yet. He turned his head and looked at the shelves further down. Some were covered by a thin, untouchable curtain of light – the seal. He could feel it without even getting close. A restriction. Real rules. That made this place feel even more dangerous, and more valuable.
He finally picked up a jade slip from the open shelf. The moment his fingers touched it, information flooded his mind. Not everything at once, not a overwhelming flood, but like a clear voice speaking directly into his thoughts: basic pill theory, herb classifications, fire control, furnace types, common mistakes. Yuzhen's grip tightened. This wasn't just a random collection of alchemy knowledge; it was organized, proper, and deep. He set the slip down carefully, as if it might shatter.
"How many halls are there?" he asked.
Xiaoren walked out, clearly bored of watching him. "Come on."
They moved to the next hall. This one had a mark like intersecting lines. Formations. The doors opened the same way. Inside was another library, this one smelling of stone dust and ink. Formation diagrams seemed to cover the walls like shadows. Jade slips sat in rows, and a sealed section glowed further in, blocking most of the shelves. Yuzhen didn't touch anything this time. His head was already starting to spin.
Then another hall. Marks like carved strokes. Inscriptions. Then another. A mark like a blade. Weapon refining. And another. A mark like a paper strip. Talismans.
Yuzhen stopped outside the last hall, his hands clenched at his sides. Even if this was a trap, even if it vanished in the next second, he'd seen enough to know one thing. This was not something a Mingzu family could possess. It wasn't even something the Southern Region should have.
"What about my mother?" he asked quietly.
Xiaoren paused. For the first time, it didn't answer immediately. "Not for now," it said finally, then started walking again as if the topic was tiresome. "If you keep getting sidetracked, you'll just stay useless longer."
Yuzhen followed, but his mind was still on that question. They reached the center of the space again, near the spring. Xiaoren hopped onto the stone edge and sat down as if it belonged there. "Okay. You want to cultivate again."
"Yes," Yuzhen said.
"Your foundation is broken," Xiaoren said bluntly. "But not completely gone."
Yuzhen's eyes narrowed. "Explain."
"The damage is bad, but it can be fixed," Xiaoren said, swinging its legs back and forth like a kid. "Your mother left a pill."
A jolt went through Yuzhen. "A pill?"
Xiaoren pointed to one of the smaller halls behind the spring. "Storage. That one's open. Go."
Yuzhen moved quickly, without thinking. The hall was smaller and plainer. Inside, shelves held boxes, vials, and sealed jars. Most were empty, but not all. In the center was a stone stand. On it sat a jade bottle. Yuzhen's hand trembled slightly as he picked it up. He uncorked it. A clean, sharp scent filled the air, not sweet, not bitter, but something that smelled almost like metal and rain. Inside was one pill. Just one. Yuzhen stared at it for a long time, then carefully closed the bottle.
"What is it?" he asked.
Xiaoren leaned against the doorframe behind him. "Foundation-restoring pill."
Yuzhen's throat felt tight. "If I take it... will it work?"
"It'll work if you don't die first," Xiaoren said, as if it were obvious. "It's not candy. Your body is weak. Your meridians are damaged. Taking it will hurt."
Yuzhen let out a single laugh. "Everything hurts."
Xiaoren rolled its eyes. "Good. Then you're ready."
Yuzhen held the bottle close. His thoughts were a chaotic mess. He wanted to run back to his grandfather, tell him his father's search might not be in vain, tell him everything could change. But he didn't move. Not yet. He'd learned something crucial over the past few months: hope was dangerous if you revealed it too soon.
He looked up. "Why didn't it activate before?"
Xiaoren shrugged. "Blood."
"My blood?"
"Your blood. Your mother's seal needed it. She didn't want anyone else opening this space." Xiaoren's gaze sharpened. "Not even your family."
Yuzhen went still. Xiaoren continued, its voice flat. "So don't be an idiot. Don't tell anyone. Not yet."
Yuzhen stared at the pill bottle in his hand. He understood. A treasure like this could save him. It could also get him killed. He took a slow breath and nodded. "I won't."
Xiaoren hopped down and walked back towards the spring. "Good. Drink some spring water first. Then take the pill. Then try not to scream too loudly."
"I won't scream."
Xiaoren didn't even look back. "Everyone screams."
Yuzhen stood there for another second. Then he went to the spring, cupped water in his hands, and drank. The water slid down his throat, cool and clean. It settled in his stomach like something alive. He wiped his mouth, opened the jade bottle, and tipped the pill into his palm. One pill. One chance. His fingers closed around it. Then he swallowed.