It took me a moment to think again. My thoughts came slow, distracted, a powerful rush within my dantian still swirled as I sensed the little sapling of unity stir. Anchoring myself to my thoughts, one at a time, I picked up Twilight in my hands.
“What do they mean by being part of home?”
“Have come! To be safe! Heals!” Twilight twirled in my hand, her hands dancing around in jittery excitement.
“The garden heals?” I asked, looking around in surprise, as the spirit plant nodded her head.
“Heals. Protects. It is home.”
The word caught my ear. Home. There was something about it that felt… different. A concept kept within what she meant to be a home. And whatever that was, these creatures wished to be a part of it.
My eyes drifted across the village. People had begun to gather, watching the many spirit beasts heading my way. I saw many children looking this way in fascination, as their parents held them firmly. Both afraid, yet unwilling to miss a mystical sight.
I almost sighed. My Disney princess powers seemed to only grow with time.
“Did not think about what you were doing once more did you boy?” Granny Lang said, walking into through the fence, as she entered my garden.
I scratched my head, smiling awkwardly at the old woman. “I just wanted to make a spirit herb garden.”
Granny Lang shook her head, taking a look around. “I suppose that’s what you did end up with,” she replied. “I’ve seen something like this before. In a sect, a treasured place created by a powerful cultivator. It was a place of healing, a place of life, brimming with Qi. The sect used it to bolster the cultivation of its core disciples, letting them grow at rapid speeds.”
“All I really need from this place is spirit herbs,” I replied.
I took a second look at the spirit animals that had gathered. Little creatures still moved around and were coming in this direction, but of those that had arrived, the first one in my sight was the beautiful, almost ethereal deer.
The majestic stag stood with its head high and chest puffed out. Its eyes held a glimmer that betrayed the intelligence in them. Qi swirled around its antlers, a light shimmer to them. I could sense the creature near the peak of the fourth realm. Higher than almost any other creature I’d seen here besides Sheldon. The longer I lingered upon them, the more I could feel a breeze stir around me, rustling.
I looked at beautiful creature, as it looked back at me. It was waiting. They all were.
I moved on, watching the fox next, in the midst of the third realm. Three tails shuffled around behind it as it lay down and yawned. It seemed as if it had already made itself comfortable here.
A bird caught my eye next, resplendent blue feathers flaring out. I could not tell what kind of bird it was, but I could sense it’s Qi, at the beginning of the third realm.
There were quite a few other creatures, yet it were these three that drew my eyes. They stood above the rest, with a presence to them that the other spirit beasts did not possess.
Perhaps growing impatient, the deer stomped a foot, stepping towards me.
“Bad deer! Bad! Step back!”
The words echoed out, as I saw the little green diamond on Twilight’s head flare. The deer froze, before taking a step back. The creature seemed surprised and lifted a leg to move forward again when Twilight shouted once more.
“Stay!”
The deer froze mid step, staying where it was. Yet, it wasn’t just the deer. Every spirit beast nearby had frozen in place, not moving an inch.
“How did you do that?”
“Do what?” Twilight asked, blinking her beady eyes at me.
“Stop the spirits,” I said, glancing at the spirits still frozen in place.
Twilight looked at the spirits, before turning back to face me. “Asked!”
I noticed the glowing light coming from the green diamond on her forehead, just beneath her petals. Her body had grown as well, going from a doll to a more humanoid figure. Clearly, something had changed with Twilight as I had formed the anchor. Perhaps a remnant of something from Ki had awakened, and the method with which Ki had understood languages even from earth.
“Can you ask what they want?”
Twilight nodded, as she began to talk to the spirits. The creatures, now seemingly free from her words breathed freely. The deer stepped forward, this time more calmly, and dipped its head.
“Want to stay. To rest. To be allowed within this land.”
“And what will they give in return?” I glanced at the deer as I spoke.
The majestic sag raised its head, turning towards the other beasts, who all erupted in a cacophony of noises.
“Will protect home. Will show treasures of the forest. Will follow Master.”
I looked at the gathering of spirit beasts, creatures of the wild, all here to take part in what I had created.
This was a boon, and one I’d sorely been in need of. With the spirit beasts, I had an impromptu army to fight with against the demonic beasts as winter closed in upon us.
“Very well. I allow you entry in this land, so long as you do not harm any resident of this village, and do not take from it without giving in return,” I said, as the Chi in my dantian rose, spreading out the spirits.
As one, the creatures bowed, as the bond was formed.
Roots spread from within my spirit, touching there’s. This wasn’t a bond, like the one I shared with Labby, Sheldon and Twilight. It was different, weaker, like a mutual oath.
Twilight chimed, as the creatures began to scatter. Some remained, resting in the garden, while others returned to the forest.
I spotted the village head watching from a distance, and talking to the villagers, and realised I’d need to explain all of this to them as well. But before I had a moment to breathe and figure something out, a loud crack echoed behind me.
I turned, and saw Yin standing in the doorframe. Her face was flushed, and covered in sweat as wisps of Qi rose from around her body.
“I-I did it,” she said through gasps for air. The girl didn’t seem to notice the lush garden in front of her, or the spirit beasts as she looked into my eyes, a proud smile lingering upon her face.
“I made the Qi crystals.”