"Mm. We should stop here for today."
"Why so early? We usually leave when the sun begins to set."
"From now on, it's best to end our lessons earlier than usual. You two are capable of brewing medicine at the orphanage. Truthfully, there's no need for you two to stay in this forest for so long every day."
The brows the two children had initially raised in surprise slowly began to crease.
"Wouldn't you be lonely then, Granny?" Concern was evident in Ji Yun's voice.
Bai Lian's gaze softened as she stared at the young girl's watery eyes, 'Silly girl, why does it look like you're the one who will be alone in this forest?' She silently lamented the fact that she had to spend less time with the children in order to cultivate more.
"There's no need to worry so much about that old spirit. With how long she has been living by herself in this forest, she should already be used to being alone…" Lin Tao's voice trailed off as he began to frown.
"My dear disciples sure do worry too much. You two will be attending the Royal Sun Academy when you're 14. In the future, you will have less time to visit me. It will only trouble me if I get too used to your presence here."
The two children stared worryingly at the air. Finally, Lin Tao opened his mouth to end the prolonged silence.
"Granny, is there any way for you to ever leave this forest? We can help you!" Lin Tao's voice was filled with determination. Upon realizing the words he had just uttered, Lin Tao widened his eyes in shock. His cheeks reddened, but he did not attempt to take back his words.
The two children stared daggers into the air, awaiting a response. With each passing second of silence, the children grew more worried.
"...There is a way. However, it will take many years." Hints of longing could be detected from the gentle voice.
Lin Tao's eyes widened in shock, 'Her normal response would be to giggle and reprimand us for overthinking. She would mention her position as the Guardian Spirit of the Obsidian Forest as the reason she won't leave the forest.'
Lin Tao always had his suspicions towards the identity of the spirit. However, until now he could not find any flaw in the spirit's act. 'So it really was an act…'
No surprise or anger could be detected within Lin Tao. Instead, there was a trace of joy, 'Does this mean she trust us? Although, to hint at the truth in such a roundabout manner… She must be testing us.'
Lin Tao shifted his gaze to Ji Yun. A bright smile was plastered on the little girl's face. He narrowed his eyes, 'Did she not notice what that granny was hinting at or did she already know this would happen?'
Bai Lian closely observed the expressions on the children's faces. 'Somehow… They don't seem to mind the thought that I may have been fooling them this entire time.'
She sighed to herself, 'Why must they be such good children? Shouldn't they be doubting me a bit more? That little test was supposed to prove to myself that I can't tell them the truth… Now I feel even more conflicted than before.'
Ji Yun finally responded to the guardian spirit, "If there's anything we can do to help speed up that process, we'll definitely do it!"
Bai Lian still had reservations about telling the truth. "The golden lionheart is a flower known for the amazing speed of its root growth. If you two could throw the roots of that flower into the burrow, I would be able to benefit."
Lin Tao and Ji Yun recalled the many uses of the golden lionheart, but they could not figure out how it would benefit the guardian spirit. However, they quickly pushed such thoughts to the back of their minds. After all, there were many questions they had about the mysterious spirit they had been speaking to all this time. They had already grown accustomed to disregarding questions that the guardian spirit seemed unwilling to answer.
"The roots of that flower is quite pricey. Was this your ulterior motive behind teaching your dear disciples how to brew medicine?" Lin Tao smiled brightly.
'Please don't smile like that Little Tao… That smile doesn't suit you at all. It's a bit creepy.' Bai Lian forced herself to keep such words to herself.
"Of course not. I wholeheartedly wanted my disciples to buy items beneficial to their cultivation."
"Didn't you mention it would be bad if we didn't have the money to buy our favorite master a gift in the future? Could the golden lionheart roots be the gift you had in mind at the time?" Ji Yun casually pondered out loud.
"I wasn't thinking of any specific gift at the time…"
"Sure, we believe you, " Lin Tao affirmed with a tone of disbelief. "Speaking of selling medicines, we received a golden card from the Golden Leaf Pavilion along with a golden coin to..."
Bai Lian interjected, "No need for that golden coin. I can't spend money as a spirit."
"You seem quite familiar with the Golden Leaf Pavilion. Do people often speak of it while wandering the forest?
"There was one case some years ago where some soul masters were speaking of the golden leaf-imprinted coin of the Golden Leaf Pavilion, " Bai Lian answered nostalgically.
Lin Tao narrowed his eyes, 'I can't tell whether she's lying or not.'
"As your disciples, Tao and I are thankful for your teachings. Before we spend for ourselves, we will buy some of those roots for you!"
'Why are you making the decision for me?' Despite his inner grumbling, Lin Tao did not oppose Ji Yun's declaration.
Bai Lian was touched, 'How could they trust me to such a degree even though they know I'm a liar? In my past life, it was only my family who believed in me. Even when I became a talented doctor, for years others would suspect the news to have been falsified…'
The warmth in her gaze gradually cooled as she recalled her situation. 'I'm still too weak to protect myself. If my identity as a cultivating plant spreads, there would undoubtedly be many experts after me. I can't afford to take such a risk at the moment.'
"Mm. I'll be looking forward to the gifts from my dear disciples."
Ji Yun's smile broadened, "Master! Please promise us that one day… One day you will visit the Shui Orphanage and it will be us who are greeting you!"
Lin Tao and Bai Lian were shocked by the confidence that was entangled with the words Ji Yun had just voiced. It was as though there was not a single doubt in Ji Yun's mind that the guardian spirit would one day be capable of fulfilling the promise.
Bai Lian sighed to herself and recalled Shui Renshu's words during his nighttime visit, 'Neither of these children are simple... Will they be the ones using me in the future?'
A quiet "Mm" could be heard in the minds of the two children.
Ji Yun beamed and started to lift the still unconscious Zhou Ming, "Let's go, Tao! Bye bye, master!"
"Later, gra-" Lin Tao cleared his throat, "master."
"I look forward to your next visit."
As the children left, Bai Lian continued her cultivation. On her mind was an image of how she wished to evolve, an image that had become much clearer than before.