Long Yin wasn't around when Jin Lu woke up the next morning. Jin Lu felt a pang of disappointment, but pushed it away as she ate the meat bun that was left on the living room table. She ran through the movements that Bai Feng had taught her yesterday as she ate, not wanting to forget anything during her practice.
Done cleaning up her breakfast, she was just about to step out when there was a knock on the door. Startled, Jin Lu hesitated before cracking it open. On the other side was Liu Jing, his black eyes shining brightly over his black, cotton face covering. He waved his hand in greeting before turning to walk around the back of Jin Lu's dorm. Jin Lu was curious and followed him, stopping when he did in the middle of the backyard.
Liu Jing startled Jin Lu when he grabbed her upper arms, moving her to a specific spot before letting go. Liu Jing backed up a few steps, leaving about four feet between them. To Jin Lu's surprise, he started doing stretching exercises, stopping after a moment to give her a look of expectation.
Jin Lu followed Liu Jing's example, slightly embarrassed at how slow she had been to catch on to his intent. It quickly passed, the feeling of loosening her muscles therapeutic. They quietly finished warming up before moving on to the movements Master Bai had shown Jin Lu yesterday.
Liu Jing started slowly, following Jin Lu's pace as the sun started to drift across the sky. The repetitive motions became hypnotic, until Jin Lu's mind settled into a state of meditative calm. The wind blowing sweetly through the trees, the heat from overhead, and Liu Jing in front of her all melted away.
In this state of serenity, a strange humming sensation began in Jin Lu's stomach, traveling up to her chest and through her body. It was like Jin Lu was absorbing a current of warmth from the surrounding air. It didn't distract from her movements, though if someone had been watching, they would have noticed a small frown forming on Jin Lu's forehead.
The flow of outside energy was becoming faster and thicker the longer Jin Lu practiced, as though she was moving underwater, against an invisible current. Her breathing became ragged, each panting breath a chore as sweat dripped down her face. Even as the feeling of restlessness formed in her chest, Jin Lu didn't stop moving. She had even forgotten that she was moving, her mind focused on the sense of something imminent about to happen.
Liu Jing felt the disturbance from the air in front of him and stopped, his sense of fight or flight telling him to run, and run fast. Having survived in places known to give the most stalwart veterans nightmares, Liu Jing didn't hesitate before running as fast as he could. The condensed cocoon of air and darkness elements becoming visible to the naked eye wrapped around Jin Lu gave his legs an extra boost of speed.
Jin Lu imploded, her senses condensing into pinpoints of blackness, nothingness. Unfiltered power coursed through her limbs and Jin Lu stopped breathing, her eyes wide yet unseeing. In that split second of stillness, the power inside her burst out, the shock wave visible to everyone within a mile of her surroundings. Those with any sense of cultivation felt the powerful surge, the lower level students experiencing a sense of dizziness while the higher level cultivators raised their heads in shock, awe, or speculative fear.
After crashing into a tree at full force, Liu Jing shook his head and turned back, his hands on his knees to keep himself from face planting into the ground. Jin Lu's release of energy had hit him at the same time he'd said hello to the tree, giving his eyes a double dose of stars. As his vision cleared, Liu Jing could just make out a tall man leaning over Jin Lu.
Long Yin checked Jin Lu's pulse, feeling the Qi he had absorbed start to stabilize. Sighing a breath of relief, Long Yin ignored the boy stumbling towards him and lifted Jin Lu into his arms. Long Yin carried Jin Lu around to the front of the dorm, kicking the door open. Though he had used as little force as he could, the door still swung back, hanging by its lower hinge. Long Yin continued into the dorm, laying Jin Lu on the cushions in the living room, while the boy who had followed them watched from the entrance.
Long Yin had rushed to Jin Lu's side, mid-sentence with Headmaster Mi. The urge to go to Jin Lu had been slowly growing inside him, making Long Yin's normally amiable manner brisk and short. It wasn't until the wave of power had swept through their bodies that Long Yin had given in to his compulsion.
"Boy, bring me a bowl of cool water and a rag," Jin Lu's sponsor ordered, acknowledging Liu Jing's presence. Liu Jing jumped, not wanting to get any closer to Jin Lu's sponsor than he had to. Something told Liu Jing that this man was more dangerous than anyone he had ever met, and to tread carefully.
A groan escaped Jin Lu, her head pounding in rhythm with the beat of her heart. The scent of ozone let her know that Long Yin was close by, helping her over-anxious nerves to settle.
"Hush, little one, it will pass soon." Though Long Yin whispered softly above her, the sound felt as though it was right next to her ear. Soft footsteps tapped towards where Jin Lu was lying, and she slitted her eyes open. Liu Jing was carrying a small bowl, a blue rag hanging over the side. He nodded when he saw Jin Lu looking at him, handing the bowl to Long Yin before slipping out the door. Jin Lu could hear his hurried steps on the ground outside as he ran away.
"What-"
Too loud!
"What happened?" Jin Lu barely moved her lips, the words almost inaudible. Long Yin wiped her forehead and face, removing the dried sweat and cooling her skin. The pounding in her skull subsided, leaving behind confusion.
"You became stronger," Long Yin said plainly. Jin Lu could hear something in his voice, something that made her heart stutter and her throat tighten. Before she could ask further, exhaustion washed over her, and she sank further into the cushions.
"You're tired, rest. I will be here when you wake." Long Yin brushed Jin Lu's hair from her face, leaning forward to place a light kiss on her skin. Jin Lu was asleep in seconds, Long Yin's scent following her into her dreams.