He never had a plan, he just went with the flow

Chapter Fifteen

Jinsha had been on edge all day; Mo Xuanyu wasn't sure why, but as long as she behaved, he would wait for her to express herself. He was doing his usual task of deciphering Wei Wuxian's work when Jinsha started moving around his lap.

"Jinsha? Is something wrong?" He whispered before she jumped on the table. "Jinsha!" She's never done anything like that despite how much she disapproves of this task given to him. Jinsha jumped off the table and hopped through the door once she had his attention. She knows he hates the thought of her wandering alone and would follow her. She led him out of Koi Tower and into Lanling; he didn't know what to think. Jinsha's never been anywhere without him, so she should be as lost as him, yet she seems so sure of herself.

Soon, the smooth, well-taken-care-of paths of Lanling changed in rough soil as the bustle of the city faded into the silence of nature. Seeing no one around to think he's insane, he begins talking to Jinsha again. "Jinsha, what's so important out here?" She didn't respond. "Jin-sha!" He bent over to catch his breath, "Jinsha, you know I'm not an active person. Please...let me take a second." He gasped; luckily, she listened and stopped. "Thank you," He sighed in relief as he dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Looking at the sky and his surroundings, he was surprised by how far he managed to run before kneeling in exhaustion. Maybe he should make Jinsha his motivator when his instructors make him exercise.

As he got some air into his battered lungs, he looked up at Jinsha, sitting patiently at the edge of a forest. They were quite a ways away from Lanling; even if he attempted to return now, it would be at least an hour or two after he left. He prayed that Yao-ge wouldn't get too mad about him leaving early.

"Jinsha," He pleaded as he lifted himself off the ground. "Please, tell me what's going on." She only looked at him before glancing at the forest. He could feel that she desperately wanted him to continue and find what set her off. He took a deep breath before standing up, "Okay, you've never done anything that didn't have my best interests at heart. Just go slower so I don't have to run after you." She nodded before hopping off slowly.

They walked through the dense forest for a few minutes before finding a merchant pulling a cart on the path. Mo Chen glanced at Jinsha, who jumped back into his lap. She bumped his chin with her nose before looking forward. She wanted him to approach the merchant.

"Um, Laozhang?" The merchant looks up before gasping. It was then he realized that Jinsha was no longer invisible. "My! I didn't think I would see one outside the temple!" He let go of the reins before hopping off the cart over to him. "What's your name, Daozhang?"

"This one's name is Mo Chen, courtesy name Xuanyu." He attempted to bow before the man stopped him. "No need for that. This one's name is Bai Zhou. I should be the one bowing to you who has one of the sacred beasts."

"No need- please, Bai-bo!" He shrieked when he saw that he was actually about to start bowing. Once he got the man upright, he questioned his earlier words. "Sacred beast? Do you mean Jinsha?" While she's unusual, he wouldn't consider her a beast. "Oh, you don't know?" The man seemed surprised before taking in his uniform. "Hhm, never mind, you live in an area where it hasn't spread yet." He went into the back of his cart before opening the window. "Sorry for the mess, Daozhang. Now, where did I leave those scrolls?" Mo Chen tilted his head before Bai-po gave a victorious shout and returned to the window with two rolled-up scrolls, which he passed over to him.

When he unrolled them, he was surprised to find a beautiful man and woman inside. They had an otherworldly, ethereal beauty that transcended even the page. "That is Jianyi-zun, a river spirit who blesses the land while rescuing those in need. He lives in an unknown forest where he whisks away those abandoned by the world. The Sacred Beasts, like the one you are holding, were created by him to help their masters. Since you have one, you must have met him."