There's a Lump in My Tail

Give My Lump Back!

Rising the next morning, Bai Qian quickly went through her chores that Zhe Yan insisted she do if she was to stay at the Grove and have free access to his wine.  There were dishes to do, laundry to clean and the little hut to be swept, and though she did the best she could, Zhe Yan knew he would only have to rewash the dishes, rinse off the linen and resweep the floors because she never did them to his perfect standards.  

But he didn't mind, because it was his way of making her help out, even if she wasn't being helpful but it did ensure that she did something other than laze about in his trees all day.  And by the time lunchtime came and went, she was ready to go and tackle that tree.

Though she was nervous because she still didn't understand what exactly was meant to happen, and how a tree was meant to rid her of the lump it had left her with.

"Look, let me offer you a little advice." the wise old Phoneix offered seeing as she was now stalling and unsure of what she was meant to do or even if sitting down on the tree roots would even work, but she was definitely open to whatever he had to say.

"Just remember to do exactly what you were doing before you sat down."

"You mean bathe?" she asked not seeing how that would make a difference.

"Yes bathe.  You must go through exactly everything you did before you sat down.  This is where the root of the problem started." he chuckled at his own wittiness, only it was completely lost on her, because there was nothing funny about having a lump in her tail.

"Then when approach the tree, just make sure that you are in this form.   If you erupt your tails, you might end up even more uncomfortable." he tried to explain and though what he was talking about was not what she was thinking,  he did at least have the decency to blush seeing as he was her elder and she was a mere girl.

"Alright I get it.  I bathe first then approach the tree in my natural form.  Then I just go and sit down where I sat last time?"

"Thats right, only I need to give you a little warning first Xiao Wu." he said suddenly becoming serious which only increased her nervousess.

"The lump in your tail belongs to that tree, so you might feel some strange sensations, and maybe even hear it make noises, but don't worry, this is all very natural so there is no need to be afraid." he reassured her with warm smile only that look in his eye she had seen the day before was there again and she was no longer sure if his advice was sound or not.

"All you have to do is close your eyes and let nature take its course, but whatever you do, do not return until the lump is gone." he added cryptically before quickly leading her to the door.  He had felt the boys energy arrive an hour earlier, so he didn't want him waiting too long or he might leave.  Then again, waiting an hour was good for him too, it taught patience, which he could feel from the boys energy, that he did not have a lot of seeing as he was now pacing.

Almost thrusting her out the door with instructions to keep her eyes closed as well as keeping her hands above her head to give the tree a chance to work its magic, she left for the small clearing with an even more confused look on her face.  If her hands were above her head and her eyes closed, how was that supposed to rid her of the lump, not to mention what magic the tree was supposed to have considering the trees held no magic.

Positive that Zhe Yan was pulling tricks on her but desperate to get the lump gone seeing as she was due to ascend to High Immortal soon, or so her brother had told her, she tried her best to put on a brave face regardless.  If he really was pulling tricks, then she was going to make sure she had fun anyway, and that meant stopping by the wine cellar to collect a few bottles of wine before sending them on ahead, then thinking better of it, she took a few more before sending those too, after all Zhe Yan did say to do exactly what she had done before she sat down.