Ju slowly got up and sat cross-legged in contemplation. The rewards he got from the encounter were generous enough for him to train and cater to Moon Flower for a significant amount of time.

Ju had only opened three out of nine nodes, which was still a small number. The fourth node proved to be immensely difficult to open, but with the meditation room, maybe things would change. Ju thought about Master Pike's talking about forming a core, but Ju could not see that happening anytime soon.

“But that tournament might be of help.”

However ,would Ju be strong enough to partake when it was time?

“The chances are quite low.”

Ju heard a light knock on the door, snapping him from his thoughts. A young woman with an ordinary face entered carrying a large tray. Just behind her, another woman dropped three sets of clothing.

Both of the maids looked amazed when they saw Ju. His skin was so white, so pure it looked unreal, and his face, although very child-like, was perfect in all dimensions. His eyes, like purple gemstones, displayed anger, but they quickly went away as he stood up to cover himself, at least.

“I must never be in this sort of situation again!”

Even though they seemed fascinated, the maids did not linger in the room and immediately left. It seemed like they had been given strict orders. The clothes set consisted of an Inner small shirt, an intricate chest piece of dark leather stained deep mahogany, marked with a silver design and a long flowing gray cloak, similar to the one he had previously, but this one was of better quality. But Ju did not look at them first.

The spirit stones glowed well enough, even in the dimly lit room. Ju took one and observed it. He had seen spirit stones numerous times, the finished product of the mines. But he had never been able to call one his own, and now he had four. Even the normally calm Ju felt a bit emotional.

Some time passed before Ju left the place, and Master Pike did not see him again. Looking back at the large residence, There were hardly any people around. It seemed like the Essence artist valued his privacy. Apart from the two maids who came earlier, Ju did not see anyone else.

“I would exchange one spirit stone for gold coins; then tomorrow, I would go to the meditation room. I should not delay it; anything could happen. But first of all, I have to see Moonflower. She must be so worried.”

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It was the longest he had ever gone without her presence.

As he approached the inn, Ju had an odd feeling, especially when he saw Madam Pang at the counter donning the appearance of a comely, unassuming old woman, not the powerful Essence Artist that Ju had witnessed a few days before.

When Madam Pang saw Ju, she gave her usual small smile. Back then, Ju thought it was a bit weird, but right now, the young boy could not help but feel fear. However, his expression was still calm.

“You seem well enough, little one; Pike said that your injuries were quite grievous, but it looks like he was exaggerating. “ she softly said.

“Come, let me examine you.” Madam Pang continued.

Ju felt cold, but he knew he had no choice. As he approached, Madam Pang placed her hand on his. It didn’t seem like she had that much strength. In fact, Ju felt a soothing feeling, which only made him more cautious.

After a few seconds, Madam Pang withdrew her hand.

“You seem well enough, though your Essence flow seems a bit…turbulent. Impurities, perhaps?”

“Yes, it had accumulated through my regular battles.”

“Do you have a meditation technique?”

“Tempering Formula.”

“I suspected as much, certainly not the ideal technique, but then… that’s the best a lone Essence user could use. My Meditation technique is unsuitable for your constitution, even if I wanted to help you.” Madam Pang frowned.

She then reached for underneath her table and placed a few white pills in front of Ju.

“You can use this to offset a bit of the damage.”

Ju had a faint look of surprise, but he softly gave his thanks.

Although white pills such as these had less effect on an Essence Artist, they were still valuable.

“Your sister has been restless but still calm. It seems like she had absolute faith that you would come back. If you think about it, it is nice to have someone to always return to.” Madam Pang muttered wistfully, but Ju was already up the stairs and hadn’t heard her last statement.

As he knocked on the door in the usual coded way, Ju could not help but feel guilty. Although the task was impossible to avoid, the young boy decided firmly that he would make it up to her.

The door opened slowly, and Ju’s breath quickened when he finally saw the girl he had adopted as his sibling. She looked pale, so pale that Ju wondered if she was eating while he was away. He had made sufficient provisions.

“You are back.” She said lightly.

“Yes…yes, I am.”

She then went to embrace him, and the room was silent. Before he came in, Ju thought he would have to explain and pacify him a lot. However, the young boy now realizes that all of that is unnecessary with Moon Flower. He was finally here, and that was all that mattered.