Spores

After the brief introductions, Zhu Jin had led Bai Shuixian to a small running stream. Though she was still a bit confused by the situation and everything that had happened, cleaning herself up was still priority. At the same time, she wondered why she felt no fear for the white tiger.

Amongst the many feelings she had at the moment, curiosity was the biggest she felt. She wanted to know what Zhu Jin meant by her name being important. Not only that, what controlled her during the conversation she had with the tiger?

Bai Shuixian had many thoughts running in her head, but decided that it was better to ask later on. Right now, she felt that her body was grotesque and disgusting. She had a feeling that she might vomit if she were to try and smell herself.

However, she had no change of clothing either. Thinking about it, she did not even know how to enter this forest. Not only that, only once in a while did she actually understand what was going on.

The times of which being during a meal. Unfortunately, Xuan Yueji wished for her to be independent, but he was a horrible teacher. He was not exactly the best person to be narrating a story, nor his actions.

Of course, Bai Shuixian did not know this. During the times when she was not in control of her body, she just thought that she was dreaming or unconscious. She only interpreted that the person calling her name was a voice she heard in her head and there to keep her from killing herself.

Sighing, she asked Zhu Jin, "Is there any possibility that I can find a new outfit in this forest?"

Humming a thinking voice first, Zhu Jin answered, "There's none."

Bai Shuixian already expected the answer. She just had her hopes up because she came to know of a talking tiger. Honestly, who would imagine that there was a human speaking white tiger in a forest that was in the middle of nowhere?

"However," Zhu Jin started. "I do have a few outfits in my cave."

With glowing eyes, Bai Shuixian asked, "Really? Where's your cave?"

"Patience," Zhu Jin said. "Patience."

Hearing that word, Bai Shuixian calmed down her excited nerves. She had no idea if another person would ever feel the same she felt right now. But when thinking of her situation, she thought that there was probably none.

Seeing that she had quelled her excitement, Zhu Jin finally stated, "I only have outfits for females and… I don't think they fit your size."

Tilting her head to the side, Bai Shuixian asked, "Why only for ladies and none for boys? Also, size doesn't matter. Haven't you heard of the saying, 'one size for all'?"

"Well, then… I suppose I can bring you to my cave," Zhu Jin coughed. "Please get on my back."

Although she was happy to be able to take a seat and not walk, she also worried for the tiger's health. She did not know how old it was, but based on the voice alone she estimated Zhu Jin to be an old man. Which means the tiger should be an old tiger and not a young one.

Perceiving her worry, Zhu Jin informed, "Please don't worry about my back. Though I may be a bit wounded, it's not so much that I can't carry your weight."

Receiving the notice, Bai Shuixian finally let go of her concerns and got on the back of the tiger. Only when she stably sat on his back, did he tell her to hold onto his neck as he sped to his cave. While she tightly held onto his neck, she noticed that there was lots of blood leaking from who knows where.

Quiet at first, she did not say anything, but when she saw that there was more blood dripping, she asked, "Zhu Jin, why are you bleeding so much?"

Zhu Jin was a little astonished at her question, but still ran and answered it.

"The thorns on the bushes look harmless, but they're actually different from the normal thorns you see in the plants outside of this forest," Zhu Jin told her. "On each thorn, is a spore that attaches on whoever touches it. Just consider the spore something like a parasite that sucks blood to live."

Intrigued by the plant, she continued to ask, "So, there's something sucking your blood right now?"

"No," Zhu Jin replied. "The spore isn't an animal or insect. It's just an external part of a bush. That's why I'm bleeding."

"I see…" she silently mumbled. "Is there a way to remove the spores?"

"Yes," he answered.

"Is it hard?" she inquired.

"Not at all," he responded. "I just need to wash myself with hot water and the spores will naturally detach."

Imagining a tiger boiling hot water and washing its back, Bai Shuixian laughed a little. Zhu Jin felt her stuffing her face in his fur and shaking. He wondered what she was chuckling about.

"What are you laughing about?" Zhu Jin questioned.

Having gotten caught, she asked back, "How did you know I was laughing?"

"I could feel your shaking, how did you expect me to not know?" Zhu Jin wryly asked. "Now answer my question. What are you laughing about?"

"Ah, I was just imagining you trying to clean yourself with hot water," Bai Shuixian briefly went over what she imagined.

If she explicitly told him what she had in her head, would he not shake her off his back? Her limbs were still painful from traveling and overusing it. She did not want to harm herself anymore than it already was.

"Idiot," Zhu Jin reprimanded. "This great white tiger does not do such menial tasks like boiling water."

Bai Shuixian almost fell over his back when she heard his comeback. She did not expect him to know that she had thought up of such a thing. However, she also did not know that he did not boil water.

Curious, she asked, "Then, how do you get hot water?"