It's A She?

When Zhu Jin finished cleaning the spores from his fur, he left the spring and went to search for some balm. He admired Bai Shuixian. Despite having cuts and scratches all over his feet, he still managed to walk to the stream with him.

Zhu Jin did not know that Bai Shuixian was a girl. If he did, he might have shown even more respect towards her. However, that was not the most important point.

He planned to take Bai Shuixian to the Temple of Clairvoyance. The temple was found in the inner layer of the forest and up high in the mountains. It was almost inaccessible and despite there being knowledge of an easy to enter the temple, nobody was able to find it.

This also included him. Zhu Jin did not know why he could not find the entrance to the temple even though he had lived in the forest for over a decade. He only knew the way to the mountain and the shortcuts to reaching the mountain. Sighing a little, he pondered over how he was supposed to help Bai Shuixian meet the priest in that temple.

Grabbing the balm and leaving the cave, Zhu Jin searched for the tiny figure of Bai Shuixian. When he saw her near the sensitive plants with beautiful purple flowers, he walked to her. As she heard his footsteps, she turned to him.

"I brought this for your feet," Zhu Jin told her.

Staring at her feet first, she then responded, "Thank you. The running made the bottoms of my shoes peel."

"I apologize," Zhu Jin humbly said.

Chuckling, Bai Shuixian said, "It's fine. Didn't you tell me that you barely eat? You must be hungry."

Shaking his head, he replied, "Not really. I hunt beforehand so that I can eat and continue meditating."

"I see," Bai Shuixian muttered. "Say, do you know how to get out of this forest?"

Tilting his head, Zhu Jin asked, "Why do you want to leave this forest?"

"Isn't it inhabitable?" Bai Shuixian questioned.

"Only the outer layers are," Zhu Jin stated. "Once you enter the inner layer, there is a drastic difference between this layer."

"Is that so?" Bai Shuixian curiously asked.

"Yes," Zhu Jin answered. "I believe it is the priest's doing, but for years the forest has been a mystery to many humans and creatures."

"A mystery?" Bai Shuixian repeated.

"Yes," Zhu Jin nodded. "I don't know how, but the temperature and the fog that surrounds the forest is not mother nature's work. Including the vastness of this second layer that looks like mirrors."

"Hm… Then what's the inner layer like?" Bai Shuixian inquired.

"The inner layer is like the heavens," Zhu Jin said with excitement in his eyes.

Seeing his glowing pupils, Bai Shuixian asked for descriptions.

"Well, first of all, they have the purest water there," Zhu Jin started off. "And then they have lots of animals and plants. Compared to this place, they have everything you need to survive there. Also, you don't need to be scared of the coldness there. It's not hot nor is it too cold there. Just a perfect place to live at."

Looking at him as he rambled off about the inner layer, Bai Shuixian began to have a growing interest in that place. Not only that, he stated that the Temple of Clairvoyance was there. Though she has never heard of the temple, Zhu Jin had said that it could be likely due to the priest there that the forest was so mysterious and protected.

Her original intention of leaving the forest was dropped and she asked, "Zhu Jin, is there a way to reach the inner layer easily?"

Laughing loudly, Zhu Jin proudly stated, "Little boy, you're not talking to just an ordinary tiger. Remember that. In this forest, I have the best memory and fastest ways to travel."

"Really?" Bai Shuixian eagerly asked with her hands brought to her chest to show her excitement.

"Yes!" Zhu Jin pridefully answered. "Now, put that balm on your feet and climb on my back! I'll take you there."

Excited to enter the inner layer, Bai Shuixian quickly slathered a handful of the balm on her feet that was on the soft green grass. It was bad that she did not carefully handle her feet, but she was too engrossed with the thought of the paradise-like place that she could not care for her feet. After all, she was sure her body could heal itself without the use of medicine.

Finished with applying the balm, she set the container on a rock nearby and climbed on top of Zhu Jin without warning.

Immediately after, she eagerly exclaimed, "Zhu Jin, let's go!"

Hearing her command, Zhu Jin sprinted at full speed while laughing. When they left the bright green area of his cave, he thought about how she behaved like a child sometimes. Most times she was mature, but there were a few times that her age came out.

"Zhu Jin, are there other carnivores in the inner layer?" Bai Shuixian finally remembered to ask.

"Naturally there are others," Zhu Jin answered. "Most of them will do no harm nor cause any harm as long as you're with me."

"Why is that?" Bai Shuixian asked.

"Because I scared them off by attacking too many creatures before meeting the lady back then," Zhu Jin said.

"Then, if I become strong, they also won't attack me?" Bai Shuixian curiously asked, with this theory in her head.

"Most likely," Zhu Jin responded. "However, I doubt they will believe you're strong with how small you are."

Listening to his words, she made sense of it. Staring down at herself and the palms of her hands, she agreed with Zhu Jin.

In a complaining voice, Bai Shuixian said, "It's not my fault that I'm small. I'm still only six years old. Besides, girls are smaller than boys."

"Hm?" Zhu Jin slowed down his pace. "You're not a boy?"

Bai Shuixian looked at him and asked, "You thought I was a boy?"

"You were wearing boy clothes when I saw you," Zhu Jin admitted.

A little mad, Bai Shuixian smacked his head and asked, "Couldn't you tell from my voice?"

"How am I supposed to know what a little girl's voice sounds?" Zhu Jin remarked guiltily.

Sighing, Bai Shuixian told him, "My mother dressed me as a boy since I was born so I didn't have any clothes for girls."

"Why did your mother do that?" Zhu Jin with his ears perking, showing his interest in the topic.