Dewei provides you with a very important opportunity- the chance to learn a gathering profession and a production profession- or two gathering professions or two production professions if you prefer one of those setups.  He can teach you the basics of any profession- anything needed for Apprentice level... well, any of the primary gathering and production skills.

Jojo, on the other hand, says only to gather some reeds from the nearby pools and not to bother him about reasons.  He refers to Hard Tearwood Reeds, which are scattered around in the various pools that form the Singing Pools region.

The Singing Pools, as it turns out, are very aptly named- you will only be able to sing if you fall into them.  This is because for most of the pools, as long as you are touching the water.... you are transformed.  This wouldn’t be so bad- your movement speed stays the same, after all- if not for the fact that a number of things are to be accomplished here by actions that you cannot perform while turned into a critter- and all of them are in, or involve crossing, the various pools.

Returning to Jojo with the reeds garners you a silver coin- and he then tells you to step back while he demonstrates how mighty he is.  He accomplishes this by simultaneously breaking all the reeds you brought him.... with his face.  That done, Jojo then turns and walks away.

That brief diversion over, you can go find Aysa, who sits on a rock in a nearby pool.  She explains the idea of the pools- one which will be familiar to many older players who know of a curious manga called ‘Ranma ½'.  Namely- these pools are each relevant to a particular animal that died in that pool.  Whatever that animal was, anyone touching the waters of the pool will take on the form of it.  Naturally, some pools are more dangerous than others.

Aysa says that she needs to find a route to locating Shu- and she will meditate to achieve this.  While she does so, you are to head to the pool to the West and cross the balance poles without dropping into the water.  At the end of the balance poles is a bell that you will need to ring.  If you fall off the poles, of course, you will be turned into a frog, which makes getting atop them again pretty much impossible.  Given that the pool is full of hungry cranes, frogs are far from the best small animal to be turning into, so this can be a bit of a pain.  Thankfully, the pool isn’t terribly wide, and the crane immediately forgets you exist the moment you turn back into a panda.  Just.... don’t ask how a frog drowns.