This is fairly easy- accompanied by the laughter of the Water Spirit, walk over to the glowing spots on the water each time they appear.  You will be launched into the air each time- don’t worry, though, you’re not going to be hurt by the fall.  After the fifth spout, Aysa and Liang show up at the edge of the pool, and Aysa comments that ‘that looks pretty fun’, and notes that you’ve now made friends with the spirit.  You can talk to Liang if you like, but all he does is lament that he can’t really play with Shu anymore.  Aysa allows you to complete your quest, though, and pick up a new pair of gloves into the deal.

With the Spirit of Water now following you, Aysa gives you the next quest- as you have contacted Shu, which is what Master Shang wanted, she will return to the temple to let him know of that success.  You, on the other hand, need to head to the South to get in touch with Ji.  The other student waits on the Dai-Lo Farmstead, where he needs your help to find Wugou, the spirit of Earth.  Aysa warns you that Ji can be a bit reckless thanks to how direct he is, and reminds you to have discipline and patience.

Apparently, there is a cart waiting to take you to the farmstead, and will provide you more convenient transit than a run from here to there.

Shu, amusingly, follows you as you go, though he’ll leave once you speak to Ji Firepaw.

Whether you take the cart or not is up to you- depending on your Gathering skill, you may find that riding the cart results in skipping a number of opportunities for resources.  Either way, you arrive in The Rows to find Ji trying to wake up Wugou.  The spirit ‘stands’ asleep beside a large gong.  If you like, you can stand about and watch Ji’s futile efforts to waken the spirit- he tries shouting, striking the gong, begging the spirit, and even threatening and beating on it- all to no avail.

When you speak to him, Ji is glad to see you and explains that while finding the Spirit of Earth was pretty simple, waking him up has been proving.... difficult.  He surmises that the spirit is likely to be a bit sore when he awakes, given all the pushing and hitting Ji has been trying as a way to roust him.

Ji says that he’ll keep trying to wake the Spirit of Earth, but there are other problems that need seeing to as well.  Apparently there are a number of Virmen, a kind of rabbit-like thief, infesting the croplands to the South of the spirit’s resting place.  Ji has been trying to help by slaying the things, but they breed so quickly that the attempt to exterminate them has been pretty futile.