Although her eyes were beautiful, so much so that they could take anyone's breath away, they were also cold, so much so that for a second Jing Shao thought they would freeze his bones. She was wearing simple clothes like any other girl in the village. Her sleeves were long and somewhat large for her small body, and the ribbon that held her tunic to her waist hung loose, unadorned. Her little shoes were worn out. She wore her hair down, although a piece of old cloth held it behind her neck so it wouldn't cover her eyes. She had a dominant air about her. Her eyes looked at her with arrogance and distance, something that would not normally be seen in a ten-year-old girl.
Mei Lin approached with a childish but firm voice as if she were annoyed. "Give me the box," Mei Lin said to her brother without even looking at Jing Shao.
Mei Lin was a little taller than Mei An, so she took the box and put it in its place. Jing Shao noticed a distance from her as if the world had nothing to do with her. He didn't steal her any more glances after seeing her attitude. However, he was somewhat uneasy with this pair of Mei An siblings. Although he didn't have blue eyes, he looked a lot like Mei Lin physically.
She had black eyes, snow-white skin, long hair in a ponytail, and sun-kissed red cheeks. She was truly adorable.
Jing Shao was rarely interested in anything but children she barely met. Today was so strange. She didn't want to think about it.
A few days had passed since their first meeting, Mei An appeared every morning with food and they talked until almost dusk. Jing Shao told him about his travels and the boy happily listened. One afternoon, the boy ran to Jing Shao's house like almost every day
"Sir Taoist! Sir Taoist! Let's play rock throwing in the river. Mei Lin is lazy and won't play with me." The boy pouted at Jing Shao, who just shook his head with a low laugh. "I can't. I have to fix the walls of my house. I'm planning on staying for a while, and it's cold at night. I'm sorry." Mei An was a little sad, lowering her head slightly. "Sir Taoist, you're very poor."
Jing Shao blushed a little and lightly scratched his head. "Help me clean up a little," Jing Shao said, a little embarrassed at being called poor. He and Mei An spent the afternoon cleaning.
Jing Shao had barely finished cleaning a corner of his humble house when he heard soft footsteps behind him. He was surprised and turned his head carefully. He saw a woman with a kind face. She looked like Mei Lin and Mei An. She must be their mother, Jing Shao thought. "Forgive me for intruding," he said with a calm smile. "My name is Mei Hua, Mei An and Mei Lin's mother." She approached, holding a folded blanket, some worn clothes, and a small set of ceramic dishes.
-My husband isn't home much lately, he's been working far away for a few years now, so these things... well, they've been stored away for a while now: a small bed, some clothes he doesn't use anymore, and a low table for eating. I'll tell my daughter Lin to bring it, as well as some plates and a small pot. It's not much, but if you're moving here, it would be very useful.
Jing Shao had a warm heart, "These people, even though they don't have much, don't hesitate to give me these little things," Jing Shao thought. He felt that these people were very kind.
Not long after Mrs. Mei left, Mei Lin came in with a small dining table.
"Hello, Taoist sir, please tell me where I can put it."
Jing Shao looked at her out of the corner of his eye.
"Please, right there in the center."
There was something about that girl. She wasn't warm or kind. She had a cold and arrogant air about her face, and her way of walking was similar to that of immortals. Jing Shao knew she wasn't a cultivator. He was almost certain that these two children couldn't even read or write.
He shook his head, coming to his senses, and looked away. Mei Lin looked at him out of the corner of her eye but didn't pay attention.
After Mei Lin left to take care of her own business, Jing Shao approached Mei An, who was cleaning the leaves outside.
"Your sister..." she said in a low voice, as if she were afraid I'd hear.
"Hmm? What's wrong, Taoist sir? Did she make you angry or make you feel bad? Please don't pay attention to her. She's very cold to outsiders."
Jing Shao panicked a little and shook his hands.
"No, no, no. I just wanted to ask if you've ever gotten sick?"
"Actually, my mom says it's very strange. My sister and I have never gotten sick. Why?" Mei An said, a little curious at the sudden question.
Jing Shao hesitated, his fingers tapping against the table.
"Can I feel your pulse and your sister's? It's just an old assumption, nothing out of the ordinary."
Surprisingly, Mei Lin was nearby.
"Mei Lin!" Mei An shouted without thinking. "The Taoist sir wants to read our palms. Come! Come!"
She looked at him with a serious expression, as if she felt her brother was very stupid. She approached.
When she reached Jing Shao, she extended her hand and Jing Shao gently took it. Her skin was as soft as plum petals. When he took her pulse, he frowned. He felt a great flow of spiritual power, obviously undeveloped. Jing Shao came back to his senses, still frowning slightly. Mei Lin, noticing his face, quickly let go of her hand. As if that action had completely awakened Jing Shao, she knew she had used a somewhat strange expression, so she changed it to a slight smile.
"Do you... know what spiritual energy is?"
They both looked at him in bewilderment. He had no idea what this man was talking about.
Jing Shao, noticing their confused looks, said, "Spiritual energy can be obtained through cultivation. Forming a spiritual core can take years or even half a lifetime. You have to put in a lot of effort. Those who practice cultivation are called cultivators."
-Most cultivators risk their lives to protect the common people, and some of them go into seclusion to meditate until they ascend to heaven. Others do so to achieve immortality and live many years on Earth. Mei An seemed very excited, his expression was full of curiosity, while Mei Lin watched him silently as if she were paying close attention to what this man was saying.
Jing Shao was silent for a moment, as if searching for the right words, then spoke seriously.
"This path is not easy, but I can teach you."
"Sir Taoist, sir Taoist, teach me how to kill demons and become very strong," Mei An said, almost jumping with excitement.
Mei Lin had a sparkle in her eyes, as if she also wanted to learn, but was too shy to say so.