That same afternoon the sun was beginning to set behind the mountains. The sky had a faint orange color, but they didn't stop practicing. Mei An went to rest a little. They had been practicing for hours. He noticed that his sister wasn't planning on resting for now. He sat under a cherry tree with the wooden sword still warm in his small hands. They had repeated the technique over and over again, just as Jing Shao had taught them.
The boy was panting and sweating. He felt that since he started, his movements were somewhat clumsy, but Mei Lin's weren't much better. Even though they both practiced for a long time, their movements were so clumsy. Mei An: "So stupid, why don't you rest?" Mei An thought that her sister definitely wouldn't listen to him. To her surprise, Mei Lin turned her head. She felt very angry. "Do you really think that because you're my brother, I wouldn't skin you alive?" said the ten-year-old girl, who could barely hold the wooden sword.
Mei An got scared and then laughed, taking it as a joke. He wasn't the only one scared by that statement. Jing Shao also heard it and of course laughed too. He was like a little kitten sharpening its claws. Mei Lin's face was super red. She never spoke loudly. What mosquito bit her to make her say so much nonsense? With her red ears, she turned around and continued practicing.
By then it was already night. Jing Shao saw how clumsy Mei Lin was at first, and his heart felt very amused. These two children had been trying hard all afternoon.
Jing Shao: "You can stop practicing. I'll teach you how to do it." With these words, he summoned his sword and let Mei Lin step aside next to her brother.
The night sky was clear and the moon hung high, bathing the stone floor in a soft, silvery light. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Then he moved Tianhui. His movements were precise, almost ethereal. The blade danced in the air with a grace that defied logic. Each step he took was silent, as if he were floating, and his robes moved with the wind in perfect harmony with the blade.
The moonlight shone on his sword, dyeing its steel with white and blue reflections. There was no clumsiness, no hesitation. Only calm and perfection. Every thrust, every twist was the result of years of discipline. Jing Shao was no ordinary master; he was a true immortal, sculpted by night and silence.
Even though they were a little far away, the wind cut by Tianhui splashed Mei Lin in the face when she saw this man... this immortal, this god refusing to ascend, having such beautiful sword movements, she felt her breathing become heavy, her heart was beating so fast that she thought for a moment it would burst out of her chest.
She wanted to look away, but she simply couldn't. When Mei An's reaction wasn't any different, the boy started to cry. "Why are you crying?"
"It's... so beautiful."
Mei Lin: .....
When Jing Shao finished showing them, his forehead was covered in beads of sweat. He was a little tired. Mei Lin couldn't help but see this man's handsome face, his cheeks slightly flushed from tiredness.
Suddenly, he blushed so much that he lowered his head and literally ran away.
Jing Shao: ....
Mei An: ....
When she got home she locked herself in her room almost immediately she was gasping for breath her face was completely red she grabbed her chest tightly "what is this feeling?" she couldn't understand it she had seen Jing Shao's face many times why was it different today?
She forced herself to calm down. A knock came from behind her door. Mei Lin jumped slightly in fright. It was Mei An. "Jie, jie. Why did you run away? You scared Shizun and me a lot." This wasn't a lie. It was the first time she saw her sister so embarrassed and running away so quickly. She felt confused, but the truth is that Mei Lin didn't know why she ran away so quickly. The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she became. She covered her face with her small hands and forced herself to calm down. She felt like it was so stupid to react like that. She said to her brother, "Come in." The two of them were practicing writing, very focused. Mei Lin's already calmed heart began to stir again when her brother mentioned Shizun's sword technique, but she forced herself not to let anything escape her beautiful face.
-Hmm, Shizun's sword technique isn't bad- she said this very casually as if her heart wasn't about to explode every time she remembered it. She promised herself that she would never do something as embarrassing as running away again. She felt like she was being a coward for a feeling she didn't recognize.
And as he said, he trained very hard every day. It didn't take long to perfect his Shizun's sword technique. Jing Shao was quite proud and surprised. One day, they were meditating and Jing Shao took a look at his disciples who had their eyes closed. He felt that they really did look alike, but he also noticed another detail. They were both wearing the same clothes, the fabric was worn and a little dirty. Jing Shao felt very ashamed. What kind of Shizun was he? He was in the middle of self-criticism when an idea occurred to him. He didn't tell them immediately, he went back to meditating with them as if nothing had happened.
A quiet afternoon after several days of hard training, the sun slowly fell over the horizon, dyeing the sky with golden and pink hues. The breeze was soft, like a whisper announcing the end of an intense day. Mei Lin and Mei An were sitting under the eaves of the house, their clothes stuck to their bodies from sweat. Jing Shao came out of the house with a small wooden box in his hands. His expression was softer than usual. "Come here." The children approached obediently. Mei An blinked several times, her breathing was heavy. Mei Lin kept her face serious, but it was almost impossible to hide her tiredness.
Jing Shao slowly bent down and opened the box. Inside, neatly folded, were two brand-new sets of clothes. The fabric was firm but soft, a deep blue with white edges hand-stitched across the chest. A small embroidered symbol appeared: a closed lotus, the emblem he himself had chosen for them.
-Here, your new uniforms- he said in a low voice without seeking praise- they are not as fine as those of the ten great sects but they are made with good fabrics. I bought them with some money I had left and I sewed them myself. When you become great cultivators, know that you were trained by me and that I am your master.
Mei An opened her eyes wide. Her hands, a little trembling, touched the fabrics with wonder and appreciation. Mei Lin bit her lip and looked down. It was that feeling again, but she stubbornly refused to react in the same way, so she just bowed. "This disciple thanks Shizun." Mei An followed her example and did the same.
-But it's very pretty... Shizun, did you really make it? - Jing Shao didn't know whether to laugh or cry, he was amused and somewhat offended by Mei An's question. -Of course I made them. You should be grateful. It has my official symbol.