“And that’s how I got the white streak in my hair. Whatever Anglian magic they used didn’t work,” I explain, finishing the story. 

“What happened afterwards?” Zhiqiang asks curiously.

“We moved to the outskirts of the Jun Dynasty. The Emperor let him go, but there were many advisors who wanted to just kill Father. Father took a job as a guard for one of the town’s wealthy merchants. I got Master Xia to take me on as his apprentice.”

“Speaking of which, how did you even get accepted as Master Xia’s apprentice?” Qiao says, finally speaking. “You just showed up one day and made him like you more than me!”

“It’s not really my fault,” I retort. “If I recall, you were slacking off and showing off to the village.”

Qiao sneers. “Unlike you, my father is a court official. Your father turned his back on the country when he resigned from the court.”

“That has nothing to do with what you can get away with!”

Zhiqiang sighs, breaking in between us. “Let’s not fight. It’s almost time for bed anyways.”

I feel somewhat sorry for Zhiqiang, always having to play the peacekeeper for me and Qiao. We’re rivals of sorts, since Qiao looks down on me for not being a noble’s son and me surpassing him in all of our exercises. I know it’s childish of me to be arguing with Qiao, since on technical terms I’m already in my late thirties mentally. But there’s something about him that irks me greatly. 

“Fine, whatever,” Qiao says, feigning disinterest. “I was just mentioning that since we’re talking about Hu’s traaaagic past.”

“We left because the emperor was working with someone who tried to kill us!”

Qiao smirks again. “I highly doubt that. What would the emperor gain from killing someone as insignificant as you?”

I’m about to retort when Zhiqiang steps between us again.

  “Let’s all just go to sleep,” he sighs.

“I need to talk to Master Xia about something,” I suddenly remember, leaving the room. I fly up to the mountain’s peak, where Master Xia lives (did I mention in this world, if your qi core is strong enough, you can do a motion similar to flying?). Much to my chagrin, I’m not naturally skilled in wugong. You would think being reincarnated into a light novel-esque world would make me have OP powers, but it hasn’t as of yet. I still have to meditate and train to cultivate my core just like everyone else, and the only reason I’m slightly advanced for my age is because I understood what Father was talking about when he started training us in wugong. In fact, Father was the one who pressured Master Xia into taking me on as an apprentice, which Master Xia agreed to since Father used to be the Emperor’s Sword. 

Master Xia is eccentric and grumpy. He works us from dawn to dusk, oftentimes making us do chores that have nothing to do with wugong, like learning how to find a specific, rare, kind of berry in order to make his favorite dessert . However, he has one of the highest leveled cores in the Jun Dynasty, and only takes students he deems as worthy enough. When I fly in, Master Xia is floating upside down on the ceiling, muttering nonsense. He looks down as I enter.

“Oh, it’s Lin Hu,” he says. “Why are you here, disturbing my sleep?”

“You’re not sleeping,” I point out.

“Ah, whatever,” he dismisses. “So why are you here?”

“I’d like permission to visit my family,” I tell him. “It’s been a year since I’ve seen them.”

“Your family?” Master Xia asks, looking at me, as if he knows this isn’t my real family. “Do you really care about them that much? You’re always complaining about Long.”

I think about this for a second. Even though they aren’t my real family, having spent seventeen years with them has made me attached to them. Father with his stern yet kind heart, Yan and her contagious enthusiasm, and even Long and our constant bickering. “I do.”

Master Xia regards me for a moment. “Very well, but I do have one condition.”

“What is it?”

“Take Ma Lisu with you.”

It takes a moment for those words to sink in. The forest that lies between Fulian and Luoyang, where my family lives, is treacherous and filled with dangerous monsters and vengeful spirits. Only people who have trained in cultivation dare to make the journey alone or even with one other person. And now Master Xia wants me to take a teenage girl who has never touched a sword into the forest?

As if he’s thought of what I’m thinking right now, Master Xia says, “Don’t worry. Ma Lisu is powerful enough to make the journey. Who knows? Maybe she’ll manifest some new powers.”

On one hand, I don’t want to be stuck with Lisu for the two days it takes to get to Luoyang. But on the other hand, I want to check on my family. Reluctantly, I agree. “Fine, I’ll take Lisu.”

“Good. Now go get some sleep. I’ll go down to the mountain to tell Lisu. You’ll leave tomorrow.”

With that, Master Xia stops floating and runs away into the darkness. There’s no explaining Master Xia’s line of thought, although this is a new kind of weird, even for him. Sighing, I fly back to my dorm, mentally listing the things I need to pack. Inside the dorm, Zhiqiang and Qiao are already asleep. I have to say, Qiao looks much nicer when he’s asleep and not scowling at everything. I pack up my things, being as quiet as I can so as to not disturb them, but Zhiqiang rolls over and wakes anyways.

“Why are you packing?” he asks.

“I’m leaving to visit my family tomorrow. I’ll be gone for a few days.”

“You guys are too loud,” Qiao groans, also waking up. “I can’t believe Master Xia’s star student is taking a break.”

“I’m not taking a break, I’m going to visit my family. Long is taking the imperial examinations soon and I want to be there for him,” I snap, irritated.

“Whatever. Just be quieter, you’re disturbing my beauty sleep,” Qiao replies. 

I shake my head. After stuffing my clothes onto the top of my satchel, I lie down on the mattress, and soon fall asleep.