Qiang Shen didn't know what to say.
When Yin Xue opened his backpack and pulled out a sheet of paper, the first thing they saw was a drawing. The drawing had a lake with some pandas playing on the shore with trees and bamboo in the background but Qiang Shen felt familiar but couldn't remember why.
Thanks to the cultivation, Qiang Shen had an excellent memory and had no trouble remembering anything but for some reason could not remember that drawing. "You can not remember it, right?" Yin Xue said "I'm sorry but I can not" said Qiang Shen while apologizing. "Do not worry" she said, "this drawing is very special to me, it was given to me by the only person who told me I'm beautiful" "but they do not tell you that all the time?" interrupted Jiang Chen. "Yes, but they say it because of my physical appearance, not because of who I really am. This drawing encourages me whenever I feel sad. That day that person told me that I am beautiful because of my smile, that it is better to see me like this and he gave me this drawing," she said.
At that moment, Qiang Shen began to remember an event during his second year of elementary school. That year, her father was transferred by her work to the Guizhou region for almost a year, and her grandfather fell ill, so her mother had to move and take Qiang Shen and Qiang Xun with her so the day after the school trip, he had gone with his mom to fix the transfer papers. While his mother was with the principal, he had gone to the bathroom and when he came out, he found a girl crying, then he took out his drawing book and gave him one of the drawings he had made, he talked a little with her and when he finished , he returned with his mom.
"So, you were that girl?" He ask surprised. "Mm," she said nodding as she smiled.
Without them noticing, Jiang Chen was watching Yin Xue a moment and it was when he realized that the look she gave him to Qiang Shen was not someone wanting to be friends, but a girl in love. "She really could not have fallen in love with Shen Bro for so many years, could she?" he thought.
The truth was that Qiang Shen was always very clueless when it came to love. During his previous life, it was always the girls who declared themselves to him, it was then that he realized that they were interested in him. It got worse after the fateful day, because he was always trying to survive, he was avoiding getting involved romantically with people because he always had to watch them die causing him to close his heart. The last woman he fell in love with was Jasmin.
"I always wanted to see you again to thank you for your drawing," Yin Xue said smiling shyly. "No problem, when you want I can give you another" Qiang Shen replied curtly.
Yin Shue nodded happily
----------------------------------------------
The three of them left the school and went to a nearby park to buy the ice cream that Yin Xue had promised them, while they were walking they were talking about their memories, about how Qiang Shen and Jiang Chen had met, about how she came to know the people and since they only invited her to go out only because of her appearance, they did not mind knowing her. They also talked about their friends, the hobbies of each of them and more things.
Yin Xue knew the past of Jiang Chen and knew about the great friendship that they had.
After buying their ice cream, they continued talking until they were finished. "Well, with this you have already paid your debt, see you tomorrow" said Qiang Shen. "Wait!!" Yin Xue speak "you have not given me your answer, do you think we can be friends?" she ask timidly. "I thought we already were" answered Qiang Shen "or what do you think bro?" "We talked about our pasts, we walked together when we left school and we bought an ice cream, I think we are friends," said Jiang Chen.
This pleased Yin Xue, "then it's time to take the princess to home!!" said Qiang Chen while trying not to laugh. "Yes, what kind of gentlemen we would be if we did not take the lady to her home?," said Jiang Chen. "Yin Xue had never been so happy in her life and had never had male friends, it was quite a new experience for her "eh!? , in what moment did all this fog get?!" Without realizing it, a thick fog began to cover the area where they were.
"F*ck, I became too careless, I thought that being the past would be peaceful but why the hell had to happen," thought Jiang Chen.
Being a cultivator in the pinnacle of the third realism, his synchronization with the energy of the earth and the elements was more acute, so when he became aware of the fog, he immediately recognized the energy that was approaching: energy of death.
"Do not leave me," Qiang Shen said in a serious tone to his friends. "What's going on?" Yin Xue asked curious. She knew it was not a normal fog but that was all, a simple fog, so there was no need to worry.
Suddenly, about 50 meters away from them, they saw a silhouette of a person walking towards them. "Let's go with that person" said Yin Xue "DON'T MOVE!" Shouted Qiang Shen.
Yin Xue was surprised by the cry of Qiang Shen and returned to where his friends were while watching more silhouettes appearing from afar. When one of the silhouettes was close enough to distinguish him, Yin Xue and Jiang Chen could not believe what they were seeing, that was a man in a state of decomposition who was walking. He was a living dead.
"T... that's impossible, those things should not exist!!" Yin Xue said without believing what he was seeing. "Apparently, there is a dark element magician near here," said Qiang Shen, "what you are seeing is not an illusion, that is a true and genuine Zombie and apparently, they have us surrounded."
"Wow, it looks like someone left those kids loose!" They heard a voice coming from behind them. "It seems that this brat is going to get to the third cycle, hehe" seeing the origin of that voice they realized that he was an old man in Wushu1 "ha ha ha, you have talent, learn this technique, it is much better than that simple technique that you are practicing, it will serve you when you reach the third cycle "said the old man as he threw an old and thin book to Qiang Shen. After throwing the book it disappeared, or that was what Jiang Chen and Yin Xue believed. Qiang Shen saw the blurred silhouette of the man advancing rapidly and destroying the zombies while he was laughing
When he saw what was written, Qiang Shen felt as if his heart was stopping.
What was written on the cover of the book was: Cultivation Technique of the Heavenly Dao.
Notes:
1.- Traditional Kung Fu costume