Cultivation, the body and spirit strengthening method that dominated this world, is something that Tian Leiji has never put in her sight. If she were to be completely honest, it was at least half because of pride for her past world being the best and half because it was too easy for her. Everyone complains about it being hard, but Leiji only needs to close her eyes and meditate a bit and she would be stronger.
Light has professed that this was the case for her too, the entire reason that she looks down on it and this world that seems to see it as supreme. Leiji has thought about it and made several theories, but hasn't quite confirmed any.
This is why the revelation that someone, with their cultivation alone, could have fought Star—before he started being trained by Lightning, that is—on equal grounds is rather shocking. As of now, Leiji would need help from Light and to get her body up to par before being able to fight him. That said, is being a male the reason her body doesn't want to hurry and get to the level normal children are? Females are, after all, physically stronger than males…in her world that is. This world is weird.
Digressing from that subject, the man who could fight Star on equal grounds looks very suspiciously alike Ling Hongyun. Just, older. And smiles more.
Looking at him after being used to Ling Hongyun feels weird.
That isn't even mentioning the fact that the guy broke in and Leiji is the one who has to check it out before some reckless idiot—Hongyun—does and attacks him. "May I ask who you are?"
(A certain someone is abnormally quiet and watching the developments with utmost focus. Lu Leiji mutters under his breath, "Why is this guy here now? Didn't he come out only after that one guy died…")
"It is impolite to ask a person's name without telling your own first."
"It is impolite to enter a house without the master's permission," Leiji retorts. "Are you here for Ling Hongyun?"
Stranger puts down the cup of tea—that is a tea set that Tian Leiji has never seen here before. What the hell?—and smiles a bit helplessly. "Apologies, I thought that that boy tyrannized this place. Yes, and my given name is Fengbao, surname Ling."
Mother said that Hongyun's family…clan? Clan was influential, is that why Stranger who looks like he may just be Ling Hongyun's father so strong? Furthermore, this entire thing seems to have been scripted because Ling Hongyun comes in not even a second after Leiji thinks that and starts muttering what might just be curses under his breath. Light would have been shocked at the pure audacity but the guy…Ling Fengbao smiles again. Ugh, why do so many people Leiji know all smile so much?
It's the "Smiling Group Gathering" all over again!!
"Little boy, why did you let him in?" That 'him' sounded like a curse. Tian Leiji rolled her eyes, and replied to him in the most deadpan tone she could muster. "He let himself in."
Suddenly, a bad feeling welled up in Leiji. That bad feeling multiplied several times when Ling Hongyun's eyes brightened in a way too familiar way and—her Hongyun decided to lunge at the sitting Ling Fengbao with his weapons…Leiji almost forgot that he started bringing them everywhere.
Her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her throat at that moment because Ling Hongyun is attacking someone who she couldn't defeat with this body—
The man just leisurely holds Hongyun by his collar, takes away the weapons and drops him onto the floor. Ling Fengbao hums, then pinches Ling Hongyun's cheeks, seeming exasperated. "Where did you find someone who knows what weapon will best suit you? No, more importantly, do you understand what that stunt you pulled will mean? And it had to be someone the Qin will happily take in? Are you trying to give your family a heart attack?"
Series of questions continue to spill out of Ling Fengbao's mouth and Ling Hongyun's face turned redder with each one, though that may also be from how much his cheeks were being pinched. Tian Leiji inwardly lets herself relax. The guy doesn't seem to have any ill intent.
Light suddenly appears beside Leiji and with a deceptively gentle smile, asks, "May I ask who our guest is?"
"I think it's Hongyun's father but…" the two of them weren't acting very much like that. Said two stops what they were doing and stares at her; Ling Hongyun suddenly kicks Ling Fengbao several times and seems furious, "How could this man ever be my father?"
"I'm his uncle…" Ling Fengbao coughs awkwardly. "Ah Yun's father and I are twins."
Now there was something that made a little more sense. Now why is this man here? Hongyun asks before Leiji gets a chance to, "Why did you come out of seclusion just to come here?"
Normal people would go through seclusion for years on end, but the Ling clan is a special case. Any of them would only need several months or maybe even less before considering coming out. This bit of information suddenly pops out of nowhere and Leiji wonders why such a thing is.
(Lu Leiji rolls his eye, "The Ling were especially annoying and hard to deal with and I couldn't finish through with it before dying. They have a special cultivation technique and are brainwashed to value family the most since young, your Hongyun's case is a little odd."
"He was allowed to leave," Lightning summarizes the doubt before addressing it. "He probably goes back during those monthly leaves then."
"Ling Hongyun, age twenty-two and an Aurora Legend Rank 2 when I killed him." Lu Leiji suddenly smirks, "Let's see if that kind of monster can keep up with you, Tian."
Tian Leiji glares at the man and zones back into reality.)
"Your big brother was scared that his sweet, innocent, adorable little brother was scared of the horrible, sinful world but is too prideful to come back and stay." Ling Fengbao tells Hongyun, whose expression turns thoughtful instead of the usual disdain whenever he hears someone is worried about him.
"Silver," Hongyun suddenly comes to a realization about something and says this. Right after, he turns to Leiji and demands, "Let's spar outside, the woods are still being avoided right now."
His ploy to get her outside is a little too obvious, Leiji goes along with it but sneaks a look at Ling Fengbao who is…staring at her, with the most deliberately blank expression she has ever seen on someone's face. There is an urge to laugh and also a small realization that she isn't the only one with silver hair.
Mother had streaks of silver hair, though they didn't seem dyed or due to age.
Furthermore, Tian Leiji looked a lot like Lu Yanhei, just with different colors. It was easy to say that if she had black hair and eyes, then mistaking her for mother but younger would be far too easy.
Light frowns, her fingers tapping her palm at odd frequencies. Tian Leiji pats her shoulder and motions towards Ling Hongyun, who immediately becomes excited and takes his weapons from where Ling Fengbao had thrown them.
Right, she hadn't fought him yesterday, breaking a routine.
Leiji asks once outside, "Why didn't you tell us your family was coming?"
"I was going to," Hongyun replies, vindictively happy at his following words, "but you didn't spar with me, so I forgot."
"Of course you did." Tian rolls her eyes. What 'I forgot'? That's complete bullsh—oot! He was just sulking because she didn't want to fight him and decided to retaliate by not telling her about something that would happen. Just normal things like that, Lightning and her sister had done that a lot to each other.
But, "What did he want with mother?"
Ling Hongyun falls quiet, before explaining vaguely, "They were actually good friends in the past. I only confirmed it was her after an incident with the Huang."
Tian Leiji asks again, "An incident, not the one two days ago?"
"You fell unconscious that morning and didn't wake up until yesterday." He replied in a rather bitter tone. "I left to look for them after leaving you with that 'Light', but found that your mother got to them first."
He gave her a mock pout after that. "You really should stop talking in your head so loudly, by the way. Or block it. I can hear everything."
Tian Leiji coughed awkwardly at that confession, feeling bad when she thinks of how much nonsense she was probably pouring into his head. Moreover, what did he mean by mother getting to them first? Did he get there only to see a hill of twitching and beaten black humans or something?
"Why exactly does the bird like you so much?" Leiji questions as the bird they were supposed to get rid of that time lands on Hongyun's shoulder. He shoots her a glare and enunciates two words, "Xiao. Qiu."
…why. Tian's eye twitches and she resists the urge to smack him over the head.
Little Circle, Ling might as well have just named it Fluffy! That said, "What did you and Lanbing name the bear cubs?"
"Yi Bai, Er Xue and San Xiong." Tian Leiji is struck speechless for a moment. One White, Two Snow and Three Bear, how very creative of them! Furthermore, was there any need to be that specific in naming them? "Good names."
"I know," he replies smugly, unaware of the sarcasm she had used. Leiji wants to smack him.
Sparring is a good thing, Leiji thinks. She just doesn't like or enjoy it as much as she should because there would be times two certain people would comment about how bad she is at fighting or how off a stance or two are. Then they would tell her about how she should go about training and all that stuff, it's annoying.
Especially when they end it with "in the end, you're still too young" or something similar. So what if Tian Leiji isn't a several century old monster?? That's hardly her fault! Goddamn Lu Leiji and Lightning should stop being all smug about using their age to rule over her damnit! Those two are simply insufferable, when will the other one come back? Leiji misses her a lot, she's the only one who has compassion.
Returning only an hour after leaving, Tian Leiji sees Lu Yanhei's blank expression first. She then looks at Ling Hongyun and smiles, but the anger is so obvious that Leiji wants to cringe a little.
Mother's steps, as always, don't make a single sound, but this time she isn't even trying to conceal the fact. She picks Leiji up, muttering about how dirty she got again before turning to Hongyun with a very carefully blank expression, "I'll deal with you later."
…that sounds ominous. Mother, are you alright with saying this to children? Or is this world just weird? It should be the latter then.
But Ling Hongyun just nods and replies with, "I'll be waiting for you to try."
This world is really, really weird.
Ling Fengbao is still there when they come back, something Ling Hongyun seems angry about. The man is odd, Tian Leiji wants to assume that it is because seeing a smiling and grown up version of Ling Hongyun is simply weird, but he simply stares at her weirdly for way too long and too much.
It is very disconcerting.
"Would you stop staring at him like that?" Oddly enough, it isn't Leiji herself who asks, but Hongyun. He's glaring bitterly at the man, talking with an odd tone. "Don't covet what's mine."
Since f*cking when did Tian Leiji become a belonging?
Nevertheless, Ling Fengbao revealed an exasperated expression and simply asked, "Are you sure that's a boy?"
"We used to bathe together," Ling Hongyun says this with the straightest face a liar could ever make. They have never seen each other naked, or else Hongyun wouldn't have had the misconception that Leiji was a girl for so long. Apparently, the apple doesn't fall far from the tea because Ling Fengbao also thinks she's a girl…
…talking about gender, Leiji preferred calling herself female because in her past world, females are superior to males in the three aspects: physical, emotional and spiritual.
In this world, males are for some reason physically superior, which makes zero sense. Aren't females the ones giving birth—at least, traditionally—so why are males stronger? It doesn't make any sense!
This world is weird.