Saturday morning.
The birds chirped happily while the sun started to rise.
Fishes swam carelessly in the nearby lake as some leaves fell on it.
It was the 21st of September.
Due to the season changing, the temperatures dropped slightly as the gentle wind made the trees dance in harmony.
Sitting on a sofa, Bai Cheng had his arms around Bai Juan. They both enjoyed the beautiful scenery.
Relaxing for the first time since 6 years ago.
....
On the other hand, the kids were still in the same sweet position they were yesterday.
Opening her eyes, Bai Juan saw Ash's calm face. He was sleeping like a baby while his hair covered part of his face.
Bai Ling watched him sleep. There were no thoughts on her mind as curiosity took over her slowly.
Reaching for Ash's darkish blue stary hair with a blank mind, she flipped it to the side gently, leaving it behind his ear.
"Hmm." Ash opened his eyes while Bai Ling still had her hand on his face. They were cold and deep as he looked straight at Bai Ling with no emotion at all... Like he was a dead person.
Shiver...Bai Ling felt her back going numb for a second.
"Oh, Ling..." Ash woke up after a second and exclaimed. His blue eyes turned warm and sparkly again.
"Good morning." he smiled gently, still staring at her.
"Oh.." Bai Ling responded blankly. She thought that her life was in danger for a second... Was she hallucinating?
Snif, Snif... "I will go take a shower." Ash said and went to his room after he sensed that he stank of sweat.
Snif. "I should probably go too." thought Ling. She felt sticky all over her body.
...
Today both Ling and Ash didn't have school to attend which meant they had more time for cultivation and training.
After breakfast Ash went straingt in his room and started cultivating.
Although yesterday Ash fell asleep from energy exhaustion, thanks to his 14 opened meridians, today he was feeling refreshed and full of energy.
Cultivating was hard and it needed a lot of mental stamina while training exhausted the physical body.
With this in mind, Ash took his clothes off and sat cross legged on the floor.
Nature essence came in through the window along with the winds as Ash sucked it in from his meridians and special breathing, called 'Nature's Breath' described in the 'Mortality Treanscendence' guide.
Cultivators looked at cultivation as time for themselves. The only exeption being, if they had a partner: often called 'Dual cultivation'.
Alone, one could free oneself from all distractions and connect with Nature, becoming one with it. Comprehending it's laws.
5 hours later 3 more meridians got unlocked. Ash's skin became free of impurities and his muscles got stronger, although they looked almost the same as before.
Now he could hardly lift 20 kg with just one hand. The feeling was amazing. What normal 14 y.o. Teenagers couldn't do, he could.
Along with that, his body became a little bit tougher and his eyesight- better.
Now it was almost time for lunch.
Needing a little mental rest, Ash went dow the stairs to the third floor.
Thre Bai Cheng was reading something from a futuristiic looking device, lost in thought.
On the other hand, Bai Juan was in the kitchen, preparing food. Bai Ling was helping her in the meanwhile.
"Want help?" Ash asked while approaching the mother and daughter duo.
"Oh..." Bai Juan turned arround while standing on a chair. "Just in time." she smiled with her sweetest smile. Something surfaced in her mind suddenly.
"My back hurts a bit and i can't reach some of the things without moving my chair. I will go take a break while you can go and finish preparing the lunch with Ling." hopping down from the chair she started walking towards the sofa where Bai Cheng was sitting.
" Show him what to, Ling." Bai Juan said before jumping in Bai Cheng's lap.
Watching them from the side, Ash thought for a second before turning his head and staring at Bai Ling.
She was looking at her mother, not knowing what to say.
Ash wondered how would Ling turn out when she grew up. Would she become as adorable as her mother, or...
And while he was in his own world of imagination, Bai Ling woke up from her daze.
Noticing Ash's curious gaze, she was totaly oblivious to his thoughts, thinking he was just wondering what to do.
"Take the vegetables on your left, wash them good and then cut them. After you are done, put them in the pot and then get me the spices from up there." Bai Ling instructed and started busying herself with the meat.
"Oh." with a nod, Ash washing and cutting the vegetables.
They both looked like a newly wed couple.
While the kids were preparing lunch, Bai Juan was excitedly watchimg them from afar. Her small hands were gripping Bai Cheng's left arm.
Noticing her 'excitement' (2) getting stronger, Bai Cheng turned his head in the direction of the kitchen. When he saw the two kids cooperating, his heart got warmer.
"Good job!" he whispered to Bai Juan and kissed her on the top of her head.
...
Dinner was soon ready and served. The atmosphere- lively, the food-delicious. It was the perfect family moment.
"Ash, what do you say we invite your parents over some day?" suddenly, Bai Cheng asked.
He was somewhat curious about the parents of a prodigy even if they were to be just mortals.
"Sure." Ash responded after a moment of hesitation. He knew perfectly well what Bai Cheng was thinking, but also didn't care that much too.
He wasn't embarrased in any way living here, nor was he embarrased about anyone knowing about Bai Ling.
As someone who looked cold and emotionless most of the time, no girl tried to approach him.
He may have smiled a few times and even laughed, but that was mostly with his family: rarely with his schoolmates.
Never thinking about having a relationship with someone, Ash was kind of surprised when one such hit him so suddenly.
Maybe Ash accepted Bai Ling in order to be able to cultivate at first, but he got curious after a day of thinking.
Bai Ling seemed calm, elegant and beautiful. Maybe he could see some other interesting things about her with time.
Maybe he could learn to... 'love', the greatest bliss one could have, according to his father, Hyder.
Thinking that his parents may also be happy about him having a fiancee, Ash realy wanted to see them smile.
"I will call them tonight and invite them for dinner tomorrow." he smiled, glancing at Bai Ling. She looked more atractive with each day.
...
After dinner, Ash studied the 'Abyssal Counter techniques' book that Bai Cheng gave him.
There was a picture for every move and under it a scheme, showing how Nature essence moved through the body.
The moves were well described, but alas... they were impossible to execute at his current level.
Knowing that, Ash went to uncle Lee to learn some new moves and defensive stances before getting a shower and going for dinner.
"Father..." Ash called Hyder after dinner.
"Ash, how are you?" Hyder sounded excited. "Tell us about school, did you make friend? You aren't lonely living by yourself, right?"
Bombarded by so many questions, Ash replied "Everything is good. Are you free to come tomorrow? My fiancee's parents want to invite you and mom for dinner."
"Sure, we will co~me... Fiancee? Hyder sounded shocked from the other side.
" It's been only 6 days since you live alone... And you already have a girlfriend?" was this a joke?
But it can't be, Hyder thought. He never heard
Ash joking before.
"Some things happened which are hard to explain on the phone... Anyways, I'll be waiting for you tomorrow at 6pm." Ash closed the phone before being showered by another wave of questions.
Thinking about the family meeting, Ash suddenly remembered something... How was he to explain to his parrents what happened in the past few days.
"Meh, I'll leave it to Ling's parents to deal with it." Ash thouht and went to bed after another 5 hours of cultivation.
The black substance no longer appeared as his body was now free of impurities. With 20 opened meridians, Ash's abilities were enhanced yet again, but that didn't stop him from falling asleep right away. Cultivation was extremely taxing to the mind after all.