About two weeks had passed since Zhou xinqiu had first opened the box from her mother. without stopping she had been practicing the techniques she had been given. Her diligence had turned out to be very fruitful, she had reached a pretty good mastery in the first level of the forbidden flame mastery technique and even began to study the 'realization of death'. However, no matter how much she tried, she wasnt able to be successful in the five demonic revolutions. She practiced the basics of the technique but all of it ended up resulting in minor progress.
"Teacher, how come im not able to practice the five demonic revolutions? Isnt it only a low earth tier technique?" Zhou Xinqiu asked.
"Honestly im not quite sure, but since your mother gave you this technique, im sure you shouldnt give up too easily on it. After all, its only been two weeks. In the realm im currently training in, it might even take one or two whole years of training to master the basics of a single technique." Qin Gong waved his hand and disappeared back into her body.
"Zhou Xinqiu! Come to the main hall", a loud voice echoed out onto the hill that Zhou xinqiu was training on.
"Ah, this old man wont let me be in peace" She picked up her things, stored them into the ring and walked down the hill.
"Qiu'er, I've discussed with the rest of the sect members, and we have decided to send you and the youth of the sect to the main capital of the Yan empire. They have quite a lot of opportunities there and a lot of academies to learn from. I was able to get admission letters from one of the academies for you and a few other of our youths to enter the great mountain academy, however if you feel like there is somewhere else you would rather be, you can go ahead and choose. Although you might not be able to get into some of the top places, the other academies are also worth a try and will be very beneficial to your training." Zhou He spoke in a stern voice as Zhou Xinqiu walked into his manor but he couldn't help but avoid her gaze.
"I wont leave." Zhou Xinqiu indifferently spoke and was began to leave the room.
Zhou He waved his hand and the door closed behind her. "I don't have time for your antics now. The safety of the entire sect is at risk."
"I'll stay back and help you deal with them!" She looked at Zhou He with a tear in her eye.
"Qiu'er don't cry.. You're a big girl now. I promise everything will be okay. If you really want to help me with this then you'd better go and train hard. A little qi circulation wont be much help at all with this matter. I'll be waiting for you okay? Don't cry." Zhou He grabbed her small wrist and pulled her over into his embrace.
"Okay" she looked up at Zhou He. A tear fell from his eye as well. He truly had no idea if anything he had just said would be able to come true but he decided that no matter what he would try his best and not give up.
"The year is coming to a close in a few days and you guys will leave first thing after the end of the year. Make sure you gather everything you need beforehand. The truce between the two sides will end on the first day of the new year." Zhou He let go of her and she walked out of the room. This time, however, her eyes changed from a dark brown to a dark red shade before they began to glow. As she began walking out of the manor, only one thing filled her mind. "I must get stronger.."
———
The year was finally coming to a close but unlike all other places in the world. A grand celebration wasn't held at the Zhou sect. Parents from all around the sect helped their children pack and prepare for what was to come in the following years and families ate feasts quietly in their households together for what would be the last time in a long time. Zhou Xinqiu however, was not near her quarters but was instead sitting by a big lake in the center of Qingsu city. The young children and families that weren't dealing with the stress of the Zhou sect lit lamps and lanterns and rode boats around Qingsu Lake. Zhou Xinqiu sat near the edge of the lake and dipped her legs in the water with her hands behind her propping her up off the ground.
She wondered, her father once said that he wanted her to be a mortal and enjoy her life peacefully without any troubles. If she had really been a mortal like those kids, would she also be able to enjoy her life with all joy? Would there really be no worries? All of these thoughts flew around in her mind before she felt a poke on her back. An old man walked up to her with a cane in his hand and had poked her. "What is a young women like yourself out doing here alone?"
"I am troubled… Why couldn't I have a joyful life like the others?" she asked.
"little girl, who doesn't have troubles? That young boy over there, little chehan, he stole sweets from the market and is sweating over the thought that he might be in trouble. The young couple over there just had an argument over some issue in their relationship. That man over there who is playing with his kids, he runs a small boat business across the river. Would you know? His boat broke down recently and he had been begging around the city for some money to take care of his children. All these people around the lake have some issue and troubles but do they look upset to you? Today is the new year. It marks the beginning of something new. A beginning of a journey! The troubles of mortals may seem small to great immortals but that is only because they are immortals themselves! Do not frown over these troubles. You are still young after all!" After he finished talking he started continuously poking her with his cane until she got up.
"Ahh ahh ok ok" she started screaming.
"Go home and be with your family and stop complaining!" he scolded before she ran off.
She went back home and saw her father standing there with a smile. He had never been that great at cooking but Aunt bing was a great cook and she had prepared some delicious handmade noodles for all of them to enjoy. The Zhou family sat on their dinner table and spoke about their stupid jokes and wonderful life stories. They laughed and cherished every moment together as if it was their last. They all headed down to the lake and little Zhou Xinqiu pulled Zhou He's arm down to go light some lanterns together. They sat by the lake and opened their lanterns before writing their names and floating them on the lake. As all this happened, the clock slowly ticked and the last minute of the Year ended.