Xia Tao
Sitting on the veranda, sipping my herbal tea, I felt a wave of boredom wash over me. Mei and Lin Qing were off somewhere, trying to create the crystals we needed, along with that short girl whose name I unfortunately forgot. And here I was, bored. Mei had told me not to train after the intense sessions at the fortress peak. She said I needed to relax and avoid overexertion, allowing my body to adapt.
Turning to Xia Lina, who was standing nearby, I asked,
"Aren't you bored standing here with me?"
"No, Master. I'm quite content here" she replied calmly.
Ah, And I forgot to ask Mei about the possibility of Xia Lina's affinity with the water element. It wasn't for nothing that she enjoyed the rain so much the other day, I think. It's a pity it's been a few days since then, and there was no more rain here.
"How are your training sessions going?" I asked.
"They're going well, Master. I'm currently studying a movement technique taught by Lin Qing. She insists that all our clan's disciples master this technique" Xia Lina replied.
"By the way, I haven't seen any of them in a while. Do you know where they are?" I inquired.
"Lin Qing mentioned they are in a closed training session and shouldn't be disturbed" she said.
"Hmm, what about the regular disciples? There seem to be fewer of them around lately."
"I'm not sure about that. Would you like me to find out?" she offered.
"No, thank you" I said, feeling a bit melancholic.
"Where's Li Meiying?" I asked, realizing I hadn't seen her in a couple of days either.
"I don't know, Master. The last time I saw her, she was with Lin Qing, and they were descending from the mountain. I don't have any other information" she answered.
"I see" I replied, lost in thought.
booooring....
"Then let's go visit our bees and check on the strawberries" I said, standing up.
It's better than sitting around bored, and I haven't checked on them since Ye Chen last visited. I wonder how he's doing and what that silly goose is up to. Haha, I still remember how the bees chased him.
As we approached our small strawberry garden, two bees, each the size of a sparrow, flew over and hovered near us, keeping a respectful distance. Interesting, they've grown larger and seem smarter. They recognized us right away and are merely accompanying us now. Before, they used to buzz around us, almost sniffing us out and being a bit of a nuisance.
This is promising. Let's see where this leads.
I extended my hand, palm up, towards one of the bees, curious to see if it would land. The bee hovered for a moment before settling on my hand. Xia Lina watched with interest, as did the other bee.
I moved my hand to my shoulder, and the bee calmly transferred to it and sat there quietly. Amusing.
I turned to Xia Lina and said
"Try the same" and watched the same process with curiosity from the side.
With bees perched on our shoulders, we walked over to the strawberries and noticed small berries beginning to grow, though they were still tiny. As we move, we began to see more bees flying around, they paid us no attention.
As we got closer, I noticed a thin web on the strawberry plants—just a few, but they were there. Spiders? Seriously? While examining the webs, a spider crawled onto a plant and raised its legs at us. Well, look at that, it's not happy.
Just then, the bee from my shoulder flew off, approached the spider, hovered beside it for a few seconds, then returned to me. The spider stood still for a moment before crawling away.
"Well, look at that. They have quite a community here" I said, intrigued. I'll have to tell Mei about this later. I don't mind the spiders, but we need to figure out how to harvest the strawberries. Something to ponder. This visit wasn't for nothing; we discovered something new and interesting.
"Ok, let's go check out the hive."
We approached the beehive, which was a sight to behold. Given that the bees accompanying us were the size of sparrows, the hive was proportionally impressive. The hive itself was a large, intricate structure, built into a towering tree. It resembled a natural fortress made of wax, with multiple layers and chambers visible from the outside.
As we approached the beehive, we noticed several bees flying around in a seemingly chaotic yet harmonious pattern. Their movements, though random, had an underlying rhythm to them. As we drew nearer, the bees stopped their erratic flight and simply hovered in the air near the hive, as if awaiting our approach.
The air around the hive was fragrant with the scent of flowers and honey, a unique blend that hinted at the strawberries in bloom nearby. It was a marvel of natural engineering, perfectly adapted to its oversized inhabitants.
Something told me not to touch it. "Alright, we should ask the person in charge of the bees when we can expect some honey," I thought aloud.
"Let's head back home" I said, turning around.
As we walked back to the mansion, I mused over the idea of taking up a hobby. Sculpture had always piqued my curiosity. As we moved away from the strawberry patch, the bees took off from our shoulders, circled above us, and flew back to the hive.
"Interesting" I remarked, reflecting on the unusual events of the day.
"What exactly, Master?" Xia Lina asked.
"Oh, nothing important" I replied, and we continued our walk back home.
Ye Chen
The goose and I finally gathered the necessary materials for Alara Leila to break through to the Cultivation of Inner Qi. She said she would need a month to reach this realm. I'll catch up to her soon enough.
Right now, I'm standing in one of the most romantic spots in our part of the outer sect. It's a mountainside with cascading waterfalls, charming fountains, a promenade for strolls, and cozy little shops and cafes. There are also beautifully maintained gardens and benches overlooking stunning vistas, perfect for quiet reflection or intimate conversations.
Here and there, couples and sometimes even harems walk by—both regular and reverse harems. Ugh, call me a hypocrite, but a reverse harem? Seriously, one lady and a bunch of guys? How is that even possible? I'd burn them all with blue flames if I could.
I'm standing here for a simple reason: the goose said he found something that could help me advance in my cultivation. And now he's 20 minutes late. What the hell.
After another 10 minutes, the goose finally appeared and said,
"Are you ready, my young disciple, for enlightenment? Everything is prepared," he declared grandly, then more quietly, "Here's a talisman. Stick it on your chest, and let's go. I'll show you something."