The Xiao Clan courtyard was lively under the warm morning sun. Servants passed by with baskets of herbs, elders discussed matters in the distance, and in a shaded corner of the garden.
Xiao Feng, who had just finished eating, was pulled over by a group of children to play together.
"Xiao Feng, come play with us!"
"Let's go to the garden. We're playing hide and seek! Xiao Ning is the one coming after us. You must be careful not to be discovered."
Before he could react, they grabbed his hands and pulled him along, their infectious enthusiasm leaving him no room to refuse.
Moments later, he found himself hiding in a lush green garden full of fragrant flowers. After being dragged here, the kids all hid quickly, leaving him standing alone.
"This... I didn't sign up for this," Looking at the few brats whispering in low voices, Xiao Feng couldn't help but feel a little speechless.
He wasn't a kid, be it mentally or spiritually. He couldn't bring himself to play such a childish game. If not for the fact that he could break free from them, he really didn't want to come.
Tonight, I must claim the novice rewards from the system and get stronger.
Just when Xiao Feng was thinking about the future, a soft grab from his blind spot, and he instantly lost balance, falling into the bushes.
"Who..." Xiao Feng wanted to shout, but his mouth was instantly covered by soft hands.
His eyes widened, and he couldn't help but look back.
Xiao Mei...
What the hell? How does this little girl have so much strength? Is any random person in this world stronger than me?
Am I not a transmigrator? My strength is too weak, isn't it?
Xiao Feng tried to break free, but it was of no use. Xiao Mei's hands were like iron bars; no matter how he struggled, they didn't budge in the slightest.
"Shhh, be quiet, Xiao Feng or Xiao Ning will discover us?"
The soft voice whispered in his ears, causing him to feel itchy.
As expected of a loli, her voice is really sweet.
Calming down, Xiao Feng finally looked at the loli behind him. She has white skin, tender like a baby, and pink hair like a Barbie doll. Coupled with her chubby cheeks and pink skirt, she looked exceptionally cute.
Xiao Feng noticed that her focus wasn't on him but on the surroundings. It was obvious that she was afraid of being discovered in this hide-and-seek game.
Glancing outside, he noticed a young boy looking around at the corners and hidden places of the garden, as if searching for someone.
"Xiao Mei, Xiao Li, Xiao Shen... I have come to find you." Xiao Ning looked at the bushes and corners, and a smirk played on his lips.
He had already noticed the hiding place of a few of them.
The morning breeze carried the faint fragrance of jasmine through the bushes. Hidden among the leaves, Xiao Feng could even hear his own heartbeat.
Not because of fear but because Xiao Mei was still pressing him down.
Her small body leaned forward slightly, one hand covering his mouth, the other gripping his shoulder. From the outside, they probably looked like two frightened children hiding together.
From the inside… it was a little embarrassing.
Xiao Feng tried to move again.
Nothing.
This little girl's strength was simply unreasonable.
Outside, Xiao Ning's footsteps drew closer. Leaves rustled. A shadow stretched across the bushes.
"Hmm?" Xiao Ning stopped, noticing the rustling in the bushes, "Why does it feel like someone is here?"
Xiao Mei's body stiffened instantly. Her fingers unconsciously tightened.
Xiao Feng almost suffocated.
Why are you nervous?! You're going to suffocate me.
Xiao Feng had many complaints in his heart, but he didn't dare to say them directly.
In order to save his life, he gently tugged at her wrist, causing her to look at him.
It was only then that Xiao Mei noticed his face had turned red from suffocation. She quickly let go her hand, causing him to breathe heavily.
"I, I am sorry!" Xiao Mei's voice was faint as a mosquito. Xiao Feng almost didn't hear it.
"Shhh~" Now it was Xiao Feng's turn to motion for her to be quiet while pointing outside.
Xiao Mei blinked, clearly not understanding.
In the next moment—
A small stone flew out from the bush and it stuck another shrub a few meters away.
Rustle—
"Ah! Xiao Lin, I found you!" Xiao Ning's voice rang out excitedly as he ran in the wrong direction.
The pressure around them instantly eased.
Only after the footsteps faded did Xiao Mei slowly remove her hand.
"Amazing... How did you find Xiao Lin?" Xiao Mei looked at Xiao in shock .
Xiao Feng brushed the leaves off his clothes and coughed lightly, trying to appear indifferent.
"I happened to see him just before you pulled me in here and almost suffocated me."
Little girl was innocent as a flower. Her cheeks couldn't help turning red upon hearing his teasing remark.
"Th-that, I didn't mean to..."
Before she could ask more, loud wails echoed from afar.
"Xiao Ning is cheating!"
"You saw us earlier!"
"Run!"
The garden suddenly exploded into chaos.
Children darted between flower beds. One tripped and rolled on the grass. Another hid behind a rock, only to be dragged out seconds later. Laughter mixed with complaints filled the courtyard.
Xiao Feng stood up from the bushes.
Under the sunlight, petals drifted slowly in the air.
He looked at the running figures and, for a brief moment, his expression softened.
Glancing at Xiao Mei, who was still crouching nervously, he said, "Come on,"
"Huh?"
"If we don't move now, Xiao Ning will circle back."
Without waiting, he grabbed her small hand and ran.
For a second, Xiao Mei froze and forgot about the previous trouble she had caused.
Then she followed, her pink skirt fluttering behind her like a little butterfly.
They slipped past a stone bridge, ducked behind a willow tree, and finally hid inside a pavilion draped with climbing vines.
Both of them leaned against the wooden pillar, breathing lightly.
"You run fast," Xiao Mei said, eyes shining.
Xiao Feng looked away.
"It's nothing."
Xiao Mei tilted her head slightly, still staring at him with curious eyes.
"But you weren't even nervous earlier," She said softly. "Everyone else was panicking when Xiao Ning came close."
Xiao Feng coughed and looked toward the garden pond to avoid her gaze.
Of course I wasn't nervous. I'm a grown man mentally.
But he couldn't exactly say that out loud.
"I just stayed calm," he replied vaguely.
Xiao Mei nodded seriously, as if she had just heard something very profound.
"Then Xiao Feng must be very brave."
Xiao Feng almost laughed. Brave? I was almost suffocated by you.
Before he could respond, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded again.
"Hey! I saw someone run this way!"
Xiao Ning's voice echoed from outside the pavilion.
Xiao Mei's eyes widened.
"He's coming again!"
Without hesitation she grabbed Xiao Feng's sleeve and pulled him behind the wooden railing. The vines hanging around the pavilion swayed gently, hiding them from view.
Xiao Feng sighed inwardly.
Why do I feel like I'm the one being dragged around in this game…
Through the gaps between the leaves, he saw Xiao Ning run past the pavilion, scanning the area suspiciously.
"Strange… I clearly saw someone come here."
The boy scratched his head and circled the pond once before finally running off again toward the stone bridge.
Only after his figure disappeared did Xiao Mei relax.
She let out a small breath of relief.
"We survived…"
Xiao Feng looked at her amused expression and suddenly felt that this childish game wasn't so unbearable after all.
The morning sunlight filtered through the vines above them, casting moving patterns of light on the wooden floor.
Just then, a familiar voice sounded behind Xiao Mei, startling her.
"Found you!"
Both Xiao Feng and Xiao Mei jumped.
Xiao Ning stood there triumphantly with his hands on his hips.
"I knew someone was hiding here!"
Xiao Mei's face instantly turned pale.
"Aah!"
She tried to run, but Xiao Ning was already charging forward like a little tiger.
"Got you!"
He grabbed Xiao Mei's sleeve proudly.
"You're caught!"
Xiao Mei puffed her cheeks in frustration.
"You cheated again!"
"I didn't cheat!" Xiao Ning argued. "You were too slow!"
The two children immediately began bickering.
Xiao Feng suddenly laughed.
The interaction of two looked very pleasing to his eyes.
"Hey!" Xiao Ning suddenly pointed at him. "Xiao Feng, why are you laughing?"
"It's nothing, I see you two have a good relationship! So I laughed!" Xiao Feng responded.
"Who has a good relationship with her/him." X2
Both Xiao Mei and Xiao Ning said simultaneously, making Xiao Feng laugh again.
Seeing him laugh, Xiao Mei and Xiao Ning looked at each other. In the end they also laughed.
Childrens happiness was simple. You laugh, I laugh; you smile, I smile. They had very direct understanding of love and hate
Just as the children were about to start another round of hide and seek, a deep voice suddenly echoed across the garden.
"All of you little troublemakers!"
The children froze.
An elder in grey robes stood at the entrance of the garden courtyard, stroking his beard while glaring at them.
"Running around the garden so early in the morning… do you think cultivation will improve by playing games?"
The children instantly straightened up like frightened chicks.
"First Elder…"
The elder snorted.
"Since you all have so much energy, come with me."
"We're starting basic cultivation practice."
The children immediately groaned.
Even Xiao Ning's proud expression collapsed.
A memory suddenly appeared in his mind and Xiao Feng's expression instantly changed to a frostbitten eggplant upon going through the memory.
Childrens nightmare was about to start.
....
Evening,
The children now looked exhausted and haggered, each soaked in sweat. Be it a boy or a girl, they all looked listless like a shriveled mushroom which has lost all it's vitality.
Xiao Feng's condition was similar. He didn't know how he walked out of the training ground, still alive. His hands and feets seemed to be filled with lead, making it extremely hard to move even a single bit.
Xiao Feng couldn't help but feel a wave of resentment in his heart.
Damn, which idiot makes a five year old do horse stance for 3 hours.
Who makes them do 100 pushes without rest in the dry afternoon sun?
Who makes them run around the entire Training Ground comparable to a Football field 10 times as a punishment for failure.
Wasn't I in a fantasy world? Have u transmigrated again to a martial arts world like Dragon Ball or something?
Though Xiao Feng knew this was a necessary step of building foundation for practice, he still cursed the first elder for being heartless. The old guy didn't let them go until the sun set.
...