"Mom, I'm home!" Ji Tianwei shouted from the front gate, standing beside Xiao Chao and carrying some gifts.
Inside the house, Yue Chan walked out to open the gate. Creak! The gate groaned as it swung open, and she smiled at the sight of Xiao Chao and Ji Tianwei, who looked happy and cheerful.
"Wow, honey, did you buy him new clothes? They look great!" Yue Chan said, seeing Ji Tianwei in his new outfit.
"Of course! You know your husband's taste," Xiao Chao replied proudly.
Yue Chan sighed and said, "It's getting dark. Come inside." She took Ji Tianwei's hand.
Once inside, Ji Tianwei handed her the gifts. "Mom, this is a souvenir from me. Take a look, you might like it," he said.
Yue Chan took the bag and opened it. Inside was a beautiful hair accessory, sparkling with a small, dangling lotus at the end. Yue Chan was delighted. She put it in her hair and asked Ji Tianwei, "Son, does this look good?"
"You look even younger and more beautiful, just like the women in the village center," Ji Tianwei said with admiration.
"My son is a smooth talker now. Who taught him that?" Yue Chan mumbled, glancing at Xiao Chao, who was sitting in the living room, sweating and looking away.
"Alright, let's eat. I've cooked something delicious for dinner tonight," Yue Chan said, sighing again at her husband's behavior.
"Okay, Mom. I met Sister today at the new disciple recruitment event," Ji Tianwei mumbled as he walked with Yue Chan toward the dining room, leaving Xiao Chao behind.
"Really? How was she? Did you get to talk to her?" Yue Chan asked.
"No, Mom, I only saw her from a distance. She looked healthy. She might come home tonight," Ji Tianwei said, turning to face Yue Chan.
"Hmm… maybe. But thank you for the gift," Yue Chan replied with a smile, stroking Ji Tianwei's head as he beamed.
Xiao Chao followed them to the dining room. They ate together, laughing and joking, ending the beautiful night with happiness.
A short while later, Xiao Qing and Bing Ying returned. They landed in front of the gate on their flying swords.
"Father, I'm home!" a voice called from outside.
"Father, Sister is home!" Ji Tianwei exclaimed.
"Alright, son. Go open the gate for her," Xiao Chao said. Ji Tianwei immediately ran outside and opened the gate.
When he opened it, Ji Tianwei was overjoyed to see Xiao Qing. He immediately hugged her. "Sister, why didn't you come home? You said you'd be home early!"
"Hehe, I'm sorry, my dear brother. Look what I brought you!" Xiao Qing said, holding his hand and leading him inside, with Bing Ying following behind.
After they reached the living room, Xiao Qing gave him her gift. She opened the box, which held a beautiful small artifact locket. It was a glowing red, with sparkling silver decorations on the side.
"Tianwei, I brought you a gift too," Bing Ying chimed in, handing him her present with a rosy blush on her cheeks.
Ji Tianwei saw her expression and wondered, What's wrong with her? Is she sick? Oh, right, she was with Sister that time in the Valley of Death. I didn't pay much attention back then, but now that I look again, her skin is very fair, and she's quite pretty.
Ji Tianwei accepted the gift and asked, "Thank you, Sister. What should I call you?" as he opened the box.
"Huh? Your sister hasn't told you yet? I thought she had, hehe. Well, let me introduce myself. My name is Bing Ying. I'm your sister's Junior Sister at the sect, and I really admired your sister during the disciple recruitment back then," Bing Ying said, introducing herself with an elegant bow.
Ji Tianwei nodded and continued opening the gift. Inside the box was a small, round, golden pill that seemed to glow. Ji Tianwei held it, looking closely, and asked Bing Ying, "Sister, what is this? Is it something you can eat? It smells wonderful, but why is it shining?"
"Tianwei, that's a pill. Of course, you can eat it. That pill gives you a speed and healing buff, so it might be very useful for you if you're ever being chased or are injured," Bing Ying explained.
Isn't this a windfall for me, haha! But why is it shining? Does it have a rank? Hmm... I'll think about that later. What matters now is whether my sister's artifact has a special power too, Ji Tianwei mumbled to himself.
"Thank you, Sister Bing Ying," Ji Tianwei said, running to hug her.
Bing Ying, who was being hugged, felt a tickle, and her eyes shimmered with deep affection.
Xiao Qing saw the scene and put on a deadpan expression, her eyes narrowing. My junior sister must have some weird fetish. This is dangerous! My brother, I must save my brother.
"Hey, have you had enough?" Xiao Qing asked.
"Hehe, sorry, Tianwei. It looks like your sister is jealous," Bing Ying replied.
"What did you say, Junior Sister? Don't make weird jokes to my brother. He'll become an idiot like you," Xiao Qing retorted, then said again, "Tianwei, my brother, don't get too close to her! Come here, come to me."
They sat down in the living room, and Ji Tianwei asked Xiao Qing about the locket she gave him. "Sister, does this have a special power?"
"Yes, my brother. It has a power. This beautiful stone locket is made from the core of a second-tier silver Beast. Since this stone is from a fire beast, it can release the power of fire. Try to use it and feel the flow through your meridians, then focus on your hand. Fire will come out," Xiao Qing explained.
"Really, hehe! With this, I can use a power!" Ji Tianwei said. He immediately tried to practice what Xiao Qing told him.
He felt a flow connecting through his meridians like spiritual energy, and he tried to focus it on his hand little by little. A few minutes later, Ji Tianwei was drenched in sweat. When he opened his eyes, the energy in his palm felt hot, and a small flame blazed above it.
"Sister, I did it! Look, I can use a power now!" Ji Tianwei exclaimed, his eyes sparkling as he looked at the flame in his hand.
Xiao Qing looked satisfied. Since Ji Tianwei couldn't cultivate, she had given him an artifact so he could have a means of self-defense, even if the power wasn't great.
"Hehe, it's great, right? Don't be discouraged anymore. Where are Father and Mother?" Xiao Qing asked.
"Father and Mother were in the dining room. After I left, they went to the backyard. They're probably cultivating," Ji Tianwei answered.
"Sister, Father said you're good with a sword. Show me, Sister!" Ji Tianwei pleaded, his eyes big and round.
Xiao Qing agreed. They went to the front yard, and a beautiful sword appeared in her right hand. The hilt looked as if it were forged from ice with a twisting flower design, accompanied by a frosty aura that made Ji Tianwei and Bing Ying shiver.
"Sister, do you have an ice spiritual root?" Ji Tianwei asked, his lips trembling.
"Yes, my brother. Watch my technique," Xiao Qing replied.
She swung her sword beautifully, then leaped and spun, making a series of slashes through the air. Wush! Wush! The spinning slashes created icy winds. She then raised her left foot and thrust the sword, releasing a dense ice aura from the tip. Crack! The aura hit a tree branch in the yard, and it fell to the ground.
Ji Tianwei, watching from his seat, analyzed every movement, every footstep, every slash. Haha, this is good. I'll store it in my mind. I'll copy it. Isn't this interesting? he thought.
"What do you think, my brother? This is my 'Ice Dance' technique, first stage. Isn't it cool?" Xiao Qing asked.
Ji Tianwei replied with a joyful cheer, as if he had just witnessed something incredible. "Cool, Sister! This is so cool! The 'Ice Dance' technique is amazing, hehe."
After that, her sword disappeared as if blown away by the wind. She walked over to Ji Tianwei, who was on the edge of the patio, radiating admiration.
"Little Tianwei, don't you want to see Junior Sister Bing Ying's technique?" she said, as if not wanting to be outdone.
Xiao Qing gave Bing Ying a sidelong glance, her eyes narrowing. Damn this kid. Don't think my brother will like you, she thought.
Bing Ying saw her Senior Sister's expression and put on a mocking face. Then she walked to the middle of the yard and continued, "Watch this. Sister Bing Ying is going to show you a cool technique." She said this while looking at Ji Tianwei.
Ji Tianwei, full of anticipation, said, "Okay, Sister Bing Ying. I want to see it, hehe." He smiled brightly, making Bing Ying fall for him.
Bing Ying felt weak. She held her cheeks as a red blush returned to her face, then said, "Alright, please watch."
Bing Ying stood and took out a beautiful jade flute with beads. She focused on blowing into it and said, "The Sound Slash Technique." Swoosh! Swoosh! A beautiful sound came from her flute, rhythmic yet deadly. Each note created a slashing wind. Wush! Wush! The slashes came out four times, then Bing Ying stopped playing. She turned to look at Ji Tianwei, who was sitting near the house door.
Ji Tianwei watched with awe. He thought, I wonder what will happen tomorrow at the second round? Will there be many more cultivators with artifact techniques? I need to analyze this technique Sister Bing Ying just used. It was so beautiful and deadly, as he maintained an expression of admiration.
"It was so beautiful, Sister. The sound was so melodic. I want to hear it again. It's as lovely as you, Sister," Ji Tianwei said.
Bing Ying immediately ran and hugged Ji Tianwei. She kissed him. Muach! "Thank you, little Tianwei," she said with a wide smile.
Xiao Qing pulled Bing Ying off of him. "Don't hug him so tightly, he won't be able to breathe. Brother, I was only visiting for a short time. I have things to do back at the sect for the second round tomorrow morning. So, wait until the event is over, okay?" Xiao Qing said, kissing his right cheek.
She walked out the gate with Bing Ying, saying from a distance, "Give my regards to Father and Mother!" She then summoned her flying sword and vanished.
Ji Tianwei waved with a smile, then closed the gate and walked back to the house, rubbing his cheek. Why are they kissing me like my mom does? This is the first time a woman has kissed me besides my mom. Heh, whatever. I've learned a lot now, hahaha. Just you wait, Yi Feng, he thought, holding the locket and the box with the pill in his pocket.