“Those children will grow up to be quite powerful, no?” I asked. “Keep your voice down this time.”

“Hey… that wasn’t completely my fault,” she said.

I stuck my fist to the sky. “Brian’s a terrorist, nuking a city and parachuting a flag over the ruins!” I whisper-yelled, imitating my daughter.

“Hmph. Uncle’s the one who made me do it.” She stood and jumped onto the back of the lizard pulling our carriage. She stood on its constantly shaking back, somehow keeping balance. It must’ve been some Qi bullshit.

“You’ve been learning movement techniques behind my back,” I accused, grinning.

“Oh, I created this. This world’s movement techniques are too restrictive and simple, so I made up this one.” She danced on the lizard’s back as if it was a flat surface. She spun, and her hair flew out in a perfect circle. When she stopped, her hair rearranged into a bun. “It’s actually super simple. We have way better Qi control than people from this world. We also have a wider range of techniques we can use. Some of your classmates are bound to start figuring out new techniques soon.”

“You gonna teach me?”

She lit up. “Of course!”

She was right. It was easy. She taught it to me in less than five minutes. It was just a more complex form of weight manipulation. Jing’s technique manipulated weight in different parts of the body, changing my center of gravity. “Is this the only one you’ve come up with?”

“No, but the others aren’t useful. I’m trying to make more, but it’s difficult. It took me over a half a day to create the one I just taught you.” When she said it took her half a day, she meant it took her twelve hours. She didn’t need to sleep, so her days took the full twenty four hours. More than nine principles lie under the technique she created. She had to come up with each of the principles and combine them. It was easy to teach, but difficult to come up with.

“I thought you said you were lazy…” I said.

“I am, but that was fun! I’m trying to teach big sis, but she’s struggling with it.” The lizard stomped through tall grass. This grass had been growing for ten years, becoming tall enough to reach up and brush against Jing. The grass was mostly green, but parts of it were drying and yellowing. The drying hay let out a grassy smell.

I reached into my robes and took out a vial of pills. “Guess what! I have a prize for you!” I popped the lid off the vial and tilted it on my palm. A tiny white ball dropped out, and I threw it at her. She caught it with her mouth. “Ninth Stage Candy! I also gave one to Chen Wei, you know, that helper. She reacted weirdly, but I modified it, so it tastes even better now. I’m confident it’ll taste great!”

“Mmm. It’s so sweet! How come Chen Wei got try it before me?” she didn’t seem mad, just curious.

“First come, first serve. And she was going to help me improve the school, too. I made them for you though. My precious little daughter.”

She beamed at my words. “Which reminds me… are we going to keep in contact with the world outside the forest?”

“Do you want to?” I asked.

“There’s so much that needs to be done here. And I’m sure you want to continue cultivating the seeds you planted in the city,” she replied, “Plus, sis wants to be able to visit the city from time to time.”

“She told you that?” I said.

“Mhm,” she nodded.

“She didn’t tell me…” I grumbled, “I suppose she wouldn’t. Why does she want to go back? Her original family?”

“Her original family,” she confirmed.

“We’ll have to maintain contact with the outside world one way or another. My classmates are going to come by soon. You know, to see you.” About a week after we left, a tree would rise out of the ground where my mansion used to be. I wrote the following words on its truck: “We’re in the White Dragon Forest. It won’t be difficult to find us since we’ll have a large (hopefully positive) presence there.”

I hope it doesn’t run into zoning laws… Ah well, The Family and Chen Wei would protect it if it did.

“Other than that,” I continued, “you’re right. I do want to keep growing the human world. I’m human too, you know?”

“And I’m a plant,” she said. A bright red flower grew from her finger. It’s stem extended until the flower touched my nose. She smiled her playful weasel smile, and alarm bells went off in my head.

“Don’t try any tricks,” I warned her. “You’ll wake them up again.”

“Aww.”