Author's Note: Whoa! At the beginning instead of at the end? First off, I am deeply sorry for such a late upload. Should've been uploaded at midnight at the latest (like usual), but Friday URF came back in League of Legends, so I just wasted sooooo much time messing around with friends.

Anyhow, I am uncertain how plausible girls fighting could result in friendship. But fighting against someone is one of the more passionate thing in life.

Anyhow, let's go spelunking in the next few chapters~

Btw check out the story of this friend of mine. Uploaded a new chapter yesterday: G.R.I.M. - This Grim World of Ours

A month had passed since Qiu'yue's induction into the Village of Lost Orphans; little progress passed. Cai continued to treat Qiu'yue with neutrality bordering on exasperation before lurching to the far end of simple cordiality. And Senior Sha continued to drench the girl in sincerity.

Only the twins continued to exhibit aggression. Jang-Guo had made a streak out of insulting the girl at every opportunity. Meili was less subtle in her continued hazing.

Qiu'yue herself had grown. No longer did she wake up and called for her parents. There was no time for that — and even if there was time, she was exhausted day to day. At sunrise, she would work alongside the servants. Her muscles would be worked more than her peers, as she could never rely entirely on her qi to support her load. As such, at the end of every route, she brimmed with sweat. And it refreshed her to feel the repair of her strained sinew and broken stretches of muscle.

But Jang-Guo still harped on her lack of progress regarding cultivation. Qiu'yue continued to sit at the middle of the first stage. Her battle sense and techniques saw little improvement. Though it was not due to Meili neglecting to train her — rather, Meili's training often broke Qiu'yue's body down, leaving her battered and torn — as such, the girl's body slowly became more resilient and beautiful, similar to the growth of the lotus from which the ritual borrowed its name.

The other orphans made little progress in regards to their battles, except for Cai. Fighting against Da Gui who used his full strength brought full tides of nourishment to the young boy's mental fortitude and battle sense.

Established as ritual, after the individual battles, Meili and Qiu'yue journeyed deep into the forest, walking toward the desolate clearing. The boys meditated in their absence. Jang-Guo broke into the ninth stage during that span of one month.

Growls clawed forth from Qiu'yue's stomach. "Big Sister Meili, I haven't eaten in a week."

Meili twisted her head to face the girl. Her brows dug deep trenches as she slowly said, "We all have not eaten anything in a week."

Frowning, the girl asked, "Senior Sha caught something when I first came here. Can't he go hunt?"

Taking a deep breath, Meili unclenched her fists. "You can survive another week without food. Now be quiet."

Prattling on, Qiu'yue ran to be at Meili's side. "Big Sister Meili, aren't you hungry too?"

Meili stopped. She stabbed Qiu'yue in the chest with her finger. "Brat, if you want to hunt, go do it yourself. I am not going to waste my energy catching something that might not even be worth it."

Meili started to walk again, marching forward with large strides.

"But the leftovers won't come to us until the end of this week," the girl cried as she struggled to keep up on her shorter limbs.

Meili stopped again and pushed the chasing girl. Qiu'yue toppled backwards and sliced her palms on the pebbles. Quick streams of blood flowed out, but the wound quickly dammed up. Towered over the girl, Meili threw her fists all over the air as she shouted.

"You are so spoiled! I am sick and I am tired. Aiyah, it's been a month already and you're still stuck at the first stage. I've been teaching you for a month and you are still shit! You're cow dung. You think you're the only one hungry? I'm hungry too; everyone is hungry. Before you came, we waited months before getting left-overs. So stop complaining!"

Holding back her tears, the little girl scrambled up and trudged up to Meili. The two girls looked at each other.

The younger girl lowered her head first. A soft voice drifted from her, "I'm sorry I'm not talented. I'm sorry I'm an idiot. I'm sorry." She then raised her tear-stained face and with quaking lips shouted back. "But I'm trying! I'm trying so hard. Senior Sha told me that if I try hard, we can be friends. S-so," she cleared the snot from her mouth, "so why are you still so mean, Big Sister Meili?"

Meili laughed. "You are trying so hard. I mean, look at how much you improved! You can definitely clear the trials at this rate."

Qiu'yue tilted her head down. She balled up her hands. "But, but I am trying Big Sister Meili. You just don't teach me well."

The girl screamed as Meili lifted her by the collar. "Are you joking right now? I don't teach you? I make you do basic training, stances, throws, and so much. You're just acting spoiled and blaming your own shortcomings on me."

"But I'm not," Qiu'yue cried.

"How do I not teach you well then?" The other girl tilted her eyes down.

Meili threw Qiu'yue to the ground. Her eyes sank — then looked away. The girls started walking again and not a sound was made until they reached the desolate clearing.

While Meili went to the center of the clearing, Qiu'yue lingered at the entrance fidgeting with her clothes.

"Brat! Why are you still at the entrance? You're wasting time," Meili yelled.

"Big Sister Meili, you're still mad."

"Of course I am. You're wasting my time, you spoiled brat."

"It's just that your training always end up making my body break if you're mad."

"And whose fault is that? For not learning anything despite it being a month."

Qiu'yue looked at Meili with tears. She scowled and shouted. "But you only ever point out what I'm doing wrong! You never say if I'm doing anything right at all. And when I mess up, you just get angry and make me do it again!"

Meili spat at the frosted earth. "Brat, I'm not one of your tutors whose paid to compliment everything you do."

"But shouldn't you still care about my well-being?" Qiu'yue screamed, shouted, and screeched; the young girl flung her arms to the sides and stomped at the ground.

"You're just a tool to get the rest of us into the inner sect as fast as possible. Senior Sha is being nice because you're just a little cute. Cai wouldn't even care about you if there wasn't such a good deal on the line."

Qiu'yue charged at her.

"You really hadn't learned anything," Meili growled. Effortlessly, as Qiu'yue approached, Meili stepped forward like a surging wave and hoisted Qiu'yue up, then throwing her against a nearby tree. The older girl turned around. She was surprised that Qiu'yue had already gotten up. Meili snarled. "I'm going to beat the spoil out of you tonight, or else my name isn't Tong Meili!"

"Big Sister Meili, you're too unfair! You're too mean! Why do you hate me so much?" Qiu'yue cried. She adopted the stance Meili had taught her, or been trying to teach for a month now: the River Splitting Mountain Stance. It (and its variants) served as the foundation of most counter arts and was able to be used without qi. One leg slightly extended forward like a snake, the other bent like a bow; one arm outstretched and the other held close. Her back sloped like a willow. Qi flowed out at a steady and gentle pace.

Meili laughed. "You haven't gotten a successful counter at all since you learned that stance. Fine, I'll play, you stinking brat!" She too adopted the stance.

Qiu'yue became worried and her stance lost the stability it possessed. She remembered the main flaw of the counter arts.

"Brat, listen up, the counter arts are strong because they turn a greater force back onto the other person. But if the other person is also a counter type, then the strongest person physically or the one who has cultivated the highest will often win. This is impossible for you who can only use 25% of your qi at a time. That's why all counter arts have special intimidation techniques and feints to goad the enemy into attacking into a counter."

Meili smirked. "I'm going to enjoy stomping on you. I taught you everything. You think I won't know your feints, stupid girl?"

Qiu'yue bit her lips. With uncertainty, she inched forward. Meili did the same. As the two martial artists met, instantly a blur of motions erupted. The moment their outstretched arms glanced each other, a riptide of punches scattered. A fluttering of clashing and claps like thunder.

In a match between two counter martial artists, two games are played simultaneously: the game of entrapping the other in one's own rhythmic tempo, and the other is to overwhelm the other's flow through sheer abundance and speed of the punches and counters — in essence, using the reciprocal strength of countering to exude the tyrannical assault of the external school.

At the climax of the clashing of these two rivers, a geyser bursted from the final impact and Qiu'yue flew back, striking the same tree, while Meili merely skidded half a meter from where they had met.

Enduring the pain, Qiu'yue stood up again. She resumed the same stance. And she inched forward. The two went through the same dance over and over — until Qiu'yue's palms were ripped of skin, revealing red sticky flesh, and her back was bruised and battered.

"Why are you still getting up?" Meili shouted. Her arms in a frantic flurry. "You haven't been able to land a single hit at all! I know how you fight; I taught you how to fight. Your counters, I can see them all; your feints are as clear to me as the moon above."

With tears, the little girl said with great strain, "I just want to be friends with you Big Sister Meili. Senior Sha is kind, but he's not like a big sister. Cai is too distant and cold. And Jang-Guo hates me — I'm scared of him. I just want to have a friend."

With a bitter expression, Meili responded, "You're really a spoiled brat."

The two martial artists met once more. Their arms weaved in and out of the cascade of whips and fists, ricocheting off each other's' palm strikes. Meili's strikes strike harder and faster, and would bounce back with more force, like the string of a bow.

Qiu'yue attempted a feint, striking forth at the other girl's face with all her accumulated strength. Simultaneously, the young girl also sent out a left hook toward the other's girl sternum. Meili rolled her eyes. This technique was the only feint she had taught the girl: Moon Reflected in Flowing Water.

In a drawn out fight, sending out such a deliberate and forceful punch would draw the opponent's attention for a split second. If immediately followed up by a simple left hook to the sternum, the opponent would be too distracted to properly guard. The distraction worked on two fronts: Delivering a powerful right fist would put the opponent on guard to the right punch, but the opponent would also seek an opportunity to strike back during such an exposed fight.

If successful, the feint would goad the opponent into getting hit in the sternum to deprive him momentarily of his breathing. The right fist which served as the distraction would be deprived of qi gathered from the bout, due to either being blocked or dodged. However, the opponent would've surely attempted to attack once he has blocked or dodged that right straight — and that is where the name of the technique is derived from.

The opponent's returning fist would strike nothing, similar to the illusion of a moon in a moving body of water. Rather, due to the interruption of the opponent by the left hook, the martial artist would use the forward momentum of the enemy attack to throw and then pin down the opponent — or to grab the enemy's fist or leg, and then use that forward momentum to strike the sternum again to fracture it.

This technique could also be the beginning move against another counter martial artist. Not only does it set the tempo in one's favor if the opponent counters, but if the opponent dodges, there is no loss of the qi or momentum gathered through continuous countering.

Meili who had taught this move clucked her tongue. She dodged the right straight by swerving her head out the way. The girl also grabbed Qiu'yue's right elbow, restraining it. Simultaneously, Meili raised her left leg to block the hook by lifting it way up into the air before entrapping the incoming strike in the nook between her thigh and calf. Her left hand shot forward like a glaive at the Qiu'yue's exposed chest. That left hand which had been wrapped in the qi essence of not just herself, but also the other girl's, had a weight which would easily shatter through the younger's girl's breastbone and spine.

Qiu'yue looked at Meili in the eyes and smiled. "I win," she poked her tongue out. Meili was at first confused. That confusion quickly turned into fear when she found a burst of qi emit from Qiu'yue's lower body.

Even as Qiu'yue's legs tore and ripped and bursted into pieces, the little girl continued to will her legs into motion. Her teeth clenched onto each other as sweat poured from every pore, and as her veins popped and blood dripped from her eyes.

Meili's only thoughts consisted of "Aiyah, this crazy brat used 100% at once" and "What a stupid girl."

Qiu'yue forced all 100% of the qi she could store into her legs. Kicking off with her right leg, she leapt forward with great intensity like a star in the sky.

First, the girl was immediately greeted Meili's strike head-on and with great force. The result was inevitable: cracking like the sound of autumn echoed the clearing loud as blood was throw up from the girl's mouth like a gurgling spring. Even so, the girl was unable to stop, as the initial burst of motion still had not finished.

Second, the girl's entrapped left arm was snapped at the elbow, leaving two disjointed halves jutted out at odd angles. The pain sent a billion fire ants up her senses. White faced, the girl bit the inside of her cheeks to remain conscious.

Third, her left foot struck Meili squarely in the chest. Meili who had realized the threat beforehand, immediately released her restraints on Qiu'yue. Once that heavy force connected, Meili had already placed a layer of qi at the point of impact. Using the momentum of the kick, Meili spun in the angle of the kick and tumbled onto the ground to reduce the impact. Even so, she coughed up blood and her eyes became unfocused as the entire scene blurred in front of her.

"That brat fractured my sternum," Meili said weakly. She placed a hand on her sternum and winced.

The girl filtered qi through her injury and found a few major fractures coupled with numerous minor cracks. The qi of the entire cosmos lessened the pain. "Still a pain to breathe."

The older girl unsteadily dragged her feet to where Qiu'yue was, a hand still on her sternum.

Qiu'yue was in a much worse condition. The entirety of her robes was torn and bloodied. A cragged bone poked out from her arm as blood poured out. Her entire face was a tributary of blood. The girl's breathing was so shallow, Meili was worried if she had died.

The older girl bit her lips and looked uncertain. Still, she knelt and moved the two broken halves of Qiu'yue's left arms together — causing the girl to moan and howl in pain. Miraculously, as Meili held those halves in place, she saw new sinew and muscle and skin proliferate as Qiu'yue's lotus body fulfilled its purpose.

Watching such a fascinating phenomenon became quite boring after a single incense's worth of time. Still, Meili found herself unable to abandon the pitiful girl. Besides, she still had to teach the girl a lesson for fracturing her sternum.

Holding the girl's broken arm in place, Meili fell asleep. A day passed and when she awoke, Meili found the arm still to be incomplete. Gingerly, she moved Qiu'yue over so that the girl's back may rest on her lap without disturbing the healing of her arm. Meili found Qiu'yue to breathe much easily now and her face, though crusted with brown blood, was more beautiful than before the fight due to the propagation of new skin.

With pouting lips, Meili poked at Qiu'yue's nose. "You're such a spoiled brat." She frowned and massaged her sternum silently. "Spoiled brats should just act spoiled and not do whatever you did last night."

The girl was still unconscious and did not respond. Meili clucked her tongue and went into meditation.

Once night fell, Meili found herself to be replenished of strength. She carefully carried the younger girl in a princess hold. The girl made sure to move slowly back to the Tree of Ten-Thousand Fire Blossoms so as not to hurt Qiu'yue further.

Upon seeing the state of Qiu'yue, Senior Sha became frantic. Cai smartly told Senior Brother Sha off. With a hunched back, Sha retreated into the Tree. Jang-Guo received a glare from his sister and similarly retreated into the Tree.

"Oi, what funny thing did you tell this girl?" Meili shouted. "It isn't in this brat's nature to fight so hard."

"Why do you care?" Cai responded with a smirk which melted into a frown. "Don't you hate her?"

"I do hate her. I'm just confused."

"Does it matter the reason behind her effort? She clearly still made the effort. And judging by the state of your breathing, I would say she exerted the greatest efforts." With those words, Cai too retreated back into the Tree.

Left alone with the girl, Meili rested herself against the rough bark of the ancient tree, while Qiu'yue rested her body on Meili's lap. Pulling on her lips with her teeth, Meili furrowed her brows. Growling at herself, the girl placed a hand on Qiu'yue's forehead. Warm qi flowed gently from her to Qiu'yue, assisting in the recovery process.

While Qiu'yue rested, Meili couldn't help but think, "It isn't fair for someone to be so cute."

Meili kept this posture and action until Qiu'yue's arm was recovered, which took in total 2 days. After that, the older girl found some brush and salvaged some piles of leaves to make bedding for the girl to rest in. The girl also gathered extra water from the well each day to make soup out of the forest creatures that she would go hunt each night. Using a pot and bowl borrowed from the servants, the girl would prepare soup only for the injured girl that not even her brother may savor. It took one week for Qiu'yue to fully recover and come out of her coma.

"Big Sister Meili...?" Qiu'yue asked as she got up. The older girl was asleep against the mystical tree. A slight moan floated from Qiu'yue's lips — her body was still quite sore — as she got up and crawled over toward the older girl.

It was currently night. The stars above danced and twinkled like the ocean waves. A cool breeze sauntered over the clearing every so often.

Seeing the usual frowning cold Meili sleep with her mouth opened made the young Qiu'yue smile. The young girl giggled as she wiped drool from the corners of Meili's lips. Qiu'yue noticed her clothes were new and crisp. She frowned and became flustered when she thought about who had changed her clothes. Her father always told her to be cautious of who she allowed to change her clothes.

The girl's erratic motions jolted Meili from her sleep. She yawned and smacked her lips. Upon seeing Qiu'yue close to her and awake, the girl scrambled backwards, a slight frown adorned on her face.

"You're awake. How are you feeling? Aiyah, I made sure to change your clothes, so stop worrying." Meili said to the worried girl.

Qiu'yue tilted her head and then gasped. "Ah, the fight! Big Sister Meili, are you alright?"

Meili pulled on the young girl's cheeks. "Brat, you fractured my sternum. Well, seeing how you're so energetic, your body is probably fine. I can't say anything about your brain though."

"Eh, is your sternum fine then?" Qiu'yue exclaimed as she rushed over to Meili.

The older girl kept Qiu'yue at an arm's length. "Oi, brat, what the hell you being so friendly for? I'm fine even if my sternum is fractured a bit, so stop worrying!"

Qiu'yue pouted and knelt on her knees. "Mm, Cai said that he and Senior Brother Sha became best friends after fighting. Oh, and he told me how Jang-Guo became his little brother after fighting him.

We respect and admire each other now that we fought, right?" The young girl looked at Meili with stars in her earthy brown eyes, as if there was an ocean of wishes possessed by her. "We're friends now, right?"

Meili flicked the younger girl's forehead. "Aiyah, what in the Heavens did Cai teach you! His fights and our fight are two different things." Her frown softened when she saw the girl tilt her head and sulk. "You are such a spoiled brat... I won't accept you as a friend. But! — if you kowtow to me and become my little sis—"

Instantly Qiu'yue kowtowed three times. Beaming up at Meili, the girl said, "Big Sister Meili~" The girl waited for a response. After a while, she tilted her head sideways and closer toward the older girl.

Meili leaned back. "What?" Her lips twitched. "Oh, fine! ...Mei-Mei [Little Sister], are, are you happy now?"

Qiu'yue giggled. "Big Sister Meili, you're blushing."

"No, I'm not! Shut up," Meili growled. "Why do you want to become close to me anyways? You nearly died attempting that stupid stunt of yours."

"Mmm, I was lonely and you were the only girl?" Qiu'yue said honestly with a finger on her temple.

Meili pulled on her cheeks again. "Oi, brat! Haven't your parents taught you modesty? Flattery?"

Qiu'yue rubbed her cheeks and shook her head. "What's that?"

Meili palmed her own face. "You have so much to learn — too much for me to teach."

Cai who came out of the Tree some time ago smiled as he watched the scene perched on a branch.

After talking some, Meili suddenly adopted a somewhat apologetic face and looked away from Qiu'yue. "I suppose I haven't really been a good teacher to you. From today on, I'll be more fair."

"Does that mean you'll praise me?" Qiu'yue asked as she tried to weave her hand into Meili's.

"Maybe, I don't know. And stop trying to hold my hand. I'm not going to hold your hand." Meili scolded. Then she smiled. "How about this, if you never complain no matter how difficult something is, I'll praise you."

Qiu'yue nodded eagerly. Cai stifled a laugh from his perch above. From then on, Meili's training became a hundred times more taxing. Though, Qiu'yue never minded the harshness as long as

Meili praised her. Furthermore, in order to supplement the harsh training, Meili often caught forest creatures to make into soups — a task later delegated to Qiu'yue herself.

At sunrise, Jang-Guo and Senior Sha both came out the tree in grandeur. Cai blended himself into their entrance.

"Hmm, the useless brat's awake now?" Jang-Guo asked as he yawned. Meili frowned and flicked a rock at Jang-Guo's forehead. Her brother caught it and shouted. "Hey! How can you do that to your older brother, Meili?"

"Then how can you say such rude things to our Mei-Mei, ge-ge?" Meili said with a pout as she pulled Qiu'yue close to her.

Jang-Guo contorted his entire body. "Huh? What? Since when did that thing come out of our mom?"

"She became my blood sister yesterday." Meili said bluntly as she crossed her arms over Qiu'yue's small body. "Since she is my blood sister, she is your sister now too."

Jang-Guo snorted and threw his hands up to the sky. "I'm going down first. And stop treating that spoiled brat like that. Do you hear me, Meili?"

Senior Sha whispered to Cai, "Uh, is this what you meant by gathering the squad together?"

Cai smirked. "I didn't expect Meili to want Qiu'yue as a sister, but that's fine."

"Are we going to take little Qiu'yue with us then?"

"Depends on Jang-Guo's decision. We can't leave until the end of the month anyways. Everyone

must accept her first — we can't afford tense feelings during life-and-death situations. And, the girl must reach out for strength out of her own initiative first."

"Junior Cai, you talk much more wisely than I do." Senior Sha commented.

"Wisdom is not dictated by age; nor is skill." Cai said that and followed the girls down. Senior Sha made a difficult face before following.

A week then passed. In that span of time, the relationship between Qiu'yue and Meili became much better. Though Meili wouldn't openly display affection or often, Qiu'yue felt less lonely. Qiu'yue also learned at a faster pace and attained the second stage of Meili's River Carving Fist [He Diao Quan; 河雕拳]. The second stage was when one successfully interspread the revolution of the arms into the basic stance.

On the day when Qiu'yue reached the second stage, Meili had her sit down at the center. Qiu'yue waited patiently as her big sister dug at the center of the desolate clearing. When finished, Meili called Qiu'yue over.

At the center of the clearing laid a rotting corpse. Maggots swam through the corpse's flesh, eating away everything. The maggots had started from the head first, as that was the most decomposed. Only a thin patch of flesh remained on the bleached skull in the corner of the head. The corpse was dressed in servant clothings, however his short stature indicated he was a child about the age of twelve. Clasped in the corpse's arms was a bamboo manuscript.

"Mei-Mei, meet Liu Bai'Hu [劉白虎; Liu surname like Liu Bei, could mean conquer; Bai'Hu means White Tiger], our former leader of the Village of Lost Orphans. He was the one who taught me the countering arts." Meili said as she knelt down. She placed her palms together in prayer. Qiu'yue looked at the corpse once more before closing her eyes and kneeling to pray.

After paying their respects, Meili looked at Qiu'yue and stroked her cheeks. The young girl shivered from the touch. Meili rested her hand on Qiu'yue's cheek.

"He was a kind older brother to all of us. Senior Sha was already there when he was leader." Meili said. Qiu'yue had never seen Meili's eyes get red before; she also placed a hand on Meili's cheek.

"Cai joined the Village a few weeks before us. Ge-ge and I were the children of artists sponsored by a local noble east of the Yue Yun Mountains. There was another boy; he was the son of the noble. We three came here because there had been a raid by some bandits. Some Yue Yun Sect members were in town that night for business, and by coincidence had saved us. We all should have been grateful to Liu Da-Ge [Big brother], but that filthy spoiled brat betrayed us all one day. He stole Liu Da-Ge's glory and ascended into the outer sect."

"Is that why you and Senior Jang-Guo hates me?" Qiu'yue asked.

Meili nodded and patted the little girl's head. "Ge-ge was extremely close to Liu Da-Ge. I guess he doesn't respect the inner school now, because maybe if Liu Da-Ge trained in the external school arts, he would have lived."

"But isn't the countering martial arts the most supreme under the Heavens?" Little Qiu'yue asked as she wiped the tears from her big sister's face.

Meili nodded with a wistful smile. "But martial arts cannot do anything against flowery false words. That bastard lied and cheated Liu Da-Ge; he framed Liu Da-Ge and took his glory. The sect crippled Liu Da-Ge;s cultivation base after that incident, and Liu Da-Ge, he, he —"

Qiu'yue hugged Meili and rubbed her back. She felt warm tears fall onto her shoulder and roll down her back. The girl never realized that Meili was actually the same size as her, since Meili always looked down on her and was always so much stronger.

"Liu Da-Ge, we found him hung from a tree, going down the mountain the day, the day after he was exiled. It was all that brat's fault." Meili wailed as she squeezed Qiu'yue as if she would disappear.

Qiu'yue also cried. Being so young, simply seeing someone else cry made her cry. The two girls cried until their well of sadness dried up completely.

"Mei-Mei, you look the same as the first day you arrived here," Meili laughed as she brushed away Qiu'yue's tears.

"Big Sister Meili, you cried too." Qiu'yue joked back with a wobbling smile.

Wiping away her own tears and stifling her sniffles, Meili bowed once more toward the corpse and proceeded to retrieve the bamboo manuscript from the corpse. Qiu'yue helped Meili cover up the grave again.

Meili handed Qiu'yue the bamboo manuscript. Qiu'yue looked at it confused. She said to Meili, "Big Sister Meili, I can't read difficult words."

"The bamboo is special; send your qi into it." Meili said, prompting her with her hand.

Qiu'yue did so and in an instant her hair fluttered up into the air. Her eyes peeled wide open as she went into a trance. After waiting for an incense worth of time, the girl came out of her trance.

"Big Sister Meili, I didn't understand all of it, but the Four Shifting Forms described by this sounds amazing!" Qiu'yue explained as she looked at the bamboo manuscript in awe. "This sounds like an even more powerful countering art than the River Carving Fist."

Meili nodded. "This was Liu Da-Ge's dream. And it is my legacy; now it is yours."

"Mine? Big Sister Meili, are you sure? Why?"

"The Four Shifting Forms will replace the River Carving Fist; the two countering arts cannot co-exist, the Four Shifting Forms will reign supreme. The Forms may be my legacy, but the Fist is how I keep Liu Da-Ge alive."

Qiu'yue looked up at Meili, a bit uncertain. "I have to be at the fifth stage of qi condensation to start learning the Forms. I'm still only at the second stage."

Meili pinched Qiu'yue's cheeks with a grin. "It's fine. You have to be at the tenth stage by the end of the year. You're bound to reach the fifth stage before long. Now, let's go back to the others. It's getting late."

Qiu'yue was unable to say anything else. She nodded with her head down. The girl shuffled her feet after her big sister. She clutched the bamboo manuscript tightly to her chest. It felt as if a heavy weight had been placed on her. Qiu'yue looked down at her hands: Ten months is only ten fingers.

Once they arrived back at the Tree of Ten-Thousand Fire Blossoms, Meili said goodnight and went into the Tree to sleep. Counting to a hundred, Qiu'yue felt sure that Meili had fell into a deep sleep.

She then called for Cai.

"Ugh, what do you want?" Cai muttered as he came out of the Tree, the stream of light blinding in the deep darkness.

"I want to get stronger." Qiu'yue said bluntly.

"Oh," Cai smirked. He crouched down and looked at the girl from head to toes. "Why?"

"I don't have to tell you," Qiu'yue responded bluntly.

"Fine by me." Cai answered, getting up. "But you're going to have to wait until everyone wakes to hear my answer."

"Eh? Wait," Qiu'yue shouted and grabbed onto the boy's sleeve. "I want to learn the Four Forms and be of use to everyone. I don't want to be taken care of by Big Sister Meili, or Senior Sha, or Cai anymore. I like you guys too much."

Cai turned around and placed his face close to Qiu'yue's. The girl let go of Cai and pulled her head away. "Oh, that's the least spoiled thing you said since you've arrived, young miss. Well, goodnight then. Thanks for the answer." Cai chuckled and retreated back into the Tree before Qiu'yue could say anymore.

Qiu'yue stomped her feet and could only patiently wait for sunrise. She decided to cultivate instead of sleep.

At sunrise, the entire Village of Lost Orphans gathered at the base of the Tree of Ten-Thousand Fire Blossoms. Meili was being embraced by Qiu'yue on one side and smothered by her brother on the other side. Senior Sha stood near Cai who stood in front of the rest of the members.

"As you know, the Tomb of Scorched Ice opens up again at the end of the month." Cai announced. Everyone but Qiu'yue nodded. "I plan to have everyone go."

Jang-Guo leapt to his feet and pointed at Qiu'yue. "Cai, you're really thinking of letting this girl go with us? She'll get us all killed like that bastard got Liu Da-Ge killed! You can't be serious."

Cai shot a glare at Jang-Guo. Meili moved further away from her own brother with a frown. Qiu'yue hugged Meili's arms as they changed locations. "Before interrupting, at least listen to all that I have to say, Jang-Guo. I will have everyone go as long as each member is unanimously allowed to go."

"Good! Because I will never let this brat go." Jang-Guo shouted. He scooped up earth with his right arm and slashed at the ground with his earth-gauntlet. He pointed his gauntlet at Qiu'yue. "I will definitely, definitely never let her go."

"You can't just vote no without a reason." Cai responded.

"Does anyone else want her to go?" Jang-Guo shouted and clawed at the earth with his gauntlet.

The sun bounced off his bald head and painted dazzles about his crown. "Well?"

Everyone else nodded.

Cai murmured his approval. He looked back at Jang-Guo. "Well?"

"You're all just against me! Don't you see? She'll get us all killed! Killed!" Jang-Guo stomped his feet and cursed and spat at the earth.

"How about a fight right here? Right now?" Cai suggested as he cracked his joints.

"Oi, don't think that you can beat me just because you've beaten me once." Jang-Guo muttered as he too cracked his neck and back.

"Oh, I'm not the one you're fighting," Cai chuckled. He pointed at Qiu'yue. "You'll be fighting her."

Meili palmed herself on the forehead. "Oh, what the hell is that battle-maniac thinking?"

"Fine! I'll prove right here and right now that the little shit over there is useless!" Jang-Guo shouted as he encased his other arm with earth.