CHAPTER 11: A MONTH LATER

Meixing led her grandmother into the building. Her grandmother felt around, not seeing anything thanks to the blindfold around her eyes.

“Alright, granmama, you ready?” Meixing said

“Yes,” she said.

Mexing removed the blindfold. Ling looked at the empty house in confusion. “What-What is this?”

“Our new home!” Meixing beamed.

“W-What?” the old woman said.

“Yeah, I bought it.”

“Wow! This is impressive!” Ling said, twirling in the middle of the house like a ballerina. “Wait,” she came to a stop. “How did you get the money to buy it?”

“Well… Uhm…”

“I thought since they took your ointment recipe that you wouldn’t be able to make anymore money.”

“I figured it out.” She said. “So no worries.”

“Look, you are a young, pretty girl, I just hope you’re not compromising yourself… unless he is really rich and handsome… and young.”

“What?” Meixing said. “Don’t worry, I’m not getting my money from any man. Hmpf, the men in this town suck! Don’t worry, I’ve got a good business going. Even better than the ointment thing!” she said punching the air.

Ling smiled and hugged her. “I’m so proud of you.”

Meixing smiled. “Thanks, granmama.”

The next two months went by like the past one. Meixing would go to her new storage place, which was a safer place to store the sword. She set up a tent in the space, where she would steam with the green mist and meditate.

After one of these sessions she took the sword. “Alright, let’s get going.”

“Going where?”

“We’re out of red root.” She said in confusion.

“Do not bother. This will be your last steaming session.”

She tilted her head in confusion. “Why?”

“Your acupoints are as open as the steaming potion can make them.”

“Yes!” she pumped her fist. “Now I can spend my time…”

“MEDITATING! That’s what you are going to do because we are very behind.”

Meixing deflated at that. She looked around the room. “How long do you think the supplies here will last?”

“Not long. If you had not bought a house like I told you, you would have enough for a year but since you squandered it, I’d say you have 5 months or so.”

“My granmama deserves to live in a nice place.” She shrugged. “Or else she would act her age again. No one that old should act their age.”

“Well, if you want to have good progress, you will need a proper diet.” Dongs said. “Remember, cultivation takes as much nutrients as an intense workout.”

“Yeah, about that.” Meixing said, flexing her still flat arm muscles. “It’s not the first time you tell me that but I’m still waiting for my muscles to come in. If anything, I think I’m getting thinner.”

Dong laughed at that. “Cultivating the spirit my way may take as much nutrients as an intense workout but the results are seen in the increase of spirit energy. The body will remain the same or skinnier. So you need to keep your weight up.”

“Fine, I’ll spend half of my new free time meditating and the other half foraging for food to add to the stores.” She sighed and sat down. “Alright. I’ll continue to meditate.”

She returned to her dantian. Her spirit energy was now the size of a soccer ball. It was still a perfectly rounded sphere with a number of cracks all around it. She used her hands to crush it and the silver energy painted up her arms, creeping up both of them and ending just before her shoulders.

“Alright,” she said to herself before her persona entered the meridian.

Meixing got home. Her face twisted in a frown as she saw a few chickens pecking on the ground around the yard of the house. At the door, she saw her grandmother spreading maize along the ground.

“Granmama?” she said, walking around the chickens. “Where did these come from?”

“This new house inspired me to buy some chickens.” She said.

“Wow, cool!”

“And I’m growing some spinach!” she pointed to a small patch of the garden. “My husband… your grandfather was the spinach king.” A smile plastered itself on her face as she thought about her husband. “He was quite a strange man. I think he liked spinach more than meat but hey, I can’t complain. A strict spinach diet in my youth is the reason why I’m still so gorgeous in my old age.” Ling said, fluttering her eyes and striking a pose.

Meixing giggled.

“And since I’m no longer Poor Ling or Rich Ling, I’ll have no choice but to be Resourceful Ling.”

“I like this Ling best!” Meixing said.

“Hey, don’t call your grandmother by her name!”

“Sorry, Granmama” she said.

“Let me do some window shopping.” Ling said, kissing Meixing on the forehead on the way out. “By the way, Resourceful Ling had to sell your bed and some of your stuff to buy the chickens and the seeds for the spinach. Bye!”

“Wait… What? Granmama!”

“It is foolish that you would take me to forage for your dumb food!” Dong complained as they walked back from the woods. “Especially since you now have livestock.”

“We can’t eat the chickens or the spinach yet.” She said. “…And I’m still scared to go alone.” She pouted. “That crazy goat seems to have it in it for me, so I need you tell me when it’s near.”

She stopped when she looked out.

“What?”

“Bao Chui,” she said.

“Huh, the spear boy.”

Meixing tiled her head in confusion. Bao Chui was training with a broken broom handle.

“He is training with a stick.”

“Yes, but his technique is for a spear, notice how he holds it and the thrusts?”

“Not really.” She said.

“And this kid used to bully you?” Dong said. “You should be able to surpass him get revenge with my help.”

She shook her head no. “I have no interest in revenge against him.”

“You really do confuse me.” Dong said. “You don’t want revenge. You took a long time to actually deal with Shilong and you still want to protect this town. A town that arrested you over a ridiculous rumour. Why do you want to protect it?”

“I don’t care about this town.” She said. “The only reason I’m protecting it is for my father.”