Several days had passed since then.

ReZhui and his friends got themselves adjusted to life in the farming village, residing in his father’s house like usual. While Eddisson helped out with supervising the pigs and chickens, ReZhui was tasked with manual labor at the paddy fields, suggesting to make use of his improved strength. ShiYan assisted his mother with the housework, something that was not in her system ever since she took a passion in medicine at a young age. Overall, ReZhui’s mother had a rough ride in teaching her the ways of a typical woman.

Once they all settled in, ReZhui and ShiYan insisted that they go down the mountain to Teacher Woo’s place that they missed earlier on their journey up. Mr Zhang easily agreed to their demands and on their 6th day, the trio finally set out for their school.

They trekked down familiar dirt routes and passed through spots of forests and loose streams, before they reached halfway through the entire mountain trail. In battered breath, Eddisson finally dropped to the ground wherever ReZhui stood. They each wore enclosed clothes that slinged across their torsos carrying spare clothes and small rice cakes. ShiYan scanned about the area until she spotted a gated clearing. Right above, smoke could be seen. Alerting the boys, Eddisson reluctantly got up and shoved his feet close to the space. What he saw next was a humble home. A logged bungalow with a wide base. Across it, a pretty steep slope looked over the rest of the trail as the trees sank lower. The sight of it made his knees buckle.

“Eddi, what’s the matter with you?” ShiYan whined, turning to the back.

“S-sorry, ShiYan…I-I’m not used to climbing high klaces. Forgive me.”

“...well, at least this shows you’re maintaining your body, right, ReZhui?”

Placing a hand on his back, ReZhui reassured him, “Don’t worry, Eddi, with time, your body grows stronger and this would be a breeze for you.”

“ReZhui…how long did it take?”

“...? Let me see…I suppose four years of continuous back and forth from teacher Woo’s school.”

“I see, I still have a long way to go.”

At the side, ShiYan signaled ReZhui to return to course.

“A-anyhow, Eddi, welcome to our childhood school!”

In a proud, humorously haughty voice, ReZhui spread his arms wide as he led Eddisson in through the front door. ShiYan closed behind them. Walking through these dusty corridors from weeks of inactivity, ReZhui felt different upon this visit. It wasn’t the only place outside Bai village that he knew, but it was now his first.

The trio then showed Eddisson the empty classrooms, the rows of tables and the large blackboard, and that very pond that kicked started this entire phase of their lives. It was quite the sentimental trip for especially ReZhui and ShiYan, with the two smiling at what became of them.

As they reached the end of the hallway past a curtain, they finally arrived at the front of his office.

“...!”

However, before they could knock, the metal lock opened, opening up to the very same old man that taught the duo. Once they made eye contact, both ShiYan and ReZhui rushed towards him in excitement.

“Teacher!”

“Teacher Woo!”

As they reached close for his rocking chair, the old man patted his students on their head for their efforts.

“Teacher Woo…”

“Have you been eating well, Teacher Woo?”

Grinning from ear to ear, the old man confidently replied, “Such mischievous children you two still are, entering the premises without considering my poor heart once I hear voices back there.”

“...”

“Apologies, Teacher Woo!” ReZhui clasped his hands together in a prayer. Laughing heartily, the old teacher waved it aside.

“Yes, yes, I’m the same as before, an unchanging rock on your river path. What stories would the two of, No, three of you, witness next?”

Sensing that Eddisson reacted to his calling, Teacher Woo slowly got up from his seat and reached out to the blonde boy.

“...!”

“Hello, son of TianXing, it’s a pleasure to meet you at last.”

“...Yes, Elder Woo…likewise…” Eddisson meekly replied.

Surprised, ReZhui inquired back.

“Teacher Woo, did you hear this from Mr Xu?”

“On point there, ReZhui. YaoMing sent me a bird retelling the wondrous and tragic news in his writing. Let me honestly express, it was the first time I had ever read such a heartwarming story.”

“...”

“And it’s all possible due to you, ReZhui. You were the cause of all this.”

“Teacher Woo…”

“Oh, what blessed students have I helped raise!” The old man boasted.

For ReZhui and the others, they willingly watched this wise elder have his moment of joy.

Afterwards, with a little more exchanges, the trio found some wooden chairs to sit and were given some newly brewed tea.

“Sorry, you all, this teacher didn’t expect visitors at this time of the month.”

“Where’s Older Brother Wei and Older Sister Tian? Aren’t they your apprentices and studying here?”

“Ah, those two, I sent them home.”

“Why?”

“They both wanted some time off. What’s a better gift for the new year than a well-deserved break? Nothing else, ReZhui. Time’s important; use it wisely.”

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

And he drank a sip.

“I see.”

Silence.

However, Eddisson, feeling unnerved, inquired more of the teacher.

“...Elder Woo, what’s your yelation with my mother?”

“Relation, you ask? That’s an easy question, Eddisson. I’m one of her many tutors.”

“whoa…”

“She had quite a lot of talents, and it’s indescribable how much she truly loved YaoMing in the past…Speaking of which, how’s she doing currently?”

This time, ShiYan replied.

“Father said everything’s stable.”

“Then I’m glad. Back then, there was a limit to how much I could interfere with DongBu’s power play from my post. Even after retiring and settling here, I’m still deemed an outsider for the most part. But, back to TianXing, YaoMing wrote that she grew to be multilingual. Remember to ask her, if possible, to teach you everything there is to it. I’m sure it will be helpful in your future.”

That’s when something clicked in her.

“Teacher Woo, Aunt He is already teaching ReZhui and Eddi about that. I once attended a class and was taught a book called, ‘The foundations of the world around you’. Do you recognise that title?”

“Of course, dear ShiYan, it’s the first text that a scholar must master in their career. The soil of a tree is how I compare it.”

“But, Teacher Woo, it’s so hard! I gave up about an hour in!” She started to whine.

“Hmmm…that certainly is an understandable reaction. It’s not for everyone but hard work and proper timing will carry you a long way regardless, ShiYan.”

“...”

“So, please don’t compare yourself and do your best.”

“...you read me…” ShiYan muttered as she pouted.

“Haha, good, good. Alright then, anything else the three of you would like to ask this old man?”

What went on next was an hour long conversation, consisting of detailed academic explanations and mindless chatter. Midday soon approached and Teacher Woo cooked them lunch for the day, before it was time for them to head home.

Once again at the entrance, Teacher Woo stood close to the door, waving at the three as they left.

“This old man had a great time, children. Enjoy the upcoming winter season with your families!”

“We sure would, Teacher!”

“Teacher Woo, take care!”

“W-we’ll visit again, Elder Woo!”

With that done, they walked back up the mountain.

.

.

.

‘Ok, ok, now’s the time, ReZhui. You can trust them.’

ReZhui and the others had been hiking up the trail for the past few minutes and he finally realized that they were alone at last. So he stopped, and approached a gap in the forests, leaving Eddisson and ShiYan dumbfounded.

“...”

“ReZhui, where are you going? The trail’s this way.”

But he remained still at the edge of the route. A deep breath in. ReZhui spoke.

“Listen Eddi, ShiYan, this is something that I kept a secret for all my life. Although much of it started a few months back, it’s still a fact that I never told this to my father and mother, Teacher Woo, or even Mr Xu. And now, I am about to show it to you what it is that I am hiding.”

“ReZhui, t-this is too sudden.”

While Eddisson was anxious, ShiYan pushed through.

“ReZhui, if it is something that you would hide from even your family, why tell people like us?”

“It’s nothing like that, ShiYan. It’s just…” He stiffened to word it right. “...only the both of you would understand how I feel about this revelation, and that I trust you will keep this a secret for life because of what we have been through together.”

“ReZhui…”

“If I were to tell the adults, they would surely never listen to my pleas and act otherwise.”

“...”

“So, please, would you still follow me?”

“Alright…lead the way.”

After that bumpy start, the trio went off course, with ReZhui as the guide to their new location. They trekked through wilder forestry and rocky grounds, over creeks and surging rivers while the sun peeked over the foliage overhead. Fortunately, no animals crossed paths, and as they journeyed deeper, ReZhui explained it to the best of his ability.

“Eddi, are you alright back there?”

With heavy breath, Eddisson acknowledged firmly. That lunch had given him a well needed break.

“Good, then let me ask you, do you ever wonder how I was able to fend off those assailants of yours?”

“No…I-I just assumed it’s just something you learnt along the way.”

“Well, I’m now taking you to that said place.”

“What!”

“HUH?”

Even ShiYan interjected. Everything was slowly coming together.

“REZHUI! So-so that day after we both were absent from school and I saw you detach from your brothers’ group and rushed into the woods…was it that destination all along?”

Shocked at her observations and awareness, ReZhui could only a straight, “Yes.”

“Wow! Then, are we gonna learn to fight too?”

ShiYan was awfully excited about this reveal.

“It depends on my master, who I will introduce later, so follow me.”

Eventually, they had to take multiple breaks to keep pace with Eddisson, who was in much worse shape than on the trail. The terrain was certainly harder to cross and ShiYan understood that more than ReZhui. Nonetheless, they pressed forward.

Two hours soon passed in a blink and the trio finally reached a landmark; the familiar chopped tree trunks, across the elevated plateau. Sat on a couple of them, they devoured their supply of rice cakes before their awaited arrival at the steep cliffside.

“WOW!”

“Whoa…”

For the cherished scenery that ReZhui and MianJu once kept to themselves, he felt elated that more of the people that he dearly loved could appreciate the view. Their eyes gleamed at the grand expansiveness of the river basin that they lived in. ShiYan and Eddisson continued to admire the sight for several minutes before ReZhui had to reel them back for their true objective.

“Don’t worry, everyone, he’s just nearby.”

Once they went down the flight of uneven steps, they had finally made it. Another round of amazement ran out of their mouths as they slowly took in the view of this wooden dwelling. It was surrounded by nature, isolated in the middle of nowhere and at such a top summit. It was mystical.

“...”

Immediately, ReZhui felt a whisper in his ear. It was ShiYan.

“ReZhui, I now see where you are coming from. If the authorities were to be informed about this; that there someone was living without official documentation this high up, problems will occur. Moreover, our parents are the cautious and responsible kind.”

“Exactly, ShiYan.” And he then told the duo to stay behind as he informed his master, resting at the boulders laid scattered around.

.

.

.

After ReZhui knocked on the front double door, simple wooden blocks engraved in rectangular patterns, it opened to a familiar face. It was Jia MianJu, and even if he still had his blindfold on, ReZhui could still feel his stern gaze, shaking him a bit.

“ReZhui, why did you bring your girl friend and this foreign white kid? Didn’t we promise this is a secret between the two of us?”

“...!”

Instantly assaulted with burdening questions, ReZhui feebly replied.

“Brother MianJu…so, you do know they are coming along.”

“Of course, in fact-” He then faced in their direction, sending chills down the two of them, “I knew about it ever since you returned a couple of days back. It was obvious what your other intentions were.”

“I see…My apologies, Brother MianJu.”

“...I suppose there is more to this?”

“Yes…Ehrm, can we come inside first?”

ReZhui never felt this hesitant around him before.

“Sure, be my guests.”

In light of his permission, ReZhui scurried back to the frightened duo and managed to convince them to enter his cabin, despite their reluctance. At least, this was a steady start for him.