Ping! Ping! Ping!
Tink! Tink! Tink!
Jin Shu fired three quick shots from his pellet gun.
Li Xue deflected all of them with her sword, her blade moving in a blur of precision.
In an instant, Jin Shu closed the six-foot gap between them, lunging forward with his knife in a strike as swift and sharp as a wasp’s sting.
Li Xue, still recovering from the last deflection, wasn’t ready to counter. Yet, with an almost impossible twist of her waist, she spun like a ballerina, narrowly dodging the blade.
Anticipating her movement, Jin Shu raised his pistol, aiming to his right where she spun.
As Li Xue completed her turn, she brought her sword down, targeting his extended, gun-wielding arm.
Ping!
Thump!
A pellet struck her square in the sternum just as her sword landed a slash across his arm.
“Tie!” Fan Biyu declared, rolling her wheelchair forward to call the spar to an end.
She immediately began offering advice. “Shu, you extended your arm too far. Keep your stance compact and less exposed. Xue, you cultivate in a speed-focused technique. Use that to your advantage.”
Li Xue tilted her head in confusion. “Am I not already?”
“You are, but I’m sure you can push yourself even faster. Like when you disappear for that split second—work on extending the duration of that speed.”
Li Xue’s eyes lit up with determination. “I don’t know if I can, but I’ll try!”
As they prepared to resume sparring, Yin’er suddenly flew between them, her tiny wings fluttering furiously.
“Daddy, I’m hungry~!” she complained, circling Jin Shu like an impatient little bird.
Gurgle!
A loud stomach rumble echoed in the training room. Jin Shu glanced around, curious to discover the culprit. His gaze landed on Li Xue, but she was already busy putting her sword back on the weapon rack. Turning to Fan Biyu, he noticed a faint blush creeping up her cheeks.
“Let’s all go have lunch,” Jin Shu said with a soft chuckle.
----------------------------------------
After lunch, Jin Shu returned to his workshop, settling into his routine. The afternoon light filtered through the room as he focused on drawing a new set of runes on the Nanophone.
“I’ve nearly perfected these runes,” he muttered to himself. “I don’t know their effects, though. Can you explain them, Nano?”
“How would you like them explained?”
“Go through them one by one.”
“Understood. Let me start by saying these runes are advanced versions of the first ten you learned.”
“I did notice the patterns share some similarities.”
“The one you’re currently working on is the advanced form of the Sharpness rune. It’s called the Bloodletting rune, and it causes nearly unstoppable bleeding.”
“Wow, that sounds pretty sinister. Hmm… I could inscribe it on my bullets, but I’ll save that for later.”
“Next is the Self-Repair rune, an upgrade to the Durability rune. It allows the inscribed weapon or object to regenerate its durability slowly by absorbing Qi.”
“Oh? That one’s definitely going on my weapons. Do you think I could inscribe it on my body… actually, never mind. I have you for that already.”
“Still, it might be a good idea as a backup plan.”
“True. What’s next?”
“This one should interest you: the Phantom Step rune. It partially erases the user’s presence, making them nearly undetectable by sight or hearing. However, it only works if the item covers the body completely. Whether it could work in tandem with your cultivation technique is unclear.”
“Interesting. I don’t know if I’ll need stealth often, but it can’t hurt to have it.”
“The advanced form of the Qi Circulation rune. Is called the Qi Reservoir rune. It allows the object to store excess Qi for later use, acting as a sort of battery.”
“That one could definitely be useful.”
“Up next is the Chain Reaction rune. This one links Explosion runes to cause successive detonations within a set area.”
“Oh, I could definitely use that for traps. Though this one is not going on my body,” Jin Shu said with a chuckle.
“The Density Strike rune increases a weapon’s weight mid-swing, amplifying its impact force.”
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
“That’s better suited for heavy weapons, which I don’t use,” he replied, brushing the idea aside.
“The Feather Touch rune is the antithesis of the Density Strike rune. It nullifies weight entirely, allowing for faster strikes or easier movement.”
“Same as before—not really my style,” Jin Shu said, dismissing the idea and tucking the runes into the back of his mind.
“These last runes should catch your attention. First, the Wrath rune. This advanced Flame rune creates fire that grows stronger the longer it burns, feeding off enemy Qi.”
“That one is very interesting,” Jin Shu said, his his mind already processing how he'd use it.
“Second is the Glacial rune. It freezes the ground and enemies within an area, immobilizing them.”
“Wow. I can already think of so many potential uses for that,” he said, mentally adding it to his must-try list.
“And finally, the Tempest Slash rune. This creates cutting wind blades, extending the weapon’s range.”
Nano stopped its introduction as Jin Shu completed the final rune, which happened to be the Tempest Slash.
“Not bad. I only made ten mistakes—one on each rune,” he muttered to himself. “By tomorrow, I’ll have perfected them.”
Gurgle!
His stomach rumbled loudly. “Looks like it’s dinner time,” he sighed, then shuddered. “And after that, Biyu’s massage therapy.”
----------------------------------------
Later that night, Jin Shu made his way to Fan Biyu’s room, this time with a little tag-along.
“Yawn~” Yin’er stretched lazily from her perch on his shoulder, baring long, gleaming tiger fangs that glinted dangerously in the moonlight.
“You could have stayed in our room and slept,” Jin Shu said, glancing at her.
“No! What if Daddy leaves me again?” Yin’er shook her head side to side with fierce determination.
Jin Shu chuckled softly and rubbed her head. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Pleased by his reassurance, Yin’er purred happily, nuzzling against his cheek.
When they reached Biyu’s door, Jin Shu hesitated. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he opened it.
Inside, Fan Biyu lay on the bed, her robe pulled up to reveal her snow-white legs. Jin Shu’s eyes flicked to the sight, and he struggled to pull them away.
“Ahem, are you ready?” he asked, stepping closer to the bed. But even as he reached her side, she didn’t respond. “Biyu?”
Zzz…
Leaning closer, he realized her eyes were closed, her chest rising and falling with the slow rhythm of sleep.
“Oh, she’s asleep.” Jin Shu raised a hand, intending to wake her with a gentle shake, but paused. “Maybe it’s better this way…” he murmured.
Carefully, he climbed onto the bed and began the massage therapy, his fingers working methodically over her legs.
“What’s Daddy doing?” Yin’er whispered curiously.
“I’m helping Biyu’s legs heal,” he whispered back. “You remember when we found her in the forest?”
“Yin’er ‘members!” she said, nodding so quickly that she made herself slightly dizzy.
“Well, her legs were broken back then. This massage will help them heal faster. Once she’s better, we can go find Mother...” His voice trailed off, and a shadow crossed his face as he thought of his missing mother.
“Daddy’s mommy is the strongest!” Yin’er said confidently, her voice rising a little too loudly.
Jin Shu’s head snapped up, alarmed, and he looked at Biyu. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her wide, jade-green eyes staring directly at him, a smirk curling her lips.
“How long have you been awake?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Since you climbed on the bed,” she replied, her smirk deepening.
“Oh…”
Fan Biyu’s smirk widened as she tilted her head, teasing, “What, were you planning to sneak away after finishing?”
Jin Shu coughed awkwardly, unsure how to respond. “I just didn’t want to wake you…”
“Mm-hmm,” she replied, clearly unconvinced. Then, with a soft sigh, her expression softened. “Thank you, Jin Shu. Truly.”
He looked at her, surprised by the genuine gratitude in her voice. For a moment, the room felt quiet, save for the rhythmic purring of Yin’er still perched on his shoulder.
Before Jin Shu could respond, Yin’er yawned and flopped onto the bed beside Biyu. “Daddy, let’s sleep here tonight!” she announced boldly, her voice muffled by the blankets.
Fan Biyu raised an eyebrow, her jade eyes glinting with amusement. “Oh? Is that how it is?”
Jin Shu stammered, his face flushing, “I-I’ll just head back to my room!”
But as he turned to leave, Biyu’s voice stopped him. “Jin Shu.”
He paused, glancing back.
“Don’t push yourself too hard. We’ll find her.” Her gaze was steady, her tone resolute, as if willing him to believe it.
For a moment, his shoulders relaxed. “I know,” he said quietly.
Jin Shu reached down to retrieve the snoring Yin’er, but Biyu placed a gentle hand on his, halting him mid-action. He looked at her questioningly.
“Can you leave her here?” she asked, her tone soft, almost hopeful.
He hesitated for a moment before nodding. “...Sure. Just bring her to the training room in the morning.”
Biyu smiled faintly, her jade eyes warm with gratitude. Jin Shu quietly stepped out, closing the door behind him.
As he walked down the dim moonlit pathway, he felt the weight of everything settle heavily on his shoulders once more. His mother’s whereabouts remained a mystery, but one thing was certain—he wouldn’t stop until he found her.