A loud bang like someone had just slammed something onto a table echoed from beyond the window. Wu Jian shared a look with Wu Meiying. Just then, a voice emerged from the other side.

“Damn that Ming Han! Who does he think he is?!” Wu Jian heard his father’s harsh and grating voice as it boomed from inside the building. He had never heard the man sound so angry.

“He has been getting a lot bolder lately,” his mother said. She sounded reassuring and soothing.

“Haaaah. It looks like I was right to send you along to shadow them, Taohua,” his father said with a heavy sigh.

“You were,” came Taohua’s voice. “Had I not been there, I have no doubt Ming Han would have seriously injured Wu Jian.”

“Do you think he would have killed him?”

“… No. Ming Han might be vicious, but he is not stupid. If he injured Wu Jian, he could claim that it was because he was protecting his son and accidentally went too far. He could not do that if he killed him. Fists might not have eyes, but a man of his caliber is more than capable of holding back against someone who’s not even a threat. He also knows that it would incite your wrath and there would be no recourse other than for one clan to exterminate the other.”

“And the Ming Clan isn’t strong enough to contend with our clan. He wouldn’t risk incurring your wrath if it meant the destruction of his clan,” his mother added.

It sounded like they were talking about what happened in Zahn City today. Wu Jian scooted a little closer as if that would help him hear what was being said better. He pressed up against Wu Meiying. Her unique floral scent filled his nose, but at the moment, most of his attention was fixated on the conversation between his parents.

“That might not be the case anymore,” his father said. “I’ve received reports that say the Juishi and Ming Clans have already allied themselves in preparation for Ming Shen’s marriage to Juishi Meirin. On their own, neither the Ming or Juishi Clan poses much of a threat, but together, they could prove troublesome.”

“I have also heard rumors of a mercenary company being spotted along the borders outside of Zahn City,” Wu Taohua stated. “Mercenaries aren’t rare this far out, but they prefer remaining in larger cities because there is more business to be had there.”

“You think the Juishi and Ming Clans hired a mercenary group?” asked his mother.

“We don’t know, but we can’t exclude the possibility. There isn’t much reason for a mercenary company to come here other than because someone hired them,” Wu Taohua said.

“And there aren’t many people who can hire mercenaries outside of the three clans of Zahn City, and the Zhou Clan… but the Zhou Clan has no need to hire mercenaries. They have their own forces, which are more powerful than any mercenary company that can be found in the countryside,” his father added.

“I suppose you bring up a good point,” his mother admitted. “I guess that just means we will have to be more careful from now on.”

“Yes, we will have to remain cautious for a while. I’ll let the elders of our clan know so they can pass my orders on to the others. Taohua, I’ll want you present. Be sure to pay attention to Elder Wu Wei’s reaction.”

“Of course, Lord Husband.”

“That’s settled then. On a brighter note, I received a letter from the Imperial Academy. Wu Yong’s treatment went well. He is back on his feet and begun training earnestly…” his father continued, but by that point, neither Wu Jian nor Wu Meiying were paying any attention.

Wu Meiying looked up from where she was tucked underneath him. He could see the statement in her eyes. She was telling him they had heard everything they needed to, so he nodded, and together they crept away from the window. They were both moving slowly. Wu Jian thought they were being silent, but then he accidentally stepped on a branch, which released a loud snapping sound.

“Who’s there?!”

Wu Meiying grabbed Wu Jian’s hand and scrambled around a corner of the building just as the window opened and his father peered outside. They peeked at him from where they were hiding, though they ducked back and pressed their backs to the wall when he turned in their direction.

“Is something wrong, dear?” asked his mother as she came up to the window as well.

“… No. I just thought I heard someone sneaking around, but I guess it was just a rodent,” his father said as he slowly closed the shutters.

Wu Jian and Wu Meiying both breathed sighs of relief.

“That was close,” Wu Meiying whispered.

“Yeah. Sorry about that. I almost got us caught,” Wu Jian said, also whispering.

“It’s fine. We didn’t get caught, and that’s what matters. Anyway, we heard what we needed to, so let’s go back.”

“Right. Lead the way.”

With Wu Meiying once again in the lead, they made their way back to his room, climbed in through the window, and closed it behind them. Wu Jian sighed in relief once they were safely inside. He removed his cloak and shoes, then sat on the bed, placing his hands behind his back.

“You were right. We learned something really interesting just now,” he said.

“It was even more interesting than I thought it would be,” Wu Meiying admitted as she also removed her cloak and shoes before sitting next to him. She was wearing a somewhat translucent nightgown made of a light blue fabric. Wu Jian thought she looked enchanting and found himself mesmerized for a moment, but he shook his head to dispel the desires plaguing him.

Wu Jian had hit puberty just recently. It was complex and confusing for him. His body felt strange in ways he didn’t understand. His voice sometimes cracked unexpectedly, turning his normally confident words into embarrassing squeaks at the most inopportune moments. His body was growing taller, too, and his muscles were becoming more clearly defined. That was good. What wasn’t good was how he had to constantly buy new robes because he hit another growth spurt.

Then there were the strange emotions bubbling within him like an alchemists cauldron. While he had been competitive ever since the Wu Clan Strength Competition, he now felt a newfound urge to compete, to prove himself, especially toward other boys his age. He couldn’t rightly explain it. All he knew was that he felt a need to be better than them.

Then there were the feelings he had for Wu Meiying and Hou Jingshu. He never had trouble displaying his affection, but now, all of his gestures were accompanied by a fluttering in his stomach, a strange heat in his cheeks, and a burning sensation in his loins. That was to say nothing of the dreams he had. It bothered him immensely when he woke up after dreaming about committing certain unspeakable acts on Wu Meiying, Hou Jingshu, or both at the same time. The number of times he’d had to clean his sheets was becoming absurd.

He knew this was all natural, and that these feelings would eventually settle, but it was still annoying.

“The question is, what should we do about this?” asked Wu Jian.

Wu Meiying lifted her legs off the floor and began doing small flutter kicks. Wu Jian spent a moment watching her small feet kick back and forth, each toe like a tiny jade petal. She had painted her toenails. They were a lovely blue that matched her eyes.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

She stopped kicking, canted her feet inward, and used the toes of her left foot to clutch her right. It was a surprisingly dexterous move that he could not do himself. However, he had watched Wu Meiying pick up articles and objects off the floor with her toes, and she had even pinched him with them before. They were tiny but surprisingly strong.

“I don’t think there’s anything we can do about this,” Wu Meiying admitted. “Forget the Ming and Juishi clans, we’re not even strong enough to fight off a band of mercenaries.”

He and Wu Meiying were still just twelve years-old, which meant they hadn’t reached the Age of Majority, eighteen, when they would become adults and attempt to break through to the Hunger Realm. Until they broke through, it would be impossible for them to fight anyone outside of the Body Forging Realm.

There was a massive difference between realms. Someone at the Hunger Realm, even just the first subrealm, was so much more powerful than someone at the Body Forging Realm that it was like the difference between heaven and earth. That difference only became more marked the higher someone climbed up the cultivation ladder. Someone at the first subrealm of the Anima Realm was at least two times more powerful than someone at the ninth subrealm of the Hunger Realm, and cultivators at the Asura Realm were at least three times stronger than someone at the ninth subrealm of the Anima Realm.

“I guess, for now, we should just focus on getting stronger and leave everything else to the adults,” Wu Jian said at last.

“I think that’s a good idea,” Wu Meiying agreed. “Uncle Yōushì also seems to be aware of their movements. I’m sure he’s planning to deal with them on his own. We should display caution when going into town, but otherwise, I think it’s fine to let him deal with this.”

“We should also tell Hou Jingshu about what we heard.”

“We definitely should. We can’t leave her out of this.”

“It’s also really late now. Think we should go to bed?”

“In a bit. Before that, there is something we need to do.”

Wu Jian turned to Wu Meiying, who wore a mischievous grin. He felt his lips twitching as he realized what she wanted.

“It has been awhile, hasn’t it?”

“Yes. I’ve been holding myself back on account of Jingshu… but I simply can’t hold it in anymore. Wu Jian, you need to kiss me.”

Wu Jian would have said something, but Wu Meiying chose that moment to pounce.

***

The next morning found Wu Jian waking up with a sleeping Wu Meiying lying on his chest. His nightshirt was a little… damp. He realized that Wu Meiying had been drooling on him while she slept. Stroking her hair, he gave himself a few seconds to calm down before he went about waking her up. He didn’t want her to wake up and realize he had a problem every young boy had first thing in the morning.

“Mei? Mei? It’s morning. Wake up.”

“Mmm… hrrm? Mmmmm…”

Wu Meiying’s fingers twitched as she pushed herself into a sitting position. Blinking several times, she stretched her arms above her head, unleashing a loud yawn that made Wu Jian feel drowsy all over again.

“Aaaaaah. Good morning, Jian,” Wu Meiying murmured as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

“Morning,” Wu Jian said. “We should get ready. I’m sure Hou Jingshu is wondering why we aren’t at the training ground yet.”

“Mmmm. I guess. Ugh, I’d like to sleep a bit longer.”

“That’s what happens when you stay up late to eavesdrop on a conversation between adults, I guess.”

“Then next time I get an important vision, I won’t tell you and we can just remain ignorant.”

“Please don’t do that.”

The two of them bantered as they turned their backs to each other and got dressed. Wu Meiying went over to his drawer and pulled out a spare training gi, one of several she had left for moments like this. They always kept a spare in his room just in case she decided to sneak over and spend the night. He finished getting dressed first, then listened to the ruffling of clothes while Wu Meiying donned her outfit as well.

“I’m ready,” she said.

Turning around, Wu Jian found that Wu Meiying was dressed in a standard black and white training gi. She had even pulled her hair back into a ponytail, though it looked messy because they didn’t have time to comb it.

“Let’s go,” he said.

Since Wu Meiying had snuck in, they couldn’t go out the front. Instead, they slipped out through the window, curved around the building, and appeared from behind a copse of trees several dozen chih away. Nobody else was present. Wu Jian could see a few people in the distance, but they weren’t paying him or Wu Meiying any attention. That was good since he really didn’t want his father finding out that Wu Meiying was still sleeping with him.

They arrived at the training ground to find Hou Jingshu pouting, hands on her hips, foot tapping impatiently against the ground. Wu Jian felt apprehensive as they approached. That feeling increased as she turned upon hearing their footsteps and glared at the two.

“Meiying, why weren’t you in your room this morning?” asked Hou Jingshu.

“Because something important came up last night, so I stayed with Jian,” Wu Meiying said as if it was no big deal.

“WHAT?!” Hou Jingshu shouted in surprise.

“Shhh. Not so loud,” Wu Jian said, putting a finger to his lips.

But Hou Jingshu paid him no mind. “Y-y-y-you slept with Wu Jian last night?! How could you?! That’s… that’s so indecent! It’s—mmph?!”

Because he didn’t want any potential eavesdroppers to overhear what she was saying, he placed a hand over her mouth and moved in close. Hou Jingshu’s cheeks and ears were bright red. Wu Jian felt a little flustered as well. From up close like this, he had an amazing view of her big, beautiful eyes and clear skin, but he shook those thoughts off. This was important.

Hou Jingshu began struggling, but Wu Jian was stronger, and he wrapped his free arm around her back to keep her from getting free. She grabbed his arm as if to pry it off. Her nails dug into his skin, causing him to wince.

“Listen, I know how that sounds, but please hear us out. There’s something important we have to tell you.”

Hou Jingshu went still. After another second, she lowered her arms to her side and stared at him, demanding an explanation. With a sigh, Wu Jian let go of her and took several steps back. His arm stung and her fragrant scent still lingered, but he ignored both.

“Well? Tell me what was so important you two needed to sleep together for it?” Hou Jingshu demanded.

“Last night, Mei and I snuck out and overheard his father talking about what happened during our time in Zahn City…”

Wu Jian explained what they overheard last night, including the alliance between the Juishi and Ming Clans, the mercenary company that had been spotted along the city’s border, and the potential threat all of this posed to him, her, and Wu Meiying. Hou Jingshu looked pensive by the time he finished.

“That does sound bad,” she admitted. “If there really is a mercenary company just outside of Zahn City’s borders, it’s hard to believe they’re simply wandering around for no reason.”

Zahn City was about as far from civilization as a person could get. The closest city was Dahua City, which would take two week’s travel to reach for non-cultivators and even longer if you were part of a caravan. There was literally nothing out here for a mercenary company to want. Even the Twin Fang Mountains didn’t have enough bounty to be worth the attention of mercenaries.

“We’ve decided to be careful and not go into Zahn City for a while,” Wu Jian said. “We’ll train here and just relax together in the compound on our days off. It would be for the best if we could avoid a confrontation like yesterday.”

“I am sorry about that,” Hou Jingshu mumbled, her cheeks and ears turning red.

“Don’t worry. I don’t think there’s anything for you to be sorry about,” Wu Jian said.

Wu Meiying nodded. “I would have done the same thing if you hadn’t intervened first.”

Hou Jingshu smiled wryly at the two of them. They all knew that Wu Meiying and Wu Jian had been about to head in the opposite direction when they saw what was happening. While they felt bad for the guy whose stall had been knocked over, both of them understood their presence would only make things worse. It was Hou Jingshu who had seen the injustice and couldn’t abide by it.

“I do have one question, though,” Hou Jingshu suddenly said as if she remembered something important.

“What is it?” asked Wu Jian.

Hou Jingshu’s wry smile became strained as something dark, ominous, and evil like a specter appeared behind her. Even though it was bright outside, dark shadows covered her eyes. It was like there was an eclipse, but it was only happening around her.

Wu Jian felt a chill run down his spine.

“You told me about what you overheard, and I agree it was serious, but that doesn’t explain why you two slept together.”

“Uh… well, it’s… like… you know?”

“No, I don’t know. Please tell me, Jian. Help me understand.”

“Er…”

Wu Jian looked over at Wu Meiying for help, but all she did was smile and give him a thumbs up, as if to say, “You’ve got this.”

Gee. Thanks a lot, Mei. Way to throw me under the carriage.

“W-well, would you look at how high the sun has climbed! It’s already gotten late. We should definitely get started on training!”

“Don’t you try and slip out of this conversation, you slimy toad! Tell me why you two were sleeping together!”

Wu Jian was eventually able to convince Hou Jingshu to drop it, but it was clear that she was not satisfied, and he knew she would likely bring it up again in the near future. He would have to prepare an adequate countermeasure for when that time came. It never occurred to him that he could have just told her the truth.

Angry women did that to a guy.