The sun was had just came out from under the horizon and the air was still moist. I sat in the bleachers of a coliseum. Meanwhile, groups of point class student fought in the pit below me. The noise from their fights reached my ears as light taps. This was the tournament Er Yi had mentioned.

Attending the tournament was mandatory for all students. I wasn’t a student, but some talented underdogs like Er Yi could reveal themselves here. I doubted I could find people to add to the list, but I came just in case. Besides, Hui Ming would be fighting too. I had to watch. I wore a mask so nobody would bother me.

A voice came from one of the seats below us. “I’ll buy some. Thank you, senior.” One of the point class students took out a few jade slips.

Hui Ming was walking below me, selling medicine to the injured fighters. Square class students were royalty here. Nobody refused her medicine. She worked her way up the rows of seats.

I heard some people whispering, “What is a square class student doing selling medicine to us?”

“I don’t know. She can’t need money that badly. It must her hobby.”

It was peaceful somehow, watching her sell my pills.

I blinked twice. Why is somebody standing on her head?

Hui Ming froze. A tall masked figure stood on her tiptoes on her head. The figure wore a quilt, concealing her body. A small snake draped on her shoulders her neck like a scarf. Jing dropped down and sat on Hui Ming’s shoulders. Her legs wrapped around her neck, like a child riding on her father's shoulders. She was almost a head taller than Hui Ming, so it looked odd, more like a father riding on the child’s shoulders.

The students in the bleachers stared at the scene with wide eyes. Maybe Hui Ming was right. Maybe Jing really should be called the big sister. She was certainly physically bigger.

She dropped down to sit on her shoulders. Her legs sandwiched her sister’s neck. Jing cuddled Hui Ming’s head, “I’m back!”

“I know,” Hui Ming said, her voice sounding strained. Jing’s quilt dropped as well, covering Hui Ming’s eyes.

“Big sis, take me somewhere!”

“I can’t see,” she said, “and I’m working.”

Nevermind. Hui Ming’s the big sister. Jing’s too playful. She doesn’t fit the image of a big sister.

“Alright, alright,” she said, “Where’s pop?”

“Can’t you sense him or something? You little monster,” said Hui Ming.

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“Oh right. I can, can’t I,” said Jing. She looked up and her eyes met mine. “See you later!” She reached the seat next to me in one leap. “Hey pops!”

“Can’t you do anything normally?” I said.

She grabbed my hand and pulled it to her chest. “I finally come back after so long and the first thing you do is scold me…” she pouted.

“It’s been five days, you call that a long time?” I asked.

“Five days is a fifth of my entire life!” she said. “Imagine your family suddenly left you for a fifth of your life. Wouldn’t you be excited to see them again?”

I looked at her again and a feeling of adoration swelled up in me. “Fair enough,” I grinned and spread my arms, “give paps a hug.”

I couldn’t see her face under her smiley face mask, but I imagine her smile was about as big as the one on the mask. She jumped into my arms and snuggled her face against me. I pat her hair. I think I can get used to this.

I looked around and saw countless eyes on us. “Although, maybe cause less commotion next time you show up?”

“Yepf!” she said, her voice muffled by my clothes, “Maybe!”

I opened my mouth to respond, but gave up and closed it again. We sat like that for a while, and the people watching us slowly lost interest. “Ok, ok. That’s enough family bonding.“ I nudged her back upright. “What have you been up to?”

“Consolidating power to reach the power of a top-tier sect, duh,” she said, almost sounding offended. “You told me to, remember?”

I nodded, “How powerful are we now? Powerful enough to stop my classmates if they come?”

She tilted her chin up, “I don’t know about your classmates, but I’ve reached the power of old Crimson Fire Sect.”

“Eh? How?”

She emitted a bit of her aura and a woman appeared next to her. Her face was completely emotionless, but I got the feeling it wasn’t just a poker face. She bowed, “Mistress Jing, Grandmaster.”

Jing changed into a different person. All Jing’s playfulness vanished, replaced by confidence and formality. “Good morning. I was about to introduce you to my father, but it looks like you already know who he is.”

“Yes, mistress. I was going to pay him a visit, but you found me first.”

“Well,” Jing motioned at her, “This is Esha, she and her followers represent the majority of the power in my organization.”

“You flatter me,” she replied with a deadpan face and voice.

“Maybe. Anyway, she’s powerful. You may leave,” Jing commanded, and Esha disappeared. She moved too fast for most people to see, but our eyes could track her. Jing’s posture relaxed. She took off a necklace. The snake wrapped around her moved to make way. She draped the necklace around my neck, “This is the highest ranking command pendant for my organization. It’ll be helpful.” She guided the snake off her body and onto my lap, “and you should keep this little guy for now. Treat him with care.”

“Aren’t there other people that can take care of him?”

“Keep him. You two look cute together. Feed him good food too. Let him grow to be big and strong.”

The stadium started to fill when the cross students started their part of the tournament.

I had to remind myself I was next to the children of nobles. A lot of the audience were students, but most of it was filled by the families that had come to watch. Other important figures came too, to inspect the quality of the next generation.

Pads and pillows transformed the metallic seats into lavish couches. The colorful pillows spread like cancer, and my poor normal seats got converted into seats for kings.

The stadium filled completely when the square class students started their matches. Hui Ming sat in a VIP box way up above us, waiting her turn. Jing’s legs bounced, giddy with anticipation for her sister’s match.

But the other square class matches dragged on, and Hui Ming was one of the last fighters in the bracket. Jing boxed the air in front of her, “How much longer?” she whined.

“Patience.”

The snake slithered up to my throat and decided that’s where it was most comfortable. Some time passed, and Jing started to look more and more bored, until Esha appeared next to us.

Esha leaned in to whisper into her ear. Jing pushed her away, frowning, “Father can hear anything I can hear.”

Esha lowered her voice so low I could barely hear her even with my augmented ears. “There are a few suspicious people around the school. One of our sixth stage cultivators has been captured.”

“Can you take care of this yourself?”

“Most likely, but I believe you should come as well to guarantee our success.”

Jing’s frown deepened, ”Tell me the place, and I’ll meet you there soon.”

“Yes madam,” she showed Jing a map and vanished again.

Jing turned to me and whispered, “Wanna come with me and Esha? Let’s go. In and out. Twenty minute adventure.”