The girl’s home wasn’t far. After walking out of the small grove, it was just a short distance away.
The little girl’s home was humble, a dilapidated wooden shack that, in our eyes, could barely keep out the wind and cold.
But to the girl, it was the home she trusted most.
She ran barefoot to a woman dressed in similarly worn-out clothes and threw herself into her arms.
The woman gave me the impression of a simple peasant.
Apart from her rather delicate features, everything else about her was plain and unadorned.
Seeing the tear-streaked, dirt-smudged face of the girl in her arms, she glanced at our group, assuming her daughter had caused some trouble.
She quickly pulled the girl behind her, eyeing us warily.
The old man was momentarily taken aback but quickly understood, chuckling as he said, “Madam, no need to be alarmed. It’s not what you think.”
He then briefly explained what had happened, and the woman relaxed only after the girl confirmed his story.
She hurriedly checked her daughter for injuries, sighing in relief when she saw the girl was unharmed.
“Thank you so much for saving her. I’m deeply grateful.”
“No, no, I didn’t do much. Your daughter managed it all on her own.”
Everything seemed so normal, so natural, that it felt profoundly unnatural to me.
The woman didn’t show the slightest hint of doubt or suspicion.
Would an ordinary person so readily believe their daughter possessed such extraordinary abilities and courage?
Hardly.
Yet this woman didn’t question a single detail of our story, nor did she seem puzzled by the fact that her daughter was completely unscathed.
“Has this sort of thing happened before?” I asked.
The woman paused, then hugged the girl and said helplessly, “Yes, it’s not common, but it has happened a few times.”
“What!?” The old man was stunned, and I was so shocked my jaw nearly hit the ground.
Honestly, while the girl’s outburst seemed somewhat unusual, it was still within the realm of acceptability.
When faced with danger, the instinct to survive can awaken a person’s potential, allowing them to unleash abilities far beyond their norm for a brief moment.
This was common sense, something both the old man and I understood.
So we had treated the girl’s sudden burst of action as an “accident,” not an “anomaly.”
But if, as the woman said, this wasn’t a one-time occurrence—if the girl had repeatedly defeated threats without a scratch—then the situation took on an entirely different meaning.
It was hard to believe that such actions, which would make anyone hesitate, and that unbelievable speed and reaction, could belong to a girl my age.
Especially this fragile, porcelain-doll-like girl, who seemed like she might break if you so much as pinched her.
It made one marvel: there truly are people favored by the heavens, born with gifts others could never hope to touch in a lifetime.
Talent was one such gift.
The woman hugged her daughter, gently stroking her head.
“The first time this happened, it scared me to death. I don’t want her to face danger again, but with our family’s situation…”
The girl shook her head obediently and said to her mother, “It’s okay, Mama. You’re not well, and there’s so much to do at home. I need to help you.”
You’re even frailer than she is… I thought to myself.
But the old man had no such thoughts.
Having confirmed that the girl’s abilities were truly extraordinary, his eyes gleamed.
He looked like he couldn’t wait to teach her everything he knew.
In his excitement, the old man forgot his manners.
“About your daughter, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you, Madam.”
The woman was puzzled.
They were strangers—what could there be to discuss?
But since he had saved her daughter, she stood, bowed slightly, and stepped aside to open the door.
“Please, come into our humble home to talk.”
“After you.”
The old man went inside, followed by the woman.
I wanted to follow, but I couldn’t.
Someone was tugging at my clothes.
Turning around, I saw the girl, her dirty little hands clutching my sleeve, staring at me intently.
“…”
“…”
I didn’t speak, thinking any normal person would explain themselves.
But, just like her talents, this girl’s personality was far from normal—she didn’t say a word either.
I tried to walk away, but the small hand held on.
Helplessly, I turned back, and only then did she let go, though her eyes, partially hidden by her hair, continued to peer at me through the strands.
Finally, unable to stand the silent staring contest, I spoke first.
“What?”
“Um…” As if startled by my voice, the girl shrank back.
After a moment’s hesitation, she tentatively asked, “Am I… weird?”
“Yeah, very weird.”
I answered instinctively, without hesitation.
Forget her extraordinary talents—any normal girl wouldn’t ask such a question out of the blue like that.
“Aw…” She looked crestfallen, as if she’d always thought of herself as ordinary but was confused by others treating her like an oddity.
“So, how do you even do it? Normal people wouldn’t dare try something like that.”
She shook her head.
“I don’t know. By the time I realized it, I was already down there.”
What kind of explanation was that?
It was like a protagonist suddenly powering up and then losing all memory of it afterward.
Seeing my skeptical expression, she lowered her head, dejected.
“I really am… weird?”
“I already said you’re very weird.” I didn’t hold back, but seeing her on the verge of tears, looking as pitiful as a hamster, I added, “But you did it for your mom, right? Helping her at such a young age—that’s pretty amazing.”
It was the kind of thing you’d say to comfort a child, but it made her beam with joy.
Well, she was a child, after all.
“So… can we be friends?” she asked, a little anxiously.
Why the sudden leap to that?
So that’s why she was so upset earlier—she was afraid I’d think she was too weird to be friends with.
Living in these remote mountains, she probably didn’t meet many people, let alone kids her age.
From the side, Leng Yu’s emotionless voice chimed in: “The beastly young master is quite popular. Another little girl has fallen for him.”
“Young master is very charming,” Bing Qiao said, clasping her hands and smiling sincerely.
Charming?
More like a tragedy of always attracting weirdos.
I sighed.
Whatever.
She was about to become the old man’s disciple, so we’d get to know each other eventually.
“Sure, we can be friends.”
“Great!” Hearing my answer, even the timid girl broke into a relieved smile.
She reached out to grab my hand but noticed her own dirty fingers.
Her smudged face flushed, and she hurriedly ran off to wash up.
Soon after, she came running back, wiping her damp face with a cloth.
Come to think of it, we were about to become senior and junior disciples, but we still didn’t know each other’s names.
“I’m Xiao Qing. What’s your name?”
At the same time, inside the house, the excited old man was speaking to the equally delighted woman.
“Then it’s settled. Oh, pardon me, I still don’t know your daughter’s name…?”
The woman realized she hadn’t introduced herself and stood, a little embarrassed.
“Zhao Yun.”
“Huh?” The girl, still wiping her face, mumbled through the cloth, making me think I’d misheard.
She finished wiping and moved her bangs aside, revealing her eyes for the first time.
Despite her grubby appearance, she had a pair of clear, radiant, beautiful yellow eyes.
“Zhao Yun,” she repeated.
“My name is Zhao Yun.”