16. Cultivating and Training (2)
Jiu Ping stood at the edge of the small courtyard, arms folded loosely across her chest as she watched her children train. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the worn stone tiles. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves of the few scraggly trees they had managed to keep alive. It was not much of a training ground compared to the grand halls of the main Yin family, but it was theirs. And for now, that was enough.
She was not an immensely powerful cultivator. She had reached the middle stages of the Spirit Core realm many years ago and had not advanced further. Life had demanded other things from her. After her husband disappeared during that fateful ruin expedition, she had put aside her own ambitions. Raising two children alone in a family that had already begun to look down on them required all her strength. She had chosen protection over progress. Now she wondered if that choice had been right.
Jiu Lan moved with graceful precision in the center of the courtyard. The thin blade their family had passed down to her flashed in the sunlight as she practiced the forms from the Moonlight manual. Her movements were fluid, almost dance-like. A faint silvery glow surrounded her as she channeled her trait. Each strike carried a gentle but cutting power. Moonlight Qi was not the most aggressive, but it was persistent and elegant. Jiu Ping felt a swell of pride watching her daughter. Lan’er had always carried the weight of the family on her young shoulders. Seeing her finally able to shine brought tears to the corners of Jiu Ping’s eyes.
“You are improving quickly, Lan’er,” she called out softly. “Keep your wrist relaxed on the follow-through. Moonlight flows best when it is not forced.”
Jiu Lan paused, breathing steadily, and gave her mother a small nod. There was determination in her green eyes. “I will not waste the manual you gave me, Mother. I want to make sure our family has a future.”
Jiu Ping smiled, though her heart ached a little. Her daughter had grown up too fast.
Her gaze shifted to her son.
Jiu Yin trained a short distance away in the shaded corner. His movements were simpler, more physical. He practiced basic strikes and forms, focusing on strengthening his body. There was a quiet intensity to him now that had not been there before. His shoulders were broader. His skin had taken on that pale, almost flawless tone. Each punch cut through the air with surprising force for someone who had only recently reached the third rank of Iron Warrior.
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Jiu Ping watched him carefully. She was proud of him too. He had brought them hope when they had almost none. Yet something about him still worried her. He had changed so much in such a short time. His eyes sometimes held a depth that did not belong to the timid boy she had raised. She told herself it was the awakening. Bloodlines could do strange things. Still, a mother’s heart was not easily quieted.
“Yin’er,” she called gently. “Remember to breathe with the movement. Qi follows the breath. Do not force it.”
Jiu Yin paused and turned toward her. He offered a small, respectful smile. “Thank you, Mother. I will remember.”
He resumed training, but Jiu Ping noticed how he stayed in the shade. He avoided direct sunlight more than necessary. She had seen cultivators with fire or light attributes do the opposite. It was one more small thing that felt… different.
She leaned against the wooden pillar of the walkway and let out a slow breath. These past years had been so hard. After her husband vanished, the main family had slowly withdrawn their support. Resources became scarcer. Opportunities dried up. She had done everything she could to shield her children from the worst of it. She had swallowed her pride and begged for scraps when necessary. She had pushed her own cultivation aside to make sure they had food and clothes and a roof that did not leak too badly.
Now, finally, there was a chance. Both of her children had been accepted for the upcoming tournament. In one week the clan would escort them to the gathering point. If even one of them caught the eye of a sect representative, their lives could change forever.
Jiu Lan finished a set of forms and walked over to her mother, wiping sweat from her brow. “Do you think it will be enough, Mother? The sects are looking for real talent.”
Jiu Ping reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her daughter’s face. “It will be enough if you both do your best. You have the Moonlight trait. That is special. And your brother… he has come so far already. We must believe.”
Jiu Yin joined them a moment later. He stood a little apart, listening quietly.
Jiu Ping looked at both of them and felt a wave of emotion. These past years had been so hard. After her husband vanished, the main family had slowly withdrawn their support. Resources became scarcer. Opportunities dried up. She had done everything she could to shield her children from the worst of it. She had swallowed her pride and begged for scraps when necessary. She had pushed her own cultivation aside to make sure they had food and clothes and a roof that did not leak too badly.
Now, finally, there was a chance. Both of her children had been accepted for the upcoming tournament. In one week the clan would escort them to the gathering point. If even one of them caught the eye of a sect representative, their lives could change forever.
For a brief moment the three of them stood together in the courtyard. The late afternoon light softened the edges of their rundown home. It almost looked peaceful.
Jiu Ping allowed herself to hope.