Chapter 2 Famous Scene: The Journey Back to the Clan
The testing continued, and people kept joining the team. They tested from morning until afternoon before the team was empty. Just as they were about to wrap up, a little boy joined them.
The child was much fairer-skinned than Song Yin, and his eyes were red as he said he wanted to be tested too.
The female immortal was not annoyed and, as usual, tested her bone age.
"Bone age of seven years old, age matches, place your hand on the spirit-testing plate."
When the child placed their hand on it, a bead lit up shortly afterward, and the bead was a deep purple color.
"Thunder Spirit Root, stand behind them."
The senior student taking notes asked the last child, "What's your name?"
"Shi Heming".
Which "shi"?
"The division commander's division."
The test ended, the crowd dispersed, leaving only a few people still watching the spectacle.
With a wave of her hand, the female immortal conjured a flying boat, which she then led the chosen new disciples aboard.
The flying boat quickly ascended into the air and disappeared from everyone's sight, leaving only the mortals below still in shock and exchanging thoughts.
Song Yin felt it was amazing that there was no discomfort from the sudden liftoff.
Twenty-two people were selected in one day of testing. Song Yin felt that the number was far too small, but little did she know that the three immortals considered finding twenty-two people with spiritual roots in Qing Shi Village to be quite a large number. Especially since they had identified two disciples with only one spiritual root, they imagined the sect's rewards would be generous!
Of the twenty-two new disciples, only Song Yin and the last disciple, Shi Heming, were under ten years old. The other twenty were all over ten years old, with most of them around fifteen.
The older new disciples couldn't help but chat with each other, and those who knew each other stood together and talked. Song Yin was left out, a little kid; no one came to talk to the six-year-old. They preferred to talk to people of similar or older age.
Shi Heming was also left out in the cold, but judging from his expression, he was the only one isolating everyone else. The airship was large, with all the necessary rooms. Shi Heming stood in a corner of the deck, his back to everyone.
In the eyes of the three immortals, they were two promising talents who were isolated by everyone, all alone and pitiful.
The female immortal stepped forward and addressed all the new disciples: "My name is Cheng Yan, and you can call me Senior Sister Cheng. The flying boat will soon set off to take you back to the sect. This departure from you and your families may very well be a final farewell. If you wish to go home and say goodbye to your families, step forward. We will send you home, and after you have said your goodbyes, we will bring you back."
Senior Sister Cheng casually pointed, and a bulging purse appeared in everyone's hands. "There are fifty taels of silver in each of you. You can keep it for yourselves or leave it for your families. Alternatively, you can exchange the fifty taels of silver for two health-strengthening pills to take home to your families or keep for yourselves."
Except for Song Yin and Shi Heming, everyone else said they were going home to say goodbye to their families.
Of the twenty people, most took fifty taels of silver home, while only a small number took health-strengthening pills home.
Two senior brothers escorted them back. They were very fast, almost every half minute, like teleporting, and quickly sent the twenty people home.
Senior Sister Cheng and a senior brother walked over. Senior Sister Cheng came to find Song Yin, while the senior brother went to find Shi Heming.
Senior Sister Cheng led Song Yin to a room on the flying boat. The room was furnished with tables, chairs, and a screen, behind which was a soft couch.
Song Yin was filthy, like a dirty bag. Her clothes and the bundle she carried were patched. Her figure, thin and frail from years of malnutrition, resembled that of a four or five-year-old, not a six-year-old. Her skin was neither fair nor delicate; her whole appearance was ashen. Only her eyes and brows were exceptionally bright, like the sun in the sky. Upon closer inspection, one could see a small red mole between her eyebrows, neither too big nor too small, only visible at close range, adding a unique charm to her face.
Senior Sister Cheng asked gently, "Everyone else went home to see their families and say goodbye. Why didn't Xiao Song Yin go back? This time you might not have the chance to come back for a long time. When you come back next time, they might all have white hair and won't recognize you."
Song Yin: "I'm not going back because my whole family died last night. Bandits broke into the village, stole everyone's food, and killed many people. Now only a few people are still alive in the village."
Senior Sister Cheng: ...?!
"They all died last night?" Senior Sister Cheng broke down in her composure and pressed for an answer.
Song Yin nodded: "They're all dead. I was playing around last night and didn't go home. When I got home this morning, they were all lying on the ground bleeding. The house is still on fire."
Senior Sister Cheng was very emotional, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears. This young child had experienced the loss of her family overnight, and she had even gone so far as to pry into the child's heart by asking about her family situation—she deserved to die!
Seeing the other person's distress, Song Yin spoke again: "But I'm not sad, on the contrary, I'm very happy."
Senior Sister Cheng: "Huh?" I don't know how to do it for her.
Song Yin: "Because a few days ago they were discussing selling me for money to support their unborn younger brother."
Sister Cheng's feelings went from "I really deserve to die" to "What's real or fake?", and then back to "I'm angry and I really deserve to die".
After a long silence, Senior Sister Cheng finally managed to say, "...They deserved to be punished by heaven. Don't be afraid, you no longer need to worry about being sold."
Song Yin gave Senior Sister Cheng a big smile: "That's right, no one can sell me."
Senior Sister Cheng felt a pang of tenderness and gently touched Song Yin's messy little bird's nest hair.
Guh—
Song Yin's stomach growled; she hadn't eaten anything all day and was now extremely hungry.
Senior Sister Cheng immediately took out various foods from her storage bag, including snacks, roast chicken, braised pork knuckle, and fruit, and laid them all out on the table. These were all foods she had collected when she left the sect, and they wouldn't spoil if stored in her storage bag.
"Here, have some of these. You haven't eaten all day, you must be starving."
Song Yin picked up her chopsticks and said without ceremony, "Thank you, Senior Sister Cheng!"
Hearing Song Yin's cheerful voice, which seemed to brighten with just a little food, Senior Sister Cheng felt increasingly uneasy. She silently got up and left the room, leaving Song Yin some space. She needed to go outside and relax; who would have thought that a six-year-old girl could be so devastating to her?
As soon as she stepped outside, she encountered a senior brother coming out of another room. This senior brother's surname was Xu. Not only had he entered the sect earlier than Senior Sister Cheng, but his cultivation level was also slightly higher than hers.
"Senior Brother Xu." Senior Sister Cheng wanted to tell Senior Brother Xu about Song Yin, but when Senior Brother Xu turned around, she saw a pair of eyes filled with tears.
As soon as Senior Brother Xu reached the deck, he said to Senior Sister Cheng, "Junior Sister Cheng, Junior Brother Shi Heming is so pitiful. Last night, bandits broke into the village and burned, killed, and looted. His parents hid him and he witnessed their murder. Because he had made an appointment with his parents to come and have his destiny tested, even after this happened, he hastily buried his parents' bodies and then came to Qing Shi Village alone. I want to take Junior Brother Shi Heming back to find a good place to properly bury his parents."
They informed the villagers of their impending arrival in Qing Shi Village beforehand, and the news spread like wildfire, attracting many people seeking to determine their spiritual destiny. Shi Heming's family was among those who heard the news; tragically, his parents died the night before he successfully tested his spiritual root.
Senior Sister Cheng: "Waaah, Junior Sister Song Yin's whole family was killed by bandits last night. She escaped because she didn't go home. And before the bandits killed her, Junior Sister Song Yin was almost sold by her family. You can tell they treated Junior Sister Song Yin very badly. She's clearly a six-year-old child, but she looks like she's four or five. She's so thin and small, it's heartbreaking."
Senior Brother Xu remained silent, then he and Senior Sister Cheng sighed heavily.
"well!"
"well!"
Senior Brother Xu still took Shi Heming back to Shi Family Village, found a good hilltop, and used spiritual energy to dig a pit to bury the body quickly. He also used local materials to carve a wooden plaque and inserted it on the grave.
Shi Heming kowtowed repeatedly, tears streaming down his face, then stood up and said, "Thank you, Senior Brother Xu."
After finishing everything, Shi Heming returned earlier than the others who had said goodbye to their loved ones. Upon returning, Shi Heming stood in a corner of the deck, continuing to grieve and isolate himself.
The sun was about to set, and the airship hovered above the clouds. The warm yellow sunset filled the sky, creating a breathtaking view.
For the first time in six years, Song Yin ate her fill, a balanced meal with both meat and vegetables. Even after she was full, she still held the plate in her left hand and a chicken leg in her right, continuing to eat. The setting sun streamed through the window, and Song Yin wanted to go outside to watch it.
Upon reaching the deck, she found Shi Heming there as well. Realizing he was the only person roughly the same age as her in this life, Song Yin hesitated for a moment and decided to greet him.
Song Yin: "My name is Song Yin. Here's some food that Senior Sister Cheng gave me. Do you want some? (chewing) There's also a chicken leg. It's really delicious. (chewing)"
Shi Heming remained silent, his head bowed, lost in grief.
"I saw them all go home to say goodbye to their families. Why didn't you go back to say goodbye to your parents?"
Accurately identified a minefield!
Senior Sister Cheng and Senior Brother Xu, who were secretly observing, gasped in shock.
Touched on a sensitive topic, Shi Heming suddenly looked up and snapped, "Aren't you annoying?!"
Touched on a sore spot, Shi Heming's tears fell again. "I have no parents anymore. Last night, bandits robbed the village, and they were all killed. Are you happy now? I'll never see my parents again, never again! Waaah, they desperately protected me, telling me to hide and not come out. Those bandits stabbed my parents with knives, and I couldn't save them. I could only watch them being killed. I ran to Qing Shi Village because they said there was an immortal there recruiting disciples, and they even prepared new clothes for me, saying they would take me there. I miss my parents so much, waaah..."
Shi Heming poured out all the pain he had been suppressing in his heart, incoherently.
It turned out he was just another unlucky fellow who had been robbed by bandits. Song Yin forgave him for yelling at her and patiently listened to his sobs. It's not good to keep sad things bottled up inside, so Shi Heming didn't say a word all day. He needed to vent his negative emotions, and Song Yin, being magnanimous, listened silently while munching on a chicken leg.
Senior Brother Xu sighed in a room and said to Senior Sister Cheng, "Life is unpredictable, but there is cause and effect in the world. Those bandits will not have a good ending. Let's not listen to them. There is a barrier around the flying boat, so they won't fall off."
Senior Sister Cheng nodded in agreement with Senior Brother Xu's statement.
The two stopped paying attention and started discussing the matter of cause and effect.
After Shi Heming finally vented his anger, he saw that the other party remained silent. He couldn't help but regret his actions, and his heart grew increasingly bitter. He felt ashamed of his parents' teachings for taking his anger out on an innocent person.
Song Yin: "Hey, what do you mean! My whole family was killed by bandits last night. Eat something and don't be sad. Life is long. Eat and drink as usual and don't take things to heart."
Shi Heming: ...
Shi Heming: ? ? ?
He was so shocked that he briefly forgot his grief, and stammered, "You, your family was also killed by bandits?"
Song Yin swallowed the chicken leg meat in her mouth. "Yes, my parents, grandparents, and even my unborn sister were all killed by bandits."
The Song family always wanted a boy, but she insisted the unborn child was a girl. Heh heh heh, that infuriated them. Wait, they're already dead, hehe, heaven has eyes!
The two people inside, discussing cause and effect, exchanged a silent glance upon hearing Song Yin's words. "Friend, is that how you comfort someone? Are you even right?"
"Um... I'm sorry, and my name is Shi Heming." After hearing this, Shi Heming felt empathy and immediately softened his tone to apologize to Song Yin.
"I know your name, it's very nice. Do you want some chicken leg? It's delicious, I haven't touched this one."
Shi Heming then felt his stomach protesting. After hesitating for a long time, he picked up the large chicken leg from the plate and said, "Thank you."
There was a moment of silence as they ate, quickly finishing the chicken leg. They both sat on the deck, enjoying the breeze and oblivious to the summer heat.
"Aren't you sad?" Shi Heming broke the silence and asked in a low voice.
A gentle breeze ruffled Song Yin's disheveled hair. She hadn't combed it that morning, just tied it up haphazardly. Hearing the voice, Song Yin turned around. It was already dusk, and the flying boat hovered high in the sky, offering a spectacular view of the sunset. Song Yin's eyes were bright, and she radiated vitality, as if she alone could dispel all the sadness under the setting sun.
"What's done is done. It's okay to be sad, but we can't stay in the past forever. We have to look forward."
Besides, why should she feel sad for scumbags? She'd be more than happy to set off firecrackers to thank God for taking them away.
Song Yin thought about the novels she had read before, and then said domineeringly, "If you eat my chicken leg, you'll be my friend from now on. Don't worry, I'll protect you."
Shi Heming did not answer.
Song Yin then asked, "Are you full?"
Shi Heming nodded and then shook his head, his voice hoarse as he said, "From now on, you'll be my good friend... I haven't eaten enough yet." He hadn't eaten all day; a chicken leg alone couldn't fill him up.
Song Yin's words sounded just like his father and mother reasoning with him, and people who sound like his father and mother are always right! Besides, she's so capable; she can spout such profound truths so easily! He'd love to be her friend!
Shi Heming's eyes gradually hardened.
Song Yin thought she had successfully fooled the child, unaware that the child regarded her as his parent.
Song Yin: "There are still a few dishes of food in the room that I haven't touched. I'll take you to eat them."
She didn't take food from every plate; instead, she only ate the two dishes in front of her and didn't touch the rest.
Song Yin: "Come on in, we're already good friends. Friends should tell each other the truth and not lie. Believe me, the food that Senior Sister Cheng brought out is really delicious!"
Shi Heming: "Really?" But Dad said that friends should keep their distance and not believe everything they say. They should know how to distinguish between truth and falsehood.
Why would I lie to you? We're still young, we need to eat well to grow taller.
Shi Heming thought about how tall his parents were, and then looked at his own height.
Yes! You need to eat more!
But my good friend Song Yin is much shorter than me... I understand, I need to make sure my good friend eats more in the future!
After such a major event last night, Shi Heming had only eaten the chicken leg that Song Yin fed him so far. Now, being urged to eat by Song Yin, he felt increasingly hungry and ate faster, but he didn't wolf down his food.
Seeing how much he enjoyed his meal, Song Yin, who was already full, also picked up her chopsticks and ate some more. The two children finished most of the food on the table, and Song Yin patted her belly and sighed with satisfaction.
"Ah! I'm so full. This is the most filling and comfortable meal I've had in six years."
Shi Heming sat on the stool and asked, "Have you never had a full meal?"
Song Yin: "No, my family is poor, and they only give me a little bit of food."
No wonder my good friend isn't very tall.
After Song Yin and Shi Heming finished eating, the others who went home to say goodbye to their parents were picked up by another senior brother surnamed Zhang.
By the time everyone had arrived, it was already dark, and the sky was dotted with stars.
Senior Sister Cheng said to everyone, "Let's set off back to the sect."
The flying boat has many rooms, enough for everyone.
Song Yin boarded a flying boat and left the quagmire that had trapped her for six years, and from then on, she was free to roam the world.
A note from the author:
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Song Yin: Your whole family died too? Just like me! [Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers]
Shi Heming: Is this something to celebrate? They're even showering us with flowers (I'm completely defenseless).
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