While eating my breakfast, I occasionally glanced at the two children and Grandfather.
The food was good, nourishing, I also consumed some of the special soup myself, but only felt only a negligible amount of blood energy that quickly absorbed my body.
Even so, It made genuinely curious about what effects the new system reward, Blood Energy, would eventually have on my own cultivation.
Seeing that neither of the children had woken up yet, and Grandfather looked ready to eat his own portion, I stood and gestured.
"Let me take over watching them. You should eat while the food is still warm."
He nodded gratefully and moved to the table.
I settled down near the children, cross-legged and comfortable.
Closing my eyes, I extended my spiritual awareness carefully outward and examined their conditions in detail.
Mo Ling's situation immediately surprised me.
Her qi circulation was exceptionally smooth, flowing naturally through her small, undeveloped meridians without any resistance whatsoever.
Her young body was absorbing the spiritual energy from the Vermilion Blood Spirit Rice with remarkable efficiency, as if her very constitution had been perfectly designed for this type of nourishment.
There was absolutely no rejection happening, no dangerous turbulence, no blockages forming.
Only steady, peaceful refinement as the energy integrated seamlessly into her foundation.
Incredible natural talent.
I then turned my spiritual attention to Mo Fan.
Compared to his sister's smooth progress, he was clearly struggling significantly.
His breathing pattern was notably uneven, sometimes shallow and rapid, sometimes too deep.
The blood energy within his small body was gathering and pooling in certain specific areas instead of dispersing properly throughout his entire system.
If left unchecked, this could cause problems, even minor qi deviation.
Without hesitation, I moved behind him and placed both my palms gently but firmly against his small back.
Carefully, with the utmost precision I could manage, I began guiding the excess pooled energy.
I spread it evenly throughout his body using my own controlled spiritual energy as a guide, helping it integrate naturally with his flesh and blood.
Slowly, gradually, the uncomfortable tension in his small frame began to ease.
His breathing pattern steadied and deepened properly.
After some time passed, perhaps half an hour, Mo Fan finally stirred.
His eyes fluttered open slowly, still slightly glazed with meditation.
He looked around somewhat groggily at first, trying to orient himself.
Then he noticed his sister still sleeping peacefully nearby on her mat, and me sitting directly behind him with my hands on his back.
Understanding dawned across his young face.
"Big Brother Shen..." he said softly, his voice carrying genuine gratitude. "Thank you for helping me."
"It's nothing important," I replied, removing my hands. "Rest more if you still feel tired or uncomfortable."
He shook his head firmly despite his obvious exhaustion.
"I'm fine now. Much better."
Then his concerned gaze shifted to Mo Ling's sleeping form.
He asked worriedly, "What happened to my sister? Is she alright? Did something go wrong?"
"She's perfectly fine," I assured him. "Better than fine, actually. But let's talk outside so we don't disturb her rest."
His expression showed confusion but he nodded obediently.
Once we had stepped outside into the morning sunlight, away from the sleeping Mo Ling, I explained everything that had transpired after he'd begun his meditation.
Mo Fan listened with focused intensity, his young face serious.
When he finally understood that his younger sister's natural talent and spiritual compatibility significantly surpassed his own, he froze completely for a long moment.
I watched his face carefully, curious about his reaction.
Then, unexpectedly, his expression softened into something that looked like genuine relief mixed with pure happiness.
Seeing this surprised reaction, I asked carefully, "Don't you feel that it's unfair somehow? Or... don't you feel even a little jealous that she's more talented?"
He shook his head immediately and firmly.
"No, Big Brother Shen," he said with absolute conviction in his young voice. "I'm not jealous at all. I'm actually very happy about this."
He looked toward the house where his sister slept.
"If my sister is naturally stronger and more talented, then she won't have to depend on others to protect her in the future."
I raised an eyebrow slightly at his mature reasoning.
"But won't you protect her yourself when you become strong enough?"
"I will," he said without even a moment's hesitation. "I'll protect her with everything I have, until my very last breath. But..."
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"But I can't stay beside her forever, can I? Eventually, she has to live her own life too. Make her own path. I can't always be there."
I couldn't help but chuckle softly at his unexpectedly mature perspective.
"For a five-year-old child, you're talking about life philosophy like some ancient scholar. Did you read books about this somewhere, or did someone specifically teach you to think this way?"
Mo Fan lowered his head slightly, and his voice became quieter.
"My mother taught me these things. When I was very little, she would tell me stories about how to be righteous... how to always be honest... how to treat other people with respect and kindness."
I felt my curiosity growing about his family background.
"What did your father do for work?" I asked gently.
"My father was a hunter," Mo Fan replied, his voice carrying a mixture of pride and sadness. "He took missions to hunt spirit beasts and regular animals. We also raised spirit chickens and spirit fish at our home to sell."
He paused, and his expression grew darker.
"But we stopped all of that after my mother died."
Another pause, heavier this time.
"Back then, before everything happened, Father used to be cheerful and energetic. He would laugh and play with us. But after Mom died, he completely shut himself off emotionally. He only worked constantly, just to give us food and a place to sleep."
His young eyes began to redden as painful memories surfaced.
I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I should push further.
"Do you want to talk more about your family?" I asked very gently. "Or should we stop here? I don't want to force you to relive painful memories if it makes you too sad. You can speak freely if you want."
Mo Fan remained silent for several long breaths.
I watched him struggle internally with the decision.
Then he shook his head lightly, not in refusal, but in contradiction.
"It's... it's not like that, Big Brother Shen," he said quietly but steadily. "Even though I was only three years old back then when it happened, I still remember everything clearly. Sometimes I have dreams about them."
His voice remained quiet, but there was an underlying strength to it.
"We were a genuinely happy family before that day."
I listened attentively without interrupting, giving him space to share at his own pace.
"One day," he continued, his voice taking on a distant quality as he recalled, "my baby sister and I were with our mother in the backyard of our home. Mother was feeding the spirit fish in their pond, and Mo Ling and I were playing with the spirit chickens nearby."
His small hands clenched slightly at his sides as he spoke.
"Suddenly, without any warning... Mother collapsed. She just fell down beside the small pond we had at home."
His breathing grew noticeably uneven.
"We were completely startled and scared. We didn't understand what was happening. We cried and cried. But I was too small back then, and I couldn't leave baby Mo Ling alone to go call for help. So we just stayed there crying... completely helpless."
His eyes reddened further with unshed tears.
"Father came running when he heard us screaming and crying. He immediately checked Mother's condition, and then... then he started crying too. I'd never seen him cry before that moment."
Mo Fan's voice cracked slightly.
"He held her so tightly and kept saying over and over... 'Why did you leave us? Why? Why did this happen?'"
The boy swallowed hard, fighting back tears.
"After some time passed... Mother stopped breathing completely. She just... passed away right there."
Heavy silence hung in the air between us.
I remained quiet, letting him continue at his own pace.
Then he spoke again, his voice trembling with suppressed emotion.
"Mother was originally from a mortal city far away from here. Her entire family was killed when that city was suddenly attacked by a large horde of yao beasts. She lost absolutely everyone she loved in one terrible night."
I felt my chest tighten involuntarily at the tragedy.
"At that exact time, Father happened to be working as a hunter doing missions in that region. He saw Mother being chased by a Tier 1 wolf yao beast through the ruined city. He killed the beast and rescued her, but she was already very badly injured from the attack."
Mo Fan's voice softened with something like bittersweet affection.
"They travelled together for a while after that incident. Eventually, they fell in love and married, then settled permanently in Qing Shui Village to start a new life."
He lowered his head, staring at the ground.
"But those injuries she received that night... they never properly healed. She wasn't a cultivator like my father. Her body couldn't recover the way cultivators' bodies can."
His voice dropped to barely above a whisper.
"The injuries lingered inside her, getting slowly worse... until after Mo Ling and I were born."
"And in the end... they finally took her life away from us."
His voice broke completely.
Tears began falling freely now, dropping onto the dirt at his feet.
I didn't speak immediately.
Instead, I simply reached out and placed my hand gently on his small shoulder, giving it a reassuring pat.
I let him cry openly without shame or interruption.
Sometimes, tears were necessary for healing.
After a considerable while, when his crying had subsided to quiet sniffles, I asked softly, "So... is that the real reason why you want your sister to become strong? So she won't suffer like your mother did?"
He nodded emphatically, wiping his wet face with his sleeve.
"Yes. Exactly that."
I smiled faintly at his fierce protective instinct.
"Don't worry too much," I said reassuringly. "With her natural talent, your sister will definitely become so strong that she'll be able to crush anything that dares to harm her or try to make her sad."
I paused, then added warmly, "So you should focus on getting stronger yourself too, alright? That is, if you don't want to get bullied by her."
Mo Fan froze for a brief moment, processing my words.
Then he laughed lightly through the remaining tears on his face.
"Both of you should be protecting each other."
He nodded with a smile.
It was a genuine smile, full of hope and determination.
At that exact moment, we heard small, hurried footsteps approaching from inside the house.
Mo Ling came running out, still rubbing her sleepy eyes with tiny fists.
She spotted Mo Fan's tear-streaked face immediately and her expression shifted to pure panic.
"Brother! Brother!" she cried out worriedly, running directly toward us as fast as her short legs could carry her. "What happened?! Why are you crying?! Are you hurt somewhere?! Did someone hurt you?!"
Mo Fan immediately hurried to wipe his eyes and face clean.
He crouched down and pulled her into a tight hug.
"It's nothing serious," he said gently, his voice remarkably steady now. "Don't cry, little sister. I just had a bad dream while meditating, that's all."
He patted her back soothingly, the roles reversed as the older brother comforted the younger sister.
I crouched down as well to meet Mo Ling's worried eyes directly.
"Tell me honestly," I said with mock seriousness. "did you immediately think I hurt your brother?"
She shook her head so vigorously that her braids bounced wildly.
"No, no, no!" she protested cutely, her voice high-pitched and earnest. "Big Brother Shen is very kind! You would never bully my brother!"
She pointed at Mo Fan with complete confidence.
"My brother is just a scaredy-cat who gets afraid of nightmares!"
I couldn't help but laugh at her innocent declaration.
Mo Fan's face flushed with embarrassment and he looked away, unable to meet my amused gaze.
I reached out and rubbed both their heads affectionately.
"So," I said, changing the subject smoothly, "now that you've both become a bit stronger from the special soup, do you want to help me with some work?"
Mo Fan's head snapped up immediately, his eyes lighting up.
"Yes! We want to help! What kind of work?"
"Not right now," I clarified with a smile. "But the next time I go to the market in town, I'll purchase some spirit chickens. You two can help me raise and take care of them properly, alright? Would you like that?"
The two children looked at each other, sharing a silent communication that only siblings could understand.
Then they both nodded together enthusiastically, their faces breaking into bright, genuine smiles.
I knew exactly what they were thinking without them having to say it out loud.
Raising spirit chickens would remind them of happier times with their mother.
It would give them purpose and responsibility.
It would make them feel useful rather than just being dependents.
But I didn't voice any of those observations out loud.
"Alright then," I said, standing up and stretching. "Since everyone's awake and recovered, let's go catch some fish for dinner tonight. What do you think?"
Their eyes immediately lit up with pure excitement.
"I'll bring the basket!" Mo Fan volunteered eagerly, already turning to run inside.
"Actually, I can just store the fish directly in my spirit bag," I pointed out practically. "It's more convenient and keeps them fresh."
But Mo Fan shook his head with surprising firmness.
"I want to carry the basket myself. Please, Big Brother Shen."
His eyes held a plea for independence, for contributing in his own way.
I smiled warmly at his determination.
"Alright. Go get the basket then."
While Mo Fan ran inside to fetch the fishing basket, I went to inform Grandfather about our planned outing.
He was just finishing his meal and nodded approvingly.
"Good. Fresh fish for dinner sounds excellent. Be careful near the water with the little ones."
"I will."
Mo Fan returned quickly, carrying a woven bamboo basket that was almost as big as he was.
Mo Ling grabbed onto my sleeve with one small hand, ready for the adventure.
And together, the three of us walked toward the creek that ran near the village.
The morning sun was warm on our backs.
The air was fresh and clean.
Mo Fan chatted excitedly about the best spots to find fish.
Mo Ling hummed a tuneless little song.
And for just this moment, everything felt perfectly, simply right.
Could you all please share your thoughts and give a review of the novel? Your feedback would really help me improve