Chapter 1: Ye Qiu

"You guys——! Bullying big brother Ye Qiu again!!"

The group of boys that were bullying an eight-year-old boy stopped their kicks.

"This is bad... Xia Rong has come."

The boys made a dark complexion as their body started to quiver while remembering the last time Xia Rong had beaten them up to the point of vomiting blood.

"Ye Qiu, you better listen to us and leave Leaf Academy!"

The boys ran towards Xia Rong, who was standing at the only exit of the secluded alleyway, and passed through the little girl while she was looking at Ye Qiu's bruised body, leaving the area.

"Big brother Ye Qiu…... are you alright?"

While Ye Qiu was struggling to raise his body from the ground, Xia Rong came to him, caressing his face as she inspected every part of his body. Since there were no broken bones, she sighed in relief.

"These bastards, the next time I see them, I'll be sure to send them for a whole month on their bed!"

Ye Qiu, who had finally stood up, embraced one of his arms on Xia Rong's shoulder, dirtying her green jade-like robe with his dirty arm, and calmly said, "Don't bother yourself with them. They don't deserve your time," as he made a wry smile.

"I'm sorry, but I can't really walk in my current state. Can you accompany me to the boy's dormitory?"

Xia Rong slightly nodded her head and helped Ye Qiu to walk until they arrived in front of the boy's dormitory. During that whole time, her cheeks were as pink as a juicy and seasoned peach.

"You can leave me there. Thank you for your help."

Xia Rong shook her head.

"I'll help you walking into your room."

The boy's dormitory was not as strict as the girl dormitory. Xia Rong entering the boy's dormitory did not break the rules, thus, she wanted to help him to walk into his room. Even though he had told her that he was fine, she knew it was only to lessen her worries.

"Big brother Ye Qiu... Why don't you retaliate back? With your current——"

Ye Qiu directly interrupted her, the tone of his voice, more serious than usual: "Little sister, hiding one's strength is more important than brazenly showing it. You should already know my identity, and if I was to reveal my hidden cards for such a petty reason, I won't be able to achieve my dream."

Xia Rong went silent. She knew how important Ye Qiu's dream was, she was aware of his true identity too, but she could not accept it. Her heart ached every time she saw the state of his body; every day covered with bruises. She felt helpless about it.

"I'm sorry, little sister…... I did not mean to raise my voice. But you don't have to worry. One day, I'll become a crane in a flock of chickens¹."

Ye Qiu's gentle smile was genuine and when his eyes were filled with an unyielding determination. His current face lessened the pain on her heart a little as she consented with his words.

"I'll always stay by your side. No matter what happens, Father and I will always support you."

Xia Rong has absolute trust in Ye Qiu. She was her childhood friend and little sister, always following him wherever he went; his depressing state after learning that he did not have the talents to follow the path of Dao, the efforts he had made in his training to reach his current strength, and his immeasurable resolution to realize his dream.

'One day, big brother Ye Qiu will be able to rebuild the Ye Dynasty. Until then, I have to become stronger to not become a burden.'

Annex:

¹ a crane in a flock of chickens = someone exceptional who stands out among a crowd of lesser people.