Chapter 29: The Lonely Lion

A man in a hand-tailored dark grey three-piece suit looked disgusted at the pitiful girl crumpled up on the luxurious leather couch.

"You are useless even though mother granted you an A-rank beast you barely can keep up with your peers, pathetic. Look at your brother, he is barely twenty years old and already won a title, "Rising Dragon", truly fitting. And you? With luck, you will graduate at his age. Who knows if you ever will earn a title. Even if you do. What would people call you? 'Sleeping Lion'?" The stern-looking man laughed without joy. He abruptly stopped and then clenched his jaws as if he was barely constraining the burning fire of his rage.

"The Tang clan is not made up by weakness but by strength! I will not tolerate sheltering trash in this household any longer. Begone! Gone, I say!"

Lessandra woke up. At this point she wished for a nightmare, she longed to dream of something else, anything. But, no, her father would not let her rest. Not in the dreamworld and neither in the waking world. Her 'real-world learning experience with the common folk' was a banishment, all but in name. As always her father cared more about what the other clan members and outsiders thought than about her well-being. Keeping face was the highest priority for the hard man that adopted her and her brother.

Her family, a long line of famous cultivators in service to the Tang clan, was in decline. After the death of her parents, the clan decided to respect their historic servitude by reciprocating their loyalty in taking care of their last remaining children. The Tang clan was praised by all the major factions for this act of kindness. While Lessandra barely could remember her biological parents she vividly remembered her new father's strict teachings.

She never thought them especially mean or harsh. They were coming from a place of genuine affection, or so she thought. Years went by and when her brother was ready to receive his cyber interface he showed enormous potential. It elated the head of the household. The family entered a short-lived golden age. When it was Lessandra's turn the euphory turned to bitterness. Her talent in cultivation was not as high as her brother's. It was not even reaching ordinary levels. People used to say that when God grants one a favor that he takes it from another. Lessandra thought of herself like that because her talent was bad. Her cultivation speed was slow, her comprehension barely there and her fighting sense nonexistent. It was traditional for members of the Tang clan to learn their cultivation techniques for one year before joining a school for their broader education. Lessandra tried her best. She trained day and night but to no avail.

"Keep your head up, dear." The atmosphere in her home grew colder and colder, her chances to turn it all around grew slimmer. But a single bright flame kept her warm in this winter of disappointments. Her adopted grandmother, the matron who stepped down from her duties, was still eagerly supporting her with ironclad favor. "Some children just need a little time to grow but if they do they will rise to the heavens. I believe in you." The kindly old lady took Lessandra's hand and squeezed it weakly. Her lifespan was running out and her granddaughter knew. "What good does cultivating do if the so-called immortality doesn't make you immortal?" She thought while biting her lips.

Her grandma smiled as if she could read Lessandra like an open book. "Child, everything dies in this universe. There is no true immortality. Seek it if you want but you will not find it. Only one thing is unbreakable and that is your pride. Keep your back straight and your head high. Whatever happens, no one can take it from you if you won't let them. You will find your way, sooner or later."

She then gifted Lessandra an unprecedented present: an A-rank cyber interface. It increased her cultivation speed and balanced her lack in battle sense with pure power. But it did not appease her father instead it made him even angrier. After just half a year of training, he decided Lessandra wasn't worth the effort any longer so he just stopped training her. She would have been sad if not for her grandmother's deteriorating health. The unexpected break allowed her to spend as much time with her kind grandma as possible. They talked about flowers, about the changing seasons, about their favorite kind of snacks, about everything but cultivation. No, they wanted to enjoy life to the fullest and they did. The old matron died peacefully in her sleep.

Her son did not wait an hour to confront his adopted daughter who was filled with grief. He knew when his strike hit the hardest. Later that day Lessandra was no longer one of the Tang. She reclaimed her original name van Loewe when she moved out. Luckily, her father still paid for her cost of living. A ward of the Tang living in destitution would reflect back on the clan after all.

Her luxurious life in the Tang tower ended but her life free from her father began. She knew that their ties were irreparably broken. It hurt. His words clouded her heart. His doubts butchering her confidence. That's why she decided to earn a title before the age of twenty, just like her brother. Not for anyone but for herself. To show her that she can do it, in her own way, at her own speed.

While the simple life at the Sympathy dorms took some time to adapt her studies were going smoothly. She would be considered a genius in earthly matters. Her only academic struggle was in the comprehension of the mystical texts which reflected in her cultivation. It slowed her down considerably.

But there was one way out. Purchasing new cultivation techniques from the school with merits. Academies functioned like sects in that regard. Every student had to contribute to the betterment of the school either through excellent grades or other tasks. Lessandra thought she could win some easy merits through dueling a quirky-looking girl who for some reason accumulated negative merits but she was wrong. Not only did she get beaten, quite easily at that, but she also wouldn't even have earned any merit. It was quite embarrassing but very instructive. For one she shouldn't announce activating her spirit.

That reminded her that she did not see this Meadow Song for quite some time. She was noticeably absent from most classes only to return shortly before the holidays began. Lessandra not only lacked skills in cultivation but also had shortcomings in her social skills as well. When she found the courage to approach her school was over, for a week at least.

"I would meet her again soon enough," she quietly encouraged herself. Her pride demanded to pay back her debt, a bowl of noodles. There was also a slight chance of becoming friends. Up until now, the lion-like girl evaded people. Not because she hated the contact but because of the opposite. She was scared to disappoint even more people.

To Lessandras surprise she saw Meadow squabbling with the security robot at the gates to the school. A familiar short-haired girl stood beside her laughing while yapping for air.

"No! You already deducted merits for my piercings before the break. Why again?"

The robot answered in a monotonous voice, "Body irregularities were found. Merits will be deducted. If you have any complaints contact the school administration."

"What body irregularities!? I'll show you body irregularities in your face!" The short-haired girl blocked Meadow Song's punch just in time.

"The security robots and their merit count will be reset every semester and at every holiday," said the blonde-haired girl with curly hair that resembled the mane of a lion to the duo who attracted the curious eyes of the other students.

"Oh, hi Lion! Long time no see!"