Leaving home

—Shifuuuu. —His voice rises and falls in complaint. At the same time, Xiao Qingchen flops onto the table where she was enjoying her cup of tea—. Has your carrier pigeon not arrived yet? I'm sure everything is fine there! So well that bird has stayed with its new friends to play and enjoy together the time of peace. Should I go get it? Mn~? Hey, shifu. Shifu. Shiii~ fuuu~ Ow!

His head was hit by a fan.

—Impatient. Leave that. One year has passed, another more will not kill you.

—It's doing and extremely well!— He responds with a jump—. I want to see A-Zhen, even if it's just for one day. Can my kind shifu send him a letter from me to arrange a short meeting? A very short one, yes?

—Should not Xiao Chen be practicing with his da shijie now? Take your sword, go and be diligent.

—But... I don't wan- Ay, ay! Fine! I'll go, I'll go! Waaah! Shifu doesn't love me anymore!

He escapes before another fan strike lands on him. He picks up his abandoned Mingyue from the ground and jogs toward the training ground, where an unstoppable Xiao Meiyu is making the rubble her da shixiong.

Xiao Qingchen gulps. He is the one to follow.

He had not noticed it before, but actually, his dashijie is very strong! He always saw her as the least skilled in fights of all his sisters, because she spent most of her time locked up in the infirmary studying medicine. He concluded then that she was not interested and that she would be awkward if she ever took a sword in hand; nevertheless…

What a great fraud! She can even wield a saber! SHE CAN EVEN FIGHT WITHOUT HANDS!

The truth is that Xiao Meiyu was the first to master the art of the sword at an early age; a young genius in the field of martial arts as well. As she was not merciful when training her other brothers, she accidentally hurt many of them. So she decided to also learn to care for them and heal them when those incidents happen. Medicine, needing other skills, was a great and interesting challenge that she gladly accepted. In time she preferred this and abandoned the sword; after all, her siblings were no longer children and they knew enough to help each other. A few years later, Xiao Chen was adopted into the clan and Xiao Wangyi took it upon himself to train him.

Master Xiao was not very demanding and preferred that each one specializes in what their heart asked for and talents supported. Because of this, none were pressured to master the sword unless they wanted to.

However, now with Xiao Qingchen, it is different. He must.

—Shijie! Look, Qingchen is here! Let's finish here, we can't take a minute off your training. —Xiao Wangyi flees the platform and goes to where the youngest is to urge him up—. A-Qing, do not forget to go to the music room with your guqin when you are done. Today you have a test; tomorrow we will see your ability applying it to combat, okay?

Xiao Qingchen nods clearly reluctant and says goodbye to his da shixiong.

—Shijie, don't you want to rest? You have fought very intensely with Wangyi-ge. I can wai-

The air was cut by a long, very shiny, and thin silver blade, which stopped just a couple of millimeters from his neck. Its reflected light blinded him.

—Your attacker will not rest.

—A-Zhen will help me!

—What if he cannot? —Another quick move; this time, Xiao Qingchen promptly draws Mingyue from its scabbard and defends himself—. What if the worst happens?

—Well, well. I get it.

Their robes flutter like flowers dancing with the wind, all their movements are graceful but intense. "If it is not pleasing to look at, it is okay not to learn it," their master once told them.

—¡Aiya! ¡Shijie!

Xiao Meiyu is severe. She took up her sword again only to prepare as best her little shidi before he left them again. As this is intense training, and now she knows enough not to be useless during any accident, she has no compassion for her minor.

—Your steps are not being firm enough. Do it again.

—Ugh...

The return of Xiao Meiyu to the sword was at a special request from her master. Xiao Qingchen had returned to the sect bringing with him the great announcement that he will soon fly away from the nest, and shifu would allow him if he at least finished his education here well, in addition to fulfilling a special preparation and other conditions. Shijies and shixiongs decided to give him their support by collaborating with his training, taking advantage of their own talents and abilities to educate him excellently.

Master Xiao found it perfect. Definitely, she would not allow her loved lamb to return still tender to be quickly eaten.

First, she would take care of sharpening his horns very well.

Her cup is empty but she does not feel like filling it. As she watches her students fight, she thinks about the words that her little Qingchen blurted out a year ago:

"This disciple will accept any conditions and the corresponding punishment for leaving his home." His gaze was fixed on the ground at the same time as his knees. "If this way I manage to go with him, I will accept it"

"Why just… why cannot you stay here?"

He smiles. "Because...  something tells me that my happiness is there. With A-Zhen".

Ahh... What else could she do? This boy is really excited about his first love. No matter how many times his siblings try to persuade him, Xiao Qingchen does not abandon his decision to travel the world with his partner. It was good that master and student returned home with a deal already done; otherwise, it would have been annoying to do with those whining brats out there.

The agreement between the two immortal masters and their two rebellious students was this:

For the time being, both of them would stay with their respective master at home, promising not to leave until the war that the elders prophesied was over. A carrier pigeon would be the one to bring the good news with his coming. Meanwhile, Xiao Qingchen and Song Yewan must prepare both physically and intellectually, training the body and feeding the mind, balancing ability and knowledge. They must learn to be able to work to get money and to know how to manage it well, for example. The goal is for them to be able to live on their own in every way; after all, is different to spend a few months on the way to doing the rest of your life there.

Fortunately, the boys were sensible and accepted without problems; they were aware that they needed prior preparation.

Another condition was… 

—Shifuu~! —Her young student jumped up to hug her shoulders from behind, resting his chin on her head—. Dashijie gave me a break time and I'm sooo hungry, hehe. Would shifu make me some soup? Please?

This spoiled brat… When will he learn to cook on his own? He has been over-spoiled, to the point that Xiao Chen also doesn't know how to care for a plant because he can barely take care of himself.

Now she wonders: how did he survive all that time out there? As a reproach, she pulls the cheek of this child of hers who does not want to grow up.

—Xiao Chen is going to be seventeen soon; nevertheless, he is still so silly, he does not even know how to make a simple soup. How can I allow you to become independent being like this? Huh?

—Sheefu…, —he whimpers.

—Xiao Qingchen. On your trip, did you spend your time buying junk food from random street stalls? What did you eat? When you came back, your face was rounder than it is now and even before you left. How do you explain it?

She presses harder. Oh! She is angry!

—No, no. My face is thinner now because I am exercising a lot, shifu. Although I'm not going to deny that I did eat too much outside… But it's because A-Zhen is a great cook and I really like his food ♡! I ate well, healthy, and homemade thanks to him. The only times I ate badly was before I met him and... after that the pre-prepared buns of shifu were finished: on those days I only ate rice.

—… just rice?

—Mn. It is the only thing I know how to do besides make tea. The fish tasted strange when I cooked it, so I just didn't. Ah, and if I sold enough fish that day, I sometimes went to restaurants. Then, it was not necessary.

—So, did young Song cooked for you every day?

—Every day. —Smiles—. He loves to cook. So I don't need to learn how to do it; A-Zhen will take care of me as always. I'll go hunting and he'll cook, doesn't that sound perfect?

Xiao Baishan—:…

Song Yewan suddenly, while learning the recipe for a new candy for Qingchen—: Achis!

Song Baihua finally finding that disciple who ran away from his hunting class—:… bless you.

And this is how this present was arrived at, where each one waits in his respective home without seeing or speaking to each other except by letters that were sent from time to time so that the other does not forget him. Their schedules are quite tight now, so they are not written as often. If they are lucky, they will do it a couple of times a month... sometimes just once...

But it does not really seem so bad to them :D! Because this way they have more to talk about!

The letters get longer and longer, perfect for reading overnight after a hectic day of training. The number of sheets once reached ten and they came with a small gift, is not that lovely? Completely renew his energies until the next letter arrives in his hands.

Contrary to what generally happens with long-distance relationships, they did not have their feelings affected and only treasure them even more. Although they still do not completely perceive themselves as a couple, they adore the special relationship they have and are not uncomfortable with thinking of the other as his trusted closest friend and as the partner with whom they want to share their life.

Ah~ These feelings are at their best; full of them, they just want to meet again as soon as possible to start that new life full of travel and adventure. They are very eager to travel the world together!

Forced to calm down, three more years of patience were necessary for what they wanted so much.

—Ah. Look, shijie. Isn't our little didi taller than us?

Definitely.

Song Yewan and Xiao Qingchen are no longer those teenagers from before; they have grown, they have already lived their fifteen years and currently, they only need a year to be considered adults.

The nineteen are great: in March, shifu finally said that his preparation was over, and in October, the messenger returned home with the signal they had been waiting for. Even between those months, the year was not boring: although rested by the absence of hard training, they at least had more time to talk through paper, to acquire new hobbies (since Song Yewan spoke to him about knitting, Xiao Qingchen loves to do it) and try to escape a couple of times. They were caught before they could even be halfway to the mortal world.

But today is the day and they could not stop them anymore.

Today is the long-awaited meeting with that person with whom from the first moment they felt a certain connection, so none of their steps were taken with doubt when they went to their martial brothers and sisters to say goodbye. Both received gifts and good wishes, besides, the hugs were longer and showed the purest affection.

At the Song house, a tear or two was shed. In the Xiao house, the sad group lament was heard up to the farthest spiritual cave of the sect, where a shijie, upon hearing it, stopped cultivating for a moment to also mourn the departure of her brother. It is really a shame that only Song Yewan was allowed to go back to his family. Master Xiao is very strict and, although she proved to be happy for her student and seemed to fully support him, deep down, she was hurt and disappointed, even feeling quite upset. Not willing to suffer for another of her disciples, she decided that, just as her student is abandoning her, she will also abandon him. Her duty to care for him is over.

Therefore, the night before his departure, Xiao Qingchen must swear to kneel at his ex-teacher that he would never return to the mountain. His companions were witnesses of the oath and the return of the uniform; no matter how much they begged their shifu to think it over, she ignored them. Xiao Qingchen bore his grief well and did not speak or cry. Only a bitter smile for a few seconds was seen on his lips.

The next morning, they came down the mountain together.

Xiao Qingchen is no longer dressing aqua green or wearing the small crown that used to decorate his bun. Now, his robes are completely snow white and his hairstyle is simply plain. Even so, his figure stands out for his bearing and face of great beauty.

—Xiao Chen. —His ex master calls him harshly before dropping the hat with the translucent veils she always wore on her head—. This is yours as well.

He smiles softly at her and nods in silent thanks. He furtively caresses the edge of the long gauze that surrounds him with the tips of his fingers.

Ah, right. He almost left it behind too.