Feng and Shui Clans

Feng Yun* and Shui Ling* were friends I happened to meet in this new lifetime.

Feng Yun was an over compulsive trouble maker who always found ways to pull pranks on people. He was all brawn though and overly loud. That didn't annoy me much as I was fond of his other characteristics.

Yun was one I could trust to call brother in this world when I had none in my previous one. It was a peculiar feeling of friendship that pulled me towards him however his personality differed from mine.

Shui Ling was the polar opposite of Yun. She always followed us around, tugging behind our backs with her shy personality. Ling was the type of girl to redden whenever meeting people other than Yun. I always had the sensation that her face became redder at the sight of me whenever I was around.

I was not dense enough to not notice her flusters but I was not sure what to think of them either. I was uncertain if I should be considered an ancient being with over thirty thousand years of age or simply 34 years old or even a 6 year old at that.

(I lived for 34 years originally, spent 34599 years in Kazalkar and reached 6 after my reincarnation.)

It only troubled my mind to think of taking advantage of her feelings towards me as I did to Azra back in the days.

Needless to say, Ling had a much meaningful place in my heart than I cared to admit even though I called her sister.

"What are you doing brother?" Yun asked, leaning forward to see what I was sitting in front of. His eyes flashed of blue, he took care to remove his semi-long honeyed hair away from his field of vision. "Are you reading again?"

"I was" my humble self replied. "Just finished in fact. I was practicing the breathing technique my father gave me too."

"You nerd…don't you take any breaks?" he rolled his eyes and sighed, sounding like an elder. "You'll get plenty of time to do these when you get older."

Easy for you to say. You're not the one with a fucking god hunting his ass one year from now…

"I think that's sort of cool…" Ling murmured inaudibly, her face buried in her hands to hide her red figure. Her black curls dropped in front of her visage, hiding further her burnish eyes.

We looked at her with perplexed expressions, our eyelids skipping a few bats. I could tell that Yun and I thought exactly the same thing.

She was so damn cute when she displayed her shyness!

"Anyway. You care to join us?" he waved his head to disperse the thought.

"Where to?"

"To the city. We're going back to our clans and we thought you could come with us."

Since I usually stayed on the farm, I rarely went to the city except when I was accompanying my parents for shopping or some other chores. I once asked if I could visit TianJin, the city under the sky covered in gold, with both Yun and Ling, but they refused. I was three back then but I am six right now, so I see no reason for refusal.

But yet remains the initiative to convince them. They were quite protective over me due to my circumstantial health and build.

"Okay. I'll go ask—"

"No need" Yun quickly stopped me, a massive smile drawn upon his face. I imagined him glorifying himself and displaying his non-existing muscles. "Since we expected this, we asked Ling's grandfather to send an invitation to your parents. They were forced to accept, hehe!"

(Hoh! Quite witty of him I must admit.)

While Yun revelled over this achievement, which I do agree was unprecedented of him, Ling smiled secretly behind his back. I saw her, but I did not call her out on it.

I was always eager to check the Feng and Shui clans and thanks to her intervention it was made possible today. I definitely had to think of a way to properly thank her later for she had eased the completion of one of my agendas. It was no ordinary reason I wished to visit the clans for so long…

Now I can find about the artefact that lady Kun gave me. I hope they have an appraiser of some sorts.

"Thank you, Ling" I displayed a pleased smile.

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After an hour by carriage, belonging to Ling's clan, we arrived at the doors of the two clans in TianJin city. What I was always confused about when the two told me of their clans was that both were door to door, walls to walls. It was no exaggeration to say that both settlements were exact copies.

Apparently, according to Yun, Feng and Shui were once the names of two siblings which owned the grounds altogether. After learning their martial arts, they decided to found clans of their own and decided to pass down their knowledge to them.

Feng meant wind while Shui meant water.

Now the only thing that differentiated the two clans, was the colour of the buildings and the giant slogan on each's highest towers where their name was hung. Of course, though not apparent by image, their martial arts and legacies were different after so many years.

There was a giant plaza in between the settlements where both families could gather and indulge in their daily activities.

A good thing worth of note was that the clans had a very good relationship and there were no conflicts existing between their members which allowed their harmonious coexistence. I sincerely found it commendable.

All three of us walked towards the gate and were allowed inside at the behest of the two accompanying me. The guards moved aside respectfully and greeted us with as much in return too. Yun and Ling's standings were kind of clear to me after this.

"Young master!" "Young lady!" they said as we passed by.

The common plaza was a giant white platform, squared and flat. The martial artists from both clans practiced openly on it and even sparred with each other to receive as much feedback and enlightenment from watching bystanders. Honestly, it was a wonderful way for people to live.

"If you continue to the right, beyond that gate, you will find my Feng's clan" Yun was giving a small tour. "To the left over there, it's where Ling's clan is located" I followed his finger where it extended to.

An old man who was waiting in front of the entrance, sitting on a chair, stood up and rushed towards us. He was elegantly dressed in a sea blue colour tang suit. He had one long grey goatee and was bald headed. He tugged his arms inside his large sleeves and was followed by two men.

Silent were his paces as we didn't hear him walk to us and only noticed he was there when he greeted first.

"Little Ling. You're back!" he smiled vivaciously, his eyes reduced to slits in the process.

Ling cupped her fist and bowed before him as soon as she noticed his presence. Yun followed suit soon afterwards.

"Grandfather!"

"Shui Patriarch, this student offers his greetings!"

I only noticed it now since I lived mostly around my parents, but people in this world tended to talk in the 3rd person whenever they were trying to be respectful to others. Weird…but not the weirdest thing you can find in TianJin city.

Ling's grandfather returned the greeting to Yun before turning around to meet me. His eyes were a bit surprised by whatever it was about me that he saw and spoke first.

"And you must be Ke Lei Ba. My granddaughter has been raving about you endlessly these days."

"I offer my greetings to the patriarch!" I imitated them so as not to embarrass myself or sound rude. I still had little grasp over some traditions of this world.

I was so preoccupied with him that I forgot what he had said in the end. I felt a murderous intent prickling my back from behind which I assumed was Ling's.

"Grandpa…" I never heard her voice so clearly before and I wish I hadn't. It was scary and I could hear her teeth grit furiously.

(Don't be so cute and so scary at the same time please…)

The patriarch giggled and changed the subject quickly.

"Please young man, call me old man Ba if you wish it so. Any friend of my granddaughter is a friend of the whole family."

Shui Ba*, as was the name of Ling's grandfather, was the patriarch of the clan and was only second in power to the elder patriarch. Many different responsibilities were attributed to him as according to his title but one so important was to make sure the prosperity of his kinsmen lasted.

We didn't stray far from the middle plaza as old man Ba wished to give me a tour of their side of the clan.

I was mostly interested in finding someone who could tell me more about the bell lodged in my body…if it was still there after my reincarnation. Kun was careful to add a warning that I should only use it when the need was great. No mention of what properties it granted accompanied her words before she fell.

If the item was truly powerful then perhaps it would become my trump card against Demonic's encounter should I fail in progressing in other domains.

"Actually, I was meaning to ask if there was any artefact—"

"FENG SHUAI!" a loud teenager stepped inside the place, followed by angry guards at his back. "FENG SHUAI SHOW YOURSELF!"

A few people gathered at the shouts of the boy. People from both clans arrived so as to see who dared to cause disturbance on their grounds.

The daring boy was only taller than me by a few heads and wore red garments. His head was shaven messily as if it was punishment and he had an angry glare that came about him when he yelled the name Feng Shuai*.

"Young man, I suggest you explain yourself immediately or you will have to excuse me for being rude towards you."

Upon seeing Shui Ba, the boy clasped his hands together immediately, making sure to overdo his bowing.

"Apologies to the patriarch for causing discomfort to the clans. My name is Xiao Ming* and I have a score to settle with Shuai from the Feng clan."

Old man Ba stroke his beard, one hand stuck behind his back and looked to one of his men.

"Go inform the Feng's young master to come and deal with the situation."

"Yes, patriarch!"

The man jumped one hell of a distance in a single bounce and went to do as he was ordered.

"Thank you patriarch for your understanding. I hope the clans do not take it to heart too."

Xiao Ming apologized to everyone and awaited on the sparring platform until his opponent was fetched. The tension was relieved a little, causing some to linger in wait for the fight. The lesser were more or less interested as to what was the reason behind this grudge of his.

I was watching from the back, my face annoyed at the prospect of being delayed by what would probably turn out to be an insignificant dispute. The foolishness of teenage boys extended farther than what the mind could fathom and I knew it because I've already went through it once myself.

If I had to guess, this Xiao Ming was probably going to fight in favour of a girl.

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*Check the very first chapters at the very beginning for the Index*