Teacher by day, Farmer by passion

The talismans exploded where she had been standing just seconds ago. A chain reaction of blasts tore through the battlefield, shaking the ground.

If she hadn't taken that punch and used it as momentum to launch herself away, she would have been caught directly in the explosions.

As the dust settled, Liu Mei smirked.

Mind reading is amazing, she thought to herself, cracking her knuckles.

Yes—she had been reading the trio's minds all this while!

When the first explosion erupted, she had already seen it coming, allowing her to dodge and counterattack from behind.

When she read that the two women were preparing explosive talismans, she had initially planned to evade. But the old man was relentless, cutting off her escape routes.

Good thing the icy-looking lady thinks too much.

That woman's over-analysis practically gave away their entire plan!

So, instead of running, Liu Mei had made a split-second decision.. she took the old man's punch head-on, letting the impact launch her out of the danger zone.

Boom!

Behind her, the old man was caught in the very explosions meant for her.

Liu Mei landed a few meters away, exhaling as she touched her cheek. A faint bruise was already forming.

"Ouch," she muttered, wincing slightly. Then, without a care, she dusted herself off and started walking back toward them.

The trio didn't attack this time.

Instead, they stared at her, wariness, calculation, and even a hint of apprehension in their gazes.

The old man, now visibly calmer despite the damage he had taken, narrowed his eyes at her.

Then, in a probing tone, he asked,

"Girl… have you ever stood in the presence of an Immortal?"

"Immortals?" Liu Mei blinked in confusion.

Lily, standing among the gathered children, let out a small sigh. "Liu Mei, he's clearly talking about your master."

At the mention of Ace, the old man's eyes flickered with something unreadable.

He exchanged glances with the two women beside him. Then, without hesitation, they bolted.

Lily turned toward the trembling innkeeper, her voice flat. "Well? What are you waiting for? Go on, leave already."

The innkeeper, pale-faced and shaking, had already wet himself. He didn't need to be told twice, he turned and fled, stumbling as he ran.

Liu Mei, however, didn't give chase. She barely even spared the old man and his companions a second thought.

Instead, she hopped toward Lily, a curious light in her eyes.

"Sister Lily, what's an Immortal?"

The children around them perked up, their interest piqued. Lily glanced at their small, malnourished faces and sighed internally.

And to think... they were all this close to dying just moments ago.

Shaking the thought away, she clapped her hands together.

"Alright, listen up! I'm going to explain, but after I finish, I'll ask questions. If you get the answer right, I'll give you a special reward!"

A small child eagerly raised a hand. "Is the reward food?"

Lily chuckled. "Of course! You'll all get food, but this reward is something extra. And it's really special."

"Food is enough," a tiny girl mumbled.

Beside her, a boy—no older than twelve—spoke calmly. "Stupid Fool, you don't understand. We don't get to eat every day."

Then, turning to Lily, he asked, "Elder sister, can you teach us how to work instead?"

Lily frowned. "Who are you calling 'stupid fool'? That's not appropriate. She's still a child."

The boy flinched at her scolding. His lower lip trembled, and in the next second, he turned and ran, his eyes brimming with unshed tears.

Liu Mei slapped Lily lightly on the back before plopping down beside the little girl.

"Hey, little one, what's your name?"

The girl hesitated, staring at Liu Mei with wide eyes. "But… but you're not that much older than me."

Liu Mei huffed, crossing her arms. "Answer the question! Didn't you see me fight that old man? I'm a very old woman too!"

The little girl gasped, then quickly nodded. "Ah! Okay, okay! My name is… 'Stupid Fool,' Grandma!"

Liu Mei barely managed to steady herself when she heard grandma. She then turned to Lily who had already pieced it together and was biting her lip, suppressing a laughter.

Liu Mei sighed dramatically. "Go and apologize to the boy."

Lily burst out laughing. "Haha, yes, yes. I didn't expect you to be this mature!"

With that, she disappeared into the distance.

"Grandma, grandma! You were so amazing!"

"You're so strong!"

"How can I be like you? Can you teach me?"

The children swarmed around Liu Mei after Lily left, their voices overlapping in excitement.

And despite being a young girl herself, Liu Mei settled into her role with ease.

Like a kind grandmother, she smiled warmly at them, answering their eager questions one by one.

"Yes, yes. Master taught me to be both gentle and tough when I first started training."

"You think I'm amazing? Ah, thank you so much."

"You want to be strong like me? Oh, the lengths I had to go... Every day, I broke bones."

Gasps rippled through the children.

"Can you teach us?"

Liu Mei tapped her chin, pretending to think. "Hmm, I'll have to ask Master for permission… but if you all behave, I might be able to teach you all."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the far end of the village, perched on a small cliff, Lily approached the boy who had run away. He sat with his knees pulled up, his small shoulders shaking as he sniffled softly.

Without a word, Lily sat beside him, letting the silence linger before speaking.

"I'm really sorry about earlier. Can you forgive this elder sister?" She asked gently.

The boy wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "I-It's okay. I'm fine."

Lily shook her head. "That doesn't answer my question." She gave him a warm smile. "How about this… I'll teach you how to work and make money. Will you forgive me then?"

The boy hesitated, then slowly turned to face her, his eyes filled hope. "Really? Enough so that I can feed everyone?"

Lily nodded. "Yes. And enough so that you and the others can live a proper life."

For a moment, the boy was silent.

And then tears welled in his eyes. A small, wobbly smile stretched across his face. "Hehe… I'm really happy you got angry at me, Sister. Now I can learn how to feed the others."

Lily reached out and ruffled his hair. "Hah, you naughty little schemer. You earned it."

She then tilted her head. "Tell me, what's your name?"

The boy said without thinking, "The elders call me 'Don't Think.'"

Lily's smile faltered. "Don't Think?"

He nodded. "That's what they always say. 'Don't think too much, just do as you're told.' So they just started calling me that."

Lily's heart clenched, but she forced herself to smile. "Well… how about a new name?"

His eyes widened. "A new name?"

Lily nodded, her voice soft. "Yes. Something that fits you. Something that this elder sister gives you, so that you can be proud of it."

The boy stared at her, his small hands gripping his tattered clothes.

Then, after a long moment, he eagerly nodded. "Yes, Sister! I want one!"

Lily ruffled his hair. "Xiwei… because it means 'hopeful future.' That's what you deserve."