Gu Xiaomai, Jiang Chen’an, and Yumi greeted the five elders one by one.
The five old men and women—like Granny Gu—each had some form of physical imperfection, some obvious, some subtle. But their energy and spirit were excellent, even stronger than many young people.
They carefully sized up Jiang Chen’an and Yumi, nodding slightly. The kids didn’t seem to have suffered out there; in fact, they looked sturdier and more energetic.
“Come, come. Show us a few moves,” Xia Yi said, stepping in front of them. “Let us old folks see if you’ve improved.”
As he spoke, he tossed a gray metal staff to Yumi, thrown by Old Qiao.
Granny Gu leaned on her cane and quickly moved to stand with the other four elders.
The pressure on Jiang Chen’an and Yumi instantly increased. They exchanged a glance and attacked at the same time.
Yumi swung his staff hard, the wind howling as it aimed straight at Xia Yi’s vital point.
But Xia Yi simply stepped aside lightly, dodging effortlessly.
At the same time, Jiang Chen’an’s punch also missed.
After the first exchange failed, the two quickly adjusted and attacked again—but Xia Yi used their momentum against them, causing their own attacks to clash into each other.
As the spar continued, Jiang Chen’an and Yumi kept getting hit, yet they still couldn’t even touch Xia Yi’s clothes.
The elders gradually understood their abilities more clearly, and their weaknesses became obvious.
“Yumi,” Xia Yi said sternly—but with hidden concern—“you’ve been learning staff techniques from your Sister Xue for years. Your foundation is solid, but you rely too much on fixed forms and lack adaptability. A true staff user moves with instinct—your staff should follow your heart.”
Yumi lowered his head more and more as he listened, feeling he had disappointed the elders who had guided him.
After finishing with Yumi, Xia Yi turned to Jiang Chen’an, eyes full of admiration.
“Chen’an’s movements are sharp, and his techniques are flexible. For only half a year of training in hand-to-hand combat, this level is already excellent. Keep it up.”
This boy was clearly a martial genius, far beyond Yumi in talent.
He likely had some foundation in childhood training, but it had been interrupted and restarted too late.
Jiang Chen’an unconsciously straightened his posture and listened carefully.
“However, you must pay more attention to continuity in offense and tightness in defense. In real combat, even the smallest opening can become a fatal weakness…”
“Watch my movements closely.”
He took Yumi’s staff and demonstrated using Yumi’s earlier technique, then repeated it with Jiang Chen’an’s movements.
Both of them watched intently, their eyes burning with excitement.
After the elders finished guiding them, the two thanked them in unison.
“Thank you, Grandpa Xia. Thank you, Grandpa Qiao.”
“Alright. Go inside and tell us what you’ve been through. You two really have guts—joining the wilderness reclamation team without saying a word.”
They carried their bags inside and began talking about their experiences over the past month.
After distributing the clothes they bought, they went to give the remaining ones to the children.
“Brother Yumi! Brother Chen’an! Was the reclamation work tiring?”
“Was it dangerous?”
“What did you do there?”
“How do you grow crops?”
Questions came one after another.
A child named Little Persimmon, whose eyesight was poor, held onto Yumi’s clothes as he followed them from room to room, asking nonstop.
Yumi picked out the interesting parts and told him stories, followed by a group of curious children.
Little Persimmon also shared news from the orphanage:
“Tu Dou’s left arm muscle atrophy is getting worse.”
“Little Maruko has completely lost her hearing.”
“Little Orange still doesn’t like talking. Her hair and skin have turned completely white. The doctor said it can’t be cured anymore…”
Then he added something else:
“The boy next door was about to die from a high fever. His family sent him to the Creation God Church, and he was cured quickly and stayed there.”
“Are the priests that good at medicine?” Yumi asked, recalling what he knew.
“They’re very good! A new priest came who can treat illnesses. Many people who can’t afford hospitals go there now.”
“Do they need to pay?” he asked.
“They give free medicine—just need to serve the Creation God for a while after recovery.”
“That sounds… pretty good,” Yumi said.
“They also wanted to send us medicine and nutrient fluids, but Granny Gu and the others said the Creation God Church is irregular and not trustworthy, so we’re not allowed to accept anything or contact them.”
Yumi and Jiang Chen’an exchanged a glance.
Irregular? A scam?
But they had both seen the so-called “holy beast phoenix” before…
Even if they didn’t understand, they instinctively trusted Granny Gu more.
Yumi warned the children, especially Little Persimmon, not to be too curious.
The next morning, Jiang Chen’an left the orphanage early and headed toward District 12.
At the reclamation camp, Gu Xiaomai also woke early to practice Tai Chi.
After finishing, she carefully sensed the changes in her body.
Yesterday, she had clearly seen a drop of liquid form at the tip of her right index finger.
It looked like water—but thicker, colorless, and odorless.
She believed it was the “good water” the red-feathered pheasant had mentioned.
As she observed it, nearby plants seemed to tilt slightly toward her direction.
But one morning glory in particular caught her attention.
It had originally been climbing a weed, but now it was actively moving away from it, leaning toward her.
Her heart tightened.
She quickly drank the drop of liquid.
Then she drew her bone-cutting blade and stared at the flower.
Was it developing self-awareness?
That change was way too obvious—definitely not a smart flower.
After waiting a long time and seeing no attack, she hesitated, then gave up on cutting it.
She stepped away, keeping distance from the “stupid flower,” and observed her body.
Nothing happened.
No special taste, no strange voices.
Nothing at all.
Maybe it didn’t work on her.
So the next morning, she returned and practiced Tai Chi beside the same flower again.
This time, she clearly felt something flowing inside her veins, slowly moving toward her right index finger.
She was thrilled—she could finally feel the process.
The liquid condensed at her fingertip again.
“gui—gui—”
Ahhh! Ahhh! The good water!