Chapter 2: Sisters Reunited

A full year had slipped by in the blink of an eye.

Over the past twelve months, the Qin family had spent nearly every day on the road. Before Chen Su left, she had left the Qin family a sum of silver and a map leading to the City of Neighboring Immortals. The Qin party had trekked over mountains and crossed rivers, weathered days of nonstop heavy rain, and fended off bandits lying in wait along the paths. Against all odds, they had finally arrived safely.

The City of Neighboring Immortals was the mortal city closest to the cultivation realm, and on occasion, cultivators from immortal sects would come and go through its gates. Most of the residents within its walls were noble lords, aristocrats, and wealthy merchant clans, all drawn there chasing the sliver of a chance at immortal fate. If a family struck that lucky break, they could rise to prominence in a single leap. It was precisely for this reason that every inch of land in the City of Neighboring Immortals was worth its weight in gold.

The entire Qin family stood outside the city gates, watching the constant stream of ornate horse-drawn carriages coming and going through the entryway, and fell quiet for a moment. They had traveled for an entire year, trekking every step of the way, only to realize they could not even afford a foothold inside the city walls.

Qin Huai pondered for a long time, then lifted his gaze to the rolling, lush mountains stretching beyond the city. "We can't afford to live in the city, so we won't live there," he said slowly, leaning on his wooden staff. "Our Immortal Master only told us to settle down near the City of Neighboring Immortals, she never said we had to live inside its walls. As long as we are close enough that Jiajia can find us when she comes back, it does not matter where we make our home."

Qin Ye nodded in agreement. "Father is right. We were hunters to begin with. We can make a good living relying on the mountains."

Qin Huai looked at his two sons. "Ye, Wen, go into the mountains and find a place suitable for us to settle."

"We know, Father," Qin Ye and Qin Wen said in unison.

The two brothers slung their bows over their shoulders, took their firewood knives, and quickly vanished into the forest. The rest of the Qin family stayed behind to rest at the foot of the mountain.

As dusk fell, Qin Ye hurried out of the woods, his tunic hem dotted with dry leaves, but a bright, excited grin on his face. "Father, I found a spot!"

Qin Huai stood up immediately. "What's it like?"

"There's a cave halfway up the mountain. It's dry inside, and there's no sign any wild beasts have ever lived there. Little Wen stayed behind to clear the cave entrance, and sent me back to bring all of you there."

Wang Sumei nodded repeatedly as she listened. "There's water nearby, and it keeps out the wind and rain. That's more than good enough."

But Qin Huai was still cautious. "Are there any footprints of ferocious beasts nearby?"

"Wen and I checked the whole area. We didn't find any. There are only tracks left by hares and pheasants."

"Then let's go take a look."

The whole group picked up their bags and followed Qin Ye up the mountain. After walking for more than half an hour, they finally spotted the cave. A wide, open flat stretch of land lay just outside its mouth.

"Mother, sister-in-law, you two rest for a little while first."

The Qin family did not waste any time, and quickly set to work tidying the place up. Qin Zhen did not laze about either. She carried armfuls of dry firewood thicker than her own arms, running back and forth to help.

"Starting tomorrow, Ye, Wen and I will build two wooden huts outside the cave," Qin Huai said.

Qin Ye added, "Wen and I can go hunting in the mountains. The City of Neighboring Immortals has a big population, so game meat and furs should sell for a good price. We can save up silver little by little, and life will get better for sure."

Wang Sumei smiled warmly. "When we first arrived at Dashu Village, the place we lived in was worse than this spot. As long as we're all together as a family, we'll never be unable to make ends meet."

At the words "as a family", Liu Zhen's hand holding a clay bowl paused slightly. A family, she thought, there is still one missing from us.

Qin Zhen slipped her hand inside her collar, gently closing it around the cool jade pendant she wore. "Grandfather," she said.

"Hmm?" Qin Huai responded.

"Will Jiajia know we're here?"

Qin Huai looked at her and spoke in a soft, gentle voice. "Our Immortal Master said that when the time is right, Jiajia will come back. She has a matching jade pendant too. As soon as she gets near the City of Neighboring Immortals, the two of you will know, through the pendants."

Qin Zhen nodded quietly. "I understand." She did not ask any more questions, but her hand never loosened its grip on the jade pendant.

At that very moment, thousands of miles away in the Qingyun Sect, the night was deep. A peak covered in snow all year round jutted up above a sea of clouds.

By the side of the frozen lake at the top of the peak, a little girl in a bright red disciple robe sat cross-legged in meditation. Her fair, soft little face was flushed pink from the biting cold. Her eyes were closed, and her hands rested neatly on her knees. But after only a short while, her eyelashes fluttered furtively.

A little later, she sneaked one eye open and glanced over to the side. Chen Su was standing by the edge of the ice lake, looking down at a jade slip in her hand. She did not seem to have noticed the little girl's small, secret movement.

Qin Jia let out a quiet sigh of relief, and carefully shifted her leg, which had gone numb from sitting still for so long.

"Sit properly," Chen Su said, without even lifting her head.

Qin Jia's leg, which had just barely lifted off the ground, dropped right back down. She puffed out her cheeks and mumbled under her breath, "Senior Sister wasn't even looking. How did she know I moved?"

"Divine sense," Chen Su replied.

"When will I get to learn divine sense?"

"When you reach the Foundation Establishment stage, you will naturally develop your divine sense."

Qin Jia's face immediately fell. Her lively, outgoing nature had not settled down at all even after she joined the immortal sect. Every day, she was either pestering her master, or trailing after Chen Su, asking one question after another.

At first, Perfected Person Binghua had thought her new little apprentice was cute and full of charm. But after just a few days, she got such a headache from the endless stream of questions that she passed Qin Jia over to Chen Su. Qin Jia was absolutely delighted by the arrangement, since she had always liked Chen Su a great deal.

Quiet fell over the ice lake again. Qin Jia closed her eyes, and tried her best to follow the cultivation method to sense the spiritual energy floating between heaven and earth.

All of a sudden, a faint warm tingle spread from her chest. The warmth was so faint that she would never have noticed it if she had not been sitting perfectly still.

Qin Jia reached for her collar on instinct, and grabbed the jade pendant tucked inside. "Sister!" she cried out.

Qin Jia jumped right up from the ground. The cold air that had gathered all around her scattered in an instant.

Chen Su frowned. "Qin Jia."

"Senior Sister, my sister is here!" Qin Jia completely forgot about her cultivation lesson, and ran toward Chen Su holding the jade pendant. She was running so fast that she nearly tripped over the long hem of her robe, and stumbled forward.

"Slow down," Chen Su said, reaching out to steady her.

Qin Jia did not even stop to catch her breath. She held the jade pendant high up in front of Chen Su, her voice cracking with excitement. "Senior Sister, look! It's glowing!"

Chen Su glanced down at the pendant. "They have arrived," she said.

Qin Jia froze for a split second, then jumped for joy so hard her whole body bounced. "Father's here! Mother's here! My sister must be here too!" She threw her arms around Chen Su's arm and shook it hard. "Senior Sister, I want to go to the City of Neighboring Immortals right now! This very second!"

Chen Su glanced at the darkening sky. "It's far too late now. The teleportation array is closed for the night."

The big grin on Qin Jia's face vanished at once. She looked up at Chen Su, her eyes full of disappointment. "What about tomorrow?" She pouted, her shoulders slumping.

Chen Su looked at her dejected little face. "Tomorrow, when the teleportation array opens, I will take you there."

In the next instant, Qin Jia lit up all over again. "Senior Sister is the best in the whole world!" She threw herself at Chen Su and wrapped her arms around her waist, grinning so wide her teeth were on full display.

Chen Su looked at the little girl clinging to her, and sighed helplessly. "Let go of me first."

"No," Qin Jia mumbled, burying her face against Chen Su's sleeve.

"Go back and continue your cultivation practice."

"My sister and my whole family are here now, how could I possibly calm down enough to focus on cultivation?"

Chen ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‍Su was just about to respond, when a lazy voice drifted down from the top of the mountain peak. "If you can't calm down, then you don't have to cultivate."

Perfected Person Binghua had appeared out of thin air above the ice lake. She wore a flowing white silk dress, standing barefoot in mid-air, her features cold and strikingly beautiful. In her hand, she held a string of bright red spirit fruits.

"My disciple of Binghua won't get left behind by others just because she skips one night of practice," Perfected Person Binghua said.

Chen Su bowed and greeted her, "Master."

Qin Jia immediately let go of Chen Su and spun around to run toward Perfected Person Binghua. "Master!"

Perfected Person Binghua swept her up into a hug, then pressed a string of spirit fruits into her hand. "You've been missing your family, haven't you? Tomorrow, your senior sister will take you home. Bring whatever you want with you. I won't have people thinking that a disciple of mine has to go home empty-handed."

Qin Jia nodded so hard her braids bounced. "I'll bring Grandfather a longevity-nourishing pill, Grandmother a soft bolt of cloth, Father and Uncle the archery gear from the immortal sect, and Mother a beautiful hairpin."

She paused, then counted on her fingers again earnestly. "And I have to bring something for my elder sister too."

Perfected Person Binghua asked casually, "What does your sister like?"

Qin Jia tilted her head and thought for a long time. What did her sister like? Her gaze landed on the spirit fruits in Perfected Person Binghua's hand. "My sister loves growing things. Back at home, she was always the one who helped Mother plant all the vegetables."

Perfected Person Binghua chuckled. "Growing mundane vegetables is hardly any remarkable skill."

But Qin Jia said very seriously, "The vegetables my sister grows taste better than anyone else's."

She took a bite of the spirit fruit in her hand. After a couple of chews, her little face crumpled up. "Sour!"

Perfected Person Binghua did not look the least bit concerned. "This is a jade spirit fruit. It was never meant to be a snack for you."

"Then I'll take the seeds back for my sister," Qin Jia declared right away. "The ones she grows will definitely be sweeter than this one."

Perfected Person Binghua was amused by her. "Spirit plants are nothing like mortal vegetables. Without spiritual energy to nourish them, the seeds might not even sprout."

Qin Jia did not care about that at all. She carefully tucked the half-eaten fruit pit into her storage pouch, then held out her hand to Perfected Person Binghua. "Master, do you have more?"

"How many do you want?"

"Lots and lots."

Perfected Person Binghua flicked her sleeve, and over a dozen jade boxes of different shapes landed in front of Qin Jia. They were just some low-grade spirit plants and spirit rice seeds she had picked up over the years and never bothered to plant. "Take all of them."

Qin Jia happily stored every last jade box away. She did not care how valuable the seeds were. In her mind, anything from the immortal sect had to be wonderful.

Down below, Qin Zhen suddenly ducked her head. The jade pendant on her chest was growing warm, and its light was getting brighter and brighter.

She understood immediately. "Grandfather."

Qin Huai was outside the cave sorting out his bows and arrows, and he turned around at her call. Qin Zhen had already rushed out of the cave, the most uncharacteristically hurried she had been all year.

"Jiajia is here."

Every member of the Qin family froze. The wooden bowl in Liu Zhen's hand clattered to the ground. "What did you say?"

Qin Zhen pulled the jade pendant out from under her collar. She looked up toward the direction of Immortal's Neighbor City, her eyes shining bright. "The pendant is glowing. Jiajia is close by."

Liu Zhen's eyes welled up with tears at once. "Let's go meet her!"

The whole family quickly gathered their things and hurried down the mountain path. The closer they got to the foot of the mountain, the brighter the jade pendant in Qin Zhen's hand glowed. Then, through the clouds, a sword shot through the air. On the flying sword stood two figures, one tall and one small. Qin Jia spotted her family standing at the foot of the mountain from far away. She froze for a second, then leaned over the edge of the flying sword and waved as hard as she could.

"Sister!" Her clear voice rang out from the sky. "Sister, I'm home!"

She had thought she would have so many things to say. She would ask if her little sister was doing well, what the immortal sect was like, and whether Jiajia had forgotten their home in Big Tree Village. But all she did was lift her arms and wrap them tight around her little sister.

Qin Jia buried her face in her elder sister's shoulder, her voice muffled. "Sister, I missed you so much."

Qin Zhen's eyes turned red, and she gently rested her hand on top of her little sister's head. "I missed you too."