307 Disciple.
Shi Lang waved his hand and said, “Come out. I know you are peeking.”
The little head that was peeking at him suddenly ducked back into the trap room. The child was confused about how could this man detect him and tell about his actions as well. This was simply too unsettling. Shi Lang sensed his actions and chuckled, he said, “Come on, we both are similar. I also cultivate.”
The child was surprised and he did not know what this guy was talking about and why did he call them similar. The curiosity was like a fire raging in the heart yet, fear of the unknown was like a blizzard. After a lot of self-argument, the child decided to run out and see what the guy had to say after all this person was very sincere and patient in his wait.
The child took small steps and came to the door and peeked out. Shi Lang said with a faint smile and said, “The energy you are feeding upon is called the spiritual energy. It is an existence between heaven and the earth. It is something that can unlock and enhance the power and limits of the human body. This process is called cultivation. What you are doing is just an excuse and not true cultivation.”
The child got interested and the soft voice made him feel safe as well. Shi Lang continued speaking, “You do not seem to have eaten anything in the past few months and your body is able to stay free from hunger and thirst because of the energy your body extracts on its own. However, freedom is not permanent, every now and then you fall into a sudden state of weakness, unable to even lift your eyelids, right?”
He turned sideways to look at the child behind him and said, “Your body is called the spirit physique, it will attract the spiritual energy even if you do not try it willingly. However, if you do not use a sutra to cultivate, you will suffer from imminent death.”
Then he fell silent, waiting for the child to ask him some questions and the child did, “Death, what?”
Shi Lang said, “Death is an eternal sleep. You will never wake up from it.”
The child nodded and said, “Tao sleep. Sleep good.”
Shi Lang understood that the child did not have good intellectual growth, it could be because she did not have anyone to interact with. The clinic was abandoned for a few months maybe, given that the floor was covered with an inch of dust and dirt.
The young general said, “Why not come with me? I will teach you.”
The child did not think even for a second and shook the little head, “Tao like here, here home, sleep good.”
Shi Lang nodded and then said, “Let me show you something.”
The young man stood up and then walked out of the shed, stretched his body, and spread out his hands, the snowflakes on the ground began to levitate and then they gathered to form ice wings behind his back. The details of the wings made him look like an angel. Shi Lang turned and faced the child with a soft smile on his face and said, “Do you want to have wings? Do you not wish to see the world?”
pan-da-n0vel.com The child was confused and asked in a low voice, “World?”
Shi Lang sighed and thought, to think this trick failed, Amelia would have stars in her eyes if she saw my sauve self. He directly raised his hand and manipulated his communicator and showed him various videos from all over the world. He waited for the child to be hooked and then said, “These things are all that you can see if you wish to come with me.”
The child was still gazing at the flickering images on the holograph floating above the wrist of the young man. He subconsciously nodded, Shi Lang stretched out his hand and said, “Come on then.”
The child looked at him and with much hesitation, took a step forward, but then, suddenly turned around and rushed inside the clinic. Shi Lang did not lose hope because he could see what the child was going to do inside the place.
A few minutes later the child came back holding a photo frame. Shi Lang spotted an old man holding the child in his arms. He asked, “Who is he?”
The child said, “Tao Gram.”
Shi Lang nodded and holding the child’s hand, they came to the campsite. Amelia and the rest were shocked at this. They did not expect Shi Lang to bring back a child. Luna and Mila were old mothers and they had pampered Shi Lang as a child a lot. So when they saw this child they rushed over and scrutinized the little one.
Tao hid behind Shi Lang, who said, “Mom, aunt, take it easy please.”
The ladies immediately understood that their curiosity had scared the child. They nodded and took their gaze away from the child and Amelia asked from the side, “What’s up?”
Shi Lang told them the story and said that he wants to take in Tao, have her registered, and get a proper identity. The people agreed to this, for Shi Lang, this was not a big deal. He could get things done over a call.
He said, “Amy, cook some clear porridge for her.”
Mila and Luna asked in surprise, “This child is a girl?”
Shi Lang nodded, it was not that hard for him to discern this. He could tell that Tao was a girl from the moment he saw her. Amelia cooperated with him and prepared a bowl of clear porridge and Shi Lang had Tao drink it. He said, “You have not eaten anything in a few months, try to digest this, and then we will get better food later. Okay?”
Tao looked at him in askance and Shi Lang said, “Your digestive system has not been working, heavy food will give you pain.”
The little girl nodded and picked up the spoon to drink the steamy hot porridge and Shi Lang hurriedly held her arm, and softly said, “Too hot, it will burn your mouth. Do this.”
He blew on the spoonful of porridge and let Tao drink it. The girl was not dumb, she just did not have anyone to teach her all this much. She imitated his actions and drank the porridge slowly. Luna said, “We need to get her clothes and enroll her in a school. A complete medical check-up as well, she is too thin.”
Shi Lang nodded and said, “The care of her will be left in the hands of you elders. I will teach her cultivation when she is comfortable with the flow of her life and has a general understanding of the situation. At the same time, I will try to track her origins. However, I hope that you all exercise caution and patience in handling her. She has almost no recognition of the world outside. Her physique is very special and if someone with bad intentions found her, it could be very tragic.”
He would never say that he was the strongest in the world, there were others who had talent, and just like Tao, there could be more talented people with special physiques. He only took advantage of his knowledge. He did not want this little girl to suffer. She had great potential and could become a pillar for the federation in the future.
Looking at the little girl drinking the porridge, he wanted to groom her into a person that would take the lead of the forces of the Federation, however, when he thought deeply enough, he realized that taking the lead alone will not be possible. He spent his entire life seeking a path of no regret and freedom, but in the end, he was delayed, by a whole lifetime.
Only after surviving an ordeal, he found out that freedom without restraint will only lead people astray. This was also the reason he committed himself to the military. Since he planned to teach one child, he thought, ‘Why not teach a lot, and empower them to stride towards the peak?’
This was a wild thought and he would need to make proper arrangements before he began working on them. Amelia said, “Lang, time to go home. Stop slacking and pack up the stuff.”
Shi Lang woke up and said, “Yes, boss.”
He packed up the tent and other stuff. Then he carried them in his space ring and turned around to look at the little girl gazing at him with eyes wide open, she said, “Magic?”
Shi Lang chuckled and picking her up in his arms he said, “Yes, Magic. Just like you.”
Then he walked ahead, he did not know that the five people behind him were amused and surprised to see the logical and calm boy acting like a kid. Mila said, “How long has it been since he acted like this?”
Shi John said, “Forever. Childhood was spent in learning, youth was given to strengthening himself. Rarely ever he shows his carefree style. Amelia was the only one to have witnessed that till now.”
Amelia blushed but she did not deny it, after all, this was the truth. They all followed the boy down the mountain, only to find the car covered with a layer of snow. Shi Lang waved his hand and the snow cleared. It formed a snowman, he was trying to amuse Tao, but the girl was looking at the car as if a foodie found nector.
She asked, “This car?”
Shi Lang nodded and said, “Yes, it is a car. Do you want to see the inside?”
Tao nodded, and they all left the mountain, heading back to the city.