Spirit Awakening Ceremony(1)

Waking up, I felt a heavy weight on my stomach. Laughing in pain, I opened my eyes and saw Meiqiu on top of me. Her small face was decorated with delight as she continued to bounce around on my gut.

"Ge'Ge! Ge'Ge! There's this blonde man who's here to awaken us! He said that he heard Grandpa was looking for someone to hold the Awakening Ceremony and decided to quickly help out since he was on his way back from other villages and cities."

I looked up at the ceiling in thought. It would make sense considering how early it was.

I had no time to think further as Meiqiu disappeared through my bedroom door, shouting as she ran down the hall. "Come on, Ge'Ge! Everyone's waiting!"

I rose out of bed and quickly changed to greet the Spirit Hall person.

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The loud hammering of the smithy could be overheard as Grandfather's junior blacksmiths forged constantly. After living with Grandfather for 3 years, I was relatively familiar with everyone there, especially Grandfather's two disciples, Brothers Chen and Fei. Neither was particularly talented but they made up for with hard work. They were kind and honest people. With their foreheads full of sweat and bright smiles, they slapped me on the back.

Brother Chen spoke first. "Xiao Da, you've grown well but you're still much too skinny. Even if you go off and become a Spirit Master, don't forget to train your body well. Even if you can't go down the Martial path, you're always welcome here."

Brother Fei jumped in. "Hey, hey! Forget about his body, I'm just scared Xiao Da will forget us when he goes seeking greener pastures. Listen, your Da'Ge here is still very single. If you get the chance to meet some pretty Spirit Master girls, don forget to introduce me, ya' hear?" (Note: 'Da' means eldest and 'Ge' means brother. 'Da Ge' = Eldest Brother)

I laughed and promised that I would keep both of their words in my heart.

As I waved them off, I could see Meiqiu and Grandfather in the distance, talking with a tall, blonde man. His back was straight and his face held a confident smile. I made a mental note to myself upon seeing this: 'Arrogance becomes confidence when one has the capabilities.'