Five Years

The morning sun shone brightly, warming the air and touching the trees and grass. Dew sparkled on the leaves.

Woosh... woosh...

A sword sliced through the air behind a small house. In a clearing, a girl about ten years old practiced with a wooden sword. Her black hair moved as she swung, and her black eyes were focused. She struck left and right, stepped back, and thrust forward. She jumped, twisted, and slashed again before turning for another hit.

After over an hour, she was out of breath. She fell to the ground and put the wooden sword down. Sitting cross-legged, she breathed deeply to calm her racing heart. Sweat soaked her old gray dress, sticking it to her skin. Looking at the sky, she sighed softly.

"Five years... Time passes quickly here, or maybe I stopped counting," she said quietly.

This girl was Hai Long, now called Bei Lin. It had been more than five years since she was reborn into this body. At first, adjusting to life as a girl was hard—bathing, dressing, walking, everything was tough. Neighbors wondered why she changed from skinny to healthy. Bei Lin said she found a magical herb that made her better. The villagers, though unsure, accepted her story, thinking it was just part of their strange world.

Slowly, she got used to her new life. It took her two years to adjust fully to being a girl. During this time, she learned about the cultivation world she was now in. To get stronger, she practiced exercises from her past life.

One day, Lei Wang, an old neighbor without family, saw her training. Feeling sorry for her, he decided to teach her what he knew—basic sword skills and body training. Lei Wang cared for Bei Lin like a granddaughter and often shared food and advice. Thankful for his help, Bei Lin worked hard to learn everything he taught her, knowing it was his way of supporting her.

Over time, her hard work paid off. Her body became stronger and her movements were smoother. She also noticed other changes—every day, she looked more beautiful. Her hair shone more, her skin was clearer, and her figure was better. She had grown taller, making her seem more mature. The village boys noticed these changes. Many of them were attracted to her. Some even asked Lei Wang to propose marriage, but he turned them down, knowing Bei Lin was not interested.

Lei Wang was not a cultivator, but he mentioned occasional sect recruitments in nearby markets. He encouraged her to try, thinking it might help her protect herself. However, there had been no recruitments for five years, and Bei Lin did not really want to join a sect.

Her lack of interest came from what she knew about the cultivation techniques in her pendant. Although she could not use all its power yet, she believed its secrets were better than anything a sect could teach. For now, she practiced to improve her body and skills, knowing the pendant was her key to the future.

Bei Lin's nine-tailed fox blood had been inactive for years, but she wasn't worried about it anymore. She thought that her bloodline would improve when she trained properly, and she might turn back into a fox-girl. But for now, it didn't matter. She focused on her daily training.

After her morning practice, Bei Lin stood up, dusted off her dress, and went inside. She put her wooden sword in the corner of her room, took another old black dress, and walked to her neighbor Lei Wang's house.

She opened the door without waiting. Lei Wang was busy in the kitchen, heard the door creak, but didn't turn around. He knew it was her. Smiling, he kept cooking.

Bei Lin walked to the bathroom. In the small, cracked mirror, she saw her reflection. Her black eyes looked down at her chest. She frowned, noticing how much her body had changed over the years.

Her "melons," as she jokingly thought, were getting bigger. They had become a hassle—one hand could hardly hold them now. Although she had admired big breasts girls in past life, having them on herself was different. The weight and attention they attracted made her sigh. "This will be more of a hassle in the future," she muttered.

Still, she tried to let it go. It wasn't something she could control. She poured cold water over herself to clear her mind. After washing, she dried off, put on the old black dress, and left the bathroom for the kitchen.

Lei Wang looked at her as she came in. "You're up early again. Practicing hard?" he asked warmly.

Bei Lin nodded, smiling a bit. "Yes. It's become a habit."

Lei Wang laughed and handed her a bowl of porridge. "Good. Keep it up. Strength is important, especially for someone like you."

Bei Lin took the bowl, feeling grateful. Lei Wang had been like family to her. She sat at the small wooden table, enjoying her meal while wondering what the day would bring.

She finished her meal, stood up, and cleaned the clay plate. She informed Lei Wang, "Uncle, I'm going to Aunt Mei's house. Take care."

Then Bei Lin came out Lei wang house and she walked to the house just two doors down from Lei Wang's. She knocked on the door and announced, "Aunt Mei, it's me, Bei Lin."

A woman's mature voice called from inside, "Little Bai, come in."

Bei Lin opened the door and entered, passing through the kitchen and into the small space beyond. A woman in her forties was cleaning fish. The woman looked up as she entered the kitchen.

As Bei Lin approached, Mei remarked, "Little Bei, it looks like your practice has finished."

Bei Lin nodded and replied, "Aunt Mei, I'm here to help wash and chop the vegetables."

Aunt Mei agreed. This wasn't Bei Lin's first time assisting; in her previous life, she had little interest in cooking, but now she had made a change. To survive, she chose to learn culinary skills. Mei was a widow; her husband had perished in an animal attack. She had a daughter, An Min, who was the same age as Bei Lin.

Mei looked at Bei Lin and said, "Little Bei, you're looking more and more beautiful. I don't know how many boys are falling for you. I've also heard that you've received some marriage proposals from boys' parents, but Uncle Lin Wang rejected them for you. Why don't you like boys, or do you not want to get married?"

Bei Lin, who heard this, did not respond immediately. After a moment, she said, "Aunt Mei, I'm not interested in marriage right now. I want to focus on practicing and finding my parents. I don't know who they are or why they abandoned me, but I need to find out and get answers."

When Mei heard this, she sighed. She didn't understand why this girl was searching for parents who had abandoned her. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened in the village, nor would it be the last. So she comforted her, saying, "Okay, I believe you can do it, but you know there are cultivators outside the village. Here, there's only the village chief who is a cultivator, so the world outside is really dangerous. Be careful; if you're not powerful, the cultivators who see your beauty may destroy your innocence."

Bei Lin nodded. Just then, someone walked in. The visitor said, "Bei Lin, you're here!" Bei Lin looked up and saw a girl with black hair and eyes, her face happy. Even though this girl was not as beautiful as Bei Lin, she was still attractive.

"Yeah, An Min, I'm here sometimes," Bei Lin replied. This time, Mei said to An Min, "An Min, go light the fire in the stove. Look, Bei Lin is helping me, so go do it." An Min, noticing her mother was upset, smiled and said, "Yes, Mom," then walked to the kitchen to light the mud stove.

After chopping the vegetables, take it and she proceeded to the kitchen where An Min was at work. An Min ignited a match and added some wood and coconut husks to initiate a fire. The flames gradually intensified, and the girl placed a clay pot atop the stove. At that moment, Mei entered the kitchen holding fish in her hands. She placed the fish on a small rack and approached An Min at the mud stove. She instructed her to add some water, along with the chopped vegetables from Bei Lin, as well as the fish and salt. The girl complied with her mother's request while Bei Lin observed from the sidelines. In just over five minutes, the fish curry was ready. Mei looked at Bei Lin and said, "Little Bei, come and eat some food here." Bei Lin shook her head, responding, "No Aunt Mei, I just ate, so I am not hungry. I don't want any." Mei anticipated this response from her but insisted, "Eat more; it will give you strength for the future. You can also try An Min's cooking." When Bei Lin saw this, she glanced at An Min, who looked back at her with expectation. Ultimately, Bei Lin relented and nodded in agreement. When Mei noticed this, she smiled, and An Min was also pleased. Mei prepared the fish curry alongside some rice, and Bei Lin had a few bites. An Min then asked her how her cooking skills were progressing. She replied that she was improving. Mei nodded in agreement, which brought an even brighter smile to her face.

××××××÷÷÷÷×××××