A Drop of Blood and A Crystal Tear

Ch-1

"Shifu! How come you are here? Did Shiniang come here too?"

A young girl excitedly asked as she ran out of the main gate of her family's mansion and jumped into her master's arms. She was no older than eight or nine years old.

"Shifu came to meet his dear disciple."

A man dressed from head to toe in white clothes with the exception of his brown bamboo hat took the little girl in his arms and placed her on his shoulder.

"Really?"

"And for some other official business as well."

"Hmph! I knew it. Shifu, you are always so busy. You never spend time with me."

"Weiwei, you are not the only one who feels this way, Gege has forgotten me too."

"Shiniang!"

A man dressed in red clothes came up behind them and hugged his husband's waist.

"San Lang, stop it. Weiwei, this time Shifu will teach a new medical skill and sword art as compensation, is that alright?"

"Okay, Gege." The man in red said but didn't release his husband.

"Shifu, it is your duty to teach your disciple. How can it be called compensation? However, if you teach me Qinggong, I will consider letting you off."

"Alright then. But it is difficult to learn Qinggong and as my disciple, I will not let your flying skills be any less than perfect. Will you be able to do it?" Xie Lian, her master asked.

"Tu'er will learn and practice no matter how difficult it is." Weiwei said.

"Then I will also be a good master and teach you." Xie Lian said and put Weiwei down.

Weiwei ran inside the house to inform her family of her master's visit. Xie Lian and his husband, Hua Cheng followed her inside. Weiwei's parents came outside to greet them.

"Master Xie, master Hua, this humble Bei greets you."

"Minister Bei doesn't have to. We have known each other for so many years now, you don't have to greet us every time we meet." Xie Lian said.

"If you say so, then I shall oblige." Minister Bei said.

This was the ancestral manor of the Bei family situated in the Qingzhou province of the Zhi Yi empire. Bei Weiwei was the second daughter and the third child of the Governor of Qing Zhou, Bei Jing Yan, current head of the Bei family.

"Lunch will be prepared in a little while, why don't you join us?" Bei Jing Yan asked.

"Then we will have to trouble Minister Bei." Xie Lian said.

Weiwei's elder sister and brother were both disciples of prestigious sects and hence spent little time at home other than festivals. So, meals were usually eaten together by Weiwei, her parents, and her adorable little brother who for now, was still an infant. With the addition of her Shifu and Shiniang, lunch became a much more pleasant affair than usual.

"Weiwei, eat more. You have to practice with me later." Xie Lian said and placed a piece of meat in Weiwei's bowl. 

"Thank you, master. You should have some more fish as well. Weiwei remembers that you like to eat fish." She said placed a few pieces of fish in his bowl.

"Weiwei, Your Shifu has to go to work later. How about you practice with me today and learn from Gege tomorrow?" Hua Cheng said.

"Okay, Shiniang." Weiwei nodded and continued to eat.