“Then, I will not eat from now on then, you won’t need to go into the woods. I already know you are not eating anything but water every day. You can’t trick me!” Tears began to build up in my eyes. I couldn’t help but release all my bottled-up feelings. “What happens when you waste away, and I am left alone!? Why won’t you just let me handle a few things!? Is it because I can’t cultivate? What if I said I could become a cultivator in three days’ time? That I can break into the body fortification stage in a short time, and in a month, I can be stronger than half the adults in the village?”

“Ruo’er….” My mother looked at me with wide eyes. It’s to be expected I just said a lot of things that I should not know about.

“Mother, every day I have been sneaking out to go to the village chief’s house and listening in on his lectures. Not too long ago, I had accidentally stumbled upon an inheritance while practicing in the forest trying to feel the spiritual qi in the air. It is because of that that I am now able to detect spiritual qi. I even know how to make all kinds of elixirs.” I did not plan to expose everything but I had no choice now. I walked over to the hiding spot, moved the board, and took out the herbs and water. All under my mother’s shocked expression.

    “This…. Ruo’er, is what you said true!?” My mother’s expression was not that of anger but that of anticipation. She did not seem to be mad at all that I did not listen to her and went out on my own.

    “Mmm…. I can prove it by making a salve that will heal your wounds. It will only take a few minutes to make. But to purge my body of toxins I will need to make a bath to sit in each night for three nights. Then, it will take me a day at most to take in spiritual qi to enter the body refining stage for body fortification. This is taking in spiritual qi by exerting my body to its extreme limit. This process will take the longest, but to help this along I will be adding an ironback leaf. It will be painful to absorb, but it will help strengthen the skin and muscles.” I explained as I began making the healing salves for my mother.

“I-I see… maybe the heavens are truly smiling upon us. I wish you would stay out of danger but for you to be able to cultivate and even get an inheritance. I could not be any happier. I will fix you a bath tonight. I will repair the wooden tub out back and use the water I gathered to prepare you a hot bath. Soak in the herbs starting tonight. I will listen to you from now on…. I will rest tomorrow as long as this is real.” In other words, she was testing me. Seeing her determined look, I could only nod, even though I did wish she would rest more. I guess one more night won’t be too bad. “Please eat more, though. Don’t starve yourself any more.”

“I will do as you say….” My mother had a soft smile on her face. She seemed very tired and I think the relief that I could cultivate was allowing her to relax a bit. 

“Done.” I held the bowl of healing salve in my hand. It was a milky green color, but it was enough to quickly heal surface-level wounds. “Mother, let me see your right hand.”

“Okay.” My mother held out her hand that had a large cut on it. Her young skin was so dried up that it was wrinkling. She was only twenty, yet she was already aging so quickly.

    “This salve will only heal your wounds. When I go out in the morning, I will look for some silver grass. It will help revitalize your skin. I will also get some nourishing herbs for you to make tea out of. Over the next week, I want you to drink these herbs all day long. It will help you regain your energy. We need to slowly repair what has been destroyed after all these years.” I gave my mother a run down on what she should be doing from now on. Besides resting for the next week, she will also need to start working out. 

“You do not need to worry so much, Ruo’er. Mother is fin….” I cut her off before she could finish. “Mother, you are the only family I have left in this world. I will make it so that you can start cultivating again as well. Once you start taking in spiritual qi again, you will be able to live much easier. You can take your time, though. From now on, with the knowledge that is within me, I will make it so that we can leave this village and live in much better conditions.”

My mother let out a sigh before placing a hand on my head. “I will leave it to Ruo’er….”

After splitting dinner with my mother, who finally filled her stomach, she helped me prepare a hot bath. After letting the herbs soak for a bit, I stripped down and got into the bath, not daring to stop halfway. Mainly because as soon as your skin touches the water, you will feel nothing but unbearable pain. 

Normally, this would only be good for those who have at least worked their bodies up a bit and could tolerate the pain more. But I was not your average five-year-old. At least, from what I could tell, that is. I mean, how many five-year-olds know as much as I do? 

“Gah! It really does hurt!” I cried out as I sat in the tub, submerged from the neck down. My mother was looking at me with a worried expression but all I could give her was a pained smile in return. “It-It’s fine. This is all because of the toxins in my body. It will be easier during the next bath.”