The rain was cold.
Fine, soft rain fell like silk threads, scattering and weaving through the air. A lonely, slender figure in straw sandals walked on alone, step by step. Playful raindrops landed on her straw hat and slid down its brim. Her little face was somewhat pale, but her eyes remained fixed on the road before her as she pressed onward with determination.
The cool spring rain carried a faint chill, soothing the heart. There was a bleak, solitary beauty to that lonely silhouette.
She stopped to rest, lifted her straw hat, and took a look. Her delicate brows drew tightly together.
"So tired. I let quite a bit of rain leak away on the road. What a waste..."
Though exhausted, she felt an indescribable sense of sudden enlightenment. Her control over rainwater had improved by the slightest fraction. Do not underestimate that tiny fraction—there were not many creatures in the world capable of such a thing.
She tightened her rain cape, took off her badly worn straw sandals, tossed them aside, and put on a new pair. Her little feet had been soaked a miserable white by the water.
"I should be nearing the drought-stricken region."
As if talking to herself, she wanted a sip of hot tea to replenish some very important vitamins. She busied herself as she walked, pulling an exquisite teapot from her storage bag. Raising her hand, she extended two fingers and circled them toward the sky before finally pointing at the teapot. Rainwater gathered into a thin stream and slipped into the teapot. For a flood dragon, the greatest benefit of cultivation was improving one's quality of life.
Light a fire and boil water? No, there was no need.
She held the teapot to her cherry lips, gathered herself for a moment, and