Water [Funny]

"Rin, wake up..."

Yae Sakura rubbed her eyes and called out to Yae Rin to get up.

"Hurry up and get up... we still have to clean the dojo today..."

When Yae Rin sat up from the futon, she looked a bit dazed, as if she hadn't woken up from her dream yet.

"Sister," Yae Rin called out to Yae Sakura, who was getting dressed. "Do you remember meeting the Divine Lord last night?"

"Hm?"

Yae Sakura stopped what she was doing. "What Divine Lord? Isn't the Divine Lord staying in the shrine where they should be?"

Then, Yae Sakura said with a bit of worry, "Rin, are you okay? You're not sick again, are you?"

"..."

After hearing Yae Sakura's reply, Yae Rin shook her head. "I'm fine, Sister. I just... had a very strange dream last night."

Yae Rin was now certain that her sister truly didn't remember meeting the Divine Lord last night, just as the Divine Lord had told them.

But why hadn't her own memory disappeared?

Yae Rin still clearly remembered meeting Xu Yanwu last night, and of course, what Xu Yanwu had said about their mother.

She should be able to see the Divine Lord again tonight, Yae Rin thought.

So, Yae Rin clenched her fist, made up her mind, and vowed to ask about her mother.

"Rin, it's time to go."

"Coming."

— That Night —

"Divine Lord, I'm here again."

Yae Rin hopped excitedly into her family's courtyard. Just as she had expected, the Divine Lord was sitting in the center of the courtyard.

"Mhm, your sister probably won't be here for a while yet."

Xu Yanwu nodded and said to Yae Rin, "Rin, come here. I'll help you nurture your soul."

Xu Yanwu continued, "Although my influence on reality isn't very strong right now, if I can strengthen your soul, your body will also improve a bit."

"Thank you, Divine Lord."

Yae Rin felt like she might have grown to like her current soul state.

Because in this state, she couldn't feel the illnesses that had plagued her since childhood, and her whole body felt incredibly light.

"...You're welcome."

Xu Yanwu placed his hand on Yae Rin's head, gently nurturing her soul with his power, and asked seemingly casually, "How did you feel yesterday during the day?"

"How much do you remember about me?"

"Of course..."

Yae Rin had initially intended to tell Xu Yanwu that she remembered everything, but she suddenly changed her mind.

"I don't remember anything, just like Sister."

Xu Yanwu looked a little puzzled after hearing Yae Rin's words. "You don't remember anything? That shouldn't be right. With your strong 'spiritual sense,' even if you don't remember most things, you should still recall some details."

"I really can't remember!"

Yae Rin said this, but she looked like she was lying...

"Alright then, it's fine if you don't remember. After all, I don't know how long I'll be in hibernation..."

Xu Yanwu didn't seem to notice Yae Rin's demeanor, or perhaps he simply didn't feel the need to question her.

Xu Yanwu fell silent, but Yae Rin chattered on, telling him all sorts of things about their village.

"Divine Lord, Niu Ye ran around the village today and got scolded badly by his parents."

"Mhm."

"And also, Tetsuya, he accidentally knocked over a shelf in the village, and got spanked on his bottom..."

"Mhm."

Xu Yanwu listened to Yae Rin's words, not offering his opinion or interrupting, just quietly listening to her talk about trivial matters, while his power flowed steadily into Yae Rin's soul without any fluctuation.

"Divine Lord..."

After talking for a while, Yae Rin suddenly called out to Xu Yanwu.

"Hm? What is it?"

Yae Rin gathered her courage and asked, "When... when can I be free, like everyone else?"

"..."

Xu Yanwu's movements paused. His gaze, which had been steady for a long time, now showed a ripple as he looked at Yae Rin.

"It won't take long."

Xu Yanwu said solemnly to Yae Rin, "I will definitely cure you, I promise."

At this moment, from Yae Sakura's room, the sound of Yae Sakura falling to the ground again could be heard.

"...Is your sister that stupid? It's the second time she's fallen on her butt..."

"Don't you talk about my sister!"

Yae Rin said fiercely.

"Alright, I won't."

Xu Yanwu patted Yae Rin's head, the strength in his hands dissipating. "We'll stop the cultivation for tonight. The clone with the knife has been reabsorbed by me. Teaching your sister swordsmanship will require me to do it personally..."

"Rin, even though your body isn't healed yet, do you want to practice together?"

Yae Rin's eyes lit up, her large eyes blinking full of hope. "Divine Lord, can I really come and learn swordsmanship with you?"

Xu Yanwu nodded. "Of course, but you'll have to start from the basics... Also, I'm very strict."

"Bad god! Don't bully Rin!"

Yae Sakura, pouting, held a small wooden sword and stood in front of Yae Rin, glaring fiercely at Xu Yanwu.

Xu Yanwu held a short wooden stick, his expression calm. "Failure to complete the task results in punishment; it's inevitable. Rin didn't complete her quota, so she has to be spanked."

"If you keep blocking me, I'll hit you too, Sakura."

"No means no!"

Yae Sakura said fiercely.

Yae Rin timidly tugged at Yae Sakura's sleeve. "It's okay, big sister. The Divine Lord is doing this for my own good..."

"Hmph!"

"...What are you humming about?" Xu Yanwu's face fell. "Fine, I won't hit Rin. But you two will each have to do an extra five hundred sword swings tomorrow night!"

"Nyah nyah, bad god!" Yae Sakura stuck out her tongue at Xu Yanwu, grabbed Rin's hand, and ran back through the wall to her room. Familiar with the routine, she and Yae Rin jumped back into their bodies, awaiting the dawn.

It had been about half a month since Yae Sakura and Yae Rin met Xu Yanwu.

Xu Yanwu followed behind the two girls, shaking his head.

"These two little rascals..."

"They're so mischievous, never quiet..."

"But... it feels like it's been so long since I felt this... happy?"