The Cool Beauty and the Airheaded Little Girl

In Chen Feng's small courtyard, Hinata sat beside a stone table, seriously working on pressed flowers. A sheet of cardboard lay to her left, while some petals and leaves she had picked up were placed on her right.

So-called pressed flowers used plant materials such as roots, stems, leaves, blossoms, fruits, and bark as raw materials.

After undergoing dehydration, color preservation, pressing, and drying, they became flat floral materials. With clever composition and further processing, they could even be made into exquisite decorative paintings.

Of course, that was the more complicated method. There was also a simpler way.

One simply had to place some beautiful petals and leaves between the pages of a book, then take them out after some time had passed. That counted as finished.

Watching Hinata's earnest expression, Chen Feng smiled faintly.

In truth, a person's habits and preferences could reveal many things. Compared to this little girl who liked pressing flowers, her heart was surely delicate and gentle, and she also possessed a sense of closeness toward nature.

Such a disposition was quite suitable for cultivating the Dao. Her talent was not bad either. The only thing she lacked was courage; her personality was a little too timid.

If she could open her heart and move forward bravely, she would definitely be a fine prospect.

Just then, wisps of Clear Qi rose, and a graceful yet aloof figure appeared. It was Xiao Meng.

Over the past few days, she had been seeking guidance from the Old Celestial Master. A few days ago, she had entered seclusion to digest what she had learned. Now that she had appeared again, she must have gained something.

Chen Feng gave her a once-over and chuckled. "Judging by the way you look, your cultivation has improved again, hasn't it?"

Hearing this, Xiao Meng replied with her usual cool expression, "I gained a little. If I fought that old man again now, I might not lose."

Chen Feng raised his brows slightly. The old man she spoke of should be Shimura Danzo.

That fellow could only be considered bottom-tier among the Kage Level, but even the weakest Kage was not someone a jonin could compare to. Xiao Meng had already been incredibly formidable to fight him to a draw with Innate Perfection cultivation.

At that moment, Xiao Meng noticed Hinata pressing flowers nearby. With a flash, she arrived beside the stone table.

Hinata was slightly startled and hurriedly rose to her feet, unable to stop herself from feeling nervous.

Before coming here, her father had warned her that there were two very powerful experts here. Besides a terrifyingly strong old grandfather, there was also an older sister who was not very old.

She had to be careful around them and not offend them.

Already shy around strangers, she became even more nervous after sensing the cold aura surrounding Xiao Meng.

Xiao Meng glanced at the flowers and leaves on the table and asked blandly, "What are you doing?"

"P-pressing flowers..."

Hinata answered cautiously.

Xiao Meng's expression shifted. She had never seen such a thing before, and her interest was immediately piqued. She wanted to try it herself.

Hinata hurriedly moved aside to make room for her.

Xiao Meng picked up a leaf and placed it on the cardboard. Then, a wisp of true qi escaped from her fingertips, directly evaporating the moisture within the leaf and turning it into a specimen.

At the same time, a beautiful emerald-green imprint appeared on the cardboard.

Looking at its somewhat blurry veins, Xiao Meng frowned slightly, dissatisfied. She was about to discard it.

But Hinata beside her praised it, saying, "It's so beautiful!"

Seeing the light in the other girl's eyes, Xiao Meng knew that she was not deliberately flattering her, but sincerely admiring it.

She casually said, "If you like it, take it."

Hearing this, Hinata's eyes lit up as she asked in surprise, "Can I really?"

"It's just a leaf."

Xiao Meng replied indifferently.

Hinata happily accepted the gift. Then she took out one of her own pressed-flower creations and handed it to Xiao Meng. "Big sister, this is the best one I've made."

Seeing this, Chen Feng smiled. Hinata really was quite adorable. But based on what he knew of Xiao Meng, she would not easily accept gifts from others.

Yet to his surprise, Xiao Meng merely examined it before raising her hand and accepting it.

An exceedingly rare, gentle smile even appeared on her face.

Chen Feng was slightly surprised as he watched the scene. One had social anxiety, while the other was a complete social butterfly, yet they actually got along so harmoniously.

Could this be the legendary complementarity?

Still, the combination of a cool, aloof beauty and an airheaded little girl seemed pretty good too...

In the blink of an eye, a day passed.

The next morning, Chen Feng sat inside the house while Hinata stood before him.

She was no longer as restrained as she had been yesterday, and much of the shyness had faded from her face. Still, she remained somewhat nervous inside.

Chen Feng spoke. "Are you willing to sincerely cultivate under me?"

Hinata nodded upon hearing this.

Chen Feng continued, "Since you have such aspirations, there is something you must understand. Teachings cannot be passed on lightly. If you wish to cultivate the Dao under me, you must join my Dao Sect."

Hinata's expression changed slightly. "If I join the Dao Sect, then my clan and my father..."

Chen Feng said, "If you cannot bear to leave your clansmen, you may become a registered disciple and still remain a member of the Hyuga Clan."

Hearing this, Hyuga Hinata could not help but let out a sigh of relief.

But Chen Feng continued, "Besides that, there are two conditions you must follow. First, without permission from the sect, you may not privately pass on what I teach you to anyone else."

Hinata nodded and agreed.

Chen Feng nodded slightly, then said, "Second, ninjutsu cultivation seeks the greatest possible destructive power. Calling it nothing more than techniques for killing would not be inaccurate.

"The Dao Sect's cultivation, however, seeks transcendence from the inside out. So-called power is merely an accessory. The two are vastly different."

At this point, he looked up at her and said, "Therefore, if you truly wish to enter the Dao, the first thing you must do is give up your identity as a ninja, including your original cultivation methods."

Hinata could not help but be shocked upon hearing this. Ever since she had become aware of the world around her, her father and everyone else by her side had told her to strive to become an outstanding ninja.

She had also treated it as her lifelong goal and worked toward it. Over the past ten years, she had not relaxed for even a single day.

But now, she needed to abandon her identity as a ninja. This was undoubtedly an extremely difficult choice.

After thinking for a while, Hinata said, "I hope I can ask for my father's opinion."

However, Chen Feng did not agree to this request. He spoke with a stern expression, "The path of cultivating the Dao is far more difficult than you imagine.

"Besides diligence and talent, it requires the courage and resolve to press forward without hesitation.

"If you do not even have the courage to take the first step, then you should go back and continue being a ninja..."