MARD Chapter 19 Surprises Keep Coming

The next day. The animals that often frolicked were sprawled across the meadow in lazy piles. The sisters’ simple wooden house stood nearby, its outline familiar and comforting.

Beside the extinguished fire, Mei sat cross-legged, her ragged dress tucked neatly beneath her knees, her hands resting lightly on her lap. The Yin Flower Empress manual was open before her, its delicate script glowing faintly. She traced her finger along the lines as she read again, lips moving silently to repeat the steps.

“Breathe slowly. Empty the mind. Seek the current within.”

She obeyed, shutting her eyes. Her breaths came long and deliberate, her chest rising and falling as she focused inward. At first, all she found was the sound of her heart, the heat of the fire, the faint tremble in her legs from sitting too long.

Feel the qi. Follow it. Guide it.

She furrowed her brows, straining. Her mind chased after some invisible thread, something she was certain was there—yet every time she reached for it, it slipped away like mist between her fingers.

Minutes bled into hours.

Her lips pressed thin, her hands tightening on her knees. Sweat beaded along her brow as she forced her breathing, desperate to feel anything.

But nothing came.

Finally, with a sharp exhale, Mei’s eyes snapped open. She pushed herself to her feet, brushing grass from her dress in frustration. Her fingers clenched at her sides.

“Why… why won’t it work?” She muttered, her voice barely louder than a whisper. “What am I doing wrong?”

She looked down at the manual still lying on the ground, its pages fluttering faintly in the breeze. She could read the words, could understand them. That in itself was a shock—she hadn’t remembered anything about her life before waking in Meihua Crossing, yet the script had made sense to her immediately.

Wu Ying had raised an eyebrow at that earlier, suspicion glinting in her emerald eyes. “Convenient,” She’d said flatly, though Wu Lan had soothed the tension with her calm reasoning. “Perhaps she learned to read before losing her memories. Some things cannot be erased so easily.”

But even with that strange familiarity, nothing stirred within her now.

Her frustration grew heavier, threatening to drown her. She turned away from where she was sitting as she needed to move and space.

Bare feet padded against the grass as she wandered. The meadow stretched wide, but her eyes caught on something she hadn’t noticed before: a patch of trees rising at the far side of the small world. Their trunks were slender still, their crowns budding with fresh leaves. Compared to the open fields, the grove felt like another world, shadows weaving between roots and branches.

Mei tilted her head, curiosity stirring through her frustration. “A forest…?”

Clutching the scroll to her chest, she stepped lightly toward it, her heart fluttering with equal parts nervousness and wonder. ‘I’ve never been here before. Maybe some exploring may calm my nerves.’

—--------------------------

Mei stepped carefully between the young trees, her bare feet pressing into the cool earth instead of the soft meadow grass. Her heart thumped in her chest from curiosity. As she pushed aside a branch, she froze.

Ahead, in a small clearing where sunlight filtered down through the canopy, sat Issei and Wu Lan. They were closer than she had ever seen them as they were sitting cross-legged opposite each other with their hands clasped gently together. Their eyes were closed, their breathing slow and even, their expressions utterly serene.

The sight startled her. ‘Issei… and Wu Lan?’

She clutched the scroll to her chest, unsure if she should retreat or stay. Her lips parted faintly as she watched, mesmerized.

Neither of them stirred. Their foreheads bore faint beads of sweat, and though they did not move, she could sense something was happening. The air around them felt different—heavier, charged with a faint pressure that pressed against her skin. ‘Is this… cultivation?’ she wondered.

Her brows knitted together. ‘But why are they holding hands? Is it part of the technique… or something more?’

She lingered at the edge of the clearing, her back pressed against the bark of a young tree. Her purple eyes softened as she studied them. Wu Lan’s face was calm, almost radiant, her long lashes resting against her cheeks. Issei’s usual boyish grin was gone, replaced by quiet determination, his light-brown hair stirring faintly in the breeze.

Mei’s chest tightened unexpectedly.

She thought back to the moment Issei had stood between her and Yao. To his smile when he told her not to worry. To the way he had held her hand and introduced her to this impossible world and accepted her into his life.

‘He saved me. He promised to help me find who I am…’ Her grip on the scroll tightened, her knuckles whitening. ‘But… what is he to them?’

She glanced at Wu Lan again, her mind clouded. Were they simply partners in cultivation, or did the bond between them run deeper? And what of Wu Ying’s constant arguments with Issei that sounded more like quarrels between lovers than companions? And Wu Xiao, who clung to him with so much affection?

The thought unsettled her. ‘Could he be with all three?’

Her stomach twisted. She had no memories, no family. She had nothing. And yet, for reasons she couldn’t fully understand, she wanted to be near him. Closer than she was now.

But if he was already bound to Wu Lan—or all of them—then what right did she have?

Her gaze fell to their linked hands again, and a pang of jealousy pricked at her heart. Mei quickly shook her head, lowering her eyes. ‘No… I shouldn’t think like this. He saved me, and I’m grateful. That’s all that matters.’

Still, she couldn’t pull herself away. She lingered silently in the shadows of the grove, waiting for them to finish, hoping to ask—no, to learn—what exactly they were doing.

And deep down, a question lingered in her heart. ‘Will there ever be a place for me at his side?’

As Mei waited, the two cultivators’ breaths then steadied with their fingers loosening. Slowly, both Issei and Wu Lan opened their eyes, the faint glow of focus fading away.

Wu Lan exhaled softly, brushing her hair back from her face. “It’s about time we stop as I should prepare breakfast.” Her voice was calm, though her cheeks were touched faintly red from exertion—or perhaps something else.

She shifted to rise but froze mid-motion, her sharp eyes catching movement at the edge of the clearing.

“Mei?”

The flower girl jumped slightly, clutching the scroll tighter to her chest. “Ah—I didn’t mean to disturb you!”

Wu Lan’s composure faltered as her hand shot to her chest, her face paling. “How long have you been there?”

“I-I only just came,” Mei stammered, bowing her head quickly. “I was exploring the world marble when I came across this forest. I’m sorry if I disturbed you two.”

But Wu Lan wasn’t listening as she was filled with worry. “Do my sisters know about what I do with Issei?”

“Not that I know as I only saw you both… and wondered what you were doing. Wu Xiao is still playing with the animals, and Wu Ying hasn’t left the house. Nobody else knows.”

Wu Lan released a heavy sigh, her shoulders easing. Relief washed across her face, though she quickly masked it with her usual serenity. “…Good. I’d rather my sisters not see us like this.”

Issei blinked, tilting his head. “Eh? Why does it matter if they know? We were just cultivating.”

Wu Lan’s cheeks colored more noticeably now. She turned away, folding her arms. “Because… it would be embarrassing.”

Issei raised a brow, confused. “Embarrassing? It’s training, isn’t it?”

Wu Lan pressed her lips into a thin line, finally muttering, “Because I allowed you to use that… lewd cultivation technique. If Xiao or Ying found out, I’d never hear the end of it.”

Mei’s brows furrowed in curiosity, her innocent eyes darting between the two. “L-lewd… technique?”

Issei rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling nervously. “Well… uh… it’s called Duo Yin-Yang Fusion. Basically, it’s a dual cultivation technique. It makes you stronger by… y’know… cultivating together while having sex.”

The words dropped like stones into water, sending ripples through the clearing.

Wu Lan’s face turned scarlet. She shot to her feet, jabbing a finger at Issei. “Issei! That is absolutely not something Mei needed to hear!”

Issei flinched, holding up his hands defensively. “What?! She asked! I was just being honest!”

“Too honest!” Wu Lan snapped, her cheeks blazing.

Mei, however, didn’t recoil. Instead, her head tilted slowly, her lips parting as she whispered, “…What’s sex?”

Both Issei and Wu Lan froze.

The silence was deafening. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.

Issei’s jaw dropped, his face turning redder than his Boosted Gear. Wu Lan’s hands flew to her mouth, her eyes widening in utter shock.

Mei blinked innocently, holding the rabbit she’d carried earlier against her chest as though it might answer for her. Her voice was quiet but curious, entirely genuine. “I don’t… remember what that word means. I don’t remember much of anything, but… is it something important?”

Wu Lan and Issei exchanged a glance, the weight of realization hitting them both.

‘That’s right she has amnesia.’ They both remembered. Of course she wouldn’t know.

Wu Lan’s blush didn’t fade, but her tone softened, almost maternal. “…It’s… not something you need to worry about right now, Mei.”

Issei scratched his cheek, still flustered. “Y-yeah, it’s… uh… complicated. Something you learn about when you’re older. Or… when you remember.”

Mei tilted her head, curiosity sparkling in her purple eyes. “So… it’s part of cultivation?”

Wu Lan pressed her lips together, forcing herself to calm down. She smoothed her robe, straightened her posture, and forced a gentle smile. ‘Just explain everything calmly and we can escape this awkward conversation.’

But before Wu Lan could redirect the conversation further, Issei leaned forward, waved his hands and started talking. “Just so you know, what we were doing just now wasn’t… y’know, actual sex.”

Wu Lan froze mid-breath. Her head snapped toward him, her cheeks flaring crimson. “Issei!”

But he was already charging ahead, too flustered to stop. “Wu Lan and I—we’re not, uh, ready for that step as we have to get closer! But we figured out a way to do something similar to what the manual says, you know? A workaround that lets us cultivate together without actually—uh—going all the way.”

Wu Lan groaned inwardly, her hand covering her face. ‘Why must he explain everything so plainly?’

Mei blinked, her wide purple eyes sparkling with curiosity rather than embarrassment. “So… it works? Even without doing whatever that is?”

Issei rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah! I mean, it’s not as effective as the real deal, I think, but it still helps both of us. It’s… uh… teamwork cultivation!”

Mei’s lips parted slowly. Her voice came out soft, almost hesitant. “…Then… could I do it with you, too?”

The words dropped like stones into the quiet grove.

Wu Lan’s head whipped toward her, shock clear on her face. “M-Mei!”

Issei’s jaw fell open, his brain taking a moment to catch up. “E-eh?! W-with me?!”

Mei clutched the Yin Flower Empress manual closer to her chest, her gaze dropping to the ground. “I-I mean… I can’t seem to make sense of this scroll. I’ve read it again and again, but… nothing stirs inside me. No stir of energy. It feels like I’m grasping at air. But if cultivating with you makes it easier… then maybe…”

Her voice trailed off, fragile but hopeful.

Issei’s expression softened instantly. ‘So she’s been trying this whole time, but nothing worked?’ He leaned forward, his tone gentle but earnest. “Of course I’ll help you. If you’re struggling, then we’ll find a way. That’s what friends and family—do.”

Mei’s cheeks pinkened at the word family, but her lips curled into the faintest smile.

Wu Lan, however, felt her chest tighten. She folded her hands into her sleeves, her calm face carefully composed. ‘Of course he said yes. That’s who he is. Always reaching out, always offering…’

For a fleeting moment, a selfish thought flickered across her heart. ‘But this was something we did together. Something we shared, something just between us.’

She shook her head firmly, banishing it. ‘No. I can’t be selfish. If Mei truly needs his help, then… I shouldn’t stop her.’ Still, the faint ache lingered.

“Mei,” Wu Lan said softly, her voice regaining its usual serenity, “you already have the manual. You don’t need to rely on Issei for this. Sometimes progress simply takes time.”

Mei looked down, her brows knitting. “But… what if it never comes?” Her voice wavered, heavy with the weight of her amnesia. “What if I’m just… broken?”

Issei’s fist clenched. “You’re not broken.” His voice was steady, firm enough to make both girls look at him. “If you can’t figure it out, then we’ll try something else. If cultivating together helps, then I’ll do it with you. No hesitation.”

Wu Lan’s heart wavered again, torn between pride at his sincerity and the sting of having to share something she’d hoped would stay theirs alone.

Mei, however, looked at him with shining eyes. “…Thank you.” Mei says sincerely. 

Issei and Wu Lan then began to explain the process the best they could with Mei nodding along. Then Mei sat across from Issei, her knees tucked neatly beneath her, hands folded in her lap. Her lips were pressed together tightly, and her heart pounded so loudly she wondered if he could hear it.

Opposite her, Issei wore his usual easy smile, though there was a gentleness in his expression that softened the moment. He extended his hand across the space between them. “Alright. Just relax, Mei. Trust me.”

Her fingers trembled slightly as she lifted her hand. When their palms met and their fingers curled together, Mei felt her cheeks warm. ‘No wonder Wu Lan reacted so strongly,’ she thought, her pulse quickening. ‘This feels really intimate.’

A few feet away, Wu Lan stood beneath a tree, her arms folded in her sleeves. Though her face was composed, her heart stirred uneasily. She had told herself she would not interfere, but seeing Issei and Mei’s hands entwined still made her chest tighten. ‘This was supposed to be our thing.’ She quickly exhaled, shaking the thought away. ‘No. Don’t be selfish.’

“Close your eyes,” Issei said softly, his thumb brushing against Mei’s knuckle in reassurance. “Empty your mind. Don’t force it—just pay attention to every sensation in your body. If something stirs, let it. Don’t fight it.”

Mei nodded quickly, shutting her eyes. She focused on the warmth of his hand, the rhythm of her breath, the sound of her own heart. For a long moment, there was nothing but silence.

Then it hit her.

A sudden rush surged through her, like a river bursting through a broken dam. Her breath caught as heat spread across her body—warm, electric, alive. It wasn’t hers, she realized instinctively. This energy was foreign, yet not hostile. It was Issei’s. His qi flowed into her, filling every vein, lighting her blood like fire, tracing every nerve until she felt her entire body hum with vitality.

‘So this is qi…’ Mei’s lips parted in awe, her chest rising and falling faster. It was overwhelming, intoxicating, and yet, it felt right.

The current moved within her, searching, guiding—until, deep in her core, she found it. A spark. A quiet ember she hadn’t noticed before, now ignited by the flame Issei had shared. ‘My qi… my energy…’

Her body trembled as she tried to seize it, her mind straining to copy his actions. She gathered that spark, forcing it outward, and willed it into the hand that held his.

Across from her, Issei’s eyes flew open. A shiver ran through him as a foreign energy suddenly pressed into his body. His instincts screamed that it wasn’t like Wu Lan’s qi. It was dense, untamed—wild, yet abundant.

‘This much…? For someone who’s never cultivated?’

Shock jolted through him. Wu Lan, already a Second Stage Fighter, had nowhere near this raw amount. Mei’s qi poured into him like a flood, and he felt his body instinctively respond, absorbing it, twisting and mutating as it fused with his own. His muscles ached, his bones groaned, his blood thrummed as if it were being reforged.

“Mei—!” He managed, his voice strained.

But it was too late. Both of them felt it.

Their qi clashed and mingled, their bodies trembling with the sudden surge. Mei gasped, her breath caught as the fire within her doubled. Issei grit his teeth as his veins burned, his chest tightening. The sensation was too much, too fast.

They tore their hands apart at the same moment, both staggering backward. Their breaths came in ragged gasps, sweat clinging to their foreheads. Yet even through the strain, both felt it—the shift inside. Their qi was not the same as before. It had grown.

Mei’s purple eyes flew open, glowing faintly for a brief heartbeat before dimming. She clutched her chest, her voice trembling. “I… I felt it. My qi. I really felt it.” Around her an aura of power was faintly felt.

Issei’s light brown eyes blazed with surprise as he looked at her, his gauntleted hand trembling from the aftershock. “That was… unbelievable. You’ve got more qi than Lan, even though you’ve never cultivated a day in your life…”

Wu Lan stepped forward at last, her composure rattled. Her gaze flicked between them, her heart pounding. ‘What just happened?’ She could sense it—both of them had changed, grown. Mei’s dormant potential had ignited, and Issei’s body… it pulsed with new strength.

Issei’s chest still heaved from the rush, but as his breathing steadied, he turned his gaze fully on Mei. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes shining faintly, her whole body trembling with the aftershock of awakening her qi. Something about her felt different—denser, sharper, alive in a way it hadn’t been minutes ago. Not only that, her skin, standing and presence changed completely as the beautiful girl Issei knew became even prettier.

He reached out with his senses, the way Wu Ying had taught him to feel qi signatures. His eyes widened.

“Mei…” he whispered, his voice tight with disbelief. “I think you’re… already at Fifth Stage.”

The words hung heavy in the grove.

Mei blinked at him, confusion washing over her features. “Fifth… Stage?”

Issei rubbed the back of his neck, his brows furrowed. “That’s way past where I thought you’d be. You… you skipped the earlier stages entirely. But you didn’t even have cultivation before today. How is that possible?”

Wu Lan stepped closer, her eyes narrowing as she reached out with her own senses. The faintest flicker of surprise broke her calm mask. “…He’s right. Mei’s qi is surging at a level that surpasses the Third Stage Fighter.” She shifted her gaze to Issei, studying him with equal intensity. “And you too, Issei. You’ve grown. Your foundation feels… stronger.”

Issei shut his eyes, drawing in his qi, trying to feel the difference. It pulsed through him, steady but heavier than before. He opened them again, awe flashing in his light brown eyes. “I’m at the Third Stage. Just like Wu Ying.”

Before Wu Lan could respond, the ground trembled.

THOOM. THOOM.

Leaves shivered from the trees as the heavy, deliberate sound of footsteps approached. The grove darkened as an enormous shadow fell across them.

Ddraig emerged, walking on all fours, his red scales gleaming like molten steel beneath the endless sunlight. His emerald eyes glowed as they locked on Issei.

The two girls instinctively stepped back, their bodies tensing under the dragon’s presence. Mei clutched her chest, her breath catching, but Issei stood firm, familiar with the weight of that gaze.

Ddraig lowered his massive head, his voice rolling like thunder across the grove. (Partner. You’ve once again have grown.) His eyes shifted toward the canopy above, then back to the ground beneath them. (And not only you. This world has stretched further. The trees have spread. The energy flows richer. The Marble continues to expand as you do.)

Issei scratched his cheek nervously. “Uh, yeah… about that.” He glanced at Mei and Wu Lan, then backed up at the dragon. “We were practicing my… cultivation technique. Mei wanted to try it out with me. But something happened. She suddenly jumped straight to Fifth Stage, and my cultivation grew too.”

Ddraig studied Mei, his gaze heavy but not unkind. She shrank beneath it, her hands twisting in the fabric of her dress.

After a long silence, the dragon exhaled smoke through his nostrils. (Hmph. Then perhaps the answer lies not in what she gained, but in what was taken.)

Issei tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

Ddraig’s eyes narrowed slightly. (If this girl truly began as a blank slate, she would not have such vast reserves. The most likely explanation… is that she was already a cultivator before she lost her memories. And when those memories were taken, so too was her cultivation sealed.)

Wu Lan’s lips parted in shock. “That’s… possible?”

Issei frowned. “Sealing cultivation? Like… locked away?”

The dragon shrugged his massive shoulders, the motion sending a ripple of scales clattering softly. (Perhaps. Or perhaps not. I have no actual idea as just like you I am learning as we move along. I can only say that such things are not beyond the realm of possibility. For her to awaken this much in an instant…) His gaze sharpened on Mei. (…there is more to her than even she knows.)

The words cut deep into the silence.

Mei pressed her hand to her chest, her eyes wide, her lips trembling. Her thoughts spun wildly. ‘Was I already a cultivator… before? Then who exactly am I? Where did I come from? What was taken from me?’

Her knees weakened and her eyes looked down staring blankly at the ground. Her voice cracked as she whispered, “Just who am I?”

The question lingered in the grove, heavier than the dragon’s presence. Neither Issei nor Wu Lan had an answer.

Suddenly they then felt another ripple swept across the World Marble. It wasn’t from the dragon this time, it came from the direction of the sisters’ wooden house.

A pulse of qi spread outward like a wave, pressing against their chests, rustling the grass, even stirring the animals that lounged nearby. Foxes perked up, monkeys scrambled up branches, and Luna lifted her head with a low rumble of curiosity.

All at once, a triumphant shout split the silence.

“Finally!” It was Wu Ying’s voice, sharp and jubilant.

Issei, Mei, Wu Lan, and even Ddraig turned toward the house as the door burst open. Wu Ying strode out, her emerald eyes blazing with pride, her aura surging around her like a storm barely contained.

Her steps were light but confident, her usual scowl replaced by a rare grin that almost made her look younger. She clenched her fist and thrust it forward. “I did it. I’ve broken through!” Her voice rang out across the meadow. “I’m a Fourth Stage Fighter now!”

Issei’s eyes widened, then his face broke into a grin. “Ying, that’s awesome! Congratulations!”

Wu Lan’s serene smile softened further, pride shimmering in her gaze. “Well done, little sister. Your hard work has borne fruit.”

Even Ddraig inclined his massive head, a rumbling “Hmph” rolling from his throat. For him, that was as good as applause.

Ying basked in the moment, her pride glowing as bright as her qi. This was her triumph, the result of countless hours of sweat and persistence. Once again, she stood taller than the others, her sharp tongue replaced with joy.

But then her eyes caught Mei.

The flower girl sat quietly on the grass, the scroll clutched to her chest, her purple eyes downcast. Her expression was not one of pride, nor awe, nor celebration—only confusion and heaviness.

Wu Ying’s brow furrowed. She slowed her steps, tilting her head slightly. “…What’s with her? I just had a breakthrough, and she looks like someone died.”

Before Mei could answer, Wu Ying felt it.

Her breath caught as her senses sharpened instinctively. The qi that lingered around Mei was unmistakable—dense, powerful, deeper than her own. It didn’t just brush against her awareness, it pressed down on it, smothering her triumph.

Wu Ying froze mid-step, her fists clenching. Her emerald eyes narrowed into sharp slits. “…No. That’s not possible.”

Her gaze locked on Mei, then snapped toward Issei and Wu Lan. Her voice was low, edged with accusation. “Explain.”

Mei flinched, her chest tightening. She curled inward, trying to shrink under the weight of Wu Ying’s stare.

Issei raised his hands, scratching his cheek nervously. “Uh, well… it’s kind of a long story—”

“Spare me,” Wu Ying cut in, her words sharp. “Her qi surpasses mine. I just stepped into Fourth Stage, and she—” She jabbed a finger toward Mei, her voice rising with barely contained frustration. “She feels stronger than me. This… stranger. This flower girl who doesn’t even know who she is.”

Wu Lan stepped forward, her hand raised in a calming gesture. “Ying, please. Don’t jump to conclusions—”

But Wu Ying’s frown deepened, her pride bristling, her breakthrough already overshadowed. Her voice was low but fierce. “Then tell me what happened. Now.”

The meadow went silent again. Even the animals seemed to hold still, watching the confrontation unfold.

Done, tell me what you think and if I made a mistake.