Temple Girl
Chapter 5 Start the Journey

(4 Years Later) 

The nights in the summer are somehow always so warm, the moon is full of light. Round and unable to stop it, the sounds of the night animals muffled the atmosphere. The night fireflies roam around, beautifying the atmosphere. Now Chiharu is standing right in the back yard of the temple which is wide and wide, an empty field stretches there.

Mr. Qi was standing not far away, sipping his tea deeply. Staring at Chiharu who started tonight starting her martial arts training, a promise four years ago that she will never forget to teach Chiharu various kinds of things.

The girl was developing so rapidly that Mr. Qi himself sometimes did not believe her, in the darkness Chiharu's eyeballs policy was emanated clearly. In just a few years, she had become the most knowledgeable girl among children her age. Although Mr. Qi himself had never met a human child normally, Chiharu's wisdom was real.

Master Qi put down his teacup, he got up from his seat. Closer to Chiharu who was confused with the wooden sword in his hand, Chiharu honestly never held any weapons. His days were always used for concocting medicines, or reading books given by Mr. Qi. Then at night today, Mr. Qi invited him to come out so that Chiharu himself felt confused.

"Hold your shoulder, make your sword align with your chest." Master Qi touched both hands of Chiharu who was holding the short wooden sword, pointing it at the correct horses.

Mr. Qi frowned, thinking of the best method he could provide for Chiharu. "All right, let's get here, go to bed!" his word was completely incomprehensible to Chiharu, but he still obeyed it because Mr. Qi's wish was always his top priority.

***

Early in the morning when Chiharu was still closed he woke up again, or rather woke up because Mr. Qi entered the room where he slept and shook the body that had been several years higher.

Inevitably Chiharu woke up, with a typical waking face he looked at Mr. Qi in confusion. "Quick change your clothes, we'll go to the river." and after the decree in Mr. Qi immediately left without caring for Chiharu, with the remains of the lives that had not been collected.

Shortly after Chiharu got up and did what Mr. Qi told him to do, he changed his clothes and soon followed his Master who was now in the courtyard of the temple. Folding both his hands, waiting for Chiharu.

When the little girl came out, Mr. Qi immediately walked over. Heading to the place he had just mentioned for a while. "What's to the river when the sun hasn't even come to the surface?" chiharu asked in her sleepy voice, for the first time in her life Chiharu was awakened blindly like this.

"Enlarging your spiritual energy capacity." and that brief remark seemed to be enough to silence Chiharu's question.

The coldness of the river water was able to make Chiharu shudder coldly, even though the sun was still reluctant to come to the surface illuminating its warmth. After reaching the river, Mr. Qi continued to walk along it to find the location of the river's tear source was none other than a waterfall.

The white-robed man smiled in satisfaction when he saw the cascading waterfall, he undid two layers of his clothes and immediately sank his feet to reach the source of the spring. Chiharu who saw it only fell silent even more confused when she saw Mr. Qi now almost reach the waterfall, the sound of the waterfall that was so swift inexplicably made Chiharu even more cold.

"What are you waiting for, come quickly!" the command sounded indisputable to Chiharu's unwillingness to obey it, the first step when he dipped his feet was the sense of freezing down there. Showing that the mountain water has a cold that is not playing.

Not wanting to disappoint Master Qi, Chiharu continued to step forward. Looking at the struggling Chiharu, the white-blossomed man reached out his hand, helping the little girl to climb on the rocks hit by the waterfall. Mr. Qi immediately sat down, letting his body be flushed by the rushing waterfall.

He flinch, waiting for Chiharu to follow him. And the girl was really submissive, Chiharu did it for the first time. Sitting under the waterfall, leaving his body exposed to the water, he endured the pain for the first time when the water hit his head worth thousands of needles.

His body felt beaten by many invisible hands, he glanced at Master Qi who was unmoved as if he felt nothing. Either because the man with the blindfold had gotten used to it, or because Mr. Qi was very good at mastering his expression Chiharu did not know. All he knew, that being under the waterfall felt so torturous.

Long they were there until the sun started to shine, Chiharu's body and face began to turn blue withstanding the cold and the water that kept on raining down on her mercilessly. Mr. Qi who could not bear to immediately end the ritual, he brought Chiharu to the edge of the river to warm his body.

***

On a clear morning of the moment, a thick blanket wrapped around Chiharu's body. The birds chirping Chiharu ignored, he was busy chugging the warm soup given by Mr. Qi while shivering coldly in his blanket pile. Chiharu felt astonished when not seeing any difference to Mr. Qi, the man was in good health without feeling cold or his body turning blue.

"You have to do it every day" said Mr. Qi blowing the soup bowl to relieve the heat, feeling a little sorry for Chiharu following his method.

"This exercise is useful to increase the energy in your body, with this exercise you can even be as strong as a god if your body is able to bear great spiritual power. I'm not forcing you, Chiharu. You can give up if you don't." Mr. Qi looked at Chiharu's small body which still felt shivering despite the three thick quilts he had already put on.

Chiharu, the girl shook her head strongly. Holding back his teeth trembling before continuing to speak, "I won't give up, I can definitely be like you Sir. No matter how hard it is, I won't give up."

"Why do you want to be me so much?" asked Mister Qi gently, handing over the second bowl to the throat Chiharu. Restores her body temperature which is starting to warm up.

Chiharu thought for a moment, "Because Master saved me from death, I am very grateful Master. I don't know what I have to do to get back at you, the Master who always looks beautiful, bright, and gentle makes me want to be that kind of person."

"Times looking for me if I get lost, leads me back. Don't you know that master is my whole life, how could I not want to be that kind of person?" a sweet smile rose from that tiny face, recalling the beautiful days he had with Mr. Qi.

The Qi master was so good, so beautiful, and so felt far away to chase after him. It was as if he was in another world even though they met every day, like there was an invisible great wall blocking Chiharu from getting close.

Mr. Qi was slightly moved to hear that, the pale and cold little girl that night was now with him showing the sweetest smile and looking so beautiful. "What if one day I disappear and can't stay with you?"

Without leaving her smile Chiharu replied, "Of course I will disappear with you too Sir, wherever you go I will be there."

And that pitiful talk came to a halt when Mr. Qi chose to avoid the topic he had just started, thrust out his soup and was immediately picked up by Chiharu. His body began to feel warm, and slowly became normal.

***

Chiharu's daily life full of learning as the days usually now feel a little different, someone Chiaru did not recognize came to the temple when the girl was sweeping the dried leaves that were falling. The man was wearing shabby clothes that were not very good, saluting Chiharu for thinking that the girl was a temple priest.

Then the man prayed, pleading solemnly without being disturbed and then after giving the man a bag of fruits away. Confusing Chiharu about what he was doing, he put his cleaning tools down and entered the temple to ask Mr. Qi.

When Chiharu entered the temple, Mr. Qi was sitting with his floor table. Write something serious in a blue-covered book, "What are you doing?" asked Chiharu could not bear the curiosity.

After finishing his writing, Mr. Qi smilingly looked at Chiharu. "Blessed him because the man had just begged me."

"I convey his request for his wish to be realized." said Mr. Qi gently, stroking Chiharu's head and tidying up his writing equipment.

Chiharu also smiled, "Master is like a God" she said in awe.

Chiharu's statement inevitably tickled Mr. Qi a little, "I am indeed a God." then unexpectedly Chiharu glared with a look of disbelief. He took a few steps back in surprise.

Everything felt connected now, how was Master Qi's incredible strength. His rise from the dead, finding him when lost wherever Chiharu was, the rays of Master Qi that always felt majestic and hard to penetrate. It turned out that Lord Qi was a God.

Chiharu felt her distance with Mr. Qi feeling further and further, now she understood that the girl would never be able to chase after the Great Master before her eyes. "I turned out from the beginning couldn't be like you huh, sir." lamented feeling hopeless.

Mr. Qi noticed Chiharu's fickle countenance, smiling understandably. He sat himself, aligned his height and looked right at Chiharu's eyes filled with sadness. "Who confirmed it?"

"If I said I could, I would. Don't worry." those soft words were honestly capable of chiharu's heartbreak, driving away the rain and bringing rainbows.

He smiled even though the remnants of the pain were still there, he knew that Mr. Qi said that just to comfort him. But it didn't matter, Master Qi was a God who was very different in degree to him. Meeting and being saved by him alone became a fortune for Chiharu. No matter what happens, Chiharu will always follow in Mr. Qi's footsteps.

To be Continued..

Note again, that this story is very slow and makes you sleep :3 

Enjoy Reading's...