Suffering Twice Over?

Harry regained his consciousness at two years old.

He was...ulp...a baby GIRL as he didn't feel his...son down there...

WHYYY?!

He errr she has a brother. They were loved by their mother.

She used Legilimens on the man who MIGHT be her father when he looked at them.

He didn't notice because he was too busy pinching their cheeks.

His name is Jin Guangshan. Chinese?

He was handsome with a square-shaped face.

Jin Guangshan is a womanizer whose many extramarital affairs reach the point of obscenity. He is a skillful manipulator, deceiver and has a string of mistresses, her new mother included.

He favored her because SHE HAS NO EDUCATION. She was beautiful, but a daughter of her father's with a maid. His type of women are those who cannot resist him, naive and gullible. He was from a prominent clan called the Lanling Jin Sect, a wealthy cultivational sect.

Jin Guangshan rather favors her mother.

Their mother has no idea that the flames are slowly dying down. The only things their father gave his children, are their names. Her brother Yan(演), was Xuanyu(玄羽) and her birth name being Xuanli(玄麗) to match her brother as only men get courtesy names. They could be useful someday, considering how their mother hopes for him to be a family with them!

Sorry mum, fat chance of that happening.

Once Xuanli got all she needed, she resolved to make changes. Fast.

When they were four and can talk?

'Mother, father gave us plenty of money, right?' Xuanli asked her mother.

'Yes dear, what of it?'

'How about before auntie takes it all away after whining to grandfather, we take it all and move out before we lose everything? That's definitely gonna happen...you don't want father to think how stupid we are to let it happen, do you? That money was supposed to be for our livelihood...' plus extra dose of compulsion spell...

Her mother was horrified at the idea. She knows full well what kind of people the 'legal family' are and her father never cared for her.

'Heavens, no!'

Thus their mother fled with the money by the time the lavish party is over. The gifts are just extra baggage, money and jewels are more important! Money makes the world go round!

They moved as far away as possible, to Caiyi Town, where they lived in peace. Mother works as a seamstress after some training, and she used her money to pay for her children's education in hopes to appeal to their father one day.

Xuanli internally apologized for being manipulative, but they have to...DO SOMETHING?!

They all learned Language, Arithmetic, Manners and Etiquette, the board games, Painting, Music(dizi, guqin and erhu) and when they were six, Xuanli started herself and her brother Cultivation. She teaches him by 'agreeing with her' and not argue. She keeps her magic, but the longer she lives here, the more her magic diminishes as the power of this world was that of Cultivation. She took advantage of what she had LEFT. Language and Arithmetic was expensive. Its by silver taels a YEAR per subject! The most expensive being Language and Calligraphy lessons, costing 1000 taels in five years, followed by Arithmetic, Music, Painting, Manners and Etiquette and Board Games in prices in that order.

Its well worth the price. The remaining money, goes to their livelihood and they can sell the jewels afterward as a lifeline. Jin Guangshan is generous to his favored women, but since she appealed to her mother for education, its a major turn-off. Who wants a womanizer anyway? If he never comes back for them, they're set for life at least!

She also used her magic to learn how to cook healthy as well. Noting the use of psychometry in Lee Jordan's comic books and how it works. Xuanli studied ALL ingredients. Meat, Fish, Shellfish, Vegetables, Herbs, Spices, Fruits and Condiments and recorded it to memory. She also studied medicine as doctors are expensive. Yet another tuition expense.

She was able to cook very healthy and nourishing recipes. As a child at age six, she began with soup and noodle dishes and rice, after she and Xuanyu learned from their mother, but she edited the recipes to suit her own taste. Even if its just three of them, they were very happy together and she experienced what being in a loving family is like. They were wanting for nothing, as they had their own house(fully-paid for, costs 6000 silver taels), filled it up with bargain sale furniture and decor as well as needs in the kitchen and bathroom.

When she and her brother are eight years old, she and her brother are now about to form Golden Cores as she used the last of her magic to cheat their way through. Because their inborn talent was worth junk. If left on their own, they would have a core at fifteen! That level of lousy talent will result in a weak core! Hell no!

But upon having a Golden Core at a young age, it will make up for their lacking, as a strong golden core, will absorb qi at a quick rate for them, enabling them to cultivate passively. But how much they get, depends on the feng shui of the place they were in. As long as they formed a Golden Core at a young age, talent and potential no longer mattered. Their lack of talent is forever buried.

Because according to Jin Guangshan's memories, the earlier the better.

They're prodigies by this world's standards. However, a mere 'step' into Golden Core doesn't make them strong enough to use talismans yet. They need to be at a certain level to use the darn things.

She sighed as she walked downtown for something interesting after Medicine Lessons with elderly Mr. Shi.

But then in came cultivators on boats!

And among those guys, is her oldest brother. Is the guy even aware he has a loooooong list of illegitimate siblings?

Mother cannot know a bunch of Jins are here. But she did approach the friendliest-looking one in the bunch. No gold. White? Purple? Black?

Wait, black? What sect is guy from?

But he's the friendliest. He's with one of the white guys.

She approached them by powering up her legs to jump up on a boat containing two boys, causing nearby people to squawk, as how can a little girl jump so far?!

'Is that kid crazy?!' a young boy dressed like a rich master squawked out.

'Hey hey, smiley-gege!' she looked up at him, deliberately being cute.

'Ohya? What is it, little meimei?' he asked her kindly, chuckling at being called smiley.

'Do you know how to get into a Sect?' Mo Xuanli asked him. 'When we're as old as gege, A-Yan and I hope to get into one!' the smiley-gege did a double-take, before helplessly looking at his stoic friend whose face is too handsome he can't be a mere mortal, Xuanli thought wryly.

'Lan Zhan, do you know how newcomers can get in?' smiley-gege asked Lan Zhan. 'I was adopted into the Jiang Sect, so I wouldn't know...be nice to little Meimei OK?' he said as Lan Zhan approached Xuanli and felt her pulse by her right wrist...and looked stunned...or as stunned as his stoic face can get.

'Meimei, how old are you?'

'A-li is eight, Xiuli-gege! Gonna be nine this winter!' smiley-gege was in stitches at her words while Lan Zhan's white ears turned pink at being called 'beautiful' by a child.

'Wahahaha! Even Meimei agrees you're too pretty Lan Zhan!' smiley wheezed in laughter as Lan Zhan pointedly ignored him for a more important matter that he felt upon touching her wrist to feel her potential with his qi. Xuanli now got pretty boy's name, so she'll be using it soon.

'A Golden Core at eight...'

Smiley stopped laughing and looked shocked.

'Wait, what?!' Smiley-gege squawked in disbelief. 'I was ten when I got the darn thing and they already call that genius!'

'...same.'

'At eight...wow, the next generation's turning out better and better!' smiley chuckled. 'What next? Someone gets it at six?!'

'A-Yan, my older twin brother too. We got Golden Core at same time!' Xuanli chimed, having real fun with their reactions. But she also underestimated what a big deal having a core at eight is. 'But we don't know much else except cultivate...what do cultivators even do?'

'Well, we Cultivators provide protection by setting up barriers and destroy evil spirits and monsters.' said smiley-gege kindly. 'Its not easy but we gotta do it or people will get hurt. Not everyone has the talent to be a cultivator. So those who do, must protect.'

'Heee...'

'Sooo xiuli-gege, how to get into a sect? The twins will surely go to Lan Sect one day!' smiley-gege grinned, playfully elbowing Lan Zhan.

'Do you live around here?' Lan Zhan asked Xuanli, again, ignoring smiley.

'Yup! I live here with a-niang and my brother. We moved here four years ago.' said Xuanli. 'Mother is Mo Bailing. Older twin is Mo Yan, courtesy Xuanyu. I am Mo Xuanli.' yup, that's twin naming theme for you, both boys thought.

'Mm...then Mo Xuanli, expect an admission letter from the Cloud Recesses for both yourself and your brother for when you are fifteen.' Lan Zhan promised her. 'Cloud Recesses only accepts students with recommendations from clans or those with backing from their village, city or town councils, because indeed, not everyone can become a cultivator as Wei Ying says.' he said. 'We will be notifying the Mayor of Caiyi about you and your brother.' Xuanli lit up at that.

'Thank you very much, Mr. Lan!' she chimed as she jumped back to shore and ran off with airplane arms.

'That's a cute kid. Well, a pair of talented twins headed your way soon in a few years.' said Wei Ying as he and Lan Zhan watched the little girl go.

'Mm.'

'We should at least teach how to make talismans...by age ten they can make some y'know...as a side quest once this job is over.'

'...permission from xiongzhang is needed.' said Lan Zhan. 'And he and Shufu will have to think about it.'

xxx

'I wonder what Wei-xiong and Lan-xiong talked about with that little girl...' Huaisang wondered as he and Jiang Cheng shared a boat.

'That kid's a cultivator if she can jump like that.' said Jiang Cheng wryly as the little kid could jump far enough to reach their boat, which was five meters away from the road and land safely. 'Probably asked how to join Lan Sect.'

'Well, there's the side for girls too, only, contact is forbidden to avoid the obvious.' Huaisang joked as he flipped his fan open and fanned himself. 'Xichen-ge said while they learn the same stuff we do, they have additional feminine activity skills...to prepare for marriage.' he said. 'Graduating from Lan Sect alone guarantees your future as a bride to a highly-eligible bachelor. You can marry into high-class Sects if you got Yi Grades or into one of the Great Five if you got Jia Grades. Lower grades still gets you a husband but that's up to the matchmakers by then...so its a really big deal for them.'

'Heee...'

'Your sister went too right? Jiang-guniang.'

'Mm. a-jie got Jia Grades to prove to Jin Sect she's worthy of marrying in that family even though their betrothal was set since the day they were born a boy and a girl because our moms are Sworn Sisters.' said Jiang Cheng wryly. 'I wish the peacock was born a girl instead...' he sighed glumly. 'I...fear for her.'

'Ahhh...I get'cha.' Huaisang can only nod in understanding.

Jin Guangshan is so lecherous to the point of obscenity and that's so well-known already. He'll bang anything with breasts, so he understands Jiang Cheng's fear for his sister.

'Good girls should avoid the Jin Sect...so its good that little girl looks forward to joining the Lan Sect.' Huaisang continued. 'Much safer.'

xxx

Time went by.

Eating healthy and the ability to change their bodies to ideal shape made the twins grow tall and healthy. And Xuanli, knowing type of ideal girl back in Earth, does not belong in this chinese-esque world. She kept her shoulders narrow, and slowly making 'that curve' on her waist without endangering her organs, so when she grows, she has an hourglass waist. After that, she left her body alone. That way when she grows, her waist will be 'naturally small'.

She never liked that skinny 'heroin chic' look most muggle girls and muggleborns tried to emulate lately. Only Hermione had sense. The word Heroin encourages girls to do DRUGS just to achieve that Heroin Chic look.

Here in this world, idea of beauty is large breasts and hips with long legs. And the whiter skin you have, the better as white skin highlights your looks.

So Xuanli imagined what to combine for her future.

However, a year and half later...three months after new year's day...

There was an announcement by the Mayor.

The Cloud Recesses are under attack by the Wen Sect!

Clearly, Caiyi will potentially be next.

'Hide your children and women at home! The Wen Cultivators will be here soon! Hide! Hide them to the shelter!' he cried urgently.

'Quick children, in here!' mother took them to the hiding place, to where everyone else was going.

Its entrance, is an empty well. About fifty feet deep, to be dark enough that the bottom won't be seen. The well has a roof to reinforce darkness.

An official would be going in first to unlock the door at the bottom of the well. Above the door, were three holes for ventilation. Children first, before women who's 30 and younger.

They hid in an underground shelter that has stocks of water and rations. And torches for lighting.

They would stay there until an official deems it safe to come out.

As of late, the Wen Sect are causing trouble nobody wants, and are domineering no matter where they go. And for those of a well-known clan, who can rebuke them?

So they waited...

For a week...

'...its been a week now...'

'Yes, our food and water is running out...why is no one coming?'

'...who's gonna look?'

Loooong sileeeeence...

'I'll go.' Xuanli offered.

'B-but A-Li, you're a girl...a boy should do this job!' her mom protested. A few moms agreed with her.

'You don't know what crooks do to girls they catch, so yes, it should be an older boy!'

An older boy volunteered eventually...he came out and they worried for him...until he came back, pale-faced.

'Caiyi Town is lost...our fathers and grandfathers, all dead.'

That was to their horror.