Chapter warning: Bullying
Pan Chun wanted to sleep in for the morning, but the rooster just wouldn't shut up. That, and Pan Heng would've yanked her blanket off, patiently waiting for the cold to force her out of bed. The first few times that happened were not fun.
Pan Heng told her that she'd have to wake up early from now on for training. If his "definitely not a morning person" ass had to get up early, so did she.
So Pan Chun reluctantly left her warm and cozy blanket cocoon behind to meet Pan Heng in the front room. They ate breakfast and headed outside.
"So what's the lesson plan for today, A-ge?"
Pan Heng didn't really care about being called "Master". - "Too formal. You and I are practically siblings," he had explained.
"We'll continue honing your meditation and martial arts skills. They are fundamental in cultivation. You're not ready to form your golden core just yet," Pan Heng said.
Over the past half-year, Pan Heng had Pan Chun meditate and engage in heavy physical exercises. Pan Heng stretched Pan Chun's limbs, to the point where they hurt, but it was necessary to increase her flexibility. She lost count of how many times she had vomited after running laps around the forest. Eventually, Pan Chun also ran with a small boulder tied to her back by rope. Then she advanced to carrying a basket of rocks on her back. Pan Heng did the same, only he walked leisurely up the mountain and looked back at Pan Chun, saying, "What? Are you tired already? Going to have to do better than that to increase your strength, speed, and stamina."
Fuck. It was like P.E., but worse. P.E. was torture and Pan Chun didn't miss it at all.
As Pan Heng had said, they started off the day's training with meditation. A calming experience, Pan Chun thought, practicing mindfulness outside without any distractions by technology. Pan Heng had been surprised that Pan Chun was patient enough to start practicing meditation, especially since many children her age were eager to get right to the cultivation techniques and flying swords.
After meditation came the equally cool and dreaded part of training. Martial arts.
Pan Chun got into a fighting stance.
Pan Heng stood tall, his hands clasped behind his back.
A breeze blew by.
Pan Chun studied Pan Heng carefully. He hadn't gotten into any defensive maneuvers. But she shouldn't get too cocky. Where to strike?...
Pan Heng still didn't make any movement. "Well? I don't have all day."
Pan Chun lunged forward, aiming a kick at Pan Heng's waist. But Pan Heng managed to block it, catching her foot in his grasp! Now she was left wide open!
Pan Heng kneed Pan Chun in the stomach. Spittle flew out from her mouth as she fell to the ground. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and curled in on herself. She coughed and groaned in pain. - It hurts! It fucking hurts! I want to vomit!
Pan Heng waited for Pan Chun, who struggled to get herself back up, clutching her stomach all the while. Eventually though, Pan Chun managed to stand, panting heavily.
"We'll need to work on your pain endurance." Pan Heng's eyes sharpened. "Get ready!"
Pan Chun braced herself. "Right!"
Pan Heng leaped forward and struck, relentless in his instruction.
"If this were an actual fight, you would be dead right now."
"You can't dodge forever! You need to strike back! Counter!"
Pan Chun was knocked to the ground again and again. Fuck, her arms and legs, all of her limbs, no, her entire body was so sore!
Why? Why couldn't it be farming cultivation instead?
"All right. That's enough for today." Pan Heng lifted Pan Chun up in his arms.
"You did good," Pan Heng said, as he did at the end of every training session.
Other than martial arts, Pan Heng was also teaching her the Six Arts[1]. Well, some of them.
Rites? Learning the religious rituals and proper social behaviors and customs would help Pan Chun integrate herself into this world. Anything to keep from standing out in a society that was merciless to those who did.
Archery? Pan Heng acquired bows and arrows from the village hunters. Pan Chun shot arrows at the target Pan Heng set up outside the house. She missed the mark many times, but she knew she could only get better with more practice. Pan Heng explained that when she grew old enough, she would further hone her archery skills by hunting with the other villagers in the forest.
Chariotry? They were peasants. So no horses or chariots for them.
Calligraphy? Making those strokes with the brush was calming and the characters were beautiful to look at. Trying to make the characters elegant was tough though. But overall calligraphy was not too bad.
Mathematics? Pan Chun's previous knowledge of the subject meant she already grasped the basics, much to Pan Heng's surprise. If there was any proof that she had the mind of an adult, this was some of it. But she still sucked at the more advanced sections. She could do letters and words, but numbers and equations always left her at a loss.
As for music...
"You will need to know songs to calm restless spirits." Pan Heng pulled out a stalk of bamboo. "I'll teach you to play the dizi. It's affordable and easy to make." He poked some holes into the bamboo with a small dagger.
The last time Pan Chun played a woodwind instrument was when she played a recorder in the third grade's mandatory music program. But that was more than ten years ago and she never did touch her recorder again.
Pan Heng handed her the finished dizi.
Pan Heng also held a dizi of his own. "Watch." He played some polished, soothing notes on the dizi, moving his fingers slowly so Pan Chun could follow his movements. "Now you try."
Pan Chun blew into the dizi. High-pitched, shrill notes rang out in the field.
Pan Heng winced, covering his ears. "Stop! Stop playing!"
Pan Chun hurriedly removed the dizi from her lips. "Sorry!"
Pan Heng sighed, turning his head up to the sky. "We've got a long way to go."
By the time Pan Chun turned eight, Pan Heng started instructing her in sword fighting.
"You'll be using this wooden practice sword." Pan Heng showed off the wooden sword proudly, then handed it to Pan Chun.
Pan Chun looked at the sword. Wait. She'd definitely seen it somewhere before... "A-ge, this is one of the wooden sword toys from the toy shop at the market."
Pan Heng snorted, taking out a wooden toy sword of his own. "You make do with what you have."
Pan Chun shrugged, then stood at the ready. "All right then. Where do we start?"
Pan Heng, looking every bit a smug and confident swordsman, started to speak. But his demeanor changed, having a sudden realization. He groaned. "Damn it. I don't have any cultivation manuals. I'll just have to teach you from memory."
Pan Heng stood at Pan Chun's right side and got into a battle stance. "We'll start with a few basic forms. Watch closely."
Pan Chun watched and swung her wooden sword, trying to mimic Pan Heng.
Pan Heng stood by Pan Chun's side, overlooking her stances. He adjusted her grip on the wooden sword. "Keep a steady hold on your sword. Wouldn't want it slipping out of your hands during a fight."
After an hour and a half, Pan Chun's right arm got incredibly sore and Pan Heng knew that she had reached her limit. So the two of them sat down on the grass to rest and review the day's lessons.
"You swung a little too hard to the left. Make sure you don't waste any movements while swinging your sword," Pan Heng said as Pan Chun drank some water.
Pan Chun nodded, then sat quietly in thought. Hmmm. Pan Heng said that they didn't have any cultivation manuals on hand. That didn't mean they couldn't make one of their own.
Pan Chun took out a blank booklet from her bag. She always made sure to carry around blank notebooks and a writing brush to record Pan Heng's instructions.
Pan Chun held out the booklet and brush to Pan Heng. "A-ge, could you please draw the sword forms into this booklet?"
Pan Heng raised an eyebrow. "Why?" Then he realized - "Are you suggesting we make our own cultivation manual?"
"You're not free to teach me all the time, A-ge. This'll help me practice the forms on my own."
That convinced Pan Heng. "Good idea." And so, Pan Chun watched Pan Heng fluidly draw into the booklet. She recognized the basic forms that he showed her earlier in the first few pages. In later pages, he marked the more advanced sword forms as such so Pan Chun could tell the difference.
"Pan Heng, which sect do these sword forms come from?" Pan Chun asked in curiosity. Perhaps she could visit Pan Heng's former sect one day and make some allies in the cultivation world. She could always use the help in her journey home.
Pan Heng paused drawing and became momentarily silent. "...It's been too long. I can't be bothered to remember."
Pan Chun wisely chose not to ask any further.
Two years later...
"A-Chun, today, you'll start forming your golden core."
Pan Chun was filled with excitement and anticipation. The golden core was what powered cultivation techniques. It was the coolest part! "Ok. So what do I do?"
Pan Heng and Pan Chun sat in meditation. "Close your eyes. Deep breaths. Clear your mind. Focus on your meridian paths. Concentrate power under your chest where the golden core rests."
Pan Chun did as Pan Heng directed. She took relaxed breaths, taking in the peace of the breeze, the trees rustling, and other sounds of nature.
A half-hour passed.
"Well, do you feel anything?"
Pan Chun took Pan Heng's question as a cue to open her eyes and stop the golden core formation. "No. I don't feel any different."
"Come over here. Let me see." Pan Heng placed two fingers to the inside of Pan Chun's wrist, trying to detect the presence of a golden core through the flow of spiritual power in her meridian paths.
Nothing.
Pan Chun looked upon Pan Heng anxiously. "So did I do it?"
Pan Heng removed his hand. "No. Not yet."
Pan Chun's shoulders slumped. "Oh."
Pan Heng hated seeing Pan Chun so discouraged. "It's ok, A-Chun. That was only your first try. Golden cores take time to form."
They tried again each day for the next two weeks. Still nothing.
Pan Chun punched the ground in frustration. "Damn it! How long is this going to take?" Was she having difficulty because she was from another world where cultivation and golden cores only existed in fictional stories? Shouldn't she have the standard isekai easy power up by now?!
"It can't be helped. Your body will form a golden core when it's ready." Pan Heng patted Pan Chun comfortingly on the back. "For now, we'll continue to focus on building your physical fitness and strength."
"Ok..." Pan Chun stared at the ground gloomily.
"You did good. I'll treat you to Peng Jiu's noodles today," Pan Heng said.
Pan Chun's eyes brightened.
Pan Chun sat on a stool as Pan Heng tied a band of fabric into her hair, which had grown down to her shoulders. He helped with her hair care since she'd never grown her hair this long before. This became a part of their daily morning routine.
"Can you handle going to the marketplace on your own today?" Pan Heng asked as Pan Chun stood up from the stool.
"We've been to the marketplace dozens of times for many years. I know my way around there by now."
Pan Heng tossed a small pouch of money to her. "Don't go spending all of my money on treats now."
Pan Chun caught the pouch with one hand. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Once Pan Chun entered the marketplace, it felt more crowded than usual. Probably because it was the first time she had gone without Pan Heng. Normally, she accompanied him as he weaved his way through the bustling streets without trouble. People did not move out of the way for Pan Heng, since he didn't venture out with his sword. Based on appearances, Pan Heng and Pan Chun looked just like any pair of brothers from the village. So Pan Heng's footwork was just that good.
Pan Chun accidentally bumped into some shoulders. "Sorry! Pardon me! Sorry!" Yeah, she certainly wasn't at Pan Heng's level just yet.
Pan Chun bought some vegetables and foodstuffs, stuffing them into a sack. Surprisingly, it was easy for her to make friendly conversation with the food vendors. She'd been the most interesting thing to happen to Xuhou in years, so of course, they were wary and curious about her at first. But after living in Xuhou for five years, the villagers must've grown used to her presence and accepted her as a part of their community. It was...nice.
Pan Chun broke out of the crowd and made it to her final destination for the day.
"Ah! xiao-Chun!" Peng Jiu, the noodle man, waved jovially at her. He still addressed her the same as before because she was a small ten-year-old.
"Hello, Peng-ge," Pan Chun managed to say through her panting.
Peng Jiu turned his head left and right. "Where is Pan Heng?"
"At home. I'm the one buying groceries today."
"You are handling the responsibility yourself today?" Peng Jiu gave Pan Chun an approving nod. "You're certainly growing up to be a fine young man."
"Thank you for your praise," Pan Chun said without a hint of embarrassment. She may physically be a child but she was still mentally a grown woman. She was not going to get so easily flustered, damn it.
Pan Chun handed Peng Jiu some coins. "I'll take one bag of dry noodles please."
Peng Jiu set a bag of noodles on the counter. "Would you like to stay for lunch, xiao-Chun?"
When Pan Heng took Pan Chun to try Peng Jiu's noodles for the first time, the noodles tasted heavenly. The tenderness of the noodles and the richness of the broth...Seriously, she didn't think she could eat cup noodles anymore after that.
Still though, Pan Heng was expecting Pan Chun home. He also wouldn't appreciate her spending what little money they had to treat herself excessively.
"It's on the house for you, just like with Pan Heng," Peng Jiu said.
Pan Chun still hesitated. She didn't exactly feel good about taking advantage of Peng Jiu's generosity. Pan Heng got Peng Jiu's noodles for free because he defended Xuhou with his cultivation skills. And as for herself...she was just dead weight.
Peng Jiu, noticing Pan Chun's conflicted expression, gave her a soothing smile. "Come now, xiao-Chun. You've worked hard gathering groceries by yourself today. You've earned some delicious noodles for lunch."
As if it was fate, Pan Chun's stomach growled. Loudly.
Peng Jiu grinned and pointed at Pan Chun's stomach. "See? Even your stomach agrees!"
Pan Chun rubbed her neck sheepishly. "Well, when you put it that way, how could I say no to such a delicious offer?"
Peng Jiu laughed. "One house special! Coming right up!"
After eating her fill and helping Peng Jiu wash the bowls during lunch hour at her insistence, Pan Chun threw the sack of noodles over her shoulder and tied the sack of other groceries to her hip. She was all set to go. She thanked Peng Jiu and left.
After lunch hour, the marketplace was less crowded, but not by much.
"Oof!" A passerby bumped into Pan Chun hard.
"Sorry!" Both Pan Chun and the passerby said to each other.
Seconds after the passerby joined the crowd, something felt off. The right side of her sash felt strangely weightless...
Pan Chun placed a hand to her hip. Empty.
Shit! Her coin pouch was gone!
Pan Chun looked out into the crowd. The thief sneered back at her and held up the coin pouch mockingly.
"Hey! Get back here!" Pan Heng would kill her if she returned without his coin pouch.
Pan Chun darted after the thief, murmuring apologies as she pushed through the crowd to reach him. The thief entered an alleyway and Pan Chun quickly followed.
The alleyway led into a back alley, where Pan Chun managed to keep the thief in her sights. - I've got you now!
Huh?! - Pan Chun abruptly stopped in her tracks, alarmed. She didn't realize the thief had friends.
The thief stepped up to a group of boys. "I got his coin pouch and lured him here! Like you said, Da-ge!"
The oldest boy sitting in the center patted the thief's head affectionately. "Nice work." His head turned, finally acknowledging Pan Chun's presence. "Oh! There's our guest of honor! Where are my manners?"
The other boys snickered.
Pan Chun recalled the boy standing at the head of the group. He'd been the loudest and most boisterous one at the children's gathering. The most annoying, really. Zhu He.
Years ago, two weeks after investigating the mysterious dark ritual, Pan Heng forced the toddler Pan Chun to spend time with other kids once. "You shouldn't stay cooped up in the house studying all day. Kid your age needs some friends," he'd said, forsaking her to a group of snot-nosed children on a grassy field before leaving.
Pan Chun's translation talisman stuck out like a sore thumb. The other children rushed up to Pan Chun, circling around her and bombarding her with questions.
"Hey! You're Pan-ge's little brother, right?"
"Does Pan-ge teach you cultivation?"
"My mother tells me you were birthed from a demon!"
Pan Chun squirmed in discomfort. She mostly stayed quiet, giving short answers to each of the children's questions. The less she said, the less they'd be interested in her.
"Kind of?" Pan Chun did stick by Pan Heng's side a lot. And he was teaching her how to read and write.
"No." The thought of learning cultivation hadn't crossed her mind yet. What reason would she have for risking her life? Pan Heng was going to get her home soon, right?
"Definitely no." What exactly were the villagers saying about her?
It was all so awkward.
After the children finished their round of questions, a tall boy got up into Pan Chun's face, glaring down at her.
Pan Chun glanced up at him nervously. - Great. What now?
The boy jabbed at Pan Chun's arm. "So what's up with that talisman you wear on your arm?"
"Translation," Pan Chun answered, pulling her arm away.
The boy scowled and shouted, his spittle flying into Pan Chun's face, "So you are from outside the village! Everyone's saying that no one has any idea where you came from or who you are! Pan-ge keeps a close eye on you so you don't end up hurting anyone! I don't trust you one bit!"
"He-ge!" the other children called out, terrified.
Zhu He turned his head to the other children, noticing their fear. He gave Pan Chun one last dirty look and a hard shove to her shoulders before he turned on his heels and left.
Pan Chun wiped the spit off her face and noted to herself to avoid that troublesome jerk Zhu He from now on. She sat down quietly on the grass, keeping to herself. The other children still felt the tension in the air left by Zhu He's confrontation. Somehow feeling the somber mood, the children left Pan Chun to her solitude and continued playing amongst themselves, but with a lot less enthusiasm.
Later, Pan Heng brought the exhausted Pan Chun home. She told him, "Pan-ge, never do that again." And he never did.
Now, five years later, Pan Chun was face to face with Zhu He again. Only this time, he was a lot bigger. Now he even had his own gang to back him up. And they weren't looking too welcoming to her in this deserted back alley.
Pan Chun tensed. "What is it that you want, Zhu He?"
"Oh. Just a talk between some old friends is all," Zhu He said. The other boys started to crack their necks and knuckles.
Shit. These guys didn't have good intentions in mind.
Could she get away?
Pan Chun looked behind her. The biggest boys in the group had moved to block the alley exit.
Fuck. They didn't plan on letting her leave.
"It's a bad idea to beat up someone under the care of a rogue cultivator, you know," Pan Chun reasoned.
Instead of being deterred, Zhu He just cracked his knuckles. "I'm sure Pan-ge wouldn't mind us getting rid of his burden. He'll thank us for it later."
Well fuck. No talking her way out of this one then.
Zhu He strode up to Pan Chun. "Come on then! Show us your cultivation tricks, why don't ya!"
Pan Chun's fists clenched.
"Oh. You're not gonna do it? Think you're too good for us? Or is it because," Zhu He leaned in close to Pan Chun's face, leering, "you can't?"
Pan Chun roughly pushed Zhu He back and ran, trying to slip past the massive boys blocking the exit. But her small size didn't make up for her lack of speed and agility.
"Agh!" Pan Chun was harshly pushed back into the alley, her sacks of groceries spilling to the ground. Shit. What a waste of good food.
The boys guffawed at her futile escape attempt.
Pan Chun panted, her eyes rapidly darting in all directions. Fuck! Fuck!
There was nowhere for her to run.
She'll have to fight her way out then.
She managed a few good hits on some of the boys using her martial arts, striking at them with a series of punches and kicks. But their strength in numbers gave them the advantage.
The boys pinned Pan Chun to the ground. She struggled, but to no avail. Without a golden core, her strength was no different from a regular person's!
The boys lifted her up to stand, their grip keeping her arms locked in place.
Zhu He calmly walked up to Pan Chun, knowing that she was cornered. "Aw. Leaving so soon?"
Pan Chun glared at Zhu He and spat in his face.
Zhu He recoiled back in disgust then glared back at her in turn. "Ugh! How rude!"
Zhu He wiped the spit off his face and grinned maliciously. "Rudeness must be punished."
Zhu He raised his fist and struck.
Pain exploded in Pan Chun's cheek.
Zhu He smashed his fist into Pan Chun's face, again and again. Black spots formed in her vision. Blood streamed down her nose and mouth. "How come he chose to train you? He wouldn't agree to teach me cultivation no matter how much I begged him! No matter how much money and quality wine my parents tried to give him! No matter how many times I tried to show my resolve!"
Zhu He's anger grew. "You may look like us, you may be able to speak like us, but that doesn't change the fact that you're a foreigner! An outsider! A good-for-nothing freeloader!"
Zhu He kicked Pan Chun hard in the stomach and the boys let go of her.
Pan Chun collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain, coughing and curling in on herself. Everything hurt.
The crowd of boys snickered. "Ha! Look at him! What a weakling!"
"Hmph. I think he's got the message. Come on, let's go." Zhu He wiped the blood off his fist on the alley's dirt ground and left with the gang of boys.
Pan Chun's vision blurred. Her head pounded and her ears rang.
The edges of her vision darkened.
Can't….hold...on…
Everything turned black.
Urgh…
Pan Chun opened her eyes, greeted by the sight of her room ceiling.
What? How had she - Pan Chun looked to her side. Pan Heng?
Pan Heng sat on a stool beside Pan Chun's bed. "A-Chun, you're awake!" Relief was clear in his voice.
Pan Chun tried to sit up in bed, but pain flared up her abdomen. She hissed and clutched at it. Bandages were wrapped around her stomach.
"Whoa there! You're still injured!" Pan Heng helped set her back down into bed.
Pan Chun looked down at the bandages. Pan Heng had to remove her upper garments to bandage her! But her breasts hadn't grown in...Good thing she hadn't reached puberty yet.
"Took so long I almost thought you went on an impromptu shopping spree and helped yourself to the food stands," Pan Heng joked. His laughter trailed off as Pan Chun stayed solemnly silent.
"By the way, A-Chun, you won't have to worry about those boys anymore." Pan Heng's eyes darkened and he smirked. "I had a nice little talk with them." A coin pouch bounced from Pan Heng's waist.
I see Pan Heng got his coin pouch back too, Pan Chun thought. Satisfaction rolled through her as she pictured Zhu He and his gang cowering before an enraged Pan Heng.
Pan Heng's eyes locked onto the black eye on Pan Chun's face. He gingerly pressed a hand to her eye, and she hissed at the sharp bolt of pain. "Ooh. Your eye is throbbing."
Pan Heng moved to gather bottles of healing ointment from the table beside the bed. Pan Chun grimaced as he carefully applied the ointment to her injuries.
"I'm sure Pan-ge wouldn't mind us getting rid of his burden. He'll thank us for it later."
Pan Chun clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. - It wasn't like I asked to be here, damn it! I know I don't belong here! You don't need to tell me when I remind myself of that every day! - Tears slowly and silently slipped down her cheeks.
"Oi! Oi! Crying's going to make your bruises sting!" Pan Heng said in alarm, quickly moving to wipe Pan Chun's tears away with a cloth.
Pan Chun turned her head away from Pan Heng. "I know that I'm just a burden to you, Pan-ge," she said quietly.
Pan Heng paused in astonishment. Pan Chun hadn't called him "Pan-ge" since before she got adopted into his family. He scowled. "That's bullshit!"
"You're just saying that to make me feel better!" Pan Chun shouted.
Pan Heng tried to speak, but Pan Chun didn't stop. "I couldn't even bring the groceries home! I couldn't even keep your coin pouch from getting stolen! I couldn't even defend myself with the martial arts training you gave me!" Pan Chun's voice rose louder. "Look at me! Four years and I still haven't managed to form a golden core!" She pounded the side of her fist into the wall. "I'm hopeless!" Her head hung down. "Trying to become a cultivator was a stupid idea to begin with. Why do I even bother?"
"...You're a foreigner! An outsider! A good-for-nothing freeloader!"
Pan Chun tightly clutched her blankets, trembling. "Why did you even take me in, anyway?"
She really was everything that Zhu He said she was. Hopeless! Hopeless! Hopeless! So hopeless that she would never be able to get home. Never.
Pan Chun clutched her head. "Let this nightmare end already! I'm so tired! I've had enough! I want to go home!" She finished, out of breath.
Silence…
…
...
Finally, Pan Heng gave a troubled sigh. Then he took a deep breath. "I took you under my care because no one else would." He paused, trying to find the right words. "I let you adopt my family name. You think I'd just give that to anyone? A-Chun, I-" He swallowed. "-care a lot about you." He placed his hands on Pan Chun's shoulders. "I won't give up on you. So don't give up on yourself."
Pan Chun lifted her head and met Pan Heng's earnest gaze. He really meant what he said...
Pan Heng lifted his arm, holding his hand out. Pan Chun reached for his hand. They grasped their hands together.
Silently, they promised that they would be there for each other, no matter what...
Three years later...
Pan Chun meditated under the shade of a tree. She was deep in concentration, taking steady breaths as the breeze blew through her hair.
Searching. Searching. Searching…
Feel your qi coursing through your meridians. Through here. Through there. And there!
A surge of warmth pulsed through her! Pan Chun gasped, gaining an awareness of her surroundings and the energies around her that she had never felt before.
Was it? Could it be?
Pan Chun dashed into the house. "A-ge! A-ge!"
Pan Heng bolted awake. "What? What? Are we being attacked?"
"No! No! We're totally safe!"
"Then what is it?" Pan Heng groaned out, still a bit groggy from his rudely interrupted nap.
Pan Chun held her wrist out and tapped two fingers to it. Pan Heng's face morphed from crankiness to understanding. He placed two fingers on the inside of Pan Chun's wrist. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the flow of qi in Pan Chun's meridians.
Pan Chun observed Pan Heng anxiously. Was that surge of energy she felt earlier just a fluke? Would Pan Heng finally detect any spiritual power within her?
Please let this be it.
Pan Heng's eyes grew wide and he wrapped his arms around Pan Chun in a tight hug.
"Wha-...A-ge?!"
Pan Heng let out loud, rambunctious bouts of laughter. "You did it! You fucking did it!"
Pan Heng's words processed through Pan Chun's head. "...I did it? I have a golden core?"
Was this really happening?...It was!
"I did it! I have a golden core! I have a golden core!" She tightly returned Pan Heng's hug, tears flowing down her cheeks.
Her seven years of hard work and training weren't all for nothing.
Things weren't so hopeless after all.
Glossary
[1] Six Arts: The basis of education in ancient Chinese culture. The six arts consisted of Rites, Music, Archery, Chariotry, Calligraphy, and Mathematics.
More info on Wikipedia. Search up "Six Arts".
A/N: This chapter was harder to write than usual. I had to change the arrangement of some of the events that happened to have a proper time frame for the golden core formation. It's even harder when there's no age range explicitly stated in canon. Thank you, people who answer questions on the MDZS Reddit.
Since Pan Wukun managed to form her golden core at 13, she narrowly missed being a late bloomer.
Pan Chun's Training Timeline
Age 6: Starts physical exercises to build strength, martial arts, Six Cultural Arts
Age 8: Starts Sword training
Age 10: Starts attempts to form a golden core, Beating by Zhu He
Age 13: Forms golden core