Tang San's Twin Sister-Chapter 117

Nuoding City hadn't changed in the least. It was still the same as she remembered it when they arrived—the houses, the people, even the uncannily familiar market.

Yet she couldn't remember ever having been there clearly, even though she knew she had been. Her memory was foggy and partially missing. Huge gaps becoming mre an more appearant the further and further they went into Nuoding as she was greeted by people she didn't know.

She jumped down from the roof of her carriage as they passed by the elementary school. Familiar yet strange.

Young children walked around, talking to each other animatedly, with smiles on their faces. It hadn't been so long ago, and she had been on of them, but right now, it felt detached and distant.

She even spotted the grumpy gatekeeper, who didn't like her, while passing one of their teachers, whom they always sought to avoid, as he was distinctively discriminatory towards the small literary department.

When turning, she saw a branch of Spirit Hall where people went in and out, and Tang San had his powers evaluated in the past. Thinking back, it was when she was still around level 20-something two years ago, and now she was thinking level 42.

"Lost in thought?" Uncle Jian asked behind her.

He, too, had decided he didn't want to stay much longer inside the carriage and had stepped out to stretch his legs as he was handed a message by a servant, probably from the main family, with whom he had been in contact the entire time.

"Somehow, yes, " she said, looking upwards at him as he hummed in understanding and continued reading his letter.

"Well then, I think I can lighten your thoughts," Madame Ning said. "Aunty here will handle all the formalities, so you can go ahead and visit your old village with Uncle Jian."

"Oh." Tang Yin was surprised as Madame Ning patted her head.

"We have a lot of experience; just be sure you are back before nightfall. Depending on how quickly things are settled, we will depart right away alright?"

"Alright." She nodded feeling the speed was a touch too fast, but then she knew little about traveling with caravans maybe it was normal, and looked up at Uncle Jian, who folded his letter and put it inside his storage. Well somethign was amiss. "Do you have anything you need to do?"

"Yes, sadly nothing that cannot wait until later today, though it will not take me long so I will accompany till the village. I can handle it while you catch up with your Elder later, and then I will pick you up if you don't mind. Meanwhile take along Ning Wu here, so you have a guard while I am away."

He patted one of their escorts' shoulders. Ning Wu was silent, hardly ever speaking, but she did like him. He had given her an ointment for her hands when it had been really bad, and they were bloody, still getting adapted to the harsh training.

He nodded at her, and she smiled. "Then I'll be counting on you."

He hummed in agreement before giving a slight bow.

"I'd say we head off then and do not waste time," Uncle Jian said and then went. "Once we are outside, we can raise the speed. Tang Yin, you know best where to go."

Tang Yin walked ahead, wishing Madame Ning and the others a good day when she headed off with Chen Xin and Ning Wu towards the city gates. Leaving them, they waited until she vanished behind a turn and then sped up. Taking the way as spirit masters would, not over the official roads with people, but going straight.

Tang Yin led the way, with Chen Xin flying on his sword next to her and Ning Wu following close by. It didn't take them an hour until they arrived at Spirit Saint Village, and Tang Yin, barely out of breath, stopped. The last time she had made this trip, it had taken almost double the time and had been more exhausting than now. She really gained more physical strength than before. Well, she guessed being a few years older also played a role.

"I will leave you now and pick you up in the afternoon. Stay with Ning Wu should anything happen," Chen Xin said, and she nodded when he flew away at high speed on his sword.

"Well, then, let's go," she said to Ning Wu, making her way much slower toward her former home. The sign Spirit Saint Village was still proudly written in wooden letters at the entrance, with a small marking on its edge. She grinned, faintly remembering that she had caused that mark during a prank on one of the older kids.

The people's faces, familiar and less familiar, all observed them. Many in the quaint village were unused to seeing strangers, especially strangers like them, both uncommonly dressed and obviously hailing from the city at first glance, sticking out like sore thumbs. Tang Yin walked through it until she saw her old home.

The crooked entrance, the vegetable garden in front, and the provisionally fixed fence were gone. Instead, laughter came from within, and the house was now well-maintained with a clean forgery at the side and no longer overgrown.She remembered then.

When their father left, the village rented out the house to a newly arrived family with a blacksmith looking to settle down. The family used the rent to support their studies in the city as they were at Nuoding. They hadn't needed the money, but Elder Jack had insisted, saying little children like them should not be forced to work and should have a little spending money for sweets and hobbies outside of school if nothing else.

She walked further until she saw Elder Jack's house. Nothing had changed there; it was still the very same. The house was well-maintained, the garden groomed, and had a small metal carrot in front. The small shield on the entrance was weathered. The calligraphy and the small but intricate drawing on the side of a couple of carrots were the same. Her hand wandered to it, and she traced the lines. That must have been done by her, she thought. Still, she couldn't remember until spotting the small

T.Y.

Her acronym, almost illegible on the corner. Yes, she had drawn that, but she couldn't remember.

"Little Yin?" a familiar voice asked, and she looked upwards, spotting Elder Jack's wife? She assumed? The woman familiar. She looked older. Her back was leaned forward, and her face carried more wrinkles, she used a walking stick to slowly come closer. "Little Yin." A smile spread over her face and Tang Yin knew she and her had probably been on good terms with each other. "Is that you? Oh my, have you grown?"

"Hello, Elder." She said and then hugged her. "Yes, it's me, Little Yin."

"Oh, it is such a delight to see you. It must have been years. Ever since your father left, no? My eyes might be failing me occasionally, but I can still see you have become such a pretty little lady and swell-dressed. How are you doing? Are you and your studies doing well? And is your brother here too?" She asked a flood of questions, and Tang Yin laughed.