Pingping Characters
Poetry
Born to a fate of trials and woes,Who pities the ebb and flow of those?Better to live in nature’s embrace,Freely to wander, freely to repose.
Description
After delivering her homework to her mother, 
Pingping went to the Height of Ember. Her brother had asked her to meet him there, saying he had something important to discuss.
When she arrived, she saw 
Red Boy standing with his hands on his hips, directing Quick as Fire and Fast as Wind to burn the bull guais to flee as his way of training them. Amused at the scene, he laughed loudly and boisterously.
“Brother,” Pingping called softly. Ever since Red Boy returned from Guanyin’s tutelage, she felt he had changed. Every time she spoke to him, a subtle fear tugged at her heart.
Upon seeing her arrival, Red Boy waved to halt the training and turned to her, “Pingping, let’s engage in a game,” he proposed, “You will run, and I shall chase you. Let us see if I can catch you before an incense stick burns out.”
In the past, Pingping would transform into a little fox, leaping through rocks and crevices, always having the upper hand. Yet this time, Red Boy shattered her hiding rocks with a single spear thrust, scorched her standing deadwood with a breath of fire, and flew over the cliffs she jumped across as a red cloud.
In less than half the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Red Boy effortlessly caught her and sighed, “Mother’s teachings are still too gentle.”
Seeing his sister’s gloomy face, Red Boy took her to rest by the cliff in the Furnace Valley. To cheer her up, he twirled his Firepoint for her entertainment.
Seeing his little sister clapped and cheered, Red Boy asked, “How do you think my skills compare to Father’s?”
Pingping couldn’t answer. She had never dared to make such a comparison. She took out the 
Fire Dates her mother had rewarded her and shared them with Red Boy, changing the subject to talk about anecdotes in the mountains. Seeing this, Red Boy didn’t press further and responded perfunctorily.
Pingping cautiously said, “Brother, you and I have always been the closest. If you have something on your mind, you can tell me. It’s not easy for our family to be reunited. I just want to live peacefully in these mountains, away from worldly strife.”
Gazing at the burning clouds, Red Boy said, “Sister, you should see more of the outside world. There’s no such thing as living away from worldly strife. It’s just self-deception of losers!”
Pingping wanted to ask him who he was competing with and why he had to compete. But before she could speak, she felt a blow to the back of her neck and fainted.
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