The whole place was so eerily quiet that even a drop of water can be heard. The instructor intervened as he gently rubbed Chang Xiuying's head.
"Alright, Xiuying ah. If you're too scared to talk in front of so many people, call for me."
Chang Xiuying looked at him and nodded. 'They already know me, why should I say my name again?' She thought.
"Our little goddess don't have to introduce herself. It's just a matter of time before she can be the symbol of Morning Light Pavilion. She's the relative of the famous couple in Central Marsh; Irene Felstead, and Jiang Hao. No one can possibly not know her."
The group cheered. "Yeah! You don't have to introduce yourself, little goddess. You're the only cute figure inside our very hearts."
"You stayed inside our hearts for 5 years and counting!"
"May the little goddess be with us, praise the goddess."
"Xiuying ah, when you grow up, please marry me!"
"..."
They all look around to see who the f*ck just said that.
Marrying the little goddess? In your dreams! Pah!
Chang Xiuying wanted to do something but she just sighed. "Creeps."
[Anyway, being the symbol of the Pavilion? I love the sound of that.]
"Oh please no." Chang Xiuying, once again, sighed.
The instructor coughed. When the noise still hasn't died down, his eyebrows twitched and he bellowed that made everyone stiff. "Silence! Are you all stupid?!"
When the crowd shut their mouths, he continued with a cold voice. "In 7 days time, the new batch will be able to hold their Cleansing Method ceremony. Parents and Guardians, please prepare their ingredients on time." - He turned towards the new batch- "This is also the day that you will start training your body. Run around the village within two hours! If the lot of you didn't make it, who knows what might happen." The instructor smirked widely as he looked over at the crowd of children.
"Wait a damn minute, instructor." A youth raised his hand as he glared at the instructor.
"What?" He looked coldly at the youth that lined up to the previous year's group.
"The little goddess is not spared? That training and punishment are equally hellish."
The instructor smiled lavishly at the youth. "Learning is all equal. There's no status or gender that is overlooked. Xiuying ah may have the highest status, if she didn't train properly and hard, what will happen to her? She will only turn into a frail girl who will ask for help each and every time! This is for her own future and all of your future!"
Chang Xiuying continuously nod. The group saw her agreement and can't help but admire the little goddess in front of them.
So young yet so strong-willed. She's already brave enough compared to the boys of her age.
The instructor smiled brightly at Chang Xiuying, he, also admired this little child. "Xiuying ah, call me Uncle Wang."
"Eh?" The whole crowd was shocked when they heard him. "How unreasonable can you get, Instructor Wang?"
Chang Xiuying also looked at him with confusion. 'The heck is wrong with you?'
She just nodded and sparkly said to him, "Instructor Uncle Wang."
"Pfft!"
Instructor Wang repeatedly waved. "No, no, no. Xiuying ah, not with the 'Instructor' please."
"Instructor Uncle Wang?"
"...", Uncle Wang...
"Uncle Wang!" The crowd cheered happily but what they received was a cold glare from Instructor Wang. "Who the heck permits you to call me so childishly?!"
They cried in their hearts, "You're the childish one!"
...
Instructor Wang stood at the other end of the line, it served as the starting point and also the finishing point. He scanned the new batch of 5-year-old that was neatly lined up, totaling to 26 newcomers. The older groups stayed at the Pavilion to wait for the start of their class since they only came early to welcome the newcomers.
"Before we start, I will say the rules one more time. There is a total of 22 kilometers around the village. You have to complete the round within 2 hours! 2 hours and more, will be punished with a whole day of squats. If one's stance was wrong, one shall be corrected with a baton! Every 3 kilometers, there are instructors that will be monitoring you. However, there are no instructors around the vicinity of the pagodas. Consecutively, there are a total of 6 instructors monitoring you all. I really wish that there will be exemplary students this year." As he finished talking, he glanced at Chang Xiuying and a few more young and promising students under the care of some known family in the village.
Chang Xiuying sighed inwardly. Guess that she will have to finish it at exactly 2 hours, though she will be punished, it is still passable.
The whole group shuddered when they heard about the punishment. One boy, named Alexis David, raised his hand. "Instructor, are there no other substitute for the punishment?"
"None!" Instructor Wang then ignored their complaints, raised his arms and shouted, "Start!!"
The children frantically ran towards their destination. They really don't want to be hit by a baton or squat for the whole day. They cried in their hearts.
This time, all of their hearts have become one. 'This is completely illogical!!'
Chang Xiuying maintained her pace when she reached the middle of the pack. There are a few in front and at the back, the middle is the one that is tightly packed. She looked back and saw the frail girl, Shin Meina, with a boy that is slightly taller than her.
She's impressed that they know how to conserve their own energy at the start of the run. However, there's still one thing she's bothered... 'How do I sweat?'
...
The group that Chang Xiuying was in, already passed 2 instructors (6 kilometers) and the total time allotted was 1 hour and 9 minutes. The tightly packed group became little as some gave up and some stopped just to take a rest. She looked around as she saw that everyone around her was panting heavily and some were on the verge of collapsing.
She got cold sweat as she still hadn't panted or sweated. Thankfully, the group was too busy dealing with their tiredness to notice Chang Xiuying's condition. The group keeps on bumping into her that made her clothes and face wet too. Although disgusting, she didn't pay heed to it as it helped her have the image of sweating.
3 instructors... 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Chang Xiuying increased her pace to caught up for the remaining time. Some of the newcomers collapsed and slept on the ground, some were dizzy as they became dehydrated, and some persevered. Those that collapsed were immediately tended by the nearest instructor and was sent to Instructor Wang.
4 instructors... 1 hour and 42 minutes.
There are only 5 newcomers remaining. Chang Xiuying increased her pace more. Sadly, she didn't have the source of sweat anymore. Surely, she will wash hard after.
5 instructors... 1 hour and 59 mins.
Only a few more and the finish line is there. One student, two students, three students, lastly four students passed the time limit. Chang Xiuying arrived at exactly 2 hours. She didn't passed and will be punished with the other 21 newcomers from the total 26.
The four students that passed were: Feng Yi, Shin Meina, Yao Yun, and Alexis, respectively.
Instructor Wang sadly looked at Chang Xiuying who was trying her best to pant while laying on the flat ground.
"Alright, you go and rest for one hour and come back here to receive your punishment." Instructor Wang softly said to the laying child. His tone of voice made the punishment soft but not really.
Chang Xiuying just nodded as she fasten her breathing. She stood up with trembling legs and walked towards the forest to take a bath in the spring.
[I don't know whether to be impressed or disgusted with your way of stupid acting.]
"Can't help it." Chang Xiuying directly dove in the spring with her clothes on.
[Host, can you, at least, act like a proper lady?]
She emerged from the surface and pushed back her hair with her right hand. "Guess not."
"Oomh." A little noise came 3 meters in front of her.
[...]
"..."
[That rabbit kid is really smitten for you. I'm getting jealous.]
Chang Xiuying choked. She looked as if the world was going to end any minute now. "Just let him watch. Guys tend to peep on bathing girls."
[Girls tend to peep on bathing guys too.]
"Shut up. Don't generalize."
[Don't generalize too then.]
Her face became stiff.
On the other hand, Yao Yun was beet red as he covered his mouth with his hand and his eyes were not leaving Chang Xiuying's bathing figure. He intended to just relieve after nature called him but seeing this, he will not back down.
Chang Xiuying tried to remove her outer clothing when her white bare shoulders were revealed. Her back arched, revealing a nice curve in her body. Afterward, a gush and a thud came.