Baili Chao took his new disciple to his own house for the time being. In his eyes, Yun Bei Fen was just too small to live all on his own yet so he'd rather have an eye on him. Only a few years later, when he was sure that the boy wouldn't have any problems did he assign him to a nice little house next to one of the many lakes of the Teng Yong Sect.
By that time, Baili Chao wasn't worried anymore at all. This boy really had measured up to his expectations. More than that, even. While other disciples needed someone to painstakingly teach them and required hints everywhere Yun Bei Fen seemed to be able to do everything on his own. He didn't even need to say a word of encouragement for him to sit down and meditate or train his swordsmanship.
It really was his luck to have found a disciple like this.
Baili Chao didn't need to guess to know why his disciple was like this. From the day he had seen Mei Chao Bing at the sect admission test, his eyes always lit up whenever he saw his own white robe that resembled Mei Chao Bing's bigger one. Each day he would make sure to diligently fulfill all the tasks his master gave him while wearing this robe so that he would one day become a 'great cultivator like Senior Martial Brother Mei' as he put it.
Thinking about it Baili Chao could only sigh. He had obviously missed the opportune timing to cultivate a mighty image of himself in his disciple's heart. It seemed that Mei Chao Bing's image would always be greater than his regardless of what he did. Well, at least the boy had grown to understand that a master wasn't really the same thing as a second father and didn't refuse to sweetly call out 'master' whenever he saw him.
Mn, hearing Yun Bei Fen acknowledge him like this made him happy, too. And honestly, just being called master was enough. He didn't really want to be looked at by some love-struck fool the whole day either. Mn, that Mei Chao Bing could only be pitied. Whenever his disciple saw him he would be subjected to his crazy idolization. That couldn't be good either.
Thinking like that Baili Chao was really satisfied with how things were. His disciple, Yun Bei Fen, thought the same. Being in the same sect as his senior martial brother Mei, striving to become a peerless cultivator like him … what more could he ask for? His days were good when he thought about him and they were even better when he could see him.
Unfortunately, good things never last for eternity and this time something was bound to happen that wouldn't only turn the lives of this pair of master and disciple upside down but would shock the whole Teng Yong Sect instead.
On the other side of the Sect, a man wearing a dark cloak stepped into a house. He closed the door, pulled down the hood and smiled at the man who was sitting at the table inside. "Elder Feng, long time no see. Have you gotten what the superiors asked for?"
"Mn. We can go at once. Just let me get my disciple. He's still outside training right now."
The man in the dark cloak nodded and took a seat at the table himself. " It's good that he's diligent. We can use such disciples in our Wu Yun Sect. I'll wait here."
Elder Feng nodded and stood up to get his disciple but just then someone knocked on the door.
"Elder Feng!" It was one of the Elders of the sect and his voice sounded urgent as if something major had happened.
Elder Feng frowned. Why was someone coming to his house this evening of all times? He couldn't risk anyone finding out what was happening here!
"Elder Feng? I noticed someone trespassing on the grounds of our sect. He was headed in this direction. Did you see someone?"
Elder Feng and the man in the dark cloak exchanged a glance. This person had obviously seen too much. They couldn't let him go and tell anyone else.
Elder Feng motioned for the man in the cloak to hide in the next room while he walked to the door and opened with a smile. "Ah, so it's Elder Wu. What did you just say? Someone trespassed on the sect grounds?"
The other Elder nodded. "Yes. He was headed in this direction."
"I see. Come on in first. Have a cup of tea."
Elder Wu shook his head. "Thank you but we should hurry and catch that person. At the very least we should find out who it is and what that person is doing here."
"Naturally." Elder Feng still motioned at the table. "You should still sit down first. Let me send a message to the sect master. Informing him is the first thing that should be done in case it is an enemy we can't handle. After that, we'll go and chase that person together."
"Ah, naturally. You're right." Elder Wu turned to sit down at the table.
Just when his back faced him Elder Feng drew a dagger and struck out. The blade plunged into Elder Wu's back and punctured his heart. The cultivator only had time to look down in horror when his legs already gave way and he collapsed onto the floor.
Elder Feng sighed and shook his head. "Ah, don't blame me, Elder Wu. It's your own fault for coming here today of all days. If I could, I wouldn't have wanted to do this." He bent down and pulled the dagger out, wiping the blood on Elder Wu's white robe.
Just then the door behind him opened once more. Elder Feng hurriedly got up and turned around. The one behind him was none other than his disciple, Mei Chao Bing.
"Master? What … What is going on?" Mei Chao Bing stared at Elder Wu with a pale face. Why was the Elder this gravely injured? And why … was his master holding a dagger?
He knew. One glance was enough to understand what was going on but he didn't want to believe it. His master, the person who had raised him for the bigger part of his life … he couldn't imagine that he would do something like this.