The sun climbed behind the mountains and peeked through the gaps of its peaks, casting the sunlight that passed through on the Xinfaxian. The Xinfaxian Sect greeted the sunlight first that gently touched their skin after it passed between the leaves, waking them up.
Cheng Sheng, who's lying on the bamboo floor of the Punishment Hall that started to warm up, slowly lifted his eyelids, his thick and curly eyelashes fanning his eyes. He looked around and saw the Punishment Hall brightened. He lazily sat up and stretched his limbs, then he stood up. He patted his dustless green robes and walked to the door-less and wall-less entrance of the Punishment Hall. He saw the drapes fluttered and the figures on it changed. Some specks of light come out of it.
"Good morning." was what was written on the drapes. "Go to the Study Hall after you've washed up and eaten breakfast." This message must be from Fan Wen, their shifu. The lights surrounding the drapes disappeared and the drapes returned to normal.
Cheng Sheng walked out of the Punishment Hall and was met by his fellow disciples who were doing their errands. Some of them are carrying water over their shoulders while some are picking up vegetables. There are some who are cooking their breakfast.
He went there to leech off food. "Hey!" he called and waved at them when they turned. He gave them a smile.
"C-Cheng-shixiong." They called, shocked. They looked at him, then looked in the direction where he came from. They saw the Punishment Hall.
"Can you give me some?" Cheng Sheng asked and looked at the congee in their hands.
Black lines covered their faces as they took a step back. "C-Cheng-shixiong…" they called, afraid. "W-we can't… this is our only share…" they said.
Cheng Sheng sighed as he shook his head. He took a step forward. "I'm only asking for a very little – " he said as he pinched his forefinger and thumb while his other hand raised. He was about to wrap it around the nearest disciple's back when his wrist, like last night, was caught by a hand.
He turned, and the disciples also turned. Their eyes went wide when they saw Fei Yin standing behind Cheng Sheng. "Da shi – " Cheng Sheng said. … shit.
"Da shixiong!" the disciples exclaimed and sighed in relief.
Fei Yin glanced at them for a second before he turned to Cheng Sheng. "Cheng-shidi." He called. "Shifu is waiting for you in the Study Hall." He told him, repeating the message Fan Wen sent him earlier through the drapes.
"But I still haven't eaten breakfast." Cheng Sheng said and looked at the congee in the disciple's hand full of longing.
Fei Yin's handsome brow twitched. He waved his sleeve and a pack filled with steamed buns flew out. "Here." He answered after he caught the pack and gave it to Cheng Sheng who was drooling.
Cheng Sheng's eyes sparkled as he took the pack of steamed buns. "Thank you, da shixiong!" he said and opened it. His saliva dripped from his mouth as he looked at the plump meat bun. He immediately ate it. "But… I still haven't washed up." He said as he chewed the bun. "I'm already smelly." He sniffed his sleeve. Then, as if it was nothing, he ate another bun.
The wind blew and brought Cheng Sheng's scent to Fei Yin's nose. He breathed in a fresh scent of wood mixed with a faint and sweet smell of sweat, together with the smell of the steamed bun and congee. His eyes lowered and watched as Cheng Sheng wolfed down the steamed bun. "You can wash up in the spring at the foot of the south mountain." He answered.
"Okay!" Cheng Sheng said as he rubbed his belly, feeling satisfied. He burped, then covered his mouth. He ignored the others as he laughed while he walked away. "Let's go, da shixiong!" he called to Fei Yin.
Fei Yin watched Cheng Sheng walk, his back on him. The sun finally broke through the horizon and cast its sunlight, brighter than earlier. Cheng Sheng suddenly turned and then smiled at him.
"Da shixiong!" the handsome young man called.
However, for Fei Yin, Cheng Sheng who has a smile on his face looked the brightest. "Yes." He said as he followed the laughing handsome young man.
The disciples who were left looked at each other. "… have we just been fed dog food?" they asked and looked at the congee that already cooled down in their hand. "Let's reheat it." They said.
"Yes." They left and walked away as if nothing had just happened.
The Study Hall is in the south mountain together with the Library Hall. The Library Hall is in the lower part of the mountain while the Study Hall is at the peak. This is to prevent the disciples from being distracted and make them concentrate more instead of the tranquility in the mountain peak. In the east mountain where the Training Hall is located, there is also the forging place for their swords and a mining place where they get the jade resources. Also, the mine is open to the Xinfaxian citizens as another source of their income. In the west mountain where the Meditation Hall is, aside from the Training Hall in the east, there is also a training ground in the west. The difference is, that you train there using your spells. Why spells, it's because spells are quieter to use than swords. The Meditation Hall is near so you will disrupt the silence if you train your sword there.
Each part of the sect is scattered among the mountains. The reason for this is to train the disciples. One, with their footwork when they ran crossing through each mountain. Two, two strengthen their body. Three, to train their mind to remain calm and test their patience. However, since Cheng Sheng, this troublemaker, played in the spring while washing up, his and Fei Yin's travel was delayed by ten minutes. Fei Yin has no choice but to use his sword to fly towards the south mountain.
As expected, Cheng Sheng was scolded. He should be punished but since they cannot delay anymore, Fan Wen just scolded him and was made to stand in the back while listening to the lecture. After the class, Cheng Sheng hopped around and about again.
Feng Mo can't stand it anymore. He climbed the tree where Cheng Sheng was balancing himself on one foot on the tree branch. "Get down there, will you?! If you are that bored, I'll spar with you!" Feng Mo said, frowning, as he tried to grab Cheng Sheng's ankle.
However, Cheng Sheng flipped in the air and landed with his left foot, a meter away from Feng Mo. "I'm just thinking about last night." He said.
"What happened last night, Cheng-shidi?" the good-tempered Li Tian asked as he sat on the ground and leaned on the tree.
Cheng Sheng looked at him while Feng Mo sat on the branch, his legs dangling. "Last night…" Cheng Sheng said.
Feng Mo sharply turned when he heard Cheng Sheng's tone. He has a bad feeling. "Cheng-shidi, don't you – " he said.
But it was too late. "Last night, da shixiong and I met each other." Cheng Sheng said, distorting the fact that Fei Yin and he really had met, but only Fei Yin was there to fetch him since he fled from his task.
"Oh? Da shixiong?" Li Tian said, surprised. That always cold da shixiong?
Cheng Sheng nodded, ignoring Feng Mo's face which was as dark as the pot. "Yes." He said as he tiptoed on one foot to reach a pear above his head. "Da shixiong met with me last night." He said, reaching for the fruit. "We walked around the night market, the surroundings were silent. It was a good atmosphere." The tip of his finger touched the fruit. "We had a talk. Da shixiong held my hand."
Feng Mo's face can't be any darker. Li Tian giggled as he started to listen, interested. The attention-seeker Cheng Sheng didn't disappoint him as he continued. "Yes. Da shixiong held my hand. Like this." He said as he clasped his hands together. "We have slain a corpse. And he gave me the corpse he killed." He said as he took out Fei Yin's qiankun pouch as if it were a token of love from Fei Yin.
Gross. Feng Mo thought. Who the hell in their right mind would gift a person a corpse? He frowned.
However, Li Tian is interested more than he looks. "Oh? What happened next?" he asked, grinning from ear to ear as his eyes shone while looking at Cheng Sheng.
Cheng Sheng looked at him. If he didn't know this friend of his is a straight-A student, he would think Li Tian is a yellow book writer. Nonetheless, he continued. "Then, da shixiong didn't let me ride on my sword." He said as he reached for the fruit again. "So, I took back my sword and we rode on his sword, side to side…" he said as the tip of his finger poked the fruit.
Suddenly, his foot strained too much and started to hurt. His leg shook and he fell on his back. Feng Mo and Li Tian were shocked. "Cheng-shidi!" they called.
I can flip! Cheng Sheng thought and flipped his body in the air, his arms stretched out. However, just as his feet landed on the ground, he felt a pair of hands holding both his armpits, catching his weight, making the impact on his feet lessen. Feng Mo jumped down while Li Tian stood up. They walked towards them.
Yes. Them. Fei Yin is behind Cheng Sheng. "Da shixiong." The two greeted and bowed.
Cheng Sheng slowly turned and saw the handsome but cold face of Fei Yin. "Da shixiong…" he called, his voice small. Did he hear us? He thought. No. I mean, me. He stared at Fei Yin's face, searching for his answer. However, the man just maintained his cold face. "… thank you. You can put me down now." He told him when he didn't feel his foot aching anymore.
Fei Yin nodded and gently let go of him. "Shifu is looking for you." He told Cheng Sheng after he nodded at Li Tian and Feng Mo, returning the greeting.
"Da shixiong." Cheng Sheng said and bowed. "Is it for this?" he asked as he took out Fei Yin's qiankun pouch where the corpse was inside.
"Yes." Fei Yin nodded.
Feng Mo snickered as he whispered to Cheng Sheng. "You shouldn't show off to others what isn't yours." He told him. Li Tian just helplessly smiled as he shook his head. They're already used to this habit of Cheng Sheng.
Cheng Sheng just shrugged as he walked towards Fei Yin. "Da shixiong. Where's shifu?" he asked as if nothing happened earlier.
"Meditation Hall." Fei Yin answered.
"Oh. Meditation Hall…" Cheng Sheng said, then paused in his steps. He turned to Fei Yin. "Meditation Hall?!" he said, shocked.
Fei Yin nodded. "Meditation Hall." He repeated.
Black lines covered Cheng Sheng's face as Li Tian and Feng Mo fell silent. They lit up a row of candles to Cheng Sheng in their heart. In the Meditation Hall, their sect's founder who was a wandering cultivator named the Xinfaxian, was there doing closed-door cultivation. He's in the innermost chamber while the disciples can do meditation to further their cultivation in the outer chambers. Them being called out to go there means one thing.
Xie Lan, the founder of their sect, is awake.