The child's hair was pet gently by her loving master whose doting gaze never left her pinchable cheeks. Her face although childish and lovely, was not smiling but was distant as if not concerned by things beneath her own world status. This made her only more adorable looking to her master of course since the child had such a serious expression on such a cute face, it was not fitting at all. The girl's hair was long and soft looking, it made people want to play with and brush to get a chance to feel it for themselves. With large misty eyes that appear sharp but beautiful, even if she squints you could still see the light in her eyes that seemed to gather wherever she looked. Clothed in pure white like her master, she was much too loveable looking to look away from or dismiss casually.
"Biyu from this day forward, this will be your senior brother." The child, Wang Lan Biyu glances at her master, making the man smile at her with the patience of an elder. It was gentle and coaxing. She turns towards the young boy kneeling below their pedestal, scanning his clothes and his stature. Wang Lan Biyu did not say any superficial comments to try and suck up to this person. Instead, her reply was very short and obedient, it was accepting, but only because her master had said so. "Okay." She didn't ask how she suddenly received a senior brother, it was of no concern to her since she did not care for him much. To her, he was just another person who studied and trained under her master's wings beside herself.
Seeing as this was the only thing her master had called her here for Lan Biyu refilled Minglan's cup of tea before standing up to lightly bow in his direction effectively putting the still kneeling "senior brother" to the back of her mind. "Excuse this disciple, but there are still many things this disciple must see to." Her master doesn't blame her even if it was disrespectful of her to ignore the boy who still had his head lowered towards Minglan, his expression showed a spoiling look. "Ok ok, go, it was master's fault for disturbing you." When the young girl left with the scent of morning dew left behind in her wake. Minglan sipped at the tea presented to him smiling widely. He looked extremely pleased with himself, "How do you like this new junior sister master found for you? Is she not something else?"
The boy slowly sat up and smiled benevolently at his childish master. "Junior sister Biyu is indeed talented as master says." His master felt annoyed seeing the boy did not look impressed at all, in fact, the boy looked to be placating him only. He clicks his tongue at his disciple, sulking in his heart. "Do not go calling Xiao Biyu by her name if you wish to be accepted by her so easily. Call her junior sister Wang, Wang Lan Biyu." Wang Lan Biyu. Ling Da Chuanli doesn't miss a beat as he acknowledges his master's words again easily almost exactly as Lan Biyu had done but with a smile, unlike her steel-like face. "En, then junior sister Wang is indeed very talented as master says."
Master Wang felt his heartache deepen suddenly, recalling the callous gaze of the girl who had climbed the mountain on her own. Her hands bleeding from falling, and her feet blistered till there was no longer jade skin but blisters beneath her. Her knees scrapped till there was no skin left. He swirls his cup, speaking lowly shedding his childish vibe into something more serious. "Her life has been rough, the path to immortality will be hard. Do your best to guide her well in my absence as I cannot be with her all the time. Biyu is....her heart will always waver on two sides, treat her well Da Chuanli."
His master was solemn and even a tad bit sad. "There are many things she will have to face alone, things she cannot share with others but herself. She is a child who has experienced more than she should have, her life has been hard. The reason I personally introduced you two was to merely let you two meet and give her someone besides myself she can trust in this place." He glances at the boy, knowing that his words would carry a lot of weight for him but if it was Ling Da Chuanli. He did not question that his disciple could do it. "Do you understand my meaning?" Da Chuanli accepts the order even if it was strange and specific not seeing the heavy burden that was given to him without his knowledge. He took it as a simple task yet did not understand why his master pointed out this junior sister to him specifically out of so many others. But if his master told him to do it, he would do it. So after exchanging a few more words, the boy turns to leave. In the corner of his eyes, he saw a thin wisp of black hair rush away from behind the screen door.
For a moment he paused in deep thought, "Is there anything else you wanted to say?" Master Wang questions his disciple who had suddenly frozen in place. Da Chuanli turns back to smile gently, "Master Wang, take care of your health." The youthful-looking master was dumb folded before growing angry, glaring at his cheeky disciple. "You-!" Da Chuanli makes his escape laughing lightly while Master Wang mutters to himself huffing helplessly. "That child! After being in isolation for five years he hasn't changed a bit! Hmph!" But as he says this his smile couldn't be hidden with the mirth and joy in his eyes due to having his favorite disciple back.
Da Chuanli headed towards the training field and on the way, he found he passed by fewer disciples than was normal. His expression shows curiosity, did master dismiss some junior and senior brothers while I was in seclusion? A young girl with hair tied into two cute buns with her companion bumped into Da Chuanli from behind. "Oof!" Da Chuanli catches the young girl quickly asking slightly concerned. "Are you alright?" The girl, hearing the voice doesn't recognize it right away instead she puffs up angrily wiping her robes down. "Of course, I am not alright! Who are you to dar-(gasp)!" Her eyes almost pop out as they widen with horror when looking up to see the gentle and confused boy in front of her.
"S-Senior brother Ling!! Ah-! I apologize! If I had known it was senior brother who I bumped into!" The flustered girl hurriedly bows to him quickly which he avoids holding her up swiftly, his demeanor still gentle as ever. "It was my mistake for not dodging in time, junior sister doesn't need to apologize." Touched, the young girl blushes, the rumors are confirmed once more in her heart, this senior brother is as gentle as everyone says he is! Even after being in seclusion, he hasn't lost his manners. Her young heart flutters but her companion, a boy about the same age as she hurriedly bows to Da Chaunli to pay respects before pulling at her arm. He seemed annoyed and even gave the smiling Da Chuanli an irritated glance seeing right through the other boy's fake smile.
"Rui Shi hurry up before I leave you behind again!" The cute girl became annoyed at his insistence and was about to scold him but the boy had already turned around determined to leave her behind if she didn't follow. So when she sees he is really about to leave her behind she panics, rushing after him the twin bun girl chases him in a hurry. "Gao Chang wait for me!!" Da Chuanli doesn't pay attention to the close terms the two have with each other. He was only wondering curiously where they were heading in a rush, so he trails after them wanting to see what the fuss was about. As he followed them he was able to quickly pick up the sound of the guqin just up ahead, the curiosity growing in his heart.
The pair in front of him heard it too and grew more energetic, picking up their pace with unconcealed excitement. "It's already starting!! Gao Chang hurry let's get to the front!!!" Da Chuanli's interest was fully peaked, the boy leaps from the railing up on top of the roof and strolls past the crowding of disciples. He was amazed to see not only where almost all the disciples under his master gathered here, but even some from different mountains staring at the show ahead excitedly. His attention is brought to a young girl in pure white with a single jade hairpin in her silky black hair as it flutters in the wind like wisps of smoke. A large guqin was in front of her she was focused on playing with her eyes closed at the moment. He was startled to see his junior sister his master treasured so much playing without making any mistakes like an expert.
She's this young but already knows how to play this well? Where exactly did this girl come from? is she a fallen noble's daughter? "Lan Biyu?" In front of her, across the training grounds, was another young girl in the same white and blue robes wearing an annoyed expression. "Are you really using that as your weapon? Are you mocking me Wang Lan Biyu?!" In answer, the young child only smiles coldly at the other girl before closing her eyes again immersing herself in her playing. The girl was even angrier at getting no response and pulled out a sword. "Fine! Then don't beg me for mercy later on!" The immature girl charges straight toward the calm child who hasn't even opened her eyes yet.
As Da Chuanli was about to interrupt with concern for the girl who had yet to move, suddenly, the blade was deflected by a barrier shocking him into freezing in place. But the rest of the disciples under his master only laugh at the girl who was flung back into the dirt, doubling over their stomachs and wiping tears from their eyes. "Who are you saying to beg?! Instead, it is you who should beg our junior sister! Hahaha!" Although Da Chuanli wasn't the only one shocked, the ones from the other mountains seemed confused and alarmed as well as to what exactly had happened. And yet, his fellow disciples seemed used to this type of scene. The girl's face goes red and she grits her teeth as she stands back up brushing off her dirty clothes. "You!"
Glaring even more hatefully at the calmly playing girl she begins slashing at the barrier furiously. "Lan Biyu!! Do you think hiding behind a barrier will save you?! You are looking down on our master!!" As she says this, her vicious sword techniques finally crack the barrier after swinging over and over with a bit of murderous intent. Her eyes flashed with satisfaction even as sweat coated her brow at the effort she was putting into each swing. Da Chuanli hesitated between interrupting or not also sensing the barrier weakening. Lan Biyu was talented but even though the other girl was immature her techniques were still taught by their mountain whose master is very talented at the sword. "You think they would learn by now." He heard someone below him speak, and turning to look he saw it was one of their disciples.
The boy shook his head seeming to hold back his laughter while another boy sneered at the excitedly encouraging disciples supporting the Gaogui girl across the training grounds. "Watch them eat their words! Insulting our junior sister and calling her a waste, just because Master Shao is popular among the elders and respected for being a good swordsman they think they can brag every day in front of us. Our master is at Nascent soul stage so we aren't any worse than them." His friend nods and laughs again, "That said, Junior sister is the first one to actually step up and beat them up so badly they called for an inner disciple to "discipline" us. So shameless, just cause Senior Brother Ling was gone they acted all mighty but since junior sister showed up as an inner disciple we can now sit back and settle our hearts watching her teach those arrogant children a lesson. Ha, it's really satisfying to watch." Da Chuanli turns back to the battle in front of him and squints his eyes. What he saw startles him as he notices the slowly growing shadow beneath the girl's fluttering robes.
Just then, the barrier finally shatters leaving Lan Biyu vulnerable....or so they thought. The girl shows glee on her young face. "In the end, all you have is that barrier! You aren't worthy of being an inner sect disciple of Master Wang!" When she lunges forward again to the encouragements of her fellow disciples someone in the crowd of white bursts out laughing wildly. "Junior sister can stop playing with them already! We are already satisfied seeing them make a large fool of themselves so you no longer need to play! Just finish it!" To this Lan Biyu finally opened her eyes and a white light resembling a snake rose from the ground where her shadow was, its terrifying size and large white fangs were enough to make some watches go pale.
The girl's eyes widen as panic takes over her initial joy making her trip in place just halfway towards Lan Biyu, on the other hand, the snake doesn't stop its advance. "AAHHH-!!!" She screams as the white light snake hisses at her again and opens its jaw wide as if to swallow her whole. But just as she was about to be swallowed by the vicious snake, someone pulled her out of harm's way last second. The children dressed in white were startled and seemed to panic recognizing who it was. "Yu Ya! Are you hurt?!" The shivering girl in his arms fell to her knees and quickly became surrounded by her friends. Da Chuanli turns to face his junior students smiling gently which only made the children grow more panic-stricken.
"Senior brother Ling! You are out of seclusion already?" They try to curry favor to avoid punishment with nervous smiles but he only smiles at them lightly before turning to look at the girl who still sat in place with wisps of white light fluttering around her. The white snake teases her hair fondly as if to apologize for missing their target before being sucked back into her body. The child was staring at him without a trace of apology as if not caring, willing to admit, or even pretend she was in the wrong. A boy brave enough to move under Da Chuanli's gentle smile approaches her to offer help out of the sticky situation. "Junior sister, let's go, I can help you carry your guqin back to your room."
Lan Biyu flicked her sleeve and was the first to look away from Da Chuanli fully intending to ignore him. She walks away as the disciples part for her anxiously and the boy who offered to help hurries to pick up her heavy guqin to follow her. "Fuqing." The boy called Fuqing froze after being called out by Da Chuanli, he hesitates before turning around to greet Da Chuanli properly. He seemed equally as nervous as his fellow brothers and sisters seeing Da Chaunli's gaze pinned on him. "Senior brother Ling, is there something wrong?" Lan Biyu could feel a gaze on her back and did her best to pretend it wasn't there shamelessly. The main instigator of the entire event got away scot-free while her fellow disciples took the blame for her. Da Chuanli suddenly chuckles and Lan Biyu feels a chill in her heart.
This boy wasn't simple, almost like herself. Far from the scene of the crime two people dressed in white and blue walk towards the inner hall where the inner disciples reside. One smiling peacefully, the other with a frown on her face still sensing a heavy stare directed at her without relenting, as if telling her she couldn't ignore him forever. Seeing as he wasn't going to leave her alone the girl turns around to finally acknowledge his presence. "Senior brother Ling, is there something you want to say to this junior sister?" Although her words sounded respectful, if one listens carefully enough they couldn't find a single trace of respect in her tone for him.
Instead, when she spoke those words they sounded bland and insulting. Even though her treatment of him is alien and uncaring, Da Chaunli smiles at her warmly. "Junior sister Wang, you are mistaken. I merely followed you to help you carry your guqin." Lan Biyu finally shows a trace of annoyance, "Senior brother." He hums lightly answering her call amused, she gestures for him to place to guqin down. He is confused but does as she says when he does he is startled to see a pair of white snakes rip the instrument into three pieces right before his eyes. Pieces of wood go flying under the gaze of a cold-faced child. Her expression was indifferent, "There is no longer any need for senior brother Ling to trouble himself over my matters. It seems as if there is no longer a guqin under my name here and only firewood. Please don't trouble yourself anymore and feel free to attend to your duties as I will mine."
The pitiful beautiful guqin was left like she said, a pile of firewood. Lan Biyu sent him an irritated glance not sparing him another moment she spun around with white robes fluttering behind her. Her snakes stared at Da Chuanli behind her back flicking their tongues in and out like he was an odd creature before slithering around her neck and waist. The girl was quick to escape before Da Chuanli fully recovered from his shock. When he looked up the young girl was no longer in sight. His hand rises to touch the corner of his lips to find himself smiling genuinely. "Master, what have you brought into our mountain during my years of seclusion?" The raw potential of the girl was almost terrifying, to know such advanced techniques at such a young age. He didn't know what to say anymore.