"This junior greets grandmaster Lan."
Le Laoling bowed down with great elegance and etiquette.
The man who stood at the entrance of the house looked at the boy carefully and nodded his head in approval of his greeting.
Wearing a long black robe that covered his tall body, he stood silent holding a long sword in his hand. His face emitted an enlightened and wise look while the eyes were as cold as ice. Just by standing there he could make people tremble in fear.
"Then this junior would like to welcome you inside." He looked at the servants who stood by the side of the door with their head bowed down.
"Attend to the grandmaster," he ordered the maid servants dressed in plain blue long robes.
"Yes, young master." Four of them spoke in unison bowing down together.
They could sense the importance of the arrival of the stranger.
If the spoilt brat of the house was acting careful towards this personality then that meant the maids had to be extra careful with how they present themselves.
They dared not mess up for the fear of losing their heads by offending some Daoist masters.
The man took of his outer cloak and handed it to the nearest maid girl. She took it respectfully as if it was a fragile treasure and carried it away from there. He still was gripping the sword in his hand.
"Grandmaster, your sword." A maid extended her hand out expecting his sword. The elderly man was taken aback by what the maid just said.
She looked young and especially charming with the dimple in her plump cheek. With a joyful eye she was waiting for his response.
"Huh.....!"
The two remaining maidservants gasped in horror but quickly clasped their mouth with their hand to prevent further sound. The maid who was taking away the cloak almost stumbled on her way when she heard this.
Since silence was the only answer the maid raised her eyes to look what happened only to be slapped across her face.
"Smack…" With a thud the maid fell on the floor her face showing blank expression. She could not understand what she did wrong. She was just asking for his sword to keep it away.
"How insolent!"
Le Laoling shouted at the maid, his face bulging red in anger. No one dared to speak a word and silently bowed down their head, making their presence shrink as much as possible.
Being a mortal from human realm and at that the lowest class among humans itself, servants and maids were not permitted to look at higher class people let alone speak with them. It was a common rule upheld by everyone.
The maid carrying the cloak quickened her steps. She did not want to witness whatever else was about to take place. Without turning back she exited the room.
The maid on the floor was still in confusion as to what she did wrong. She was a new girl here and it was her second day in the Le family. All she wanted was to get attention and favors from the master by making herself known and useful.
"Young Master, I…" She was about to apologize even if she did not know what her mistake was interrupted in middle by the enraged Laoling.
"SILENCE!!"
The maid jolted up in shock when shouted at like that. What she heard next was more than enough to extract her soul out of her body.
"Asking a weapon master his weapon is equivalent to asking for his dignity and life." Laoling was huffing with anger when he finished speaking.
Her eyes widened in surprise and realization. "Master I-I did not know...Forgive me.." She begged again to spare her.
But turning a deaf ear to her he called the guards over.
"Take her into the torture chamber and whip her on her back 20 times." Le Laoling gestured at the guards on the doorway.
With a horrified expression she quickly grabbed the feet of Laoling.
"I-I am sorry young master…Please do not do that." She was just a little girl after all. She was afraid.
"P-Please..Young M-master.." She stuttered nervously while the hands that grabbed the legs were shaking and trembling. She looked pitiful when added with her swollen cheeks and wet face with snots running down her nose.
"You dare to defy my order." He growled kicking away the maid with his feet right on her face.
"Owwww…" She yelled in pain touching her face and felt a warm liquid drip from inside her nose.
Making a disgusted face at her Laoling yelled at the guards who were still standing there confused at what to do. "Didn't you hear Me? Take her away and make it 50 times."
"Yes Young Master." The two guards hurried over to take away her.
.
"W-what … Wait....No.." Feeling the tight grip of strong and burly hands on her small arms she struggled to break free. "Young Ma-ster.." Her pitiful wails could be heard from the far end of the hall as she was dragged away by the guards.
"The insolent Maid had been sent for disciplining. I hope the Elder would accept my humble apology." Laoling bowed down again but he was gritting his teeth in anger. He could not wait to go and punish her himself.
The elderly man was looking at everything that had happened with an apathetic face, neither pity nor remorse nor anger.
"Insolence should be punished.." The man touched his long beard on his chin nodding his head.
"I am happy to hear the elder agrees with me." With an excited voice he bowed down twice.
"But the insolence of maid is the fault of the master, as is the downfall of student is the fault of his teacher." He raised his eyebrow at Laoling. "I hope junior understands what I mean."
How could her not when he was being straightforward as a stick. He was saying it was his fault.
"Y-Yes I understand….Thank you for your enlightenment Elder." He replied with faked respect while inside him, he was boiling in rage which was waiting to explode.
"Hmm.." He did not care whether the boy took it as a humiliation or as an education. The elderly man swiftly scanned the room. Not sensing the presence he was looking for he asked Laoling about her whereabouts.
"Where is the girl?"
.
"Achoo!!" Le Fangling sneezed loudly as she looked at the crystal clear pond that was reflecting the sunlight looking like a vast land filled with shining treasures.
'Is someone badmouthing about me?' Rubbing her nose, Le Fangling rubbed her hands together to feel a little warmth.
She had sent the guard away right at the entrance of the forest and struggled to reach the so called miraculous pond staggering and huffing and puffing.
"Are you sure young miss that you will be fine?" Da Fu had hesitated to send her all on her own but she was hell bent on going inside the forest alone.
Those boys are way too….sigh…..never mind. Le Fangling waved off her thoughts. She did not want to concern herself too much with the people in this world.