"Meng Yingyue"the teacher's voice was so rigid most of the students cowered in terror.
But Yingyue simply grinned.
"That's me."she said with a small wave "hi".
Time seemed to stop. Everybody fixed their eyes on her the way they would watch a person who was doomed to the pyre.
Ling wanted to disappear. Or even turn into a wasp and fly away forever. That would be good too.
Just how stupid was this girl anyway?
"This isn't what it looks like", the stupid girl continued "I just got lost is all".
"Making excuses is prohibited in the Mist Oasis"the teacher spoke.
"That again?"Yingyue sighed dramatically.
"And you certainly had a map".
"I forgot that at home. No fault of mine".
The teacher turned away,a muscle twitching in his jaw.
"Get lost".
"Huh? I already made it clear that I never meant to...".
"Arguing with your teachers is prohibited as well. And so is talking back at them".
Yingyue stared. A hairpin could have been heard dropping from the roof.
Then she exploded.
"Excuse me, maybe you should first of all prohibit the construction of needlessly massive and excessively confusing buildings and compounds. Why the heck does every building look the same?! And why are you sitting like a statue?!Why aren't you paying proper attention to your students so they don't look like trussed geese?!".
The second stretch of silence was sharper and more painful than the first. The teacher looked as if he had just witnessed the fall of heaven. Something told him that trouble had just arrived at their doorstep on a pair of dainty feet.
Suddenly, Yingyue slapped both hands to her mouth.
"Oh my gosh, I spoke without thinking again. Jie Jie is going to be so mad at me. Let's all act like this never happened just now, okay?".
This was it. Someone please kill Guangchang Ling now.
And then, simply because Yingyue had such excellent luck, the enforcers from before chose that very moment to show their faces and announce some super good news.
"Meng Yingyue, Guangchang Ling, news of your transgressions have reached Sect leader Pan, and he has demanded to see you".
"Wow"Yingyue replied, simply because she just felt she had to say something.
Then, because she was just too good at making the best points:
"Do we have to go?".
Ling rolled his eyes.
"Clearly"he muttered drily.
"Oh".
Before long, they were being led away like criminals, which they probably were,at least by Pan sect standards.
After a while, Yingyue couldn't stand the awkward silence any longer.
"So, this Sect leader guy", she said"what is he like? Is he nice?".
Of course, she was ignored.
"He's not gonna whip us, right? I've never been whipped, you see, and I don't want to break that record just yet".
No one replied to that, either.
"Hey,uh... are they related? The Sect leader and the Jade Dragon? Because I was wondering...hey! Is the Sect leader an old guy? He isn't, right? They're so hard to get along with".
"Someone please shut her up"Mr Temperamental groaned.
"We're here"the other one said.
Yingyue looked around. They had stopped before a courtyard overlooking a fragrant lotus pool.
The beautiful flowers floating on the surface of the shimmering water reminded her of her father's butterfly garden, and she got the feeling she might like this mysterious Sect leader.
"Sect leader,we brought them".
Yingyue fixed her eyes on the midnight blue curtains obscuring the Sect leader from view.
"Why does he stay hidden? Is he the shy type?"she asked innocently.
The enforcers flinched,as if she had struck their faces.
"You...!".
Their hands were already on their swords when the man behind the curtains spoke.
"Children".
His voice was so calm and soothing, it made Yingyue's head light just listening to it.
Does he sing, she wondered.
He only spoke that one word, and their hands dropped from their swords as though they were charmed.
"You have done well. You may leave".
"But, Sect leader...".
"You believe I may be in danger from little Yingyue?"he sounded amused.
Their lips sealed instantly. Faces flushed, they bowed and took their leave.
For a while, there was silence.
"You will not greet, children?".
They blinked,as though snapping out of a spell, and bowed in unison.
"Good morning, Sect leader Pan".
"Good morning, children. Come forward, let us talk".
A strange feeling flooded Yingyue as they did as he said. She felt like she needed to escape from him, because he could effortlessly snap her neck. She felt like she needed to trust him, because he would give his life for her.
Soon they were on the courtyard, seated before him with only that curtain in their way.
Yingyue could not see his face,or much of him for that matter, but she could see that he was writing;a flexible wrist making meticulous black strokes on snow white paper.
"Loitering during class hours is against the rules,Child Guangchang. You know this, don't you?".
"I know"Ling mumbled, staring at his hands which were folded on his lap.
"Why did you do it,then?".
"I..."Ling began, but the words seemed stuck in his throat.
Suddenly he appeared unbelievably vulnerable, and Yingyue stared at him in surprise.
"I..."he repeated.
Sect leader Pan waited patiently. When Ling finally spoke, it came out as a whisper.
"I'm tired".
"Hmm,"Sect leader Pan mused thoughtfully "you certainly have been having it rough with training since your sister's injury, haven't you? I heard from your teacher. It's okay. I understand. And there's your frail health too. But running away never does anyone any good. You know that, don't you?".
Ling hung his head.
"Yes"he muttered.
"Do you remember the fifty fourth rule, Child Guangchang?".
"Yes".
"Let me hear you recite it".
Ling took a deep breath.
"The fifty fourth rule is the rule of leniency: once can be explained away, forgiven and forgotten, but twice cannot".
"Good. Never forget that", he laid the brush aside and handed the parchment to Ling"give this to your teacher. All is forgiven, Child".
"Thank you, Sect leader".
After Ling left, there was silence once more.
Sect leader Pan continued writing, leaving Yingyue to scratch her hair and arm and back until she thought she was going to run mad.
"Loitering during class hours,"he suddenly spoke,"climbing a tree,arriving late for lessons, making excuses,talking back at and arguing with your teacher. You broke six rules on your arrival. Oh, and you attacked two law enforcers too".
"With apples!"she retorted defensively"they came at A-Ling with swords!".
She realized herself and covered her mouth immediately.
"That, they did,"he continued calmly"but only because a law breaker was being stubborn. You don't believe they would have actually used the swords on him, do you?".
"I..."Yingyue opened her mouth, then closed it.
He was right.
He was totally right.
"Why were you loitering?".
"I lost my way".
"Every new student is provided with a map".
"I forgot it at the Peony Halls. I couldn't exactly go back for it after coming all this way".
"So you decided to remedy the situation by climbing a tree".
Yingyue turned a vibrant pink.
"I...! I just...! I wanted apples!".
It had made so much sense then, to climb and eat apples since she was lost anyway.
But now, before this man, her reason suddenly sounded like a most ridiculous excuse, even to her own ears.
"You were late for your class. You should have apologized to your teacher, instead of bantering with him".
Yingyue found herself hanging her head too.
"You're right. I'm sorry".
"You should be".
"But... but...".
She paused and bit her lip.
"Yes?"he encouraged.
"But... you guys can't go around instructing people not to climb trees when they need to! I actually arrived last night, you see, and there weren't even any fruits at dinner! And also you're basically saying we should allow our teachers to utter falsehoods! And..."she suddenly paused and bit her lip again.
The sect leader had gone still. Had she said too much?
Suddenly, she heard a sound.
"Pfft".
It actually took her a moment to realize that he was laughing!
A soft fist was pressed to his mouth, and his shoulders were shaking.
Yingyue stared stupidly, struggling to digest the fact that she was being laughed at.
Wait, what...!
"What's so funny?".
Instead of responding, he did something unexpected. He suddenly lifted the curtains that hung between them, to reveal a face that was smiling at her as though she were his closest friend.
Yingyue's breathing stopped for a full second before it continued.
Gods, he was beautiful.
His skin was a flawless milky shade, his dark eyes like tools of hypnosis. Long coal black hair streamed down his back, every strand so in place that the usually unbothered Yingyue found herself feeling like a tramp.
Men's looks never made her stare, but now she was suddenly struggling to remind herself to look away.
"Arguing with the Sect leader and criticizing the sect's rules are both prohibited,"he said, the corners of his lips perked up as though he was sharing a joke,"come,walk with me, Child Meng".