Guo Meili was sitting by the table, reading, when suddenly the door was wide open, almost breaking its wooden hinges. The girl quickly got up, scared by the sound and, without thinking, throwing her book with a gasp, attacking who was at the door way. Her eyes shut close as her hands were holding each other above her heart, as if it could protect her from the intruder.
"Ah! What was that for?" A boy's voice said. Wang Xun?
Guo Meili opened her eyes, just to see the dark hair boy standing at the entrance, rubbing his forehead, the book strew at the ground right next to his feet. Her cheeks flushed with shame for hurting her junior. She was just too scared by the door opening so sudden that didn't even see that it was Wang Xun who opened it. The girl gave some steps towards him with an apologetic look at her eyes.
"A-Xun? I'm so sorry.... You can't just walk in like that."
"I'm sorry Jiejie" Wang Xun stopped rubbing his forehead, revealing now a red dot at his skin. But he didn't seem to care as his lips curved into a bratty smile, bending down to get the book "I was just too excited to tell you something"
Guo Meili huffed as she saw his injury and bit her tongue due to the guilty. She went to the shelf to take a towel with ice. "And what is it, A-Xun?"
"Well, you won't believe... The master will send me to my first mission!" Wang Xun said excitedly, sitting at a chair as Guo Meili placed some ice above his forehead. "And... My partners will be Shi Jian, Li Hong, Li Hong, Ren De and Yao Cheng" he counted at his fingers.
Guo Meili froze and her eyes widened. "B-but, A-Xun... You're still a new disciple... How can you go with these seniors?"
The boy didn't even notice his friend's shock, he just kept swinging his legs happily. "Shi Jian told me they were tasked to teach a child, and Master heard about that, so he decided to ask for them to take me on a mission! It's nothing big, I think, but I'm still so happy! Jiejie, Jiejie, do you think I can one day be as good as the seniors?"
She blinked some times to wake up from her shock, taken aback by Wang Xun's words. Then, she gave a soft smile, carressing the boy's cheek, like a sister caring her brother. "Of course, A-Xun. I'm sure you will be a great warrior some day."
He chuckled, his eyes almost shining by youth happiness and thrill. "I will, shijie! Then I'll protect you from all the monsters!"
Guo Meili just laughed, holding the towel with ice at Wang Xun's forehead.
Shi Jian's eyes were locked at the graceful figure. A woman, tall and majestic, using a red and black hanfu that must be more expensive than a whole house. Her grey hair was combed with a silver hairpin. Her eyes, like one of a phoenix, wise and sharp, like her personality, and her pale skin covered with makeup- a way to hide her oldness.
"Yima" he bowed "You called me."
Shin Lihua smiled, but even though, her eyes were still cold, something that probably will never change. She was the leader of Longshan Sect, always working hard to bring her sect even more for the prosperity.
"Jian-er" She muttered "I've heard you'll go to a mission."
Shi Jian gave a soft smile "Yes, Yima. I'll go with Li Hong, Yao Cheng Re-"
"It won't be in Dongying, right?" Shin Lihua asked, interrupting him,
Shi Jian was a bit surprised, what took him a moment to answer "Ah, no. The mission will be in Zhongguo." He replied, now a bit suspiscious
Shin Lihua gave a relieved sigh. The boy grew even more distrustful "Yima, why you wanted to know?"
"For nothing" she said quickly, waving her hand to dismiss her nephew question as she sat at her throne "I heard a new disciple will go with you, is that right?"
Shi Jian wanted to know why his aunt asked that, but he knew he couldn't press it "Yes. His name is Wang Xun. Master Chu Zhiwei gave us the order to teach a shidi, so Master Sui asked us to teach his disciple, Wang Xun."
She nodded "Yes... It's a good choice. Have you already talked with him?"
"Yes" Shi Jian remembered all the times he met Wang Xun, when he helped him fighting Pei Xu and when Wang Xun invaded his house by the window. Shi Jian needed to bit his lip to not smile or laugh out loud "I think he has potential" He said, thinking of how Wang Xun could be impulsive. Chu Zhiwei always said that a impulsive personality can turn into something good if controlled, but also something bad if abundant.
Shi Lihua raised an eyebrown "Really? We're needing new good disciples."
Suddenly, a messenger appeared at the hall, using Longshan formal clothes. He bowed to Shi Jian and Shi Lihua, and talked up, looking at Li Hua "Master, you have a meeting to attend."
Shi Lihua nodded and looked back at Shi Jian, her serious expression turning into a smile "Jian-er, I'm really pround that you're going to teach a new disciple. Be responsible, okay?"
Shi Jian blushed a little by being treated as a child in front of the messenger, but he nodded "Yes Yima, farewell."