"Hurry up!" One of the men shouted, as he turned around and raised an arm. "Bring the Young Master a change of clothes! And get started on the Jingu Tea!!"
The three almost jumped in place as they were brought back to reality. They ran right away towards the exit, casting away their bewilderment.
The man turned back around and took three steps forward.
"How was it, Young Zhao? I'm sure you would prefer some good Baijiu since it has been so long, but you will need the Jingu Tea to recover your strength. We wouldn't want all this time to be a waste, right?"
'All this time here...? Then he entered this place willingly. Some kind of training method?'
"Um..." The man rubbed his hands together. "You must be a bit confused, Young Zhao. It often happens."
"The light... Is blinding." Zhao muttered.
"Oh, yes. It must be after so long in the darkness."
Lei thought silently for a bit.
Being confused after staying so long in the darkness happens often, huh?
"Who are you again?"
"Huh? Oh, memory issues are common too, I suppose. It's me, Ui Feng! Your Personal Instructor, remember? Haha! As well as your dear drinking companion, of course."
The Young Master scratched his head.
"I guess...?"
Ui rubbed his chin and long beard for a couple of seconds.
"I must say... Some had their doubts, but I always believed that you would succeed with ease."
"Is that so?"
"Of course! Many lose their life, but you succeeded with ease! Not only that, but to find you standing, able to walk and talk. It is incredibly...."
'Is it suspicious?'
"Rewarding as your personal instructor..."
'Phew...' Lei sighed internally.
"I must apologize. I know that I was against you attempting this, but know that my opposition to it had nothing to do with your capabilities. It was simply because I thought you didn't need such a thing."
"I see. That's fine." The Young Master muttered, before stepping forward.
"Oh! Should I assist you?" Ui immediately walked to Zhao's side.
"No, I'm fine."
"Oh, please, let me."
The personal instructor raised Zhao's arm, placing it around his shoulders. The Young Master really didn't need the assistance. It also didn't feel comfortable, being this close to a stranger.
"Haha! Doesn't this bring back memories?"
"Mm?"
"After a couple of jugs of Baijiu, you know?"
The Young Master stopped walking, and so did the personal instructor assisting him.
Lei stared at the man's face.
His beard was long. And tied, which was rather weird to see.
Thin hair, balding. His facial expression and eyes, expecting.
"Maybe my memory will be better after a couple of jugs."
"Hahaha!" Ui laughed out loud, his eyes sparkling from those words. "Let's get back to the city first. A great feast awaits you!"
The Young Master nodded, and they walked towards the exit.
'So this Zhao Laohu was a big on alcohol, huh? Mm...'
Immediately as they stepped into the light, the Young Master brought his hands to his face. The sunlight felt like it would burn his retinas if stared at. It was dawn. Or dusk, Lei couldn't tell.
As the three men who had run to get what was asked for walked closer, Ui Feng ran towards them.
'Zhao Laohu... The guy stayed here for a long time. Without water or food. No light either. A week? Would that be enough for memory loss and confusion? Then longer... But without water either?' The Young Master thought as he looked at the outside, his hands covering the blinding sun.
The cave he had just exited seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, as a dense forest encircled the mountain of which the cave was a part.
'A cave at the foot of the mountain... Not that high a mountain though.'
Give me that!-
Ui hurriedly walked back towards the Young Master after tearing something away from one of the others.
"Young Master, if you would let me."
High status. That much was obvious. At least, when compared to those standing around him currently.
The Young Master shrugged and nonchalantly raised his arms.
The personal instructor, almost excited to do so, assisted the Young Master.
'Looks pretty good.' Lei thought, as Ui quickly passed his hands over the Young Master's sleeves, making sure that there were no creases on the latter's robe. 'Mostly dark with some yellow. Yellow for the tiger?' The Young Master looked towards the three men whose names and roles he still hadn't heard. 'The same... Except mine has more patterns. This guy's too. The higher up the Sect's hierarchy, the more complex the robe and patterns get, but we wear the same colors. So I can differentiate who is on my side and who isn't this way-'
Interrupting the Young Master's thoughts and nearly making him jump back, a roar echoed!
"Fret not, Young Zhao. After spending so long in quietness, it is normal for such a loud sound to surprise you. But it is only your Beast's call. It has probably missed your scent, haha!" Ui started walking away. "I will discipline the one responsible though, I assure you."
The Young Master nodded silently.
'Beast? Something like the Scornful Wolf that I... They can be tamed, huh? Wait, discipline the one responsible for the Beast roaring? Mm. Strict with those below him then. I'll assume that about Zhao for now. Judging by how Ui came to help, Zhao expects assistance even for trivial tasks like putting on a robe...'
Lei smiled.
'What a pampered Young Master.'
His gaze moved towards the three men who had remained unmoving.
The Young Master took a step towards them, and immediately,
"YOUNG MASTER! WE NEVER DOUBTED YOU!!"
"WE ALWAYS KNEW THIS WOULD BE A PIECE OF CAKE FOR YOU, YOUNG MASTER!!"
"I WILL PERSONALLY GO BEAT UP THOSE WHO DOUBTED YOU, YOUNG MASTER!!"
They swarmed him at once, their eyes glistening with respect and admiration.
The Young Master felt embarrassed and his first instinct was to look away. Receiving that kind of attention felt foreign to him but also kind of creepy. He did not let that instinct win though and, instead, kept solid eye contact with the three.
"Whoever doubts me deserves to get beat up."
The Young Master's confidence brought on more admiration and compliments from the three.
'I guess they expected a response like that...' Lei chuckled internally. 'Perfect.'