In order to show Shizun his sincerity, the young master of Sisheng Peak asked for three whole servings of charred tofu, and promised to eat every single piece without waste.
Chu Wanning was very pleased, a seldomly-seen approval in his eyes.
Mo Ran, seeing this, was very displeased. Emperor Taxian-Jun had an inexpressible fixation with Chu Wanning's acknowledgement, and immediately asked for three servings of tofu as well. Chu Wanning glanced at him: "Can you eat it all?" Mo Ran absolutely had to get the better of Xue Meng: "Three servings is nothing, even three more is no problem." Chu Wanning, mildly: "Alright." He gave Mo Ran six servings of tofu, and said: "You too, waste not." Mo Ran: "..." Since the other two did it, Shi Mei naturally followed suit with a smile:
"Then... Shizun, I'll have three servings as well."
And so, on the first day of Yuheng Elder's period of confinement, all three of his disciples got the runs from food poisoning. On the second day, Jielu Elder sought out Chu Wanning and tactfully conveyed that Mengpo Hall had no need for extra helpers, and to please go sweep the fallen leaves and wipe the pillars at Naihe Bridge instead.
Naihe Bridge connected the main areas of Sisheng Peak with the disciples' living quarters, wide enough for five horse carriages to pass through side by side. It was a majestic structure, with nine beasts of white jade representing the nine sons of the dragon[4] atop its main pillars, and three hundred and sixty low pillars decorated with lion heads.
Chu Wanning quietly swept the ground, then set about diligently wiping down the jade beasts.
The task took most of the day. As the sky started getting dark, it began to rain.
Most of the disciples returning from their classes didn't have umbrellas,
squawking as they scampered toward their quarters, splashing through water puddles on the ground. Drops of rain pitter-pattered on the stone steps. Chu Wanning glanced at the disciples in the distance, the young boys and girls were drenched through and through but the smiles on their faces were bright and carefree.
"..." Chu Wanning knew that those smiles would vanish the moment they saw him; he looked around, and went to stand under the bridge.
The disciples who ran ahead and arrived at the bridge first couldn't help uttering "eh?" as they took in the sight before them.
"A barrier?" "Why is there a barrier over Naihe Bridge?" "It was probably set up by Xuanji Elder." One of the disciples guessed,
"Xuanji Elder is always so nice to us." The translucent golden barrier covered Naihe Bridge, extending resplendent all the way to the main walkway of the disciples' quarters, sheltering them from the rain the rest of the way.
"This is definitely Xuanji Elder's work, he's in charge of this area right?" "Xuanji Elder is the best." "What a pretty barrier, Xuanji Elder is incredible." The disciples shook the water out of their dripping hair, shoving playfully at one another and laughing as they ducked under the barrier and continued toward their quarters, chattering the whole way.
Chu Wanning stood under the bridge, listening as the commotion above passed by, until the disciples were all gone and everything became quiet once more, before slowly putting away the barrier and leisurely walking out.
"Shizun." He was surprised to hear someone calling for him.
Chu Wanning looked up abruptly, but there was no one on the shore.
"I'm over here." Following the voice, he saw Mo Ran sitting sideways on the white jade bridge, dressed in the customary silver-blue light armor of the sect, a leg draped lazily over the edge.
The youth had striking features, eyelashes long and thick like a little pair of fans hanging over his eyes. He held an oil paper umbrella, and almost seemed to be smiling, yet also not, as he gazed at Chu Wanning.
One on the bridge, leaves rustling in the wind; one under the bridge, rain splashing in the river.
For a moment, neither spoke, both simply looking at the other.
The misty rain blurred the line between heaven and earth almost poignantly.
Fallen bamboo leaves drifted between the two of them now and again, carried by the wind and rain Finally, Mo Ran laughed and said teasingly: "Xuanji Elder, you're getting drenched." Chu Wanning spoke at nearly the same time, coldly: "How did you know it was me?" Mo Ran pressed his lips together, dimples deep and eyes curved in a smile:
"A barrier this big is beyond Xuanji Elder, right? Who else could it be but Shizun?" Chu Wanning: "..." Mo Ran knew that he couldn't be bothered to put up a barrier for himself,
but an idea popped into his head, and he tossed the umbrella over.
"I'll give this to you, catch." The bright red paper umbrella drifted slowly down. Chu Wanning caught it.
The glossy, jade-green bamboo handle still held a remainder of warmth, droplets of rain sliding along the top of the umbrella and sparkling as they fell. Chu Wanning looked up at him: "Then what about you?" Mo Ran grinned deviously: "Won't I get back perfectly fine if Shizun just uses a little spell?" Chu Wanning let out a hmph, but his hand waved lightly in his sleeve nevertheless, a translucent golden barrier spreading out immediately above Mo Ran. He looked up and laughed: "Haha, how pretty, it's even got peony patterns.
Thanks." Chu Wanning shot him a look: "Those are haitang flowers, only five petals." Then he left, white robes under a scarlet umbrella, leaving Mo Ran in the rain to count the flower petals by himself: "One, two, three, four, five... ah, it really does only have five petals..." When he looked back up, Chu Wanning had already walked far away.
Standing under the barrier, Mo Ran narrowed his eyes, the childlike grin on his face slowly fading away to be replaced by a complicated expression.
He didn't understand just what he was thinking about, all of a sudden.
If only his feelings toward another could be simply fondness or simply loathing.
The rain didn't stop for four days. When the clouds parted at last, an entourage of horses and carriages, bells jingling, splashed through the water puddles, breaking apart the skies and clouds reflected on the ground, and stopped in front of Sisheng Peak's main gate.
The bamboo screen lifted up, and a folding fan with a red tassel peeked out from inside.
Immediately after, a pair of silver-trimmed blue battle boots stepped out onto the ground with a heavy thump, sending dust flying.
It was a burly man with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a full, well-kept beard,
about forty years of age, wearing a full set of silver-blue light armor. He looked gruff, but those large hands waved a delicate, scholarly fan, making for quite the strange sight.
The fan opened with a pop. On the side facing others was written——
"Xue is beautiful." But on the side facing himself was written—— "Others are ugly." This fan was known throughout the realm, both for the martial prowess of its owner and the extreme awkwardness of the writing on it.
One side boasted about the owner, while the other side mocked everybody else.
A light wave of the fan, and everyone within a hundred li[5] could smell the owner's narcissism. Every single person in the cultivation realm knew of this fan.
But who was the owner? It was none other than the master of Sisheng Peak who had been away for more than two months, Xue Meng's father, Mo Ran's uncle, Sir Xue, Xue Zhengyong.
The saying went that dragons bear dragons, phoenixes bear phoenixes, a mouse's son digs holes.
It was just as true in reverse: the old man of a peacock son was just as prone to showing off his tail feathers.
Xue Meng's delicate looks were completely different from his brawny old man, but the same stuff ran in their bones—— Both felt that "Xue is beautiful, others are ugly." Xue Zhengyong stretched, shook his limbs out, cracked his neck, and grinned: "Aiyo, finally home, my ass is numb from all that sitting." Inside Loyalty Hall, Madam Wang was busy blending medicine, with Mo Ran and Xue Meng sitting by her sides.
She said softly: "Four taels[6] of staunching herbs, and a shouyang ginseng,
please." "Here you go, Mom, already weighed." Xue Meng handed the herbs over from where he sat cross-legged next to her. Madam Wang held the staunching herbs up for a smell, and said, "These are no good, they've been tainted from being stored with patchouli for too long, the decoction won't be as effective using these. Please go fetch some fresh ones." "Alrighty." Xue Meng got up to go dig through the medicine cabinet in the inner room.
Madam Wang continued: "Three qian[7] of wulingzhi, and one qian of dodder." Mo Ran passed the materials over deftly: "Aunt, how long will it take to boil the medicine?" "No need to boil, this one can just be brewed." Madam Wang answered,
"When I'm done grinding the medicine, could A-Ran bring it over to Yuheng Elder?" Mo Ran didn't want to at first, but shooting a glance in Xue Meng's direction,
he knew that if he didn't do it, then Xue Meng would.
For some reason, he simply disliked the idea of Xue Meng spending time alone with Chu Wanning, so he said: "Sure." A pause, then he asked: "Oh yeah, is it bitter?" "Somewhat. Why do you ask?" Mo Ran grinned: "No reason." But he grabbed a handful of candy from the fruit bowl and stuffed it into his sleeve.
The people inside the hall were hard at work making the medicine when suddenly a burst of bold, unrestrained laughter came from the door. Xue Zhengyong strode into the hall, grinning radiantly: "Wifey, I'm back!
Hahahahaha!" He arrived completely unannounced despite his status as the sect master,
startling Madam Wang so much that she nearly spilled all the powdered medicine in her spoon. Her pretty eyes widened: "Husband?" Mo Ran also stood up in greeting: "Uncle." "Ah, Ran-er is here too?" Xue Zhengyong's appearance was powerful and imposing, but his manner of speech was kindly. His big hand smacked Mo Ran's shoulder, "My boy, I haven't been gone that long, did you get taller again? How'd it go at Butterfly Town?" Mo Ran grinned: "Went alright." "Good, good good good! I knew nothing could go wrong with Chu Wanning there, hahahaha——oh yeah, where is he by the way? Cooped up by himself fiddling with those playthings again?" Hearing that, Mo Ran was a little uneasy: "Uh, Shizun..." His uncle had a fiery temperament, and was prone to acting impulsively. His death in the last lifetime was mostly caused by this temperament of his. Of course Mo Ran didn't want to directly tell him that Chu Wanning ate two hundred strikes and got confined for three months on top. He was just pondering how to break the news when an "ah" came from behind him.
Xue Meng had returned holding a pile of staunching herbs in his arms, and was ecstatic to see his father: "Dad!" "Meng-er!" Mo Ran secretly let out a sigh of relief. Any time this father and son pair met, a bout of mutual flattering was unavoidable, which gives him plenty of time to think of a way to tactfully break the news about Chu Wanning getting punished.
Sure enough, the pair of peacock father and son spread their tail feathers and busied themselves plastering each other with praise.
"My son got even more handsome in these last two months! You're looking more and more like daddy!" Xue Meng took entirely after his mom and looked nothing like his dad, but he took his word for it: "And dad got even buffer!" Xue Zhengyong waved his big hand, grinning: "The whole time I was at Kunlun Taxue Palace, I kept thinking about how none of the youngsters out there can even hold a candle to my son and nephew! Aiyo, I got so tired of looking at that gaggle of femmy boys. Meng-er, do you still remember Mei Hanxue?"" Xue Meng immediately took on a look of contempt: "The chubby one that's been training in seclusion for like a dozen years, I heard he's the eldest disciple of Taxue Palace? Did he finally come out?" "Hahaha, what a good memory, that's him. The kid stayed with us for a while way back when, you two even shared a bed."
"...How could i forget, fat like a dog, and kicked in his sleep too. I got kicked off the bed so many times. You saw him?" "I saw him, I saw him." Xue Zhengyong twirled his beard, and seemed to be musing about something. Xue Meng was the darling of the heavens, competitive to a fault, and asked impatiently: "And?" Xue Zhengyong laughed: "Of course you're better. The boy's master taught him stuff like instruments and dance for some godforsaken reason, even just using qinggong made flower petals fly everywhere, your dad almost died laughing, hahahaha!" Xue Meng wrinkled his nose, as if disgusted.
A little porky with baby fat, playing instruments and dancing while petals fluttered about...
"Then how's his cultivation?" Mei Hanxue had trained in seclusion for more than ten years, after all; he only just came out these last few months, and hadn't made much noise in the world yet.
Since he already won in terms of "looks", Xue Meng was going to compare "cultivation" next.
Xue Zhengyong didn't answer immediately this time. He thought for a while,
then said: "I didn't get to see his skills much. No matter, Meng-er will surely get to cross swords with him at the Spiritual Mountain Competition anyway." Xue Meng's eyebrow twitched: "Hmph, who knows if that stupid porky will even get to challenge me." Madam Wang finished blending the medicine and got up, patting Xue Meng's head with a smile: "Meng-er must not be so arrogant, remember to be modest and respectful." Xue Meng said: "What's the point in being modest? That's for weaklings, I'd rather be forthright like dad." Xue Zhengyong chortled: "See, this tiger dad ain't got no pup for a son." Madam Wang was displeased: "This is all your doing, teaching him all these bad habits and none of the good, I can't believe you." Xue Zhengyong saw irritation in her expression, and knew that she really was a bit unhappy. He immediately checked his grin, scratching his head: "Wifey,
I was wrong. We'll go by whatever wifey says, don't be mad~" Mo Ran: "..." Xue Meng: "..." Madam Wang was a disciple of Guyue'ye in her early years, and rumor had it that Xue Zhengyong stole her. Who knows if that rumor was true or not, but what Mo Ran does know is that his uncle is deeply in love with his aunt, so much so that his bones of iron would turn into soft threads to wrap around her finger.
But Madam Wang was not quite so passionate toward her husband; she was a gentle person, but would often get mad at him over little things.
The years went by bumpily like this. Anyone with eyes could see who felt more deeply for the other between this couple.
Of course Xue Meng wasn't gonna hang around to watch his own parents flirt. A little grossed out, he clicked his tongue and turned to leave.
Madam Wang was quite embarrassed, hurriedly calling: "Meng-er?" Xue Meng waved his hand and left briskly.
Mo Ran also didn't want to cut into the couple's reunion, and used this excuse to conveniently dodge his uncle's questions as well. The topic of Chu Wanning's punishment was better brought up by Madam Wang, after all. He sure didn't want to be the one to deal with it. After collecting the medicine on the table, he made his escape with a smile on his face, even closing the door for them.
Medicine in hand, he strolled leisurely over to the Red Lotus Pavilion.
Chu Wanning's body was weak these days due to his injury, so he took down the barriers that usually surrounded the pavilion. Thus he had no way of knowing if someone came in.
And so, it was under these circumstances that Mo Ran saw this scene…...
Chu Wanning, bathing in the lotus pond.
It would've been one thing if he was just bathing by himself, but in that lotus pond for the sole use of the virtuous and incorruptible Yuheng Elder, were the silhouettes of two other people...
[4] Ancient Chinese folklore, the nine sons are different animals each with their own personalities and likes/dislikes; here they are → http://att.bbs.duowan.com/forum/201201/08/165251cfv6z3c3cu3obpbn.jpg [5] 里 li, approx = 500m, 100 li = 50km
[6] 两 liang, approx = 50 g
[7] 钱 qian, = 1/10 of a tael = 5 g