In the Golden Mist Ward, many of the oldest sects tracing to the founding of Silver Sword City had established their first Outer Sect branches. These venerable temples of Martial and Scholarly might dominate entire city blocks with towering walls, soaring pagodas, and sprawling training grounds.
On the lakeshore, the Golden Tide Martial Sect not only stretched toward the Heavens with its golden-hued towers but stretched out into the lake with dozens of piers stretching out into the water. Each pier was home to several small boats sporting crisp white sails emblazoned with the sect's cresting golden wave emblem.
Next to the piers, several shirtless male disciples stood chest-deep in the water. With each wave that slapped against their solid, meaty bodies, a faint golden shimmer of energy could be seen flickering over their bodies.
For these early-stage Brawlers, it took all of their concentration to anchor themselves firmly to the lakebed, preventing the waves from toppling them or carrying them away. The most talented of the juniors, however, had begun to harvest the energy of the tide to toughen their flesh against the slapping of the waves that broke over their backs.
Watching over them, Zhang Buyan smiled with pride as none of the disciples under his care had drifted away and the sun had nearly reached its peak. Soon, the morning session would come to an end and he would be free to pursue his own cultivation but he already looked forward to returning to the halls of the sect perfectly dry, unlike his sect brother further down the beach who had plunged into the lake no less than three times to rescue a disciple who failed to anchor themselves and plunged beneath the surface of the lake.
"Senior Brother Zhang," a young voice called out to him, pulling him out of his musings. "Senior Brother, you, um, you have a visitor at the gates," the disciple explained.
"Junior Brother," Zhang Buyan said without taking his eyes off the young men in the water. "If you wish to report to me, you must stand between me and the water. I will not take my eyes from my charges because you're too lazy to walk down the beach. Stand before me and report properly," he said sternly.
Moments later, a fresh-faced youth with cheeks too smooth to have ever known the touch of a razor dashed in front of the older Brawler and saluted formally. "Junior Brother An apologizes for his errors and begs Senior Brother Zhang to be understanding," he said with a faint tremor in his voice.
"Junior Brother, you don't need to fear me," Zhang Buyan said, a wide grin appearing on his bearded face. "It is not for my sake that I enforce the rules, it is for the sake of your sect brothers."
"The tide is merciless, its assault is unceasing, and it is in moments of carelessness that it drags us under. You can be many things but you cannot be careless when your sect brothers and sisters are counting on you," Zhang Buyan advised sternly. "You are still new, the sect rules can seem arbitrary and harsh but they exist for a reason. Now, you said that someone had come to visit me?"
"Thank you Senior Brother, for your advice," the young man said with another salute. "Reporting to Senior Brother, there is a 'man' at the gates who claims to be your friend. He said that had a 'proposal' for you."
"Senior Brother," the young disciple said hesitantly, wringing his hands and struggling to meet Zhang Buyan's gaze directly. "This 'man' has a strange look. He lines his eyes with black paint and his hands look soft like a woman's. I fear his 'proposal' may be indecent."
"If Senior Brother wishes," the young man offered. "I will send him away on your behalf before his presence can affect your honor or reputation," the young disciple offered, hoping to earn back some favor from his Senior Brother.
"Did the man give his name? Is it Brother Wu Ling?" Zhang Buyan asked with a smile. He had yet to make any preparations for an expedition but if Brother Wu was visiting, perhaps he could ask him to paint a portrait that he could give to Junior Sister Jin Wuya! The sun hadn't even reached its zenith yet and already it was looking like a very bright day for the bearded Brawler.
"Ah, so Senior Brother really does know, erm, Brother Wu Ling?" Disciple An stammered.
"Brat, don't make it sound inappropriate," Zhang Buyan scowled at the young man. "Brother Wu is an Artist famed for painting Fairies in search of matchmaking. He's also something like a sorcerer who defeated Xiong Dahuo of the Sanguine Saber Sect in a duel less than a quarter moon ago," he explained.
"Brother Wu may not follow the Martial path but do not think him soft!" Zhang Buyan scolded. "This Senior Brother has even invited him to venture into the mountains to hunt spirit beasts with me."
"I see, so Brother Wu is here to propose a hunt," the young disciple said, nodding his head rapidly like a hen pecking rice. "Should I bring him here?"
"No, I will meet him at the gates, please run to him and tell him that I will be there once I've dismissed the juniors in the water," Zhang Buyan said. It was perhaps as much as a quarter of an hour early but he didn't feel that a reward of ending practice early was undue when his entire class had performed well since early this morning.
Once he reached the gates, Zhang Buyan smiled warmly at the sight of his new friend chatting with several female disciples. It seemed that wherever this man went, Fairies were sure to gather!
"Brother Wu!" Zhang Buyan bellowed. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon!"
"Brother Zhang," Wu Ling said, stepping away from the gaggle of young women to cup his hands in greeting. "I hope I'm not intruding."
"Not at all, not at all! Come, let me treat you to a meal on the lakeshore, you don't mind whitefish do you? Junior Sisters, you'll have to excuse me for taking Brother Wu away from you," he said, throwing a muscular arm around Wu Ling's shoulders and bringing him away before any of the young women could invite themselves along.