In front of the main gate, a guard disciple stops Shen from going any further. "Who are you people?... please state your business here..." Normal public obviously aren't allowed inside the school premises without permission.
"This is really getting old," Shen furrows his brows. This all-too-familiar scenario irritates him.
"How many times do I have to answer this same old question? And this is probably not the last of it either." He is very much done with it. Having to repeat the same thing to different people over and over again is really starting to tick him off.
The disciple hears his low muttering. "Sorry!!" He looks at Shen in confusion.
"Sigh!" Shen breathes out deeply, and to the surprise of the guard, without a word, he floats directly over the gate.
Beyond the gate, in the training area, many of the disciples who were busy tempering their bodies witness this scene.
Shen creates a commotion as the words quickly reach other disciples. Everyone in the open area starts to gather some distance below him.
Bora, Giran, and Namu also enter the school premises, albeit through the front door.
The guard disciple isn't in a state to stop them — "What if... just what if this man is him??!!" . . .
The three disciples start to explain everything to the stunned crowd, followed by Shen himself showcasing his powers. Under the amazed gaze of everyone, he summons a ki blast and launches it at a nearby boulder. Although the students can't clearly see the blast as it occurs beyond the tall walls of the school compound, the trembling earth, along with the thunderous sound, is more than enough to convince them.
So now, yet again, the scene repeats itself.
"Wa—What??" The stupefied disciples go from suspicion to confusion, to disbelief, to surprise, to amazement. It is hard to refute evidence that has been presented as clear as glass in front of them.
The students, who are now convinced, merrily rejoice. Hearing the commotion, the remaining disciples who previously weren't present also arrive at the scene, asking what the celebration is about.
The disciples who were already at the place inform their fellow disciples, and in no time, the whole school knows the news.
Shen lands from the sky and starts to inspect all the gathered students.
While closely paying attention to the condition of some of the disciples, Shen becomes somewhat bewildered. "What happened to you guys? Why are your legs injured? Who or what did this?"
With dejected, sad faces, the disciples are a little reluctant to speak. They are having difficulty just opening their tightly sealed lips. Words are stuck in their dry throats.
"Don't tell me... did he do this?" Even Shen is speechless.
He did think the disciples would have some difficulty under Tao. After all, it is always hard to adjust to a new teacher, especially with teachers like Tao. "But this is going too far. The tendons in their legs have been cut, essentially crippling them for life."
"What kind of bastard would do this?"
Of-course, He knows what kind. 'I had thought I would preserve the last of the old Shen's will by at least not killing his younger brother, but what has that decision led to? ... —the future of five youngsters. . . . I was too naive. Some people can't be left alone that easily.'
"The number of disciples also seems to have gone down."
He inquires about this too, and unfortunately, it turned out as he had suspected. According to the disciples, Tao Pai Pai, in a fit of rage, had killed a disciple just because of a petty reason. . . .
'He is beyond any sense.' Shen, angered by the revelation, wastes no time in search of Tao Pai Pai.
He bursts through the sky multiple times, accelerating his speed each time like a jet propulsion.
Already aware of his so-called brother's sadistic behavior, Shen should have guessed it was never out of the realm of possibility that the old geezer would act the way he did. Only now, that a life has already been lost, does this fact finally seep into him. . .
Shen begins to search every nook and cranny of the forest.
A while later, he finds Tao Pai Pai at the outskirts of Crane School Mountain. Immediately, an argument ensues between the two brothers in the middle of the woods. . . . To the utter astonishment of Tao, Shen states his identity.
But then, having to hear all the unending complaints from his older sibling, Tao lashes out at the opposite party, "What nonsense are you speaking, brother?... When did you become such a bastion of morality? Haven't you killed many trashes yourself?"
Hearing such words from his supposed brother, Shen seethes with displeasure.
"You idiot, killing the disciples of the school is a thing even I have never done." Indeed, the previous Master Shen, however evil he was, would still never have gone as far as to kill a disciple or even permanently injure them.
"Everything has its limit."
Tao gets further agitated by his brother's reply. For these four long years, Tao Pai Pai has felt suspicious of his elder brother. Ever since he returned to the school, he has been thinking about the weird changes in his brother's behavior.
As far as the future assassin is concerned, this may not even be his real brother. An evil spirit may well have taken over his brother's body. —If an evil spirit takes over an evil man, wouldn't that make the man double evil? . . . . . . but I digress!
Seeds of doubt have already sprouted from "This sudden interest in training after neglecting and half-assing them for so many years is also new. How can a stubborn old coot who lazed around for more than 300 years turn a new leaf?"
Tao Pai Pai doesn't believe such a thing is possible. He has known his brother for far too long, so even just the subtle changes in Shen are enough to arouse his suspicion.
Right now, this belief is even more well-founded. "Brother Shen, although I had thought you would get annoyed with my behavior, this is an overreaction... so what if I killed a useless disciple??... they are all expendable."
"Overreaction, expendable you say??" Shen tightens his fist. Sure, he himself is not a bastion of morality.
He has always believed that one is never truly obligated to be morally correct, but there is also one other thing he firmly believes; it is that every person, whoever they may be, has an inherent duty, a responsibility that they must fulfill.
Tao and even Shen failed theirs, so right here, right now, he will put things Right.
Shen too slowly draws back his fist, and a mere second later, the fist pounces at Tao's stomach. The old man is already unconscious on the floor. His innards are probably damaged, and the man's bleeding from all his orifices.
The punch wasn't even worth mentioning for Shen. Just a light punch has made Tao Pai Pai, a veteran martial artist, breathless.
Shen is, however, still conflicted in his heart. He is unsure whether he really has to finish off Tao Pai Pai, whom he has a blood relation to or not... Even if he is not the actual Master Shen, afterall he still has the memories of the old man.
'I shouldn't think much of it... Sometimes, some things really need to be done.'