Master Fang Zheng's insanity became the hot topic of the sect. Everyone was talking about it, but nobody really knew what to do. Some thought it was just a phase, while others whispered about his breakdown being a result of some deep, philosophical struggle.
Me? I was mostly just waiting for it all to blow over. I still had the same life to live pretend to train, act like I cared about this sect, and avoid doing anything that might get me into trouble.
Then came the day when I was summoned to the Elders' Hall.
"Why am I here again?" I muttered, rubbing my eyes as I trudged through the hallways.
As soon as I walked in, I was met with Elder Wei, who was looking at me like I'd committed a crime just by showing up.
"Sit down, Amon," he ordered in his usual deep, gravelly voice.
I sat, trying not to look too eager. Being summoned by Elders was usually a bad sign.
"We need to talk about Master Fang Zheng," Elder Wei said.
I blinked. "Uh, what about him?"
"He's been taken to the Inner Chambers for... well, let's call it a mental health break," Elder Wei explained. "And you're the one responsible for it."
"What?" I shot up from my seat, my eyes wide. "How am I responsible? I didn't even do anything!"
Elder Wei raised an eyebrow. "You didn't do anything? You're the last one he trained. His breakdown didn't happen overnight. It happened because of your... methods."
I opened my mouth, then closed it."Little did they know that it had infact happened overnight", I didn't know what to say. It was true that I'd been "training" under Fang Zheng, but it wasn't like I had intended for him to lose his mind.
"It's not my fault he's crazy."
Elder Wei just stared at me for a long moment, his piercing gaze making me feel like I'd been caught in some kind of trap.
"You are truly a special case, Amon," he said finally. "You'll have to make amends for what you've done."
"Make amends?" I repeated. "How do I do that?"
"You'll need to prove that you're capable of handling responsibility. It's time for you to prove you're more than just a waste of space," Elder Wei said. "You'll be taking on a mission."
"Wait, you mean like... a real mission?" I asked.
Elder Wei nodded. "Yes. And if you mess this up, there will be consequences. Understand?"
I gulped. "Yeah, yeah, I understand. So... what's the mission?"
Elder Wei handed me a small scroll. "You're to deliver this to a contact in the nearby town. It's a simple errand. Don't mess it up."
I took the scroll, still processing the idea of actually being given a mission. Maybe I wasn't as much of a joke as I thought.
But even the readers would know by now that I was about to screw this up, too.