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TSE - Chapter 3 : An Expected PunishmentFor the next few days, Zhang Shuchang tended to the guest cultivators. The young man did so until the pair knew the temple well enough to wander around by themselves. At that point, the visitors mostly observed the disciples and sometimes discussed with them. Or at least, Hong Qianfan spoke with the students while Hong Haitao ignored whomever tried to entertain a conversation with him.From mouth to ear, the disciples learned that Hong Haitao was seeking pupils. This excited the young people. Eager to engage with the guests, the students without teachers sought guidance from the foreign masters. That is, until they met Hong Haitao's gaze and encountered a stone wall. The man would seldom speak. When he did, one word insults left his lips. Disheartening the students, they soon stopped trying to impress the visitors.The disciples would rather go without a teacher than a mute and mean one.The initial excitement around the visitors quickly died down. Life continued its usual course. Huang Junfeng was tasked with copying the sect rules for his usual indiscretions. Zhang Shuchang resumed his ruthless training. Although, every morning and night, he visited the guest cultivators to ensure their every need was met. Each interaction was haunted by the ghost of his previous blunder however. He could not help but think of the lightly clothed figure each time he crossed paths with the twins. Embarrassed by his carelessness, the disciple was especially careful from that point onward. Fortunately for him, Hong Haitao's door was always closed when he did his daily visit. The young man also knew better than to open it. Hence, the disciple seldom had to interact with the unpleasant man. Instead, Zhang Shuchang engaged in a few lively conversations with the friendly sect leader. Despite his status, the foreign master was always eager to exchange with young recruits. Through one of their chats, Zhang Shuchang even had the opportunity to show the esteemed guest his father's seal."I'm afraid this poor one is not acquainted with this young one's father" he told him after carefully inspecting the piece of wood. "This seal seems to come from a sect this one is unacquainted with.""This disciple is sorry for troubling Hong-daozhang with this small matter," Zhang Shuchang responded as the master handed back the seal."It is no trouble at all," the friendly master smiled. "This disciple should also ask the other master, perhaps he would know," the cultivator added.An uneasy expression drew itself on Zhang Shuchang's face.Feeling the poor boy's reluctance, Hong Qianfan immediately added "although Grandmaster Hong is difficult to approach, he is well traveled. It would be to your benefit to inquire about this matter with him."Zhang Shuchang nodded in agreement and thanked the master for his insight. The young man did not disagree with the sect leader, he simply intended to steer clear of his aloof counterpart.Hong Qianfan having no requests for the boy, Zhang Shuchang took his leave. Prior to departing for his own quarters, the young man went to Hong Haitao's room.The door was closed. As usual.Against his better judgment, he knocked on the cultivator's door.Silence ensued.Zhang Shuchang turned his feet, intending to leave as he usually does when he suddenly heard the door open. The young man suddenly felt anxiety form in the pit of his stomach. He turned back and his eyes fell upon the door ajar. He carefully slipped into the room and met with the familiar cold gaze.The cultivator was facing him, sitting at the table."Bring tea," the man ordered."Yes, Hong-doazhang" the disciple replied with a bow.Zhang Shuchang quickly did as requested and brought forth some hot tea he had prepared himself. He knelt to serve his guest. As he was starting to get up, the master uttered a few words."You have something to ask" he said solemnly before he grabbed his cup and brought it to his lips.The disciple blanked for a moment, caught by surprise. Was it that the esteemed Grandmaster Hong was eavesdropping on his previous conversation?"The walls are thin" the austere man added as if it made the situation any better. He extended his hand to Zhang Shuchang. His long fingers expectantly waiting for an object to be handed over. The young man shook his head, trying to shake away the feeling of having been spied on. Carefully, he took the seal out of his robes and handed it to his interlocutor.At the sight of it, a frown drew itself on the master's visage."You search in vain" the man told the disciple. "This sect is no longer."Zhang Shuchang's heart dropped. What did the master mean by those words?As if reading the young man's mind, the master continued "this seal is a counterfeit."With each word, Zhang Shuchang could feel his heart grow numb. A counterfeit? Has his mother fallen for a con-artist? Was his father nothing more than a fraud?Interrupting his train of thought, Hong Haitao carefully handed back the wooden seal. The young man held back his tears as he looked up to the man before him. The cultivator's expression was as placid as ever, as if he had delivered some platitudes. Zhang Shuchang could hardly believe what he heard and the man before him was completely unaffected."You may take your leave."These heartless words resonated in Zhang Shuchang's ears. Holding back some anger, the young man thanked the master for his time prior to leaving as requested. The disciple quickly left and wandered aimlessly around the temple. He rehashed Hong Haitao's words constantly in his mind. The man had to be mistaken. Zhang Shuchang's mother could not have fallen for a liar.However, the boy could not help but feel it was the truth.His potential as a taoist priest was barely average. No teacher had any interest in him. Nobody knew his father. Zhang Shuchang was just an average schmuck. There was no cultivator father waiting for him."Counterfeit..." he whispered to himself as he walked near a lotus pond.In a fit of anger, Zhang Shuchang almost threw the wooden artifact into the pond. However, at the last moment, his fingers refused to let go. Con-artist or not, this object had been treasured by his mother. In her memory, Zhang Shuchang decided to hold onto the hope that Grandmaster Hong was wrong.The young man held the seal to his chest.For his mother, he would prove that foreign master wrong.
The Serpent's Eyes - Chapter 2: Partners in CrimeThe novelty of Juhua Harbor quickly lost its luster.After his initial night at the dormitory, Zhang Shuchang discovered the life of a taoist disciple. Mornings were dedicated to literature and studies, afternoons to martial arts and swordplay, and evenings to meditation. In the advent of a respite, he was often tasked with miscellaneous tasks around the temple. Once a month, he would be rewarded with a day of rest. The young man would enjoy every second of that time off. His ruthless training left him sore, bruised, and mentally exhausted. The youth could barely keep up with the pace of the regiment.Time flew by however. Two years passed like water in a stream.Zhang Shuchang grew quite disillusioned of his potential as a taoist priest. Some of his juniors surpassed him and others, like Huang Junfeng, seemed to find the regiment effortless. Many came to seek enlightenment at the sect but few succeeded at catching the eye of a teacher. Zhang Shuchang seldom made new friends. The competition between the recruits made friendship difficult to attain.Surprisingly, his senior martial brother, Huang Junfeng, became his acolyte. Although quite the troublemaker, he was reliable and always helpful to Zhang Shuchang. That is, if he indulged in committing pranks against his fellow disciples. Usually, that involved the pair having to kneel in punishment by the end of their rest day.Today was such a day.Zhang Shuchang could barely feel his legs under him. He had been sitting on his feet for so long, he doubted he still had blood in his toes."That was a brilliant idea, Huang-shixiong..." Zhang Shuchang sighed, exasperated."Don't blame me. It's all thanks to you, Zhang-shidi [1]" the senior retorted."I'm not the one who hid snakes in Li-shimei's [2] bed!" the younger one exclaimed."SILENCE! THE BOTH OF YOU!" the headmaster barked, visibly annoyed by the pair's fighting. "I don't care who did it! You're both being punished!"The three were in the library, the two youths kneeling across from the exhausted headmaster. The latter was carefully supervising them while they were pretending to have a fight."I know exactly what you little pests are trying to do", the headmaster added. "One of you is trying to get off the hook so he'll be able to sneak to the kitchen and get food for the two of you. I have news for you: neither of you are getting a meal tonight."Huang Junfeng instantly started pouting at these words. The old donkey had seen right through them. Zhang Shuchang sighed in disappointment. The pair had developed an art in weaseling out of punishment. However, that only worked on the other elders. This time, they had gone too far. The headmaster had decided to personally carry out their punishment. Huang Junfeng had infiltrated the women's quarters to play a trick on one of their junior martial sisters. While Zhang Shuchang was not the one to carry out the prank, he had done much worse. He found a way to counter the spell around the women's quarters. Although Zhang Shuchang was not a prodigal disciple, he was quite crafty. The youth had spent the last month burning the midnight oil in the library, studying ways to escape the temple undetected. The sect was surrounded by a magical barrier capable of notifying the elders of any arrival or departure. A method that prevented disciples from leaving to town of their own accord. Surprisingly, Zhang Shuchang succeeded at finding a method to conceal his presence from the barrier.However, such a fact could not remain unnoticed by Huang Junfeng. The young man was absolutely infatuated with one of his younger martial sisters. He discovered that Zhang Shuchang's method of escaping undetected also worked on the barrier of the women's quarters. And thus, his plan to prank Li Lanfen came to fruition.Since Huang Junfeng was unable to get Li Lanfen's attention, he mercilessly pulled pranks on her. As a result, Zhang Shuchang's harmless way of escaping the routine of a taoist monk became yet another way to harass the poor maiden.Zhang Shuchang did not comprehend his peer’s methods. He did not understand his senior martial brother’s thirst for attention. Especially since it involved him getting needlessly punished this time around."Huang-daozhang [3]" a voice called. "Visitors are seeking an audience.""This is not the right time. Tell them to come another day" the annoyed headmaster barked back."Huang-daozhang, these visitors come from afar. I'm afraid we cannot turn them away" the new arrival continued.The headmaster sighed out of frustration. He told the disciple at the door to bring in the visitors. Despite his best efforts, the two troublemakers would be getting out of punishment once again."The two of you. You heard him alright: scram! I don't want the visitors to see your ugly mugs" he shouted as he got up from his usual lazy sitting position. "Don't forget to copy the temple rules thrice. You'll get a whipping if you don't.""Yes, headmaster!" the young men said in unison before getting up. They wobbled around as the blood started to circulate in their legs once again. The two hurriedly went back to the kitchens to fetch whatever was left for dinner. Luckily for them, there was still some leftover food waiting for them. The two martial brothers both grabbed a bowl of noodles and headed to the cafeteria to take a seat.Huang Junfeng immediately started wolfing down his meal."Li-shimei again?!?" Zhang Shuchang angrily exclaimed whilst still trying to keep his voice down. "You blew my cover just to sneak a snake in her bed!?! Thanks to you, I'll never be able to go to town again!""It was totally worth it!" the other one answered back, his mouth still full of noodles. "You should have seen her face" he continued, daydreaming of his doe-eyed victim."At least your visitors got us off the hook...""My visitors? I thought you were the one to set that up."The two disciples looked at one another. Huang Junfeng grinned."We should go take a look at what our benefactors look like, don't you think?" the older martial brother said in a playful tone.Having learned absolutely nothing of his previous punishment, Zhang Shuchang nodded in agreement. Both hurriedly finished their meal, eager to sneak around and discover the face of whomever unknowingly saved them from a night of hunger. They quickly slipped out of the cafeteria and headed back towards the library. As soon as they reached the building, they quickly slipped into the shadows and started snooping around."Huang-daozhang, this poor one must thank you for your aid in this matter. Our sect is in a precarious position and your help is precious. On behalf of the Meihua clan, we cannot thank you enough" a soft yet masculine voice said.The headmaster laughed loudly."No need to be so formal Hong Qianfan. This teacher has more disciples than he can ever wish to teach to. It is the least I can do for our alliance to provide a few warm bodies" the old man added, chuckling."A thousand thanks, Huang-daozhang. Your kindness will not be forgotten."Inside the building, two visitors clad in white and crimson were discussing with the headmaster. Their faces like sculpted jade and their figures svelte. Their red cultivation robes, bright and exquisite. To top off their garish outfits, they both wore red headbands embroidered with white plum blossoms. The visitors were like two mirror images. Every trait in one's face was reflected onto the other."Hong Haitao, does this deal suit you?" the headmaster told the visitor who had yet to speak."Hn" the wordless visitor nodded back in agreement."Huang-daozhang will have to excuse my brother. Hong-shidi is a man of few words" his companion immediately explained. "Silence is his way to agree." The subject in question quietly raised his eyes and glared at Hong Qianfan, as if about to raise an objection. However, he immediately lowered back his gaze and looked to the side. Under the silent man's seemingly meek demeanor burnt a savage temper. The tension between the twins was palpable. Annoyed by his brother's rudeness, Hong Qianfan coughed. Hong Haitao's gaze came back to the conversation at hand."Huang-daozhang, it has been a long day. May we trouble you and stay in this temple for the night?" Hong Qianfan asked his host."Of course, Hong Qianfan. You two may remain here as long as you need. Get to know our disciples while you're at it. You may be able to find some which would be better suited for your cultivation method than ours" the headmaster answered back in a lighthearted tone. The old man was desperate to end this awkward conversation. Although he had agreed to let the pair steal a few recruits from his own sect: he had no affection whatsoever for Hong Haitao. The arrogance exuding from the man's silence was unbearable. The headmaster only entertained the twins' request because the sect leader of the Meihua clan himself, Hong Qiuafan, uttered the demand. Although the sect leader was exceptionally pleasant, his twin brother had visibly not inherited such a trait. The austere man's coldness was enough to instill uneasiness in whomever he crossed paths with.Having ended the audience, the headmaster and his guests headed outside the pavilion.It was only a few steps before Hong Haitao uttered the first word of his trip."Shameless..." Hong Haitao’s previously evasive gaze fell upon the two boys’ hiding spot. As if he had already known of their antics before he even left the library.Huang Junfeng cursed under his breath. He quickly pushed Zhang Shuchang outside their cache and ran in the other direction. Zhang Shuchang fell head first onto the stone path, right under the eyes of the three masters. [1] Friendly way to address a junior martial brother.[2] Friendly way to address a junior martial sister.[3] Polite way to address a cultivator.

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