Daoist Master Guining was lazy by nature and never interfered in the sect's affairs, great or small. Having made an exception to meet this new young disciple, he found himself with little to say. "There is no need for restraint here at Rizhao Mountain. Our sect does not have many rules; most are carved into the Precept Stone outside the main hall. Have Little Ten take you to see them later. Find some time to transcribe them once, but do not take them too much to heart."
He paused to think, then added, "As for your morning martial arts practice, you may ask your senior brothers about anything you do not understand. Regarding your courtyard, you shall be placed in Luohua—"
Before the Sect Leader could finish, a voice suddenly drifted in from outside. "Junior Brother, morning lessons are over! Was today Little Martial Uncle’s class? Did he take attendance? Oh, oh, good, that’s a relief... Me? I’m here to ask Master for permission to go to Hundred Swords Mountain next month."
Guining Zhenren frowned, seemingly struck by a thought. He changed his mind. "...You shall be placed in Wenchuan Residence, right next to Ming Zhu’s quarters. From now on, seek out your Eldest Senior Brother for all matters, large or small. Next month, follow Ming Zhu to Hundred Swords Mountain to find a suitable weapon."
Upon hearing this, Shen Di’an felt a pang of envy. He had been at Rizhao Mountain for five years and had yet to receive permission from Guining Zhenren to visit Hundred Swords Mountain. He wondered what kind of freak this new Junior Brother was to be invited to go the moment he arrived.
Guining Zhenren waved a hand dismissively. "Go on. Send your Eldest Senior Brother in."
Knowing the Sect Leader’s temperament, Shen Di’an hurriedly pulled Zhou Fuxue into a bow. "Your disciples take their leave."
Shen Di’an stepped out and gently pulled the hall doors shut, letting out a slow sigh of relief. Although Guining Zhenren rarely lost his temper with them, his heart always hammered in his chest whenever they met, an inexplicable sense of dread taking hold.
As the two descended the steps, they saw Ming Zhu sitting cross-legged on the ground right in front of the hall.
A row of patterns and characters was carved into the ground at the entrance, with the words "Sect Precepts" standing out prominently. The Eldest Senior Brother sat right beside them, his red robes and black hair sprawling across the floor. His tall, slender frame leaned against a nearby stone tablet as if he were entirely boneless.
Shen Di’an walked over and said, "Master wants you inside."
Ming Zhu’s eyes were half-open. Because Shen Di’an had given him a beating earlier, there was still some bruising on the side of his face. He held no grudge, however, simply grunting an "oh" as he stood up. As he passed Zhou Fuxue, he suddenly paused. Looking down at the boy, who didn't even reach his chest, he said, "Little Thirteen, right?"
Zhou Fuxue disliked the nickname. With a stiff face, he replied, "My name is Zhou Fuxue."
The Eldest Senior Brother replied, "Call yourself whatever you like. From now on, I’m calling you Little Thirteen."
Zhou Fuxue: "..."
He finally understood why Shen Di’an would commit the sacrilege of beating his Eldest Senior Brother. With someone as self-centered as this, anyone who spent too much time with him would want to take a swing at his face.
Because of this, Zhou Fuxue became even more certain: this man’s greatest merit was his good looks; aside from that, he was utterly useless.
Zhou Fuxue felt an instinctive aversion to him, but he never let his emotions show. No matter how much he disliked someone, he wouldn't reveal a trace of it. He stood there with a cold, rigid expression, allowing Ming Zhu to look him over.
The flighty Eldest Senior Brother reached out and lightly tapped the space between the boy's brows. Zhou Fuxue felt a searing heat surge into his mind before vanishing instantly.
Startled, he instinctively took a step back.
After completing the gesture, Ming Zhu narrowed his eyes and smiled. "A meeting gift from your Senior Brother. Keep it safe, no need to thank me."
Zhou Fuxue touched his brow, stunned into silence.
Shen Di’an didn't want to stay near his dim-witted senior brother for long. He stood up and said, "Eldest Senior Brother, Master has assigned Fuxue to live in Wenchuan Residence. You are responsible for all his affairs from now on. Don't you dare forget."
Ming Zhu: "Fine. Now beat it."
Shen Di’an didn't bother arguing with him, turning to lead Zhou Fuxue away.
After walking a few paces, Zhou Fuxue felt a sensation and glanced back. He saw his Eldest Senior Brother, who looked as if he were draped in flames, smiling at him with curved eyes. The man pressed his thumb and forefinger together, blew a kiss toward them, and then flicked his finger in Zhou Fuxue's direction.
Zhou Fuxue: "..."
Shen Di’an was wondering why Zhou Fuxue had stopped. When he turned and saw the Eldest Senior Brother’s flamboyant gesture, his face began to darken—but before he could speak, a delicate little incense burner came flying out of the hall, striking Ming Zhu square in the face just as his smile was widening.
Ming Zhu took the direct hit. His upright posture wobbled, and with a loud *thud*, he collapsed onto the ground.
Shen Di’an: "Serves you right!"
Zhou Fuxue: "..."
A cold shout echoed from within the hall: "If you disgrace yourself one more time, get your ass to the Ice Pond and kneel! Get in here!"
The bridge of Ming Zhu’s nose was nearly bleeding from the impact. He hissed, sucking in several sharp breaths of cold air as he scrambled up dizzily. Staggering toward the hall, he called out, "Yes, your disciple knows his mistake. I won't dare do it again."
Shen Di’an was delighted. With a lingering grin, he led the way.
Wenchuan Residence was nestled within a grove of camphor trees. The dense canopy blotted out the sun, and the branches were filled with the constant chirping of birds. Wooden steps wound their way up to the entrance, covered in fallen camphor leaves as if no one had cleaned the place in ages.
Shen Di’an said, "Wenchuan Residence used to be your Seventh Senior Brother’s home. However, it has been vacant since he defected from Rizhao. It’s a good spot, but the feng shui is a bit poor."
Zhou Fuxue: "Hm?"
Shen Di’an pointed to another courtyard nearby. "See that? That’s your Eldest Senior Brother’s yard. It’s called 'Bu-Zhiya.' Living next to that, how could the feng shui be good?"
The two courtyards were very close. Originally, they were meant to be named "Wenchuan" and "Zhiya," forming the phrase *Wenchuan Zhiya*—to hear the zither and know the elegance. However, that unrefined Eldest Senior Brother had insisted on adding the word "Bu" (Not) to his residence, as if he were terrified people wouldn't know he was an uneducated blockhead.
Shen Di’an pushed open the door. A half-man-tall Dust-Avoiding Tree was planted in the courtyard, keeping the area relatively clean. However, the rooms had still gathered quite a bit of dust. When the door opened, a cloud of dust billowed out, making Zhou Fuxue wrinkle his nose.
Shen Di’an called over a few young acolytes and ordered them to clean. He then sat with Zhou Fuxue under the camphor tree to enjoy the shade.
"The Sect Leader of Rizhao has twelve disciples. Each has a different temperament, and none of them get along. They hardly see each other in private throughout the year. Because of this, Master gave up on taking more disciples a few years ago." Shen Di’an rested his chin on his hand. "Yet, only a few years later, you’ve joined the sect. And you’ve even been allowed to go to Hundred Swords Mountain with the Eldest Senior Brother next month. Tsk, tsk. Fuxue, do you have any idea how difficult it is to get to Hundred Swords Mountain?"
Zhou Fuxue glanced at him coldly and asked instead, "Why don't you get along?"
Shen Di’an narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment. "For the others, it’s probably because of the Sect Leader’s position."
Zhou Fuxue didn't show it on his face, but he sneered inwardly. Before he came, his family had told him that Rizhao Mountain was a paradise where everyone lived in enviable harmony. Now it seemed it was just as full of sordid power struggles as the secular world.
Shen Di’an idly chewed on a camphor leaf. "None of them want to be the candidate for the next Sect Leader. They’re all trying to push someone else into the job to take the fall."
Zhou Fuxue: "..."
Oh. So it *was* different.
"So, when we gather at the end of every year, you’ll see those senior brothers of ours—who can usually fight ten men at once—acting more useless than the next. It’s actually quite fun to watch."
Zhou Fuxue: "..."
They sat for about an hour until the acolytes finally finished cleaning Wenchuan Residence inside and out, preparing all the daily necessities.
Shen Di’an looked at the tidy courtyard and clicked his tongue. "If it weren't for the Eldest Senior Brother being next door, I’d want to move here myself."
Zhou Fuxue organized the scriptures on the table. Hearing this, he suddenly had a bad premonition about his future.
As they chatted aimlessly, the door to Wenchuan Residence was suddenly thrown open. Ming Zhu, clad in his red robes, drifted in. Before even entering the room, he called out, "Little Thirteen! Where’s Thirteen? Your Senior Brother is here!"
Seeing him barge in without any sense of etiquette, Zhou Fuxue frowned slightly. "Greetings, Eldest Senior Brother."
Ming Zhu didn't seem to notice his junior brother’s distaste at all. He walked up and leaned against the table, winking at the boy with a bright smile. "You’ve just arrived at Rizhao, so you’re probably unfamiliar with things. If there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask me. I’ll tell you everything I know."
Zhou Fuxue replied flatly, "Thank you, Senior Brother."
Ming Zhu was about to continue his chatter when he caught sight of Shen Di’an. He said in surprise, "Why are you still here?"
Shen Di’an replied, "My apologies, Eldest Senior Brother. This junior brother is an eyesore to your venerable self—I’m just here to observe how you intend to mentor a disciple."
At this, Ming Zhu raised an eyebrow triumphantly. He slung an arm around Shen Di’an’s neck and said, "I’ve already thought it through on my way here. By following my methods, I can definitely turn Little Thirteen into a brilliant and peerless figure."
Shen Di’an listened intently.
Ming Zhu cleared his throat and looked at Zhou Fuxue. "Little Thirteen, I’m sure you know by now that you have twelve senior brothers above you. However, six of them are only disciples in name; they’re out in the wild all year and never come back. There are only six of us at Rizhao Mountain worth mentioning. Master told me to look after you, which means he expects you to become someone great. Therefore, you cannot slack off for a single day out of the thirty in a month. Do you understand?"
Zhou Fuxue: "Yes."
Shen Di’an was deeply confused. He thought to himself that the Eldest Senior Brother was actually speaking like a human being for once. Usually, the man was too lazy to cultivate and would skip morning lessons twenty-nine times a month. Why was he suddenly willing to teach this child properly?
As he was wondering, Ming Zhu continued, "I’ve arranged everything for you. We’ll work in five-day cycles. For the first half of the month, you’ll study music theory with your Second Senior Brother. Then you’ll study with your Third Senior Brother... Tsk, your Third Senior Brother was born blind, so it seems there isn't much he can teach you. Just learn meditation from him. After that, hm... your Fifth Senior Brother’s swordplay is decent. You can go learn some trivial basics from him; it’ll make fighting easier in the future. For the second half of the month, have your Ninth Senior Brother teach you mechanics and arrays. As for the Tenth Senior Brother—this little waste standing right here—you’ll learn medicine from him."
Shen Di’an: "..."
Zhou Fuxue: "..."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
归宁真人 | Daoist Master Guining | The Sect Leader (Zhangjiao) of Rizhao Mountain.
闻弦居 | Wenchuan Residence | Zhou Fuxue's residence; literally "Listening to the Zither."
不知雅居 | Bu-Zhiya Residence | Ming Zhu's residence; literally "Not Knowing Elegance."
百剑山 | Hundred Swords Mountain | A location where disciples obtain weapons.
避尘树 | Dust-Avoiding Tree | A magical tree that keeps its surroundings clean.
闻弦知雅 | Wenchuan Zhiya | A phrase meaning "to hear the zither and know the elegance" (to be a kindred spirit/refined).
戒规 | Precepts / Sect Rules | The rules of the Rizhao Sect.
冰潭 | Ice Pond | A place of punishment within the sect.
