Deliberations

The old scholar turned and scolded the two fools. "What are you standing there for? Come meet your junior brother!"

He still had one hand wrapped around his Final Disciple's arm and could not bear to let go.

Zuo and Liu Sixteen hurried over to their teacher.

Liu Sixteen smiled and nodded at his junior brother. At last, they had met.

Chen Ping'an immediately bowed. "Greetings, Senior Brother Jun Qian."

This senior brother, whom he was meeting for the first time, had helped earn a great pile of Golden Essence copper coins for Luopo Mountain.

Zuo said with a stern face, "Quite capable, aren't you?"

After straightening, Chen Ping'an glanced at their teacher.

The old scholar sprang up and slapped Zuo on the head. "Is that how you speak to your junior brother? You've even learned to be sarcastic. Who taught you that, huh?!"

Zuo did not budge. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Half of it was sincere."

Seeing that his Final Disciple still looked aggrieved, the old scholar immediately rounded on Zuo. "And the other half? Did you swallow it? Spit it out if you can! Speak up. Your teacher will see justice done and won't favor anyone..."

Against his better judgment, Zuo said, "Then all of it was sincere."

Liu Sixteen followed one rule in such matters: see nothing, hear nothing, nothing to do with me.

If Zuo and Chen Ping'an really came to blows, there would be time enough to break them up.

No one would have imagined that, among the brothers of the Literary Sage lineage, Zuo actually had the best temper.

That was why he had always taken the most scoldings and blows.

Of course, anywhere but with his teacher, Zuo was hardly one to take a blow or an insult without returning it.