Tiansang Spirit Palace.
Blue, blue skies; white, white clouds; tranquil Goose Lake; people coming and going...
Peaceful as a painting.
"Hee-haw, hee-haw, hee hee haw..."
A burst of abrupt laughter shattered the beautiful scene.
Floating in the air, Ye Xiaotian and Qiao Qianzhi walked side by side along Goose Lake, clutching their stomachs with laughter from time to time.
Whenever they clutched their stomachs, the people around them did the same.
But while the two of them dared to laugh, everyone around them could only clutch their stomachs and hold it in until they hurt.
From afar, the Spirit Palace students could no longer bear it. After calling out, "Hello, Dean," and "Hello, Elder Qiao," they ran off until not even their shadows remained.
"They've all left. It's quiet now."
Qiao Qianzhi stopped before a white jade railing, resting one hand on it as he watched the fat geese frolicking in the water, dish after dish drifting through his mind.
"How long have they been in there?"
As Ye Xiaotian spoke, he landed steadily on the ground and looked straight ahead.
Yet his view was blocked by the white jade railing, so he immediately rose onto his toes.
Helplessly.
He floated back into the air.
"About half a month, I'd say."
Qiao Qianzhi tapped his fingers against the railing. "Counting the time Old Xiao took those children over and then had to bring them back, plus the fact that no one knows when they'll come out, I reckon another half month or so should do it."
"I think it'll be sooner than that." Ye Xiaotian disagreed.
"How so?" Qiao Qianzhi raised his eyes.
"Look."
With a wave of Ye Xiaotian's hand, the sky reflected above the placid Goose Lake vanished, replaced by ripples spreading from tiny raindrops.
"Rain?" Qiao Qianzhi's