Fitting In

Tian Ling'er knew not to overdo things. Her original intention had been to use this chance to bring the two closer together, divert Ye Yun and Zhang Xiaofan's attention, and ease their grief. Of course, part of the reason was that Ye Yun's chubby little face felt incredibly satisfying to knead. After vigorously mussing up Ye Yun's hair, she reluctantly left. After all, she had her own daily lessons to attend to. Watching the girl skip away, Ye Yun felt for the first time that coming to Great Bamboo Peak had been a mistake.

Seeing Ye Yun's dejected expression, Song Daren patted his head and said with a smile, "All right, Little Junior Brother. Junior Sister was just curious for the moment. Great Bamboo Peak hasn't had any newcomers in a long time, much less such an adorable little kid like you. She was simply delighted by the novelty. Once the freshness wears off, she'll be fine. Now, I'll teach you the rules of our sect. Remember them well. The first rule of our sect is to respect one's master above all else..."

Qingyun Sect actually did not have many rules—just twelve regulations and twenty precepts in total, far fewer than the school rules of Ye Yun's former world. These rules mostly stressed that disciples must respect their masters and honor the Dao, never betray the sect, never commit acts that harmed the common people, and take it as their duty to protect all living beings. There were not many detailed rules like forbidding people from spitting anywhere. After all, cultivation first cultivated the heart. If one could not even exercise self-discipline, there was no point in cultivating at all.

After Song Daren finished explaining the sect rules, they arrived at a small hill behind the mountain.

The hillside was covered in bamboo, thick and thin alike, growing in dense groves. Yet upon closer inspection, this bamboo differed from the ordinary kind: every joint was black.

Looking at the unusual bamboo forest, Ye Yun knew that this was the daily task for new disciples of Great Bamboo Peak. Every day, newcomers had to come here to chop bamboo. Though these stalks looked ordinary, they were even harder than hardwood. In the original story, Zhang Xiaofan had needed half a year to chop down his first Black Knot Bamboo, while ordinary disciples who cultivated the Tai Chi Xuan Qing Dao still needed nearly three months to cut one down. That showed just how tough this bamboo was.

Song Daren pointed at the bamboo forest and introduced it to Ye Yun and Zhang Xiaofan. Then he led them back. He had only brought them here to familiarize them with the route, since it was already nearly dark.

The fiery red sun sank in the west, and brilliant evening clouds filled the horizon. Ye Yun looked at the crimson sunset, but his thoughts had long since drifted away. I wonder if Mom and Dad can see such a beautiful sunset where they are.

The sunset shone over Great Bamboo Peak as the one adult and two children slowly made their way toward the front of the mountain. From the distant buildings came long, drawn-out barks from time to time, mixed with the shrill cries of pain from certain unfortunate people. Those cries successfully pulled Ye Yun's wandering thoughts back.

How miserable! Ye Yun silently mourned for his senior brothers for three seconds. Well, that included Senior Brother Daren beside him.

Song Daren, who had been secretly rejoicing over escaping disaster, suddenly felt an ominous sensation for no apparent reason. He had the distinct feeling that something bad was about to happen.

By dinnertime, the sky had already darkened.

At Great Bamboo Peak, the rear mountain was covered in vast stretches of bamboo forest. Everyone's residences were located on the front peak. The largest and most important building was the main hall, Shou Jing Hall, where Tian Buyi, Su Ru, and their daughter lived in the rear quarters. Beside Shou Jing Hall stood the courtyard corridors where the disciples lived. However, there were so few people that there were more rooms than residents, and everyone had a room to themselves. Even Ye Yun and Zhang Xiaofan each had one. In terms of living conditions alone, Great Bamboo Peak was exceptionally better than the other branches of the sect. This was also one of the reasons Ye Yun had wanted to come here before.

The only remaining buildings were Tai Chi Cave, where they practiced, along with the kitchen and dining hall. At this moment, all the disciples had gathered in the dining hall. Du Bishu, the sixth senior brother in charge of meals, brought dish after dish to the table. Most were vegetarian, with little meat. The disciples took their seats in order along the right side of the long table. Song Daren sat at the head, while Ye Yun sat at the very end. At the head of the table and across from it stood one large chair and two smaller chairs, evidently prepared for Tian Buyi's family.

Just as in the original story, after Du Bishu brought out all the dishes, he wanted to make a bet with Zhang Xiaofan over which member of Tian Buyi's family would enter first. The result, as his name implied, was that he was bound to lose every bet. Tian Ling'er, who would normally have entered first, had actually gone back to her natal home at Little Bamboo Peak with Su Ru. Immediately, thunderous laughter erupted throughout the dining hall.

"What are you laughing at?" Tian Buyi asked with a stern face.

Song Daren stood and said, "Master, Sixth Junior Brother made a bet with Xiaofan over which of you would enter first. The result was..."

Tian Buyi snorted. "You brought this upon yourself. I told you not to gamble with others all day, but you refused to listen. Your mistress and junior sister went back to her natal home. They won't return until after dinner. All right, eat."

What happened afterward was much the same as in the original story. Tian Buyi asked about Ye Yun and Zhang Xiaofan's circumstances, paying particular attention to Ye Yun. After dinner, Zhang Xiaofan wanted to stay behind and help Du Bishu wash the dishes, but Du Bishu refused. He said that he would help Zhang Xiaofan chop bamboo tomorrow, only for Song Daren to stop him, saying that Zhang Xiaofan was still laying his foundation and should not slack off.

After explaining the matter clearly, Song Daren led Ye Yun and Zhang Xiaofan away. By the time the three of them stepped outside, it was completely dark. Fortunately, a crescent moon had risen in the east, and Song Daren was very familiar with the place. Otherwise, Ye Yun truly would not have been able to find the way alone.

Unlike in the original story, the room Ye Yun and Zhang Xiaofan had been in during the day did not belong to Song Daren and the others. It was their room from then on. Since their rooms were arranged in sequence according to seniority among martial brothers, Ye Yun's room was the second one on the left.

After arranging their accommodations, Song Daren left. Ye Yun lay on the hard wooden bed, and his thoughts drifted away once more. After an unknown amount of time, the breathing in the room gradually became steady. More than a minute later, a short, stout figure emerged from the shadows in the courtyard and silently departed. There was no need to say who it was—it was Tian Buyi, who had come to check on his two disciples out of concern that they might not be able to adjust.

Perhaps because the heavy stone in his heart had finally been lifted, Ye Yun slept especially deeply that night. He did not even dream, sleeping straight through until daylight.

In his groggy state, Ye Yun felt an itch on his nose, so he reached up and rubbed it. But as soon as he finished, his ears began to itch, and he touched them as well. Then, just after touching his ears, his nose started itching again. Ye Yun immediately flew into a rage and angrily opened his eyes, intending to kill whatever was disturbing his sleep. Yet the moment he opened them, he saw a pretty little face smiling sweetly at him, and his mouth instantly filled with bitterness.

"Good morning, Senior Sister!" Ye Yun sprang out of bed and turned to climb down, but before he could reach the edge, a pair of slender, jade-like hands wrapped around him from behind.

After Tian Ling'er hugged Ye Yun, she giggled and said, "Why are you running? It's not like I'm going to eat you. Come on, come on, Senior Sister will help you get dressed. Even my father has never enjoyed such an honor."

"All right, Ling'er, stop teasing your little junior brother. Take Xiaofan to do his daily task first. Leave Little Yun to me." As Su Ru spoke, she pulled Tian Ling'er away. Then she picked up the outer clothes Ye Yun had taken off at the foot of the bed and tenderly helped him put them on, piece by piece.

Seeing the tenderness on Su Ru's face, Ye Yun thought of his parents in that other world again. His nose stung, and a mist of tears immediately clouded his eyes.