Doctrine of Equilibrium (Part One)

Low trees and low walls, a wide courtyard and deep houses, the rising sun. ° 🎀 🎀 °

"Get up, you two little sleepyheads!"

"You're too noisy, Alanta. Let my brother and me sleep a little longer."

"What did you call me! I'll beat you up!"

"Hey, stop hitting me! Sister Alanta, my dear sister!"

"That's more like it. Get up quickly, it's time to study the doctrine of balance."

The Kinkou Order is relatively new, but it has already gained some fame, thanks to the doctrine of Kinkou Doctrine established by its abbot Master Kusuo.

Compared to those profound schools of thought, the Kinkou Doctrine seems very superficial, like a summary of the lifestyle of the Ionia people.

What is most easily accepted is never profound philosophy, but rather this kind of popular and easy-to-understand knowledge:

It originates from life and is applied to life, just like a simple law.

Don't assume that there is no crime in Ionia; it's just that the country is relatively isolated and information doesn't circulate easily, which makes it seem harmonious.

What's worse is that criminals here often become more ruthless because they don't receive the punishment they deserve, until they alarm the divine messengers on earth: the Harbinger.

The Harbinger would send Shepherd to punish criminals, but with only twelve Shepherd in four temples, how could they possibly manage so many?

At this point, the Kinkou Order played a role in maintaining order.

Perhaps because Ionia is gradually becoming more active, people's need for order is also growing stronger, and more and more people are embracing the doctrine of balance.

Balance exists in all things.

The two little boys who had just woken up were named Jie and Shen. Their mother had recently passed away, and their father was Master Kusuo of the Kinkou Order.

The little girl who called them to get up and study Alanta. She was not Zed and Shen's biological sister, but an orphan that Master Kusuo had taken in.

Alanta's hometown suffered violence, so she has a deeper understanding of the doctrine of balance. She also hopes that her two younger brothers can study hard and grow into pillars of society.

It must be said that for two children who have lost their mother, having such a caring older sister is a very fortunate thing.

Alanta has been diligently studying the doctrines since she joined the church at the age of six, and now at only nine years old, she is already able to be Zed and Shen's Teacher.

Despite her harsh words, she never actually hit them. The only time she disciplined the two brothers was when Shen stole food meant for their mother, and Jie helped him lie about it.

Because Shen was too young, Alanta used Zed as a scapegoat, spanking him so badly that he was afraid to lie down to sleep. This left young Shen with considerable psychological trauma, causing him to fear Alanta for several years afterward.

Did Master Kusuo not care that the child was beaten like this? He actually didn't know about this. It was during the sect's development period, Kusuo often left for several days at a time.

Of course, even if he knew, he wouldn't care; he might even think Alanta hit him too lightly!

After getting up, Zed and Shen ran a few laps in the yard before starting their day of eating and studying. This was a rule set by Alanta, and it could not be broken except when they were sick.

In fact, the two brothers are very healthy and have never been sick in their lives, which is also related to Alanta's meticulous care.

The older child spent seven happy years with the two younger children, and the three siblings had long since memorized the doctrine of balance.

At this point, Master Kusuo decided to formally recruit Alanta into the Kinkou Order and have him learn martial arts.

The residences of the Kinkou Order and the training grounds for their disciples were both located within the same compound, yet they were not connected, like two separate worlds.

This meant that Alanta would have significantly less time to spend with his two brothers, which led to Zed causing quite a scene.

Compared to their mother who died young and their father whom they rarely saw, Alanta was the two brothers' true family.

However, making a fuss won't change anything, and besides, it's Alanta's wish; she has always longed to become a formal disciple of the Kinkou Order and serve the balance!

"Brother, can't we join the Kinkou Order with Sister Alanta? Father is the abbot, he'll definitely let us join!"

"Don't expect your father to make an exception for you; if you want to join, you'll have to rely on your own efforts!"

"Okay, then let's try our best! But... how can we try without Alan's sister?"

"I don't know either. Let's start with physical training. To maintain balance, you need sufficient strength!"

And so, the two brothers began their independent lives. They did not forget their sister's teachings and maintained their good living habits, even waking up earlier than before.

At that time, the two brothers had a simple wish: to reunite with their sister as soon as possible and return to their old life.

Hard work pays off. After more than two years of rigorous training, Zed and Shen officially joined the Kinkou Order.

They finally met Alanta, whom they had been longing to see day and night. In the past two years, the three siblings had only seen her a handful of times.

However, they didn't have much time to catch up, as even more rigorous training was on the horizon.

Alanta possesses a rare Shadow Bloodline, making her exceptionally strong at a young age. She has completed countless missions with remarkable speed and efficiency, earning the deep trust of her followers.

Just as she offered to personally teach Zed and Shen, Kusuo he would refuse, insisting on teaching Zed himself while his senior brother Kennen would teach Shen.

Alanta, of course, would not disobey his master's wishes and continued to work hard to complete various tasks, earning the Kinkou Order a good reputation and great influence.

Zed's training has been very successful. He is exceptionally talented and has a good habit of working hard, making him one of the best among the younger generation, and he is able to take on more and more missions.

He had only one goal in mind: Alanta. He often trained alone until late at night for this goal.

Aside from martial arts, Kusuo rarely provided Jie with any other form of education, and his attitude towards him was lukewarm at best.

In fact, he treats everyone the same way. Over the years of implementing balance, Kusuo has gradually abandoned personal feelings.

However, Jie was proud and sensitive, and always felt that his father disliked him, no matter how well he did.

In comparison, Shen's training results were not as outstanding. Although his progress was unparalleled, it was still far behind Zed's.

Shen felt very resentful that his senior brother was stronger than his father, yet he himself was not progressing as fast as his brother.

Gradually, he began to feel jealous, and whenever he saw Kennen or Kusuo teaching Zed, he felt that they were being biased.

In fact, whether it's Zed's pride and sensitivity or Shen's jealousy and inferiority complex, it can't be entirely blamed on them.

After all, they are just teenagers, and this kind of situation is very common during their formative years.

They used to have an older sister who cared about their growth and lives, but now, faced with the stern-faced Kusuo and the unpersuasive Kennen, they can only grow up freely.