Noisy Night

A string of cheerful, silver-bell-like laughter drifted from upstream. A woman fetching water by the river stood up, curious, and looked toward the source. Before long, she saw a bundle of withered branches swirling slightly as it floated down the current. That burst of joyful laughter was coming from within the branches.

The woman's brow furrowed slightly, whether out of dissatisfaction with the child's parents for their carelessness or their cruelty, it mattered not; for whatever reason, the child had appeared on the river all alone.

The sky was gloomily dark and it was raining, yet it did not feel cold. Sixth Senior Brother lay on his windowsill, bored, watching the house to his side, thinking that some amusing incident that left one unable to laugh or cry must be happening there again.

That was the residence of his youngest junior brother, Luo Yunji, who had been brought back from Small Bamboo Peak by their master's wife three years ago. Back then, he was tiny, soft, and warm, just like a big white steamed bun, smiling at everyone he saw. It made one unable to resist reaching out to pinch him a few times, or even take a bite. But now...

Thinking of this, Sixth Senior Brother couldn't help but shudder. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"You little brat!!!!" Before Sixth Senior Brother could calm his nerves, the sound of their master's angry roar erupted from that room.

This was a perfectly ordinary occurrence; if there were ever a day they didn't hear their master's roar, everyone would feel something was amiss. Having grown accustomed to the master's angry bellows, the brothers could face the tone he used when lecturing them with a normal mindset. The fear and self-reproach of the past were gone, replaced by a touch of warmth—they always felt the master was actually quite gentle and polite to them. Sometimes, when the brothers gathered together and reflected on this change in their mindset, they would sigh, feeling that they had become somewhat abnormal. It was all because of their youngest junior brother! This was the unanimous conclusion the brothers had reached.

"Get back here!" The voice was full of vigor, brimming with authority and rage.

"Mom!" A shrill, babyish scream followed.

"It's Shiniang! That is my mother. I've told you hundreds of times already." The voice sounded like the chirping of an oriole, crisp and pleasant. Although the words were spoken in anger, they only made one feel relaxed and cheerful.

"Alright! You two are making a scene every single day, hurry up and get into bed!" A gentle voice drifted out. It was Shiniang's voice. Shiniang was the most gentle and considerate; the brothers respected and loved her the most. Every time they were punished by their master, Shiniang would always find a way to help them. And since their master listened to Shiniang above all else, whenever the group had any issues, they would always tell her. It was exactly like a family: a stern father, a kind mother, mischievous younger siblings, and reliable older brothers.

"Oh! Mom, Little Junior Brother fell down."

"Ah! Little Ji, did you hurt yourself?"

"I've told you not to call me that!" This was shouted by Luo Yunji and their master simultaneously.

"Hurry and let Shiniang see if you're hurt." It was clear that Shiniang hadn't taken their protests to heart at all. Every time Shiniang called their youngest brother that name, the expressions on everyone's faces were uniformly pained. They wanted to laugh, but feared displeasing Shiniang, so they could only hold it in.

"Enough! Enough! Hurry up and settle down. You little brat, lie down and close your eyes. I said close your eyes, why are they still open!" Their master's booming voice made Sixth Senior Brother, even from so far away, feel his ears itch. He extended his pinky to dig at his ear, continuing to listen to the commotion inside.

"You're so loud, you'll wake him up even if he were asleep," Shiniang chided, raising her voice.

"I'm not loud! If I'm not loud, I'm afraid he won't hear me!" their master retorted indignantly.

Then, a silence fell. Sixth Senior Brother thought that perhaps their youngest junior brother had finally tired himself out and was willing to sleep obediently. Sure enough, a moment later, their master and Shiniang walked out, supporting their Junior Sister.

"Sixth Senior Brother, not resting yet?" Shiniang asked with a smile upon seeing him leaning on the windowsill.

"If you can't sleep, then cultivate. It seems you're quite idle!" Their master, likely still full of pent-up anger and looking for a place to vent, had found a ready target. How could he let this slide? He certainly couldn't!

Clatter, crash. Sounds erupted from the other rooms, followed by absolute silence. It seemed that in this world, there was only Sixth Senior Brother and his master, who was glaring at him with a belly full of rage.

"I... was... closing the window. Yes! Closing the window. Goodnight, Master, Shiniang, Junior Sister." Sixth Senior Brother's eyes darted around quickly, finding an excuse immediately, and he blurted it out before slamming the window shut with a bang, leaving only his master outside, his fury with nowhere to go.

"You little brat! None of you ever let me have a moment of peace."

Bang. A flowerpot outside Sixth Senior Brother's window fell to the ground. It was unclear whether it was knocked over when he closed the window or shaken loose by their master's booming voice. Regardless, the sound happened to coincide perfectly with the end of their master's shout, so...

The brothers had all achieved some success in their cultivation, so even from a distance, the muffled laughter from their respective beds could be heard clearly if they didn't intentionally block it out.

"Alright! Hurry back to your rooms! Ling'er is sleepy too." Shiniang's voice rang out at the perfect moment, rescuing the brothers.

"Hmph!" Their master flicked his sleeves in annoyance and strode back to his room, with Shiniang and Junior Sister following behind.

This was the daily bedtime routine since their youngest junior brother had arrived. Even if there were variations, they were minor; they were all heartwarming moments. That was what all the brothers believed—except, of course, for their master...

Sometimes, Sixth Senior Brother really wanted to ask their master if he was truly angry, or if he, like them, found these little daily routines quite heartwarming. But he didn't dare! Once, he had goaded Eldest Senior Brother into stepping up, only to be thoroughly toyed with by the man known for his honesty. It was from that time on that Sixth Senior Brother gained a new understanding of the term "honest man."

Time flew like an arrow, and years passed in the blink of an eye.

In the early morning, he pushed open the window, and a cool breeze brushed his face. The light rain from the night before had not only dampened the ground but also soaked the morning air, which carried the fresh scent of grass and soil. He took a deep breath of the crisp air.

"Morning."

"Morning, Second Senior Brother!"

"Hurry up and wash up, breakfast is ready."

"Right! Coming right away." Sixth Senior Brother, face full of smiles, grabbed his washing basin and stepped out of his room.

"Little Junior Brother! You big sleepyhead!" The chirping of an oriole could hardly compare. All the brothers watched with smiles as their Junior Sister hopped and skipped before them.

"Morning, Junior Sister!" everyone greeted her.

"Morning, Senior Brothers!" Junior Sister stopped in her tracks and beamed at them.

"Little Junior Brother is still sleeping!" Fourth Senior Brother said with a gentle smile. This was an incitement! Everyone at Big Bamboo Peak knew it, including Big Yellow—Big Yellow was a dog. The thing Junior Sister loved most was to wake their youngest brother from his sleep, even though she had never succeeded!

However, precisely because of this, Junior Sister had made it her current goal in life. Yes, she had been striving for it for two years! Everyone watched happily as Junior Sister charged into their youngest brother's room, followed by all sorts of noises from within.

"It's good to be young!" Eldest Senior Brother remarked, looking toward the room and listening to the commotion.

The rest of the brothers looked at him with strange expressions.

Eldest Senior Brother felt uncomfortable under their gaze, shrank his neck, and hurriedly explained, "I meant that with such a racket, Little Junior Brother can still sleep." The others nodded in understanding and looked away, and Eldest Senior Brother let out a silent sigh of relief.

At the dining table, no one started eating immediately, waiting as usual for their youngest brother to be dragged over, looking aggrieved and being scolded by their furious master.

Sure enough, their youngest brother was tossed onto a stool by their master. He was still rubbing his eyes; he seemed to have tried his best, but those large eyes still refused to open.

"Eat!" their master commanded, and everyone began. Their youngest brother also began to eat while half-asleep, one hand rubbing his eyes and the other holding a spoon.

Truth be told, given Tian Buyi's temperament, Luo Yunji should have been kicked off Big Bamboo Peak long ago.

However, for one thing, this troublesome youngest disciple had been personally brought back from Small Bamboo Peak by his wife, Su Ru. The people of Small Bamboo Peak doted on him immensely, and in their spare time, they would often come to Big Bamboo Peak in groups to visit Luo Yunji. Although, as time passed and Luo Yunji grew older, the disciples of Small Bamboo Peak no longer visited as frequently;

Secondly, his wife doted on Luo Yunji as if he were her own son, having raised him from such a tiny infant. Furthermore, this youngest disciple possessed excellent aptitude. If not for this final reason, no matter how favored he was, Luo Yunji would have been tossed off Big Bamboo Peak by Tian Buyi, or simply left to rot, ignored and neglected.