Master Xiao

"Brother Zhu, Brother Zhu!"

Someone called out several times before Zhu Ying abruptly came to his senses. Smiling, he replied, "Brother Su! What did you call me for?"

A boy who still looked somewhat childish, lively and mischievous-faced, said in a deliberately mysterious tone, "Brother Zhu, do you know who it was that just rode a sword into the sky and slew the great Black Mountain demon?"

This fellow's eyes are exceedingly sharp. He actually recognized that the clear light filling the sky was sword intent! And he is remarkably well-informed too—he even knows that one who commands black clouds is called the Black Mountain Old Demon!

"Could he be a cultivator?"

Zhu Ying was equally puzzled and asked, "How did you know Master Xiao was wielding a sword?"

As though realizing he had misspoken, he hastily added, "But that was a black cloud, not... Black Mountain."

The scholar surnamed Su laughed heartily and recited with a swaying head, "Once there was a beauty, Little Su of the Su clan; with one sword dance, she stirred the four directions. Spectators stood like mountains, their faces stricken; heaven and earth bowed and rose with her for long. Swift as Yi shooting down nine suns, graceful as a host of emperors driving dragons skyward. She came like thunder gathering its wrath, and when she ceased, clear light congealed like rivers and seas..."

"That black cloud was mountainlike, so naturally it was the Black Mountain demon..."

"I would not have thought of it if you had not mentioned it. The rear mountain is precisely where Master Xiao resides. It must have been him, wielding his sword to slay the demon."

"Master Xiao's methods are wondrous, like the clear light of rivers and seas. Naturally, he slew the demon with a flying sword."

Little Bug gave a faint cry of surprise. Isn't this from the poem Father wrote, "Watching Little Su's Sword Dance Huntao"? How did it get dragged into this affair? This Senior Brother Su must be forcing connections, making up tales at random and spouting nonsense everywhere. He could no longer bear listening.

Zhu Ying sighed. How could he not know this classmate's habits? He turned slightly, revealing Wang Chong behind him, and said, "This is Junior Brother Wang Chong, who has just arrived. He has long been known as a child prodigy and has already earned the xiucai degree. This is Senior Brother Su Yi. He is a year older than I am, but his temperament is lively; he loves fooling around and is rather lacking in steadiness."

Suddenly, a student shouted, "Isn't the rear mountain where Master Xiao lives? So Master Xiao is an immortal! Quick, let us go ask him to take us as disciples and learn some immortal arts!"

Prompted by him, countless students began shouting and clamoring as they all headed for the rear mountain. Every one of them was brimming with excitement, as though the great crisis of black clouds pressing overhead had not frightened the youths at all.

Su Yi laughed heartily and said, "The books often say that extraordinary talents and strange men possess arts capable of overturning rivers and seas. They can enter and leave the blue heavens, ride clouds and command mists, roam the Northern Sea in the morning and turn to Cangwu by dusk, feast with immortals, and contend with demons and ghosts. Yet such people are rarely seen."

"Now that we have finally encountered someone like Master Xiao, even if I must cast aside fame, fortune, rank, and wealth, I must seek out such an opportunity."

"They are all going to Master Xiao's quarters to ask him to take them as disciples. Let us go join the excitement as well."

"Master Xiao has always admired your literary talent. Perhaps he will take Brother Zhu as an inner disciple and impart those demon-slaying, evil-purging methods to you."

Senior Brother Su Yi was extraordinarily enthusiastic, but Zhu Ying repeatedly declined and refused to go no matter what. His eyes shifted, and he went to tug at Wang Chong instead. After he urged him a few times, Little Bug could not help saying, "As the saying goes: a divine dragon shows its head but not its tail. Master Xiao has already revealed his tracks—how could he possibly return? Those going to ask for discipleship will likely be doing futile work."

"I still need to prepare my lessons, so I will not join Senior Brother Su in the excitement."

Seeing that he could not persuade either of them, and worried that others might get there first, Su Yi left in frustration. Once he had gone far away, Zhu Ying could not help bursting into laughter. "For all that these people have studied for years, they cannot see through even such ordinary worldly affairs. Their understanding is not as clear as little brother Wang Chong's."

Little Bug sighed. He exchanged a glance with Zhu Ying, and they both smiled softly at once. Seeing the clarity in each other's eyes, they immediately felt they had found a kindred spirit.

Zhu Ying took the initiative to explain, "Master Xiao came to our academy as an instructor the year before last. He is highly accomplished in the Four Histories, versed in music, and foremost in our academy in poetry and prose. The headmaster holds him in great esteem."

"Yet no one knows his origins. He normally dislikes staying in the academy and lives alone in seclusion on the rear mountain, descending only when he has lessons to teach."

"This little brother has some small flair for poetry and prose, so Master Xiao thinks well of me and has guided my writing a few times. Still, it cannot be called any great friendship. But if an opportunity arises and we meet Master Xiao again, I could perhaps risk a little face and speak on behalf of Junior Brother Wang Chong, so that you may enter his sect."

Little Bug could not help laughing. "Why do you not become his disciple yourself? Are you not envious of such immortal methods?"

Zhu Ying laughed loudly. "That cannot be spoken of."

The two chatted and laughed as they returned to the academy's storeroom loft. Little Bug took out a scroll and began reciting it silently.

Zhu Ying considered himself diligent and hardworking, yet he had never seen a classmate strive with such relentless effort. He felt admiration in his heart, took out a scroll as well, and began reading it carefully.

Before long, seeing that the time had come, he was about to call Wang Chong to head to class when he saw Wang Chong's eyes lightly closed as he began reciting in a low voice again. Zhu Ying could not help letting out a quiet sigh. I thought my quickness of thought far surpassed that of men, yet I never imagined there were people in this world like little brother Wang Chong.

How it makes jealousy boil within me.

Little Bug recited it through once. Though he still did not feel fully familiar with it, he was mindful of class and hurriedly opened his eyes. "Brother Zhu, has the hour of the dragon arrived?"

Zhu Ying smiled. "Indeed, it is nearly the hour of the dragon. Let us go to class together."

The two walked side by side until they reached the lecture halls.

Egret Academy divided its students into four classes—A, B, C, and D—according to their learning. Zhu Ying had already advanced to Class A, while Wang Chong, being newly arrived, had to attend lectures in Class D. Thus, they parted before the lecture halls and each went to class.

Little Bug entered the Class D lecture hall, set down his book scroll, and looked around. Seeing that more than half his classmates had yet to arrive, he took out another scroll and was about to resume reciting when the instructor seated at the front struck his ruler and shouted, "Late students, your lesson evaluations shall be lowered."

This instructor wore a solemn expression and immediately began lecturing. The volume he taught was the Annotated Compendium of the Six Histories, which Wang Chong had happened to memorize already. After listening for a few lines and finding that the instructor was not teaching anything new, he became slightly distracted.

After lecturing for a while, the instructor saw that most of the students looked listless. He sighed inwardly, knowing that these backward learners had no hope in their studies; no matter how they were instructed and disciplined, they could not possibly rouse themselves to strive again.

Only a few newly enrolled youths still had potential, so he paid particular attention to the newcomers. Seeing Wang Chong's mind wandering, he could not help feeling a faint anger and called out, "New student, come and read a passage from the Records and Commentaries of the Song State."

Unaware that the instructor thought he had not been listening attentively, Little Bug followed the habits of home, calmly closed his book scroll, and began reciting from memory.

"After Duke Song had passed, Huiwen, Wu, and Zhaoxiang inherited his achievements, followed his remaining strategies, seized Hanzhong in the south, took Bashu in the west, carved away fertile lands in the east, and gathered strategic passes in the north. The feudal lords were terrified; they formed alliances and plotted to weaken him, joining together as one..."

The longer Song Gonglian listened, the more astonished he became. He had thought Wang Chong was young and might not even recognize all the characters; asking him to read a passage had merely been meant as a small warning. Yet he had never expected this boy to know the Annotated Compendium of the Six Histories backward and forward. Joy rose in his heart. Where had the academy found such a fresh young prodigy? If his learning is sufficient, he should not be wasting away in Class D. He must be moved up a class as soon as possible.