The three walked beneath a pagoda tree in the village. Its foliage was so dense that, viewed from below, it looked like a towering umbrella, blocking out the sky and sun.
Qi Gu looked at Mu Xingchen. "Go on."
His tone was icy and merciless.
This time, they were testing the rule against resting in the shade beneath the pagoda tree.
Mu Xingchen crouched beneath the tree, trembling, his heart tight and cold sweat pouring down his back. Resting in the shade? How could I possibly feel hot?
Chilly gusts blew past. Qi Gu and Lin Hanzhi sat on a large rock not far from the tree, watching what happened.
After Mu Xingchen had crouched for a while, his feet soon went numb. He decided to shift his weight to his other foot, but as he rose to adjust his position, he felt something brush his raised shoulder.
Probably a branch, Mu Xingchen thought.
A little while later, he began to feel bored. He took out his phone and nervously started playing a game to distract himself. Just as the game grew intense, he felt something behind him patting his back repeatedly. Without raising his head, he assumed it was Qi Gu. "Shifu, are we done? I'm halfway through this game. Give me ten minutes and I'll get up."
There was no reply from behind him, nor any more patting. He assumed Qi Gu had agreed and continued playing with his head lowered.
But soon, he felt something pat his back again.
"Shifu?" Mu Xingchen finally turned away from his game, only to catch sight of a blood-drenched red embroidered shoe dangling over his shoulder.
The toe swayed back and forth, kicking his shoulder.
He looked up and saw that Qi Gu and Lin Hanzhi were still sitting beneath the