"What happened to him?"
As Wang Ba walked into the manor, he saw Chu Erniu sitting alone beneath the eaves.
He was wailing without tears, his face a picture of misery. None of his former pride and arrogance as a Sect disciple remained; instead, he showed a trace of the vulnerability a boy his age ought to have.
Curious, Wang Ba quietly asked Tao Yi, who stood nearby with his arms folded, grinning as he enjoyed the show.
"This kid just got word from someone the External Affairs Office sent over. He's to assemble at South Lake Village in a few days, then set off with the others for the Fu Kingdom's border."
Tao Yi made no attempt to hide his delight at Chu Erniu's misfortune. "A little fledgling at the first level of Qi Refining like him probably won't make it back from the front. Tsk, tsk. The Sect's given up on him!"
Whether Chu Erniu had heard Tao Yi or not, his wailing immediately grew louder.
"Tao Yi."
"Don't talk nonsense."
The Stone-Surnamed Cultivator's rebuke came from the manor's central house.
Called out by name, Tao Yi looked sheepish. He shrugged, then turned back to Wang Ba and curled his lip.
Just then, Lin Yu pushed her door open and emerged carrying a washbasin. She glanced at Chu Erniu beneath the eaves, then looked away in distaste.
In the entire manor, aside from maintaining a show of respect toward the Stone-Surnamed Cultivator, she thought nothing of the other two.
One was a good-for-nothing who had cultivated for years; the other was a cowherd boy who wasn't particularly bright.
Well, Wang Ba didn't count. He was merely a servant to be used, not even a cultivator.
After pouring out the foot-washing water with flower petals floating in it, Lin