(Day 139)

  Pengfei knocked at the door of the forge slightly after midday. It only took a few moments before Chen Rulan came to the door. His powerful frame filled the doorway, looked down kindly on the teenager in front of him.

  “I’ve returned to the sect, sir.” Pengfei bowed to the instructor who refused to be called ‘master’.

  “Good. You can resume your transcription work tomorrow. Rest this evening.” Elder Rulan glanced over his student’s shoulder. “But what is he doing here? I thought he had another few weeks in the valley?”

  Pengfei looked back to Nanxi, who was pulling his coat tight around himself and shivering, despite the relatively warm day. It was fear, and not the weather, that had him in this state.

  “Teeth… claws… as big as a house…”

  “He’s…sick.” Pengfei said lamely, not wanting to divulge the encounter with the Mountain King. “The twins are down there. They’ll be fine without him.”

  “Huh.” Chen Rulan sounded doubtful, but didn’t press the issue. “Better get him to bed. Take him to Chen Lei if he gets any worse.”

  “Yes, sir.” The disciple made his martial bow, and turned away, but turned back when the elder called his name.

  “Pengfei, how long have you been back? Have you seen your friends yet?”

  “No, we just arrived. Why?”

  “Nothing, nothing. Just… on second thought, meet me in the Elder’s Practice Hall once you drop him off. We may as well get some work done tonight.”

  “Yes, sir.” He bowed again, eager to resume his study of Shaolin’s ‘Arhat Fist.’

  Pengfei picked up his satchel and put it back over his shoulder, then shoved Nanxi in the direction of their dormitory, jovially teasing. “Will you give it a rest? One glimpse of a housecat and you go to pieces. It’s ridiculous.”

  Nanxi spoke through chattering teeth, “How… how can you say that?! That – thing – could have eaten us!”

  “Yeah, I know. I was scared too. I guess I’m just over it now.”

  “Over it!? Over seeing a spirit beast!? A divine creature?!”

  “It was big, I’ll give you that. But I don’t know about spirit beast.”

  They crossed through the sect. Other disciples were out and about, spending their free afternoon however they pleased. But the pair didn’t encounter anyone that warranted a stop or a wave. They soon arrived at their bunkhouse.

  Pengfei ushered Nanxi inside, then pointed at a bedroll. “Go get some sleep. You’ll feel better after a little rest.”

  The frightened victim shuffled over to his usual spot and curled up into a fetal position on his bedding. Pengfei shook his head, sympathetic but amused, and dropped his bag near his own little corner of the room. He was shedding his coat when Shutian approached.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey. How are – whoa!” Pengfei pulled back in surprise at the thin boy’s face. An old bruise was under one eye, turning from dark purple to a sickly yellow. “What happened to you?”

  “Neng.” Shutian said simply.

  “Fuck! I was afraid of that.” They fell silent for a beat as the implication settled in. “Any chance it was an accident?”

  Shutian took Pengfei’s sleeve and pulled him through the room to another bedroll. One of the boys was laying there on his side, back to his visitors.

  “Xiaotong, let Pengfei look at you.”

  Shutian’s constant companion turned over slowly and sat up so his face was in the light. Pengfei beheld the visage of his friend. Two black eyes. Numerous deep cuts that had been stitched closed, covered in some medicative salve but still red and inflamed. And a look of pain and dejection.

  “Two broken ribs too. He’ll be bedridden for weeks.” Shutian announced angrily.

  “Xiaotong, I’m… I’m so sorry.”

  Pengfei held out a hand but the boy was already laying back down to the ground with a wince.

  “How did this happen!? Why didn’t anyone stop it!?”

  “Happened in sparring. Neng worked me over a bit. Xiaotong got in his face in the next round and this is the result. Chen Weidao held us all back, kept the match going until Xiaotong couldn’t even stand.” Then Shutian spoke to his injured friend. “You should have given up long before that.”

  Xiaotong said nothing, and Shutian led Pengfei away.

  “It was during the sword training. Elder Rulan had already left. He nearly had a stroke when he found out about it the next day. You could hear him screaming at Chen Weidao from across the sect. Not that it did any good.”

  “Was Neng punished at all?”

  “Not yet. He’s walking around, living life as usual.”

  Pengfei’s mind reeled. “What is going on with him?! I’ve got to talk to him. No more dancing around things, I’ll be direct.”

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  He stepped toward the door but Shutian grabbed his sleeve. “Hey, THAT” he pointed to Xiaotong, “is where talking got us!”

  “He’ll listen to me.”

  “I know he’s closer to you. But it’s not like we’re strangers to him. If he did this to us, you think he’ll listen to you?”

  --Shit… maybe Shutian is right.--

  “When did all this happen?”

  “A week ago. Haven’t seen much of Neng since then. Just at afternoon sessions.

  And Elder Rulan watches everything like a hawk now. Won’t leave us alone with Chen Weidao during training anymore.”

  A swelling of regard rose up in his chest for the man who was guarding the Jin generation from the confusing abuse of Neng, the complacent neglect of Elder Weidao. And suddenly Pengfei realized why Chen Rulan had asked to meet him tonight.

  --Probably wants to make sure I don’t do anything stupid.--

  And there were indeed a lot of idiotic things going through his mind. They bubbled to the surface through pain and conflicted emotions.

  --What the hell is Neng doing?! What the hell am I going to do?--

  He didn’t understand. His friend, the one who had helped him navigate the rough early days of his time in the sect, had changed. Or revealed himself to be something different than what Pengfei had supposed. But the wounds inflicted were something beyond excuse or rationale. And while the friendly boy had not been as dear a friend as Neng, Xiaotong was still part of their group.

  --What if he goes at Shutian again? Or Nanxi? If I step in for them, is Neng going to fight me? Tell the elders about the man I killed?--

  “Fuck!” Pengfei cursed in impotent fury.

  “Yep.”

  Just as deeply rooted as Pengfei’s fear of discovery, there was another simple fact. He didn’t want to come to anymore conflict with Neng. The first friend he had made at Kuniun.

  --Can’t someone do something about all this?--

  The two stood silently, in the dormitory. Other disciples moved around them, chatting and living their own lives. The concern over the incidents was confined to a relatively small group. The recipients of Neng’s abuse, and their friends. The rest of the Jin generation was apparently unperturbed.

  “Let’s go talk to Chen Ji.” He said to Shutian. “Maybe there has been some development. Nanxi, get up. Nanxi!”

  But the other disciple was still curled up in the fetal position. He’d now added some gentle rocking to his existential episode.

  “What the hell is wrong with him?!” Shutian demanded, noticing the display for the first time.

  “He’s fine but… just leave him.”

  They pair left the dormitory and walked toward the Discipline Hall, hoping to find Chen Ji there. More of the story unfolded on the walk.

  “Elder Ji caught me talking to Jin Fan and some of the others a few days ago about what happened. Scared the ever-loving shit out of us. Told us that if anyone brawled, he would throw them in one of the cliff cells and leave them there until the sect moves back to the Central Plains. Still, I was going to give it a try, but that one,” he stuck his thumb back towards the dormitory where Xiaotong was still resting, “begged me not to. Says I need to take care of him.”

  Pengfei nodded. “He’s right. If he needs help wiping his ass, I’m sure as hell not going to do it.”

  “Whatever.”

  Their guess was correct. The small man was sweeping the stones in front of his domain. The broom paused its rhythmic motion when the elder saw them.

  “I can guess why you’re here.”

  But Pengfei still asked the question. “I heard about what happened. Is anything going to be done?”

  “No.”

  Shutian was furious. “That’s it? It’s over? Just like that?”

  “Not ‘just like that’. The elders discussed the matter at great length.”

  “This is such – !“

  “Don’t start!” Elder Ji shouted and held up a hand to stifle anything improper from Shutian. “You’re to leave that boy alone. Both of you. And you can tell your friends the same.”

  Pengfei spoke up to try and smooth things over. “Sir, Neng is my friend too. Believe me, I don’t want to fight him – “

  “I do.” Shutian interjected.

  “- but there has to be something we can do. Are you just going to let him beat up half the Jin generation?”

  Chen Ji sighed. “We told you all that the training intensity was going to increase. To prepare you for the sect’s return to the Jianghu. Things got out of hand, but there were bound to be accidents as you all figured out where the line was.”

  “Is that what you think happened?!” Shutian shouted rudely. Pengfei elbowed his friend in the gut to silence him. The blow didn’t seem to cause any pain, barely registered, but it had the desired effect.

  The elder thankfully didn’t rise to the fervor in the boy’s voice. He just said tiredly, “I’m not litigating this again with children. I was saying the same things as you a few hours ago, and I was overruled. So, listen to me very carefully. Whether you like it or not, that boy did not break any of our rules. I’m warning you, do NOT overstep. Now go on, leave me be.”

  The elder turned away from them and went back to his sweeping.

  “Dammit. You got my hopes up, but they’re still spouting the same bullshit.” Shutian hissed as they walked away. Pengfei gave a nervous glance over his shoulder, but Chen Ji was still moving his broom back and forth, giving no indication he had heard.

  “Alright, calm down. I need to go see Elder Rulan. When I get back to the dormitory, we’ll figure something out.”

  They bid each other curt goodbyes and Pengfei walked alone, crisscrossing the paths he had already covered throughout the busy afternoon.

  --Fuck, fuck, fuck! --

  He looked left and right as he went, on edge, keeping an eye out for Neng. Elder Weidao. Anyone involved in the debacle. He could feel a conflict on the horizon, no matter how desperately he wanted to avoid it. It was on its way. He was determined not to let it take him by surprise.

  He came to the Elder’s Practice Hall, where his private training under the guise of punishment took place. Chen Rulan wasn’t seated at his usual place. He still held a book in his hands, but it was clasped behind his back as he paced the wooden floorboards.

  “Elder.” Pengfei bowed shallowly then quickly approached.

  “I take it you’ve talked to your friends.”

  “Yes sir. And I’ve just seen Elder Chen Ji as well.”

  “Then, you’re all caught up. Let me hear your position on it all. I know you’re friends with the boys involved, but I wasn’t sure where you would stand.”

  “From what I’ve heard, Neng was completely in the wrong. I don’t know what’s going on with him, but it seems like it’s been building up for a while now.”

  “That part isn’t much of a mystery.” Chen Rulan said flatly.

  “What do you –“

  “What I really wanted to know,” the elder continued, “is whether you’re going to get yourself into any trouble by following Neng’s example.”

  “I would never – “

  “Good. Because I won’t tolerate any more of this shit on my training grounds.” Chen Rulan was talking animatedly, angrily. But it didn’t seem directed at Pengfei. “Teaching the disciples was my responsibility before Weidao condescended to leave his library and I won’t have him…”

  The elder trailed off, looked to the confused disciple. “Just… stay away from Neng for the time being. If I hear about any violence between you two, or anyone else for that matter, your ‘work’ for me will be at an end. Understand?”

  Pengfei nervously glanced to where the martial arts manual was waiting for him on the lap desk.

  “I understand sir.”

  “Shit…hahaha….ahhhh” Elder Rulan’s usual laughter turned to an exasperated sigh. “Dramas like these are what you can look forward to as an elder. If you remain with the sect, that is. Enough of that now. Go… go and see to your task.”

  ******************************************************************************

  (Day 140)

  Their numbers were greatly reduced. The twins were in the valley, tending the herd and trying to instruct another dormitory of disciples in the basics of horsemanship. Xiaotong was confined to his bedroll by his injuries, and Neng, the assailant, was nowhere to be seen.

  Only three of them were left at the usual table. Nanxi, Shutian, and Pengfei. They ate their simple breakfast slowly.

  “How are you feeling this morning? Not going to go catatonic again on us, are you?”

  “I’m fine.” Nanxi said dully.

  “Fine enough to head back down to the valley for the rest of your herding shift?”

  “I’m never going down there again.”

  Pengfei leaned over and “Meowed” in Nanxi’s ear.

  “Hey! NO! Stop that!”

  The empty seats at the table were soon filled when the other boys from the Discipline Hall joined them, bringing conversation if not happiness. Jin Fan led the way, followed by Wai, Yusheng, and Zaifeng. But only the one with the severe face spoke.

  “Talk to your friend lately?” Fan asked.

  Pengfei shook his head.

  Everyone knew who they were referring to. And against all advice, Pengfei had tried to find Neng. Gone looking for him the night before, after leaving Chen Rulan. But he’d been stonewalled at the door to the other’s dormitory. The disciples there had barred the way with a lot of shouting and pushing. It had almost turned violent.

  “I’ll find him at training this afternoon.” Pengfei said.

  “He needs to be taught a lesson before he hurts someone else.” Shutian insisted.

  “Leave him alone. I think we can still bring Neng out of this. I just need a few minutes with him.”

  Nanxi immediately contradicted him. “You stay out of it, Pengfei. The rest of us will handle it.”

  Fan looked from one member of the trio to the next, then shrugged. Pengfei didn’t bother arguing with his friends anymore. They had covered all the same ground earlier that morning. Instead, he questioned the boy across the table.

  “You’ve been keeping an eye on Neng, right? Any idea what’s going on with him.”

  “I don’t know what he’s thinking.” Fan said, shaking his head. “But the pattern is clear. He’s been rough with everyone during sparring bouts, and he seems to be going after the weakest disciples in particular.”

  Pengfei turned to Shutian and his black eye. The thin boy had excellent qinggong and was a decent sword user. Xiaotong was below average on both counts.

  --It doesn’t sound like Neng at all. If anything, he likes opponents who are a challenge.--

  “What is he getting out of it?” Pengfei asked aloud.

  “No idea. But it’s time we do something.”

  “Chen Ji made it pretty clear Neng hasn’t broken any rules. Officially.” Shutian spat out that last word. “So, if you’re thinking about acting as a member of the Discipline Hall, I don’t think it’s going to work.”

  “I’m not talking about restraining him and dragging him off to a cell. I had something else in mind. A stalling tactic. Keep everyone healthy for another day. Maybe it’ll buy us enough time to find a peaceful resolution to the whole situation.”

  “Sounds good.” Pengfei approved of anything that would deescalate matters.

  “Maybe too good to be true.” Nanxi said warily, more suspicious than his friend.

  “I won’t lie, I’m not sure how it will go. Someone could get hurt. And it will only work if everyone keeps their cool. So Shutian, I think you’re disqualified.”

  “Fair enough.” The boy grumbled. “So, let’s hear this great plan of yours.”

  Fan scratched his cheek. “It’s a tactic you guys are already familiar with.”