Chapter 4
Yun Che had agreed to pay, but no matter how many times I shook his storage pouch, I couldn’t hear so much as two coins clink.
I was furious enough to explode again.
The sect leader and my master stood in my way. “Let it go! Let it go!”
Rage robbed me of all reason. “I should let it go just because you say so? Who do you think you are?”
The sect leader considered this, then asked my master, “Aren’t I the sect leader?”
“Or are you actually the sect leader?”
Oh. Fine.
After considerable negotiation, it was decided that Yun Che would remain at the Lingyun Sect and work off his debt.
I kept feeling something wasn’t right.
Later, my junior brother said, “Senior Sister, hasn’t your private property just become collective property?”
My world collapsed.
Yun Che’s cultivation was profound, so he began teaching at the sect.
I went every day.
Looking at the morning lecture hall packed to bursting,
I felt as though they were stealing my money.
Even more infuriatingly, the sect leader and all the elders never missed a morning either.
And they took the best seats.
Everything happens for the worst.
One day, I was late by no more than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and I couldn’t even get through the door.
How was that any different from losing more money?
After that, my junior brother saved me a seat every day.
He endured immense mental strain for it.
Until, one day, the mental strain became physical.
My junior brother got beaten up!
The culprits were from another peak, and they were furious. “Who said you could save seats?”
“Can you even understand these morning lessons? What are you doing here?”
God damn it, Yun Che was paying off his debt to me. Every seat should have been mine!
Now the person who cooked the meal wasn’t even allowed to eat?
The next day, my junior brother saved me a seat again.
And got beaten up again.
I’d expected trouble this time, so I stepped in front of him just as they were about to hit him.
“Lay a hand on my junior brother. I dare you!”
We both got beaten up.
The male disciple leading them said he didn’t hit women.
So he called over a female disciple to do it.
Fuck. She hit harder than the men.
Maybe you should just do it yourself?
In the end, I had no choice but to complain to my master.
He said, “You can’t put all the blame on them.”
Huh?
Would you listen to yourself?
My junior brother didn’t seem to mind. “Let them beat me to death if they can.”
“Let’s not go that far…”
I sounded as though I was trying to persuade him, and myself as well. “Forget it. I wasn’t that interested in the lessons anyway.”
“It’s laughable. I don’t understand any of it. Techniques that advanced probably weren’t meant for us in the first place.”
“What would listening change? Would it make our lives any better?”
“Of course it wouldn’t, right?”
“Senior Sister!” He suddenly interrupted me, gripping my shoulders. His voice was solemn and firm. “It could.”
“Our lives will get better.”
My instinct was to ask how that was possible, but his eyes were so earnest that the words caught in my throat. When I spoke again, I could only change tack. “All right.”
“I’ll get up even earlier from now on.”
His face broke into a smile. “All right.”
That day, his smile was like the rising sun, warmth and hope shining together in his eyes. I couldn’t help feeling that perhaps tomorrow really would be better.