Volume 1 Chapter 2.1 Part1 (1/2)
Chapter 2.1: The Prosperous Sea Martial Hall arrived tonight! (part 1)
That disinfectant was what she had smelled before pa.s.sing out.
Very clean.
Bai Cao absentmindedly watched the youth standing in front of the window, feeling as if he was not real. It was as though he were so free of impurities and so clean that the sunlight around him seemed especially bright.
”Don't get up so suddenly; you just got hurt.”
Under the early morning sunlight, the youth drew near her, holding a cotton ball with ethyl alcohol. He unfastened the bandage on her forehead, carefully observing it and using the cotton ball to wipe at her wound.
So cold.
A p.r.i.c.kling ice-cold sensation spread from her forehead to her whole body, causing her to s.h.i.+ver a little and bite her lip. She unconsciously avoided looking at the youth and looked at her own toes instead.
”Do you still feel dizzy?”
”I'm fine,” she mumbled.
”Shake your head.”
”&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;?”
” If you still feel dizzy, you might have cerebral concussion and should go to the hospital for a check-up.” The young man said from above her.
”I'm fine.”
She knew her body very well. When Xiu Da had kicked at her, even though she hadn't retaliated, she'd been able to lean back and dispel most of the force. As for why she pa.s.sed out, it could just be because she was too tired recently.
”What a stubborn little girl.”
The youngster seemed to smile a little.
She could hear a smile bloom on his lips, like the sound of a dewdrop gently rolling off a petal. She also felt his eyes on her forehead.
”Bai Cao ------!!”
The door was forcefully opened; Xiao Ying charged into the room like the wind and immediately threw herself onto the girl standing there while yelling worriedly, ”Are you alright?!? Do you feel better? I said I'd stay here with you last night, but Chu Yuan s.h.i.+xiong said not to disturb your sleep! So I ran over as soon as I woke up! Does your wound still hurt? Is it very serious!”
”I'm fine now.”
Bai Cao smiled. Seeing Xiao Ying's red eyes, she knew in her mind that Xiao Ying probably did not sleep well last night.
”Really? You're not lying to me right? Aiya! Your forehead is swollen so badly, yet you still say you're fine! Can you still come to school today? How about I help you ask for leave and you rest properly today, okay?”
”I'm alright.”
Saying that, she turned back and bowed at the youngster before saying:
”Thank you.”
”Ah, Right!” Xiao Ying only just realized that and said to the youngster in a rush, ”Chu Yuan s.h.i.+xiong , thank you for taking care of Bai Cao! Thank you! Thank you!”
Chu Yuan s.h.i.+xiong &h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;
Bai Cao sneakily sized up the youngster in front of her. His face really did resemble the Hall Master's wife somewhat; calm, refined, and wise.
Bai Cao walked out of the room and saw that there was a small and solitary wooden cabin outside. In front of it was a little stream and an old banyan tree that were surrounded by spa.r.s.e vegetation. The branches and leaves of the tree rustled in the early spring breeze of dawn.
”Humph, d.a.m.n Xiu Da, he actually dared to sneak attack you! Looks like he needs to be taught a lesson!”
Xiao Ying furiously said before beginning to smile.
”But I think he will be miserable this time, s.h.i.+fu will definitely not let him off! s.h.i.+fu already punished him by kneeling in the practice room all night. Now he is being lectured in front of all the s.h.i.+xiongdi and s.h.i.+jiemei ! Come on, let's go see them!”
She pulled Bai Cao towards the practice courtyard, afraid that they would arrive late and unable to see the spectacle.
” s.h.i.+fu -------!”
” s.h.i.+fu !”
” s.h.i.+fu ----–!!!!!!”
Panic-stricken and fl.u.s.tered shouts of plea could be heard in the distance from the direction of the courtyard. Xiao Ying halted in shock. Bai Cao watched attentively and saw the kneeling Xiu Da and his tear-covered face. He knelt on the gra.s.s while desperately hugging Hall Master Yu's leg, sobbing:
”I'm sorry! s.h.i.+fu , I'll never dare to do that again! I beg you, s.h.i.+fu , don't drive me away!”
All the fellow disciples of Pure Elegance Martial Hall except for Ruo Bai and Chu Wei kneeled down as well to help Xiu Da to plead, ”s.h.i.+fu! Please forgive Xiu Da this time!”
One of the female disciples kneeling at the very front knocked her head on the ground, shouting with all her might:
” s.h.i.+fu ! Xiu Da is still young, he doesn't understand things because I didn't teach him correctly. You can punish me, or if you want, send me away instead! I beg of you, s.h.i.+fu , please do not drive Xiu Da away. He really likes taekwondo; he likes Pure Elegance Martial Hall. If you want to punish someone, just punish me!”
Yi Feng was also kneeling while begging:
” s.h.i.+fu , Xiu Da is young and rash. He made a mistake in a moment of impulse, so please give him a chance!”
” s.h.i.+&h.e.l.lip; s.h.i.+fu wants Xiu Da to leave Pure Elegance Martial Hall?” Xiao Ying said in shock, standing there blankly .
She only wanted Xiu Da to be taught a lesson, but&h.e.l.lip; but s.h.i.+fu actually wanted to drive him away from here? At a loss, she turned her head away and saw Bai Cao silently looking at the crying Xiu Da.
“Learning taekwondo is to let you have a strong and healthy body, not to just fight blindly.” Not paying attention to the Xiu Da who was bawling and hugging his leg tightly , Hall Master Yu sighed. “Leave. If someone like you continues to study here, you will only use your strength to harm others and bully the weak in the future. It will be better to leave taekwondo altogether.”
Chu Wei stood behind Hall Master Yu, unable to look Xiu Da in the eye.
Ruo Bai's face was still as calm as ever, as though nothing was happening.
” s.h.i.+fu -----!”
Xiu Da and the female disciple kneeling at the front both paled. Xiu Da cried until he was unable to breathe, using all the energy he had left to hug s.h.i.+fu 's leg. He raised his face and wailed,
”I don't fight ruthlessly, I also don't use my strength to bully the weak! It's just that I'm unwilling&h.e.l.lip; unwilling to lose to a person from Absolute Victory Martial Hall&h.e.l.lip; unwilling to be made fun of for losing to a girl&h.e.l.lip; s.h.i.+fu, I really don't! I won't shame Pure Elegance Martial Hall! I'll never use it for harm! s.h.i.+fu, please believe me!”
Hall Master Yu said in anguished:
”If it was just a personal battle, then it would have been fine; but in the situation where the opponent had turned down the challenge, yet you still executed a sneak attack, you had violated the most basic ethics of taekwondo.”
” I&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip; I&h.e.l.lip;..”
Xiu Da was inarticulate, his tears flowing freely.
”He did not sneak an attack on me.
Every disciple in Pure Elegance Martial Hall were shocked as Bai Cao walked to the middle of the practice courtyard. She looked at the sobbing and weak Xiu Da, and said:
”Hall Master Yu, Xiu Da did not sneak an attack on me. Before he kicked me, he had already warned me, and I heard him. So, he did not sneak an attack on me.”
]Xiu Da slowly looked up in disbelief.
”You&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;”
His throat was dry from crying, his face was covered in tear-stains, his eyes was swollen like peaches. His gaze was full of fear and dread of being driven away, just like a helpless child.
Just like she was before.
Bai Cao's heart turned sour. At that time, she was also very scared. She wanted to cry; she wanted to kneel down and beg Zheng s.h.i.+bo not to drive her away; she wanted to learn taekwondo. When she left Absolute Victory Martial Hall, she did not know where she should go. Being driven away from the martial hall that she really loved was a really cruel thing. She understood that more than anyone else.