Chapter 130 - Gathering for the Gathering (1/2)

Somewhere in the outer sect of the Yun Zou sect, a youth sighed heavily while looking at the broom in his hands. Becoming a hero sure wasn't easy.

Yes, indeed. This youth was none other than Zhong Jing Yi. Since the day he had entered the Yun Zou sect five years had already gone by. His progress, though …

In fact, there wasn't any. It had happened just like the fate's scribe had written it in Jing He's scroll of fate: Without time nor guidance Jing Yi hadn't been able to learn anything about cultivation. Well, at least he had picked up some basic sword skills. This had been quite the lucky coincidence: Two years after he joined the sect, Shao Hai and Xiao Dong finally arrived, too.

Yes, without any help Shao Hai had needed two years to find the Yun Zou sect. Of course, Xiao Dong hadn't helped him. He had just accompanied him on the way and made sure he didn't suffer too much. After all, making sure the other was alright seemed like a part of seducing him? Well, he still hadn't managed to attain his final goal and Shao Hai was still intent on marrying Jing Yi one day but at least he wasn't completely adverse to Xiao Dong anymore. One could even call those two friends.

Anyway, upon arriving, Shao Hai had been found out to have no spirit veins at all. Not reconciled to just give up after all the trouble he took to come there he became a practitioner instead and, of course, Xiao Dong followed suit. Thus, those two learned — or in Xiao Dong's case: pretended to learn — the sword arts. Shao Hai very naturally passed some of that newly acquired knowledge on to Jing Yi.

Jing Yi looked up at the sun. It seemed like it was nearly time for the thing Shao Hai had told him about? He really didn't want to miss it but … thinking about how he would meet these senior martial sisters of his again when he went out he couldn't really convince himself to leave his room.

That was one thing that hadn't changed in the last five years, though the reasons were others now: Jing Yi didn't like girls. At first, he had still believed what his grandfather had told him but with each passing year, he realized a bit more what bogus that really was. Girls grew up just like boys! And how boys would become men someday a girl would become a woman like his mother. Well, maybe not like his mother.

That was the real problem now: Since he had tried to stay away from girls from a young age the only ones he got to know were those direct and forceful girls like that Fa Chao Fu from his village or his cousin Guanyu from the capital. And now, since being an outer sect disciple, the only girls he met were just like that: Loud, forceful and bossy. Just thinking of them made him shudder.

”Xiao Yi!” A cry traveled up the stairs, followed by equally loud footsteps and then someone hammered at his door. ”Come on, come on, the gathering's starting!”

Jing Yi put away the broom with a smile and opened the door. Shao Hai's happy face greeted him, followed by Xiao Dong's typical frown. ”Why didn't you go over already? It's so important for you practitioners! You shouldn't miss something like that.”

”Ah, don't worry about me, Xiao Yi!” Shao Hai tried grabbing his sleeve but was evaded. He sighed but didn't try again. Who knew when it happened but his Xiao Yi wouldn't let others touch him when he just so much as guessed that their hands might not be clean. And unfortunately, his hands weren't clean most of the time.

It was all that old geezer's fault! That Elder Suo always had them do some hard and dirty work when they finished training their sword arts. In his words: In fact, you should be training your sword arts for the whole day! And at night, you should train a bit more! But since you youngsters would just slack off anyway, I'll give you something else to do. When you're finished with training, you're going to chop wood and then help carry all the supplies to the storage and after that, you'll go help building the new hut for Elder Kong. Sect master's orders!

Grr! Just thinking about it made him angry! How would he get sparkly clean hands to touch his Xiao Yi like that?!

”Stop dreaming.” Xiao Dong tiptoed, gripped him by the ear and pulled him in the direction of the staircase to the lower floor.