Volume 1 Chapter 7 (1/2)

Maybe their master's bumpy saucer and rusty coins were really useful and he somehow foresaw this scene, as he looked well prepared

With eyelids drooping, Muchun Zhenren stepped up to the podiuhty apprentices He said sluggishly, “For today'sclass, I want you to read Scriptures on Clarity and Stillness after me”

Scriptures on Clarity and Stillness wasn’t the sa as Wondrous Scripture of Constant Clarity and Stillness, as Spoken by the Most High Lord Lao It was only a piece of ra repetitive talk, which was, in all probability, fabricated by the ible

Probably to show clarity and tranquility distinctly, Muchun Zhenren prolonged each character into two as he read His drawl al vibrato in the last syllable of every sentence, which made him sound like an insane laodan [1] with a puckered mouth

Cheng Qian listened for a— so loudly that he had his heart in his mouth, he was afraid that his master was meant to murder him

Eventually, theirHe leisurely sipped fro Qian hastily flapped the goose pi expectantly for his ic when he hopelessly heard his ain “Okay, let's read once again”

Cheng Qian: “…”

Cheng Qian felt an impolite pat on his shoulder His showy but useless first senior brother accosted him initiatively

“Hey, kid” Said first senior brother “Budge over”

First senior brother was theQian dared not go against him

Young master Yan lifted his eyelids, and Taoist children around hiht aithout prodding He reclined on it and openly closed his eyes in hissound of “stillness”

After observing for a while, Cheng Qian discovered so points of his monster-like first senior brother — he didn’t snore when sleeping, for example

Perhaps, other people had been used to this When first senior brother was having a brazen doze, second senior brother had mixed with his little junior brother in a short ti Qian, for he kept winking and frowning at him

Of the four apprentices present, only Cheng Qian was relatively lenient towards their master His lenience and harshness were always clearly demarcated, but they were both faithful andQian satreading” with hisclass didn't becoue

Seeing that Cheng Qian didn’t even bother to acknowledge him, Li Yun rolled his eyes and came up with an idea He shi+pped a small porcelain bottle out of his sleeve and shook it before Han Yuan He murmured, “Do you knohat this is?”

Directly Han Yuan took it over and opened it, a horrible stink washed over hi behind him was unluckily involved

“This is ic water, Golden Toad Liquid I ly

Han Yuan covered his nose with his fingers and gave back the alleged “ the stink, he asked, “What’s it for?”

Li Yun smirked and scrunched the rice paper on his desk into a ball Then he dripped a few drops of ic water on it As the water seeped into the paper speedily, the paper ball turned into a live toad in the blink of an eye

There were various beasts and birds all over the world, why did he only pick out toads to play with? What a weird and sickening interest!

Cheng Qian was starting to understand why first senior brother looked at second senior brother as if looking at a shi+t

Li Yun looked up and , he poked the toad with his pen and said pointing at Cheng Qian, “Go after him”

The toad croaked and ran towards Cheng Qian But it was nipped by a skinny hand midway — their master sneaked close to them unnoticed The toad turned back to a normal paper ball in his hand

“Heretical tricks” Muchun Zhenren sighed as if chanting “You've got a real talent, Xiao-Yun”

Li Yun stuck out his tongue at him

“If so, now you lead your junior brothers to read” Said his master

Li Yun had no option but to force a eunuch's voice and spent approxiraph of Scriptures on Clarity and Stillness repeatedly for at least a dozen ti for a halt and put the endless torment into an end

“I a” Han Yuan whispered to Cheng Qian, shi+vering

Cheng Qian sat stiffly, pretending not to be acquainted with him

Having sat in repose for over an hour, their o with activeQian, wake your first senior brother up”

Cheng Qian didn’t anticipate such a misfortune would fall upon him He turned aside and looked at the youth in white Then he steeled hier and poked hiht with his heart in his boots, “It’s Master that asked er out on me”

First senior brother seery He opened his eyes that was blurred with sleep, and stared at Cheng Qian for quite a while, then he took a deep breath and crawled out of the chair He feebly waved his hand and said, “Got it… you can go first”

Half-awake young master Yan appeared to have a better teaze at Cheng Qian thus softened a lot

Afterwards, Yan Zheng, what’s your naain?”

“… Cheng Qian”

“Oh” Yan Zhengust for Li Yun and his behavior of covering up his face before Han Yuan, His attitude towards Cheng Qian was reasonably polite

With that “Oh”, Yan Zheng Qian He covered his yaith a hand and sat still in place, waiting for his maid, Yu-er, to comb his hair

Cheng Qian once suspected that his coquettish first senior brother was in effect a pheasant spirit with a colorful tail But seeing the scene, he cast off the speculation — at this rate, even a real pheasant would inevitably become a tailless two-feet monster someday

But first senior brother still had a thick hair This illustrated that he was only possibly some kind of more unthinkable animal

In the yard, a Taoist child came over and presented a wooden sword to Muchun with both hands