Chapter 7 — Taking a Master
劍問蒼天 · Page 2 of 5
Song Dayi laughed too. "Now you see. Actually Master doesn't much care, but Mistress was furious. After a few times she declared that Junior Brother Du had no respect for his master or the Way and threatened to teach him a lesson. She frightened him half to death, and he hurriedly begged Master and Mistress to change his name. In the end Mistress gave him the name 'Du Biyan.' Now say that name over a few times."
Zhang Qingyue said softly, "Du Biyan, Du Biyan, du bi yan—gamble and lose every time…" He doubled over with a snort of laughter.
Song Dayi had meant all along to make him laugh and ease his grief a little; seeing Zhang Qingyue cheered, he was glad himself, and said with a smile, "Before he entered the sect, Sixth Junior Brother had a bad habit of gambling. Then by chance Master brought him up the mountain and converted him. He doesn't gamble for money anymore, but he still loves to bet with people for the fun of it. Mistress's choice of name was meant as a warning too."
Zhang Qingyue, being a child at heart, brightened at the laughter, and his sorrow faded a good deal. Seeing how kind his eldest senior brother was, the fear and dread he had felt for the future slowly settled as well.
After they had eaten in the kitchen, Song Dayi brought Zhang Qingyue to Dazhu Peak's main hall, the Shoujing Hall. Everyone of the Canglan Sect's Dazhu Peak line was gathered there now. The floor was paved with red brick, the roof tiled in red, the pillars of stone; carved into the floor of the great hall was a huge taiji diagram. Altogether it was quite plain.
At the front of the hall stood two chairs, and in them sat two people. One was Tian Buhui; the other was a quiet, dignified beauty who looked to be in her thirties, graceful and elegant. Beside her stood a little girl with fine, delicate features and a pair of bright, liquid eyes, quick and lively—a child to make anyone's heart soften.
As for the other five male disciples, they stood in a row below, some tall, some short, some sturdy, some lean, and every eye was now fixed on Zhang Qingyue.
Song Dayi went to the front of the hall and said respectfully, "Master, Mistress, your disciple has brought the little junior brother."
Tian Buhui gave a grunt, plainly impatient. It was the beauty, Su Wan, who looked Zhang Qingyue over a couple of times and said, "Daren, he's slept a day and a night—he must be starving. Take him to eat something first."
Song Dayi said, "Replying to Mistress, I have already taken the little junior brother to the kitchen to eat."
Su Wan nodded, glanced at Tian Buhui, and said no more. Tian Buhui gave another cold grunt. "Let's begin."
Zhang Qingyue did not understand, until Song Dayi whispered behind him, "Little junior brother, kneel quickly and kowtow to take the master."
Zhang Qingyue dropped to his knees at once and knocked his head more than a dozen times in a row, thud, thud, thud—hard and loud.
"Pfft." It was the little girl, Tian Lingsu, who could not hold back her laugh. Su Wan said with a smile, "Good child, nine times is enough."
Zhang Qingyue said "Oh," and only then stopped. When he raised his head, everyone saw the great red patch on his forehead and could not help laughing. But in Tian Buhui's eyes, Zhang Qingyue only seemed more hopelessly foolish than ever; at the thought of having to teach such an idiot in the future, his already sizable head seemed to swell another size.
"All right, that's enough," said Tian Buhui, waving his hand in a foul mood. "Daren, you look after him for now. The sect rules and precepts, and a few basic methods of entry, you can teach him first."
Song Dayi answered, "Yes." Then he hesitated and added, "But Master, the little junior brother is still young, and the lessons for new disciples…"
Tian Buhui rolled his eyes. "Do as I said." With that he rose and, without a backward glance, strode toward the rear hall. All the disciples bowed together. "Farewell, Master."