29 Two Awkward Sisters

Morning came and Chu Fan woke up to the knocking of knives on chopping boards and scraping of iron woks as ingredients danced about. The Puppets had awoken and proceeded to do their routine breakfast work.

It was nice to wake up to a busy kitchen, such sounds were like music to his ears.

"Hu-Uah! What a pleasant nap?"

He ran to the bathroom to freshen himself up and came back to stand before the door to his room.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

He waited, but there was no answer to his knocking. He tried opening the door, but to his dismay the two girls had locked it for obvious reasons. Angered that the two girls couldn't trust him enough to constrain himself, he chose to sneak back into his own room.

He turned around and grabbed a knife. With a swift chop, his knife was swung with great precision, splitting the lock on the other side as if it were butter while not making any noise at all.

He nudged the door open as quietly as he could.

*Creek*

He paused for a brief second; hearing no reaction he continued to open the door all the way. He then tiptoed over to his bed where the two girls were sleeping peacefully. The blanket hung over the right bedside, wrapped around Yao Lingyan's right leg. Yao Lingyan's legs were spread open and a little drool could be seen on the corner of her mouth. Hun Lian was in the corner hugging a pillow with a pleased face.

Chu Fan climbed the bed and stood between the two girls. He was all smiles as he had seized the opportunity to catch these two girls in their most embarrassing states. He bent over and plopped himself right in between the two girls after fixing their postures.

He then closed his eyes and acted like he was asleep. He waved his hand over Yao Lingyan's shoulder, then did the same to Hun Lian. This woke the girls one by one: first was Yao Lingyan followed by Hun Lian.

*Mua*

The crisp sound of a kiss sounded out like a drop of oil in a wok of boiling oil.

"Who kissed me so early in the morning?"

Chu Fan smiled and rolled over in the direction his cheek had been kissed on and opened his eyes. It was none other than Hun Lian, she had the idea in her head that it was very pleasant for a man to wake up to a kiss. Though it was a great idea, a certain other party was currently fuming at this action.

Chu Fan felt a hint of killing intent surge from behind him. He turned around to see a very stern face staring at Hun Lian. It was too early for trouble, so Chu Fan made an attempt to quell the princess next to him.

"My sweetness, stop making such a face. You are too pretty and young for wrinkles."

He then placed his hands on her cheeks and began rubbing them. She knocked his hands aside and pointed at Hun Lian.

"No fair junior sister. Don't blame me for making my moves also then."

Chu Fan was shocked, he was prepared to receive an outburst and have a mini-brawl to calm Yao Lingyan. But to his delight, she took it rather well. In the middle of his thought, Yao Lingyan placed both her hands on his cheeks and moved them towards her own. She kissed him on the lips, stunning Hun Lian silent as she watched with her dilated pupils.

She held the kiss for four seconds before they both had to let go for lack of oxygen. Gasping for air, Chu Fan sat silently as he regained his composure. He stood up and looked at the two girls who were now blushing.

"Eh? What's this now about a junior sister?"

Hun Lian looked up at Chu Fan with her eyes lowered, she dared not make eye contact.

"Last night, Yao Lingyan and I agreed that we would share you. She would be the big sister while I am the second sister. Chu Fan, now that she has received her kiss, can I have mine?"

She stood up and came closer to Chu Fan, so much so that their faces were only mm apart and they could feel the heat from each other's breath.

"Hu-What? You too? I haven't even brushed my te- Mm!"

Hun Lian couldn't wait another moment and chose to initiate the kiss herself. She kept her eyes closed as she basked in the moment of her first kiss. Chu Fan had no other option to kiss back, scaring her a little. This served to loosen up the tense girl and transform her into nothing more than a limp noodle.

She fell onto the bed, dazed and red. Yao Lingyan was also in a dazed state also as she didn't expect the proud and naive daughter of the sect to be so bold in courting men, Chu Fan in particular.

Chu Fan swiftly jumped off the bed and clapped his hands.

"Okay, now that you two are awake. Get freshened up and we'll have breakfast. I'll go and cook now. See you two in a bit."

He grabbed a set of his robes and left the room, shutting the door behind him. He left the two awkward sisters to themselves as he could do nothing about the awkward atmosphere in the room.

The two girls looked at each other and blushed before laughing. They then began chatting away. Hearing the two girls talk so friendly with one another, Chu Fan sighed as the potential trouble he faced was virtually non-existent at the moment.

He got changed and donned his apron. He then went on to repeat his morning routine of knife practice, then helping the puppets with the final stages of preparing breakfast. The girls had finally exited his room a little after he was finished with everything and they all sat down for breakfast together.

Disciples began entering the cafeteria and noticed that Chu Fan was eating breakfast with Yao Lingyan and most surprising of all, Hun Lian. They all grabbed their meals and got seated. Chu Fan and his group noticed all the weird looks they got, but paid no importance to any of it.

That is until, Da Bao and Tian Han arrived. The two fellow disciples arrived and waved.

"Yao Lingyan, Chu Fan, you two didn't return to the room last night? Did you two sleep here last night?"

Chu Fan and Yao Lingyan only laughed and nodded. They had no better excuse, so they simply agreed.

Tian Han noticed Hun Lian and he immediately went into his detective mode.

"Eh? How come Hun Lian has graced us common outer-disciples with her presence today. Shouldn't you be eating with your parents today?"

"Uh...."

Hun Lian's heart-rate began to rise and she couldn't do anything but look at Chu Fan for a solution to her predicament. With his eyes, Tian Han was able to deduce when someone was lying based on their inner-qi fluctuation: which is partly controlled by a cultivator's emotional state.

Chu Fan coughed, getting the attention of his two curious fellow disciples.

"Ahem! Hun Lian has graced us with her appearance today as I have been teaching her how to cook every morning since I returned to the sect. Occasionally she will have breakfast with us outer-sect disciples to understand how we interact with one another. She yearns for our kinship and has found it here in the cafeteria. Isn't that right Hun Lian?"

Hun Lian only nodded in agreement and looked back at Chu Fan with stars in her eyes. He really was a trustworthy individual when it came to fibbing.

Chu Fan got up and motioned his hands, directing the attention of everyone around the dining area. He had entered a "philosophical" state of mind and no one was able to stop his rant.

"Countless number of students come here, whether rain or snow. And all just to eat and keep each other company. With good food, comes good company. And this simple and mortal necessity is capable of destroying the obstacles such as hierarchy to bring us all together to bask in the flavors of life together."

He turned around to look like some poetic figure, with a somber expression on his face. A moment of silence came as all the students were taken aback by his rambling.

*Clap* *Clap* *Clap* *Clap* *Clap* *Clap*

He began to hear the sounds of applause as a disciple in the corner started clapping, causing a domino effect on other students. Some students even started to cry.

"Right! My father befriended a noble who loved our sour and sweet commoner dishes. They even became sworn brothers, and I have an arranged marriage with his daughter."

"My mother met my father when she saved him from the freezing cold with a bowl of her porridge. Father still eats porridge to this day."

"My grandfather saved the emperor travelling undercover with a piece of bread. He was later awarded with an official position."

At Chu Fan's table, the astonished faces of everyone were priceless. Chu Fan sat down with much pride that day. And the children all finished their food and went to class to resume their studies.

They all went to class together. When the disciple responsible for teaching them came in, they all bowed and greeted her.

"Greetings, senior sister!"

Chu Fan raised his hand. He was impatient to continue learning about cultivation.

"Senior sister Duan Mu, what will we be learning today?"

Duan Mu crossed her arms and smiled.

"Today, you will all be choosing your weapons today as well as a corresponding cultivation manual for said weapon."

The whole class leapt with joy.

"Hooray! I can finally wield a spear!"

"Woohoo! A saber for me."

"Hm! Nothing can beat a shortsword!"

"Ha! Axes can break through any defense!"

Duan Mu then shook her fingers.

"Tsk, Tsk, Tsk! First I am required to assess your progression in cultivation."

The students all looked at one another with mixed expressions. Some were smiling, some were gritting their teeth.

Duan Mu pounded the desk she stood in front of.

"Alright, who's up first?"