Let The Schooling Begin

Volume 2: Painful Lessons in the Great Dimension

__________________________________________________________________________

Ye Wanshi was among the last of the stragglers, even Master Gouki's students had left long ago after seeing their master off. Those who had been called were taken, group by group, to their new residences. Rooted in place, the list of names called repeated in his head over and over, drilling him deeper and deeper into despair.

'Lin Fei...'

'Lin Fei...'

'WHY LIN FEI AND NOT ME!?!?'

Old Man Sun was eventually able to get him to move, a discerning gaze in his eyes as he looked at the still figure of Logean Wuji. He was sitting on the stone islet, eyes shut but still smiling. Old Man Sun chuckled softly, then guided the distraught Ye Wanshi back down the mountain.

The ancient village itself was built in such a way that it contained a number of individual rings or circles. There was an outer ring, an inner ring and a core ring, which contained the village center and the pond. Master Gouki, Xiao Wanshou and Lin Fei were to be given places of residence within the outer ring.

"Oi! You, the weakling, over here."

Lin Fei, like a subservient child, was the closest to Ye Hong and Ling Ji'er. He was far more surprised than anyone else that his name had been called. A series of wild and baseless theories danced around in his mind and forced him into a complete frenzy. Noticing his nervous breakdown, even though he was a bit further behind, Gouki called out to him.

"Oh, uh, me? What is it, good sir?"

As the fire of the stone lantern beside them raged, Gouki approached Lin Fei and looked around at the empty village. Ye Hong and Ling Ji'er stopped, curious.

"Ji'er, why do you think Sir Wuji called for the chieftain?"

"Beats me. I think maybe he wants to make an example of him. You know; punish him for how he acted that day by the statue."

They were not speaking softly, so Lin Fei easily caught wind of their conversation. Cold sweat trickled down his entire body, causing him to scrub at his face and neck with his rough hands.

Gouki snorted coldly, "What a spineless bitch! Where are your balls, you mewling cur?"

Two giant hands slammed down onto Lin Fei's broad shoulders. Without warning, he coughed up a mouthful of blood and his legs turned to mush, causing him to fall to his knees. Master Gouki frowned and growled, his body beginning to release a large amount of dark, murderous aura.

"Feel how weak you are. Pathetic..."

After that, Gouki bypassed him and went up to Ye Hong and Ling Ji'er, noticing their indifference. With a small bow, he said, "If you would be so kind as to point me to my residence."

Ye Hong pointed at a mansion, then Gouki thanked him and left. Xiao Wanshou was struggling to pick Lin Fei up. Though he wasn't seriously injured, Lin Fei seemed lifeless.

'It's true, isn't it? Sir Wuji wants to make an example of me... Why else would he call for me, a talentless old coot?'

Swiftly losing hold on his will to live, Lin Fei coughed up another mouthful of blood and fell flat on the floor. Ye Hong and Ling Ji'er gave a collective sigh, walking over to Lin Fei and the panicking young man at his side.

"Good job, Peashooter," Ling Ji'er laughed, "but we'll take it from here. That one's yours, so go get settled."

Once he was gone, Ye Hong and Ling Ji'er played rock-paper-scissors to decide who would carry him to his residence.

"Ahaha! I told you I would pick rock, you dummy!" Ling Ji'er celebrated her win then watched as Ye Hong was forced to pick up the spasming Lin Fei from the ground. Reluctantly, he carried Lin Fei to his assigned residence while Ling Ji'er skipped happily alongside him.

....

The next day, Ye Hong and Ling Ji'er were sent out early to fetch the new arrivals and Bi Xue. Once again, they gathered in the village center and found Logean Wuji sitting in the same spot, a stream of thin mist rising from his body as the sun rose. After that, Ye Hong and Ling Ji'er left, leaving the group of 'chosen ones' on their own.

They all knelt and said, "Good morning, Sir Wuji!"

He opened his eyes, waving his hand and saying, "Please, sit."

Once they were all seated, his figure disappeared and reappeared on the surface of the water whereupon there was not even a ripple. He looked down at each of them, a warm smile rising.

Ye Zhiyuan and Ye Zuliao had been a bit unsettled ever since they arrived. Seeing Logean Wuji standing before them, Ye Zuliao finally decided it was a good time to ask the question that had been on both their minds since yesterday. "Sir Wuji."

"Zuliao?"

"About my fellow tribesman, Ye Wanshi... I-"

"You want to know why I did not call for him."

Ye Zhiyuan and Ye Zuliao exchanged nervous glances, hoping that Logean Wuji would not be offended.

"Simple. What he needs isn't my teaching or instruction, nor does he require my guidance or assistance. He needs something else; something he needs to find on his own."

Ensuring that the two Taigao children understood, he then looked at the others. "Any other questions?"

Ji Tianshan raised her hands immediately, delighting Logean Wuji until he heard what she had to say:

"Is it true that you once combed the lice out of your hair and scattered it throughout the sky, creating the stars we see at night?"

A crooked smile hung on Logean Wuji's face as he twitched uncontrollably for a few seconds. 'When the fuck have I ever had lice? Who raised this kid?'

He shook his head somewhat stiffly, "No, child. That is a rather stupid tale spun by a truly bored individual."

Ji Tianshan nodded while saying, "Ohh.." She seemed disappointed by the news, but he did not care. Right now, he needed to get all misconceptions and inaccurate expectations out of the way. This time, Zhou Mantiao and Lin Fei raised their hands at almost the same time.

"Lin Fei, go ahead."

"Ah, wouldn't Mister Zhou like to go first instead?"

"Oh no, go on ahead Mister Lin."

Logean Wuji waited in silence while contemplating slapping them both. At some point, two similar lights flashed in both Zhou Mantiao's and Lin Fei's eyes. They nodded, "Together, then."

"Sir Wuji..."

"Sir Wuji..."

Logean Wuji stared blankly. "Yes?"

In unison, they asked, "Why are we here?"

Taken aback, Logean Wuji chuckled, shaking his head. "Truly ridiculous..."

"Zhou Mantiao, Lin Fei, you are both here because I have plans for you- just like everyone else here. Do not think that I cannot use you because of your limitations; when it comes to me there are no limitations."

After that, the two fell silent. Everyone else seemed amazed by those words, thinking that there was no one else alive that would dare to speak them. Logean Wuji then looked over at Pixie, seeing her sitting there with a blank expression. There was little excitement or curiosity in her gaze, and this caused him to frown momentarily.

"Master, I have a question."

Hearing her call him this, shallow envy flashed in the eyes of most of the people present. Thought they had been called, it was still unclear as to whether or not they would be his students.

When Bi Xue raised her hand, Logean Wuji had still been focused on Pixie. After she called out and he turned to face her, she also noticed Pixie's expression.

"What is it?"

"I would like to ask about our tutelage. How exactly will we be proceeding from here?"

All looked to Logean Wuji with intrigue, wanting to know the answer to this question more than anything. Logean Wuji smiled after he saw that Pixie was also among the eager-faced ones.

"First, I must be sure there are no more questions..."

Everyone shook their heads.

"Very well."

Logean Wuji then waved his hand. Streams of invisible energy trilled as they poured out over the water, bringing a chaotic aspect to the once still pond. The tiny rushing waves defied any natural physics, instead rushing in a circle around Logean Wuji before the pond began to be depleted at an alarming rate.

They all shot to their feet out of instinct, only then remembering that the person they were about to attempt to help was Logean Wuji.

Once the pond was drained of its water, the smooth stone surface beneath it also began to change. Incisions appeared in the rock before slipping open, revealing a hidden staircase beneath the floor. As it went down into the darkness of this abyss, the staircase wound in a descending circle of gloom.

Aside from a few, they were all feeling a bit uneasy.

"Mount Logean itself was built from the preserved remains of the United Sect, however those areas were all concealed within the mountain. Some of you may be wondering how such a thing is possible and, though not all of you will be my students henceforth, I will teach you something usefel."

They all stepped onto the smooth stone, standing before Logean Wuji who had his back to the staircase. He regarded them all with his kingly air, yet there was also a softness to it that had never been shown before. Subconsciously, he glanced at the sun and smiled.

"Abandon what you believe is possible and forget what you already think you know; that is my first lesson. Some of you are about to witness things that, without my input, would batter your minds with such intense dao energy that you would be erased from existence. I will not be responsible for those of you that ignore these words."

Ling Jian'er and Cyrus both gasped, their mouths agape and their eyes lighting up. They both looked down that winding staircase with anticipation and joy. Ji Tianshan was also ecstatic, but she could not help but remember her blunder during the talent show. Her eyes showed a hint of respect and humility, but also anxiety and self-doubt. The same went for Ji Haogui, but to an even greater level that his sister's.

Ye Zhiyuan was doing her best to control her breathing. She went as far as to shut her eyes and ball her fists, finally sighing after she was able to calm her nerves. Ye Zuliao was frowning and sighing, finding it hard to get too excited. He kept thinking about Ye Wanshi and about what Logean Wuji said. Since he did not understand, he thought that Logean Wuji meant Ye Wanshi was not good enough.

Even so, he slowly began to get more and more into it as Logean Wuji continued talking. Once he heard the words 'intense dao energy,' he licked his lips and rubbed his tummy, already imagining just what it would taste like.

Gouki was indifferent. He folded his arms and shut his eyes, head turned to the side. Lin Fei was terrified of every word that came out of Logean Wuji's mouth, and so was Zhou Mantiao. They wound up huddled together and standing in fear. Zhou Hua was unnerved, but her resilience helped her push through and remain strong in the face of that dreadful descent into the unknown.

Xiao Wanshou had already fainted, frothing at the mouth before Logean Wuji had even started speaking. Just the minor pressure coming from the abysmal stairwell sent him over the edge and straight into a ditch.

Pixie looked around at everyone, their individual expressions affecting her mood as well. The bitterness in her heart subsided, if only by a bit. Despite that, she smiled and stood tall, ready for whatever would come her way.

'At least I can experience it with these wonderful people.'

Logean Wuji nodded, then turned around and faced the stairs. "Bi Xue, are you not my disciple? Stand at my side."

"Ah... My apologies, Master." Bi Xue rushed to his right side, bowing a few times in apology. Logean Wuji smiled in response, but then he straightened up and stood tall, allowing some of them to truly appreciate just how tall he was.

"Ji Tianshan, Ji Haogui. Ye Zhiyuan, Ye Zuliao. Pixie Prunes, Zhou Hua. Ling Jian'er, Cyrus. You will all follow me down the stairs."

Gouki, Lin Fei and Zhou Mantiao all let out relieved sighs, though one of them hid it more than the others... It was Gouki...

"These shall be the disciples of Logean Wuji for evermore."

"Gouki, you are named Dharma Protector of my Logean Mountain Region and are hereby permitted to seek out and destroy any who harbor ill intent toward it. Keep in mind that a crime against this region is a crime against me, and must demand the ultimate price in reconciliation."

"As you wish, Sir Wuji," Gouki bowed in a respectful salute.

"Xiao Wanshou, you are given a place on my mountain and the resources you need to pursue your personal dao. I expect you to make the best possible use of it."

There was a brief silence following this; Xiao Wanshou was still unconscious and froth had now covered his face. Someone really should have helped him out...

"Nevermind, Ye Hong and Ling Ji'er will see to him."

"As for Lin Fei, you are here because I wish to lawfully have the title of chieftain passed on. We will conduct the ceremony soon. Zhou Mantiao, you are the brother of my disciple, Zhou Hua. Your elevated status will allow you a place on my mountain and any benefit that comes your way."

After that, Logean Wuji looked to his students that had taken positions at either his right or left.

"Now, allow me to take you all to school."