The Hatchery

Feng Chusan drearily drew the eighth line on her wall. She couldn't believe it. She'd been in the Si Lak Mercenaries for a week. There was no mirror to check her appearance with. She raised her hand and touched her hair. It was matted and uneven.

"Morning, Sister Chusan," Han Yuefeng climbed up onto Feng Chusan's bed, "I hope you didn't forget that we have kitchen duty today,"

"What?" Feng Chusan frowned, "I thought it was Gu Wenwen and Lu Xiyin's turn!"

"Hush!" Han Yuefeng put her hand over Feng Chusan's mouth, "don't wake everyone!" she removed her hand, "I know it's Wenwen and Xiyin's turn, but Sister Yue Li changed it to us yesterday!'

"It's that damn girl again! What have I done to her!" The stress was breaking Feng Chusan down.

"I know right, but what can we do? She's the one that allocates kitchen duty,"

"Can't we report to Meng Yue?"

"Big Sister? If we do, we might get off today, but Sister Yue Li will get back at us another day!"

"It's another day, right," Feng Chusan started climbing down, "I need today's rest,"

Meng Yue was sewing when Geng Chusan got to her. She was among the few that woke up very early. Her hair was past her ears now.

"Morning Sister Meng Yue," Feng Chusan growled grudgingly.

"What's the matter?" Meng Yue seemed to be in a bad mood, which was unlike her.

"Yue Li changed today's kitchen duty from Wenwen and Xiyin to Yuefeng and I! We already did ours this week!"

"Do as Yue Li says and don't complain!" Meng Yue snapped, "a Si Lak Mercenary obeys orders. When I'm gone, Yue Li will be you guys' Big Sister. You must work out your differences and cooperate with her. And you know the tutors must not hear of any beef, or everyone will be punished, so be careful,"

Feng Chusan was very very angry. She stormed away from Meng Yue and called Han Yuefeng.

"Let's go!"

They trudged out through the back door into the cold and made for the kitchen in the back courtyard. Han Yuefeng lit up the stove and they both warned themselves.

"What should we cook?" Teeth chattering, Han Yuefeng asked.

"I don't care. I'm going to pour salt in that damn girl's food,"

"That's silly. She would know it's you," Han Yuefeng shook her head, "there's no better thing than getting her in trouble with the tutors,"

"How am I going to do that?" Feng Chusan asked, as she started carrying the dirty dishes outside to the vat of water in the courtyard.

"Tell them what she's doing!" Han Yuefeng replied when she came back in. She was scrubbing the pots.

"But Meng Yue said not to!"

Han Yuefeng set down a pot with a clang. She looked the other girl in the eye.

"Because Big Sister Meng Yue knows she's the one that will be punished."

"She said all of us will be,"

"The tutors are not idiots, you know. Big Sister Meng Yue has been here for one hundred and twenty eight days. She's frustrated. She wants to leave. So she doesn't want anything to tarnish her,"

When the meal was served, some of the girls complained.

"Ugh, tasteless!"

"Why is it you guys? Isn't it Xiyin and Wenwen's turn?"

"You guys can't cook! You shoud join toilet duty instead!"

"Of course, Yuefeng is too young and this one is obviously a spoilt brat. Toilet duty it is,"

"Sister Yue Li, we're suffering!"

"Surely you yourself can see how bland the food is!"

CREAK.

All the girls put their bowls down and jumped up.

"Greetings to Tutor Nalan!"

Feng Chusan was surprised. It was actually Nalan Yu, the lady that had brought her here. She had not seen her once since that day.

"The Spear Squad is ready for a new member," Nalan Yu said without any preambles. The girls drew in their breaths in anticipation. The Spear Squad! That was the Squad headed by Flaming Spear Xi Yun and her disciples! It was the most popular and coveted school to belong to in the Mercenaries! Meng Yue involuntarily stepped forward.

"I did not call your name,"

"Sorry, Tutor Nalan!" Meng Yue blushed. Her eyes turned red.

Nalan Yu scanned the girls, walking among them.

"What is your name?" Nalan Yu finally stopped.

"Lu-- Lu Xinyi!"

Feng Chusam gritted her teeth. First she didn't do her work, now she was going to get picked into the Top Senior's school! How unfair life was!

"What is your element affinity?"

"Wind!"

Nalan Yu pulled Lu Xinyi out from among the girls. Briefly, she ran her hand over Lu Xinyi's head, which had sparse hair. Immediately, Lu Xinyi was sporting a double cornrow hairstyle, the type on Nalan Yu's head.

"Welcome to the Spear Squad. Let's go,"

Lu Xinyi did a happy skip, waved to her friends, then promptly followed Nalan Yu out.

Thud! The door slammed.

Howl! The sound caught the girls by surprise. It was Meng Yue, who had fallen to the floor, sobbing.

"Why--why am I not good enough-- for any of them?! What am I missing? What haven't I learnt? What?--" she cried earnestly, covering her face in anguish.

Somehow, Feng Chusan felt vindicated, seeing the almighty Big Sister in tears. She sat down stiffly and resumed her meal.

No one went over to comfort Meng Yue. She kept on sobbing till their drill instructor, Ning Fulan, arrived.

"The matter with you?" Ning Fulan asked the girl. She was tall, heavy set, and had the cropped hairstyle of the Riding Squad. She carried a long menacing looking whip.

"I -- I wasn't selected!"

"Tsk," Ning Fulan ignored her, "drills, now!"

The girls followed their instructor to the training ground. Feng Chusan was already feeling anxious before they even arrived. Drills were her bane. She had sustained a lot of injuries on this damned training ground; and she had only been here for a week! Her greatest fear was that those injuries might leave scars! On her beautiful skin!!! Wuuu!

"Run!"

The girls started doing their laps around the field. Feng Chusan lagged behind and even Han Yuefeng was several places ahead of her.

She came to her senses when she felt the sting of Ning Fulan's whip behind her legs.

"No Si Lak Mercenary dawdles! Close your mouth, regulate your breathing, pick a pace, and run!"

No matter how many times Feng Chusan heard these instructions, no matter how much she tried to follow them, she just couldn't.

"Aaah!" she cried out when another whiplash landed behind her shins; the thin layer of fabric didn't help! She had intentionally chosen a long robe today, even though Yue Li had worn it the previous day and that disgusted her!

"Dawdle, and your days in the hatchery will only pile up!"

Meng Yue, who was ahead, heard that remark and burst into tears again, stopping mid-run and causing those behind her to crash into her, resulting in a complaining pile-up.

Ning Fulan strode over to them and after landing about a dozen whip lashes on the heap of bodies everyone got their bearings and resumed running.

"As a female mercenary, much is expected of us! We don't have time for fussy tears! What did I say?"

"No time for fussy tears! The girls chorused.

"Good! Now, halt!"

The girls stopped running and returned to their tutor, crowding round.

"Pair up! Close combat!"

Feng Chusan found Han Yuefeng and had the upper hand because the other girl was smaller. This did not escape Ning Fulan's notice.

"Girl in red, come at me!"

That meant that someone was about to take a major thrashing. By the time Ning Fulan was done with Feng Chusan, she was howling loudly as she clutched the places the instructor's blows had landed on all over her body. It was Han Yuefeng that was comforting her.

Just as Ning Fulan was about to continue, a young woman strolled onto the drill field. Ning Fulan immediately stood at alert.

"Greetings to Senior!!"

Senior?!?!?! Only the Four Seniors of the Mercenaries were referred to that way! A wave of awe, admiration, respect, and a little fear, washed over the girls. Feng Chusan was amazed. This Senior was insanely beautiful!! It must be the famous Senior Red Monkey! And so it was. Her golden hair was even more famous than her face. Today she let it fall freely to her shoulders. She was wearing a purple riding armour and high buckled boots. Her deep brown eyes and her supple pink lips topped off her appearance and she looked nothing like a mercenary, more like an immortal princess. But upon unleashing her aura that pretty teenage face became a living nightmare.

"Hello, Fulan," Red Monkey greeted Ning Fulan familiarly, and the latter beamed with joy at this, "are these the current hatchlings?"

"Yes, Senior!"

"I see," Red Monkey waved her hand lightly, and a simple wooden chair materialised out of nowhere. She took her seat gracefully.

"Display your cultivation level,"

All the girls immediately sat down cross-legged on the ground. Meng Yue, Yue Li, and some others quickly unleashed their prowess. Feng Chusan and the others could only look on enviously. They were not cultivators!

"Enough. These girls are supposed to have left the hatchery," Red Monkey glanced at Ning Fulan, "what are they still doing here?"

"Replying to Senior, the Squad leaders didn't choose them yet," Ning Fulan answered respectfully.

"Why is that?" Red Monkey frowned slightly. Her spotless face shone in the gentle morning sun. Feng Chusan bit her lip. She remembered seeing this lady the day her father had brought her in to the Si Lak Mercenaries. That day, Red Monkey had been wearing a doupeng mask. But apparently, everyone kept their faces open here in the headquarters. Feng Chusan had seen lots of beautiful women; drill instructions, squad leaders-- she had started to wonder how beautiful the Grand Chief herself would be.

Red Monkey caught Feng Chusan's gaze. Startled, Feng Chusan lowered her head.

"Why have these ones not started cultivating?" Red Monkey asked Ning Fulan.

"Meng Yue, answer the Senior!" Ning Fulan called Meng Yue's name as she was only their combat drill instructor and had no idea of the reason.

"Re-- Replying to Senior-- our-- our cultivation drill instructors have not been visiting the hatchery!" Eager to impress the Senior, Meng Yue stumbled over her words.

"Xun Yifei," Red Monkey called a name, and the grainy apparition of a stunning young lady appeared next to her. The lady went down on one knee.

"Greetings to Senior Master," she said. So this was one of the Senior's disciples, from the Archery Squad! Meng Yue and the other girls immediately glued their eyes to her.

"They said you have not been visiting the hatchery. Why?"

Xun Yifei went pale. This particular set of the hatchery infuriated her and so she did not create time to go tutor them. She had ignored them intentionally! How was she to explain to her master now?!

"Master, the thing is--"

SLAP!

Everyone jumped in shock. Red Monkey was ruthless. She had stood up from her chair and slapped Xun Yifei with her left hand, without using any extra cultivation power. For whatever reason, Ning Fulan went down on one knee.

"Are you aware," Red Monkey spoke slowly, "that my Master, the Grand Chief, ordered that training of new mercenaries is to become priority?! What do you think will happen to me if she finds out about this?!"

"Master -- Master, I'm sorry!" Xun Yifei grabbed hold of Red Monkey's feet, "please forgive me!"

Red Monkey shook her off and sat down again.

"All my disciples, converge!" She spoke to the air. Immediately, grainy images of about five ladies and four young men appeared. Soon, their real bodies teleported to the location as well. Xun Yifei had also arrived in person.

"Greetings to Senior Master!" Red Monkey's disciples greeted, all going down on one knee.

"I called you here to witness the fact that Xun Yifei is no longer one of you,"

"Master!" Xun Yifei let out a heart rending shriek.

"I, nor the Si Lak Mercenaries, will not tolerate those who neglect their duties. My disciples are now nine in number,"

"Master! Master, no, please!"

"Your disciples have received your decision!" The rest chorused in one accord. One or two of them glanced pitifully at Xun Yifei.

Red Monkey received a small token from her conscious, and crushed it. As soon as she did that, Xun Yifei coughed up blood due to the backlash of Red Monkey's imprint and mind link with her being terminated.

"Leave," Red Monkey spat out the word, and all ten disappeared. She then stared hard at the hatchlings and their instructor, Ning Fulan.

"You have all seen how ruthless I am. Now, which one of you wants to be my disciple?"

All the hatchlings said yes, eagerly. Red Monkey smirked lightly.

"You," she pointed at someone, and Yue Li jumped up excitedly. Feng Chusan gnashed her teeth! What kind of unfair world was this?! Meng Yue was in an even worse mind state.

"What is your name?" Red Monkey had fished out a small token like the one she just crushed.

"Yue-- Yue Li, Senior!"

Red Monkey inscribed Yue Li's name on the token. Yue Li coughed up blood, falling to the floor.

"That's why I take Martial Grandmasters as my disciples," Red Monkey commented lightly and got up, dragging the unconscious Yue Li after her and disappearing after some steps. The chair she had conjured vanished soon after.

Ning Fulan got up.

"You can see--" she was interrupted by Meng Yue's anguished cry.

"Nooo! No, why Yue Li! Why her?! Why not me?! What have I done wrong--?"

"Shut up!" Ning Fulan brought her whip down angrily on Meng Yue's head, "have you forgotten what I taught you just now? Remind her, the rest of you!"

"We have no time for fussy tears!" The hatchlings choroused promptly, fearing their drill instructor's pitiless whip.

"Yes! So why the hell are you crying? What are you crying about? Be quiet!"

"The Grand Chief, the Four Seniors, the Vanguards, the Guardians, the Elders, the Weapons Guild Masters, the Prodigies and the Squad Leaders; have all reached the stage where they can do as they please! Natural laws or sentiments cannot hold them back! If you want to be noticed by them, you have to work harder! Nothing comes on a platter of gold out there in the world, much less here in the Si Lak Mercenaries, where we are known to train the best if the best! If I hear one more whimper from you, Meng Yue, or any other person among you, I will send you down to the Boilers and forget you there!"

The girls all shivered. The Boilers?! It didn't sound like a nice place at all!!!

"Yes, that's right! The Boilers is where mercenaries who have committed heinous wrongs are punished! Your instructor Xun Yifei is lucky that she wasn't sent there, for disobeying the orders of the Grand Chief is the greatest crime to commit in this world! Bear that in mind!"

Ning Fulan left shortly afterwards, and the girls returned to their room. Meng Yue climbed up into her bed and sobbed silently to herself. Feng Chusan had other matters though. She approached Su Hanlin, one of the girls who had displayed her cultivation prowess earlier, with Han Yuefeng in tow.

"Yes?" Su Hanlin raised her eyebrows when they came to her.

"Can you teach us to cultivate, Sister Hanlin?" Feng Chusan was truly respectful for the first time in her life. Su Hanlin smiled lightly.

"Okay, no problem. But I'm only answering you because of Yuefeng. She's the best out of everyone here,"

****

Ji Hanming had no idea what day it was. Hah! If he had known that this was what it meant to enter the Si Lak Mercenaries, he would not have asked for this at all! He had completely lost feeling in his entire body, chained up as he was to the wall. Once or twice in a while, a man would come in and ask one of the other boys a question, and if the boy answered it according to whatever the man had in mind the boy would be unchained and led out.

Ji Hanming wondered what his family were doing at this moment. Partying and boasting to whoever would listen that their son was a Si Lak Mercenary? No, this was not fun at all!!

The door to the hatchery opened and Ji Hanming didn't even bother to open his eyes. The man that came in approached the boy next to Ji Hanming.

"Who are you?" The man asked in a low voice.

"I am a Si Lak Mercenary!" The boy promptly replied with a voice that didn't betray his weariness. He also unleashed his cultivation aura.

"Hmm," the man murmured, "why do you think you are chained to the wall?"

"Because a Si Lak Mercenary must never bend their back!"

"Interesting. You seem to have reflected a lot," the man said, "although--" he added as he turned around and started to leave.

"Wait! I know, I know! The only person a Si Lak Mercenary must bend to is the Grand Chief!"

"Impressive," the man snapped his fingers and the matrix chains holding the boy disappeared, making him fall suddenly to the ground with a thud.