0030 Filing a Complaint
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This girl had nearly lost her life when her cultivation went awry, yet the first thing she said upon waking was to ask who had bullied Jiang Mingzhe.
Even Jiang Mingzhe, who prided himself on seeing through worldly affairs, could not help but be moved.
“I’m fine. I merely challenged Star-Seizer.” Jiang Mingzhe spat out half a mouthful of blood and said it as though it were nothing.
“You challenged Star-Seizer?”
A Zi was alarmed. She sat bolt upright, and the movement immediately brought an intensely unfamiliar friction beneath her abdomen and behind her back. A shiver rippled across her delicate skin. With a soft cry, even her ears flushed crimson.
Jiang Mingzhe calmly withdrew his hand. “I’ve drawn the poison from you, Senior Sister. Your internal energy still needs to be regulated by your own efforts.”
“Mm.”
For once, A Zi appeared docile. She lowered her lovely head and answered in a quiet voice.
Although the rebellious poison had been drawn from her body, her uncontrolled internal energy was still surging chaotically through her meridians. Afraid to move, she simply remained seated in Jiang Mingzhe’s arms and began circulating her energy.
This, however, left Jiang Mingzhe in a difficult position.
He was sitting cross-legged, while A Zi sat sideways between his legs. Earlier, he had been wholly focused on neutralizing the poison and had noticed nothing. Now that he had stopped, he suddenly became aware of how light and soft the little girl in his arms was. A faint,幽 fragrance seemed to burrow relentlessly into his nostrils.
“Hiss!” Jiang Mingzhe drew in a sharp breath.
The girl knew nothing of such matters. If his vigorous young body reacted in any way, would it not frighten her?
He hurriedly closed his eyes and silently recited, “With a heart clear as ice, even the heavens collapsing cannot disturb me. With a heart clear as ice, even the heavens collapsing cannot disturb me. Clear as ice… yes, clear as ice, pure as jade, a faint fragrance wafting through the air… This is bad!”
Jiang Mingzhe tried to comprehend the Ice Heart Formula on his own, but without success. He was on the verge of disgracing himself when a soft laugh suddenly came from the doorway.
“Hahaha! Good lad, you truly are loyal and affectionate. Who would have thought that my sect would gain a disciple like you?”
Ding Chunqiu!
Jiang Mingzhe’s heart jolted, and in an instant, his mind became clear as ice.
He turned his head. Ding Chunqiu entered with a feather fan in hand and a broad smile on his face. After glancing at A Zi, he chuckled.
“You have certainly treated this little girl well. You have only just begun your cultivation, yet you dared to risk yourself to heal her.”
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With that, he placed a hand on top of Jiang Mingzhe’s head. Before Jiang Mingzhe could react, a barely perceptible stream of internal energy flashed through his body.
Ding Chunqiu withdrew his hand, astonishment in his eyes. “You entered the sect only two days ago, yet you have already opened eight acupoints. Such talent surpasses Star-Seizer’s by a hundredfold. Why, it is comparable to my own in my youth!”
Secretly, he was consumed by jealousy.
This boy’s natural gifts were even greater than his own. If he had encountered such a person in his youth, he would have done everything in his power to kill him. Hmph. The boy was several decades younger, and had even joined his sect. He could count himself lucky to be alive.
Yet his expression remained benevolent as he said gently, “When I founded this sect, I feared that my disciples would grow lax, and so I established the rule that the strong would be honored above all. It was born of my sincere desire to protect my disciples. Who could have guessed that the human heart is so difficult to fathom? Over time, these little bastards began to regard their fellow disciples as enemies, with not the slightest sense of brotherly affection. To witness this grieves me deeply.”
Jiang Mingzhe thought to himself, If I believed even one word you said, I would be insulting all the years I have spent swallowing your empty promises.
Aloud, however, he said, “Master, please do not take it to heart. As the old saying goes, every child has his own destiny. Besides, although the senior brothers compete among themselves, they are not lacking in affection. When I joined the sect the day before yesterday, for instance, Third Senior Brother treated me to an excellent meal and even gave me a jar of Five-Treasure Flower-Honey Wine. My internal energy has advanced so rapidly because of that wine.”
Ding Chunqiu chuckled. “You are kindhearted enough to remember the good others have done you. No wonder you were willing to risk yourself to save your senior sister.”
As he spoke, he reached over and patted A Zi on the head. In an instant, he set her internal energy in order.
A Zi hurriedly leaped out of Jiang Mingzhe’s arms and bowed. “This disciple pays respects to Master! Master, look—Big Ginger nearly beat Pearl Child to death!”
Jiang Mingzhe rose as well. He moved too quickly, aggravating his injuries, and spat out another small mouthful of blood. Without the slightest change in expression, he wiped it away with his sleeve.
Ding Chunqiu nodded inwardly at the sight.
He smiled. “Little A Zi, have your injuries only just healed, and already you have come to make a complaint?”
A Zi tugged at his sleeve and pouted. “It isn’t a false complaint, Master. Look at Big Ginger—he has spat out more blood than a pig slaughtered for the New Year. He probably won’t survive.”
She continued, “The sect rules say that disciples may not issue challenges during their first two years. Yet the senior brothers ignore that rule completely. Yesterday, Senior Brother Pearl Child attacked him, and today First Senior Brother personally struck him. Master, those senior brothers now obey only First Senior Brother. They do not even care about the rules you established yourself.”
Ding Chunqiu’s expression shifted slightly. He nodded and said, “Our First Senior Brother also serves as the Venerable Enforcer. The purpose was to teach the disciples that honing one’s martial arts to perfection naturally brings many benefits. But Star-Seizer has used that position to abuse his authority. That indeed goes against my original intention.”
A Zi was delighted and was just about to launch into several dozen more accusations when Ding Chunqiu waved his fan.
“You need say no more. I understand the situation. However, when Star-Seizer acted today, he did not know that you had suffered a deviation in your cultivation. He thought the boy Jiang had trespassed deliberately. And Jiang, worried about your safety, was concerned only with breaking down the door and had no time to explain.”
A Zi twisted his sleeve almost into a rope. “That isn’t true, Master! First Senior Brother was eager to find fault with Big Ginger. When would he ever have been willing to listen to an explanation?”
Ding Chunqiu ignored her and looked toward Jiang Mingzhe. “Disciple, what is your view of this matter?”
A Zi hid behind Ding Chunqiu and made faces at Jiang Mingzhe, signaling for him to seize the opportunity and lodge a complaint.
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Jiang Mingzhe laughed inwardly. Given Ding Chunqiu’s domineering and tyrannical nature, if he truly intended to punish Star-Seizer, he would never ask Jiang Mingzhe’s opinion. After all, Star-Seizer had been his disciple for many years and was also the First Senior Brother. If Ding Chunqiu punished him for Jiang Mingzhe’s sake, the other disciples might well feel the sorrow of a fox mourning the death of a hare.
Jiang Mingzhe cupped his fists. “Master, without rules, there can be no order. Since First Senior Brother has the rules on his side, this disciple has nothing to say. I shall simply devote myself to training. Once my skills have matured, I will naturally challenge First Senior Brother.”
Seeing that he had not seized the opportunity to press his advantage, Ding Chunqiu was secretly pleased.
“Good. Your talent is extraordinary, and you possess such ambition. You may not be unable to catch up with Star-Seizer after all. Very well. Once you succeed in challenging him, I will teach you an astonishingly powerful technique. I will also send you to accomplish an important task for the sect.”
Seeing that Jiang Mingzhe refused to cooperate with her, A Zi grew angry. She wanted to ignore him, but when she saw the bloodstains covering his nostrils and the corners of his mouth—blood he had shed for her sake—her heart softened.
She continued to pout at Ding Chunqiu. “Master, don’t listen to Big Ginger boasting. With his paltry skills, who knows how many years it will take him to catch up with First Senior Brother? He may well be bullied to death long before then.”
Ding Chunqiu considered the matter. Star-Seizer was indeed consumed by jealousy and was no harmless figure. If it had been any other disciple, he might have let things be. But Jiang Mingzhe possessed astonishing talent, Ding Chunqiu was particularly fond of him, and he was counting on the boy to perform certain tasks. If Jiang Mingzhe were to perish halfway, would that not be a terrible waste?
After pondering for a moment, he said, “Disciple, do not accuse me of unfair treatment. Since you are a prodigy of martial arts, there is no need for you to proceed step by step. Today, I shall teach you a lightness skill, a weapon technique, and a hidden-weapon technique. If you can master them quickly, even your First Senior Brother may hesitate to provoke you so readily. However…”
A Zi asked anxiously, “There’s still a ‘however’? Master, however what?”
Ding Chunqiu smiled. “However, our sect has never taught skills in this manner, and I cannot simply disregard the rules. Let Big Ginger carry out a small task for me. If he handles it properly, then the techniques I just mentioned will be his reward. That way, no one will have anything to say.”
Jiang Mingzhe hurriedly said, “Master, one internal-energy technique and the Three-Yin Centipede Claws are already enough to occupy me. If I can serve you and ease your burdens, that is simply my duty as your disciple. How could I ask for a reward as well? It would be like a dutiful child serving his parents—surely he would not bargain with them over conditions?”
His words reminded Ding Chunqiu of Jiang Mingzhe’s arduous filial quest to seek an immortal, and moved him slightly.
“What a good child. Truly worthy of being a son of the Land of Sages. Your senior brothers could never utter such words. Still, if I am willing to give you something, you need only accept it. Have you not heard Mencius say: ‘If one does not obey one’s parents, one cannot be considered a son’? Since this is my wish, you should obey.”
Jiang Mingzhe cupped his fists. “Your teaching is correct, Master. This disciple will remember it. May I ask what task you wish me to undertake?”
Ding Chunqiu smiled. “The year before last, I traveled to Mount Wuliang in the Kingdom of Dali and seized a venomous monkey from the Miao people. It was exceptionally skilled at catching centipedes, scorpions, and the like. Six months ago, I forgot to lock its cage, and the little creature escaped…”
At this, Jiang Mingzhe’s heart gave a sudden jolt. He looked toward A Zi, whose face had already gone deathly pale.
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