Chapter 7: Initial
At dinner time, the sky had already darkened.
Big Bamboo Peak, the back of the mountain is a whole piece of bamboo forest, the people's building houses are in the front peak, the largest and most important is the main hall Shou Jing Hall, Tian not easy husband and wife and daughter three people will live in the back of the hall.
Next to the Hall of Silence is a small courtyard where the disciples live, but because the number of people is too small, the house is more than the people, everyone lives alone in a room, even the new Zhang Xiaofan also has a room. In terms of living conditions alone, the Great Bamboo Peak is a rare victory over its fellow sects.
The only thing left was the Taiji Cave for practicing and the kitchen and dining hall. At this time all the disciples are gathered to the dining hall, responsible for the meals of the old six Du Bishu a plate will be served on the table, mostly vegetarian, few meat and fish.
The disciples in order to sit in the hall on the right side of the long table, Song Daren sat in the forefront, Zhang Xiaofan accompanied by the end of the seat. At the head of the table and the opposite side of the table each placed a large chair and two smaller chairs, it seems to be for the Tian not easy family preparation.
Zhang Xiaofan looked at the seat beside him that was still empty, that was the seat of the old sixth Du Bishu who was busy, after a while, Du Bishu finally finished serving the meal, washed his hands, sat back down and waited for his master together with the crowd.
Du Bishu looks quite young, face thin and pointed, eyes big triangle, thieving and moving, very witty. After he sat down, he looked at Zhang Xiaofan and smiled, "Junior Brother, what is your name?"
Zhang Xiaofan honestly said, "Zhang Xiaofan."
Du Bishu nodded and pointed at himself, saying, "I am your sixth senior brother, Du Bishu."
Zhang Xiaofan respectfully shouted, "Sixth Senior Brother."
Du Bishu let out a clear cough, patted his shoulder, and laughed, "Wait for a while and you'll come to taste your senior brother's handiwork."
Seeing the aroma of this table full of food, Zhang Xiaofan couldn't help but swallow his saliva and nodded his head vigorously.
Du Bishu suddenly laughed a little, with great ambiguity, pointing a finger at the entrance of the hall, saying, "Junior Brother, later on, where will Master Shifu, Shifu Maiden, and Junior Sister come in from, let's make a bet, shall we?"
Zhang Xiaofan was dumbfounded, the other people on the seat turned their heads, with smiles on their faces, the oldest five sitting on top of Du Bishu, Lu Daxin, laughed and said, "Old Six, your gambling addiction is back?"
Next to him, the thin and lean-faced He Dazhi laughed, "He's not won for too long, and now he's trying to cheat the little kids."
"Go, go, go!" Du Bishu waved his hand repeatedly, ignoring the crowd, and with a smile on his face, he said to Zhang Xiaofan, "Junior Brother, guess who will be the first one to step into this doorway among the three members of Master's family later? Well, you've just been initiated, so I'll let you guess first, don't say that being a senior brother is bullying you."
Wu Dayi, the second oldest sitting far away, shouted loudly, "Junior Brother, since it's a bet, you should first ask him what happens if he loses and what happens if he wins?"
Du Bishu grunted and said, "You guys are afraid that I will renege on my debt? I, Du Bishu, have been traveling the world, relying on my reputation for good gambling (Everyone laughed: you have never won!). If you win, I'll help you cut bamboo for ten days, and if you lose, you'll help me wash bowls for ten days, how about it?"
Everyone laughed again, and Song Da Ren laughed and scolded, "No talent."
Zhang Xiaofan saw that all the senior brothers had kind smiles and friendly attitudes, not treating him as an outsider, his heart burst with warmth and said, "Good."
Du Bishu slapped his thighs, the whole person was suddenly energized and glowing, saying, "Junior Brother, then who do you think will come in first, Master, Senior Mother and Junior Sister?"
Everyone's eyes fell on Zhang Xiaofan, Zhang Xiaofan's heart calculated that the Qing Yun Sect's first priority was to honor the master, so it must be Master Tian Yiwu who would be the first to come in. At that moment, he said loudly, "I guess it must be master who comes in first."
The crowd laughed loudly, Lu Daxin shook his head and said, "I can't imagine that I was really tricked into winning by Old Six for once today."
Du Bishu was overjoyed, looking at the confused Zhang Xiaofan, and cheerfully said, "Junior Brother, for your information, in fact, every time Master was in the middle of a family, it was always Junior Sister who was the first to rush in. Haha, you'll come and help me wash the dishes later!"
Zhang Xiaofan touched his head and couldn't help but laugh out as well, nodding his head, "Yes, Sixth Senior Brother."
Zheng Dali, the short and stout looking third in line, laughed, "Old Sixth, you're good at it too?"
Du Bishu rolled his eyes and said, "What are you talking about, I didn't force you to do it, we're all willing to gamble, aren't we, little brother?"
Zhang Xiaofan nodded and suddenly heard Song Daren say, "Master is here."
Everyone's faces straightened up and they all stood up, facing the doorway to greet the Master. A few moments later, Tian Yiqiu's short and fat body appeared in the doorway, followed by⋯⋯ behind him
Nothing.
He had come alone.
Everyone was dumbfounded, and Du Bishu couldn't help but snatch, "Master, where is the Senior Mother and Junior Sister?"
Tian Yiqiu glanced at him and faintly said, "Your senior mother took the little sister back to her mother's home."
The crowd was stunned, but after a few moments there were already people who couldn't help but laugh out, watching Tian Yi Yi waddled in, Zhang Xiaofan looked embarrassed, wanting to laugh but not daring to do so, while Du Bishu was dumbfounded.
Tian Yuxi sat on his big chair, waved his hand and said, "Eat!"
Only then did the disciples sit down, each looking at Du Bishu with a smile or a laugh. Tian Yiqiu glanced at Zhang Xiaofan and said to Song Daren, "Did you tell him the rules and precepts of the sect?"
Song Daren nodded his head and said, "Yes, the twelve sect rules and twenty precepts, I've told Junior Brother all of them. As for those basic cultivation dao methods, disciple sees that junior master brother is a bit tired after his initial arrival today, so I plan to formally impart them tomorrow."
Tian Yi Yi nodded in agreement and said to Zhang Xiaofan, "Old Seven."
Zhang Xiaofan hadn't gotten the message yet, when Du Bishu beside him pushed him, only then did he wake up to the fact that his master was calling him, and hurriedly stood up and said, "Disciple is here."
Tian not easy to shake his head, to this slow response of the disciple confidence and went a few points, said: "you will first follow the eldest brother, remember to learn by heart, the sea of the Tao has no end, diligence for the boat, even if the qualification is poorer, but as long as you persevere and hard work, may not not be unable to learn, know it?"
Zhang Xiaofan was like a holy decree, respectfully said, "Yes."
Tian Yi Yi waved his hand, "Eat."
Zhang Xiaofan is small and short, holding a big bowl sitting on the chair, a little farther away from the dishes can not be clamped, but next to him Du Bishu is quite kind, for him to clamp a few times, whispered and laughed: "Junior brother, eat more." Seeing that he didn't care that he lost the bet, his gambling skills really weren't bad.
Zhang Xiaofan was grateful in his heart and nodded repeatedly, after eating for a while, he secretly asked, "Sixth senior brother."
Du Bishu turned his head and said, "What?"
Zhang Xiaofan said, "Why does Senior Mother still have a mother's family?" In his little heart, the Qing Yun Sect members were all first-class immortals, which had worldly attachments.
Du Bishu spat, "Of course there is, Shifu Niang is also a human being. However, when Master said that Senior Aunt went back to her mother's home, he didn't mean her real mother's home, but that she went back to her own sect's Xiaozhu Peak Shuiyue Senior Uncle's place."
Zhang Xiaofan was surprised, "What?"
Du Bishu lowered his voice and said, "When she was young, Elder Mother was originally from the Little Bamboo Peak lineage, and she and Master Shui Yue, the head of the Little Bamboo Peak, were teacher-sisters, and their relationship was extremely good. Later, I do not know what happened, the teacher aunt her flower general people, actually married the master, I heard that the Qingyun door of the male masters of many people can not think..."
"Poof", a branch of chopsticks hit Du Bishu's forehead, the force is not light, red. The two men were startled, but they saw that it was not easy to see the face of Tian Yi, a chopstick in his hand is missing a branch. Du Bishu turned his head and spat out his tongue at Zhang Xiaofan, the two didn't dare to say anything else and lowered their heads to desperately eat.
At this time, Song Daren said to Tian Yiqi, "Master, this time the Sect Leader's real person called for a gathering of the seven veins, why is it that only Uncle Shuiyue didn't come?"
Tian Yanyuan grunted, picked up another pair of chopsticks, and said, "It's not because that old Taoist nun pretended to be sick and sent someone to tell Master Sect Leader that she couldn't come because of some kind of headache and fever, and Master Sect Leader was also right, and actually believed it. Hmph, today if she also came, even if I can not grab a good, not necessarily..."
The fourth disciple under the seat, He Da Zhi, coughed twice and said quietly, "Master, Shui Yue's lineage never accepts male disciples."
Tian Yi Yi choked and shook his head, saying, "And your master's wife, as soon as she heard that something was wrong with Shui Yue, she immediately brought Ling'er over to see her, making it seem like the sky is falling, really."
The disciples looked at each other, all of them had happy faces, Song Da Ren hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking, "Master, then I wonder how many days the Senior Mother will stay at Senior Uncle Shui Yue's place?"
Tian Yanyu glared at him and said in a bad mood, "What how many days, go today, return tonight."
"Alas!" The disciples sighed and sighed, all of them had a disappointed look on their faces.
Tian did not easily look around, hummed and said to Song Daren, "Today, master mother instructed you to cultivate again?"
Before Song Daren could speak, the second oldest Wu Dayi had already snatched, "Master don't ask him, Eldest Brother is running away from the battle today, so shameless."
Song Daren said angrily: "Nonsense, I was ordered to help my little brother..."
"Phew..." the crowd booed.
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The meal lasted half an hour, and after the crowd left, Zhang Xiaofan wanted to stay and help Du Bishu wash the dishes, but Du Bishu laughed and said, "Junior brother, thank you very much, but I'll do the work here. You won the bet against me, don't worry, I'll help you cut the bamboo tomorrow."
Zhang Xiaofan was quite embarrassed and was about to say something when he heard Song Daren's voice say, "Old Six, don't help him." As soon as the words fell, he saw Song Daren walk in through the door and said to Zhang Xiaofan, "Junior Brother, come, I'll take you to your room."
Zhang Xiaofan nodded, but Du Bishu said from the side, "Eldest Senior Brother, what did you say?"
Song Da Ren said, "Junior Brother has just started, he is about to lay a good foundation, it's not time to be lazy."
Du Bishu scratched his head and said, "That's true, how about this! Junior Brother, this time, let's say that I owe you once, in the future, if you have anything to ask me to do on your behalf, just open your mouth, okay?"
Zhang Xiaofan said, "Sixth senior brother, or we forget, anyway..."
Du Bishu face solemn, righteousness, said: "What words, I am not the kind of right and wrong, loyalty and treachery do not distinguish between people, promised you naturally is to be done, or else fall into words, in vain by the brothers shame."
Zhang Xiaofan nodded, but in his heart, he still didn't understand what this had to do with not distinguishing between right and wrong, loyalty and treachery.
Song Daren took Zhang Xiaofan's hand and said, "Junior Brother, come, I'll take you to your new room."
The two of them walked out of the kitchen, the sky was already dark, and a bright moon slowly rose and hung in the eastern sky. They walked past the entrance of the Hall of Silence Keeping, Zhang Xiaofan looked inside, only to see that the lights were all out and it was pitch black, only the moonlight poured on the front of the hall, it was quite eerie.
After walking for a few more moments, they returned to the same corridor where all the disciples lived, Song Daren brought him to the last room on the right and said, "Junior Brother, the room you woke up in during the daytime is the one I live in, all the other disciples are in order, all of them are on the right, and no one lives in those seven rooms on the left." After a pause, he looked at Zhang Xiaofan and said, "You live alone, are you afraid?"
Zhang Xiaofan shook his head.
Song Daren smiled and said, "That's just it, how can we men be afraid of being alone! Come on, let's go in!" Saying so, he led Zhang Xiaofan inside.
Zhang Xiaofan looked at this unfamiliar but will be with him for a long time in the future, a small courtyard, a green pine on the left, five or six cultivated bamboos on the right, two or three people high.
In the courtyard, small stone pebbles paved into a path, both sides are lawn, night wind blowing, leaves and bamboo branches gently shaking, a green grass fragrance came, very clean.
Song Daren opened the door of the room, went in and lit the lamp, saying, "Junior Brother, come in!"
Zhang Xiaofan walked in, only to see that the furnishings in the room were as simple and plain as in Song Daren's room, with tables, chairs, beds, and not much else.
Song Daren said, "I have cleaned this place today, so you can stay here for now! The mountain dwelling is hard, and you are young, so you may feel lonely, but those of us who learn the Way have to endure all sorts of trials and tribulations, so in the future, you will have to do all the living things yourself."
Zhang Xiaofan said, "Understood, Eldest Brother."
Song Da Ren nodded and looked to the left and right again, saying, "Then I'll go back if there's nothing else. You're tired after a long day, go rest early too!"
Zhang Xiaofan answered and sent Eldest Senior Brother to the door, but suddenly remembered something and said, "Eldest Senior Brother, how come it's just getting dark now, and none of the senior brothers have come out to walk around a bit?"
Song Daren laughed: "You don't know, the least of us also in this Da Zhu Peak to learn Taoism for decades, weekdays rarely go out, this Da Zhu Peak has long been familiar with the familiar, so they are lazy to walk around. Like the oldest four love to read, the oldest two love to hum, diligent some such as the oldest three will be in the house to practice, generally do not come out of the."
Only then did Zhang Xiaofan understand, Song Daren smiled and touched his head, gave two more instructions and turned to go.
Zhang Xiaofan returned to the house and closed the door, in an instant he suddenly felt that the whole world was suddenly silent, without a single human sound.
He silently walked to the table, sat for a while, nothing to do, then blew out the lamp, took off his coat, lying on the bed, tossing and turning, I do not know how long it took, sleep in a daze.
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"Ah!"
In the darkness, Zhang Xiaofan let out a low cry and rolled his voice to sit up, gasping for breath. Just now, he dreamt of returning to the Grass Temple Village, seeing his parents again, his children's playmates, and other uncles and aunts, all happy and happy, but all of a sudden they all turned into dead corpses, and the blood flowed into a river, terrifyingly terrifying. His whole body trembled, and he woke up like this.
He sat on the bed for a while, his breathing gradually calmed down, his eyes also slowly adapted to the darkness, only to see the window slightly tilted, there is a beam of light moonlight, shining in diagonally, sprinkled on the green brick floor, such as frost and snow.
Zhang Xiaofan no longer sleepy, climbed up and walked to the door, "Kirya" sound, pulled open the door and went out.
Around the silence, unknown place hidden sound of insects, one, two, low low cut, moonlight like water, sprinkled on his body.
He raised his head to look at the sky, only to see the stars, the moon was in the sky, bright and clear.
"I don't know how he is now, Shocking Feather, is he also unable to sleep?" He chanted lowly, sighed, and was about to turn around and go into his room, when suddenly his chest loosened up, and an object rolled out of his small close-fitting clothes and fell to the ground.
Zhang Xiaofan startled, leaned down to pick up, but the dark purple dull beads, beads on the center of a fine hole, it seems to be that day Pu Zhi string on the emerald rosary. These days he suffered a big change, has long forgotten this thing, only now remembered that Pu Zhi then accounted for this bead to throw away.
Thinking of this, the heart suddenly a bitter, his parents did not leave anything to him, Pu Zhi and his fate is shallow, but one night together, but also like relatives, and this ugly beads, is Pu Zhi left him the only thing.
Zhang Xiaofan raised his hand, the beads raised to mid-air, against the moonlight, lined with the moonlight, only to see the beads actually become lighter in color, turned lavender, translucent, vaguely see a light green gas inside the rotating non-stop, as if there is a spirit in general, want to break out of the shell. Just every time close to the surface of the bead, the place will light up a small "d" word, will block it back.
Zhang Xiaofan looked at half a day, the heart does not feel a few favorite, but also remembered that this is the only thing Pu Zhi remembered, the heart is really can not throw away.
Thought for half a day, from the neck to unravel a red rope, that is his parents to him to tie on the blessing of long life and peace. Generally people will hang some gold medals and silver locks, but his family is poor, only to a red rope instead.
At that moment, he used the red rope to put on the beads and tie them up, hanging on his chest to the flesh, not feeling cold, but also some warmth. He smiled to himself, looked up at the bright moon in the sky, turned around and walked back to his room, and went to sleep again.
His first day in the Green Cloud Sect ended just like this.
