Spring Winds

Dashing back into my room, I gently close the door behind me.

Pfft!!! I can't believe what happened back there.

Senior sister was so easy to tease! I don't think I have ever seen such an expression on someone before.

The transition from calm and collected to shock and embarrassment was too funny. I wouldn't have imagined that my stone-faced senior sister could look that way. Even though she turned her face away, her pink-tipped ears gave her away.

We've only known each other for a few days, but I think that we have progressed in our relationship. Hopefully, Senior Sister doesn't remember the kite incident, though it's better not to mention it anyways.

Ah, details details. Better let bygones be bygones. Senior Sister hasn't brought up that topic, so I think I'm in the clear. After all, I don't want to know what senior sister's angry face is. Too scary, far too frightening. I still vividly remembered the frosty stare she gave me back in the forest but I doubt it was a face of rage, but rather an annoyance.

Time passed quickly, and the sun was directly overhead. It was noon, and Master had returned to Yu Lan Peak. Earlier that day, he mentioned that he had some business to settle and that he would return for lunch. Also, he said he was looking forward to the progress we have made in cleaning up the training grounds.

Entering the main hall, I see Master gobbling down he food at a rapid pace. I was almost afraid he was going to choke.

Seeming to notice my presence, Master placed down his bowl and took a large gulp of food.

"Ahh, Ran'er don't just stand there! Come and eat! Master got some good stuff from outside; we can't let such good things go to waste," his chopsticks quickly snatched food from the sumptuous spread in front of him. Steamed pork buns, steamed fish, chicken feet, and a bunch of other delicacies laid for the taking on the table.

"Thank you, Master," I sat down beside him and followed suit on dipping my chopsticks into the flesh of a steamed fish. How would we ever finish all of this food between the three of us? On second thought, peaking at Master inhaling his food, I think it's ould be possible to eat all of this food completely. I couldn't understand why a frail-looking man like Master still is skinny after eating this much food...

High metabolism, maybe?

Soon enough, the quiet sound of footsteps echoed into the main hall. Turning my head, I see Senior Sister walking in.

"Aha! Senior Sister," I gave a big wave, beckoning her over to us. She gave a nod of acknowledgment and continued walking until she was in front of the table.

"Greeting to Master for your return." She cupped her hands and bowed.

"Ahh, Hua'er, no need to be so formal! Come, sit, and eat with us! I know that the two of you have been working very hard these days, so Master is excited to see your progress," Master said, smiling jovially.

"Emm, thank you, Master," she sat down across from me, and elegantly began to eat her food.

Although it's only been a few days since we've met Master, I feel like we're slowly getting to know him a bit better.

For example, we know that he likes hundred-year-old eggs, but not a fan of other pickled items.

And that he likes salted porridge rather than sweet porridge. The same with tofu. He prefers salty tofu rather than its sweeter counterpart.

Oh, and that he eats a lot of oily foods too, like roasted duck and roasted pork chops. Which, by the way, Senior Sister looks on with concern. She said that a man his age shouldn't eat too often as it's not good for his health. But, that doesn't stop him from eating his stash of roasted meats late at night. I would know, as I've caught him once eating himself to sleep in the kitchen. And as any good disciple would do, I helped him hide the evidence from Senior Sister...

Too bad, she already found out. She gave me an earful about hiding Master's eating habits to me this morning.

Okay, maybe all that we know about him at the moment is what his food preferences are and his bad habits when it comes s to food; but I still believe that it is something worth knowing.

Lunch ended peacefully, and we guided Master around the areas that we cleaned up. From the training hall to the training grounds.

He noted that he liked my fine tree pruning. That its had "personality." I'll take that as a compliment.

We finished the tour back into the Main Hall where Master sat in his usual chair. "You girls did a great amount of work! This peak looks like it was all of those years ago, haha!"

"Thanks, Master, for your compliment!"

"Thank you, Master, for your praise."

"Haha, Hua'er as humble as before, you girls did great! Better than any man I've seen before," he laughed heartedly. "You two, deserve a reward for your efforts."

"Master, that is not necessary. After all, we only did as you asked."

"No need to be so humble. Plus Master meant to give this to you girls anyways." Reaching into his robes, he took out a small white handkerchief packet.

He carefully unraveled the white bundle, and it revealed a pair of pure silver bells.

The bells were the size of a Longan{1}, and the metalwork made the bells resemble two peach blossom buds.

"Here, each our you girls get one. It's my gift to you." He extended his hand, holding the bundle to us.

I let Senior Sister grab the first one then I after.

I held the bell carefully and lifted it to see my gift at all angles. From the slight movements of my hand, the bells rang out a quiet but clear twinkling sound like a pearl dropping onto a jade plate.

But in this case, a pearl incases within a silver bell.

I look over to Senior Sister and capture her with an expression of awe on her face and dare I say a slight smile? She must have noticed me because she looked over at me. I gave a smile in return.

She turned away as usual, but she couldn't hide her pink-tipped ears.

"Haha, it's good you girls have bonded so much in just a few days!"

"Master, you're correct. I feel after just these few days, we have bonded closer as sisters." I gave a broad smile and gave a bow to him. "Thank Master for your gifts and bonding opportunity."

"Haha, sit down you silly child. It would happen anyway with or without my help over time."

"Yes."

Call me crazy, but this situation feels like a son in law paying respects to his father in law, while the bride sits next to her groom bashfully.

"Now, take care of these bells; they aren't simple, you know."

"How so?" Sure they were pretty but other than aesthetic appeal, what else did they serve?

"They are our peak's treasure, you could say. The Yu Lan Bells, they have the power to find anyone that you wish, as long as they have one of the bells. Think of it as a tracker for you two if one of you gets lost or kidnapped."

"So how does it work?"

"Well, to set it up, you need to inject some spiritual energy into it."

"Like this?" Senior sister's bell began to glow a light blue color.

"Yes, yes. Just like that." Master nodded in approval.

"Huh," I held the silver bell in my palm and thought about transferring my essence into it. It glowed a light yellow color like the color of a hazy summer sunset color.

"Good, it seems like you girls got the idea. All you need to do now is to put both of your energies into each other's respectively." We followed Master's instruction and traded our bells with each other. The colors soon merged into a pleasant whitish color.

"Ah good, the connection is complete," Master commented but as if realizing something got up. "Oh, yes. How could I forget!"

Getting up from his seat, he walks over to a side table where a parcel laid quiet and unnoticed. Walking back to us, he sat back down in his chair. "How could I forget something so important?" Unraveling the package, inside were two sets of light ash grey clothing.

"Here, you'll be needing these," he handed us a set of robes. Though they were dull, I could sense that these were not simple. It's soft gray material emanated gentle flow of spiritual energy and hidden from view was cloud and magnolia embroideries done in silk with the same gray color along the collar. Only visible at a particular light and angle. How cool!

"I know these are plain, and that girls usually prefer brighter colors, but its to uphold the virtue of this peak as our founder, my Master, who was a hermit monk."

I knew it! This place had to be related to some monetary with all of these rules!

"He believed that it was better to be neutral and only to get involved in a conflict when necessary. Besides, he wasn't a fan of being color-coded on what he practiced and what sect he belonged to."

"So, where did all of these peak colors come from?" Senior Sister asked.

"Ehm, well that would be attributed to my senior brother." He stopped and seemed to be thinking about his next words to say. "My senior originally founded the Yun Sect, but there were others too that founded this sect as well. These were my brother's sworn brothers, and they each gave their peak and specific color. Therefore that's why the Yun Sect is like a rainbow. By what keeps us to together is the color silver."

"Your junior brother's color?"

"Yes. I chose gray to follow my Master's ideals, but my junior brother was more flashy than some mere gray color. Does that answer your question, Hua'er?"

"Yes, thank you, master."

"Emm. It's not a nuisance to want to learn more about us," Master strokes his thin beard for a bit, deep in thought.

"Well, it's been a long day, and you girls worked hard. I'll let you guys off the hook for today and tomorrow. We'll start training the day after." He got up, from his chair and walked off to his room.

"Thank you, Master," we bowed at his retreating form.

Senior Sister and I exited the back entrance of the main hall and walked into the central courtyard.

She went towards her room, and I followed after.

Once she was at the doorway, she looked at me with a "what the heck do you want" look.

"So, senior sister. About that bath-"

And she shut the door before I could finish.

Ahh, shut down again.

[1] Longan - a rounded fruit that comes from the soapberry family with relatives like lychee and rambutan. It has a thin brown, golden peel with a black seed visible through translucent white flesh, which is edible.