Spring Winds

"Bang!"

Lying awake in bed, Zhu Na Ran listened to the continuous bangs that rang out through the peak. It has been like this for the past few days ever since she has arrived here at Yu Lan Peak. She couldn't precisely pinpoint the location of the sound but seemed relatively close.

She laid there for a few more minutes before finding her resolve. She had to hunt down this crazy ghost that disturbed her precious sleep.

Creeping out of her bead quietly, Zhu Na Ran clothed herself before tiptoeing to the door. During times like these, Zhu Na Ran was glad that she practiced the art of stealth in her youth.

Gently pushing the door open, she peaked her head out the door, to check for a mysterious intruder.

Seeing that there were none, she preceded onward. It seems like Senior Sister is still asleep, she thought, looking towards the opposite courtyard.

Ye Lian Hua's courtyard remained silent, and the lamps remained off throughout the night. Therefore, Zhu Na Ran could only assume that her senior sister was undisturbed by the noise.

"Bang!"

Jumping slightly from the noise, Zhu Na Ran froze in the courtyard for a few seconds, fearing that there might be something watching her.

Seeing that there was nothing, she proceeded onwards to the main hall.

Pushing open the door to the main hall, Zhu Na Ran cringed at the creaking of the door as it slowly swung open.

Peeking her head through the door, she saw that the main hall was dark and still. Not a single noise came from inside. However, the fact that it was too quiet was the eeriest factor. She even couldn't hear Master Luo snoring or a cricket chirping.

Creeping her way through the darkness, Zhu Na Ra used her meager cultivation to let her see in the dark for a limited amount of time. Slowly, step by step, making her way to the kitchen, her heart began to thump loudly.

Thump!

Thump!

Thump!

Accompanying her heartbeats were the clangs that seemed to have lead to the kitchen.

"Bang!"

Together they formed a strange symphony of the night.

Thump!

"Clang!"

Thump, thump!

"Bang! Bang!"

Soon enough, Zhu Na Ran was in front of the kitchen door. She mentally prepared herself for whatever ghost or monster was on the other side of the door.

Taking a deep breath, she mustered up any courage she had within her and threw open the door.

"Bam!"

The door nearly broke off its hinges from the force of her push. However, no matter how shockingly loud the door was, it couldn't prepare her for the sight that she had witnessed.

Hunched over in the center of the kitchen on the floor was Master Luo himself. Resembling some goblin, he froze in shock as he froze midway, eating a roasted duck leg. His beard and hair had bits of food stuck in them and grease stains on his lips, fingers, and clothes. Aside from the pile of bones and scr.a.p.es in one corner, these were the only evidence of his 'victims.'

The two looked at each other. Zhu Na Ran looked wide-eyed at Master Luo her jaw dropped to the ground, and Master Luo stared wide-eyed back at her.

They continued this dance of shock for a few moments before Master Luo broke the silence.

"So," Master Luo gave a nervous laugh as he wiped the grease off his face with his sleeve. "Do you want some?" He held out his half-eaten duck leg.

Zhu Na Ran seemed to have snapped out of her initial shock. "Master!" She hissed. "I thought you said that you would only eat during breakfast, lunch, and dinner!"

"I know, Ran'er!" Master Luo sobbed. "I-I couldn't help myself! I don't even know what lead me here! All that I could recall was sleeping then waking up here surrounded by food! I couldn't let go to waste! I just couldn't!" He cried but was still eating the duck leg. "It's just so good!"

Zhu Na Ran could only shake her head at her eccentric master. "Master had it been Senior Sister that caught you, rather than me. I don't want to think about what she would say to you."

"I know, I know! That's why you have to help this Master!"

"Hah, how am I going to hide this from Senior Sister?" Zhu Na Ran thought out loud as she helped her master clear away the mess he made, which wasn't long, as Master Luo had fallen into a food coma.

"Hah, so much for the help, Master. You owe me one," yawning Zhu Na Ran after she buried the remains of Master Luo's 'victims.' Afterward made her way back to bed and plopped back to sleep.

However, her peace was sort lived.

As morning came, Zhu Na Ran experienced the horror of receiving her senior sister's scorn.

"Wu Wu, Senior Sister. I'm sorry okay?" Zhu Na Ran sobbed as she kneeled in front of Ye Lian Hua. "I won't lie about Master's eating habits again!" She didn't want to keep kneeling here! Her knees were already aching in pain after a few minutes. Honestly, these Central Valley people's knees must be black and blue from all of this kneeling!

Master! Where are you? Why did you leave me here, after all, I did for you? Wu wu wu.

(T ^ T)