Chapter 7 - Nanming
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Maybe their master's bumpy saucer and rusty coins were really useful and he somehow foresaw this scene, as he looked well prepared.
With eyelids drooping, Muchun Zhenren stepped up to the podium, ignoring the undercurrent among his naughty apprentices. He said sluggishly, "For today's morning class, I want you to read Scriptures on Clarity and Stillness after me."
Scriptures on Clarity and Stillness here wasn't the same thing as Wondrous Scripture of Constant Clarity and Stillness, as Spoken by the Most High Lord Lao. It was only a piece of rambling repetitive talk, which was, in all probability, fabricated by the master himself, as its content was largely unintelligible.
Probably to show clarity and tranquility distinctly, Muchun Zhenren prolonged each character into two as he read. His drawl almost suffocated him, resulting in a striking vibrato in the last syllable of every sentence, which made him sound like an insane laodan [1] with a puckered mouth.
Cheng Qian listened for a moment and his ears began ringing - so loudly that he had his heart in his mouth, he was afraid that his master was meant to murder him.
Eventually, their master finished reading, gasping. He leisurely sipped from the teacup in front of him to soothe his throat. Cheng Qian hastily flapped the goose pimples off his body, and was waiting expectantly for his mater's brilliant remarks on charms and magic when he hopelessly heard his master's nauseating drawling voice again. "Okay, let's read once again."
Cheng Qian: "..."
Cheng Qian felt an impolite pat on his shoulder. His showy but useless first senior brother accosted him initiatively.
"Hey, kid." Said first senior brother. "Budge over."
First senior brother was the most precious treasure of Fuyao Sect. If he asked, Cheng Qian dared not go against him.
Young master Yan lifted his eyelids, and Taoist children around him moved over a bamboo Beauty Chair [2] right away without prodding. He reclined on it and openly closed his eyes in his master's presence, then started napping in the thundering sound of "stillness".
After observing for a while, Cheng Qian discovered some strong points of his monster-like first senior brother - he didn't snore when sleeping, for example.
Perhaps other people had been used to this. When first senior brother was having a brazen doze, second senior brother had mixed with his little junior brother in a short time, and simultaneously, didn't give up co-opting Cheng Qian, for he kept winking and frowning at him.
Of the four apprentices present, only Cheng Qian was relatively lenient towards their master. His lenience and harshness were always clearly demarcated, but they were both faithful and meticulous. In the chaotic mess, only Cheng Qian sat motionlessly like a mountain and finished the "routine morning reading" with his master, so that the morning class didn't become his master's monologue.
Seeing that Cheng Qian didn't even bother to acknowledge him, Li Yun rolled his eyes and came up with an idea. He shipped a small porcelain bottle out of his sleeve and shook it before Han Yuan. He murmured, "Do you know what this is?"
Directly Han Yuan took it over and opened it, a horrible stink washed over him and made him light-headed. Even Cheng Qian sitting behind him was unluckily involved.
"This is magic water, Golden Toad Liquid. I made it myself." Li Yun said smugly.
"Isn't it water that bathed toads' feet?" Cheng Qian snorted.
