The Water Sprite

A Fated Meeting

 His father had segregated the girls from the boys, which was a difficult task to accomplish, but he did manage it, and they all soon fell back into line because of what had happened.  But the damage was done, his school of higher learning had become a bit of a joke among the common people.  The gossip that spread was malicious, people stated quite openly that his fathers school was a stable for raising stallions and fillies rather than elite men and women of high standing and breeding, and because of it, some parents removed their daughters themselves, while others refused to send their daughters to him at all.

So when he took over, he completed educating the few girls that were left, before placing a ban on any more female students.  Not only were his male Disciples free from the whims that most boys their age were afflicted with,  their lives were much more peaceful, they grew stronger among their peers and because many of them held official titles within their tribes, any marriages they faced were arranged for them.  It was a perfect school, his Disciples were respected everywhere they went and unlike his fathers time, there were no scandals, his Disciples were the epitome of high breeding, high intelligence and they were all elite warriors that in time, the scandal that had once rocked their school was left in the past where it belonged.

Though of course this little girl in front of him would not know any of this, and nor was she old enough to understand it, but he did understand her aversion to his decision, she was merely seeing her world through her own limited experiences, so he did not take her harsh criticism of himself to heart.  That was until she called his school stupid and then most brazenly described him as a four headed God with eight arms who ate little children like her.

Suddenly the laughter erupted from the pit of his belly.  It was the most hilarious thing he had ever heard in his entire  life.  His life was an orderly one, he surrounded himself with men and women who were highly intelligent so any humor tended to be rather dry but witty and delivered intelligently which usually earned a light chuckle or at best a polite smile.

So laughter this grand was a rare occurrence, and he was laughing more for the fact that the child had not even attempted humor, she merely stated exactly what she thought, with no thought to the consequences.  Not only had she physically assaulted him, verbally offended him, and thoroughly chastised him for his decisions, she had also managed to render him speechless and all in under an hour.

He still had no idea who the girl was or who her parents might be as she had yet to give him her name, but suddenly he didn't want to know because knowing who she was, would put her back into a state of normality, and she was far from normal.   He wanted to keep the  little girl with honest views she was not afraid to voice in his memory, it would be something he could look back on in his later years with fondness.

  Her open and forthright manner was so refreshing and honest that he struggled to bring the laughter under control, especially when her little face lit up at the sound of it, and before he knew it, they were both laughing.  Not only had she given him a rare moment of happiness he had not felt in such a long time, she too seemed to have moved on from her anger and tears.  

But eventually the laughter did die down.  From the placement of the shadows, he knew it was getting late and he did have to get back to Kunlun Mountain for his Disciples final lesson for the day, which he had to be present for.  So suggesting she approach her father with what she had just shared with him, he at once saw the sparkle in her eyes become tearful again.

Not wanting to give away his true identity or the magic of the rock pool which was his own private haven, he instead focused on her age.  Guessing she was still young enough for bedtime stories, he then offered to fulfill a wish if she left him alone, something that all little girls liked to read about.  Though her mention of a Genie in a bottle stumped him, but he gathered it must be from one of her stories her parents had read to her.

Thinking she might ask for a new toy or perhaps a pretty new dress since her one was still soaked through, he almost roared with laughter all over again.  Not only did she ask for a man who would bow to her every demand and take heed of everything she had to say without even thinking about it, she was actually dead serious.  

This was one little girl who would no doubt grow up to scare any potential husband away from her, she was already aware of herself and what her life goals were.  She would in time be very beautiful too, he thought to himself, so that would make her even more desirable if she were to meet a man who could match her wit and in time intelligence, which he could clearly see. 

So in the end he agreed to her wish, though at the time, he didn't think he would have to honor it, she would be more than capable of honoring it herself, he had thought to himself.

But the moment Zhe Yans voice roared through the Grove and the sudden shock on her face, he was reminded of a very naughty little girl who had once attended Kunlun School when he was younger.  It seemed this one was in trouble, because not only had she stumbled off the edge of the pool in fright, her eyes were darting about the forest in fear and knowing how scary Zhe Yan could be when he angered, he realized this little girl was with him.  But the moment she flew into her white Nine Tailed Fox Form, he realized then, who she was.