Chapter 71 – Unorthodox Art (I)
The buildings in outer temple are much more concentrated and numerous than in inner temple.
Among them, there are two buildings with the largest surface area, which are Lianyun Dorm and Heyun Dorm. The two dorms are the princ.i.p.al places for outer temple disciples to live.
The two dorms are built next to each other, with only a road for carriages between them. Each dorm has about 500 rooms, and has comprehensive facilities. In addition to a small training hall, they also have a large dining hall that can accommodate hundreds of people.
Having said that, the two dorms feel very different.
The male disciple residence Lianyun Dorm is always noisy, filled with the violent sounds of swords striking.
In comparison, the female disciple residence Heyun Dorm is more quiet. Even if the sounds of swords striking ring occasionally, they still feel much more mellow than Lianyun Dorm"s violent sword strikes.
The most surprising thing is that Heyun Dorm exudes a light fragrance of books, which should originate from the occasional poem reading.
Female disciples come and go in the corridors of Heyun Dorm.
Some hold long swords, and appear ready to practice martial arts, others walk in the direction of the study with books about martial arts or culture in hand, yet others walk side by side in groups and chat about who knows what.
They all seem to be full of youthful energy.
As a result, a pet.i.te la.s.s walking down a long hallway despondently seems a bit incongruent, and even a little eye-catching.
The bright yellow eyes look dim and the two ponytails reaching the waist seem to have lost their vigor, hanging powerlessly. This might be a misconception, but the buns at the roots of the ponytails appear deflated, and look like two withered steamed buns.
The la.s.s not only has a dejected expression on her face, but even her walking posture is particularly listless.
The back is bent slightly forward, like a hunchback old woman. Looking like she is holding something heavy, the allocated supplies in her arms are tottering.
This la.s.s is of course Merak Temple"s Young Ancestor Xue Qilin who is pretending to be “Xue Jiujiu”.
If Merak Temple"s Temple Master saw Xue Qilin"s appearance now, she might have scolded the latter again.
However, Xue Qilin no longer cares. She"s tired, very tired. After all, she spent a lot of effort to get away from Qi Qiqi"s interrogation.
… "Who is Shui Yuner?" "How do you know her?" "Do you like her?" "Why do you want to admit her?" "Do you like that kind of personality better?"
“Ugh…”
That"s basically mental torture! Thinking back to the questions that made her break out in cold sweat from her forehead, Xue Qilin couldn"t help but sigh.
Then, she lifted her spirits forcefully.
“What"s the room number here?” Xue Qilin turned her head to look at the closest room and saw the room plate read “62”.
“Almost there…”
The room she was a.s.signed to is room 77, just beside Shui Yuner"s.
After walking along the corridor for dozens of seconds, Xue Qilin stopped before a door.
“It"s this one?”
Xue Qilin glanced at the room next door and heard the wiping sounds from inside. Aware that Shui Yuner should be cleaning her room, she dismissed the idea of saying h.e.l.lo.
After checking the room number repeatedly and confirming that it is correct, Xue Qilin fished out the key from her sleeve she got from Internal Affairs Department.
With a click, the lock was unlocked.
When the door was pushed open, the still air in the room flowed instantly and raised a cloud of dust.
“… Achoo!” Xue Qilin sneezed from the dust.
“Ugh, how long has it been since someone lived here!” The la.s.s wrinkled her nose and raised an eyebrow. As she fanned with her hands in front of her face to prevent the dust from invading her nose, she walked into the room.
The room isn"t large, but it has everything you need. There is no lack of furniture for daily use, and there is even a dressing table along with a copper mirror.
The only thing that made the la.s.s dissatisfied is the fact that the room is covered with dust.
“Let"s clean the dust first…”
Xue Qilin didn"t proceed to cleaning the dust immediately, but rather raised her leg. Where her foot has stood, there is small footprint in the dust on the floor, resembling a sandpainting.
“Okay, the dust is thick enough.” After nodding her head in satisfaction, Xue Qilin moved her feet.
Just like dancing, there is some unique rhythm to the steps she takes.
It is a wonderful footwork.
The la.s.s took seven steps in a row, leaving a corresponding number of footprints on the floor.
Then, she stomped.
As if responding to the la.s.s"s action, the seven footprints glowed gently at the same time.
“The wind of late spring blows from Dumen [1] and sweeps all filth away…” Xue Qilin shouted the incantation feebly.
In the next moment, a flow of air blew from the door. This air flow is condensed, and doesn"t disperse. It looks like an invisible snake slithering in the room, and draws the dust in the room into its invisible body.
In just a few blinks, the room became dust-free.
The “snake” completed its mission and left the room with the dust.
Although the dust has been cleaned, but there is still other filth left.
As a result, Xue Qilin has to clean it herself.
Looking for a an implement that can hold water, Xue Qilin rummaged in the room. But she found nothing, not even a rag.
Thinking of which, who will prepare these things for her?
“Sigh…” Xue Qilin sighed weakly, and then mused – I"ll have to borrow them.
Helpless, the la.s.s left her room and knocked on the door next door, on Shui Yuner"s door.
The door opened quickly, and Shui Yuner emerged from inside.
Probably to facilitate the cleaning, she has rolled up her sleeves and tied her hair into a long bundle, exposing her fair arms and neck.
“Oh, little Senior Disciple Sister?” Shui Yuner was slightly surprised when she discovered that the one who knocked on her door is Xue Qilin.
“Little Yun, do you have something like a tray that can hold water, and can you lend it to me?” Without standing on ceremony, Xue Qilin asked right away.
“There is a bucket… Little Senior Disciple Sister, wait a moment.” Shui Yuner went back into her room and took out a wooden bucket, “Is this okay?”
“Yeah, it"s fine.” Xue Qilin took the bucket from the girl and hugged it.
It became a little dark in front of her eyes.
Due to her pet.i.te figure, her vision is almost completely blocked by the bucket.
Xue Qilin tilted her head and looked out from the side of the bucket, “I"ll go clean my room then.”
“Little Senior Disciple Sister, wait!” Shui Yuner stopped Xue Qilin who has turned to leave.
“Hmm?” Xue Qilin lowered back the foot she has raised and looked back at Shui Yuner.
“Little Senior Disciple Sister, my room is done already. Do you want help?”
“Ah, would you?”
“Of course I would. Or do you think that I"m in the way, little Senior Disciple Sister?”
“I don"t think that.” Knowing that the other party is just kidding, Xue Qilin wrinkled her nose and pretended to answer angrily.
Shui Yuner snickered a few times, and then walked out of her room, turned around, and locked the door.
“Little Senior Disciple Sister, where do you live? Which room is it?”
Xue Qilin pointed at her room with her chin, “It"s right next to yours.”
“Oh, really? It turns out that you live so close… ” Shui Yuner clasped her hands quietly, “Since this is the case, then I"ll be in your care, little Senior Disciple Sister.”
“Oy, likewise.” Xue Qilin wanted to return the greeting, but then discovered that she is holding the bucket. She just shrugged her shoulders helplessly to express that she cannot reciprocate.
Shui Yuner smiled, indicating that it"s okay.
One in front and one behind, the two walked into Xue Qilin"s room.
“Little Senior Disciple Sister, don"t you need to draw water?”
When she put down the bucket, the la.s.s heard Shui Yuner ask.
“Is it far?”
“Not really.”
Whether it"s close by or far away, you still need water… Shui Yuner tilted her head, puzzled.
Without taking note of Shui Yuner"s thoughts, Xue Qilin asked again, “Oh, is it more than 30 steps away?”
The la.s.s"s questions make Shui Yuner more and more confused.
“It is.”
However, she still answered.
There are several wells in Heyun Dorm, but they all are more than 30 steps away from here.
“Oy, it"s so far way, then I won"t go.”
“So how do we clean then?”
Xue Qilin raised her head proudly and waved to Shui Yuner.
Seeing Shui Yuner approaching, Xue Qilin squatted down, eager.
“Take a look!”
After adjusting her dress, Shui Yuner also squatted down.
Both suspicious and curious, she stared at Xue Qilin"s two fingers extended together.
“Kan [2]!” Xue Qilin parted her cherry lips and uttered a word softly.
In the next moment…
Under Shui Yuner"s gaze, a small stream of water shot out from Xue Qilin"s fingertips and landed accurately in the basket. The clean and pure water shimmers brightly under the sunshine.
Shui Yuner stared blankly at this strange phenomenon that seems familiar, unable to react for a while.
“What do you think? Is it convenient, or is it convenient?” Xue Qilin asked, complacent. She looks like a child who has just learned something new, and is asking for praise from an adult.
Shui Yuner couldn"t help but think of how after the la.s.s in front of her drew a complex pattern on her body in Leisure Manor, she was able to “summon” water.
“Little Senior Disciple Sister, at the enrollment a.s.sembly…” Shui Yun"er hesitated for a moment, “Is this the "move" you used to help me?”
Shui Yuner isn"t sure whether this marvelous phenomenon is considered a “move” or not, and she doesn"t even know whether it is martial arts.
Xue Qilin nodded, “This is called "magic".”
In the bright yellow eyes, a mysterious and obscure feeling sways gently.
“… an unorthodox art that steers all creation.”
[1] – Dumen (杜門), one of the eight gates in ancient Chinese divination
[2] – Kan