Chapter 13: Fatty Three

The teaching session lasted for several hours and had not yet ended as midnight approached.

None of the thirty-six registered disciples of the Star Sect had slept; all stood by their respective windows, casting complex gazes toward Building B1.

In Building A1, Zhaixingzi also leaned on the railing, gazing into the distance.

Between his building and Building B1 lay the Star Sect's precious hall, blocking any view.

Yet Zhaixingzi’s eyes did not blink; his gaze was deep and eerie, like ghostly blue flames from the underworld. His already pale complexion had darkened to near black, and the railing beneath his hands was squeezed so hard that five deep finger marks were imprinted.

Had any junior brother seen this, they would surely have been terrified out of their wits. The railings in Building A1 were carved from rosewood, as hard as iron. For Zhaixingzi to leave such deep marks with bare hands meant either his internal energy was perfected or he had mastered an exceptionally fierce claw technique.

After nearly another half hour, all the disciples heard Ding Chunqiu’s hearty laughter: “Good! Good child, your talent truly reflects the style I once had. Ha ha ha! You must train diligently and not disappoint your master. If you have any questions, have A Zi lead you to the Ten Thousand Poison Valley to ask me anytime. Ha ha ha, I shall take my leave!”

Upon hearing this, the disciples all thought the same: the rumors were true. The newcomer must be the illegitimate son of the old rascal, the old devil, the old thief, the old bastard, the old scoundrel, the old pretty face, the old beast, the old poisoner… Otherwise, why would that old villain care so much? He even allowed him to seek advice at will — not even the eldest senior brother had such privileges.

The various titles following the “old” were affectionate nicknames used privately by each disciple for their master, needing no further explanation.

The disciples all concealed themselves quietly, peering out the window to see a white figure rise from Building B1, soaring northward like a great crane.

After a while longer, they slowly peeked out again. Some wore amused expressions, others looked envious, and a few leapt from the window to find close comrades and discuss strategies.

At this moment, a figure came to the small building where A Zi lived. He was stout and round—Zhuifengzi, the third-ranked registered disciple.

Zhuifengzi was smooth-tongued and had noticed Ding Chunqiu’s favoritism toward Zhaixingzi and A Zi’s second disciple, so he sought to cultivate their friendship.

Especially in the past two years, A Zi had matured into a charming young beauty, young in age but already showing the grace of a maiden. Some unscrupulous disciples would take any opportunity to cast sly remarks her way.

Though A Zi was inexperienced in matters of men and women, her feminine instincts told her they bore ill intentions. Yet many of their words were subtle and hard to grasp, leaving her unsure how to respond; she could only get angry, which only inflamed their arrogance further.

If Zhuifengzi encountered such situations, he would scold those fellows harshly. A Zi, grateful for his support, naturally showed him more respect.

Now, Zhuifengzi knocked gently on A Zi’s door and whispered, “Junior sister, the disciple our master asked you to bring back is probably more than just a fellow villager…”

He dared not say the words “illegitimate son” for fear of causing trouble and spoke vaguely: “In any case, the master values him highly. Since he was brought by you, he will surely be close to you. Take the chance to say a few good words for him; I will repay you.”

A Zi laughed, “Third senior brother, you are the third senior brother, yet you can’t even use martial arts. Why would you want to curry favor with him? Shouldn’t it be him flattering you instead?”

Hearing A Zi’s affectionate tone when addressing Jiang Mingzhe, Zhuifengzi was intrigued. This clever girl often kept other disciples at arm’s length, despite his repeated support, she had never been so friendly to him. Hmm, why did the master specially have A Zi bring him back? And why send him to Ten Thousand Poison Valley with A Zi to guide him?

In truth, Ding Chunqiu asked A Zi to bring Jiang Mingzhe back mostly by coincidence, and later arranged for A Zi to lead him to the valley. One reason was that the two were already acquainted; another was knowing his disciples’ tricky natures.

A Zi was the youngest disciple and had no conflicting interests with Jiang Mingzhe, so there was no fear she would harm this rare talent and precious gem.

But overthinking was the worst. Zhuifengzi was now convinced Jiang Mingzhe was Ding Chunqiu’s illegitimate son. He pondered and quickly reached a conclusion: yes, that old rogue was flirtatious and cared most about appearances. Since little A Zi was growing more beautiful, the old scoundrel intended her as a daughter-in-law!

Thinking this, Zhuifengzi felt pleased. After all, he had defended A Zi several times. If she became the wife of the young sect leader, it would benefit him, not harm him.

He smiled even more brightly. “Junior sister, you jest. Don’t you know my character? I’m unlike the other brothers; I want us all to live in harmony. But you know the kind of scoundrels we brothers are. Before the new junior brother learns their bad habits, say a good word for me, and I’ll gain a true friend.”

As he spoke, his ears twitched and he turned his head to see Jiang Mingzhe approaching, sweat pouring down his handsome, pale face as he dragged heavy footsteps.

Zhuifengzi was struck by his looks and thought to himself: the old scoundrel always cared about appearances, and judging by this illegitimate son’s looks, the old man must have been not much worse in his youth. No wonder he remained so vain in old age.

He grumbled inwardly but wore a kind smile: “Junior brother, after so long training, you must be tired.”

His tone was leisurely, seemingly easygoing.

Jiang Mingzhe knew not to judge a Star Sect disciple by appearance and quickly cupped his hands. “Junior brother Jiang Mingzhe greets senior brother. May I ask who I have the honor to meet?”

A Zi, originally standing inside the door, brightened instantly upon hearing Jiang Mingzhe’s voice. She lightly sprang out and said with a cheerful smile, “Big Ginger, you must be hungry, right? Hmm, this is third senior brother Zhuifengzi. We were just talking about you.”

“Zhuifengzi?” Jiang Mingzhe was momentarily puzzled before realizing the correct name. He was suspicious—almost no Star Sect disciple was trustworthy, so why was Zhuifengzi talking about him?

Taking a closer look, he saw Zhuifengzi’s round face like a full moon, thin eyes, a short beard, and a large belly. He thought, so the third senior brother was a chubby guy.

Hmm, Third Chubby Brother!

Suppressing his doubts, he smiled and nodded. “Yes, I’m so hungry I could hardly stand it. I was going to ask sister if there’s any food at home, but I didn’t expect third senior brother to be here. Look at me, all sweaty and smelly—how rude of me.”

Since falling into the water and crossing over that day, Jiang Mingzhe had not eaten or drunk anything for most of the time. A Zi had planned to arrange accommodation and then take him to eat, but unexpectedly Ding Chunqiu returned.

Training consumed a lot of energy. Jiang Mingzhe was already famished, but Ding Chunqiu’s internal strength was immense; he felt no need to eat much and was selfishly focused on teaching, not considering whether Jiang Mingzhe wanted to eat or rest.

Eager to learn, Jiang Mingzhe endured without complaint until Ding Chunqiu left. Then he hurried over to A Zi, searching for food.

Hearing Jiang Mingzhe’s words, A Zi was touched. Hmm, he felt it rude to meet third senior brother in his stinky sweat but not rude to see her. Could it be that he truly regarded her as one of his own?

At this thought, warmth surged in her heart, and her eyes curved into a smile. “Since you’re hungry, just…”

Before she could finish, third senior brother slapped his thigh and eagerly interrupted, “Junior brother, why didn’t you tell me you were hungry? When it comes to martial arts, eldest and second senior brothers are better than me, and there are hidden dragons and crouching tigers among the others…”

He patted his chest, and even through his clothes, the jiggle of his fat was visible. “But when it comes to eating, hehe, not to brag, I’m second in the Star Sect—and no one dares claim first! Junior brother, you’re hungry at just the right time. Watch how I arrange things for you!”