A Will Eternal - Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – Up On the Wall

Thus, the trial of fire for promoting Miscellaneous Chores disciples to Outer Sect disciples ended in such a way. Including Hou Xiaomei, the three people proceded onwards to the peak, gradually fading into the distance. Big Fatty Zhang gazed at Hou Xiaomei’s disappearing figure, stroking his fat chin with a profound look on his face.

“Mn, pale, tiny, and pure……” he said, turning towards Bai Xiaochun beside him.

Right at that moment, Bai Xiaochun was also looking at Hou Xiaomei’s disappearing figure with a heart filled with complex emotions after hearing Big Fatty Zhang’s words. Seeing Big Fatty Zhang sneaking glances at him, Bai Xiaochun couldn’t help but shout.

“Don’t look at me!”

Seeing Bai Xiaochun get angry, Big Fatty Zhang started laughing. He then took out a pouch full of Spirit Stones and changed the subject.

“Come, come, come, let’s count the spirit stones. We’ve struck it big this time. Haha, this method isn’t too bad at all!”

“What’s so good about counting the spirit stones? Even if you keep counting, aren’t they still the same spirit stones?” Bai Xiaochun said with a hmph.

“This Ninth Junior Brother! You don’t understand. They may be spirit stones, but what we’re actually counting is our own life.” Big Fatty Zhang seldom said such words of appreciation for life, leaving Bai Xiaochun to stare at him blankly for a moment. Then he took example this example from his Senior Brother to heart and also started counting spirit stones. In the end, he grew bored and tossed them back to Big Fatty Zhang.

Right at this moment, there was a dazzling flash of light on the path of the trial by fire. It blinded everyone for a moment, and by the time their vision cleared, it had already reached the base of the mountain.

The middle-aged overseer who was in charge of opening the path to the trial by fire looked at Bai Xiaochun’s party of three and made an odd face. After quite a while, he shook his head, deciding to no longer pay attention to them. He felt that it would be better to let the sect deal with the matters concerning the Hearthfire Kitchens.

Bai Xiaochun’s party of three were still a bit nervous in the depths of their hearts. However, they gave a few dry coughs while glancing at each other when they saw that the overseer let them off. They quickly left afterwards, darting back to the Hearthfire Kitchens via a shortcut.

Big Fatty Zhang minded his own business as he counted spirit stones, again and again, until they arrived back at the Hearthfire Kitchens. The other fatties had also returned, and each and every one of them was elated and unusually pleased with themselves when greeting each other.

After they had split their respective shares, Bai Xiaochun decided to stay in his thatched house. His goal was longevity. If it hadn’t been for the need to buy medical herbs in exchange for the longevity pill, he probably wouldn’t have thought up such a plan in order to earn spirit stones.

No one in the Hearthfire Kitchens was able to fall asleep that night. After Big Fatty Zhang and the others had suddenly become rich, they were too excited to keep still. They were overcome with trepidation and restlessness when they thought back to the days of the past, when their pockets were shriveled up, and then of the prosperity to come in the distant future. As a result, they all suffered insomnia that night.

Bai Xiaochun was equally as sleepless as he continued thinking of the longevity pill.

The next day, the matter about the Hearthfire Kitchens brothers blocking the road to the trial by fire had spread to everyone in the Miscellaneous Chores area on the south bank of the Spirit Creek Sect. The witnesses told the story to ten people each, then those ten in turn told it to a hundred, and so on. In the end, few were left who didn’t know about what had happened at the trial by fire.

“Did you hear? The Hearthfire Kitchens did something huge!!”

“Have they gone insane, to unexpectedly engage in such a thing? Heavens, they’re selling the quota for Outer Sect disciples! It’s too much! How did I not think of this idea before?”

“Hearthfire Kitchens… I heard a long time ago  that each and every one of them is actually very influential as they are all people with some connections within the sect. Otherwise, how could they afford to eat so appallingly if they didn’t have someone backing them?!” Today,, almost  every person in every room within the Miscellaneous Chores district was discussing the Hearthfire Kitchens.

The Hearthfire Kitchens were also a lot more subdued these days, none of them went out by themselves. This continued for a few days until Bai Xiaochun heard the sounds of footsteps on the road outside of the kitchens when he was draining rice water bit by bit one evening.

“Come out disciples of the Hearthfire Kitchens! The Supervising House has ordered me to come investigate the matter of you waiting at the exit of the trial by fire!” As the cold voice resounded, the large doors to the Hearthfire Kitchens were directly kicked open by someone.

The doors were kicked open with a bang, and over ten Miscellaneous Chores disciples wearing uniforms of the Supervising House came rushing through the entrance. The leader of the group was the beefy guy who had previously stuck up for Xu Baocai.

“I say, I thought I heard crows crying this morning, but it’s actually just you, Chen Fei. You’ve come here once again.” Big Fatty Zhang and Bai Xiaochun looked at each other, and both assumed the air of an unconcerned person. Together with the other few fatties, they indifferently gazed at the aggressive people of the Supervising House.

Chen Fei sneered as gave Big Fatty Zhang a glance, and then swept his gaze over Bai Xiaochun. Suddenly, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. These Hearthfire Kitchens members before him were actually much too unperturbed.

He had been rather excited on the way here as he believed that he’d finally grasped the Hearthfire Kitchens’ achilles heel and could finally topple them in one move. He would be able to end old internal strife between the two departments, which had already lasted many years.

“They’re feigning calmness!” Chen Fei sneered internally, his eyes holding a tint of seriousness, and eerily said,

“Hearthfire Kitchen, let me ask you people. A couple of days ago, did the 9 of you participate in the trial by fire for promoting Miscellaneous Chores disciples to Outer Sect disciples!?”

“Yes, we participated,” said Big Fatty Zhang with a laugh.

“That’s good then. Take them away!” Chen Fei spoke no more. He only raised his right hand and pointed. Instantly, over tens of Supervising House’s disciples rushed out, each of them equipped with iron chains in order to restrain the people of Hearthfire Kitchen.

Bai Xiaochun looked over the situation and laughed.

“The Supervising House truly does have their hands in everything, they even want to restrict our right of becoming disciples of the Outer Sect… How amazing!

Chen Fei looked at Bai Xiaochun. He couldn’t help but remember the scene when Bai Xiaochun had used his flying sword, so he signaled the people around him to stop. He stared at Bai Xiao Chun, slowly squinting his eyes.

“Since Brother Bai is not satisfied, then let me ask you another question. During the trial by fire, you disciples of the Hearthfire Kitchen blocked the exit and announced your name in front of the masses. Since you did it, I dare you to admit it!”

“Of course we did it!” Bai Xiaochun was calm, looking as innocent as an angel as he quickly nodded his head and pointed towards Big Fatty Zhang and the others.

“They did it as well.”

“Thats right, we did it too! So what?” Big Fatty Zhang laughed and admitted to it.

That scene made Chen Fei’s appearance change. He had not expected the people of Hearthfire Kitchen to admit it so easily. In his mind, this was supposed to be a difficult battle of might and wits which would end with him making the people of Hearthfire Kitchen confess.

He thought for a moment that this was very strange, but he buried the feeling of unease deep in his heart, and thinking there was no need for too much talking, he roared.

“Good, good! Since you have admitted to it, this saves me from wasting my time with prodding. In this case, please follow me to the court house. If anyone dares to resist, according to the sect rules, that person will be expelled!”After Chen Fei finished talking, his body made a straight dash towards Bai Xiaochun. The group of people who was behind him were rushing forward as well.

It was at this moment that Bai Xiaochun suddenly raised his right arm and a sword light suddenly flew out of his sleeves. That multi-colored wooden sword instantly whistled past the Heartfire Kitchen disciples and met the disciples of the Supervising House. The cold tip of the blade threatened them, causing Chen Fei to stop in his tracks with an ugly expression.

“Bai Xiaochun, you dare to resist!”

“Brother Chen, the Supervising House has the right to interrogate us, but does it have the right to arrest people?”

“Humph, you all admitted to going against sect regulations. Of course I have the qualifications to arrest you!”

“I don’t know which sect rule we breached?” Bai Xiaochun asked, all smiles. Big Fatty Zhang and the others also narrowed their eyes, the corners of their mouths exposing sneers, as they looked towards Chen Fei.

“You sold Outer Sect places, thus breaching the sect rules… huh?” Chen Fei started explaining, but then suddenly stopped. Soon after, his complexion rapidly changed, his forehead had actually gone as far as to gradually break into a cold sweat!

He discovered to his horror, that sect rules did not actually forbid people from selling the Outer Sect spots from the trial by fire test… After all, this method was not something many people would think of, and even if it had been previously thought of, most wouldn’t have the courage to go through with it…

“Senior Brother Chen Fei, you’re perspiring. So which rule did we break? Contrary to what you are saying, ah, could it be that we haven’t violated a sect rule? Is Senior Brother Chen Fei deceiving the law enforcement hall? Using the public office to avenge private wrongs, you come here demanding that we be illegally punished? Senior Brother Chen Fei, you have breached the sect rule chapter 9 article 11! According to sect rules, the punishment is not small!” Bai Xiaochun assumed an astonished look, gradually getting to the heart of the matter with each sentence. His voice increased in volume, while his heart was secretly relaxing.

“You talk nonsense, I…” In this moment, Chen Fei’s complexion changed completely. Behind him, the other Supervising House disciples also realized the problem, and each and every one of their complexions also changed in a flash.

Meanwhile, Big Fatty Zhang laughed nastily and lifted both of his hands, cracking them. Ka ka!The other Fatty Senior Brothers’ eyes also glinted with viciousness as they walked towards everyone from the Supervising House.

“Chen Fei, you have violated a sect rule, and what’s more, you must take responsibility for the law enforcement hall for breaking down the door our Hearthfire Kitchen forged after sacrificing countless years! Now what should the compensation be? Today you must give us an explanation!” Big Fatty Zhang smiled sinisterly; right now, he was suddenly towering over Chen Fei in an imposing manner.

They had been thoroughly began preparing since long time ago when Bai Xiaochun had first proposed the idea two months ago otherwise they wouldn’t dare block the gate at the end of the trial by fire. The sect rules were dissected by them and interpreted to suit their rotten purpose for this major event.

“Da!” Hearing Big Fatty Zhang’s words, Chen Fei’s body trembled in fear in front of this meat-mountain figure..

All of a sudden, the courtyard gathering degraded into a brawl, sounds of ping and bangechoing in the chaos. Bai Xiaochun’s body flashed as he assumed his customary position on top of the courtyard’s wall. He put his hands into his sleeves and he looked far away into the distance as he assumed the pose of a profound thinker. He looked like a lonely expert who had retired after a successful life.

“In the blink of an eye, I, Bai Xiaochun,  have scattered the ashes of the Supervising House and dispersed their smoke…”