Rising Phoenix

Eight pieces, the young master wants eight pieces.

Yan Huaishi would not be around during the meal time. He was not a student, and he could not use his connections while in class. Thus, he had to fully utilize the time he had during meals. This man really was talented at making connections. Feng Zhiwei had overheard him yesterday bragging about how their dorm head had bought him dinner, and how they had become sworn brothers.

And this was the dorm head of the Politics and History Hall who had the nickname “Iron Faced God of Death.”

Gu Nanyi was not at all moved by Feng Zhiwei’s obsequious and considerate actions. He faced everything with the same attitude — eyes always locked in an exactly foot and three inches stare.

But regardless, his eating posture was still rather elegant, though he looked a little unnatural, as if he was not used to this mannerism. Feng Zhiwei resentfully wondered whether this brat had been hand fed all his life.

After a couple days at the school, Zhiwei had finally gained something of an understanding of the place. Clearly, this was a place that seemed relaxed on the outside but was intensely regulated within. The profundity that oozed from every pore masked deeper secrets. She had recently been spending a lot of time reading the Golden Thread Monkey Skin notebook, and had accidentally discovered that the little garden between the Politics and History Hall and the Military Hall was very similar to the Zhen Art mentioned in the notebook.

No wonder the students were not allowed to wander after dark, and no wonder they were so carefree and so casually welcoming to an unvetted stranger and a clearly abnormal and dangerous man like Gu Nanyi.

They were fearless because they controlled everything. She understood now that if anyone dared to make trouble, they would immediately be cut up into so many pieces.

Of course, this was a revelation she kept to herself. At the very least, all of this was an intentionally kept secret, and the academy was very purposefully putting on a peaceful and calm air of a purely scholarly place of study like any other academy.

She lowered her head and focused on her food, and missed the entrance of a young man. But while she was oblivious, others were not, and the hubbub in the hall quickly died down.

The man walked up to her and held up his fists in a casual salute. “Brother Wei.”

Feng Zhiwei lifted her head and looked at the young man with some confusion. Her hands moved into an automatic salute as she examined the somewhat familiar face.

The young man continued in his deep and reversing voice.

“Brother Wei, I’ve heard that you are Teacher Hu’s favorite student? There is a matter that I would like to discuss with you.”

Feng Zhiwei cocked her hand and smiled. “Aren’t you a fellow student from the Military Hall? Teacher Hu’s politics exam must have given you a hard time? This little brother is not Teacher Hu’s favorite student, but I can still help a brother out and get you some notes to study. This should be an easy enough matter.”

The young man was ecstatic. He had not imagined that Feng Zhiwei would be so understanding and so congenial. He had known what he would ask before he even voiced his request! The young man’s red face seemed to almost shine and he hurriedly replied. “Thank you very much. My name is Chunyu Meng, and I am a student of the Military Hall. Brother Wei, if you ever need help, please come and find me!”

Feng Zhiwei smiled — Of course I will come find you! If Yan Huaishi had not told me you were the son of a general and that you are the Military Hall’s hidden boss, would I pay any attention to you?

Chunyu Meng left contented, and the gathered crowd chuckled quietly. This young fellow should have graduated long ago, but every time failed in Teacher Hu’s politics seminar. Unfortunately for the young scion, the old general was good friends with Teacher Hu, and so the poor Chunyu Meng had been stuck here in school instead of out and about as an officer of the army.

As expected, Teacher Hu assigned Chunyu Meng his exam, and the young man snuck out in the dark of night and climbed into Feng Zhiwei’s dorm to seek Brother Wei’s help. The two drank rice wine under the pear blossom tree, and after the kettle of wine was finished, Feng Zhiwei had put the finishing touches on Chunyu Meng’s essay.

Chunyu Meng was so happy that he finally had something good to turn in that he broke out into drunk song. He stood, leaning against the pear blossom tree, knocking a beat on the empty win kettle and sang out: “Fighting to the beat of the golden drum, riding even in my sleep. A ready sword at my waist, ready to kill and bring our land peace!”

 “Isn’t it just Teacher Hu’s seminar?” Feng Zhiwei’s misty drunk eyes narrowed as she smiled at Chunyu Meng’s antics. “Is it really worth so much happiness?”

“You don’t understand.” Chunyu Meng grinned. “I was awarded the title of Field Officer in the Wumen Changing Guard long ago, and all I needed to do was graduate the Military Hall, but every time I failed on this ridiculous test! I couldn’t take it!”

Feng Zhiwei knit her brows – did this matter make sense? The political seminar was just a minor class compared to the Confucian classics like history, philosophy, and literature. It had never been regarded as important, and Chunyu Meng was not even in the Politics Hall. This seminar should have been just a check on the list; why did Teacher Hu keep him back and give him a hard time? What did he want?

Already granted a Field Officer commission in the Wumen Changing Guard long ago?

Did Teacher Hu want to keep him here? But why?

Just as she was deep in thought, the house door opened. Gu Nanyi walked out and floated around like a ghost. Feng Zhiwei stood with a start, and choking back the rice wine she ran over to Chunyu Meng and pushed him to the yard gate. Chunyu Meng looked at her with confusion and yelled out: “What are you doing?”

Feng Zhiwei had no time to explain. The other day, a dog in a courtyard three houses down and barked and disturbed this Young Master Gu, and he had come out just like this and floated around like a ghost. When he had returned, there had been dog hair on his cuff.

She had made a mistake, and after a couple of draughts of wine had forgotten that the Young Master did not like noise.

Chunyu Meng was tipsy and hugged the tree, refusing to leave. He did not notice the Jade Statue’s murderous gaze, but Feng Zhiwei knew that this matter would not end well if she didn’t act, so she threw herself forward, between the drunk fool and the Jade Statue. She stepped forward in worry, and from her core suddenly rushed downward a hot stream, and Feng Zhiwei’s suddenly lighter body flew forward uncontrollably.

 “Peng,”

In her confusion, she only felt a soft collision against a firm surface, and a light and richly, textured smell filled her nose.

A seemingly rich and light smell.

Feng Zhiwei had burst forward with enormous strength and thrown herself headlong into Gu Nanyi’s embrace…

Feng Zhiwei was still surprised by the situation, and had no idea what that uncontrollable warm pulse had been. She only knew that she had suddenly flew forward and crashed into something, and then fell back with golden stars in her eyes.

A soft and thin fabric lingered on her face, and her half stunned mind only regifted a comfortable and familiar sensation.

Feng Zhiwei’s heart fell. It was not that she had suddenly thrown herself into a man’s embrace, but that Young Master Gu hated being touched. She could already predict what would happen next, and braced herself for a swift drop from the roof.

Just as she was worrying about being lifted onto the roof and kicked off, Feng Zhiwei heard Chunyu Meng gasp and felt herself being pushed away. From the corner of her vision she could see a curtained hat laying not the ground.

Had she knocked off Gu Nanyi’s curtained hat?

Just as this thought flashed through her mind, she quickly lifted her head to examine Gu Nanyi’s face, but she was too slow. Gu Nanyi had already gestured, and the curtained hat had quickly flown into his hand and covered his face again. Behind the flowing veil, he seemed to be touching his lip with a finger. As Feng Zhiwei watched, he tilted his head and gently placed the finger in his mouth.

Past the veil, Feng Zhiwei could make out the vague outlines of an innocent and curious expression, and Gu Nanyi moved with purely inquisitive intent, with none of the complexities of seduction or love, but still somehow managing to be calmly and naturally, inappropriately familiar.

The hint of wine wafted out from under the veil.