XIAO SHUXIANG'S

89 - Long Night [Revised]

Xiao Shuxiang stepped inside the Rest Hall. Jing Mi and Zong Ming who were sitting down directly called out to her.

When Xiao Shuxiang was already near them, Jing Mi immediately threw various questions at him.

Zong Ming said, "We've been looking for you all day. Where have you been, Brother Xiao?"

"I...? I'm not going anywhere, just around here.." Xiao Shuxiang was even confused about being searched, indeed he made what mistake again?

Jing Mi, "Thank God... I feel relieved for not hearing the commotion made by you. Let's go out there and get in line to get some food,"

"Well, I'm still hungry. You guys continue eating, I'll also go get rations."

Sian Ru had just finished taking her dinner when she saw Xiao Shuxiang walking over. He then approached the boy and purposely stumbled upon himself to make a hot soup that he ordered spill right into Xiao Shuxiang's head.

!!

Everyone who saw this was shocked. Some of the disciples of the Sky Sword Sect there were those who were seen withholding laughter and some were staring worriedly at Xiao Shuxiang.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't accidentally..! Y-you're okay, right?" Sian Ru was so panicked, she tried to clear the food on the little boy's head before her.

"That's hot soup! Are you all right?" the other disciple approached and looked very worried.

Xiao Shuxiang gently rubbed his face. Although the soup that spilled on his head was hot, he was more in a direction of surprise than feeling hot.

"Pffts... Ha Ha - Ha...!"

!!

Suddenly, a burst of laughter made everyone in the room flinch including Xiao Shuxiang. It was the voice of Jing Mi who was laughing loudly while rubbing her stomach.

Some students did find this incident funny, but they did not laugh as hard as Jing Mi did. Xiao Shuxiang looked at Jing Mi who was still faithfully laughing at him while patting the table.

"What kind of brother is he?!"

"I-I'm really sorry..!" Sian Ru held onto Xiao Shuxiang's two hands, her face seemed to contain regret. "I'll do anything for you to forgive me. Oh my God, how is this...?! I'm really sorry,"

"No need, you just have to be careful next time. Don't be careless like this,"

"Junior isn't angry, is he?"

"You were unintentional, so why am I angry." Xiao Shuxiang requested that Sian Ru let go of her hand, she then walked away leaving the room. Xiao Shuxiang no longer had a taste for food.

Zong Ming warned Jing Mi not to laugh at Xiao Shuxiang, but the boy instead hardened his laughter even more.

Silently Sian Ru smiled, indeed using Qi to injure someone would not be able to because the seal given to her would be active, but even without the Qi of once-Sian-Ru could still prank that annoying boy.

Xiao Shuxiang himself went to the river tiller to clean his hair as well as take a bath. "The first time in my life, Xiao Shuxiang got this kind of unexpected luck..."

Yi Wen and Hai Feng saw someone bathing in the saplings of the river. As they approached, they learned that the person was Xiao Shuxiang.

Yi Wen, "Brother Xiao? Why are you bathing here?"

Xiao Shuxiang turned his head when he heard the voice from Yi Wen. "My head spilled a bowl of soup while at the Rest Hall earlier. You can imagine that soup bowl flying and falling right over my head,"

"Pff..." Yi Wen immediately laughed, "It's a pity that I'm not around and witnessed it in person. You must be very funny,"

Xiao Shuxiang, "You are the same as Brother Jing. You'd better leave if you just want to laugh at me."

"Brother Xiao, don't be angry. I'm not gonna laugh at you anymore.." Yi Wen then offered the lotus fruit to Xiao Shuxiang as his apology.

Xiao Shuxiang immediately came out of the sapling of the river and began to put on his clothes back. He then took the lotus fruit that Yi Wen gave him.

"Where did you guys get this?" xiao Shuxiang asked while peeling the lotus seeds and eating them.

Hai Feng said, "We took the lotus fruit from the artificial lake that is located not far from the Nine Level Pagoda."

Xiao Shuxiang had never gone there before. "I think I should take a walk around there once in a while.."

Yi Wen, "The artificial lake of this sect is filled with lotuses. Many of the other friends go to the place in the afternoon or after evening classes are over. You better get there early, Brother Xiao. Because I see, the lotus fruit there is only a few."

"REally?!" Xiao Shuxiang immediately left just like that after hearing Yi Wen's words.

Yi Wen and Hai Feng froze, they gasped when suddenly Xiao Shuxiang left them.

Yi Wen, "I think... Brother Xiao really likes lotuses..."

Hai Feng nodded, "You're right..."

To the east of the Nine Levels Pagoda was a yellow bamboo forest. This forest was an artificial forest that existed in the surroundings of the Sky Sword Sect.

The yellow bamboo forest was not very vast, only to the extent of covering an artificial lake filled with aquatic plants like lotuses.

The lake and the bamboo forest were made just to unwind the disciples of the Sky Sword Sect after a day of study. Every afternoon and in the evening, some disciples of the Sky Sword Sect would definitely go to this place to breathe fresh air or calm himself down.

Xiao Shuxiang was not interested at all in the yellow bamboo forest, he was more interested in the lotus fruit which could be his night snack.

Tonight, only a few disciples were seen on the edge of the lake. They were seen sitting, chatting while enjoying the lotus seeds.

Dai Chen who had just arrived by the lake saw Xiao Shuxiang. He recalled that Xiao Shuxiang was very familiar with Zong Ming.

Moreover, all day in this sect, Dai Chen had heard a lot about the uproar that the child had caused over the past five days. An idea suddenly crossed his mind.

Xiao Shuxiang was so amazed as to see the gold mine before his eyes, so many lotus plants even reached the edge of the lake. He was intending to take the lotus fruit not far from him but an exclamation made Xiao Shuxiang stop and turn his head.

"Xiao Shuxiang's..! What are you doing?!"

Xiao Shuxiang raised next to his brows, he could see a boy walking while smiling towards him. As the boy got closer, Xiao Shuxiang began to recognize him as Dai Chen.

"You're not the kid who hates Zong Ming, what's calling me?" Xiao Shuxiang felt astonished, he scrutinized Dai Chen from top to bottom. The clothes of the Heaven Sword Sect were truly suitable for this child, no one would believe that Dai Chen was not a good child.

"So your name is 'Xiao Shuxiang'..? Similar to 'The Heretic'..."

"Aah! I almost forgot my title on that one..." Xiao Shuxiang rubbed his head, "What's the reason you called me?"

Dai Chen, "Why are you that old? There's no reason to make me and you hostile. After all I am now one of the disciples studying in the Sky Sword Sect, so it can be said that we are brothers for now."

"But at that time you said that Zong Ming and his friends were your enemies. Why is your speech different now?" Xiao Shuxiang was still a little suspicious of Dai Chen, it could have been this kid attacking him abruptly as an outlet from his grudge towards Zong Ming.

Dai Chen, "I'm not that cruel, aren't we already fighting and confessing to each other? Or do you really want to be my enemy?"

"Haaah~ not really... Your problem with Zong Ming, so don't involve me." Xiao Shuxiang sighed softly, he then continued his activities taking the lotus that had been delayed earlier.

Dai Chen noticed and said, "It's still immature, you take the young ones."

!

Xiao Shuxiang flinched, "Really? Hah, it's appropriate that all the lotus fruits on the edge of the lake no one took them. It turns out the fruit is still not ripe,"

Dai Chen felt that the seven-year-old beside him was like he did not know which fruit was ripe and yet. He then pointed out that ripe lotus fruit has larger seeds and shapes.

Dai Chen, "The whole lotus fruit that is on the edge of the lake is not a ripe fruit. You must take more lotus fruit to the middle of the lake. You can swim, right?"

"Yeah, that's it. But I don't really like being in the water..."

Dai Chen raised his eyebrows, "This lake is not very deep and you should swim. What's your reason for not liking being in the water when you can swim?"

"That I won't tell you," Xiao Shuxiang puffed his cheeks and then looked at Dai Chen. "You'll go down there and get me a lotus fruit,"

"You want to eat, not me. So you're the one who did it,"

Xiao Shuxiang was weaving his lips, he then squatted while looking at the lotus plant in front of him and muttered many things.

"Hmm, actually. I know a secret place full of lotus fruit and easy to take, but..." Dai Chen rubbed his chin, he hung his words so that Xiao Shuxiang could ask.

Sure enough, Xiao Shuxiang immediately stood up and excitedly urged Dai Chen to tell the secret place.

Dai Chen looked around, he then lowered his head slightly then spoke in a soft voice to Xiao Shuxiang.

"Look, if you walk straight there. You'll find another lake filled with lotuses. That place is known only by a few people, because that's the lotus fruit there more."

"Then what are we waiting for..?! Let's go there!" Xiao Shuxiang pulled Dai Chen's hand, "Show me the way."

Dai Chen, "But I'm just accompanying you, I won't help you take it. You have to do it yourself."

"Alright, alright..!" Xiao Shuxiang was so excited, he was already impatient for the lotus fruit feast tonight.

Secretly, Dai Chen smiled cunningly. "Just lead him into a trap and after that... Goodbye little boy..! Let's go."