The three outer disciples were still eyeing Lin Chen like he was some unexplained anomaly in the laws of cultivation.
"You really don't know about the Sun Yi Festival?" one of them asked suspiciously.
Lin Chen clasped his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels. "I know it involves the sun. And yin. Beyond that, I await enlightenment."
The tallest of the three snorted. "Hopeless."
Then, because gossip was stronger than caution, he continued anyway.
"It's a celebration that happens once every hundred years, when the solar and lunar alignments harmonize with the spiritual veins beneath the sect."
Lin Chen nodded slowly.
"That sounds extremely technical. Continue."
"The Purifying Stone," another disciple said reverently, "drips spiritual essence constantly. Normally it evaporates or disperses into the air. But beneath it is a sacred basin. The drops that fall over a century accumulate."
"A century?" Lin Chen raised a brow.
"Yes. And on the final day of the festival, that accumulated essence is distributed."
"How generous," Lin Chen murmured dryly.
"Only a single drop per person," the third disciple emphasized. "But that single drop can cleanse impurities, strengthen foundations, elevate comprehension, and even stabilize breakthroughs... boosts cultivation speed by a notch as well with a few other benefits."
"Inner disciples receive it. Core disciples receive it. The elders and the Sect Master themselves partake. And a few honored guests."
"Important guests," the first added. "Imperial representatives. High-ranking nobles."
"And the princess," the second said dramatically.
Lin Chen blinked.
"Princess," he repeated thoughtfully.
"They say she's unmatched in beauty."
"They say her temperament is cold like moonlight."
"They say—"
Lin Chen waved a hand dismissively. "They say many things."
"You're not even eligible," one of them scoffed. "You're not an inner disciple. Not even outer."
Lin Chen shrugged. "I am a… free spirit."
"You're a Qi-less brat."
He yawned. "Tomato, tomahto."
The tallest folded his arms. "The first three days will be performances. Traditional displays. Sword dances. Formation exhibitions. Banquets. The final day is when the drop ceremony happens."
Lin Chen nodded slowly.
The drop ceremony held no appeal.
A century of accumulation for one drop?
He wasn't even eligible to get it so why bother about it?
But—
A princess beauty attending?
Now that was intriguing.
He grinned slightly.
"Perhaps there will be more than one beauty."
The disciples groaned in unison.
"You're incorrigible."
"Absolutely."
He stepped back casually as they shook their heads.
"Well then, dear juniors, continue gossiping. You are very informative."
They stared at him warily.
"Don't appear behind us like that again!"
Lin Chen was already walking away.
"If you improve your perception, I won't need to."
They stood in silence after he left and one finally muttered—
"… He doesn't have Qi, right?"
Another swallowed.
"… I don't know anymore."
Lin Chen turned in a different direction...
The junior training grounds.
---
The training yard was filled with children between eleven and thirteen.
They wore simple robes with awkward stances and their fists slightly crooked as they practiced basic body-tempering movements.
At the front stood their assigned instructor, a stern, bald man with sharp eyebrows and permanent irritation etched across his face.
Master Ye Feng.
He barked commands.
"Lower your stance!"
"Straighten your back!"
"Again!"
The children groaned collectively until Lin Chen appeared.
"Senior Brother Lin Chen!"
A few spotted him first and then all of them turned.
Their tired expressions brightened instantly.
"Brother Chen!"
"Tell us a story!"
"Did you get beaten again?!"
Lin Chen placed a hand dramatically over his swollen cheek.
"Children," he said solemnly, "this is the mark of enlightenment."
They burst into laughter as the instructor turned slowly.
"Lin. Chen."
"Yes, Master Bald Eagle."
The yard went silent.
The instructor's eye twitched.
"You are late."
Lin Chen bowed deeply.
"I was detained by three furious senior sisters while conducting advanced research into steam formations."
Several children choked on suppressed laughter.
The instructor stared at him blankly.
"… Get in line."
"Yes, Master Bald Eagle."
"Do not call me that!"
Lin Chen slid into formation among boys nearly five years younger than him.
He was taller, older and completely out of place because this was the lowest level...
The level meant for children just beginning their pre-cultivation training.
And yet, he blended in effortlessly.
The drills began with basic punching forms then low-level footwork and breathing exercises.
The instructor demonstrated slowly.
"Repeat."
The children copied.
Lin Chen copied before subtly altering it.
He shifted his body differently and turned a strike into a flourish, adding a ridiculous spin before settling back into position.
The boy beside him snorted.
Another giggled.
Lin Chen leaned slightly and whispered, "Add a hop at the end."
The kid did and nearly fell over.
The line began wobbling with suppressed laughter.
The instructor turned suddenly and everyone snapped back into proper stance.
His suspicious eyes scanned the group but everyone had gone silent.
The moment he turned back, Lin Chen exaggerated a stance so dramatically that his arms flailed like windmills.
The children trembled trying not to laugh.
One burst out and the instructor spun around again.
"WHAT IS SO FUNNY?"
Silence.
"Nothing, Master!"
He glared and then his gaze landed on Lin Chen.
"You."
"Yes, Master Bald—Master."
"You will waste your life repeating these exercises for years while others move ahead."
The children went quiet as the instructor stepped closer.
"Everyone here will step onto the path of cultivation soon."
He gestured sharply.
"While you'll remain here."
He paused briefly.
"You are the son of the Fourth Elder. You will live comfortably. Abundance will follow you."
His voice lowered slightly.
"But you will never amount to anything."
Silence~
Some of the younger kids looked at Lin Chen nervously, studying his expression with care on their faces.
Lin Chen blinked once and then smiled gently.
"Thank you for the kind words, Master."
The instructor froze.
Lin Chen added cheerfully, "Your confidence in my mediocrity is very motivating."
The instructor's forehead twitched as Lin Chen continued.
"Perhaps I will carve those words onto my future tombstone."
His forehead twitched again...
"'Here lies Lin Chen: Confirmed Hopeless.'"
The children began giggling again as the master's forehead twitched continously.
"Get back to training!" the instructor roared.
---
Hours passed and sweat soaked the yard as the children grew tired.
Even the instructor's voice lost some bite.
Eventually, during repetitive stance practice, the instructor retreated to a wooden bench under a tree.
He crossed his arms and closed his eyes.
"Continue on your own."
Minutes later, soft snoring sounds could be heard.
Lin Chen glanced over and the children noticed a dangerous glint appear in his eyes.
He crouched near the supply basket, pulled out an ink brush and a small container.
The nearest boy whispered urgently, "Brother Chen… don't."
Lin Chen grinned.
"History must be written."
He tiptoed toward the sleeping instructor silently without making a single sound and knelt beside him.
The children clustered in a half-circle, barely breathing.
First, he drew magnificent curling moustache on the master's face.
Then, thick round goggles around both eyes and then, three whisker lines on each cheek.
He paused with a thoughtful gaze before carefully outlined flowing inky hair across the instructor's bald scalp.
He inched backwards a bit and stared at the masterpiece.
The children were shaking, holding their mouths as laughter threatened to burst from their lips.
Lin Chen stepped back, admiring.
"Art," he whispered reverently.
The instructor suddenly sneezed violently and his eyes flew open.
Lin Chen vanished back into line with the ink and brush completely gone.
The children snapped into stance instantly while the instructor stood slowly.
He could tell that something felt off as he scanned their faces.
Several were turning red from suppressed laughter.
"Is something wrong?" he demanded.
"No, Master!" they chorused.
He narrowed his eyes in suspicion but couldn't spot anything out of place.
He harrumphed before stating.
"Continue."
Training resumed but every few moments, a child would glance up and lose composure.
The instructor grew increasingly unsettled and by late afternoon, training concluded.
The children bowed and scattered.
The instructor walked toward the main sect pathways.
People passed him, stared and whispered.
Some disciples choked while others turned away quickly.
A pair of inner disciples walked past... one bit her lip so hard she nearly bled.
The instructor stopped.
"… What."
No one answered so he resumed walking. However, more stares followed him, coupled by a few suppressed snort.
A passing elder's attendant bowed deeply, but his shoulders shook as he tried to suppress his laughter.
The instructor's confusion turned to dread.
He reached a small pond near a bamboo grove and looked down at the calm reflective water.
He instantly froze upon spotting the bald cat with goggles and a glorious moustache that stared back.
His scream shattered the tranquility.
"LIN CHEN!!!!"
Birds exploded from trees...
Disciples across the courtyard winced...
From a nearby rooftop, Lin Chen lay on his stomach with his chin propped on his hands, watching with immense satisfaction.
He sighed contentedly.
"Another productive day."
While the Sun Yi Festival approached, a Qi-less, lecherous, supposedly hopeless brat smiled under the setting sun.
Because chaos... was far more entertaining than cultivation.