Chapter 1: Accepted!

There was a knock on the door of Wang Zen’s room. The young boy rose from his meditative stance as an orange and red furred monkey jumped in excitement. Opening it, he saw an elderly man with grey hair.

“Master Wang Zen,” the elderly man said.

“What is it, Don Fat?”

“I have a letter for you.” Don Fat, who was a long-time servant of the Wang’s handed the letter over to the young master.

Wang Zen opened the letter without dismissing the old servant, noticing the curious smile on his face. As Wang read, his face grew from mild interest to alarm.

“This can’t be!” Wang Zen re-read the letter. “This says that I’ve been accepted into the Goixi Academy!”

The servants smile widened at this. “Well done, young sir. I know that…” The elderly servant was not given the chance to complete his statement as Wang Zen shoved him out of the way as he ran out of his room. The monkey followed him hastily.

He ran up the stairs of the mansion he had called his home for the 12 years of his life before he barged in through a giant door.

“Father! Father…!” Wang Zen called onto the figure in the room that was staring outside of the window.

“Don’t you knock?” The man’s voice came quietly, not bothering to turn around and look at his flustered son.

“F-Forgive me father but I received a letter,” Wang Zen said, shaking the piece of paper in his hand, “It says I’ve been accepted into Goixi academy.”

“Oh? I guess congratulations are in order.”

“But father, I… I didn’t apply to go there.”

“That is because I did it for you,” Wang Zen’s father, Wang Ton said.

Wang Zen fell quiet at this. The arm holding the letter fell limply at his side in disbelief. The monkey snatched the paper and rolled it into a ball and popping the round paper in its mouth.

“Goixi Academy is the finest Academy and is well renowned across the land,” Wang Ton continued. “It is ranked in the top 3 of Academies. It will be a suitable place to teach someone from our family.”

“But I don’t want to go to Goixi,” Wang Zen said quietly and timidly.

“Speak up, boy! Don’t go around whispering!”

“Father, I don’t want to go to Goixi, father.” Wang Zen spoke a little louder. “It is in a whole other province and I thought the deal was for me to go to Wuming Academy instead.”

“Wuming is a low ranked academy and plans are changed when better options come across.” The man said before he turned around to look at his son. Even though his face was hidden behind a black mask with a demon’s face, his son knew he was scowling behind it. “You should be honoured by the acceptance and instead of whining like a little child, you should look to this opportunity with eagerness, eagerness to get stronger and make our family name proud.”

Wang Zen lowered his head to hide his sadness and disappointment at the turn of events. “Forgive me, father.” He bowed to his father.

“You leave in 3 days, so you should prepare yourself right away.”

“Yes, Father.” Wang Zen kept his head bent low for a moment longer before he turned around and left the room, followed by his monkey.