Chapter 168: Meeting in the Woods

The schoolwoke up to shocking news the next morning. All the kids who had been found guilty of instigating violence against the city enforcers were expelled and the teacher whose classroom that yesterday’s skirmish ahd begun was now fired. Along with this came a stern warning from the head master, saying that anyone who went against the enforcers student or teacher would meet the same fate.

Wang Zen knew as he read the news announcement being passed about in the morning that it was a shot taken at the Commoner’s Rebellion.

Then the rest of the morning started out much the same. He went to cultivate in the mountains as part of the early rush, getting a bad spot as usual. However, when he came back to the dorm, he found his roomates, Deng Ai and Ao Li still had not prepared themselves. Ao Li was under the covers of his bed, combing his hair while lying down, Deng Ai on the other hand was on the floor, sorting out some scrolls he got the last time.

“What’s going on?” Wang Zen said as he got dressed. “Classes are starting soon and you two are going to be late.”

“Not going.” Ao Li said.

“What? Why?”

They both remained quiet, continuing to do what they were doing.

Zen sighed, finished getting dressed then left the room to attend his first class with Shibi on his shoulder.

The class was empty. Many of the students had not shown up. All of the commoners had not shown up. It was him and a small group of nobles. Zen sat apart from them, he had been anoutsider from the nobles of his year for a long time now.

It was a strange sensation sitting up at the front. Usually, for these theory classes, he preferred to be at the back where he could doze off if he needed to. At the frot he would actually have to pay full attention and make a fool of himself when asked a question he normally could not answer.

Most of his classes continued much the same way, only a few students attended and none of them were commoners.

“Everyone is sick?” Shibi said.

There was no one around, so Shibi felt comfortable to speak to him. “No, Shibi, that’s not it.”

“More blue enforcers.”

Zen looked around. He realised Shibi was right. There were more enforcers today on campus then there had ever been. All this did not sit well with Wang Zen, he felt like something big was happening and the whole world knew it, except for him.

He went to the library for the first time in a long time. His passion forreading had not been miraculously revived, not that it ever lived in the first place. But he wanted to see some other faces than the nobles only to be be disappointed. It was much the same.

The day wound on until the sun set. When it was sinking into the horizon, the commoners then suddenly all exited their homes. Zen was reliveed to see the campus full again. But they were not spreading around. They moved like a mob, all heading to the exit of the academy.

Zen sat atop a hill, and watched as they slowly exited. Because of the sheer number of them, movement was slow, making them bottleneck at the entrance.

“They’re quite well organised, aren’t they?”

Zen shhot to his feet and stiffened. “ Xue Shaonu, what are you doing here?”

“I’ll have you know this wasmy spot before you commandeered it.” She said, sitting down.

“Oh… yeah!” Zen said, remembering that this was the tiny hill that they sat on when the enforcers first arrived in the academy. Shibi went to sit on her lap and smiled at Zen as she stroked his orange and red fur.

He sat beside her, ensuring that he was not disrespectfully too close to her.

“I’m glad to see you’re okay.”

She nodded and gave him a brief smile.

“This is a strange protest.” Zen said as he watched commoners.

“I think it is rather effective.” She said. “A protest is useless if it it does not disrupt the norm. And there is nothing normal about what they are doing.”

“It scares me.” Zen remained looking forward until he realised what he had just uttered. “Not that I’m a coward or anything!”

“It is alright, Wang Zen.” She said. “I am scared too. I’ve seen what something like this can do to a country.”

They continued to sit there watching as the sun lowered and the number of the commoners thinned out.

Wang Zen wore his comfortable brown fighting suit that his friend Zheng Bhiki gave him. As he pulled on the brown pants in the empty room, he wondered where his friend was and if he was effected by the Commoner’s Rebellion.

“Come Shibi,” Zen said before Shibi walked up to his shoulder. “Time we meet my Shifu!”

Zen walked into the place where Lu Daomeng said he would meet him at. He was surprised to see his teacher already waiting there for him.

“Shifu.”

“Master Wang, you’re late.” He said in annoyance.

“Sorry.”

“You can’t just say sorry.” He said. “We’re in a dangerous time and every second is essential.”

Zen nodded and bowed. “Shifu, I thought you would have walked out with the other commoners.”

“Those were only students.” He said. “They would have my job or any teacher’s for that fact if we directly involved ourselves in such things.”

“What is going on with this Commoner’s Rebellion?”

“The less you know, the better.”

“But how am I suppose to help if I don’t know anything?”

“You’re not suppose to help!” he said. “You’re not suppose to be a part of it!”

“I don’t think anyone has that option, Shifu.” He said. “Even if y father was not involved, I’d still be a part of it. Its too big.” Zen touched his storage stone and a card appeared in his hand. “Hue Yi told me to give you this.”

“Another boy I can’t seem to get through.” Lu Daomeng said as he accepted the card. He looked at it in thought.

“Who is it about?”

“Why would you think it was about someone?”

“I’ve gotten one of those from Hue Yi before.” He said. “They are always about someone. Once he even made one about me.”

“I don’t know how I got paired with that boy.”

Zen giggled.

“And what is funny, Master Wang?”

“I-I can’t help think of how you are so similar to him.”

“Hue Yi and I?”

“Yeah, you’re both excellent swordsmen and have excellent ki control.”

“That’s a common trait with any ki swordsman worth his grain.”

“Your both clever, likeable and good teachers.”

“You-You think I’m a good teacher?”

“Of course, Shifu.” He said. “You’re the best teacher I’ve ever met.”

He smiled. “Being a teacher is all I’ve ever wanted to be.”

Zen found a rock and sat down. “How long have you been teaching at the academy?”

“Not very long, I came here as part of a mission to my organisation.”

“The Commoner’s Rebellion.”

“If my organisation was part of the Cmmoner’s Rebellion, I would not be telling you about it.” He said.

“Then how come your working for them?”

“With them.” He said. “Do you know what the rebellion is about.”

“Commoners want to be equal to nobles.”

“Its slightly more than that.” he said. “They also want to choose their own leaders and decide how and who they serve.”

“What does your organisation believe?”

“Well, we believe in a much differet kind of world.” He said. “Currently, we live to dominate. We work hard, we assemble power then we invalidate the lives of those beneath us. That’s why killing I this world comes so easy.”

“Most cultivators are psychopaths.” Zen said. “That’s something you told me a long time ago whe I asked about inner peace.”

“Yes, we want to stop that, all of that.” he said. “The commoners vision of a better world will still force people to live to dominate but it is closer to the ideal… our version of an ideal world where everyone is equal, where we are ruled by a universal and fair dogma instead of people who manipulate the dogma for their own benefit. There will be no Overlords or City Lords and if anyone kills anyone else, it will be murder.”

“That sounds… nice.” Zen said.

Lu Daomeng smiled, “Maybe it will grow on you when your older and you see what our world is like. Then again, maybe you won’t. I’m always surprised at what people can get used to.”

“Maybe the commoners aren’t used to it anymore.” Zen said.

“Nevertheless,” he said. “this will probably be our last meeting. Many eyes are on me as it is and I’m sure with the student’s protest, many more will be.” Lu Daomeng began walking away. “The storm has come, Master Wang, keep your head down.”