Chapter 36: What a pleasant dream
Lai Yiteng was dreaming about memories that haunted him.
...
In his dream, Lai Yiteng, fifteen years of age, strolled down the stone pathway at Lotus Martial Sect, his hair was upright in a ponytail without a strand astray.
Besides one of the residence halls, there was another boy near his age practicing with a wooden sword.
They kept swinging without pause in a moderated fashion, going for three consecutive swings before withdrawing their foot and repeating the motion. White robes with grey and gold lotus blossoms fanned out around them as they moved, sweat lined their brow.
"Yu shidi," greeted Lai Yiteng.
Yu Wang was Lotus Sect Master An's third disciple, accepted only a year after Lai Yiteng.
The boy turned his head, his expression was unsurprised, and there was a sort of gentleness in his eyes and way of speech.
"Senior-brother, you have returned from your mission."
"It was nothing." Lai Yiteng nodded once. "Only a few ghouls that have been put to rest.���
Yu Wang smiled. "You are so modest. Lai shixiong is truly exceptional to have done that alone, I could not imagine myself doing so. In any case, I assume you are planning to greet Master An?"
"Yes, but…" Lai Yiteng glanced at his Yu Wang's stance. He stepped over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your foot is too far outward, and your steps too wide. Lotus Seven Breaths Martial Arts requires precision and restraint in each move, even the footwork can't be too loose-fitting."
Yu Wang's adjusted his stance.
"Thank you," he said, "I think I understand now."
Lai Yiteng pondered this. "Well, I heard you still seem to struggle a little with the third form. Keep in mind it's already been several months since you first learned it. Since I have returned, why not stop by Tranquility Courtyard at dusk, and we can train together?"
"Certainly," Yu Wang gave a face of gratefulness, then cupped his hands before turning away.
That was the problem with Yu Wang. It was true that he was polite and with exactly the temperament needed to learn Lotus Martial Arts. And he also put in hours of effort, but his progress since then had stagnated. Although Yu Wang was good at academics, he simply had little talent for the Martial Arts. He was good on paper but not in practice.
Sect Master An He had only ever accepted three disciples, one was grown and busy, the next was Lai Yiteng, and the last was Yu Wang.
Lai Yiteng had a younger sect brother that always fell behind in his practice, so he tried sparing time to help Yu Wang improve. If Lai Yiteng was being honest with himself, it was a little bothersome as the patience to teach others didn't come easily to him, but he figured it was the right thing to do.
As his Master An He said, 'righteousness', 'patience', and 'perseverance'. He lived by these traits, so helping his junior brother with his martial arts was to be expected. Although he doubted that what he did could improve Yu Wang's lack of talent...
The next part of the dream passed in a blur. All faces were blurred and shaky. Everything but Lai Yiteng's Master's beard. It was snow white and silky as always.
In any case, Lai Yiteng once again met Yu Wang in the courtyard at dusk.
The buildings and architecture of Lotus Sect were austere and elegant, white and silvers, the stones were always swept clean by the youngest disciples in the mornings and evenings. Today it was spotless as well.
Tranquillity courtyard was the closest to Sect Master An He's private dwellings, no one was allowed there without permission, and surrounding it was a dug-out pond that was planted with white lotus.
It was empty and peaceful.
Lai Yiteng thought that stepping onto the stone of this courtyard was like a dream. Same as it always had been the day he was admitted into the Sect despite his history as a street urchin.
Yu Wang approached from behind him not a minute later.
"Senior brother, sorry I'm late," said Yu Wang.
Lai Yiteng's heart skipped a beat.
"Yes, you're late by a minute," he said, only half scolding, the other half teasing.
But Yu Wang had never been the type to joke merrily. He was serious and honestly a bit boring, in Lai Yiteng's opinion. Sure, Lai Yiteng also made sure not to do anything that would tarnish his Master's or Lotus Sect's reputation, but he still could laugh along to a joke once and a while. He wasn't made of stone! This was why that even after three years, Lai Yiteng did not feel very close to Yu Wang.
Yu Wang gave an apologetic smile, then broke the silence that had come from Lai Yiteng's last words. "Then, as we discussed earlier, could senior-brother please show me the third martial technique, Flowing Water at Dawn? It seems I'm too foolish to comprehend how the movements should blend together."
"Of course I can show you, it's not too difficult."
Flowing Water at Dawn took two breaths to prepare for, and Lai Yiteng only just learned the martial technique one season ago. He needed to truly focus as he carried it out.
He began with taking a single, deep breath, the stepped his right foot forward. His hand rested on his blade. But Lai Yiteng never got to finish placing out his foot.
Something hard, biting, and cold pierced through his lower back while he was lost in concentration. He felt it slide in further, through his abdomen.
Lai Yiteng's gaze sunk downwards in disbelief.
The tip of a silver blade was poking through his abdomen. His white robe gained a garish spot of blood that fanned out over a lotus brocade pattern. There were searing throes of pain that crashed afterwards, and his mind fell into disarray.
Yu Wang pulled his sword out. There was not a single ounce of softness or compassion in his movements.
Lai Yiteng gripped his abdomen at the pain, watching dully as blood seeped between his fingers and dribbled onto the once pristine courtyard. A splotch of red.
The pain kept spreading, it must be poison. He fell to his knees.
"Senior-brother," said Yu Wang pleasantly, as amiable in tone as he always was, "it seems that you're wounded. It's troubling, how will you teach me the martial arts like this?"
"You…why…" Lai Yiteng coughed up blood before finishing. He was having difficulty breathing, his vision turning darker and blurred as his blood continued to pool on the ground. Never had been particularly close with his junior-brother, but they were always cordial to each other.
Why?
What had he done wrong?
Yu Wang gave a soft chuckle. "You're so dense, shixiong, that you trusted those surrounding you without a second thought. You assumed that as long as you acted virtuously, then everyone would have a good opinion of you, is that right?"
He grabbed the back of Lai Yiteng's collar and dragged him to the edge of the courtyard, leaving a streak of bright red behind, and carelessly threw him into the deep watery trench where lotus grew.
Lai Yiteng sunk downward, the water looked pristine from the surface, yet everything within it was murkier, colder. He stared up at the lotus leaves and stalks that snaked within the water, at the brown and rotting petals floating alongside him...above the water's surface, Yu Wang was staring down at him, but his face had turned into black scribbles that moved like ants.
…
When Lai Yiteng's eyes opened again, everything was unclear and dim.
Did he wake up? Is the dream over?
The air was stagnant and there was a horrible and rancid smell, one he'd never experienced before. His abdomen still ached, so did his arms. He tried to sit up but found that he was stuck in place. The harder he tried to move his arms and legs, the more pain he felt, and there was a loud clanking sound.
His wrists and ankles were shackled against a filthy stone wall.
No, it's all a dream. This is all just a nightmare in his head.
Yu Wang had no reason to betray him, this can't be real!
Lai Yiteng slowly adjusted to the dim lighting. He was in a cell, the black bars in front of him were coated with a dark substance, and there were scratches along all of them, as though someone or something had been clawing at the metal.
Then there were footsteps.
Slow, methodical, coming down the hallway. The glow of orange became clear.
His nightmare had only just begun.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Vicariously
Vicariously Which is worse, a nightmare that you keep looping through without end, or constant confusion about if the nightmare is reality or not? Or both?? Ahahahaha
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone