On the peak of White Cloud Mountain, inside the White Cloud Temple.
A child of about three years old, dressed in a Daoist robe, was lying by the window, looking at the little birds on the tree outside, saying, "Big Brother, when will Little White's mother come back? If she doesn't come back soon, Little White will starve to death."
"She will come back when the time is right," said a boy of twelve or thirteen with delicate features and a calm demeanor.
"What if Little White's mother got stuck somewhere because of the heavy rain yesterday?" the child asked.
"......"
"But that was yesterday. The rain has stopped for a long time, and she still hasn't come back."
"......"
"Does it mean she doesn't want Little White anymore? Then Little White will be just like me. But I still have Master and my elder brothers, while Little White doesn't have any relatives left." The child's round eyes suddenly became watery.
Smack! A palm struck the back of his little head.
"A tiny kid like you, already bemoaning the sorrow of spring," said a young boy of about ten years old as he walked into the room, his forehead adorned with a red mole and a pair of lively, starry eyes.
"I've finished my morning lessons, Big Brother Two. Why do you always hit me on the head? You'll make me silly," the child protested, pouting his soft, chubby lips.
"Hmph, with that wooden head of yours, a few more hits won't make a difference. Did you water the vegetable garden in the back?" Second Brother asked.
"It rained all night yesterday. Those vegetables don't need watering. I'm not stupid," the soft, tender child replied, unsatisfied.
"Big Brother One, Big Brother Two, it's time to eat," a hasty little figure rushed in, his hair disheveled and his face covered in soot, looking utterly miserable.
"Hahaha, Little Brother Three, your face... Hahaha, it's as black as the bottom of a pot," the child laughed.
"Go away, I did all this for you guys. Don't you dare not eat later, or you'll go hungry," Third Brother said, picking up the chubby child and carrying him towards the dining hall, pinching his round, fleshy cheeks along the way.
"You seem to have gained weight recently. Your cheeks look even chubbier," he teased.
The little boy immediately covered his face. "No, I didn't. Third Brother, you're just bullying me. Big Brother One, look at him," he whined, struggling to get down, refusing to be carried by his sarcastic Third Brother. He wanted to walk on his own, hmph.
"Little Three, don't tease Little Four so much. You're the elder brother," the calm, composed elder brother said as he walked out of the room.
"Big Brother One, can you stop calling me Little Three?" the boy said, looking gloomy.
The Big Brother One and Two had their own names, but he was an orphan without a name. After Master Xuanji took him in, since he was the third disciple, he was simply called Little Three. Although Little Four was also adopted by Master, his name was given in the same manner, but somehow, being called Little Three just felt odd. Alas, it was all because Master was too casual about it.
"Then what name would you like? Tell me, and if it's a good one, I'll suggest to Master to change it for you," the elder brother smiled.
"I... I haven't decided yet. But I don't want to be called Little Three. It has no presence, no dignity at all," he replied.
"Hahaha, you want dignity? Little Three is such a nice name. Little Three, Little Three, hahahahaha," the boy with starry eyes teased.
"Not you guys, of course you'd mock me. Hmph." He began silently thinking of a name for himself, determined to find a dignified and imposing name to present to Master, one that would make his brothers envy him.
One by one, the half-grown children entered the dining hall.
"Ah... Little Brother Three, what's this black stuff? Can we eat it?" one of them asked, staring at the food on the table with a twitching mouth.
The table was set with simple fare: four dishes, one soup, and four bowls of "white" rice. Aside from the rice, which was barely recognizable, the other dishes were indistinguishable.
"Of course you can eat it. Be grateful we have something to eat. Don't complain and eat up," Third Brother urged.
The chubby child held his chopsticks motionless. The Big Brother One and Two hadn't touched their food either.
Big Brother One thought, "Is this even edible? Will we ascend to heaven if we eat it? Aside from his knowledge of herbal medicine, Little Three seems incapable of anything else. Sigh, we definitely can't let him into the kitchen again."
Big Brother Two thought, "When will Aunty Chen come back? How long must we endure this?" He sighed inwardly, "I have to go hunt a few wild chickens to roast later. This is certainly not fit for human consumption."
In total, there were only six people living in the White Cloud Temple.
The master, Master Xuanji, was a powerful figure coveted by all nations. Unmatched in medicine, poison, metaphysics, martial arts, and strategy, no one could rival him. He had taken in four disciples. Except for Little Three and Little Four, who were adopted orphans, the Big Brother One and Two were of exceptional backgrounds.
Big Brother One, Ouyang Xu, was the prince of Northern Qi. Due to Master Xuanji's old friendship with the emperor of Northern Qi, after much persuasion over two years, he finally accepted the emperor's son as his senior disciple. Of course, Master Xuanji was also very pleased with this disciple. Despite his young age, he was composed and intelligent. Though as cunning as his imperial father, fortunately, he was protective of his loved ones and would never scheme against his own family.
Big Brother Two, Duan Tianxia, was the son of the Martial Arts Alliance Leader, Duan Xiaotian. By chance, Master Xuanji encountered this wayward boy who had run away from home, unaware of the world's depths. Observing his exceptional physique, suitable for martial arts cultivation, Master Xuanji took him in as his second disciple.
There was also Aunty Chen, a hired servant in the temple, who took care of their daily needs. However, Aunty Chen had some family matters to attend to and hadn't been able to come to the mountain for half a month. During this time, the disciples had to fend for themselves.
The four of them poked at the black, unappetizing dishes in their bowls, with only Little Three seeming to have any appetite.
"Brother, Master has been in seclusion for half a year. When will he come out? I've forgotten what the old man looks like," the soft, tender voice of the chubby child asked.
"Master said before he went into seclusion that he would come out when the time is right," the elder brother replied, still poking at the food in his bowl.
"I've calculated it, hmm... He'll come out when the time is right," the boy with starry eyes said, squinting his eyes and pinching his fingers, nodding and shaking his head.
"Pfft... Big Brother Two, you look like a fortune-teller doing that," Little Three chuckled, his mouth full of food.
"Shoo, you little brat, what do you know? The Daoist Qingshan from the neighboring Green Cloud Temple does it like this," Big Brother Two retorted.
"Big Brother Two, you're actually imitating that bull-nosed old Daoist from Green Mountain. I'm going to tell Master when he comes out of seclusion," Little Three threatened, immediately throwing down his chopsticks and hiding behind Big Brother One.
Big Brother Two jumped up, intending to pinch his cheeks, but the little brat was quite fast.
The elder brother, his eyes filled with amusement, pulled Little Four onto his lap and said to Big Brother Two, "Enough, you're the elder brother. Don't bully Little Four so much."
"I wouldn't dare bully this little brat. He just knows how to act spoiled and cute because of his young age," Big Brother Two grumbled.
"Blehhh..." The chubby child stuck his tongue out at him.
The room was filled with laughter and joyful banter.
"Owoooo... Owoooo..."
A few wolf howls interrupted the peaceful scene.
"This... is that a wolf howling, Big Brother?" the three-year-old child asked, frightened by the sound as he hid in the elder brother's embrace, not daring to move.
"You coward, what's so scary about wolves?" Big Brother Two scoffed. "It's probably just a lost wolf from the forest that wandered here. Big Brother, I'll go check it out," he said, about to rush out.
"Be careful. If it's just a lost wolf, chase it away," the elder brother cautioned.
"I know." With that, Big Brother Two grabbed his precious sword and dashed out, disappearing in an instant.
