The Fool Who Shook the Heavens

Chapter 2

Saintess Lin Yue was the first to regain her composure once the Fate-Revealing Stone's glow faded. She glanced at Tang Hao, who was still gazing happily at the fading light, then turned to the hundreds of candidates waiting for her ruling.

"I accept this boy as a disciple of the Clear Sky Sect. Today's recruitment is over."

Not one candidate dared object. The pillar of light that had pierced the clouds was still fresh in their minds, and no one questioned why the Saintess had ended the trials because of a mud-covered boy.

Tang Hao, meanwhile, tugged at the hem of Lin Yue's white robe, his face full of hope. "Pretty Sister, if I go with you, will there be fried chicken drumsticks?"

Lin Yue looked down at the mud he had smeared across the fabric. She almost slapped his hand away, but stopped when she saw how eagerly he awaited her answer.

"Yes," she said curtly.

"A lot?"

"You will be fed."

Tang Hao beamed. To him, that answer was far more exciting than becoming a disciple of a great sect.

"Please wait, Saintess!"

Old Tang scrambled onto the platform and bowed deeply, his face still pale with fear after watching his adopted son throw such an important ceremony into chaos.

"Please forgive my boy. He doesn't understand what he's done. Let me take him home before he causes any more trouble."

"I'm not going home!" Tang Hao ducked behind Lin Yue. "Old Tang always says tomorrow when I ask for chicken!"

"We have plenty of chickens at home, boy."

"But the fat one ran away because of my sandal!"

Lin Yue watched the two of them bicker. From their exchange, she began to realize that Tang Hao's unusual behavior went beyond simply being unafraid of strangers.

"Who exactly is he?" she asked Old Tang.

"My adopted son, Saintess. I found him as a baby and have raised him ever since."

The old man rubbed his face with a calloused palm. "He's sixteen, but his mind is still that of a five-year-old. I've tried to teach him all kinds of things, but most of it never sticks."

Hearing his name, Tang Hao raised his hand. "I can count drumsticks! One for me, and one more for me!"

Old Tang lowered his head in shame. Lin Yue didn't laugh, though the answer only made the boy's condition clearer to her.

The old man then pulled out an oval jade pendant in a dull silver frame and handed it to her. "He had this on him when I found him. I don't know who his parents were or where he came from."

Lin Yue turned the pendant in the light. The jade was a clear, translucent green, but she found nothing that hinted at its origin.

"I don't recognize it," she said, handing it back.

Old Tang took it with a sorrowful look. He placed it in Tang Hao's hand and folded the boy's fingers over it, one by one.

"Keep it safe. Don't eat it, and don't trade it for chicken. Maybe one day it'll help you find your family."

Tang Hao held the pendant up and peered through the hole. "It's green! So pretty!"

"That's right, boy. So don't lose it."

Old Tang studied his son's face for a long moment. The boy had worn him out more times than he could count, yet after raising him from infancy, he had never imagined they would part like this.

"When you're at the sect, listen to whoever teaches you," he said. "Don't wander off, and don't make anyone angry."

"Okay, Old Tang!"

"And remember, our door will never be locked to you. Whenever you want to come home, I'll be waiting."

Tang Hao nodded cheerfully, but his attention had already shifted to the carriage drawn by fiery horses. He waved goodbye, completely unaware of the sadness Old Tang was trying to hide.

Lin Yue bowed respectfully to Old Tang, then led Tang Hao into the carriage. As it rose out of the valley, the old man remained standing among the candidates as they began to disperse.

Inside the carriage, Tang Hao couldn't sit still. He kept darting from one window to the other, marveling at the clouds and the birds flying far below.

"Pretty Sister, the clouds look like rice! If one fell into my mouth, would I get full?"

"Sit down."

"The birds are under us! Your horses fly better than birds!"

Lin Yue drew a slow breath. "Tang Hao, if you keep moving around, the carriage will lose its balance."

But Tang Hao had already stuck his head out the left window. When he suddenly shifted his weight, the carriage lurched, and a teacup in the corner toppled and shattered.

The fire horses whinnied in alarm. Sparks scattered from their manes, and Lin Yue had to brace herself to keep from slamming into the wall.

"Sit. Now."

"Is Pretty Sister mad? I haven't even eaten your drumstick yet!"

Lin Yue raised a single finger. Golden tendrils of energy wrapped around Tang Hao's waist, chest, and arms, then hauled him back onto the bench.

He struggled, but the bindings wouldn't let him stand. He glared at her, looking hurt, with no idea why he had suddenly been tied up.

"Pretty Sister, I have something to say!"

Lin Yue snapped her fingers again. Tang Hao's lips kept moving, but no sound came out. All he could do was wiggle his eyebrows in furious protest.

The rest of the flight was peaceful. Lin Yue gazed out the window, wondering how she would explain the boy's condition to the Sect Master.

Before long, the Azure Cloud Mountains rose out of the clouds. Gold-roofed halls stood along the slopes and cliff edges, linked by stone bridges and long staircases that followed the contours of the mountains.

The carriage landed in the courtyard of the main hall. Disciples in white robes bowed as Lin Yue stepped down, bringing the still-bound Tang Hao with her.

An old man in blue robes was already waiting on the steps of the hall. He was the Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect, a figure revered by every disciple.

"Greetings, Sect Master. Your disciple has returned," Lin Yue said with a bow.

The Sect Master didn't answer right away. His gaze remained fixed on Tang Hao, and his brows slowly knitted as he sensed the tremendous power hidden inside the boy's body.

He stepped closer and examined Tang Hao more carefully. His expression shifted from bewilderment to undisguised shock.

"The Holy Body!" he cried.

Lin Yue started to explain, but the Sect Master had already spotted the golden tendrils binding Tang Hao. His face hardened at once.

"Lin Yue! What have you done? You've tied up a talent this rare like a common prisoner? Where are your manners as a disciple of the Clear Sky Sect?"

"Sect Master, there is something I must explain about his condition."

"Release him first!"

Lin Yue pressed her lips together and moved her hand. The golden tendrils shattered and vanished, and Tang Hao immediately stretched his arms, looking thoroughly unhappy.

"Pretty Sister is mean! She wouldn't let me talk!"

The Sect Master was still examining the boy when Tang Hao suddenly walked up to him. Eyes shining, he studied the old man's face and reached out without a trace of fear.

"Handsome Old Grandpa! Your cheeks are soft like steamed buns!"

Tang Hao pinched the Sect Master's cheek with delight. The old man's eyes bulged. In all his years leading the sect, no new disciple had ever dared to treat him like this.

Behind Tang Hao, Lin Yue quickly lowered her head. Her shoulders shook as she fought back laughter, while the Sect Master struggled to work out how to deal with the boy he had just declared a Holy Body.