The Fool Who Shook the Heavens

Chapter 3

"Lin Yue!" The Sect Master swatted Tang Hao's hand away from his cheek and rubbed the spot, which still stung a little. "Explain who this boy is and why he's acting like this!"

Tang Hao only laughed at the old man's reaction. He was already trying to sneak close for another pinch, so Lin Yue had to pull him back before things got any more embarrassing.

"His name is Tang Hao, Sect Master. He's sixteen, but he thinks like a small child. The whole way here he talked about nothing but chicken drumsticks, and he couldn't follow even the simplest instruction."

The Sect Master looked at the boy, then recalled the carriage that had landed in the courtyard. Lin Yue went on to explain how Tang Hao had kept darting around until the carriage nearly lost its balance.

"Since he wouldn't sit still, your disciple had to restrain him with energy tendrils," she said. "I never meant to disrespect his talent."

The Sect Master didn't answer right away. He watched Tang Hao, who had squatted down to kick pebbles around the courtyard, completely oblivious to how important he was to the Clear Sky Sect.

"Bring him here," he ordered.

Lin Yue called Tang Hao over and guided him to stand before the old man. The boy followed obediently, thinking the old man wanted to play with him.

"Does Handsome Old Grandpa want to play pat-the-head?"

The Sect Master placed his palm on Tang Hao's crown. Spiritual qi flowed into the boy's body to examine his physical condition and spiritual state, while Tang Hao simply looked up at him with a wide grin.

Slowly, the smile on the Sect Master's face faded.

He frowned and probed deeper. A few moments later, he withdrew his hand, his expression grim.

"His Primordial Soul is missing," he said heavily. "And his Sea of Consciousness is empty."

Lin Yue froze. She had just watched the Fate-Revealing Stone unleash a miracle, and this result contradicted everything she had hoped for.

"Can it still be cured, Sect Master?"

The Sect Master shook his head. "Not with ordinary medicine, and not by pouring in spiritual energy. I've led this sect for a hundred years, and I've never seen a case like this."

He looked at Tang Hao again, his eyes full of deep regret. "His body possesses a talent few could ever match. But without an intact Primordial Soul, he can't make use of that talent like other cultivators."

Tang Hao didn't understand a word of their conversation. His attention had been caught by a butterfly that had landed on Lin Yue's sleeve.

"Pretty Sister, does the butterfly want chicken too?"

Lin Yue looked at him for a moment before turning back to the Sect Master. Now she understood why Old Tang had worried so much about his adopted son's future.

"In that case, should your disciple take him home?"

"No," the Sect Master said after some thought. "He's an orphan, and he's already here. I can't bring myself to turn him away just because his body and soul are unusual."

He sighed before giving his ruling. "Make him an Outer Disciple. At the very least, he'll have a roof over his head, food to eat, and someone to guide him."

Lin Yue bowed and accepted the order. The moment the conversation ended, Tang Hao tugged on her sleeve.

"Pretty Sister, when do the drumsticks come?"

"Follow me. You'll get them once we reach your quarters."

Tang Hao trotted after her, beaming. He had no idea that, despite his extraordinary talent, he had been assigned to the Outer Disciples because he couldn't cultivate like a normal person.

They crossed stone bridges and climbed long staircases toward the back of the mountain range. The grand halls slowly gave way to simple huts, and disciples in gray robes could be seen hauling water, splitting firewood, and carrying sacks.

"Wow, what game are they playing?" Tang Hao asked, pointing at them.

"They're working. Outer Disciples have daily chores as part of life in the sect."

Lin Yue stopped in front of a small hut. "This is your home. If you work hard and do what your supervisor tells you, I'll send you a drumstick every day."

"Every day? Not *tomorrow, tomorrow*?"

"Every day," Lin Yue said.

Tang Hao clapped happily, then bounded inside and flopped onto the wooden bed. The hut held only a bed and a table with one uneven leg, but he seemed perfectly content now that his favorite food had been promised.

Before long, a thin man in a gray robe appeared at the door. His name was Ding Zi, the supervisor in charge of the Outer Disciples.

"You're the new disciple? Report to the main courtyard every morning to receive your work. If you're late, you don't get your food ration."

"Okay," Tang Hao said, still lying down.

"I'm talking to you. Stand up!"

"Okay."

Ding Zi stared at the boy, who hadn't even tried to get up. He had heard rumors about the new disciple they called a fool, but only now did he understand why people were talking.

Toward dusk, Lin Yue arrived carrying a plate of fried drumsticks. She set it on the table and left the hut without saying anything more.

"Chicken!"

Tang Hao pounced on the plate. Once his belly was full, he fell asleep with a satisfied face, giving no thought to sect rules or the work waiting for him in the morning.

The next morning, another Outer Disciple came to wake him. He shook Tang Hao's shoulder, because the boy was still lying in bed while everyone else was getting ready to receive their tasks.

"Get up! Do you want to be punished on your first day?"

Tang Hao rubbed his eyes. "Is the chicken all gone?"

"Not chicken! Hurry to the main courtyard!"

In the courtyard, Ding Zi was handing out assignments. Tang Hao was told to sweep the stone steps on the hill near the Sword Hall.

He took the broom happily, along with a drumstick he had saved from the night before. All the way there, he kept checking it to make sure it didn't fall.

When he reached the steps, Tang Hao started sweeping with the drumstick in his other hand, taking bites as he went. Dry leaves and dust flew everywhere, because he was paying more attention to his food than to where the broom was going.

"Broom, broom, don't run away," he muttered, gripping the handle. "If you run off, I won't be able to eat."

Soon, laughter rang out from the top of the steps. A group of Inner Disciples in blue robes was coming down from the Sword Hall after their training.

The young man leading them spotted Tang Hao and smirked. "Hey, isn't that the new disciple everyone says is an idiot?"

"That's him. Look at him, sweeping while he eats. They let someone like that into our sect?"

Tang Hao turned around when he heard them talking about him. He just smiled at them in a friendly way, with no idea they were insulting him.

One of the disciples walked up and held out a hand toward the drumstick. "That looks tasty. Give it to me."

Tang Hao quickly hid it behind his back. "No! If you want chicken, ask Pretty Sister!"

"You dare talk back to an Inner Disciple?"

Another one shoved his shoulder. Tang Hao staggered, then tried to steady himself, still shielding the food in his grip.

"Worthless trash! An idiot like you belongs in a pigsty!"

The next shove was much harder. Tang Hao's foot slipped off the edge of a step, and he went tumbling down the hard stone.

"Ow! My drumstick! Don't fall!"

His back and arms slammed into one step after another. Still, Tang Hao hugged the drumstick to his chest the whole way down, while the Inner Disciples laughed at him and went on their way.

At the bottom, his shoulder struck a jagged rock jutting out of the ground. His skin tore, and warm blood quickly soaked through his clothes.

Tang Hao winced, but his first concern was still the drumstick he had managed to save. As he sat up to check it, a few drops of blood fell onto the jade pendant hanging around his neck.

The pendant suddenly trembled.

Tang Hao looked down in surprise. The blood on the jade slowly sank in, and a soft green light appeared and began circling the pendant.

"Whoa! Something's moving!"

The swirling light crept toward his injured shoulder. Right before his eyes, the bleeding stopped, and the torn skin closed up until not even a scar remained.

Tang Hao patted his shoulder several times. He looked even happier now that the pain that had made him wince was gone.

"You can heal wounds? That's amazing!"

Then the green light rose from the pendant and gathered in the air. The swirl slowly took the shape of an old man with long white hair, holding a wooden staff.

The old man's robes billowed even though there was no wind. Joy filled his face, as if he were finally seeing the world again after a very long time.

Tang Hao stared at the figure with wide eyes. He clutched his drumstick tighter and took a step back.

"Grandpa, did you come to steal my drumstick too, like the others?"