“Cafeteria’s closed. Go! Get moving!” the large child shouted, shooing the smaller children away.

Hui stared down at the large child, his lips pressed together, a strange intent flashing in his eyes. You get between me and food? I’ve come all the way here, but I’m not even allowed to sample the cafeteria? It might not stand up to Sis Mei—how could it—but I refuse! I won’t be blocked from breakfast by some small child!

The large child glared up at Hui. “You too, go on! It’s closed. Shut!”

Tian Mo yanked at Hui’s robes. “Gui Hui, we should go. That’s Da Gongji. You don’t want to cross him.”

“Ah? Why not?” Hui asked darkly.

“He’s—he’s already third realm. He should break through to fourth realm any day, and, and they say he already has a Master lined up. His future is bright. If we cross him now, he’ll—continue to bully us for the rest of our lives,” Tian Mo murmured.

An ordinary classroom bully, then. Acting big using the name of a Master who probably doesn’t exist… Hui scowled. Usually I’d bow and back down, but there’s two problems. One, breakfast. I absolutely must try this sect’s food.

Second… if my children were kidnapped, or end up kidnapped anyways… wouldn’t they be the ones facing this bully? I won’t stand for it.

Hui pushed Tian Mo aside and walked down the stairs, boldly approaching the cafeteria. The other children parted in front of him like a sea of white, stepping aside for him to pass. One step at a time, no faster nor slower than usual, he strode forth.

Da Gongji crossed his arms. A group of other large children flanked him, standing to his left and right to block the way in. As one, they looked down at Hui.

“Ahhh? Who is this, huh? A new disciple? I suppose you don’t know who I am,” Da Gongji said. He harrumphed and re-crossed his arms, tilting his head back to look down on Hui from a higher angle. “You face Da Gongji, the most powerful of the—”

Before his eyes, Hui’s body blurred. A whisp of wind passed him by, and Hui stood on the far side of his blockade. Casually, Hui proceeded toward the serving line, picking up a bowl as he went.

The serving ladies stared at him. One of them paled visibly.

Hui held up his bowl. “Could I have breakfast, please?”

Ha, it seems like these people have never seen the Bai Clan’s footwork technique. Swapping between ordinary and death qi to stop time for a moment and slip past… quite literally child’s play to me. And considering how early I learned the technique, I don’t think it’s out of character for me to use it as a child! After all, most of these children should already know a footwork technique. Footwork is the foundation of all martial techniques!

Or so I’ve heard. I’m more of a talisman fighter myself.

Heavy footsteps rattled the ground. Bowls jumped on tables. Chairs leaped where they sat. The children sitting at the tables closest to Hui grabbed their bowls and ran, fleeing the immediate vicinity. A shadow fell over Hui.

Da Gongji glared down at him, breathing heavily. He narrowed his eyes at Hui in silence.

Hui bowed to him. “Elder Brother, greetings and good morning. Are you also here for breakfast? I’m sorry, but I’ve heard the cafeteria is closed. Perhaps you’ll have to go elsewhere.”

Drawing back his fist, Da Gongji punched Hui with all his might.

Oh dear, oh dear. I really feel that I’m playing with children, now. Hui operated his footwork again and neatly backstepped the punch. The punch barely ruffled his robes, while Da Gongji stumbled forward, thrown off-balance by the momentum of his own missed punch. Even as the larger boy stumbled, Hui turned to the next cafeteria lady and held up his bowl, smiling sweetly, and at the same time, extended one of his legs in the path of Da Gongji’s stumbling.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Da Gongji tripped. With a huge thump, he fell on his face.

Hui blinked innocently at the cafeteria ladies. “Is there really no breakfast?”

A little bit hesitant, one of them doled some rice into his bowl. Another added a piece of dried fish.

Hmm. It doesn’t look as appetizing as Sis Mei’s cooking, that’s for sure. Hui took a deep breath. His eyes widened. But the spirit rice… whoa! This has to be at least fourth-realm spirit rice! Eight Tiers Palace is rich, if they can afford to feed this to their lowest disciples!

Growling simmered in Hui’s ears and reverberated in his chest. Da Gongji loomed over him again, hands curled into claws.

Hui turned. He bowed to Da Gongji and went to walk around him.

Da Gongji stepped to the side, blocking his way. “You made a fool of me. I won’t stand for it.”

“No… you won’t,” Hui replied primly. He snapped his fingers.

The talisman he’d secretly placed on Da Gongji’s back in the middle of tripping the larger boy activated. A blast of wind lifted him off his feet and threw him to the ground.

Hui stepped over Da Gongji, then paused. He turned to the doorway. “Hmm? It seems the cafeteria is still serving. Come on, come on in! There’s still plenty of breakfast!”

Outside, the children watching the scene looked at one another. All at once, they rushed for the gap in Da Gongji’s thugs. The thugs themselves hesitated, then turned and broke for the cafeteria, getting in ahead of the rush.

A few stifled snorts and laughs sounded from around the cafeteria. Carrying his bowl, Hui searched for a seat. That was easier than I thought. Then again, I’m literally bullying a child… ah, but the child was being a bully. Consider it more as me doling out discipline to an undisciplined child in their parents’ place rather than as me bullying! Yes, yes.

Behind him, Da Gongji crawled to his feet. He pointed a finger at Hui’s back. “You…”

Hui turned around. His eyes got real big, and he slowly turned to take in the long line to breakfast. “Ah! Da Gongji, hurry! The line is only getting longer. If you don’t go rush to the end now, won’t it be you who gets no breakfast?”

Da Gongji turned, distracted. He looked at the line, then scowled and stomped directly toward where they were serving food, intent on cutting the line.

Hui snapped his finger. The wind talisman on Da Gongji’s back activated again, and he was blown over once more.

Again, a few muffled laughs and chuckles echoed from the cafeteria.

Pushing himself back to all fours, Da Gongji growled in his throat and glared at Hui.

“Da Gongji, I admire your uprighteousness! Unable to even approach the line or pretend to cut, how earnest, how honest!” Hui cried. He shook his head. “But you should really rush to the back of the line, or else you won’t get any breakfast.”

Da Gongji looked at the line, then at Hui. Enraged, he pressed his lips together and took half a step toward Hui.

Hui lifted his hand, preparing to snap.

Da Gongji froze. Gritting his teeth, he froze there for a few seconds, glancing at the ever-growing line, then Hui, then the line, then Hui again.

“Ah, look, it’s getting so, so long,” Hui sighed, shaking his head. “Ah, it’s too bad the virtuous Da Gongji would never dream to cut the line. He might have to sacrifice breakfast this morning.”

With one last vicious glare, Da Gongji stomped off toward the back of the line.

Tian Mo drew up alongside Hui, a bowl of rice and fish in each hand. Eyes sparkling, he gazed at Hui with admiration. “You made Da Gongji back down?”

“Ah? No, no. Da Gongji decided to back down on his own,” Hui said, shaking his head humbly. He glanced at the smoldering remnants of the talisman on Da Gongji’s back and waved his hand, and the last scrap of it burned away.

“You must be fearless,” Tian Mo breathed, half afraid, half impressed.

Something prickled in the back of Hui’s mind, an old fear. He turned and looked at Tian Mo. “How so?”

“Da Gongji practically has a Master already. He far outranks all of us! Making a fool of him like that… he’s sure to complain about it to his Master, and…”

Hui looked at Tian Mo. “Tian Mo, who is Da Gongji’s Master?”

Tian Mo froze. “Huh?”

“His Master. What is the man or woman’s name?” Hui repeated.

“That… he never says. ‘You don’t need to know,’ is what he always tells us,” Tian Mo said slowly.

Hui put a hand on his chin and raised his eyebrows, the fear fading away once more. “So this nameless, faceless Master of his, what have they taught Da Gongji?”

“They… he…” Tian Mo’s brows furrowed.

Hui pointed. “Precisely. Da Gongji was bluffing. He doesn’t have a Master lined up, and he might never get one. As old as he is, he’s going to pass the prime age to cultivate soon if he doesn’t get chosen in the next year or so. Rather than being an outstanding talent, he’s simply one of the last remnants of the previous generation.”

“Oh…” Tian Mo whispered. He stared at Hui, his gaze no less worshipful. “You figured all that out on your own, after knowing him for only a few moments?”

Ah, well, I do have two lifetimes behind me. These kinds of things are only mysteries to small children. They’re quite obvious to adults. Hui cleared his throat. “Er, Elder Brother, shall we find a table and eat?”

“Of course, of course!” Tian Mo agreed enthusiastically. He turned and shouted, “Who wants to sit with the boy who beat Da Gongji?”

Hui jolted. He glared at Tian Mo’s back, every inch of his body uncomfortable. Who asked you to do that, huh? Not this small cultivator! Ahh, Tian Mo, why?