“Welcome, hero of destiny,” whispered Elder Lang Tao.
Daniel, wrapped in a blanket on top of a down mattress, elected to turn himself away from the man.
“Perhaps he did not hear you, Elder?” asked an older woman. Her wrinkled face held mild fear.
The elder took a slow breath and exhaled before repeating himself. “Welcome, hero of destiny!” he shouted at the top of his lungs.
Daniel shot up and threw off the sheets. “Be right down, mami!”
The others in the room stared at him with a mix of wide eyes and creased brows, not sure how to react. They all slowly turned to Elder Lang Tao.
“Child,” he simply said.
Daniel slowly opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. A group of adults dressed in a mix of martial arts robes and flowing chinese dresses stood before him, surrounded by dark-stained hardwood illuminated by a series of torches placed on intricately carved ivory wall sconces. He was surrounded by a ring of Chinese characters, featuring words such as “heavenly” and “hero.”
“How am I able to read that?” he whispered to himself before looking up at the elder. “Wait, who are you guys?!”
“You, child, have been summoned to this World to be its savior,” said the elder with a short, smooth bow. “The White Crane martial sect is in need of a great champion to spread justice across the realm in the eternal fight against the demonic menace! If you would join us, we would be honored to train you to fulfill your destiny.”
“Oh my god, it’s actually happening! No way, I have to be dreaming. Ouch! Nope, I’m awake! Oh my god, I’m an isekai protagonist!!!”
“I see you have already been prepared for this role. I wonder what otherworldly martial arts you possess-”
“Nah, mom never let me take karate back home…” Daniel’s face became distant.
“…karate?” the elder asked before turning to look at the crowd gathered behind him. They returned a series of shrugs.
“Whatever, I’d rather be here now anyways,” he scoffed. “So I’d love to join you guys!”
“Then that is most fortuitous!” Elder Lang Tao clapped his hands and a pair of attendants, boys only a year or two younger than Daniel, ran over to him. “See to it that our newest young master gets cleaned up for his celebratory feast!”
The two younger boys who looked like twins, with extremely round faces and incredibly short hair, grabbed each of Daniel’s arms and dragged him to a nearby door with more force than he could resist.
As the door shut, Elder Lang Tao’s face soured. “Let us get this over with.”
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Daniel was forcefully led to a luxurious bathroom. As one of the attendants shut the door behind him, another threw a bristle-covered rod into his mouth.
“Hey, whathsh the big ideah?” he asked, fishing out the bitter tasting stick.
“These disciples wish to be of assistance, great chosen hero,” said one of the boys.
“As it is our place to serve our seniors,” added the other. “Shall we brush your teeth?”
“Uh, don’t worry, I can brush it myself.”
The two looked at each other for a moment before nodding.
Daniel delicately moved the brush across his teeth, careful not to let the sharp bristles make his gums bleed. He was only mildly successful, with the red-streaked water he spit out carrying most of the plaque out of his mouth.
As soon as he’d rinsed out the remnants of the bitter tooth powder, the two boys immediately began to grab at his shirt.
“Woah, woah! Now what?!”
“These disciples are getting you ready for your bath, great chosen hero.”
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“This disciple will be honored to scrub you clean.”
“Okay seriously, what’s up with calling yourselves ‘this disciple’? You guys sound like freaking Elmo.”
The pair gave each other a confused look before turning back to Daniel.
“That is the proper way for disciples to address themselves, great hero. Referring to oneself as ‘I’ is reserved for Elders, which these disciples are not.”
“Huh, that kind of sounds like the military.”
“The White Crane sect is a martial one. Its members are soldiers, in a way. And some of its senior members have gone on to become generals! You will be a fighter too, great chosen hero.”
“Well that kind of makes sense. And please stop calling me that, just call me Daniel.”
The two gave each other another look before nodding. They looked slightly uncomfortable, rather than at ease like the teen expected.
“These disciples will do so… Daniel.”
“Great! Now I’d rather wash myself in private.”
The pair nodded once more and left the bathroom without another word.
The sect’s guest quickly found a large tub filled to the brim with hot water and immersed himself within its firm, yet comforting embrace. He figured he’d take his time soaking up the heat, but the tantalizing smell of food wafting through the cracks in the bathroom door made him change his mind fast. A quick scrub on his face and whatever parts of his skin that rarely saw the sun with the provided powdered soap was all he needed to feel clean enough. It wasn’t much different than how he normally got ready for school in the morning.
Daniel put on a set of red robes laid out for him and smiled at the feeling of the rich fabric against his skin. After a quick check in a nearby mirror and a quick combing with a porcelain brush, he was ready to get something to eat.
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“Welcome, great hero!” exclaimed Elder Lang Tao as Daniel exited the bathroom.
The room had been rearranged, with a long table placed at its center covered in evenly-spaced porcelain plates, each with a pair of chopsticks placed on top and a puffy cushion placed on the floor in front of it.
A wide variety of delectibles were being carried to the wooden slab by a mix of teens and young adults. Various meats, from roasted pigs and ducks, were served on plates or still hanging from a spit, while gargantuan bowls of fresh fruit served to add greens and blues to the otherwise simple reds and browns.
Daniel saw a pair of kids, the same ones who’d dragged him to the bathroom, lifting a boar the size of a small car. Without hesitation, he ran over to try and help them, raising his arms and trying to support the center of the massive platter. The two once again looked at him with raised eyebrows.
“Ahem, please take your seat, hero. No need to bother those two,” boomed Elder Lang Tao.
With a quick guilty look, and another set of nods from the pair, Daniel quickly made his way to the table. All of the seats were taken, save for one at the front on the table’s narrow face. Despite being wide enough to easily seat at least five people, there was only a single cushion placed on either side. The opposite lone seat hosted Elder Lang Tao.
Daniel, carried by the other aromas, quickly made his way to the open spot. He set himself down on the cushion, taking a quick peek to the side to copy the others’ leg placements.
“Would the great hero care for some wine?” asked a young man, slightly older than Daniel. His dirty brown hair and scarred cheek did little to make his strained smile look genuine.
“No thanks, I’m not old enough to drink.”
The server narrowed his eyes before walking away.
With a thunderous clap from Elder Lang Tao, the feast began. Another server walked over and deposited several cuts of meat and grilled vegetables onto Daniel’s plate which he promptly ate. He was left alone as he made his way through his food, the rest of the diners occupied with their own meals and private conversations.
Eventually, the night ran its course and everyone was ready to retire. Daniel was escorted out of the building and through the lantern-lit darkness across the stone-paved ground to a small hut. Inside was a straw-mat bed with down pillows and a wool blanket. He didn’t need to be told what to do, and promptly collapsed on top of his new bed.
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Back in the feast hall, Elder Lang Tao patted his mouth clean and walked over to the fireplace. He regarded the crackling fire with old eyes whose age didn’t match his face.
“That is as warm a welcome as we can provide,” he said with a sigh. “Though I suppose a prince would have been left wanting.”
“Most fortuitous he is much more humble than one,” replied a woman walking up to him.
“He will need to be in order to endure our training.” The elder bent over and began rifling through a stack of old letters. He picked one out and began to read it. His brows began to furrow.
“What is the matter, Elder?”
“Why was this letter discarded? Is this village not under our protection? It says here that their roads have been besieged by a pair of demons for the past month!”
“All of the sect’s Jade-tier cultivators are already out on missions, to the point we have had to use our highest leveled Grand-tier cultivators to fill in the ranks!” squeaked the woman. “The sect simply does not have enough members to address every cry for help!”
“Wait, I recognize this village. They were the ones who sent that weevil-infested shipment of rice and rotting fish last month.”
“That was them, Elder.” The woman let out a sigh at his reaction.
“Wonderful job prioritizing our resources, then!” Elder Lang Tao let out a hearty chuckle. “Well, they have probably all been eaten by now, so it is no matter.” He tossed the letter into the fireplace and walked away before the dry parchment erupted into embers. “This will no longer be a problem once our chosen hero comes into his power. Or at least once our current class of Grand Cultivators graduate to Jade tier.”