In the stillness of the night, where silence should have reigned, a mischievous spectacle was unfolding. Zhuang Hue was whispering in utter desperation:

  "Brother, stop! Seriously, forgive me! I’ll go back to Grandfather right now, but I won’t do this. That terrifying Grandmaster will throw us both into a pot and turn us into soup. Look, brother, just let it go."

  But Gu Zong, standing by the poultry coop, spoke with a sharp, mischievous pride.

  "Catch every single rooster in this pen."

  Zhuang Hue shook his head violently in refusal. Seeing this, Gu Zong raised two fingers toward him and said:

  "I have other methods."

  Zhuang Hue’s face fell as if his soul had abandoned him. Utterly defeated, he slumped down and opened the coop door. He looked up at Gu Zong, who was smiling with immense satisfaction, still holding up those two fingers.

  Stolen Content Alert: This novel is officially on Royal Road. Author: Mohi Koshi.

  Zhuang Hue muttered, "Brother, this isn't right. If Senior Sister finds out, she’ll cut off our food and water. And that Grandmaster... that leader of thugs... heaven knows what he’ll do to us."

  Gu Zong scolded him lightly, "Just do your job. This is only the beginning. Just wait and see what happens next."

  Zhuang Hue was left speechless. He knew he was walking straight into a disaster. His face looked ready to burst into tears.

  A short while later... all the guest room doors in Fukun were shut, everyone deep in sleep. Except for one. Han Wuang Shi sat on his bed, immersed in meditation. On a low table near his room divider, his meal sat untouched. It seemed he hadn't even tasted it. Nearby lay the Fukun Laws and a face-down letter.

  Wuang Shi was so lost in meditation that the world around him seemed non-existent. A faint shimmer of heat radiated from his body, like the haze rising from parched earth. His eyes remained closed in perfect discipline.

  But elsewhere, havoc was about to strike. Carrying four or five roosters, Zhuang Hue followed Gu Zong through the corridors, holding his breath and looking around alertly. When they reached Han Lao Fang's room, Gu Zong checked the coast, opened the door slightly, took a rooster from Zhuang Hue, and tossed it inside. He shut the door and stuck a paper talisman on it with the mantra "Freeze" written on it.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Zhuang Hue’s heart was in his throat. He hissed at the roosters in his arms, "Hey!! Be quiet!! If you make a sound, they’ll cook you, but they’ll bury me alive!"

  They stopped outside Han Zao Shi’s room. Gu Zong repeated the process released a rooster and sealed the door with a talisman. Finally, two roosters remained. Gu Zong kept walking.

  Zhuang Hue whispered, "Brother... where are you going now??"

  Gu Zong stopped, turned back, and gave a wide, wicked grin. Seeing that smile, Zhuang Hue’s face crumpled like a crying child’s. He whimpered, "I knew it. I knew you’d do this. My legs are definitely getting broken tomorrow morning."

  Time passed. Gu Zong was back in his room, happily munching on fox nuts. He offered a handful to the traumatized Zhuang Hue, who sat there in total shock, staring into the void. Zhuang Hue took them with a trembling hand and started eating mechanically.

  Gu Zong looked at him and said, "Stop the drama. You're still alive."

  Zhuang Hue replied, "Yeah, I'm alive now. But after what we just did, death is coming for us in the morning."

  Flashback:

  A few moments prior... Gu Zong stood outside Wuang Shi's door. He peeked inside and saw him meditating. Gu Zong made a face and whispered, "Arrogant... I can't believe even he meditates."

  He took the last two roosters from Zhuang Hue and released them into Wuang Shi's room, whispering, "Go, little devils. Don't let him sleep all night."

  End of Flashback

  The corridors of Fukun were peaceful. The silvery moonlight illuminated the area, making the light fog look like drifting smoke. Inside, Han Wuang Shi, still in meditation, suddenly heard a sound:

  "Pak pak pak..pakka....."

  He opened his eyes to find a rooster sitting right next to him, tilting its head and staring at him with one eye. He scanned the room; another rooster was on the table, helping itself to his untouched dinner.

  He looked back at the rooster beside him and simply closed his eyes again.

  The rooster chirped again: "Pak pak pak"

  With eyes still closed, Wuang Shi muttered, "Be quiet!"

  The rooster gave a clumsy hop and settled on the floor.

  The night passed, and morning arrived with brilliant light and the singing of birds. The mist had cleared, revealing a hidden paradise. The landscape was blooming with colorful flowers and trees heaven brought down to earth. For the first time, the true beauty of Fukun Xueyuan was visible: the massive lotus ponds, the trees with yellow blossoms, and the river of crystal-clear water.

  But a different kind of "music" was playing this morning. A thunderous rooster's crow echoed through the entire academy. Students jolted awake. Within minutes, many were rushing into the courtyard.

  In Han Lao Fang's room, a battle was raging. Lao Fang was throwing pillows at a rooster that was causing a ruckus. He even brandished his sword at the bird. "Get out!! What are you doing here?!"

  In the adjacent room, Han Zao Shi opened his eyes only to freeze in terror. A rooster was perched directly on his chest, staring him down. The rooster let out a deafening crow right in his face.

  "Paaaak-pakaaaaak-kuuuuuu!!"

  Han Zao Shi's subsequent scream was even louder than the rooster's crow.