That Fair-Faced 'Sage' {Completed}

24. Luòshuǐ Mountain

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It was hot...

No! It was cold!

The dawn air blew against LanFen's cheek making her reach for a blanket...

Or rather, 'try' to reach for a blanket, as she found she couldn't move!

'E?! Why can't I move? And why does my head feel so hot, despite the cold air?!'

Her head felt heavy and stuffy, and the presence of a splitting headache was making itself known!

LanFen opened her eyes, and the world was upside down...

Literally!

She had been tied upside down.

That explained why her head felt hot and stuffy.

All the blood had rushed to her poor head, and her hair hung loosely, making her look like an unfortunate ghost!

Disoriented because everything was upside down, and because of the headache that was now building with furious intensity, LanFen pointlessly struggled against the spirit-binding ropes that held her.

"Disciple Zhao is awake!" One of the disciples called, and LanFen silently cursed him, because now, more than twenty pairs of eyes had turned in her direction.

In fact, the only person there that didn't turn to face her, was Shuǐ ChénLín, who was cleaning a dagger by the dying fire.

"Oh my! His face is so red! Can't Fènghuáng-Jun let him off? I worry his head might explode if it turns any redder!" Lu Qiang whispered, eyeing LanFen with obvious worry.

"He brought it on himself! How dare he go drinking, while dressed as a Shuǐ Sect disciple?!" Another disciple folded his arms in indignation.

"He nearly harmed the face of the Shuǐ clan!"

"Yes! I heard one of the tavern owners saying the Shuǐ Clan is now too lenient with its disciples, to tolerate such shameful behaviour!"

"Fènghuáng-Jun had to start a rumour, saying one of the Shuǐ disciple robes were stolen, so they would assume he was a random lowlife!"

"Making our Fènghuáng-Jun do such a thing!"

'Ah! I got drunk, as he predicted!' LanFen shut her eyes to orient herself, as a wave of embarrassment and anger washed over her. 'Daring to hang me upside down like this? Who cares if I got a little drunk? Shouldn't I just kill Shuǐ ChénLín and escape?!'

But then she remembered Clan Leader Shuǐ, so she swallowed her annoyance, opened her eyes, and then beamed gloriously.

"Ah, what a wonderful new day!" She practically sang, looking round at all of them. "Handsome elder brother! Good Morning!" She turned to Lu FengHo who wore a mildly worried expression. "I would bow in greeting, but as it is, that is impossible!"

A few of the disciples laughed.

"Disciple Zhao..." Lu FengHo couldn't help grinning. "How can you joke in this situation? Luckily Shuǐ Chén acted quickly, or things would have been worse."

"But Elder brother Lu, it's not really my fault! I only ordered a single gourd. But a poor country fellow like me wasn't prepared for the exquisite liquor that I was served!"

A few of them laughed again, including Lu FengHo himself.

"Wo-Peh! Why did you go and drink in your uniform in the first place!" The same noisy disciple demanded. "If my father had heard, all my efforts, would have flowed away with the sea!"