A LOTUS BORN OF MUD

CHAPTER 20 - LUCKY IT'S RAINING

  A/N- Listening to this song should make it all the more emotional...p.s this instruments gives me shivers... the good kind XD.

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  Upon arriving at his residence, BiMing locked himself in his room, closed the windows and sat down on the floor ready to meditate

  He sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes. The enveloping light had dimmed along with his rage. BiMing breathed in through his nose.

  "Fuck."

  He sat there in the silence of his own house and tried to focus. But he could not. His thoughts kept wandering back to his disciple... ex-disciple whose cry could be heard when he left. The sounds sorrowful and filled with regret pinched at BiMing's heart... But he would not allow himself to care. XiuYin had crossed a line. 

  BiMing's brows furrowed as he sought after concentration. The regal-looking man blocked off all sounds of the outside world as he attempted to wash himself with spiritual energy inside out.

  It was due to this that BiMing did not hear the commotion at the bottom of the mountain. At the base of the mountain where people commonly go to travel to and from the mountain, there on the floor knelt XiuYin. Straight back and hands-on knees he stared at the rocky surface of the mountain a few feet from his face. The people around him began muttering, no doubt intent on taking this piece of gossip up the mountains.

  "What's the kid doing there?"

  "Looks like the shaming punishment."

  "What's that?"

  "When a disciple has wronged their master they will kneel for three days and three nights at the mountain base, no food or water."

  "Man, that sucks..."

  "That's not even the worst of it before the disciple kneels he must seal off his spiritual powers so he is also at the mercy of mother nature and mortality."

  The people not of the sect whistled at the intensity of the punishment but made no move to go and ask of the man's situation. Eventually, everyone got on with their business and by the hour it was common knowledge that a disciple was taking the shaming punishment and was not to be disturbed. 

  XiuYin ignored all voices around him and silently sent apologies and prayers to Lu ShiZun.

  Night time had come and BiMing couldn't take the silence anymore, normally he'd have XiuYin around tidying, or playing a game of cards with him. But now it was silent. BiMing didn't want to admit it but there was a clear line in the difference between when XiuYin was here. BiMing scoffed and muttered to himself, "So what if it's not him... I'll just go find another disciple... an obedient one, one without a blood loving disease or dirty thoughts....I'll go find a monk disciple!" BiMing stood hastily and threw on a thicker outer robe as he left to go wander the town. He didn't know what would be accomplished by him wandering outside but anythings better than a deafening silence.

  As his feet touched the ground at the base of the mountain, he gulped. Not far from him, kneeling on the ground was none other than XiuYin. The air grew heavy around BiMing and he decided to walk past as if he saw nothing. After all, XiuYin was now nothing to him, just a cast out disciple. 

  However as he breezed by, XiuYIn spoke, "Lu ShiZun?"

  Two steps past XiuYin backs facing each other, BiMing paused.

  "Lu ShiZun... This disciple will punish himself until ShiZun says stop... This disciple has wronged you terribly and will take the shaming punishment."