"Both of you, kneel down immediately before our revered Grandmaster!" Lin Jiu commanded with thunderous authority after Simu had departed with his supernatural guests.
His voice carried the full weight of a master's disappointment and righteous anger at his disciples' shameful behavior.
"Yes, Master..." both Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai replied in unison, their voices barely above whispers.
The two young men appeared like defeated roosters, their expressions utterly downcast and filled with shame. They held their earlobes between their fingers in the traditional gesture of contrition and obediently knelt before the sacred statue of the founder of Mount Mao, the spiritual ancestor of their entire Taoist lineage.
"Give me your hands!" Lin Jiu demanded sternly, retrieving a well-worn feather duster from its designated place.
The implement had served as an instrument of discipline for countless lessons over the years, and its appearance alone was enough to strike fear into any misbehaving student.
Looking at Lin Jiu's genuinely furious expression and the storm clouds gathering in his eyes, both Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai understood with crystal clarity that they would be experiencing considerable suffering throughout the long night ahead. However, they did not dare refuse to extend their hands as commanded, knowing from painful experience that resistance would only result in even more severe punishment later.
"You two worthless disciples! You refuse to study Taoist principles and techniques properly, preferring instead to waste your time with foolish pranks and games," Lin Jiu scolded them with barely controlled rage. "Today, your reckless behavior nearly caused a complete disaster that could have had serious consequences!"
After delivering this scalding verbal rebuke, Lin Jiu raised the feather duster and struck both Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai hard across their outstretched palms. He delivered ten powerful blows to each student, continuing until the skin on their palms split open and began bleeding from the repeated impacts.
"Do you two simpletons think this punishment is finished?" Lin Jiu demanded with ominous intensity.
Seeing Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai beginning to show expressions of relief after the palm-striking ordeal had concluded, Lin Jiu's anger flared even higher at their presumption.
"Tonight, both of you will kneel before our founder's statue in continuous reflection upon your shameful actions," he declared with finality. "You are absolutely forbidden from rising to your feet until the first rays of sunrise illuminate this room!"
"Ah? Master, please!" both disciples exclaimed in shocked dismay.
When Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai heard that Lin Jiu intended to make them kneel in motionless vigil until dawn, they both displayed expressions of utter disbelief and desperate pleading.
"'Ah' what? You have absolutely no room for negotiation or bargaining with me!" Lin Jiu snapped back with implacable authority.
After delivering this final warning, Lin Jiu began performing intricate hand gestures while muttering ancient incantations under his breath. He pointed decisively at both Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai, and immediately the two young men found themselves forced into perfectly straight kneeling positions, their bodies rigid and immobile.
This represented a supernatural punishment curse that Lin Jiu had employed to prevent his disciples from succumbing to laziness or attempting to cheat their way through the ordeal. With this mystical restraint in place, Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai would be unable to move a single muscle throughout the entire night. They could not close their eyes to find relief in sleep, could not speak to complain or plead for mercy, and could not shift position to alleviate their growing discomfort. The curse could only be broken when the morning sun's rays physically touched their bodies the following day.
Although Lin Jiu had employed similar punishments for his disciples' misbehavior in the past, he had never before resorted to employing actual supernatural curses to enforce his discipline. However, today's incident was different—Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai had caused Lin Jiu to lose tremendous reputation in front of Gustave, Gustave, and Zhang Zhiwei, the legendary heavenly master. Under such embarrassing circumstances, it was absolutely impossible for Lin Jiu to simply turn a blind eye to their behavior as he might have done in the past.
Both Gustave and Zhang Zhiwei remained silent regarding Lin Jiu's harsh disciplinary methods. After all, Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai had undeniably caused serious trouble through their thoughtless actions, and some form of significant punishment was clearly necessary and appropriate.
"Friends, please follow me. I have prepared comfortable guest rooms for your rest," Lin Jiu announced after completing the punishment of his wayward disciples.
He guided Gustave and Zhang Zhiwei to the prepared accommodations downstairs, as the late hour demanded that they all retire for the evening.
When Gustave rose the following morning and made his way to the main hall, he discovered that Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai were still kneeling in perfect rigidity before the statue of Mount Mao's founder. Although the sun had already begun its ascent into the morning sky, its rays had not yet penetrated through the doorway to fall upon the two motionless figures, meaning that Lin Jiu's supernatural curse remained fully active and binding.
Gustave shook his head with a mixture of sympathy and understanding before proceeding to his morning washing and personal preparation routine.
After the household had completed breakfast together, the morning sun finally shifted to the correct angle, allowing its golden rays to stream through the doorway and bathe both disciples in warm light. The moment the sunlight touched their bodies, Lin Jiu's punishment curse was finally lifted and dissolved.
"Owwww!" both Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai groaned simultaneously as they collapsed to the ground.
The instant the mystical restraint was removed, both young men crumpled like marionettes whose strings had been cut. The sensation of being unable to move for an entire night while remaining fully conscious and aware was more psychologically and physically torturous than death itself would have been.
"Oh no!" Qiu Sheng gasped with sudden panic as soon as his body hit the floor.
He felt an overwhelming and urgent pressure in his lower abdomen that demanded immediate attention. Ignoring the tremendous pain and stiffness throughout his body, he limped desperately toward the outdoor toilet facilities, moving as quickly as his cramped and aching muscles would allow.
Wen Cai experienced the same urgent biological necessity, but his physical constitution was far inferior to Qiu Sheng's superior conditioning. Rather than being able to run or even walk properly, Wen Cai found that simply standing upright was an almost impossible challenge. Every attempt to move his body resulted in waves of excruciating pain shooting through his cramped muscles and joints.
"I'm ruined!" Wen Cai whispered in complete despair, tears of humiliation and physical distress streaming down his cheeks.
Without his knowledge or ability to control it, his clothing had become soaked through during the long night of enforced immobility. Wen Cai understood with absolute certainty that he would remember this particular lesson for the remainder of his natural life.
After the household had finished their breakfast meal, Lin Jiu prepared to escort Gustave and Zhang Zhiwei to keep their scheduled appointment with Master Ren, as the appointed hour was rapidly approaching.
"Fellow Taoist Yimei, what about Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai?" Zhang Zhiwei inquired with some hesitation, observing that Lin Jiu was preparing to depart without showing any concern for his suffering disciples.
His natural compassion made him reluctant to leave the two young men in their current miserable condition.
"Fellow Taoist Tiantong, please don't concern yourself with those two worthless disciples," Lin Jiu replied with continued coldness and anger.
This time, Lin Jiu's fury was genuine and deep-seated, not merely a temporary outburst that would quickly fade.
Seeing the expression of implacable determination on Lin Jiu's face, Zhang Zhiwei decided not to pursue the matter further with additional pleas for mercy. After all, this represented someone else's family affair and internal disciplinary matter, not something an outsider should interfere with beyond expressing basic concern.
For an average person, the journey from the charity cemetery to Ren Fa's restaurant would typically require more than half an hour of steady walking. However, Gustave and his two friends possessed exceptional physical conditioning and spiritual cultivation that made them far superior to ordinary individuals. Even when they walked at what they considered a leisurely pace, their speed exceeded that of most people running at full sprint. Consequently, they arrived at the restaurant in remarkably short time.
Upon entering the establishment, the three visitors were immediately greeted by a deferential waiter who escorted them to a private seating area beside a large window on the second floor. Master Ren Fa was already waiting for their arrival, having taken care to arrive early as a gesture of respect for his important guests.
"Uncle Jiu! Master Gustave! Taoist Master Tiantong!" Ren Fa called out enthusiastically when he spotted the three approaching figures.
He rose from his seat and hurried forward to greet them with obvious pleasure and anticipation.
"Master Ren!" all three visitors replied courteously, nodding their acknowledgment of his warm welcome.
As soon as the three men had settled into their designated seats around the elegantly appointed table, a young woman approached from across the dining area. She was dressed in remarkably fashionable attire for that particular historical era, wearing a stylish small hat and a daringly low-cut dress that would have been considered quite progressive and modern.
"Father!" the young woman called out affectionately as she reached Ren Fa's side.
The newcomer was none other than Ren Fa's daughter, Ren Tingting—a famous figure in this world looking like her actress Moon Lee
"Come here, daughter! I want you to meet Uncle Jiu, Master Gustave, and Taoist Master Tiantong," Ren Fa announced proudly, introducing the three distinguished guests to his beloved child.
"Tingting respectfully greets the three esteemed masters!" Ren Tingting declared formally, executing a graceful half-curtsy that was both respectful and elegantly performed.
Her greeting demonstrated both proper etiquette and the refined manners she had acquired during her foreign education.
"This is our Tingting! I can hardly believe how much she has grown," Lin Jiu observed with genuine amazement and nostalgia.
He had encountered Ren Tingting before during previous visits, but in his memory, she had still been a small child rather than the sophisticated young woman who now stood before them.
"Hahaha! Young ladies certainly change dramatically as they mature into adulthood," Ren Fa responded with obvious paternal pride and satisfaction.
Ren Tingting possessed an undeniably attractive figure, and when she performed her respectful curtsy, Lin Jiu immediately and discretely averted his gaze out of proper courtesy. Gustave remained completely unaffected by the display, having encountered far more boldly dressed female Marines during his travels who made Ren Tingting's outfit seem conservative by comparison. Zhang Zhiwei maintained similar composure, as he had observed countless female tourists visiting Longhu Mountain who wore much more revealing and casual clothing during their sightseeing expeditions.
"What beverages would you gentlemen prefer?" a restaurant waiter inquired politely, approaching their table with an ornate menu in hand.
"We'll have coffee," both Ren Fa and Ren Tingting requested without hesitation.
"What would the three Taoist masters like to drink?" Ren Fa asked courteously, extending the menu toward Lin Jiu after placing his own order.
Seeing Ren Fa's gesture, Gustave felt a surge of cynical amusement. Yesterday he had considered Master Ren to be genuinely polite and respectful, but today's behavior revealed a completely different character. This particular maneuver was decidedly underhanded and lacking in basic decency.
Lin Jiu found himself genuinely confused when confronted with the entirely English-language menu, as he could not recognize or understand any of the foreign words printed upon it.
Gustave calmly took the menu from Lin Jiu's uncertain hands, closed it decisively, and announced with complete confidence:
"I'll have a mocha, served on ice, please."
Zhang Zhiwei followed suit with equal assurance:
"I would like Blue Mountain coffee, if you have it available."
When the waiter heard these specific requests, he found himself completely bewildered and confused. What on earth were these items? He had never heard of such exotic beverages in his entire career.
Ren Fa was equally puzzled, as he had never encountered the specific coffee varieties that Gustave and Zhang Zhiwei had ordered with such casual familiarity.
"Why do you hesitate? You claim to sell coffee here, yet you don't recognize what we're requesting?" Gustave asked with growing impatience as the waiter failed to respond for an extended period.
His tone carried a subtle edge that suggested his tolerance for this charade was rapidly diminishing.
"I sincerely apologize, esteemed masters," Ren Tingting interjected diplomatically, stepping forward to defuse the increasingly awkward situation. "We don't currently have mocha or Blue Mountain coffee available here. We only serve the most basic and ordinary coffee."
As someone who had studied abroad and gained exposure to international customs, Ren Tingting naturally understood exactly what Gustave and Zhang Zhiwei had ordered. However, where could such sophisticated coffee varieties be obtained in their small town? This Western-style restaurant had been established by her father Ren Fa primarily as a means of demonstrating his cultured taste and worldly sophistication. It might succeed in impressing local residents who had never experienced genuine foreign culture and were easily swayed by superficial displays, but when confronted by individuals who possessed real knowledge and experience, wouldn't the establishment's limitations be exposed exactly as they were today?
"In that case, please bring me a cup of Pu'er tea instead," Gustave requested with resigned practicality. "I assume you do have that available, don't you?"
His tone suggested this should be a reasonable fallback option for any establishment in China.
"Yes, absolutely! Why are you still standing there? Hurry and prepare the finest Pu'er tea for Master Gustave immediately!" Ren Fa commanded the waiter with obvious flustered urgency.
He had originally intended to intimidate and humble his guests through this sophisticated beverage display, but his plan had completely backfired and caused him considerable embarrassment instead.
"Wait just a moment! I would also like Pu'er tea," Lin Jiu quickly called to the departing waiter.
Since genuine tea was available, why would anyone choose to drink foreign coffee instead?
Zhang Zhiwei also modified his order to request a cup of traditional Pu'er tea, abandoning his coffee preference in favor of something more familiar and reliable.
"Uncle Jiu, Master Gustave, Taoist Master Tiantong, please accept my sincere apologies for this embarrassing situation," Ren Fa said with obvious contrition and shame.
The reason Ren Fa had attempted to intimidate his three guests was his desire to negotiate a lower price for the services required for relocating his father's grave. Although Ren Fa was certainly not lacking in financial resources, the merchant's philosophy that "there is no business without some deception" was deeply ingrained in his character and approach to all transactions.
"It's perfectly acceptable, and no further apology is necessary," Gustave and his friends replied graciously.
Since Ren Fa had acknowledged his mistake and offered a genuine apology, they saw no reason to pursue the matter further or hold grudges. After all, it was unwise and unproductive to strike someone who was already showing a smiling face and attempting to make amends.
Gustave was not the type of person who would escalate minor social conflicts into major confrontations or seek to destroy someone's entire family over trivial disagreements. He believed that harmony ultimately brought prosperity and success. The world of martial arts and supernatural practice was not solely about fighting and violence, but rather about understanding human relationships, social wisdom, and the intricate web of connections that bound communities together.