NOVPUBTang Yin felt a strange sense of déjà vu when Flender called everyone together on central plaza. With the sun having barely passed the horizon.
Dressed in training clothes and drenched in sweat from their morning run, she felt sticky and desperately needed a shower. She wasn't the only one; Ning Rong Rong stood nearby, looking, unlike her usual self, in simple training clothes that seemed to have been borrowed from Ning Feng. They were pink and had teddy bears embroidered, with Oscar panting beside her.
Both looked somewhat exhausted, with Ning Feng standing beside them and Tang San approaching. Dai Mubai came running from somewhere also in training clothes behind Zhu Zhuqing, who looked refreshed with rosy cheeks on her pale skin while he panted trying to keep up with her.
Only Xiao Wu and Ma Hongjun appeared not to have come straight from training as they lined up. Both standing there relaxed and yawning.
"Everyone, I have an announcement to make," Flender said, looking at them. "We have a new teacher. Some of you may already know him."
Tang Yin's gut feeling was confirmed when she saw a familiar face approaching them. He had his hands folded behind his back, the short hair and a faint smile, he maintained a straight gaze as he acknowledged them bith a brief nod.
"This is my old friend, the Grandmaster," Flender introduced him. "He is an excellent teacher and will be one of your professors from now on. Tang Twins, Xiao Wu, Ning Feng, I know that all four of you have studied under him at Nuoding, so I assume I don't need to elaborate on his qualifications. If you have any questions, the rest of you feel free to ask any of the four whatever you need to know."
"It is an honor to meet you," the Grandmaster said, smiling at them, particularly at the familiar faces.
"You can't be serious," Tang Yin said, looking incredulously at him. "Really?"
"Yes, and I strongly assume you haven't slacked off in strength training, Tang Yin," he replied, meeting her gaze as she grinned and crossed her arms.
"Of course, I didn't," she said, raising her head defiantly. "I would never dare; that would be deadly."
"Well, more accurately, Ning Feng drags you along if you don't, to my memory," the Grandmaster said dryly. "Either way, I have been informed about your names, and it's my honor to meet you: Ning Rong Rong, Oscar, Zhu Zhuqing, Ma Hongjun, Dai Mubai. I look forward to working with you all." He surveyed them. "For today, I have nothing special planned except to speak with each of you and gather knowledge about your spirits so I can find the best possible methods for your further training."
The others exchanged glances, feeling somewhat dismissed. Tang Yin raised her hand to speak. The Grandmaster looked at her and nodded.
"Yes, Tang Yin?"
"Could I have that talk first? There is something I would like to discuss," she said.
He paused for a moment and nodded. "Alright. If you'd come with me, " he said. He knew it was unusual for her to request to be the first to talk, which earned her curious looks from Tang San, Ning Feng, and Xiao Wu, who knew her best.
"I'll tell you later," she mouthed as she followed the Grandmaster.
"It's unusual for you to ask me about something. Normally, you just stubbornly insist," he remarked as she shrugged.
"That's true, but I've decided a discussion is necessary. I don't want to get too hotheaded or rush into anything," she explained.
"I never thought I'd hear that coming from the quick-tempered one of the Tang siblings," he chuckled, and she looked at him.
"You do know that I usually get angry before my brother does. When I get angry, someone gets hurt. When my brother gets angry, it's carnage," she replied.
"I know. That's why I'm glad you're so hotheaded. So, what is it you want to talk about?" He looked at her, appreciating that he never treated her as a little girl but an adult.
"I'm considering going to Poseidon Court on Sea God Island," she said, looking at his. "Without San."
He paused, then placed one hand on her temple and the other on his own. "No fever, I hope," he muttered, and she felt sarcasm bubbling up.
"Really now?"
"Indeed," he replied, returning his gaze to her. "Would you like some tea?"
"Nah, I'm not a tea fan; just a glass of water will suffice," she answered.
"Alright." He led her inside his small dwelling. "Why the sudden choice? You two have always been together, even in different departments at Nuoding."
"Tang San spent more time at the Literary department with Xiao Wu than in his own," she pointed out. "But you're right. I think it's time for me to stop relying on him."
"I can't disagree. I sent you to Shrek to develop your individual abilities. I still believe it's the best place for you to grow while remaining together. After all, you two are twins."
"Grandmaster," she said, pausing to look at the water before her. "The martial arts I practice are the same as San's, even though it doesn't exactly suit me. The schools I attend are the same as his regarding education, skills, and clothes. They're mostly hand-me-downs from him because he's a bit taller, and we didn't want to waste money…" She let out a sigh. "It's all his for the most part. I haven't even been able to properly learn swordsmanship because I was always with him and never taken the time for myself to learn it."
