Now I want an omake where outer disciples get diagnosed with Linq-phobia. Clearly that's the actual reason Suyin's mentor got send down.
RELAXATION
It was difficult to get any rest anymore Wen Long mused. Signing up with Sun Liling had seemed the smartest option at first. Then it had all gone sideways. The Bai had stayed loyal to the Cai, and together they had driven Liling into retreat. Then, when Liling had counter-attacked, the Bai and Cai had retaliated even harder, driving their side even further into the hinterlands.
All of that would have been tolerable though, except for one thing: Ling Qi. Some kind of super commoner, she had humiliated Sun and allies on several occasions. Worse, every attempt to hurt her came to nothing, ran afoul of grouchy spirits, or got a
very angry Bai after you. Misfortune and disaster all round, with success being the worst!
And now Sun had made it clear to him and all the other sentries in the fortress that she would be personally unhappy with them if she managed to get around them. What were they supposed to do? She was an elite! If the ancestors had eyes, their poor descendent would never have to meet her, much less fight her!
Even without that, just the constant wondering if she was attacking or sneaking past them right then was quite wearing.
Tonight, though, he had no worries. He and his rotation had a couple of days off, and were taking advantage of the opportunity. Rather than stay in the fortress, they had rented an inn in town, and were drinking to their heart's content before retiring to their first restful sleep in quite a while.
"To brothers and peace!" At the yelled toast, Wen Long raised his jug. Truly, he had never known the value of peace until it was gone!
XXX
A white mist snaked through the inn, the chill dew it brought causing the drunk and sleeping disciples within to shiver unconsciously. Each tossed, unaware of the dark turns their dreams had taken. However, each came awake with one sound.
The long, solemn notes if a sorrowing flute.
As though their feet had been given wings, disciples burst out of the nearest exit of the inn, shoving each other in a panic. These "brothers" now gave have no thought to each other, drunken fear causing a free-for-all with the slowest eschewing blocked exits in favor of creating new ones.
As the group scattered to the winds, none noticed the group sitting on the neighboring roof. Laughing.
The innkeeper did though, when he came to investigate the ruckus. "Honored disciples, pardon this one," he called, "but while it was quite amusing, much damage was caused to my inn."
"Not to worry," the ringleader replied, jumping off the roof, "this should cover the costs." With that he dropped a heavy bag in the innkeeper's hand.
Turning back to his compatriots, he spread his arms wide, "See? For the cost of a mist formation, a flute player, and a bit of repairs, you can have a show greater than any in town!" Raising the jug in his hand, he offered his own toast, "To Ling Qi and drunk enemies!"
"Ganbei!"
It's rough, but funny to me!