CHAPTER 95: THIS KID... WHO IS HE?

"From now onwards, six of these young men have graduated from the first stage of discipleship."

The tall broad-chest monk who had huge beads hanging on his neck said, pointing toward the six young men standing there and assigning them to one of the wine-dressed monks.

Moments after the six men joined the wine-dressed monk’s queue, the broad-chest monk turned toward the only young kid standing there and smiled.

"Kai, with your relentless spirit, you’ll be under Yung Mai’s cult,"

The moment the monk’s voice ended, everyone standing in the wine-colored queue turned confused faces at each other, arguing.

Looking at the faces of the bullies who had joined the wine-colored monks through the strands of hair covering his face, Kai shook his head.

He turned his gaze at the broad-chest monk’s direction, moved three steps forward and kneeled, bowing to him.

The monk smiled, inhaled softly, then gestured to the kid to stand and join the black and white-colored monk’s queue.

Immediately Kai exited from the platform and joined the queue, all those who were already standing there squeezed their faces and gazed him an unpleasant look.

Though he was new to all these discipleships, Kai knew they were all the same as the ones that had also been bullying him.

In fact, their actions and beatings were nothing compared to what he could do to them if he made his mind to counter back.

After the assembly was called off, Kai saw Clara walking toward him, still having the smiling eyes and face.

"My brother really chose someone great," she said, placing a soft arm on Kai’s chest.

Since the boy had now grown to the same height as her, there was no need to place a hand on his shoulder.

"From his training to his being appointed to the teachers that taught him, you’re really following his paths really well..." her voice echoed softly in Kai’s ears, calming Kai’s reeling mind.

But as he focused his gaze on her face, the smile he saw on her face had vanished, and at that moment, Kai saw the fear and sad face of Clara.

"I’ll try my best to be more like him... Aunty," Kai said, smiled widely, and gritted his teeth.

Hearing the word Aunty, a smile shimmered in Clara’s eyes, "Don’t call me Aunty, call me sister. You’re no more a kid like you used to be,"

The moment her words landed, both of them laughed hard.

When they reached Kai’s door, Clara stopped, smiled, and watched Kai open his door and enter. She waved when the boy stepped inside his room and turned back.

Kai stood there, his left arm resting calmly on the door as he watched her move out of the courtyard, and when he saw her vanish to the other side, Kai exhaled and closed the door.

He tore his gaze at the open window, moved to its side and stood there, placing his palms on the stool of the window.

Kai closed his eyes as memories of his three-year stay at the temple reeled in his mind: from the times he locked himself for months, to when the elder monk, Jin, assured him he would be part of them.

As the last memory reeled in his mind, Kai cracked his eyes open and smiled, then walked toward the door.

He turned once, stared at the sky through the window and opened the door.

Kai walked through the courtyard wearing his most loved black hoodie, and smiling at everyone he passed. But as he moved out of the temple’s gaze and entered into the bamboo forest, he frowned.

At the far distance of Kai’s direction, the three men who were pronounced to be part of the wine-colored monks and were now in the stage two of their discipleship stood there, staring wildly at the boy.

’Should I show them something?’ Kai said softly in his mind, but a breeze exited from his mouth pushing the falling bamboo leaf that was falling at his front forward.

He shook his head when he thought he had heard a voice echo from behind him, calling him.

"Kai..."

As Kai turned, he saw a one-point-seven-meter height boy with brown hair rushing toward him.

And when the boy halted beside Kai, the boy lowered himself and began panting heavily.

"Are... are you... going to the shore?" the boy said, his voice cracking and breaking with his panting.

Kai turned an unemotional gaze at the boy, and at that moment, the boy wrapped his arm around Kai’s shoulder.

"I know you’re going there, I’m coming along this time," the boy said, not waiting for Kai to give him an answer.

Being of the same height, the two boys walked through the pathway in the bamboo forest, closing in with the three bullies standing there with wild faces.

When they reached the bullies and tried to move forward, two of the bullies stopped them as they jumped in front of Kai and the boy.

"Where do you think you’re going?" the huge-lip guy said, unfolding his arms from his chest and moving toward the two boys.

Kai turned to him, moved some of the hair covering his face to the back of his ear and smiled.

Kai’s smile turned wildly as the guy closed in and pressed his fingers wildly at Kai’s shoulder, piercing Kai with his long fingernails.

Jude, the boy of the same height as Kai, moved forward, slammed the guy’s arm from Kai’s shoulder, and pushed the guy back.

"Why do you guys always want to bully us?" the boy said, his voice echoing with worry as if he was tired of their bullying.

But Kai simply looked at the boy and smiled, then placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder and shook his head.

Meanwhile, at the back of Kai and Jude, the skinny tall guy and the short broad-shouldered guy moved forward and pushed both Kai and the boy.

Jude fell, slamming his face on the ground, but Kai didn’t; he stood still like a rock.

The moment Kai turned a sharp gaze at the skinny one, a skin-to-skin sound echoed, as the huge-lip guy slapped Kai from behind.

At that moment, Kai’s knuckles clenched as he closed his eyes, and when he cracked his eyes open, wanting to give the boy a slap, he froze.

Beside the huge-lip guy, Kai saw one of the three monks that welcomed him standing there, his arms folded at his chest.

"Hey kid," the wine-dressed monk said, squeezing his eyes and staring at Kai wildly.

"Why do you always bring chaos to every place you go?" the monk added, moving two steps forward.

Before Kai could fully grasp the guy’s words and answer him, another palm landed on his face, pushing him aside.

"Who do you think you are to stand against my junior?" the monk said, grinning.

Even after receiving two slaps, Kai didn’t stop smiling.

He tilted his gaze at the fear-looking Jude, still laying on the ground as if he was stuck, stretched his arm, and helped him up.

Kai turned and looked at the monk who had become part of his bullies and shook his head, then moved Jude forward toward where the shore was.

And as Jude reached the exit of the bamboo forest and turned, he saw Kai standing at the front of the monk and the three guys.

"This kid... who is he?" Jude asked, brushed his palms at his face, and exhaled heavily.

Meanwhile, in Kai’s mind, all his fighting memories and training reeled in his mind as he tilted his gaze from the four people standing at his front.

And around him, knuckle-cracking sounds echoed so hard it made the bamboos at his side shake.