The two instructors looked at each other, both visibly impressed. One chuckled and whispered, "Poor lad doesn't know what he's getting into."
The other replied, "He'll learn."
As the room slowly filled over the next hour, more and more disciples began to trickle in, yawning, stretching, or slouching to their seats.
Some rubbed their eyes as they saw Han Yu already seated at the front row, scroll open, brush in hand, reviewing notes like an exam was around the corner.
By the time Instructor Gai Qing entered precisely at the stroke of the hour, nearly all the seats were filled.
As always, he stepped in with the same calm, stone-faced demeanor, hands clasped behind his back. He gave no opening greeting, no flair, no idle talk. He simply summoned the attendance scroll and began.
"Attendance," he intoned. "Call and respond."
The names were listed off one by one, until at last—
"Han Yu."
"Present," Han Yu said, loud and clear.
