Some weeks had passed and on this day students were flocking around the noticeboard in the middle of the sect's training ground courtyard.
"Why's there so many people?" Dave asked with a furrowed brow, as crowds of the unwashed masses had a tendency to make him uncomfortable. "Is there an event here today?"
"Ah! Let's go brother Dave, the tournament bracket has been revealed!" Bing Feng answered in excitement.
"What tournament?"
"Haven't you heard!? Oh–Your ferocious studying has led you to ignorance at last! I am both impressed and distressed!"
"Don't act all sanctimonious you bald brute. What tournament?"
"The game, Dave, football!"
"So they have football here too? Tch, I figured there would be something fancier, like flying on brooms and catching a flying golden orb."
"Ah! So you know of it? I would expect no less of such a learned man. Football is a beautiful display of athletics, technique, finesse, camaraderie, sportsmanship, mol–"
"Yeah I get it! I know what football is. What's the deal with this tournament?"
"Our dorm is participating of course! We need to see who we're up against."
"I have a dorm?" Dave asked ignorantly while picking his nose in a clear display of disinterest.
"Wahahaha! You jest! We're both in the Dragon dorm of course!"
Dave was halfway turned around and about to leave when Bing Feng grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the noticeboard.
"Bing Feng you fucking ogre, will you chill out for once!?"
"Wahahahahahah!!" The bald monk laughed and laughed, his laugh and forceful stride brutishly parting the crowd as if he was Moses in front of the red sea, and with an embarrassed Dave in arm he forged his way. When he finally let go, the mob had filled the gap like water and there was no path of escape left open, leaving Dave's instinctual desire to scurry away like a roach unfulfilled.
Fucking Bing Feng, if he wasn't already bald I'd put acid in his shampoo.
"Gah! Dave, quickly, tragedy is upon us! Look!"
Dave looked. At the noticeboard where a tournament bracket had clearly been posted. In the weeks since he had entered the sect he had learned enough to read the written language which was reminiscent of kanji.
"The Dragon dorm is up against… the Snake dorm? Okay, and why should I care?"
"What!? Ah! Oh! HAHAHAHA what unshakable confidence! I understand now, brother. I am ashamed for having doubted your Dragon's pride!"
"I don't get it… I don't give a shit about football so why do we care about this tournament again?"
"Iyaaaa~" A girl's voice broke out from the crowd. "It's Georges de La Tremoille!"
What the fuck kind of name is that? I thought everyone here was Chinese.
He was tall, broad shouldered, and with an aura of martial prowess. His skin pale, his hair long black and majestic as it fluttered in the wind, sharp eyes shot forward, yet he had a soft and delicate face. He was on his way to the noticeboard and where he walked the students made way.
"Damn you!" Bing Feng uttered with clenched teeth and fists, staring daggers at this man who was closing in and whose keen eyes he had been caught by.
"Well well well. If it isn't Bing Feng. Heh, what are you doing here? Didn't you get enough of a beating last year?" he spoke in a nasal voice that betrayed his good looks.
"Gah! Who are you to stagger in and curse us with your presence, you head of the snake revealed from rotting grass!"
As Bing Feng disrespectfully implied, Georges de La Tremoille was the president of the Snake dorm, one of the twelve student dorms at the Ethereal Soul Sect. The dorms were named after the twelve zodiac animals respectively:
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
Bing Feng, and Dave as he had just been informed, were both members of the Dragon dorm.
"And you." His eyes fell on Dave, who gulped nervously. This was one of his natural enemies after all, a really good looking and athletic dude.
"Silence! Bare not your poisonous fangs or venomous tongue at brother Dave! It is by his feet you shall eat the rotten apple of defeat!!"
"Pfft. I heard the dragons had found a new striker, you're telling me this guy is your star player? He looks like he should be in bed by now."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Dave asked, miffed. Confused. His eyes went wide. "Hey you got the wrong guy, who said I was a football player. Don't go around insulting people before verifying their identity, you… you dingus."
Argh! That sounded pathetic!
"Hmph, so the twerp has a tongue in his mouth. Well if you're not involved then you best hold it." He turned back to Bing Feng "Your pathetic attempts at fooling around will get you nowhere. Once we're on the field I'll prove that you're the one eating a rotten apple!"
"GRRHHH!" Bing Feng let out a groan so pained you would almost think he got punched.
"So where is this new star player the Dragon dorm claims is their trump card. He's been making quite a name for himself that Dave." He spoke in a mocking tone.
"Hey, I am Dave!"
"Huh? Didn't I tell you not to speak? Enough of these childish pranks from the Dragon dorm, you're obviously not Dave."
"He is!"
"I am!"
Dave and Bing Feng corrected him in unison.
Georges de La Tremoille frowned. In fact he almost looked disappointed.
"Seriously?" he asked. "He looks so… weak."
"Oh yeah? So what if I'm not a stupid jock like you. I'm a scientist, we don't need muscles or... good looks. We have… science and stuff."
Bing Feng took a deep breath and shouted: "Brother Dave is a scholar and has immense talent in everything he touches! You'll eat your words bitterly La Tremoille! Show him brother Dave, quickly, what is 8 times 8!?"
"64!" Dave answered immediately.
"Ugh…" George's smirk crumbled and he took a step back. Inside his head he thought: If I were to answer that quickly I would have said 88, but after thinking about it, 64 is indeed the correct answer.
"Hmph, so you're not all talk I see. Well w-we'll settle this on the field. Bing Feng, consider yourself warned!" And with that he hurried away somewhat flustered, the crowd parting for him just as when he arrived.
"What an insufferable asshat, what the fuck was his problem… No… wait a minute… Bing Feng! BING FENG!!! Why the fuck did that guy say I was a football player. He very clearly said that, Dave… Me! I am supposed to be the Dragon dorm's new star player!?"
"Wahahaha! I signed us both up of course! Wahahaha!!!"
"WHYYYYYYY!!!!"