Rivalries

The very next morning, as the first rays of sunlight peeked through the window, Master Fu awoke to find Wu Xie sprawled on the floor, the hefty tome still resting on his face.

With a bemused shake of his head, Master Fu gently pried the book from Wu Xie's grasp, only to discover that the poor lad hadn't even made it past the first page.

Deciding that drastic measures were in order, Master Fu gave Wu Xie a hearty kick, expecting him to jump up in alarm.

Instead, Wu Xie merely grumbled something unintelligible and rolled over, snuggling deeper into his makeshift blanket of floorboards.

Undeterred, Master Fu fetched a bucket of ice-cold water and, with the precision of a seasoned warrior, drenched the slumbering Wu Xie.

There was a moment of pure, unadulterated shock as Wu Xie shot up, eyes wide with horror at the icy deluge.