one most immutable
"Reality is what it is." Guang intoned, allowing the ball to bounce in and out of the carved wooden cup in his hand. "Truth is what it is. The real question is, what are you?"
"An impossibly spineless toad who is not worthy of an education." Lau Yuan replied promptly, and looked very pleased with himself. Jing, who was laying the table, could not help but laugh under his breath.
Guang considered him for a moment. "Why do you say this?"
"That's what you called me yesterday when i burned the end of one of your scrolls. You said, "Lau Yuan, you are an impo-"
"That is not the answer." Guang raised his voice in an attempt to drown out Lau Yuan, as though glaring him into the paving stones was not enough. "It is very true, but it is not the answer I seek. I will repeat the lesson. Reality is what it is. Truth is what it is. The real question is, what are you?"
"What are you?" Lau Yuan repeated.
"That is correct."
Rou frantically tried to get Lau Yuan's attention but was unsuccessful.
Lau Yuan thought for a moment. "You are a cantankerous old monkey that does not have enough good sense to wither up and die." He looked even more smug and excited than he had the last time.
Guang caught the ball in his hand and set it carefully down in his lap, never moving his eyes from Lau Yuan nor the cup from his hand. "Why do you say this?"
"That's what the abbott said just the other da-"
"Lau Yuan, come closer."
Lau Yuan rose from his cushion and shuffled closer to his teacher.
Guang reached up and hit Lau Yuan over the head with the wooden cup. "Go and bathe, so the water will dislodge the chunk of earth inside your head. Foolishness! I am surrounded by worthless idiots. Jing! Do you have any of -"
"Cakes, yes." Jing rubbed the back of his neck. "I think I do."
Guang rose slowly to his feet and hobbled over to the table. "I despair of ever teaching that fool anything." He picked up one of the cakes and took a bite, his expression quickly changing to a more crafty one. "Perhaps a steady supply of these cakes would help."
Jing laughed, sitting down beside his friend. "Perhaps."
"An impossibly spineless toad who is not worthy of an education." Lau Yuan replied promptly, and looked very pleased with himself. Jing, who was laying the table, could not help but laugh under his breath.
Guang considered him for a moment. "Why do you say this?"
"That's what you called me yesterday when i burned the end of one of your scrolls. You said, "Lau Yuan, you are an impo-"
"That is not the answer." Guang raised his voice in an attempt to drown out Lau Yuan, as though glaring him into the paving stones was not enough. "It is very true, but it is not the answer I seek. I will repeat the lesson. Reality is what it is. Truth is what it is. The real question is, what are you?"
"What are you?" Lau Yuan repeated.
"That is correct."
Rou frantically tried to get Lau Yuan's attention but was unsuccessful.
Lau Yuan thought for a moment. "You are a cantankerous old monkey that does not have enough good sense to wither up and die." He looked even more smug and excited than he had the last time.
Guang caught the ball in his hand and set it carefully down in his lap, never moving his eyes from Lau Yuan nor the cup from his hand. "Why do you say this?"
"That's what the abbott said just the other da-"
"Lau Yuan, come closer."
Lau Yuan rose from his cushion and shuffled closer to his teacher.
Guang reached up and hit Lau Yuan over the head with the wooden cup. "Go and bathe, so the water will dislodge the chunk of earth inside your head. Foolishness! I am surrounded by worthless idiots. Jing! Do you have any of -"
"Cakes, yes." Jing rubbed the back of his neck. "I think I do."
Guang rose slowly to his feet and hobbled over to the table. "I despair of ever teaching that fool anything." He picked up one of the cakes and took a bite, his expression quickly changing to a more crafty one. "Perhaps a steady supply of these cakes would help."
Jing laughed, sitting down beside his friend. "Perhaps."