The Flood
Ling Weixiao, that is the name of one of the many apprentice monks in the midst of meditation. All of the apprentices seem perfectly calm on the surface, what they really have on their minds during meditation, one can only guess.  The temple in which this early morning meditation is under way is one located next to a town, or rather, a rural village. It is a place the apprentice monks are familiar with since they often help the villagers with a variety of things and the villagers have grown to appreciate them. This particular morning though is not an easy one for Ling.
Ling Weixiao was taken in by the temple at a very young age. His parents found themselves unable to provide him with enough food or even shelter for that matter really, and left him in the care of the temple and disappeared shortly after. Ling had been a very promising apprentice for all his life, he respected the temple for providing for him, he was calm and wise. However, his solemnity has been broken by the onset of something he had never felt before, and that is what he is contemplating this very early morning. His meditating figure shows no sign of the turmoil his mind is in, not that there would be anyone to witness him meditating. Even the master is immersed in meditation with all the apprentices, and no one from the outside can see into the temple grounds. Even knowing all this, Ling is very concious about his expressions right now, as he does not wish for other people to read his emotions.
The early morning meditation ends and the apprentices make ready to leave to the neighbouring village. This is something that happens every day. The apprentices go around the village asking for small alms like rice or money, sometimes in return for trivial chores. For Ling, the visits to the village have been his only connection to the world outside the temple. As such, he has come to know most of the villagers well. However, seeing the villagers leading normal lives has made him uneasy now. One of the other monks, Shen Guoha, seems to have noticed Ling's distress, even through his secrecy. Shen leans close to Ling's ear, as the apprentices have been told to not talk too much. In a deep, hushed voice he asks "What is wrong, brother Ling, you seem troubled."
Ling instantly feels flustered and suprised by the fact that someone was able to see through him so easily. However he manages to collect his thoughts and merely say "It is nothing, you need not worry.", trying to make himself believe his own words as well. The things on Ling's mind right now were only made more worrying by seeing the townsfolk again, the happily married couples going about their business, as is normal. However, since Ling had been introduced to the idea of selibacy at a very young age, he could not even imagine being with a woman. He had taken the idea to heart and had no interest in women. However, lately he had been having weird thoughts about other men and he was afraid. Afraid of the stories he had been told over the years of men who broke the biggest taboo. That is why he must believe his own words, that it is actually nothing. Ling believes he must also solve this issue on his own, since no one would be open minded enough to hear his worries and not tell them onward and have him removed from the temple.
Shen has long since wandered off to aid someone and Ling has been left alone again with his worries. He decides to go look for chores to get his mind off of them. He does find someone in need of a helping hand in exchange for some rice, an old man with a bad back who can't do his yardwork by himself anymore. While Ling is working, the man comes over to him and says "Boy, this might sound like a bit crazy, but I think something horrible will happen soon in this village.". Confused, Ling simply nods and dismisses the old man's words as nothing but meaningless words from a senile man. After finishing up the chore Ling leaves for the temple along with the other apprentices. In complete silence they walk back to the temple.
As the temple gates close behind the apprentices again, Ling feels like he is trapped. He cannot let anyone know of his problems, but he can only keep himself in check so long. The fear and self-loathing start to strangle him again, a feeling not unlike a cocoon in which one cannot breathe. "What can I do?", he thinks to himself, and ultimately decides to deny the whole thing and go do something else. During evening meditation he can barely hold his posture. Thoughts of all sorts of scenarios where his true nature would definitely be discovered whirl in his mind like a tornado; "What if I see someone going for a wash? They think I'm just another monk under the oath of selibacy, they don't mind being in their underwear or even in the nude in front of each other.  But for me it would be different. I would have to run away and hide. That would surely raise suspicions.". And as the apprentices get ready to go to sleep, the worst comes to pass. Ling spots Shen Guoha, without his clothes, from behind thankfully, and a desire is lit in him. At first of course it is easy to keep in check, but eventually something must give.
The following days go by following the strict routines of the temple andgetting to know Shen bit by bit, without appearing to be too interested. They are almost the same age, Ling is 20 and Shen is 23. Shen came to the temple in search of refuge from society, as he had felt like he was drowning in the presence of other people. While Ling got to know these these things, dark clouds slowly gathered over the village and the temple. In the village once again one day, Ling saw the old man from a while back again. He seemed very distressed, almost panicking "Something horrible will happen, we shuold all leave!" he shouts while clinging to Ling's clothes. After the man's daughter came over and took the old man back to their house did Ling really pay attention to the weather. It would rain soon, and there would be a lot of rain.
That night Ling could not sleep for two reasons; he could not get the thought of Shen out of his head and he was worried now about the village if it will really rain as much as the old man led him to understand. It is not raining yet though, so Ling decides to go look for Shen. Ling knows the approximately where the room where Shen is sleeping  is. A bright flash makes the temple look like it does in midsummer for one almost imperceivable instant. The sound of thunder follows close after, startling Ling. It is raining, but it is of no matter right now. Ling has already made his desicion. He continues towards Shen's living quarter. To Ling's suprise however, Shen is not in his living quarters but out in the hallway. "I fear for the village, the houses will be flooded if this goes on for long.", Shen exclaims with a tint of urgency in his voice. Ling is just standing there with a distant look on his face, staring right at Shen. He doesn't give the village even the slightest attention anymore. Everything is perfect right now. He can finally have Shen.
In the village evacuation measures have been taken, people have been asked to leave their houses until the rain stops. The old man who met Ling twice refused to leave his house though, saying he would only be a burden on the people who really need to get away. Alone in his house he mumbles to himself "So finally the gates burstand the calamity hit us. I hope that boy I told about this regrets it for the rest of his life. He could've called for more help for the villagers. I always thought the monks cared..."