"Senior Brother, you already know what I'm like, I—"
"All right, all right. From now on, I won't pressure you to be more ambitious." Roku Hakugai smiled faintly and shook his head.
Seeing the look of disappointment on Roku Hakugai's face, Hokuto could only sigh helplessly. It wasn't that he didn't want to improve—it was that the system's choices simply wouldn't allow him to.
When Hokuto first entered the Kishin Sect, he had passed the aptitude test and was accepted as an outer disciple, gaining the qualification to learn the Kishin Formula and the Ichimonji Sword Style.
According to the rules of the sect, as long as an outer disciple mastered the Kishin Formula and could perform the first stance of the Ichimonji Sword Style, they would pass the initial trial and qualify to become a formal disciple—what the sect called "entering the gate."
But what exactly was "entering the gate"? That required some explanation.
The Kishin Sect maintained twenty-four specialized halls, each with its own unique focus. Music, calligraphy, painting, martial arts, weapon mastery—everything was represented. Once outer disciples passed the first trial, they could choose whichever hall best suited their talents or interests.
When Hokuto first learned this, he was shocked. He couldn't tell if every sect in this world cultivated its disciples in such a tailored way, or if the Kishin Sect's master was simply unusually forward-thinking, understanding the importance of nurturing diverse talents within the sect.
Once you qualified to "enter the gate," you could formally apprentice yourself under one of these halls. If you were accepted, you could then study more advanced techniques and cultivation methods. With enough talent, you might even be chosen as a personal disciple by one of the elite Blue Flag or Black Flag instructors—or, in rare cases, by a Hall Master themselves, granting you one-on-one, elite-level training.
Of course, the Kishin Formula and Ichimonji Sword Style were the most basic of beginner techniques. There was no elite one-on-one teaching for these. Instead, a hundred outer disciples sat together in the Martial Instruction Hall, where lessons were given not by venerable masters, but by a young senior brother.
During these lessons, Hokuto noticed that aside from his own batch of "new students," there were also a number of "repeaters"—disciples who seemed to have been stuck here for quite some time.
Classes were held four times a week, and after two weeks the instruction ended. Before dismissing them, the young instructor told the disciples the rest was up to them—training, practicing, and comprehending on their own.
When Hokuto began practicing, he discovered his aptitude was abnormally high. Among hundreds of outer disciples, he was the very first to fully master the Kishin Formula. Excited, he was about to report this to Aogane, the senior disciple in charge, when suddenly three choices appeared before his eyes.
[Choice 1: Immediately report to Aogane that you have mastered the Kishin Formula. Reward: Zen-Claw Domination (Mid-Grade Profound).][Choice 2: Continue practicing quietly in secret. Reward: 20 Iron-Spined Arrows (Low-Grade Yellow).][Choice 3: Do nothing. Reward: +1 Random Basic Attribute Point.]
"Wait… even righteous sects are this dangerous?"
Seeing that the first choice offered a mid-grade Profound-level technique as a reward, Hokuto froze. Rewards of that caliber practically screamed certain death.
"Is this… the tall poppy effect? The nail that sticks out gets hammered down?"
Because Hokuto had a good impression of Roku Hakugai—and since on the way here Hakugai had spoken so highly of the Kishin Sect—Hokuto had pictured the sect as a perfectly upright, honorable place.
But now, it seemed that merely showing a bit too much talent could get you killed.
Then again, it made sense. Even in the twenty-first century, with advanced surveillance systems, facial recognition, and a fully developed legal system, murders still happened. In a fantasy world without even fingerprinting technology? Killing someone was practically risk-free. A pinch of poison in your food, a sudden shove off a mountain path, a knife in the dark while you were relieving yourself—there would be no evidence. Out of a hundred such murders, maybe two or three culprits would ever be caught, and that would already be considered the work of a legendary investigator.
Still, Hokuto could understand why reporting his achievement might be fatal. But why would even quietly cultivating in secret be dangerous? He didn't know, and he didn't care. Without hesitation, he chose the third option.
From then on, Hokuto obediently played the part of a salted fish. While most outer disciples rose before dawn to train, he woke up an hour or two later. By the time everyone else was finishing their sword drills and preparing for meditation, he would show up and go through the motions.
Before long, he became the laughingstock of the outer disciple dormitories. Sometimes, while he ate, he could even hear others whispering mockingly on purpose, just loud enough for him to hear.
"I don't know how someone like that even passed the aptitude test."
"Seriously. Sleeping past mid-morning every day—my family's pigs aren't that lazy."
"Forget it, we shouldn't gossip. Poor talent isn't his fault."
Yet Hokuto felt nothing at their mockery. In fact, he almost wanted to laugh.
"Isn't this just the classic 'trash start'? Perfectly safe!"
And so his "studies" continued like this for two more weeks. Finally, a handsome disciple named Moritaka proudly reported to Aogane that he had mastered both the Kishin Formula and the first stance of the Ichimonji Sword Style.
Amidst the envious gazes of the others, Moritaka waved farewell to his fellow disciples of one month and left to formally apprentice into one of the twenty-four halls.
Two more weeks passed. By then, nearly all of Hokuto's peers had succeeded and moved on. Only thirteen disciples—including Hokuto—remained.
Then, one morning, without warning, a fresh batch of outer disciples arrived at the Martial Instruction Hall.
"Not bad… this sect recruits quickly."
In just over a month, another hundred new disciples had joined. Hokuto was impressed with the Kishin Sect's scale.
But the other "repeaters" were not so relaxed. The moment they saw the newcomers, their expressions soured. They knew all too well—they had now become what they themselves once mocked: the left-behinds.
Fortunately, Hokuto didn't stay "behind" for long. By the end of the newcomers' first month, when only a handful of his batchmates still remained, two new options appeared before him.
[Choice 1: Remain in the Martial Instruction Hall. Reward: Azure Sky Palm (Low-Grade Profound).][Choice 2: Pass the test. Reward: +1 Random Basic Attribute Point.]
For once, there were only two choices. Hokuto didn't even bother wondering why the first offered such a tempting skill—he picked the second without hesitation.
He went to Aogane's small office by the hall and reported that he had mastered both the Kishin Formula and the first stance of the Ichimonji Sword Style.
Expressionless, Aogane simply nodded, asked him to demonstrate the sword stance, then placed a hand against Hokuto's chest and instructed him to circulate the Kishin Formula.
As Hokuto did so, struggling to run the technique, a thought struck him.
If I had chosen to "continue cultivating in secret," Aogane would've realized I'd been hiding my true skill right here and now. Who knows what kind of mess that would've caused…
After confirming Hokuto's performance, Aogane nodded once more.
"Mm. You've passed the trial. From today on, you are a formal disciple of the Kishin Sect. You may now go and choose a hall to apprentice under."
(End of Chapter)