The light from the cracked lantern guttered and died. Silence descended upon the training court, heavy and suffocating. Li Jin felt the weight of every stare. No one whispered now. Pity and contempt had been scoured away, replaced by a stunned, primal fear.
He was no longer the weak, talentless disciple. He was something else. An anomaly. A potential monster.
The Grand Master rose from his seat. The simple movement captured the attention of the entire assembly. He looked only at Li Jin, his face a map of indecipherable wrinkles.
"The trial is over," his voice was low, yet it carried to every corner of the court. "The disciples who have passed will be integrated into the advanced classes. The others will pack their belongings. You are all dismissed. Except for Li Jin."
The order was obeyed without a word. The disciples bowed and retreated, casting furtive, fearful glances at Li Jin. Xiao Lie was the last to leave. His face was pale, his eyes burning with a glacial hatred. This was no longer rivalry. It was a promise.
Soon, the courtyard was empty. Only Li Jin, kneeling and exhausted, the Grand Master, and Master Chen, who had approached silently, remained. The wind reclaimed its domain, sweeping dust across the stone flags.
"Rise, boy," the Grand Master commanded.
Li Jin obeyed, his legs trembling. He felt hollowed out, as if the blast of energy had taken a piece of his soul with it.
"You passed the trial," the old man stated. "But you have mastered nothing. What you did was not a technique. It was a spasm. A wild scream in the silence of the mountain."
He gestured to Master Chen. "Take him to my private quarters. No one is to see him."
The Grand Master's study was not an opulent space. It was a small, austere room, its walls lined with shelves groaning under the weight of ancient scrolls. A single candle burned on a dark wood desk, its flame dancing softly. There were no windows. The air smelled of old paper and cold incense.
The Grand Master sat behind his desk. He stared at Li Jin, his gaze seeming to plumb the depths of his being. "The Mark of the Tiger is not a gift. It is a burden. A door you forced open and may never be able to close."
He held a gnarled finger toward the candle flame. Without touching it, he made it grow, then shrink, then dance to his will. It was absolute, effortless control, the work of a lifetime of discipline. To him, the Lìng Qì was a tool as docile as a brush in a calligrapher's hand.
"The energy we cultivate is the Breath of the mountain. It is an energy of patience, purity, resilience. It is tamed through meditation and repetition. It is a river we learn to channel."
His gaze hardened. "The energy that has awoken in you is different. It is the Breath of the Tiger itself. A primal consciousness. It is hunger, rage, the instinct to survive. It does not seek balance. It seeks to devour."
The word echoed in the silence of the room. Devour. A shiver traced its way down Li Jin's spine. He thought of the feeling in the cave, that ferocious presence.
"It is bound to you now," the Grand Master continued. "It will lend you its strength, but in return, it will feed on you. On your emotions. On your will. If you let it, it will consume you. You will become nothing more than a savage beast in a human shell."
He finally understood the fear in the old man's eyes. It was not Li Jin's power that frightened him. It was his fragility.
"Your training will change," the Grand Master decreed. "You will not join the advanced classes. You are a danger to others, and to yourself. You will leave the dormitories. Master Chen will escort you to the hermitage on the Solitary Peak."
The Solitary Peak hermitage. A name all the disciples knew. It was an isolated hut, once used for the most severe punishments. No one had set foot in it for decades.
"Your only task will be to learn silence. Not just of your mouth, but of your mind. You will meditate from sunrise to sunset. You will learn no new fighting techniques. Your only battle, from now on, is within. You must build a cage for the tiger clawing at the walls of your soul. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Grand Master," Li Jin answered, his throat tight. He was not an elite disciple. He was a pariah. A prisoner.
Master Chen led him back outside. Night had fallen. Stars glittered like chips of ice in the ink-black sky. They walked in silence, away from the main buildings, onto a barely visible path.
The hermitage was a miserable shack clinging to the side of the mountain. The wind howled through the ill-fitting planks. Inside, there was only a straw pallet, a table, and a stool. It was even simpler than his previous cell.
"The Grand Master is harsh, but he is protecting you," Master Chen said, his voice soft. "Such power without control is a curse. Focus on your breath. Empty your mind. Do not call for anything. Do not ask for anything. Just be."
He placed a small sack of provisions on the table. "I will bring you food every three days. Do not leave this place." With that, the master departed, his figure quickly swallowed by the darkness.
Li Jin was alone. More alone than he had ever been. He sat on the hard floor, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes. He tried to meditate.
It was a complete failure. The outer silence only amplified the cacophony within. The energy inside him was not a river. It was a raging torrent. He felt emotions that were not his own. A ravenous hunger. A cold fury. The instinct of a predator biding its time.
The next few days were torture. He fought to quiet his mind, but the tiger within was restless. Every creak of the hut, every cry of a night bird was a distraction that fed the beast. He barely slept.
On the third day, Wang An disobeyed orders. He found him at dusk, sitting outside the hut, staring into the abyss.
"Jin!" He hurried toward him, a basket in his hand. "I brought you hot buns. I had to beg the cook. Everyone is talking about you. They say the Grand Master has hidden you away, that you're too powerful."
Li Jin took a bun but didn't eat it. The warmth in his palm was a small comfort. "I'm not powerful, An. I'm unstable."
"Don't say that. Xiao Lie is furious. He's telling everyone you used dark magic, that you cheated. He says you're a disgrace to the school."
A low growl rumbled in Li Jin's chest. The sound of Xiao Lie's name stoked the embers of anger smoldering inside him. The mark on his chest burned. "He should be quiet."
The voice that had emerged was deeper, rougher than his own. Wang An took a step back, startled. "Jin? Are you okay? Your eyes…"
Li Jin looked down. He could feel the tiger's influence, the cold rage whispering promises of violence. He clenched his fists, trying to contain it. "You shouldn't be here, An. It's dangerous."
"I'm your friend. I won't leave you alone."
Their conversation was cut short. Three figures emerged from the twilight. Xiao Lie, flanked by two of his most loyal cronies.
"I knew we'd find you here, peasant," Xiao Lie spat, his tone dripping with venom. "Hiding like a sick animal. The Grand Master might have been fooled by your little trick, but I wasn't."
Li Jin rose slowly. "Leave us, Xiao Lie. This is not the time or the place." He was trying to remain calm, to remember the Grand Master's instructions. Empty your mind.
Xiao Lie smiled cruelly. "Oh, I think it's the perfect time. A time to reveal your true nature." He nodded to his lackeys. They lunged at Wang An, grabbing his arms and forcing him to the ground.
"Stop!" Li Jin yelled.
"Make me stop," Xiao Lie taunted. "Show me this demonic power of yours. Or has it vanished already? Are you back to being just a good-for-nothing?"
The fear for his friend, the rage at the injustice, the provocation… it was too much. The inner torrent smashed through his dams. Li Jin felt heat spread from his chest. He was no longer in control.
A bestial snarl tore from his throat. His eyes flashed with an intense green light. Xiao Lie, who had been expecting a reaction, was still taken aback by the suddenness of the transformation.
He attacked first, using the Tiger Claw technique in a cruel twist of irony. His fingers raked down toward Li Jin's shoulder.
Li Jin didn't move. He didn't even feel the pain. He simply caught Xiao Lie's wrist. His grip was like an iron vise. Slowly, he raised his head. His face was a mask of cold fury.
Pure, icy fear shot through Xiao Lie. The strength in Li Jin's hand was inhuman. He tried to pull free, but it was impossible.
"You wanted to see my nature?" Li Jin's voice was a guttural whisper.
Without warning, he threw Xiao Lie backward. It wasn't a simple push. An invisible shockwave followed the movement, kicking up dust and dead leaves. Xiao Lie flew several meters before slamming hard against a boulder. He crumpled to the ground, the wind knocked out of him, blood trickling from his lips.
The two other disciples, terrified, released Wang An and scrambled back.
Li Jin turned to face them. He took a step forward, his hands half-curled into claws. He was no longer a disciple. He was a predator.
He froze. He looked at his own hands, at the faint green light emanating from them. He saw the terror on Wang An's face. The beast inside him wanted to finish the fight, to break its enemies. But a small part of him, the real Li Jin, screamed in terror.
With a superhuman effort of will, he halted his advance. He clenched his jaw so hard it creaked. The light in his eyes flickered, then died. He dropped to his knees, panting, sweat pouring down his face.
He had won. But as he looked at Xiao Lie's still form and the fear in his only friend's eyes, he knew he had just lost something far more important. Control. And perhaps, his humanity.