That night, I lay on my bed and stared at the ceiling. My body still ached from the chaos of the exam field. Tono sat on his bed and flipped open a thick, blue-covered book.
"Karman, are you asleep?" he asked.
"Not yet. What's up?"
"I want to tell you about the sect. You're new, so you probably don't know anything about it."
I sat up cross-legged. "Yeah, go ahead."
Tono adjusted his slipping glasses. "All right. In the martial world, sects are divided into three tiers: The top tier consists of the three strongest sects. They have endless resources and geniuses everywhere. They dominate the annual tournament."
"Annual tournament?"
"Yeah. Every year, sects compete. The winners get huge prizes: money, talismans, rare pills, and even access to the secret realm. Sect rankings come from that."
I nodded.
"Then there are the mid-tier sects," Tono continued. "Ranks four to twelve. They're decent, but they can't touch the top. Last is the bottom tier: Thirteen to twenty."
He paused, his face darkening.
"Azure Cloud is currently nineteenth."
I blinked. "Nineteenth? But the Sect Leader and the elders seemed insanely strong."
"They are," Tono said. "The problem is that Azure Cloud used to be top tier. Top three."
"What happened?"
Tono closed the book. "Twenty years ago, during the Great Demonic Cult War. Our strongest elder, the Fist King, Supardi. Elder Hartono's master died on the battlefield."
That explained Hartono's pained eyes.
"After the Fist King died, Azure Cloud started to fall. We kept losing tournaments. Talented disciples left for better sects. Resources dried up. Money vanished. The worst part is that no true genius has been born here in twenty years."
I took it all in. No wonder so many disciples looked frustrated and jealous when Hartono took me on. They probably thought the sect had no future.
"Oh, yeah," Tono said, reopening the book. "Here's the list of elders and instructors."
He pointed to a page.
Sect Leader: Budi Suharjo
Elders:
Elder Hartono (Close-Combat Division)
Elder Sulastri (Formation and Strategy)
Elder Santoso (Weapons Division)
Dewi Kusuma (Medicine and Alchemy)
Elder Bejo Bejan (Honorary Elder)
"Wait," I said, pointing at the last name. "Honorary Elder? What's the difference?"
"Honorary means outsiders with significant contributions, but no blood ties. Elder Bejo Bejan leads the Red Eagle Squad, Murim's elite force. He's in the same generation as Elder Hartono."
I remembered the unhappy look on Bejo Bejan's face when Hartono accepted me. What was that about?
"Do you know why Elder Hartono retired from active duty?" I asked.
Tono shook his head. "No one knows for sure. But he changed after the war twenty years ago. He became colder. He became distrustful of everyone."
The night bell rang, lights out.
"All right, Karman. We've got new disciple orientation tomorrow morning. Go to sleep."
"Thanks for the info, Tono."
"Anytime! We're roommates!"
I lay back, my mind racing. The once-great Azure Cloud is now crumbling. Hartono is grieving his master. Bejo Bejan was suspicious. And me, suddenly taken as a disciple, trash.
What exactly did Hartono see in me?
Morning came quickly. My stomach roared. I'd barely eaten the night before because I was too exhausted.
"Karman! Canteen! Free breakfast for new disciples!" Tono yelled, already at the door.
The sect's canteen was an open hall with long wooden tables. The air was filled with the smells of nasi uduk and sayur lodeh. My stomach growled louder.
We queued up. I filled three plates with rice and two bowls with vegetables, fried chicken, tempeh, and tofu. I also got a huge glass of soy milk.
"Karman, that's a lot," Tono whispered.
"I'm starving. I barely ate yesterday."
We grabbed a corner table. I devoured my food as if I hadn't eaten in days.
"Hey, look! The trash eats like a pig."
I froze. The disciples at the next table whispered and glared.
"Lucky he even got in. Still hogging food."
Tono tugged on my arm. "Ignore them."
I took a deep breath and kept eating. I'm used to the hate.
Then a big guy with a smug face walked over. I recognized him as one of yesterday's passersby.
"Hey, trash. Can you hear me?"
I stayed silent.
BAM!
He kicked my table leg and the plates slid.
"When I talk, you answer!"
I set down my spoon and met his gaze. "What do you want?"
"Want? Move. This table is for real disciples, not pity cases."
"Karman, let's just go," Tono whispered.
I didn't budge. It wasn't defiance; my legs were still weak from yesterday's punch. I wasn't fully recovered.
"Not moving?" He grinned. "Or do you want me to move you?"
He grabbed my collar.
In a reflexive move, I blocked.
SMACK!
My hand hit his wrist. Not hard. Just enough to push him back a step.
His face turned red. "You dare fight back?"
"I didn't fight back. I just...."
"Shut up!" he roared. Everyone turned.
He swung a fist at my face.
There was no time to dodge. It smashed my cheek. I toppled off the bench.
"Stop!" Tono yelled, standing up.
The bully ignored him and yanked my collar, ready to hit me again.
Someone caught his arm.
"Enough, Bonar."
A young instructor stood behind us with a stern face.
"Instructor Rudi..." Bonar dropped his hand.
"Both of you, With me. Now."
Instructor Rudi's room was plain with a desk, chairs, and shelves of basic manuals.
"Explain," Rudi said as he sat down.
Bonar spoke first. "Instructor, he attacked me. Self-defense."
"Liar!" Tono burst in. "Bonar started..."
"Quiet! I'm not talking to you," Rudi said coldly. Then he turned to me. "Karman?"
I looked down. "I...did block him. Reflex, not..."
"Reflex or not, you touched him first. That violates sect rules. There's no fighting in public areas."
"But, Instructor...."
"No buts." Rudi stood up. "Both of you are punished. Bonar, clean the training yard until evening. Karman, clean the equipment warehouse until it's done."
"Instructor, I have to reach Mount Bromo this afternoon."
"That's your problem. Punishment stands. Out."
We left. Bonar smirked before walking off.
Tono grabbed my arm. "Karman, tell Elder Hartono. This isn't fair!"
"No, I'll take the punishment."
"But Mount Bromo...if you're late..."
"I know." I stared at the distant Mount Bromo. "I won't be late."
The equipment warehouse sat behind the training grounds. It was dark and dusty and packed with old, unused weapons. I must sort the usable items from the junk.
It was heavier than expected; I was halfway done.
"Damn...faster."
I ignored my fatigue and worked quickly. I can't be late. I can't disappoint Elder Hartono.
Finally finished. I was sweaty. No time to shower. I grabbed the plaque from the dorm and sprinted to Mount Bromo at full speed.
Three kilometers uphill.
Finally, I reached the peak.
Elder Hartono stood with his back to me, his hands clasped behind his back. The night wind whipped his robe.
"Elder Hartono... I'm here..." I gasped.
No answer.
I stepped closer. "Elder, I'm ready to...."
WHOOSH!
Something shot at me fast and lethal.
No reaction time. A punch slammed into my gut. I flew meters and crashed down.
"Ugh!"
Pain. Gut-wrenching. It felt like my insides wanted out.
"Who are you really?" Hartono's voice was ice-cold, nothing like yesterday's.
I tried to rise, but my body was paralyzed. "Elder... I'm Karman..."
BAM!
His kick cracked my ribs. I screamed.
"Don't lie!" he roared, his eyes red with rage. "That stance yesterday was identical to the man who killed my master!"
What?
"Who sent you to this sect? Who taught you that technique?!"
"I....I don't understand. I didn't...."
BAM!
Another punch crushed my chest. Ribs cracked.
"ANSWER ME!" Hartono raised his fist, his aura terrifying. Killing qi gathered.
I was going to die.
For real.
"Hartono, enough!"
A thunderous voice boomed. Someone appeared between us and blocked Hartono's strike.
Boom!
A Qi explosion cracked the ground.
Elder Bejo Bejan stood, shielding me.
"Move, Bejo. It's not your business," Hartono hissed.
"No." Elder Bejo Bejan's voice was calm yet firm. "Look at yourself, Hartono. You thought you'd accepted Master Supardi's death. But you're still blinded by rage."
"You know nothing..."
"I know!" Bejo Bejan snapped. "I was there! I watched Master Supardi die right in front of me. But I didn't let revenge consume me like you did!"
Hartono froze. His hands shook.
"Look at the kid," Bejo Bejan said, pointing at me.
Suddenly, Bejo Bejan drew his sword.
SLASH!
He cut me.