MASTER BAIQING
"Beginning tomorrow, your training as Chief Disciple will commence," Master Baiqing said, his voice calm, carrying the weight of authority. The small courtyard of the Dewdrop Sect opened into a dense bamboo grove. Early spring sunlight filtered through the bamboo leaves, scattering green-gold patterns across the stone tiles.
Behind him, his disciple sat in quiet stillness.
"Meiruo," he continued, his gaze steady, "I know you are reluctant to take on this role. But I have thought this thoroughly. Everything I ask of you is to prepare you and your fellow disciples for an inevitable confrontation. When the time is right I will reveal everything to you all. Once spring arrives, I will undertake a long journey to the west in search of someone."
He sighed remembering a deep burden in his heart, "Fate may play one like a fool, but one must continue to act on the stage and choose the inevitable ending."
He turned to his disciple and paused. His solemn look changed from mild irritation. Sensing a different Qi stirring in Meiruo. His eyes narrowed. The figure before him looked like Meiruo, but the Qi was wrong. With a firm whack of his cane, he disrupted the illusion.
POOF!
The young lady transformed into a tiny, mischievous child.
"WAAH! Ouch! Master, how could you hit me!" Lianhua, the youngest of the six disciples of Dewdrop Valley, cried as a lump formed on her head.
"You little brat! Where is Meiruo? How dare you fool me!" The sage composure of Master Baiqing vanished instantly returning to his usual rowdy self. His cheeks flushed, and he scolded her like a grandfather catching a mischievous child.
"WAAAAAH! Master, don't scold me! Lianhua can become Chief Disciple. Since big sister Meiruo and big brother Yichen don't want to, I the third in line will take on the role as Chief Disciple!" she wailed.
"Who said you we're third in line?"
"Of course I am third in line, I am master's third disciple afterall!"
"You're only my third disciple because you and Yichen got accepted into the Sect after Meiruo!"
Lianhua then started rolling on the floor, "No! No! I'm is the next Chief Disciple! Me! ME!"
"Do you think becoming Chief Disciple is a joke, child? You are only seven! I should make you copy the sect laws a hundred times so you don't get such foolish ideas!" The master lunged, chasing her around the courtyard.
"No! Lianhua hates writing! I don't want to! I don't want to! WAAAH!" she cried, narrowly dodging Master Baiqing's grasp.
Finally, Master Baiqing grabbed her up by the scruff of her clothes.
Lianhua kicked and protested.
"You little rascal, I will take you to the room of reflection and have you write two hundred times!"
Just then, A snow-falcon landed on the window.
A large nine-tailed Lupinara held onto Lianhua's clothes, baring its fangs at Master Baiqing.
Another dragon-like creature slithered, curving around his ankle.
Master Baiqing froze. The snow-falcon swooped in, dropped a messy deposit on his head, and cooed sharply as if commanding the others.
The Lupinara bit the arm that was holding Lianhua. The miniature dragon sunk it's razor-sharp teeth at his leg. The snow-falcon scratched and pecked at his face.
"OOOOUCH!" Master Baiqing "YOU LITTLE! Control your familiars!"
Lianhua screamed, flailing in his grasp. "Lulu! Chichi! Hanhan! Don't hurt the master, or else Lianhua will never become Chief Disciple!"
YOUNG MASTER MO ZIYU
"Chief Disciple Candidate Ziyu! Welcome to the Wind Slash Sect. You honor us with your presence," Master Lingyun said, bowing low. Inside, however, he was boiling with anger. Despite being the sect leader, he had to show deference to this young man who was a decade younger in experience. And all because the young man was a chief disciple candidate from a stronger sect.
"Master Lingyun, no need for such formalities. I hope I am not disturbing you today," Ziyu said, a fake-smile fixed on his face. He hated being addressed as "Candidate." Such insult was unbecoming of his strength.
"Of course not it is an honor for us to host a member of the Myriad Jade Sect. May I ask what brings you to our humble sect?" Master Lingyun returned the smile, measured and calm.
"I heard you are holding a recruitment today. I came to see first hand the talents of Aishan" Ziyu replied spreading his fan.
Master Lingyun understood immediately. The Myriad Jade Sect was here to scout potential candidates from his sect. He had to tread carefully. Refusing outright was not an option, as the Myriad Jade Sect was far too powerful. Although the Wind Slash Sect was a branch of the Iron Fist Sect, it was still a minor faction in comparison. To offend a member of the Myriad Jade Sect would risk creating tension between two of the Empire's Four Great Sects, something his small sect could not afford.
"Aishan has many talents," he said carefully, "but these are mostly novice recruits. They are barely worth being gatekeepers of the Myriad Jade Sect."
"You are modest, Master Lingyun," Ziyu said with a faint, almost teasing smile. "I heard even the younger brother of one of Iron Fist Sect's talented disciples is taking the exam today. I could not miss the opportunity to witness such potential."
Before Master Lingyun could respond, a deep gong reverberated through the courtyard. All candidates and spectators turned toward the main pavilion.
"The Candidates are entering" the recruitment administrator's voice rang out.
"Well then Master Lingyun, please show the way." Ziyu said faking modesty.
Master Lingyun had no choice but to bow his head and usher Ziyu to the highest seated position of the observation area.
RECRUITMENT
The recruitment courtyard was large and open. Stone statues of warriors decorated the edges. Wooden training dummies and polished swords were arranged neatly along the sides.
At the center of the courtyard was a training sword, polished and unadorned, about three feet long. It was resting on an ordinary looking stand. Beside it stood a wooden dummy, carved in the shape of a warrior, its jointed arms and jingling metal rings waiting to respond to a candidate's Qi.
The recruitment administrator bowed to Master Lingyun who was seated above. Master Lingyun rose slowly, his robes flowing with a quiet grace.
"It's Master Lingyun!"
"No way he actually came to the candidate recruitment?"
"He almost never shows himself to recruits. I heard he can take down a large borded with one single swing of his sword."
"That's nothing do you know the subjugation quest in Bian Valley? He single-handedly defeated bandits in just two days!"
Mingzhe's eyes widened as he looked at the man now addressing the courtyard.
"Candidates of Wind Slash Sect," the master began, "today marks the first step in your journey. Strength comes not from the body alone, but from patience, focus, and the mastery of your Qi. Show your heart, show your skill, and no matter the outcome, let your efforts speak louder than your words."
Mingzhe felt a thrill run through him. This was the kind of master he had dreamed of seeing, the kind whose presence alone made a man want to rise above himself. The crowd around him continued to whisper.
"Why's he here, he never goes to such thing."
"Why else? The young master of the Yun family is taking the test today, of course he's here to oversee it."
"Of course," Master Lingyun continued, "we are also honored to have Young Master Ziyu, the chief disciple candidate of Myriad Jade Sect, here today."
He pointed to the man sitting calmly a fan over his lips concealing his amused smile.
"Forget about the Wind Slash Sect. If he thinks you're talented, he could open doors for you in the Myriad Jade Sect!"
"It must be why he's here, right?"
Mingzhe crossed his arms unimpressed "That pretty boy is so powerful? Tch! He can't compare to my uncle,"
Master Lingyun's gaze swept over the candidates. "I hope you do our small city of Aishan proud, dear candidates. The task is simple. At the center lies a Qi-sword. You must lift it and strike the figure beside it as many times as you can. Show your skill, and good luck!"
One by one, candidates stepped forward.
Every sect has different ways of testing their disciples. In the Wind Slash Sect, the sword in the middle of the recruitment stage had the special ability to absorb internal Qi and can only be lifted by those with high internal Qi. The dummy also had a special Qi-defense that was resistant to manifested Qi that could only be penetrated by those who can wield a concentrated Qi.
The first candidate grabbed the Qi-sword and lifted it effortlessly. After two hits he let go of the sword his hand shaking and weakened. A certain sign that the sword had absorbed all his manifested Qi.
A bell rang, and a clerk stepped forward. "Inducted as a disciple!"
The next candidate strained, sweat dripping down his face. The sword trembled in his hands, then glowed faintly. But before he could even raise it to strike his body collapse to ground.
"Sect trainee disciple" the clerk announced. The boy smiled and threw his fist in the air.
Another candidate approached nervously. His hands trembled as he touched the sword. It glowed faintly, though he could not lift it. "Sect servant," the clerk declared.
The candidate blinked, surprised.
"A servant?" he smiled. His fellow candidates patted his back.
"You did it! Your family's heirloom of Qi-crystal really helped you througth this" one said poiting at the small crytal necklace around the young candidates neck.
"With this new position I'm certain I can support my family back home."
Then a stronger candidate stepped forward. He gripped the sword, lifting it high and striking the dummy with precision. One, two, three hits, and on the fourth strike, the dummy skidded back.
The bell rang again. "Disciple!" The crowd erupted in cheers. The candidate bowed, pride shining in his eyes.
Finally, Kai came to the stage. The whispers from the crowd came
"It's Young Master Kai!"
"Do you think he can even become a disciple?"
"I've heard his Qi control is unparalleled… they say he's been training since he was eight!"
"He even has a mana-crystal bracelet, this will be an easy victory for sure."
"Man how I wish I could get that kind of assistance from my family."
"That thing cost atleast 10-years of my family's entire income!"
Mingzhe on the other crossed his hands pouting, "Come on he's not that great is he?"
The courtyard brimmed with anticipation. Every eye followed him as he moved with effortless grace. He approached the sword, his calm presence commanding attention.
Kai's fingers brushed the hilt. He inhaled deeply, focusing his Qi. A soft hum of energy radiated from the sword, tiny crystals on his bracelet glimmering, amplifying each pulse of his power. The crowd held their breath.
With a single, fluid motion, Kai swung the Qi-sword. The wooden dummy split perfectly in half, the two halves clattering to the ground. A stunned silence fell over the courtyard for a heartbeat… then cheers erupted.
Both Ziyu and Master Lingyun clapped, their expressions a mix of approval and delight. Even the candidates who had just gone before felt a pang of awe.
Kai lowered the sword and bowed, his composure perfect, his display flawless. The courtyard seemed to hold its breath, every candidate frozen in admiration.
Before the clerk could announce the result, Ziyu rose smoothly, holding a hand up. "Master Lingyun, I am impressed by Aishan's talent indeed."
A hush fell over the crowd. Even Master Lingyun swallowed hard, sensing what was about to happen. It was nothing new a lot of powerful sects steal promising candidates from weaker sects. Lingyun forced a polite laugh. "What an honor for our city to receive such praise from you, Young Master Ziyu."
"Tell me," Ziyu said, his gaze sharp, "What is this candidate's name?"