A group of children no older than ten walked closely together, following their new Shixiong up the steep stairs of the mountain. Like many of the disciples within the Sect, these children came into the Sect after having their dreams crushed by the other four Sects.
The other Sects tests were more rigorous and tantalizing than they needed to be. On top of that they also required new disciples to come from 'certain' backgrounds. It was a hidden rule, one that often wasn't mentioned until it was too late. Aspiring disciples that had traveled far and wide for a single chance at becoming a disciple had their dreams crushed before they could even register their names.
Lucky for them, a disciple from another Sect was ready to give them a chance. The Sect, though lesser known, was as good as the other Sects when it came to cultivation and reputation. The aspiring disciples knew better than to turn away such an invitation. Soon they found themselves at the bottom of a flight of stairs carved into a mountain.
This was their only test. Climb the mountain and enter the Sect. If they could make it they would become a disciple. No family lineage check and a simple test. To most of these aspiring disciples this was a dream.
The Shixiong that led them was an older boy around the age of fifteen. HIs long black hair was tightly secured into a high ponytail, his flowing light blue and white disciple robes looked far more comfortable and prestigious than any of the rags the aspiring disciples wore. He gave off a warm aura and kept making sure they were following closely behind him.
The Sect they were headed to was in a mountain range that was surrounded by a forest filled to the brim with wild animals. If they weren't careful enough they could end up as dinner for one of them or so they had been told by their Shixiong.
At one point during their grueling journey, their Shixiong had turned to face them. A smile on his face as he said, "It seems there is a lot of potential this year."
The aspiring disciples glanced at one another in confusion before realizing that not one of them had given up.
Their Shixiong cocked his head to the side, "Just ahead is the entrance to the Pingjing Sect. Once we enter, I will show you around before you are settled into the disciples wing." He paused, his gaze landing on each one of them, "Congratulations on becoming Disciples of Pingjing Sect."
Wide eyed and mouths agape, the children processed the words. Tears threatened to spill from their eyes as they let out a joyful cheer. All their hard work had finally paid off.
They followed their new Shixiong through a dense fog at the top of the mountain. For a single moment they were afraid they would get lost. The fog surrounding them though dense was clear enough for them to see their Shixiong's brightly colored robes.
Before long the fog cleared up. Their eyes went wide and they shouted in excitement.
It was beautiful. They stood on a small clearing of land looking out to a mountain range with clear blue skies. Laid before them were a flight of small stone carved stairs carved from the land they stood on. The flight of stairs connected to an even bigger mountain that contained some extravagantly crafted buildings. Disciples could be seen in front of the buildings either practicing with their swords or playing an instrument. Alongside that mountain was another one just like that. In fact, all the surrounding mountains contained a building similar to the one closest to them. Stone carved stairs and bridges connected the mountains to each other, and at the center of it all was a building even more extravagant than the others. It towered over the mountains and was surrounded by trees just as big as it.
"Follow me." Their Shixiong led them to the flight of stoned stairs. The new disciples were in awe as they set foot on their first mountain. Trees linned the buildings like a second skin, cascading over them, and yet the building still looked just as elegant if not more extravagant. A small garden sat at the foot of each building, each one unique in plant life and color. Waterfalls rushed freely downward, sometimes through some of the buildings and if they walked close enough they could even see some fishes swimming freely within the water.
"Keep close." Their Shixiong gestured for them to follow him up another flight of stone stairs. He smiled, "It's easy for newer disciples to get lost when they first arrive, but don't worry you will get a hang of the passageways soon enough."
"Um, Shi-Shixiong!" A young girl raised her hand, "This one was wondering where we are heading?" She twirled her fingers and lowered her gaze, a soft blush painted her cheeks.
Their Shixiong smiled, "Of course, we are heading to the training pavilion. There you will receive your new robes and training manual before being shown to your designated room."
The girl smiled and nodded her head. Soon the group of children were making their way though the complicated vast expansion of passageways. A few disciples almost got lost, but a quick reminder from their Shixiong was enough for them to stay focused long enough to not get lost.
When they reached the giant building in the middle of the mountain, the training Pavilion as they had come to learn it to be, a house hidden behind the mountain gained a few of their interest.
It wasn't a small house, but rather large, at least larger than the building they had been passing. It was shrouded in shadows, the trees covering it hid it from the sun. Unlike the other buildings it lacked any life. The disciples that would usually be running around were nowhere to be seen.
"Shixiong! Shixiong! What's in that building over there?"
"Ah…" their Shixiong scratched the back of his neck as he gazed at the building. "That's our Sect Leader's house." His eyes darted back onto their path, "Anyways we should-"
"Sect Leader!" The disciples cried out with excitement.
"Shouldn't we go greet him?"
"Yeah, I heard that it was customary that all new disciples greet the Sect Leader."
"Yeah!" They cheered in unison.
Their Shixiong grimaced at their actions. He raised a hand to silence them and motioned for them to come close. "Listen well, our Shizun is very busy and doesn't like to be disturbed unless absolutely necessary. Since you are new to the Sect you probably won't see Shizun for a while."
"Why not?" One boy asked.
Their Shixiong gave them a complicated look, "Well, you see, our Shizun had an…there was an…incident a while back."
"An incident?"
"Was he hurt?"
"Is he okay?"
"No, no, no, he wasn't hurt." He paused, glancing back towards their Shizun's house. "Not physically." He whispered.
He shook his head. "For now, I guess it's best that we go over an important rule."
"A rule?"
Their Shixiong nodded his head, "Yes, it's a very important rule. I don't want to hear about any of you breaking it, okay." The disciples nodded their heads.
"You must not talk about your family while in the Sect."
The disciples looked at each other in confusion. Most of them didn't have families to go back to and the ones that did, didn't really want to talk about their families. So the rule wouldn't be too hard to follow, but their curiosity got the better of them and they couldn't help but ask.
"Why not?"
Their Shixiong sighed, "For new disciples, you sure ask a lot of questions." He put a hand on his head, "you don't need to know the reason. Just follow the rule and you won't be punished. Now let's go." The disciples asked no more questions and followed along silently.
Ling Shufen listened to the small voices coming from afar. He had been sitting quietly at his desk, finishing the paperwork for the day when he heard the new voices. They sounded so young, so innocent. They had to be new disciples, he should go out and greet them like he was supposed to do, but he had no desire to do so.
The words on the paper blurred, blending in with one another as his mind wandered. Hadn't he just received new disciples a few days ago? He shook his head. Perhaps he had mistaken the voices and these were the new disciples. Yes, that made sense.
But, had they always sounded this young?
'Baba!'
He shifted the papers. HIs hands clenching as he did so. He listened in on their conversation, nodding along absentmindedly, only halting when the rule was mentioned. He looked out the window, he could see the eldest disciple, but he couldn't see the new disciples. Were they really that young?
He shook his head. That was fine, he didn't need to see them.
The room he was currently sitting in was quiet and simple. Only a few decorations of fine blue silk and other accessories lined the walls and shelves bringing some life to the otherwise dull room. He had removed anything reminding him of them to the storage room in the back.
He scrunched his face, a slight headache coming on. He placed the papers down and moved away from the table, leaving his unfinished work behind.
There wasn't much paperwork that needed to be completed within the Sect, but it had piles and he wasn't entirely sure how. He hadn't been neglecting it for that long, had he?
He sighed to himself when he entered his courtyard. Carefully, he took off his outer robes and placed them to the side of the healing pond. Leaving his inner robes on, he carefully lowered himself into the pond.
The healing pond was new. After the…incident, the other Sect Leaders felt bad and this was one of their many attempts to make amends. Out of all the things they had tried, this was the only thing that felt right. Though he still hadn't forgiven them for what they had done, he wonders if he ever can, but this was a step.
Liang Shufen didn't mind the new addition. In fact, he liked the feel of the calming water on his skin. It really did heal his body, any aches and pains he was feeling for the day washed away and he found himself sinking further into the pond.
Gao Donghai was the one to build the pond. He was the Sect Leader of the Pingfu Sect and he took great pride in his healing capabilities. He stayed for a while after its completion. He had taken down notes and studied him like he was an unknown creature to be discovered. It was slightly disturbing, but Liang Shufen soon found himself forgetting that he was there most of the time. It wasn't until the day he left that Gao Donghai spoke to him.
'It will never heal your mind.'
He stared at his reflection for the thousandth tie. Void off all emotion, his dead blue eyes stared back at him. His face was still pale and smooth, the epitome of beauty or so he had been told by…them. His long black hair pooled around him and for a brief second he caught a glimpse of her.
He was startled.
The water rippled around him as he reached for his robes and ran towards his room, slamming the door behind him. He slid down to the floor. He clutched his robe to his chest and calmed his beating heart.
It was bad to think about her. About them. He needed to forget, but he couldn't. Not when their daughter looked just like him. He couldn't even look at his reflection without seeing her. A single tear escaped before he could get a hold over himself. He left the robe on the ground and made his way to his bed.
His bed was situated underneath a circular window. It was decorated in soft blue blankets and far too many pillows. His head disciple had taken it upon herself to make sure he felt comfortable when he slept. It helped, but only slightly. Hanging above the bed were small blue lanterns filled with medicine infused candles. Another gift from the Pingfu Sect Leader. The man, though strange, was the only one who had truly tried to gain his forgiveness.
He reached towards the lanterns, slightly touching one with his Qi. It swayed gently.
Liang Shufen laid down. His inner robe was still dripping wet from the pond, but he didn't mind. He hadn't been able to feel anything since the incident anyway. He turned away from the window. The sun was still high in the sky, but his mind needed the rest. The disciples could take care of themselves, they have been for a while now.
With that last thought he closed his eyes and welcomed darkness.