Immediately, they asked directions from nearby travelers and made haste towards the Northern Sect. During the ride there, Xiaogua reassured Xiu'er that she was not alone in this. She had her friends and she had hope. Hope is a strong commitment that can be unpredictable and can even turn bad situations into miracles. Silang will be fine.
They rode nonstop for the next couple of hours, passing rivers, valleys and forests. They arrived in the territory of the Northern Black Crescent Sect when they passed a large rock monument that had the name of the Sect engraved on. The sky had turned into streaks of colors painting on the clouds. The sun disappeared in the horizon and the moon could be seen partially.
The entrance of the Northern Sect was an enormous stone gate guarded by six guards, who were dressed not exactly like the ones they met the other day, but in similar black outfit. Behind the welcoming open gate was a stone staircase containing a thousand steps leading up the mountain. They called it the Thousand Churning Steps. The stairs lead up to the Sect that sat at the top of the mountain.
Xiu'er hesitated to get off her horse and was the last of everyone to do so. She didn't know if she did the right thing, seeking help from a man she barely knew, in a Sect she doesn't trust. Also, the way Murong Yuqi looked at her made her feel uneasy and precarious. He must have some hidden agenda. She just had to be on her guard during her time here.
The guards stopped them at the entrance and demanded they state which Sect they came from and the reason for visiting. She quietly handed the wooden token with the green tassel to one of the guards, all the while still debating in her head. When the guards saw the token, their mouths dropped and their eyes suddenly shot open in complete shock.
All of the guards suddenly ran inside the gate and up the stairs, totally disregarding Xiu'er and them, yelling, "Ring the alarm!"
Xiu'er had no idea what was going on. She turned to look at Kun Shang, who gave her a confused expression before turning to Yu Yue. Weren't the Northern Sect supposed to be welcoming?
They had no idea what just happened and what to do about it, but they decided to enter the Sect anyway and follow the guards up the mountain.
They climbed the stairs until sweat dashed on their faces, their calves were screaming in pain and their lungs panting for air. From the bottom, it looked like it was a staircase and they could see where it ended at a small point above them. After climbing it, they realized it might as well be a staircase to heaven because it took forever to reach the top. No wonder it was called the Thousand Churning Steps.
The end of the staircase led to a large flattened area where the main building of the Sect was built on. The ground was covered with beautiful white stones. In front of them was a large open terrace, many pagodas and gazebos scattered about with blooming peach trees, white gravel paths, small ponds and other buildings. At the end of the terrace was a main hall made of beautiful black wood. A giant plaque at the top read, Purified Great Hall.
Many disciples dressed in black uniforms were seen running around in a frenzy, while those dressed in grey shouted to calm them down. Even a Master in a beard was seen giving instructions to some. A disciple bumped into another disciple, then grabbed their shoulders and shook their head saying, "Tell me it's not real! Tell me it's not real!"
Xiu'er creased her eyebrows and scratched her head.
"What did we cause?" She couldn't help but think out loud, still staring at the students bumping into each other, exchanging some quick words, then running off in the opposite directions.
One of the guards from before, saw them and quickly herd them to the great hall where they were all made to get down on their knees. So much for a welcoming Sect.
They were surrounded by disciples in both black and grey uniforms with their swords pulled out. Most of the students were in black uniforms, they must be the juniors. Some were in grey uniforms, they must be the seniors.
Inside the Purified Great Hall, the floor was made from wood that was glazed over to shine, an octagon platform at the end of the hall was built one step lower into the floor and behind it was a grandiose black and gold throne that sat higher on a platform. Behind the throne was a large wooden divider that reached into the ceiling. The room was impressively made from classical Chinese architecture. Two doors at the back of the room on either side lead further into the Sect. The pillars and ceilings were made from black wood, but the floor was regular wood that had a shiny gloss. It felt classy and homie with a warm vibe.
An older student in grey finally put his sword away and stepped up from the front to question them.
"Aish, what is this monkey doing here?" He pointed to A'Li. A'Li circled Xiu'er once before settling on her lap.
"This is A'Li," Xiu'er gently patted his fur. She looked up into the student's face and gave him her most serious and sarcastic look. "My younger brother."
The student blinked around dumbfoundedly. Her look was so intense and convincing he thought he was the only one seeing the monkey. He decided to change the subject.
"Tell me, how did you kill him?" He asked angrily. There was a moment of confused silence in the group. He continued. "This token belongs to our Head Disciple and should never leave his body. If this was presented at the front entrance without him, to us it is a sign that he had been slayed. Do you have any idea what we do to those who slander our Head Disciple's name?"
Xiu'er opened her mouth to try to explain but she was cut off.
"We kill them! Head Disciple is like a god to all of us. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but he cannot be beaten that easily. He is the Head Disciple of Northern Black Crescent Sect, Successor Disciple, the only son of our Sect Leader, and the first place winner of the Pugilistic of Martial Arts Conference! Can you even start to conceive in your head how famous he is!?"
By the time he was finished, he was practically yelling into her ears.
Yes, Xiu'er said in her head and rolled her eyes. What's with your yelling. It's not that big of a deal.
"It's such a big of a deal!" The student continued to speak, as if reading her mind. "He cannot go anywhere without everyone throwing themselves to greet him with respect and recognition. Imagine the agony in that! So many people want to know you but you have to keep denying their acquaintance. So many invitations and so many meetings when you only desire to be left alone to play chess and zither." He looked down at Xiu'er. "You are just another of his admirers, aren't you? This is just another trick. The token may be fake but it looks real enough, and I don't know how you got it, but nice try deceiving us. Men! Lock them up. Go find where the Head Disciple is."
At that moment, a cheerful chuckle from the back of the room stopped the students from dragging Xiu'er and Kun Shang's group from the floor. Xiu'er raised her head to see a man dressed in long white undergarments with a classy grey robe on top. He had white shoes, a tall body, broad shoulders, and long silky hair. When she got to his face, he was extremely handsome with warm eyes, a sharp nose and pointy chin. His lips curled up into a playful smirk.
Murong Yuqi came into view holding a closed book in one hand. He had been watching the scene from the back of the room until he couldn't hold his laughter any longer. And it was a deep enriching laugh that was soft and alluring.
"I'm sorry this caused so much misunderstanding." Out of everyone in the room, his eyes had to lock with hers again. His smile grew larger. "I'm glad you came." He came up next to the student who was interrogating them and held out his hand to the student.
The student bowed to his senior brother and returned the token to its owner. "These are my guests. Please treat them well." He didn't say much after that and disappeared where he came from, leaving a trail of faint laughter.
Xiu'er didn't understand how he could remain so collected and cool like that. Even cooler than Kun Shang. And she had just realized that she was rendered speechless again.