"All of you are present here for a great purpose. This is going to be the start of your journey. Behind this gate lies your future. But before that, you have to prove yourselves worthy of crossing this gate."
"You only have to do one thing, and that is to awaken your aperture. And how to awake your aperture? We will tell you all about this. But remember, the world you are about to enter is entirely different. Your lives will be different from before. Even though you're safe in this village, outside the village lies a world that is even unknown to us completely. So, I would like to say that after becoming a cultivator, you should dedicate yourselves to the best of the Bai village."
"This way, you would be safe and develop easily in this village. According to the rules, anyone who betrays the clan will be put to death. This village has survived for generations because of its rules, so there will be no exceptions."
A man spoke, he was standing in front of a huge wooden gate that opened on two sides. This gate was covered in beautiful patterns. A sun and a moon were engraved on the two sides. In front of the gate were three stairsteps. Each stair step was as wide as four meters in width.
In front of the gate were standing six men. Their backs were facing the door, and they were looking at the kids standing in front of them. There were at least forty kids. They had all come here to learn and awaken their apertures. The man who spoke was the second elder of this academy. And the five people around him were also the elders of the academy.
It was the day for the kids to start their aperture awakening. Every year, kids around the age of fourteen would be allowed to awaken their aperture. They were not allowed to awaken their aperture without the elders of the academy, not even their parents were allowed to let their kids awaken their apertures. This was to prevent the people from becoming cultivators, who were not members of the Bai clan.
And why was it around the age of fourteen that the children were allowed to awaken their aperture? It was because, at this age, the children would be more intelligent and have more energy than in the early years. And to not delay their cultivation, everyone from the Bai clan was allowed to awaken their aperture around fourteen years.
A boy was listening to all of this with a calm expression. He did not look as excited as the other kids. It was because he had experienced this two times before.
His hair was short and pure black. His pupils and irises were as dark as they could be. He was wearing a black tight Hanfu with a red belt and wide sleeves.¹ Red wave patterns were engraved on the sleeves and chest of the Black Hanfu.
It was Yang Zhai. He was already fourteen years old this year and was standing in the middle of the crowd. Today, he was here to also awaken his aperture. Even though he could have awakened it two years ago, he did not. And today was finally the day.
"So, let's begin. First, you have to put your hand on the square to your right side. This square is a Rank 3 material, known as The Absorber. It has the ability to absorb the Essence Water. If anyone of you has awakened your aperture, this square will absorb it all" the elder continued
"Even if your aperture is empty, this square will show signs. But if you are a mortal, this square will do nothing. And remember this, if it is discovered that someone of you has already awakened their aperture, they would be imprisoned for ten years and will work for free. Ok, the first one."
After the second elder finished speaking, kids began to put their hands on The Absorber. This square was only twelve inches wide. When the fifth kid placed his hands on the square, it glowed a little before returning to normal after one second.
When the second elder saw this, his eyes narrowed. He looked at the kid and said,
"Impressive, there is someone brave enough to break the clan rules. So, tell me, how did you awaken your aperture? If I remember correctly, your parents are poor, and no one in your family is a cultivator. So, how did you manage it? Could it be? Huh, tell me, kid. Did you get help from someone, or did you— by chance— obtain an inheritance?"
Yang Zhai was seeing all of this silently from the crowd and didn't say anything.
"Forgive me, elder, I didn't mean to do it. It happened. Forgive me." When the kid saw that he was discovered, he panicked and began to ask for forgiveness with a sacred expression.
"Tell me, how did you awaken your aperture?" The second elder asked with a serious expression.
"Please forgive me, I beg you." The kid kept on repeating. He was so scared that he couldn't think about anything other than asking for forgiveness.
"Forget it. Capture him and imprison him. He will work for the clan for ten years for free" when the elder saw that the kid was too scared to say anything, he asked his servants to capture the kid.
When the kid heard this, he fell to the ground limply. He knew that his life was ruined.
Two men came and grabbed him from his arms and were just about to take him away, when,
"Elder, I have something to say," a boy's voice came from the crowd.
When the six elders heard the voice, they looked in the direction of the voice and saw a kid with short black hair.
"What is it?" One of the six elders asked.
"I want parole for him." The boy came out of the crowd and said, it was Yang Zhai.
"What do you mean?" When the second elder heard Yang Zhai, his eyes narrowed.
"I want parole for him." Yang Zhai repeated.
"That's not what I meant. I want to know what you are trying to say. Do you want to go against me?" The second elder said with a serious expression.
"No, your esteemed elder, how can I do that? I am just trying to say that according to the clan rules: if a person has just awakened the aperture and has not reached the Rank 1 mid-stage, and is only at the early stage, he can be spared, but someone must vouch for that person. And the condition is that the vouched person must not reach the Rank 1 mid-stage before his classmates. So, I would like to vouch for him, if you would allow me, second elder." Yang Zhai said. He tried to be as polite as he could. His expression was also calm. He was not scared that the elder would do something to him.
"Oh, how did you know that? I see that you have a lot of knowledge about clan rules. But what makes you so sure that I would spare him just because you are voicing for him?" The second elder spoke and looked at Yang Zhai with intrigued eyes.
"Simple, elder. Because I am convinced that you would not break the rules for just a kid. Your respectable elder said it yourself that the clan survived till now because of adhering strictly to its rules. After all, what would be the difference then?" Yang Zhai said confidently. He was implicit with his last sentence. In the end, he could not offend the second elder of the academy on his first day. He could not say that there would be no difference between the elder who also broke the rules and the kid who had already awakened his aperture and broke the rules.
"Sigh, kid, you're going to be something in the future. You have a glib tongue. What is your name?" When the elder heard this, he sighed and said? He did not feel offended at all. He had managed to reach this level, not with just a fluke. What Yang Zhai said was in his range of tolerance. And he also liked Yang Zhai's way of managing this matter.
"Thank you, elder. I am honored to hear it. My name is Yang Zhai" Yang Zhai bowed a little and said.
"Kid, your luck is good today that you were saved by this boy. And always remember your limits. Leave him," the elder looked at the boy, who was captured by his servants, and said.
"Thank you, elder, thank you," when the boy saw that he was spared and would not be imprisoned, he hurriedly bowed and thanked the elder.
"Let us continue." Another elder spoke and the others began to place their hands on the square again. Yang Zhai also placed his hands on the square and nothing happened, as he was still a mortal.
Yang Zhai had his own reasons for helping the boy from earlier. He knew that this might be an opportunity.
*****/*****
Author's note: Hanfu is also worn by men. It has a long history. It had also disappeared in history and had appeared again.