The people around Bai li yue watched her as if she was an alien.

'Miss Bai, it's not yet over' 

As usual, it was Fang shi who provided the information.

'This is the most interesting part. It's the main reason why people come to watch the tournament. It is time for the challenge round.'

'Challenges decide the final ranking. I can challenge Zheng qing, but that would be stupid. I won't gain anything by winning, but he will get my rank if he wins. I could also challenge Huang rong, but that is even more foolish than my first idea. Huang rong has never lost to me. I'll just sit and watch.' 

Lu dou explained the principle behind the challenge round.'

'I heard that one year, the first place finished in the tenth position because people hated him. They kept challenging him until he lost his position.' Fang shi supplied her with a useful tidbit that put the challenge round in perspective.

'So the audience can also challenge? I thought the round was only open to ranked students.'

'Anyone can challenge, but they'll have to pay a huge fee in order for the challenge to pass. If they win, the ranked student falls one rank.'

'I thought the winner would take the loser's rank.'

'That wouldn't be fair. We worked too hard to enter the ranking for some unknown person to just snatch a spot because of a challenge?'

She was pondering the weird rule and waiting for the challenge round to begin when she heard a gasp from the stands. Wen shan shan was standing on her folded travelling bag beside her.

'Wen shan shan, do you have something to say?' The elder raised an eyebrow in inquiry.

'Elder Fan, everyone is welcome to challenge me and i'll accept. But they should be prepared to leave a hand behind.'

Her declaration sent a wave of whispers through the crowd. 

'That Wen shan shan is too domineering. Demanding we leave behind a hand. Who does she think she is?'

Bai li yue smiled. She rather liked the girl. She had given the price. Only the bravest or the most foolhardy would dare challenge her now.

'You! Do you want to challenge me?'

Wen shan shan asked, looking at Bai li yue.

'Me?'

The group around Bai li yue tensed and looked at her as if she was crazy. Wen shan shan simply ignored the looks.

'Yes, you. Our eyes met a while back and all of a sudden i wanted to fight you. Are you woman enough to leave behind your hand?'

Bai li yue sneered. She realised that Wen shan shan was crazy. If it was trash talk, she could also do it.

'I'm sorry, but if you want to fight me, you'll have to leave behind your arm and your leg and even then, i won't be satisfied. Are you woman enough to put your life on stake?' 

Bai li yue retorted in the same vein. 

The crowd watched the play with great relish as they whispered among themselves. Who was this young lady? She looked like a member of the chores division. Why was she sitting among the ranked students. Was she perhaps the beloved of one of the ranked students?

'I am ready if you are.'

'You'd put your life at stake just because our eyes met? Why? I'm sorry, but i cherish my life more than you do. i want to live for a long long time so no, but thank you for the offer.' Bai li yue rolled her eyes at the girl's thirst for battle. 

Wen shan shan pulled her sword out and pointed it in Bai li yue's direction. Bai li yue frowned. She'd already said no. What else did she want? She felt a wave of anger rise from her chest. 

'Miss Bai, calm down. it wouldn't be fair to fight her.' 

Huang rong, at her side spoke in a calming voice. He didn't like where things were headed. 

'She doesn't even know me. Does she think i'm scared of her?'

'Let me take care of it.' He offered even though Bai li yue didn't ask for it. 

'Wen shan shan, i won't go as far to say that i'll take a hand, but taking your finger isn't beyond me. Do you dare?'

'Hey! Why are you hiding behind a man? Come on!'

She ignored Huang rong completely as if he hadn't spoken. 

'Wen shan shan, i, second place Huang rong, challenge you!'

'Enough!' 

A voice bellowed from the stand seating the elders. A figure flew out of his chair and floated down beside the elder on the stage. He quickly bowed to the arriving figure.

'Second elder.'

Qi rong fei nodded at the elder and turned his gaze on the offending students. His presence exerted a slight pressure on the assemblage that forced them to look at the floor. Bai li yue shrugged it off like a fish in the sea and returned to her seat.

' As the elder in charge of this year's tournament, i reserve the right to veto the previous challenges. Wen shan shan, Huang rong: both of you are talented students. The first and second place cannot be taken from you. As for the rest of you, is there anyone who wishes to challenge another person?'

The pressure on the students didn't let up while he asked his question. If anything, it increased until a few students were panting and gasping for breath.

'No? Good.'

The pressure dominating the whole arena vanished in an instant.

'Now that the challenge round has ended, i have an important announcement to make. The ten ranked students will enter the inner sect as announced. Since there weren't any challenges, the prizes for the final ranking no longer apply.'

The first three who were hoping to get a prize for their effort were disappointed. As for the rest, they hadn't expected to receive any prize in the first place. 

'Before you get too disappointed, i have some good news. The ten of you will all be under my guidance for the next four months. If you do well, you'll join your senior brothers and sisters of the inner sect for the provincial tournament. I have seen what you all fight. I look forward to seeing what you're capable of.'

He flew back to the stand as the news made waves among the students. Just like that the competition came to an end.

'Lu dou, what just happened?'

'Huang rong, am i dreaming?'

Zheng qing and Fang shi spoke at the same time. 

'You heard correctly. The second elder will be instructing us and if we work hard, we might get a chance to go to the provincial tournament.'

'Let's work hard. The inner sect is not the end. It's the beginning for us.'

They all nodded at Wang do's short exuberant speech. 

The tournament was over. It had ended without the excitement of previous years, but the students were excited about other things. The provincial tournament would be taking place in the purple wind sect not far away from them, so most were planning to attend. The winning sect of the provincial tournament won a set number of spots for the national tournament. Where the student could be recruited by higher ranked sects. That was the dream of those who entered the inner sect. It was just a stepping stone to enter a higher ranked sect.

Wen shan shan had disappeared after the announcement. She must have already arrived at the inner sect since she came with her bag.

'Miss Bai, we are going back to our courtyard to celebrate. Would you like to join us?' 

Lu dou asked in his usual shy manner. She'd gotten on better terms with the group after spending the day with them. It didn't seem like a bad idea to hang out with them one more time before they entered the inner sect.

'I won't be seeing you all for a long time so i'll join you all to celebrate your admission into the inner sect.'

The group of them returned in high spirits to their courtyard. Lu dou and huang rong strolled dutifully beside Bai li yue who watched the antics of the remaining three with a lighthearted smile.

The courtyard had a large low wooden table that could accommodate their entire group. Wang do brought out three jars of fermented wine. 

'Miss Bai' he poured her a cup. 'I brewed this wine last week so it isn't very strong.'

She took a small sip and rolled the wine on her tongue. It tasted fruity and slightly fermented. It was good. She hadn't drank any alcohol since she arrived in this new world.

Lu dou was in the kitchen cooking. He came out from time to time with a cooked dish that disappeared the minute Bai li yue took a portion for herself. She ate and drank till she began to feel a bit tipsy. The wine was stronger than she'd imagined. Huang rong noticed her condition and scolded Wang do. 

'Why are you scolding him. We are celebrating, aren't we? There must be wine at a party, no? My friend, Wang do, let me reward you for making good wine.'

She tapped the area where her pockets should be but found nothing. 

'Huh? Where are my pockets? Did they run off? Hmm… i should give him a gift though. I already said i would. What can i give him? She crawled to Wang do's side. They stared at her, waiting to find out what she was doing.

'Hold on, will you accept the gift of knowledge?'

He nodded slowly, no clue what she was talking about. Bai li yue closed her eyes in thought. Her body listed to the side but she righted herself in time. 

'You kicked so many people today. Why do you use your feet when you have a sword? Be careful otherwise, someone will take off your leg.'

It's not that Wang do hadn't thought of the possibility; he had. His fighting style required the use of his four limbs to move like a tornado, attacking with all his extremities.

If my hand can't reach you, then i'll use my legs. 

'You should try turning your feet into blades.' She grabbed a cup of wine and swallowed. She came up with a violent cough as the matured wine burned her throat.

'Miss Bai, what do you mean?' He asked like a drowning man spotting a lifeline.

'The shop is closed for the day.'

Zhengqing offered her a cup of water to calm her coughing. When her breathing finally returned to normal, he asked 

'Miss Bai, what about me? Won't you reward me?'

'Who are you?'

'Zhengqing.'

'Ahhh. I don't have any gifts. My pockets run away.'

'I'll accept a gift of knowledge. You don't know this, but i have vowed to repay the people who took my sister away.' He narrated his sorrowful story. The others had heard it a few times by now and were getting immune to his sob story. He only recounted that story when he needed to look pitiful. To Bai li yue who was hearing it for the first time, the effect was as expected. She sniffed and wiped away her tears. 

'Zhengqing, you have to pay them back and avenge your sister. I would deal with them for you, but a personal vendetta requires that you do it with your own hands. Let me think. Why do you fight with two weapons?'

'Because two weapons are better than one.'

'Do you remember what happened today? People are afraid of you. Only those who can take you on will fight you. The others will never under estimate you, but sometimes… sometimes, you need to be underestimated.'

'You want me to carry one sword?'

She nodded.

'No.'

'Don't look down on using one sword. Imagine changing hands in the middle of a fight. Imagine one sword that conceals another within it. One sword becomes two. Two swords become one. Imagine the possibilities.'

Zhengqing took a moment to analyse her words before jumping to his feet. He unsheathed one sabre and began to train according to the ideas she'd advanced.

Fang shi slid close to her and grinned.

'Ehh Miss Bai, everyone is getting gifts. Are you going to discriminate against me?'

Her wine jar had disappeared and had been replaced by a jar of water, but she needed to sober up anyway. She drank a few more cups as she watched zhengqing in training. She laughed at fang shi's barely veiled coaxing.

'Unsheathing your sabre shouldn't turn you into a madman. If it does, control it and then learn when to unleash and withdraw the madness.'

'Thank you.'

He joined Wang do who was pondering on her words. Huang rong was the only one of them left sitting.

Is he also expecting a reward? 

He smiled and sipped his drink without speaking.

He wasn't shameless like the others.

'I don't have anything to reward you with.'

'I am not the least bit disappointed.'

She stared long and hard at Huang rong. She liked him. He had character for one so young and she was a good judge of character. The next words were for his ears only so she directed her words to him. They were for his ears only.

'Friendship doesn't mean you all have the same destiny. One day all of your friends will leave and you will have to make a choice between staying and leaving. If you choose to make this sect your home, you won't lose out. Who knows? You might even go further than anyone expected.' 

He inclined his head in thought and went back to drinking his wine. Night had fallen already and she'd eaten and drank her fill. She watched the young men training without letting up... every minute was precious to them. She suddenly felt motivated to also cultivate; to grab every opportunity that came her way. She jumped to her feet.

'I'm going. Tell Lu dou to be a better actor. Not every opponent he meets will be as blind as Ao wei.' 

She tossed out the last piece of advice before leaving the courtyard.