“Today marks one week since you’ve entered Sweeping Rain Academy. In the past week, you’ve been given free reign to learn as much as you can from the tier zero cultivation manuals in the academy library — let’s see how you did!” 

Elder Flame gestured to us all, and said, “Put up your hand if you found a manual.”

Everyone’s hand went up. Well, that’s about what I expected, considering I hadn’t seen anyone past the first day...

“Good, good! Keep your hand up if you managed to cultivate it.”

Everyone’s hand stayed up. Hmm. Was this something to worry about?

“That’s great! As you all likely know, tier zero is the absolute floor of cultivation — if you’re a vi master, you can make it through tier zero. Unless you’re... well, stupid, you can make it,” he snorted. “All you need to do is gain enough essence to break through three times, and it doesn’t even need pure essence. It’s so easy a toddler could do it!”

Well, that made me feel a little bad about myself. I hadn’t really made much progress yet, after all... But I could blame those stupid scarlet vines for that!

“How many of you have broken through to tier zero middle stage?” Elder Flame asked.

I glanced around. Almost everyone’s hand had gone down, save for a boy in the front, a girl in the back, and... one of Morning’s lackeys? What? It didn’t look like I was the only person seeing this, either.

Morning quickly grabbed her lackey’s hand and put it down for her. Everyone collectively nodded in understanding at the action — yeah, they were just not the brightest.

“Keep in mind,” Elder Swan interrupted, crossing her arms. “If you lie about your cultivation, and a master offers you a position as their disciple, they will find out the moment they go to leave the bonding mark on your aperture.”

The boy in the front blanched and put down his hand, but when I glanced behind again, the girl in back still had her hand up... she was completely expressionless. Who was— Wait! This was that girl that had the exquisite physique!

“Interesting,” a third elder murmured. Elder Gecko? “What method are you cultivating, Azure Cloud?”

The girl didn’t say anything, just stared at the third elder expressionlessly. Finally she raised her shoulders in a half-shrug, as if saying that she would say, but she simply could not! Maybe for reasons outside her control? Whether or not that was actually the case was beyond me, though.

“Very well. I get the message,” Elder Gecko chuckled, then turned to Elder Flame. “Hey, I know you only just started, but can I take her as my disciple?”

Elder Flame frowned, turning to look at Elder Swan, who rolled her eyes and said, “You can wait until the end like the rest of us. Besides, you’re not alone in wanting Miss Azure Cloud.”

I glanced back at Azure Cloud; it was pretty odd seeing the girl like she was, remaining completely expressionless at this talk about her... It was as if it had nothing to do with her. What a strange girl.

“Fine, fine,” Elder Gecko said, and Elder Flame continued.

“On the first day, we instructed you to choose a manual that seemed suitable. We allowed you to complete this task at your own pace, and we remained accessible for if you needed advice. 

“This was to mirror what cultivation is like for a vi master — we find or create techniques that seem suitable to us, we work at it at our own pace, and we ask our peers and elders for help, when we need it. Sometimes, the techniques that we find or create don’t work out, and when that happens, we sell them, donate them, or discard them, and move on to the next. We don’t often stick with something that isn’t working well for us.

“Now,” Elder Flame scratched his head. “Who of you just stuck with the first manual you found that sounded cool? Raise your hands. It’s okay if you did — any of you that admit it will be given additional help in finding a more suitable manual, plus... Ummm...” he tilted his head for a moment as if trying to remember. “Right, yeah, you’ll also get an additional allowance of Spirit Stones now! However, you will not be qualified to be chosen as a disciple, if you take this offer.”

About half of the kids around me raised their hands, and my eyes widened in surprise. Really? None of them put more effort into it than that? They’d all just picked something that sounded cool? That... that was... pitiful... And a bit confusing.

But... on the other hand, I supposed they were all ten-year-olds, maybe it made sense that they would be a little... naïve about this.

“Very well,” Elder Flame nodded, as though this were expected. I guess each year had similar results, maybe? 

“Each of you,” Elder Swan started. “Please stand up and form a single file line; we’ll hand out your extra Spirit Stones and then we’ll ask you to return to your rooms. Tomorrow, at the same time, be here for supplementary lessons and additional guidance on choosing a manual.”

The kids all got up and began shuffling over to the line, during which Elder Flame continued. “As for the rest of you, I have Merits to award. First up is Mid—”

“Golden Flame,” Elder Swan stopped him. Wait, was Elder Flame going to say my name? He wasn’t, was he? Why would he say my name? What were Merits?

“Hmm?” Elder Flame asked, obviously perturbed to be interrupted.

Elder Swan rolled her eyes at him again and then turned towards us. “Raise your hand if you don’t know what Merits are.”

Most of us raised our hands, including me. Elder Swan then gave Elder Flame a look, who went a bit red and sputtered. “So... I forgot, okay?”

After a moment he collected himself, stroking his wispy beard absentmindedly. “Ahhem! Well. Merits are awarded to students that perform well in a task we’ve assigned, or even to students that have simply impressed us. Merits can be spent on many things in Sweeping Rain Academy, such as Spirit Stones, vi plants, and more. I will note that you cannot be awarded Merits by your own master, if you become the disciple of one today. Any questions?”

At least a third of the kids’ hands immediately went up, but that just annoyed me because I wanted to know if he was going to say my name. Was he? Why would I deserve Merits?

Elder Flame looked a bit overwhelmed at the number of hands raised, and glanced worriedly towards Elder Swan, who rolled her eyes a third time, and turned to address us. “If you want to see a full list of the things you can get with Merits, go to the Treasure Hall. Does that answer your questions?”

Every one of the hands went back down. Yes! 

Go on... go on...

“Ahh! Thank you once more, Elder Swan,” Elder Flame cleared his throat. “Now... the first Merits to award are to Midland Stonewall” — I began to pout. Oh well. — “for assisting Redwood Breeze and a few other of your peers in finding a cultivation manual that suited them when you didn’t have to.” Elder Flame conjured a small disc and tossed it out, and it gently landed in a boy’s hands, who was blushing up a storm. “For that, you have earned five Merits.

“Next up is Azure Cloud, for being the first to reach tier zero middle stage. For that you have earned one hundred Merits,” the elder with wispy white hair said, tossing out a second disc.

Good lord that was a lot of Merits! Being first was lucrative!

“Then we have... oh, this one is Demerits,” Elder Flame frowned, scratching his head again.

Elder Swan explained: “When one of your teachers, elders, or your master sees fit to punish you, they can give you Demerits. Each Demerit cancels out one Merit, but there are no further consequences. If you have Demerits with no Merits, the Demerits will remain until you have enough Merits to cancel them out.”

Elder Flame nodded, continuing, “Morning Rain, for openly scheming against one of your peers, you receive fifty Demerits...” 

My eyes widened, and I watched as a disc landed in my sister’s lap. She choked, and then I was pretty sure I was seeing tears on her cheeks... then she spun to face me with the biggest glare yet... Oh, heck! What was I in for now?!

I shrugged helplessly, trying to explain that I didn’t do it... But she just scoffed, looking down at the disc and pretty obviously trying not to sob.

...Well, she did kinda deserve it though.

Meanwhile, Elder Flame had turned to look at Elder Swan. “Wait, fifty?” he asked. “That’s a lot...”

Elder Swan gave a long, exasperated sigh. “This type of behaviour will not be tolerated at Sweeping Rain Academy.”

“Well, okay,” the older guy shrugged. “Anyway, next up is Midnight Rain.” Wait... what? I was called on! “For heavily researching cultivation manuals in order to find a manual ideal to you, you have earned five Merits.”

Elder Swan explained that, too: “Researching; trying many things; considering, but not blindly following the advice of others... These are all very, very important traits for a vi master!”

I felt my cheeks warming, and as the disc floated down into my hands, I stared down at it, embarrassed.

“Son,” Elder Flame asked. “If I may ask, what cultivation method did you settle on, after all the time you spent researching?”

I blanched just like that boy from earlier had. What was I supposed to do? Could I tell him that? Wouldn’t I just be made fun of by more people? Could I just do what Azure Cloud did and hide it?

That said, even if I did hide it, how long would it even stay hidden? This was a really risky situation, and I had no idea what to say!

I realised after a moment that my mouth was open, and I closed it, a bit embarrassed. Hesitating for a moment, I sighed and nervously curled a lock of hair around my fingers. 

You know what...? Whatever, it was gonna come out at some point anyway! I opened my mouth once more, and said, “The Yin Cultivation Method.”

The reaction was pretty much instant. Nearly every elder and teacher froze what they were doing, even the ones handling the still diminishing line of kids collecting their extra Spirit Stones. None of the kids reacted, though, not even Morning Rain, who seemed thoroughly distracted by her Demerits still. Maybe they didn’t react because none of them knew what yin energy was?

Elder Flame blinked a couple times, obviously very surprised. He turned to Elder Swan. “Did... did you know that...?”

She nodded, shrugging helplessly. 

He furrowed his brow. “Midnight Rain, son, you do realise that... yin stuff is more for girls, right? It’s the yang stuff you want.”

I pushed through my embarrassment. You know what? Screw it. They’d figure out what I was doing eventually anyway, I might as well try and get a couple spitting blood right now, right?

“I am a girl, Elder Flame,” I smiled weakly, not able to help but blush a little.

And that is how I came to have every single student and teacher and elder staring at me like I was insane. Morning Rain’s attention was finally caught, too, and her Demerits were forgotten as she just stared at me, mouth wide open.

...But nobody spat blood! What! Don’t tell me that was for nothing?

Morning Rain closed her mouth first, just shaking her head and rubbing her temples. Then I heard a loud gasp from Elder Flame. “Like, really? Or just in your head?”

Oh my god, he did not just go there. I frowned. “What’s in my robes is none of your business.”

Another elder spoke up, a very pretty woman with golden hair that I didn’t recognise. “Say that somehow what you’re saying is true...” she started. “Whether or not you like it, your body right now contains mostly yang energy. I can understand if you want to go for a path that uses a yin-type energy, in which case starting with a method like the Yin Cultivation Method would make sense... But it’s not going to be compatible with your body, and... I’m honestly surprised you were able to cultivate in the first place.” 

The woman brushed her hair back before continuing, “That being said, Midnight, your aptitude is less than 1%, right? If you’re also cultivating a method like that, it might take you years just to progress through tier zero... Heaven knows, it might take you decades...”

I shrugged. “Well, unless you become my master, Elder, what I cultivate is my own business. I’ll impress you yet, I’m sure.”

There was some whispering around me and I shifted a bit uncomfortably. You know, thinking about it further, I was pretty sure I’d actually just made a mistake... Stupid pressure making me act on my dumb whims! By doing this before I’d seen any progress in changing my body, hadn’t I basically just made it harder to exist before anyone would’ve noticed anyway? And beyond that, I hadn’t even known if that goal was taboo! If it had been, what would I have even done to salvage the situation?

Given all of this, why in the world had I thought it would be a good idea to come out of the closet at all, let alone to every single person simultaneously? 

Like... seriously. I swear, I was going to make myself spit blood at my stupidity before I made anyone else do it. Why had I done it? Was it because I’d managed to make people think I was a girl just last night? Had that boosted my confidence, or something?

Well... okay. Yeah, honestly, it probably had. 

At this point, I was fairly sure that I had a cultivation method that could do what I wanted, and while yes, it might take ages... I’d be a girl in the end. That was all that mattered. And, because it was all that mattered, situations like this? They wouldn’t even come close to putting out that bright flame of confidence growing inside me.

And besides, by coming out in this way, I’d already proved that I was confident, hadn’t I? Maybe that would stave off some of the teasing I would’ve gotten otherwise!

The one problem I was realising was that by doing this, I’d likely lowered everyone’s expectations of me even further, which would mean I was even less likely to become the disciple of a powerful vi master... or a vi master at all, actually. They probably all took me as a useless idiot, or something... and that would make this not worth it, not at all.

Finally, the elder with the golden hair shook her head, rubbing her temples again. “Okay, well, fine. You’re allowed that, I suppose.”

“Good luck, son!” Elder Flame smiled. “Err, I mean, good luck Miss Midnight Rain!”

Nevermind, it was all worth it after all.