I wake up to find Elder Zhu leaning over me, his qi flowing through me as he performs some kind of healing art. “Congratulations Little Miss Lin, you have cleansed your heart meridian and broken through to the second level of Qi Awakening. Very impressive.” 

“Did I pass the test, Elder Zhu?” I ask, worried. Maybe I had taken too long to get up the stairs. Maybe-

“Yes, Little Miss. You passed the test. I daresay, you impressed Elder Yu. Very few people can remain standing on those last steps.” The Elder retracts his qi and pulls out a bottle of water, gently lifting my body up to help me drink. “The second test will begin in a few hours. Rest until then.”

I nod. I wiggle my broken leg, only to find it completely healed. “Thank you Elder Zhu.”

“Of course, Little Miss Lin. Think nothing of it.” Elder Zhu stands up and walks away to talk to Elder Yu.

I take a moment to study the inside of the sect, the small huts that are lining the outside of the pavilion that I am resting in fill my view, but I can barely make out larger buildings peeking out over the huts. Streams flow everywhere through the sect grounds, small statues built around the places where the streams intersect.

“Sister Lin!” A familiar voice calls out. I sit up and into the lotus position as the  girl I had met at the bottom of the staircase runs over to greet me. 

“Sister Xia.” I greet her, smiling softly at her excitement.

She sits on her knees in front of me, smiling wildly with excitement. “I was worried that you wouldn’t pass when I saw you fall.” I freeze at those words “Who would’ve thought that you would walk up the final steps! It was amazing to watch.” 

My smile falters when I realize that she saw me fall. How embarrassing. How many other people saw that? I’ll never live it down if the entire sect saw me on my knees crying. “H-how many people saw me crying?” I ask in a whisper.

“Oh, um… I’m sure no one else noticed.” Sister Xia answers, a little flustered by my embarrassment. 

I look around at the other disciples, most of whom are resting and talking in small groups. “Hopefully.” I say.

Jing Xia is quiet after that and I start to feel a little bad at how dismissive I was being of her.

“So… What made you decide to join this sect?” I say, coming up with anything to keep the conversation going.

Her face goes dark for a moment before her smile comes back full force, “The patriarch of the Flowing River Sect is a woman named Hua Wang. She is the only female patriarch in the six great sects. So, for obvious reasons,”  She motions to her body. “I decided to become a disciple here.”

It takes me a moment to realize that she is talking about her own gender as a reason. “Oh.” I say in response. I look up at her, wondering why her gender has anything to do with joining a sect.

To my annoyance, Sister Xia suddenly picks me up and puts me in her lap. “What about you, Sister Lin? Why did you choose this sect? With your cultivation and age, I imagine that many sects would be glad to have you.” 

“Uncle Zhu is an elder in the sect, of course I would come here.” I answer, flustered at her closeness, as Sister Xia admires the hairpin my servants had me use.

“You know Elder Zhu? How lucky of you.” She says turning my head to face her. “I’ve been meaning to mention this for a while, but would you like me to help you clean your makeup?”

I blush as I realize how hideous my face must look. I quickly cover my face with my sleeves and nod at Sister Xia.

She smiles and lifts me up in her arms effortlessly. “We’re lucky that there are so many streams in this sect.” She says as she carries me towards the closest stream. 

I frown at the fact that I am being carried like an invalid, and by another woman no less. She doesn’t see my frown because I keep my face covered by my sleeves.

I am about to give her a piece of my mind, when someone else speaks.

“Jing Xia? Is that you?” Sister Xia stiffens as the male voice spoke up from behind her.

“Gang Lu.” Sister Xia sets me down and bows to the boy, her fist in her palm. The bow of a martial artist, not the bow of a servant. However, she doesn’t rise from her bow.

I peek through my sleeves at the boy. Gang Lu, I remember him and his name, the Lu family is a minor noble house under the Lin family. Gang Lu is the middle child of Heng Lu, the patriarch of the Lu family.

I’d only seen him once before, when my father had gathered all the houses bound to him, for my mother’s birthday. He had been ten years old then, which makes him fifteen now. 

His face is very angular, a common trait of the Lu family, His clothes are well kept and the two boys behind him are likely servants or lackeys of some kind.

Wait! Why did another noble have to appear when my face is looking hideous? If he were to see it now, my father’s reputation would be ruined.

“I am surprised that you would dare show your face here Jing Xia, after what happened with the Wei family.” Gang Lu interrupts my internal screaming with some interesting information.

The Wei family? They were a powerful noble family to the east. What does Sister Xia have to do with them?

“I am a free woman, Gang Lu.” Sister Xia responds, still not rising.

“We will see how long you can keep saying that.” Gang Lu laughs. “I wonder what would happen if you were prevented from joining the sect?” A smile appears on Gang Lu’s face, the smile holds some kind of emotion that I don’t understand. It makes me want to throw up.

Sister Xia starts trembling with fear. 

How dare he? The thought penetrates my mind with a fury. JIng Xia is mine! How dare he threaten her? 

An angry smile comes to my face as I remember the veil that the servants had made sure I carried with my dress. I will have to remember to reward them when I get a chance.

“Of course I might find it in my heart to help you. If you submit yourself to me.” He says.

Laughter burst out of me as I finish putting my veil on. 

Everyone turns their attention to me.

“My my, Gang Lu.” I say, covering my mouth with my palm. “You sound just like the villain from a bad play. How the mighty house of Lu has fallen.”

“Who are you?” He asks, caution in his tone.

“You don’t remember me? I guess that makes sense. It has been five years since we last met after all.” I respond, wishing I had some kind of fan to complete my appearance. Every proper lady in the imperial court has a fan. “I can’t wait to tell my father, Fang Lin, that the middle son of the Lu family is resorting to threats in order to get women in his bed.” I put my finger to my chin in thought, “I wonder what he would think if I told him that you had threatened me.”

“Lady Lin.” Gang Lu bows to me, the two men behind him following suit. “How could I not recognize such a beautiful figure such as yourself. Forgive this lowly one for his mistake.” 

I turn to Jing Xia with a smile. “Sister Xia, you may rise from your bow. Gang Lu is not worthy of such respect.”

Gang Lu freezes, “Sister Xia?” He whispers to himself.

Sister Xia rises from her bow slowly, turning to me with an assessing look.

“Do not follow us Gang Lu and if I catch you doing such things again, I won’t hesitate to tell my father.” I turn away from him and motion towards the stream, “Let’s continue Sister Xia.”

I walk to the stream with my chest puffed in pride. I showed him. 

“I do not think that was wise Lady Lin. I am not the kind of person one such as you wants to be associated with.” Sister Xia says as we arrive at the stream. 

She lifts my veil to wash my face, allowing me to see her troubled look.

I frown at her words, my chest deflating. “Do not call me Lady Lin. Please call me Sister Lin.”

Sister Xia pauses with her cloth on my cheek, then nods, a smile spreading across her face. “It was fun to watch you put Gang Lu in his place, Sister Lin.”

“He was being a bully.” I answer.

Sister Xia laughs, dipping her cloth back into the water.

“What?” I ask as I close my eye for her cloth.

“For a moment there, I forgot how young you are. You act so much like an adult.” Sister Xia finishes her last touches and puts the cloth into a pocket of her dress.

“I’m twelve years old.” I say with a small pout.

“Exactly.” Sister Xia responds seriously. “Maybe I should start having you call me Senior Sister Xia.”

I frown up at her. “Maybe I should have you call me Senior Sister Lin.” 

Sister Xia just chuckles. 

  The second test happens an hour or so after that, Elder Yu simply takes each of us aside and interviews us, asking strange questions about our past and what we would do in certain situations

I answer each of the questions he asks me quickly, until one particular question grabs my attention. “Disciple Lin, what would you do if you found out your father was in trouble, but the sect ordered you to not leave the sect’s grounds?”

“Would I be able to help my father?” I ask.

“Let’s say that you could.” Elder Yu replies.

“Then I would ignore the sect’s order.” I answer. What kind of a question was that? Of course I would help my father. 

My thoughts must have shown on my face because Elder Yu smiled, “If you ignored an order from the sect, you may not be able to come back.”

I furrow my eyebrows at him. “And…? My father is my father. He will always be more important to me.” 

“Your father is lucky to have such a loyal daughter.” Elder Yu nods his head. Folding his hands inside his robe, he asks another question. His voice gains a mechanical tone, almost as if he is reading off a script. “To gain power through conflict, to gain power through luck, to gain power through others, or to gain power through enlightenment. Which would you choose?”

I bite my lip in thought, bringing to mind Lady Da Shi. She had always told me to get rid of the habit, but I could never quite manage it.  “I would choose to gain power through enlightenment.” 

“Why?” 

“Because I would rather gain power through my own ability and perseverance, not through the luck of the heavens or the power of others.” I answer, the words flowing through my mouth as if someone else were speaking them.

“Are you truly twelve?” Elder Yu asks, studying me intently.

I nod, giving him a big smile. “My mother and father raised me well.”

“They did indeed. Tell me Disciple Lin, how did you unlock your qi at such a young age?” Elder Yu asks.

I don’t think he asked that question to the others. “I don’t know.” I answer “I think that mother helped me. She showed me what to do.” 

“Your mother? Didn’t she pass away three years ago?” Elder Yu’s gaze becomes sharp “How could she help you?”

His gaze reminds me of where I am, causing me to shake my head. “I don’t know. It was just a silly thought.”

Elder Yu doesn’t speak for a moment, just studying me. “I see.”  He moves over to me and pats me on the head. “Congratulations Jia Lin, you have passed the second test. Please wait with the others behind me.” 

In the end, twenty three of the forty disciples pass the second test. 

I wonder at what you had to do to pass through this test, after all, I know that some of the answers that I gave Elder Yu were not the answers he was looking for.

Elder Yu turns to the disciples who had passed and says “We have tested your perseverance.” He motions towards the stairway we all climbed.  “The path of cultivation is not easy and you have proven that you can surpass the obstacles ahead of you.” He brings his arms back and folds them in his sleeves. “We have tested your mind and you have proven that you have the intelligence to study the path of cultivation. Now I will test your loyalty” He motions with his hand, causing a blue line to appear in front of him. “All you need to do is cross this line.” 

Sighs of relief come from the disciples all around me.

“But be warned.” The shadows creep up from all around Elder Yu, covering his face. “If you wish harm to this sect or anyone in it. You will die as soon as you cross this line.” The shadows disappear as if they never existed, showing a bright smile on the Elder’s face. “If you wish, you may skip this test and stay an outer disciple.”

No one moves, until a boy a few years older than me bows to Elder Yu, fist to palm. “Elder, I wish to skip this test.” 

Elder Yu nods. “Very well.” With a flick of the Elder’s hand, the boy is sent flying through the gate and down the stairs.

No one moves after that.

“Jia Lin, if you would go first?” Elder Yu asks.

I freeze as the other disciples look around their group, not knowing who I am. 

I gulp and step forward. “O-of course Elder Yu.”

Slowly, I walk forward until I am right in front of the line.

Closing my eyes, I take a step forward.