Chapter 1

# 1

Chapter 1: Qingyu City

The place where the carriage arrived was called Qingyu City.

It was not a large place, with only one road, Qingyu Road, connecting the east and west, and there was only one inn.

"Mr. Han, who is this kid? He looks a lot like you. Surely, he's not a child you secretly had somewhere else, right?"

People murmured and looked at his uncle.

"Really! What are you talking about? This child is my nephew from the main house. It's natural that he looks a bit like me."

The uncle answered proudly and led Han Li to the back of the inn. There was a path behind the building that connected to other buildings. Pointing to a room, he said in a gentle tone,

"Han Li, you can rest here for a while. When someone from the inner sect comes, they will call you. I need to go out and talk to some people."

After finishing his words, the uncle was about to leave in a hurry but then continued,

"Don't wander around on your own. This place looks small, but the paths are complicated, and it's easy to get lost. It's best not to go outside."

"Yes, Uncle."

Hearing Han Li's loud response, he finally left the room with peace of mind.

As soon as his uncle left the room, Han Li threw his luggage on the floor and sprawled out on the bed.

He fell into a deep sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, without even having time to feel the unfamiliarity. It was late in the evening when a worker brought food.

It wasn't a feast, but it was very delicious. The worker waited quietly by his side until Han Li finished eating, then took the empty bowl and left the room. At this moment, Han Zhiyan slowly entered the room.

"How are you? Do you want to go home?"

"Huh? I miss my mother, but I'm fine."

The uncle seemed satisfied with Han Li's answer. He continued to talk about the things he had experienced and the people he had met, which made Han Li feel as if he had escaped the stuffy atmosphere of the unfamiliar space. As a result, a smile appeared on Han Li's face for the first time in a long while.

* * *

Two days passed.

Just as Han Li was getting used to life there, a large carriage stopped in front of the inn.

In front of the carriage, which emitted a black light, was a famous horse with white spots that could leap a hundred miles in one bound.

People gathered to see the carriage. What caught their attention was a black flag with a silver border and a red edge.

Inside the flag, the character 'Xian (顯)' exuded a mysterious aura.

Seeing the flag, even the old men from the Jianghu who had come from afar knew that the person in the carriage was from one of the two major leaders of the region, the Qixian Sect.

The Qixian Sect, also known as the 'Seven-Colored Sect,' was founded 200 years ago by the 'Seven-Colored Immortal.' At one time, it was so famous that it dominated the Jingzhou area for decades.

However, when the 'Seven-Colored Immortal' fell ill, the Qixian Sect's power plummeted, and it was driven out of Jingzhou by a coalition of other sects.

After that, the Qixian Sect settled in the secluded Luoye Mountain at the edge of Jingzhou.

They started again as a small local power and gradually expanded their territory.

Now, they control ten small cities, including Qingyu City, and have 3,000 to 4,000 disciples. The Qixian Sect has become one of the two major leaders, alongside the Alang Gang.

The Alang Gang, which rivals the Qixian Sect, was formed by bandits who plundered the Jingzhou area and some corrupt officials.

The Alang Gang retains the nature of a bandit group, often brutally killing people and plundering villages.

Moreover, they often covet the fertile lands of the Qixian Sect, leading to frequent conflicts between the two groups.

Due to the frequent attacks by the Alang Gang, the leaders of the Qixian Sect sought a solution and decided to recruit more inner sect disciples to strengthen their ranks. This is why Han Li came here.

* * *

The man who got out of the carriage was thin but very agile. He seemed to know the place well and walked briskly to the inn where Han Zhiyan was.

Han Li's uncle bowed deeply as soon as he saw this man.

"Mr. Li Hoshi, why did you come here in person?"

"Hah!"

Li Hoshi looked at the uncle with a haughty expression and snorted.

"The elders have ordered me to bring the children here personally. The road hasn't been safe these past few days, and several people have encountered trouble. Time is of the essence, so let's skip the unnecessary talk. Is this the child you recommended?"

"Yes, that's right. This child is my nephew from the main house. Please take good care of him."

The uncle bowed and handed Li Hoshi a bulging bag. Li Hoshi glanced inside the bag, and his stiff expression relaxed.

"You know how to do things! I'll take good care of your nephew, so don't worry. It's late, so let's leave now."

* * *

Han Li followed the man to a place where about thirty children were already boarding the carriage. The smell of sweat and the old carriage mixed, assaulting his nose. Han Li quickly curled up his thin body and moved to a corner to observe the other children.

The children who came for the entrance exam were noticeably divided into three groups. The most noticeable was a boy dressed in silk, who sat in the best seat.

Later, he learned that the boy's name was Wu Ye, and he was the oldest. Although he was over the age limit, no one questioned it because his cousin sister was married to one of the leaders of the Qixian Sect. Wu Ye had been practicing martial arts since he was young, so while he wasn't outstanding, he was clearly better than the other children.

The children called Wu Ye 'Young Master Wu Ye' or 'Brother Wu Ye' and followed him. The children surrounding Wu Ye came from various backgrounds.

However, most of them had grown up in the city and knew well how to distinguish between the strong and the weak. These children formed the second group.

The last group was children like Han Li, who had grown up in the countryside, living off the land and nature. They lived in extreme poverty but had a strong will.

However, there were only a few of these children, and they were intimidated by the others, so they couldn't speak up loudly.

They just watched Wu Ye's group, who were making a lot of noise.

Han Li's heart was a mix of excitement and fear as he watched them.

* * *

The carriage left Qingyu City and headed west without stopping, picking up more children along the way.

After five days of continuous travel, they arrived at the main gate of the Qixian Sect.

"Why did you arrive so late, disciple? You are two days behind schedule."

"Headman An Hongbai, the road was dangerous, and we were delayed. I apologize for the inconvenience."

Li Hoshi spoke very politely, his previous haughty expression completely gone.

"How many times have you brought children to the mountain?"

"This is the seventeenth time."

"Hmm..."

The headman looked at Li Hoshi and then glanced at the children.

"Take the children to the guest quarters to rest today. The disciple selection exams will start tomorrow. Those who fail will be sent down the mountain immediately to avoid any violations of the rules."

"Yes, Headman."

The children who climbed the mountain were all excited, knowing that this place would determine their fate.

Li Hoshi led the children, smiling and greeting the people they met on the path.

Most of the people they met seemed to be skilled in martial arts, as their movements were precise and they remained composed even on the rugged mountain path.

When Han Li and the children reached a relatively low peak, they found a mud-built shelter.

They spent the night there. The children, exhausted, fell asleep quickly, and Han Li, tense, also soon fell asleep.

* * *

When the children woke up, Li Hoshi took them to a steep hill covered with bamboo without giving them breakfast.

There, Headman An Hongbai and some young people were waiting with stern expressions.

Headman An spoke loudly to the children.

"Listen carefully. Follow the small path through the bamboo grove, and you will reach a cliff where you will train your bones. The first section is the bamboo forest, the second is the rock face, and the last is the mountain cliff. Only those who reach the top of the cliff can officially join the Qixian Sect. If you don't reach the top by noon, you won't become a formal disciple. However, depending on your attitude, you might be named as a named disciple."

Han Li didn't understand what a 'named disciple' meant, but he understood that he needed to climb the mountain.

The mountain in front of him was thick with roots and tall, thin bamboo, which didn't seem too difficult.

When Headman An finished speaking, the atmosphere among the children changed completely. He continued as the sun rose.

"It's time to start. Prepare to leave! Don't be afraid. Your senior brothers will protect you from behind."

Han Li turned and glanced at the people standing behind. They were probably the disciples who had entered the sect before.

While Han Li was lost in thought, the other children had already run into the bamboo forest, and Han Li quickly followed.

The bamboo forest was much larger than it looked, and even with thirty children, they were scattered and hard to see.

Behind Han Li, a tall, thin senior brother followed silently. Han Li was a bit nervous but slowly moved forward along the slope.

The bamboo forest looked easy, but the longer he walked, the harder it became.

To conserve energy, Han Li grabbed the protruding bamboo as he moved.

After moving forward for a while, Han Li decided to take a break. He caught his breath and looked at the thin senior brother following him.

The path had been very rugged, but the senior brother didn't even pant, standing straight like a bamboo, silently watching over him.

Seeing the senior brother's cold gaze, Han Li quickly turned his head. After catching his breath, he immediately started climbing again.

As the slope became steeper, he bent his waist to maintain his balance, using his hands and feet to climb, and tightened his clothes to protect his joints.

As he moved forward, there were more rocks and fewer bamboo.

Finally, he saw the end of the bamboo forest, but he was starting to tire, and his pace slowed.

He couldn't grab the bamboo to move forward anymore.

When he emerged from the bamboo forest, an open area appeared, but a huge rock blocked the way.

People were already climbing the rock. Han Li had no time to hesitate and immediately ran to the rock.

The rock face of the huge rock was layered with stones, and it was very steep.

Some parts crumbled with just a touch. The rocks were very sharp, and even a slight pressure would cause cuts on his hands.

Han Li's body was covered in cuts. Not only his hands but also his elbows and knees were bruised.

The pain was unbearable when the dust from the falling rocks entered his wounds as he climbed the rock face.

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