Six Months Later

  I rock back and forth on my heels as I wait in front of our house. The nearby guard watches, unable to hide his faint amusement. I haven’t seen Elder Zhu in forever, but I remember his stories. His stories of great beasts, strange plants and dreadful wars are as colorful now as they were when I first heard them.

  I glance at the guard next to me, trying to calm my beating heart. A young lady of the Lin family does not show her excitement. I repeat those words to myself, but still continue to rock back and forth on my feet.

  Four carriages showing the blue and white colors of The Flowing River Sect round the bend in the road. I take a deep breath, and put on the emotionless face Princess Shi Da had taught me.

  Elder Zhu and his four core disciples leave the carriage, walking with the grace of powerful cultivators. They carry a mystical air around them that is hard to define. Elder Zhu leads his disciples as he walks towards me, eventually stopping in front of me.

  I bow to the influential cultivator, giving him the customary greeting. “Thank you for gracing our home with your presence, Elder Zhu Chen.”

  He bows in response, the disciples behind him bowing towards me as well. “Your grace grows every time I see you, Little Miss Lin.” He says, his eyes dancing with a warm light.

  I smile at his words, then try to hide the smile with my hand.

  He rises from his bow, the disciples behind him doing the same. “I see you have broken through and awakened your qi. The patriarch must be very proud.” His eyes look through me, seeing something mortals cannot.

  “I believe that is the reason my father called you here, Elder.” I say, studying the man who had gone to battle with my great, great, grandfather. The Elder barely looks forty. His cultivation is so vast, that my years on this planet were barely a drop in the ocean compared to his. He is bald, but his brown beard reaches his chest. A scar decorates his forehead, and his eyes stare at me with a wisdom unmatched in any mortal gaze. “Please, Elder Zhu, my father waits for you inside.”

  I lead the Elder into the house, and guide him to the room my father waits in. Our servants glance out of doorways and behind corners, trying to catch a glimpse of Elder Zhu. Everyone knows the name of the Elder of The Flowing River Sect.

  I stop in front of a sliding door and open it to a well lit room, all the candles were lit by the servants in preparation for the visit. My father, Lin Fang, bows to Elder Zhu from the center of the room.

  Father’s gray hair is tied back in a loose bun, his grizzled and exhausted face showing a weak smile as he greets Elder Zhu. The room only has a single table, a small lantern, and small cushions arranged around the table. The room is filled with a serene aura, helped by the faint smell of lavender from incense burnt earlier in the day.

  Both men move to sit at the cushions while Elder Zhu’s disciples arrange themselves outside the entrance to the room. They stand there in silence, ready to wait until the Elder is finished with his business.

  A servant walks over carrying a tea set and bows to me. She hands me the tea set and leaves the room.

  I kneel at the side of the table, and pour the tea for them. I then place their cups in front of them and back away. I kneel down behind and to the right of my father, my proper position as the first daughter of the Lin family.

  “All of this ceremony, little brother Lin. Is it necessary?” The Elder asks as he takes a sip of his tea.

  The scene of the Elder calling a man who looks twenty years his senior “little brother” seems out of place, but I would never dare correct him.

  “This matter is of the utmost importance to me, Elder Zhu.” My father responds. He takes a sip of his tea. “If a little ceremony gets me what I need, then I will not hesitate.”

  “Then tell me, what do you want? Although I can guess, considering your daughter’s presence here.” Elder Zhu says, his gaze meeting mine for a moment before turning back to my father.

  “Elder Zhu, I beg of you, please take my daughter into your sect.” My father lowers his head, almost touching his knees. “She has unlocked her qi and I wish for her to enter the world of immortals. I no longer have the ability to protect her.”

  I stare at my father in surprise. My father is the patriarch of the Lin Family, trusted general of the Emperor, and administrator of the western provinces. I’d never seen him bow before anyone except the Emperor.

  But I don’t want to go.

  Elder Zhu gazes into his cup, his eyes unreadable. “I cannot guarantee her a place as an inner disciple. The outer sect is no place for a twelve year old girl.”

  My father raises his head before speaking, “I believe in my daughter, Elder Zhu. I do not just speak with the pride of a father. My soldiers tell me her abilities in martial arts surpass her age and the royal princess herself commented on my daughter’s grace at the imperial court.” I can’t stop the small blush at my father’s words. Thankfully, neither of the men are looking at me.

  “Why would you wish to give such a beautiful flower to the sect, Patriarch Lin?” The Elder asks, worry in his voice.

  “She has caught the eye of an Imperial Prince. Elder Zhu, the great sects are the only powers in the world with the ability to protect her from that man. Please, help me.”

  Elder Zhu looks into his cup, contemplating, before responding, “Very well.”

  ***

  A few hours later, I find myself sitting in a carriage across from Elder Zhu.

  I stay quiet, not sure how to speak to the Elder. The carriage itself moves smoothly as we travel. Cushions line the seats, making it very comfortable. Elder Zhu sits across from me, his gaze lost in a scroll my father had gifted him.

  Everything was so… sudden. I remember the way the Imperial Prince had looked at me, but I’d never thought my father would be unable to protect me from him.

  Why would my father send me away? I know how terrifying the world is and my father has always been my protection. Why can’t he protect me instead of the sect?

  “What is it you hold in your arms, Little Miss Lin?” Elder Zhu interrupts my thoughts, pointing towards the bundle I hold.

  I look up at him, meeting his kind gaze. My arms tighten around the bound instrument protectively. “It is the flute my mother gave me… A Dizi.”

  “Do you play it?”

  I nod my head. I unwrap it from the cloth surrounding it. “I-I haven’t had a chance to play it lately Elder Zhu, I may be a little rusty.” I hesitate as the full sight of my mother’s flute is revealed. The wood is still as pristine as the day she gave it to me, without a single nick or stain along its length. What if I blow a wrong note in front of the Elder? I don’t want to embarrass myself.

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  Elder Zhu smiles wide and my worries melt away. “Then it is a good idea to practice, is it not?”

  I breathe deep, trying to control my emotions, then put the flute to my lips. The flute points to the side, so I scoot over to prevent it from hitting the carriage.

  I take an unsteady breath, then I begin to play. I start out slow, playing an old sad tune my mother had taught me. I change the song a little as my memory falters. Long drawn out notes fill the inside of our carriage.

  The music reminds me of memories I had promised myself to never forget, of my mother. Of home. Of a strange joy tinged with sadness. I feel hands hold my own, guiding my fingers with a soft touch as I play through parts I barely remember. I wonder why I chose this song. I know other songs by heart, but something had made me choose this one, the song I had heard my mother play so long ago.

  The sad notes reach their end, and the warmth of those hands on my own disappears. I put my flute down into my lap, only now noticing the tears running down my face.

  I had lost so much and now my father is gone too. I can’t know if I will ever see him again.

  The feeling of silk on my face brings me back to the present. Elder Zhu wipes the tears away from my face with a kerchief. “Don’t worry Little Miss Lin. I will do my best to keep you safe.”

  The words comfort me, even if my tears don’t stop. I like Elder Zhu, he is a kind man.

  We sit in silence for a while after that, Elder Zhu lost in thought, while I am too embarrassed from my crying to say anything.

  Eventually, I fall asleep, hugging my flute tight.

  ***

  “Little Miss Lin. It is time to wake up.” Someone taps my shoulder, waking me from my dream.

  A small feeling of loss twists my gut. Faint memories of my mother disappearing as I wake up.

  I open my eyes to look at Elder Zhu. He smiles at me. “Come on Little Miss Lin. Your father made sure you would arrive here in time for the testing.”

  I rub my eyes as I follow Elder Zhu out of the carriage, my legs unsteady under me after my unplanned nap.

  I look up, catching my first view of the Flowing River Sect, and my body stops.

  Waterfalls cascade down the side of a huge mountain, their paths having been carved through stone and rock over thousands of years. Small bridges cross the river, creating a framework of paths and connecting to lookout points. A long staircase stands out, rising above the rivers and waterfalls, leading up towards the gates of the sect. I can’t see the buildings of the sect itself, hidden behind the gates and inside a valley on the mountain.

  It takes me a moment to notice Elder Zhu’s entourage and I aren’t the only ones arriving at the sect. Various groups coming from all over the continent speak to each other, all of them having at least one younger member with them. Most of the applicants are older than me, but a few are my age or even younger.

  Elder Zhu taps my shoulder and points towards a man coming down the stairs. The man wears the same blue and white robes as Elder Zhu, though not quite as ornate. The man looks a lot younger than Elder Zhu at around twenty five. His rare green eyes, with the round shape common in northerners, sparkle as he looks over the crowd gathered below him.

  He moves his arm out in a welcoming gesture, the whole crowd going silent at his movement. “Welcome to the Flowing River Sect. I am Elder Yu and I will be judging whether you are worthy of entering through the storied walls of the sect.” He smiles down at the crowd, his voice enhanced with qi so all can hear. “I am in charge of selecting inner disciples. If you would wish to enter the outer sect....” He points to another bored looking man wearing the robes of the sect. “You can speak with Senior Disciple Wang.” He folds his arms back into the sleeves of his robe. “For those who wish to pass the three trials, come to me.”

  “Little Miss Lin.” Elder Zhu startles me as he speaks out from behind me. “You must take the tests to be an inner disciple. If you wish, I can protect your instrument while you do.”

  I look down at the flute I am still holding. I pause, not wanting to give away the one gift from my mother I kept with me. But, I don’t want it to get harmed in the tests.

  I hold it up to him, my arms almost resisting the movement.

  He grabs it, but I don’t let go. “Promise me you will keep it safe.” I look into his eyes, trying to tell him how serious I am.

  Elder Zhu looks down at me with a soft smile. “I will.” He says, his words going so far as to send a shiver through my qi.

  I let go of my flute and bow to him. “I will be back soon, Elder Zhu.”

  He nods to me. “I believe you will.”

  I spin away from him. I take a deep breath, then with as much confidence as I can muster, walk towards Elder Yu. I have to become an inner disciple. Elder Zhu and my father have made that clear.

  I will become an inner disciple.

  With as much courage as I can muster, I walk up the stairs to Elder Yu. The crowd around me gets larger as applicants of all ages gather around the Elder. I find myself pulling away slightly, nervous from all the people I don’t know.

  Elder Yu’s stance exudes an unending patience as he waits for the crowd to gather.

  Strange looks are sent my way by the applicants around me.

  I don’t know why.

  The stares make me uncomfortable and I feel my face reddening.

  A high pitched noise makes me look around in surprise as a girl around fourteen grabs my hands, “Heavens, you are adorable. What’s your name?”

  “L-Lin Jia.” I answer, freezing in surprise.

  The girl is dressed in the simple dress of a commoner, but that doesn’t stop her bright energy from showing through. She smiles at me, her soft brown eyes sparkling with joy. Brown hair falls down her shoulders in waves, surprising me with how silky it is. Commoners rarely keep their hair that clean.

  “I’m Xia Jing. I’m glad I saw you! All the other girls here look… well, they don’t seem to like me much?” Xia Jing shrugs.

  I open my mouth, not sure how to respond. Her energy is strange, but she seems nice enough.

  Before I can think of a response, Elder Yu speaks. “The first step of your trial is an easy one. I simply wish you to walk up these stairs and enter through the gates of the sect.”

  I look up at the stairs, then back at the examiner. The stairs are long, but not ridiculously so. Tests are never that easy, Elder Yu must be tricking us somehow.

  I watch the front of the group rush up the stairs. Immediately the applicants slow and in some cases completely stop.

  I knew it. Something is weird about the stairs.

  Xia Jing sends me a warm smile before she walks up the stairs. I take a deep breath and follow her.

  I approach the stairs, and place my foot on the first step.

  Nothing happens.

  I continue to climb.

  After twenty steps, I feel a strange pressure. Another ten steps and the pressure increases. I keep pushing forward, until I get halfway up the stairs. Then I stop to catch my breath. The pressure is so intense I have to inch forward. I glare at Elder Yu.

  He said this would be easy.

  No, that’s not true. He said the first step would be easy.

  Pushing with all my might, I raise my foot and place it on the next step. I pause to catch my breath, then look around. I feel a little better as I notice the other hopeful disciples having just as much trouble as I am.

  I look forward, inwardly groaning. There must be at least another hundred steps. I turn my focus back to the stair right in front of me. I lift my foot up, resisting the force pushing me down and place it on the next step. Another ten steps and I fall to my knees. Growling with effort, I crawl forward. My father needs me to reach the end, so I will reach the end!

  My arms give out underneath me and I cry. I’m going to fail papa and Elder Zhu.

  I-I can’t do it.

  A soft touch on my arms interrupts me from the tears falling down my face. The touch guides the qi inside me to turn, circulating it through my system. Relief fills my body as the pressure decreases.

  I look around, only to see none of the other disciples near me.

  I refocus on the circulation of my qi, and groan with effort as I stand up. I take another step forward. I send a prayer to my mother as I wipe the tears from my face with my sleeve. The makeup the Lin family servants had made me apply must look like a mess.

  I sniffle and smile at the thought. I walk forward until the pressure increases to an unbearable level only ten steps away from the gates. But this time I will not falter. I will not fall to my knees like a common beggar.

  The circulation of my qi increases, straining against the boundaries of my meridians. I step forward until there are only five more steps. The temptation to fall overwhelms me, but I refuse. I take another step, the pressure turning to pain.

  A slight whimper escapes my mouth as I take yet another step, trembling as the pain almost makes me fall.

  Another step, cracking sounds come from my bones, but I do not falter.

  Another step, a snapping sound is heard from my right leg, I do not fall.

  The final step, I put one foot forward stepping onto it, then I bring my broken leg up.

  The pressure disappears, but I do not stop like many of my fellow disciples. The words of Elder Yu had been clear, you must climb up the stairs and enter the gate.

  Pushing forward, the pain of my injuries still beating through my body, I walk through the gate.

  I reach the other side and relief fills my body. Then everything goes black as I fall to the floor.