Chapter 17: Life 50, Age 16, Martial Disciple Level 1
As I stepped through the archway, the world twisted once more. I looked around. From the landscape, it looked like I hadn’t moved. The mountains were in the same place they were before, and the sun was in the same place in the sky, but the workbenches with busy young alchemists had utterly vanished.
I felt like I had stepped back into the same courtyard I just left, like I had stepped through a mirror, but just as I was thinking that, the world expanded in front of me. Trees vanished and were replaced with a series of squat buildings. In front of me stood a sect disciple surrounded by half a dozen of the hopefuls from the previous trial.
“Wait here,” he said, “we need ten before we can get going. It shouldn’t be long.”
It wasn’t. Within ten minutes, three more hopefuls had joined us.
“Alright, everyone is here, let’s begin. Congratulations on passing the first test. Having done so, you will be given the privileges and responsibilities of a nominal disciple of the Twin Mountains Sect. Please remember that you are not full disciples. If you happen to break any of the rules your status might be revoked, and we really don’t want that to happen.”
He looked at us with a serious expression, trying to emphasize his point.
“Regarding the rules, they haven’t changed. One, pills you turn in must come from the sect's ingredients. Two, absolutely no fighting. No bullying, no duels, no secret brawls, nothing. Three, no pressuring people to give or sell you pills they concocted. Four, no interfering with someone else’s pill-making. The elders take this all seriously, so do your best, okay?”
After looking us in the eyes one by one, he nodded and continued.
“Okay, let’s head to the apartments. Each of you will have a roommate that will fill you in on the rest of how the sect works. They have all been here at least a year, so they will be able to get you up to speed in no time.”