Dark Night Hall

Looking at the barely twelve- or thirteen-year-old Qin Fengming, Sect Master Sima could not help smiling slightly. Although the boy was somewhat small and thin, he was remarkably composed, showing not the slightest hint of restraint or panic. Sect Master Sima said:

"Fengming, do you know why I brought you here?"

"This disciple does not know. I ask that the sect master enlighten me." Qin Fengming bowed again and answered with exceptional respect and honesty.

"Heh heh. You may have already guessed. In the last Hundred Refinements Hall competition, based on your outstanding performance and Hall Master Zhang's strong recommendation, the sect's higher-ups discussed the matter and decided that we would like you to join Dark Night Hall. Are you willing?"

Sect Master Sima gave a hearty laugh. He had worn a smile when he began speaking, but by the end, his expression had become exceedingly solemn.

Hearing the sect master's words, Qin Fengming was momentarily stunned. Then he suddenly came to his senses. His wish had come true, and the excitement in his heart was impossible to conceal. He bowed again and replied, "This disciple is willing."

"Heh heh, don't rush to answer. You may not yet understand what Dark Night Hall is or what duties it bears. Let me explain it to you first. You can answer afterward." Sect Master Sima smiled faintly, his expression abruptly turning solemn as he spoke in a deep voice.

"Dark Night Hall is the very core of our sect. Everyone within it is an elite among the sect's experts. The moment you enter, it means that you have already become a supreme expert. All kinds of resources will also be supplied to you with priority. It is the place all our disciples yearn to enter."

"But it is also the most dangerous place in our sect. The missions carried out by Dark Night Hall are the most perilous. At best, you will be injured; at worst, you will lose your life. However, I can tell you this: over the past several hundred years, Dark Night Hall has lost only seventy-eight disciples. Of all the halls in the sect, it has suffered the fewest deaths."

"After entering Dark Night Hall, you can receive one hundred taels of silver each month. Moreover, as long as you remain in Dark Night Hall for ten years, you can withdraw automatically and then assume the position of an elder. You will also receive ten thousand taels as settling-in expenses."

"Now, you should understand exactly what Dark Night Hall is. I wonder whether you are still willing to join?"

Sect Master Sima looked directly at Qin Fengming, and a sudden, imposing aura radiated from him, making Qin Fengming, who stood before him, tremble inwardly.

At that moment, Qin Fengming did have some reservations about the dangers the sect master had described. But when he heard that he would receive one hundred taels of silver each month, he had already cast aside all those so-called dangers.

One hundred taels of silver was enough to cover his family's expenses for several years. With that money, he could not only give his parents and family a better life, but also slightly improve the lives of his fellow villagers.

"This disciple is willing." Qin Fengming raised his head and looked at Sect Master Sima. His young face held an expression of utter determination.

After watching Qin Fengming for a long while, Sect Master Sima nodded slightly and raised his hand, clapping three times.

A figure flashed, and someone walked out from behind the screen. This person wore a black long robe, a bamboo hat, and a black veil over his face. If Qin Fengming had not seen him emerge with his own eyes, he would certainly have thought that this black-clad man had never existed in the room.

"This is the master of Dark Night Hall. From this moment onward, you are officially a member of Dark Night Hall. From now on, you will heed only the hall master's orders and will no longer accept commands from anyone else. This includes me. Fengming, you must understand this point." Sect Master Sima pointed at the black-clad man and spoke with an extremely solemn expression.

Qin Fengming glanced at the black-clad man, then nodded at Sect Master Sima. "This disciple understands."

The black-clad man watched Qin Fengming for a moment but did not linger. In a cold voice, he said, "Follow me."

His voice was slightly hoarse, as though it had come from a distant place. It was impossible to determine his age from it. After speaking, he made no gesture toward Sect Master Sima. He simply turned and walked toward the rear door.

Seeing this, Qin Fengming naturally did not dare delay any longer. He bowed separately to the sect master and Elder Wu, then hurried after the black-clad man.

The two of them did not speak along the way. After leaving the estate, they walked deep into the mountains for more than half an hour. The black-clad man finally stopped in a valley and raised a hand toward a distant stretch of forest.

"There is a courtyard over there. You will live there from now on, and someone will deliver your meals at a fixed time every day. Dark Night Hall has only ten members. You entered by exception, so you will not be assigned any missions within the next two years. Focus on practicing martial arts. After two years, you will become a full member."

"If you need anything, you can find Elder Wu, who brought you here. As long as it is something that exists in this world, he will help you settle it." After saying this, he paid Qin Fengming no further heed. He turned and leaped into the dense forest beside them, disappearing in the blink of an eye as though he had never been there.

Qin Fengming stood rooted to the spot for a long while before walking into the depths of the luxuriant forest. There, he saw a courtyard hidden in an open space amid the dense woods. Three bamboo houses stood within it, and a small stream flowed before the doors. The place was exceptionally secluded and tranquil.

Inside the bamboo house, the furnishings were simple, but every necessity for daily life was present. Sitting on a bamboo chair, Qin Fengming recalled what the hall master had just said and could not help feeling somewhat puzzled.

Dark Night Hall was so famous within the sect, yet it had only ten members. It seemed that those ten people were all unquestionably the cream of the martial world. If he did not merely rank at the bottom among them, he would have to strive forward and train diligently from now on.

Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, half a year had gone by. During those six months, Qin Fengming received one hundred taels of silver every month. Every three months, he entrusted someone to send the money to Qijia City and give it to his Elder Brother.

Over those several months, Qin Fengming's swordsmanship had also improved greatly, and his understanding of its essence had deepened further.

One day, after some thought, Qin Fengming went to the estate where the sect master had once lived and found Elder Wu. After respectfully saluting, he said, "Qin Fengming pays his respects to Elder Wu. There are some matters for which I would like to ask your help. I wonder whether Elder Wu would be willing?"

"Heh heh heh. I thought you should have come to find me long ago. I never expected you to wait half a year. But what is it? As long as it is something Luoxia Valley possesses, this old man will certainly satisfy your request."

Seeing Qin Fengming standing before him, Elder Wu was greatly delighted. He laughed heartily, as though Qin Fengming's arrival only now had been entirely beyond his expectations.

Hearing Elder Wu say this, the trace of unease in Qin Fengming's heart vanished. It seemed that what the hall master had said back then had not been empty words after all.

"Thank you, Elder. I have indeed come to ask for your help. In the past, my master, Hall Master Zhang, passed on a Lightness Skill to me. However, I now feel that it is somewhat lacking, so I would like to ask you to recommend a more profound Lightness Skill for me."

Hearing Qin Fengming's words, Elder Wu pondered briefly before saying, "With Hall Master Zhang's ability, the Lightness Skill he passed on to you certainly cannot be ordinary. Luoxia Valley possesses dozens of Lightness Skills, but as for one that surpasses the skill your master passed on to you, there are not many.

"Oh, this old man does recall one Lightness Skill. If you mastered it, it would certainly surpass the one your master passed on. However, that skill is too unusual. In the past hundred-odd years, no one in our sect has ever mastered it. I wonder whether you might be interested?"

"What skill is it? What is it called?" Qin Fengming was immediately overjoyed upon hearing this.

"This skill is called 'Azure Cloud Maze.' It was created several hundred years ago by an astonishingly gifted elder of our sect. However, since a genius disciple mastered it more than three hundred years ago, none of the exceptionally talented people in the generations that followed have been able to comprehend it."

"This Lightness Skill is different from ordinary ones. Normally, a Lightness Skill requires coordination with inner power to display its effects. This skill, however, is completely different. As long as one can comprehend it, even an ordinary person can still use it."

"Such a method that goes against common sense has already been listed as one of the sect's three most notoriously difficult skills."