The end of the year passed, and the festive season arrived.
In a courtyard, fourteen-year-old Hu Yan walked out of a room. He wore a slightly oversized blue sect robe, and his hair was casually tied up. Sunlight spilled down as he lifted his head, revealing a fair, delicate face.
He wasn't the only one. The other disciples in the courtyard also emerged from their rooms one after another.
The Qingxiao Sect was different from what it had been before. New disciples no longer had to live together; each had a room of their own.
Warm bedding, steaming water, flowers, fruit, and pastries in his room—Hu Yan had slept more soundly last night than ever before in his life. Now it all felt like a dream, and he couldn't believe it was real.
"Hu Yan, what are you planning to do today?"
A female disciple his age, Duan Xiaojuan, came over and asked. They had both passed the assessment yesterday and become Registered Disciples. Since they were both from Dongling Prefecture, they had gotten to know each other.
There were eight disciples in the courtyard, all of them new.
Hu Yan considered it. "Let's look around first and get to know the sect."
"Want to go together?"
Duan Xiaojuan asked with a cheerful smile. Her skin was a little dark, and she wasn't especially pretty, but her eyes and mouth were large, and her smile was infectious.
Perhaps the others had left Hu Yan with a poor impression, so he felt rather close to Duan Xiaojuan instead.
He nodded, not turning her down.
The two left the courtyard together. There was a main courtyard for disciples nearby where they could eat. As they walked there, they passed buildings decked out with lanterns and decorations, giving the place a festive air.