Seven Mysteries Sect

The smell inside the carriage was obviously unpleasant, and no wonder: nearly thirty children had squeezed into a compartment meant to hold no more than a dozen or so passengers. Although children were much smaller than adults, the carriage was still unbearably cramped.

Han Li cleverly tucked his frail body into a corner of the carriage and secretly sized up the other children inside.

Judging by their clothes and backgrounds, the children who had come for the entrance examination clearly fell into three groups.

The first group consisted of children like the brocade-clad youth sitting in the center of the carriage, surrounded by most of the others.

The youth was named Wu Yan. He was thirteen, the oldest person in the carriage. He was already over the age limit, but a female cousin of his had married someone in power within the Seven Mysteries Sect, so his age was naturally no problem. Wu Yan's family ran a martial arts school and was quite wealthy. He had also practiced some hand-to-hand combat since childhood. Though he was not particularly skilled, he was more than a match for a child like Han Li, who had only a little brute strength and had never practiced martial arts.

Clearly, someone like Wu Yan, whose family had both wealth and influence and who knew a few martial arts moves, naturally became the "big brother" of most of the children in the carriage.

The second group consisted of the children clustered around Wu Yan. They came from all sorts of backgrounds: some had families that ran shops, some had families that worked for wages, and some had families that made a living from a trade... and so on. But they all had one thing in common: they had grown up in towns and cities, and had naturally learned from the adults in their families, to varying degrees, how to read faces and pursue advantage. Thus, they all crowded around Wu Yan, calling him "Young Master Wu" one moment and "Big Brother Wu" the next. Wu Yan seemed long accustomed to it and thoroughly enjoyed being addressed that way.

The last group consisted of children like Han Li, who all came from remote, impoverished backwaters. Their families generally lived off the mountains or the water, depending on where they lived, and were desperately poor. They were the fewest in the carriage, only five or six of them. Most were timid and did not dare speak loudly. They merely watched the others laugh and talk freely, a stark contrast to the children who made a loud racket from time to time.

The carriage set out from Green Ox Town and raced westward. Along the way, it stopped at several more places and picked up a few more children. At last, on the evening of the fifth day, it reached Rosy Cloud Mountain, the location of the Seven Mysteries Sect's headquarters.

As soon as the children got out of the carriage, they were all deeply enchanted by the colorful beauty of the sunset over Rosy Cloud Mountain. Only when Protector Wang urged them on did they come to their senses and continue forward.

Rosy Cloud Mountain had originally been called Fallen Phoenix Mountain. Legend had it that in ancient times, a five-colored phoenix had descended there and transformed into the mountain. Later, visitors discovered that the mountain was extraordinarily beautiful at sunset, as though shrouded in rosy clouds, and renamed it Rosy Cloud Mountain. Of course, ever since the Seven Mysteries Sect took possession of it, outsiders could no longer come and admire such scenery at will.

Rosy Cloud Mountain was the second-largest mountain in Jing Province. Aside from Hundred Wilds Mountain, none covered a greater area; its ranges stretched for more than ten li in every direction. It had more than a dozen peaks of various sizes, all of them exceptionally well defended by their terrain, and each had therefore been occupied by one of the Seven Mysteries Sect's branch halls. The main peak, Sunset Peak, was even more perilous. Not only was it exceptionally tall and steep, but there was also only one path from its foot to its summit. After placing its main hall there, the Seven Mysteries Sect had set up thirteen checkpoints, some visible and others concealed, at strategic points along the path. It could be said that nothing could go wrong and they could sleep soundly without worry.

Han Li looked around as he followed the people ahead. Suddenly, the group at the front stopped, and a hearty voice rang out.

"Brother Wang, why are you only arriving now? You're two days later than scheduled."

"Hall Master Yue, we were delayed on the road. Sorry to have troubled you, sir." Standing at the front of the crowd, Protector Wang respectfully bowed to a red-faced old man. His overbearing expression from the journey vanished, replaced by a touch of obsequiousness.

"Which batch of disciples is this, sent up the mountain?"

"The seventeenth batch."

"Hmm!" Hall Master Yue gave Han Li and the others a few imperious glances.

"Take them to the Guest House and let them get a good night's rest. We'll begin selecting qualified disciples first thing tomorrow morning. Send those who fail down the mountain as soon as possible, so they don't break the rules here."

"Yes, Hall Master Yue."

As they walked up the stone steps, all the children were excited, but none dared speak loudly. Though they were all young, they knew this was where their future fates would be decided.

Protector Wang led the way, smiling and greeting the people he met along the path. It was clear he knew many people in the sect and got along well with them.

Most of the people they met along the way wore blue satin robes, with either a saber at their hip or a sword on their back. Even the occasional person who carried no weapon had a bulging waist, though it was impossible to tell what they had tucked away. Their movements showed that they were agile and all possessed considerable martial skill.

Han Li and the others were led to a relatively low peak, where a cluster of earthen houses stood at the summit. They spent the night there. In his sleep that night, Han Li dreamed that he wore brocade robes, held a golden sword, and possessed peerless martial arts. He gave the blacksmith's son, whom he had never been able to beat back in the village, a sound thrashing. He looked so impressive that he was still savoring the dream when he woke the next morning.

After they got up, Protector Wang did not let them eat breakfast. Instead, he led them straight to a broad, bamboo-covered slope below the mountain. Hall Master Yue, whom they had met the day before, was already waiting there with several young men they did not recognize.