CHAPTER 07 - THE TRIAL

I wish I could say that what followed was a constructive forum in which we got to ask the two inner disciples about cultivation or the sect. Instead, the lead cultivator decided to hold a long monologue.

“Since I might see some of you in the sect later, I think it’s time for some introductions.” The lead cultivator started. “My name is Zhou Qing, direct disciple under Inner Elder Zhan, and if you become an official outer disciple, you may refer to me as Senior Brother Zhou or Inner Disciple Zhou, take your pick, I don’t actually care.”

“This,” He gestured at the smiling inner disciple next to him. “Is Inner Disciple Xiang, a talisman prodigy whose generous nature you have to thank for the informative presentation you’re about to receive.”

Taking a deep breath, Zhou Qing continued. “Since the majority of you won’t pass this next trial, I don’t see any point in having you all introduce yourself yet. And so, we’ll skip that part.”

“Like I said in the beginning of the evaluation, the White Tiger Sect is one of the principal powers governing the eastern continent, as such, you can imagine the scope under which it operates.”

Zhou Qing frowned as he detected the confusion on our faces.

“Or you can’t.” He sighed tiredly, muttering something about having to deal with uneducated peasants. “Even if the eastern continent doesn’t cover as much surface as the other continents out there, it is still the host to over two hundred mortal kingdoms, and more than five billion mortals. Moreover, as the third strongest sect on this continent, the White Tiger Sect naturally controls a large portion of this metaphorical pie.”

Seemingly satisfied with the level of awe on our faces, Zhou Qing continued his monologue.

“And every year, the sect recruits new outer disciples, some of whom flourish and even manage to become inner disciples, while others fade away into obscurity.”

“Or die.” Inner Disciple Xiang added.

“Same thing.” Zhou Qing shrugged before carrying on. “As a combat-oriented sect, we value strength, endurance, and perseverance above all else, even talent. Which is why we are the only 4th rank sect on the eastern continent to accept 12-star talents in our midst.”

Many of the players gawked at Zhou Qing’s revelation. In other words, if they had spawned elsewhere in the world, the majority of the players gathered in our group wouldn’t even be eligible to enter a 4th rank sect.

“So naturally, in order to not waste resources on those who are unworthy, the White Tiger Sect’s entrance exam is a bit unorthodox compared to the other sects on our continent.”

Inner Disciple Xiang started handing out talismans with the Chinese character for “Outer” on them. Below the character, the number 224 and our names were imprinted in bold letters.

“There are currently 31 provisional outer disciples gathered here. And in a couple of hours, I figure a similar amount will be assessed.” Zhou Qing glanced at the bustling town, his eyes narrowing when he saw how many players were observing us. “A sizable amount, at least when compared to previous years.” Then, Zhou Qing’s eyes roamed as he looked over all of us. Yet, for some reason, when his eyes landed on me, he stopped.

“Becoming an outer disciple of the White Tiger Sect is surprisingly simple. All you need to do is arrive at the White Tiger Sect’s outer courtyard at dusk in three days carrying at least two outer talismans with you.”

A malicious smile crept up on Zhou QIng’s face as realization dawned on our faces. This second trial wasn’t a friendly competition.

“But why stop at two?” Zhou Qing’s smile widened even further. “For each additional talisman you bring with you to the outer courtyard, one sect point will be awarded.”

“Oh, and you should know that each sect point has approximately the same value as a gold sovereign.” Zhou Qing theatrically flipped a yellow gold coin in the air before grasping it tightly. “But then again, they are very rarely exchanged for mortal money.”

Mistrust and suspicion spread in the group as everyone unconsciously began distancing themself from the people standing closest to them. At this point of the game, possessing a gold sovereign was simply unheard of. And now, every competitor had a target on themself.

“And so begins the second test.” Zhou Qing smiled at us. “If you didn’t know already, the White Tiger Sect is located on Mount Longhu in the adjacent Omowen Dynasty. Even for a mortal travelling without a horse, it shouldn’t take longer than two, maximum three days to arrive if you hurry. And it goes without saying, but if you’re late, it doesn’t matter how many talismans you’ve amassed.”

“Any questions?” Zhou Qing smirked as a number of hands shot into the air. “No? Then you’re dismissed."

Flapping his sleeve, Zhou Qing walked away without looking back. Giving us a quick, apologetic look, Inner Disciple Xiang scrambled to follow.

Left to our own devices, a heavy silence weighed on the group. Just as I was about to walk away to recompose myself, however, Percival suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence.

“Stop.” Percival said to the ones who had started moving. Sighing, he combed his fingers through his hair. “Just… stop for a minute.”

“Why?” Another player questioned, looking wary and on guard.

Before Percival could continue, a third person interjected.

“I'm willing to buy your talismans for 100 bucks a pop.” Said a young woman, her eyes cold as she looked at the rest of the group. “I don't even mind going through a third party to legitimize the deal.”

Initially, when they'd heard her offer, people had seemed sceptical, but after mentioning the third party, a few actually looked like they were willing to consider it.

“People will do anything for money.” I shook my head, unwilling to even consider her deal. Moreover, I reckoned that our talismans were worth a hell of a lot more than $100 this early in the game.

Then again, $100 wasn't a negligent amount of money either, especially for young people.

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“Still, that's not how I wanna play this game.” I decided.

Standing up I was about to leave before I remembered something.

“Should I?” I hesitated as I glanced at the wary expressions on my competitors.

“Whatever, I'll just count this as my one good deed for today.” It definitely didn't have anything to do with the fact that I still felt sort of bad after all the nasty looks I'd been on the receiving end of lately.

“I have reasons to believe…” I started, channeling my inner project supervisor. “There were players who participated in yesterday's recruitment.”

“So?” One of the 12-star talents was quick to quip.

Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, not all of my competitors were dull-witted.

“You're saying that there might be an ambush waiting for us?” The other 14-star talent, Grim, frowned as he considered my warning.

His words, however, had an immediate effect on the group. Suddenly, with a potential mutual enemy, there was a reason for us to band together.

I nodded in affirmation.

“So what if there's an ambush?” A familiar voice scoffed. Glancing at the owner, I recognized him as the thug from yesterday. Though it seemed he'd temporarily lost his gang of rejects. “All we have to do is cut them down first, no?”

Surprisingly, I found myself agreeing with him. If I was right about the ambush, offense was most likely our best defense. After all, I strongly doubted that yesterday's recruitment had overseen as many participants as today’s. It wouldn't have made any sense.

“What about the next batch?” One of the 13-star talents questioned. “Are we ambushing them too?”

“Of course not!” Percival answered a bit too quickly in my opinion. Though I ultimately agreed with him, I still thought it was a plan worth discussing. This was a game after all; it wasn't like we would actually be killing people. “We're not savages.” Percival added with a sneer.

“Villains, you mean?” The thug quipped with a smirk.

Realizing that there was much to discuss, I glanced at the sun blazing in the sky. Time was being wasted just standing around here.

“I move that we postpone this discussion until after we've procured some provisions.” I said calmly. Figuring that I wasn’t the only one who had to stock up on some bread before our journey.

Some nodded in agreement, while others looked ready to start running straight away.

“Meet up at the town hall in 30 min?” Grim gestured at the largest building in town, one that we could all see from the platform. Some nodded and voiced their agreement, while others remained impassive. Thus, the group dispersed, at least for now.

…

I had just finished exchanging my three remaining copper coins for four loaves of bread when a strange feeling hit me. After turning a corner, I kept my eyes peeled and confirmed my suspicions.

“I’m being followed.” I frowned. I tried to catch a better glimpse of my stalker without overly revealing that I had caught on to what he was doing, but it’s not like I was proficient in the art of counter-spying.

“One person?” I picked up my pace and turned another corner. “No, two.” I couldn’t recognize either of them. And based on the angry looks they were throwing at me, they knew that the gig was up.

Fortunately, the streets were getting crowded with players and NPCs frolicking around, and after a few more corners, I was pretty sure I had lost my tail.

“Troublesome.” I frowned as I made my way towards the town hall, keeping my eyes peeled for any potential ambushes. “Fortunately, there are plenty of guards patrolling around, especially near the town hall.”

As soon as I saw the town hall, Grim’s searching gaze found me.

“Perceptive fellow.” I smiled at him as I approached. Yet, before I made it all the way, a scream reverberated across the street.

With my hand on the hilt of my sword, I readied myself for an attack.

Instead, I saw one of the 12-star talents from earlier dematerialize into pixels, a look of pain and surprise evident on his face.

“A PK inside a town.” I frowned while searching to no avail for the culprit. Whoever the assassin was, he’d immediately blended with the crowd, probably a talisman richer.

“An attendee from yesterday’s recruitment?” My eyes narrowed as the possibilities multiplied. “Or one from today? Heck, it could even have been a disgruntled player who wanted to vent after failing.”

Either way, one thing became abundantly clear as the crystalline pixels vanished. The town wasn’t safe for any of the trial participants, not any more. And as one of the two people assessed as a 14-star talent, the target on my back was most likely bigger as well.

I gave Grim and the gathering by the town hall a final look, before ultimately deciding that it wasn’t worth extending my trust to them; not now anyhow.

And so, with four loaves, a talisman, and a sword, I set off towards the gate.

…

“Mount Longhu?” The young guard asked with a surprised expression. “Are you a cho-”

“Yes I am.” I hissed, not exactly happy with him revealing my identity as a provisional outer disciple to any Tom, Dick, or Harry who might overhear our conversation.

Fortunately, the guard didn’t take any offense as his eyes widened, promptly realizing the predicament I was in. Apparently, as a native NPC living in Durnatel, the second part of the recruitment was well-known to him.

“To get to Mount Longhu…” The young guard whispered and leaned closer, aggravatingly making us look even more conspicuous to any potential spectator. “You need to go north-east, without a horse it shouldn’t take more than three or four days to get there. If you leave immediately, tomorrow, when you pass Lingxin’s Pass, you should be able to spot it if you look towards the north-eastern horizon.” The young guard shook his head wistfully. “It’s very hard to miss.”

Clasping my hands in gratitude, I bobbed my head towards the helpful young guard before we exchanged our farewells.

Thus, I began walking north-east, unaware of the two players following me from a distance.

…