Sun’s steps echoed lightly through the ancient wooden halls of the building. The walls he passed were covered in murals older than his grandfather, depicting scenes of battle as well as terrifying monsters and beasts. 

Sun paid them no mind, however, as he’d seen them plenty of times before and found them of little interest. Instead, he was more concerned with where the two surly core disciples behind him were escorting him to. According to them, he had been summoned to stand before the sect elders, and that was the end of it.

Now, Sun was no stranger to being punished for doing nothing, the elders always had some bone to pick with him. He wasn’t strong enough, fast enough, smart enough, and so they would withhold his allowance or throw him into the deep wilds to “test him”. Those, however, had always been impersonal at best, the elders had plenty of lackeys to do their dirty work for them and so rarely suppressed him personally.

The disciples silently marching him forward like a prisoner heading to his execution, did not help to alleviate his worries.

They passed servants who quickly stepped out of the way and gave respectful bows to Sun’s escorts, but he caught the dismissive glares they shot his way. He almost found it funny that even the servants looked down on him these days.

Eventually they arrived at a set of heavy wooden doors twice as tall as he was, decorated with carvings of fire and painted a vibrant red with gold filigree. On either side of the door was another core disciple, each outfitted with ornate armor and helmets over their robes with equally extravagant halberds at their sides.

What would happen, Sun wondered, if they spent as much on food or medicine for the peasants as they did on pretty baubles. What a wondrous world that might be.

The guards gave a curt nod to his escorts as they approached before turning and pulling open the doors by their large golden handles. The room beyond was dimly lit by a stone brazier in the center surrounded by a dozen odd seats elevated on platforms just enough so that you had to raise your head to see those sitting.

One of the guards stepped forward into the room.

“Outer disciple Chen Sun presents himself to the Elders!” the guard announced in a booming voice that left Sun’s ears ringing slightly.

“Approach.” responded a familiar gruff voice from near the end of the room.

Sun’s heart dropped a little as he recognized the voice of the sect patriarch, before resolving himself and stepping forward into the room. Neither his escorts nor the guards entered with him, instead closing the door and casting the room into even further darkness.

As he moved to stand before the brazier, the pressure around him began to mount as he stepped into the domain of the elders’ qi. Sun reached inside himself and grabbed at his own feeble qi reserves to lessen the intent upon him, but it made little difference. 

He cursed himself and his lack of talent that was once again making his life harder than necessary.

He stood in the center of the room, near to the brazier, its brightness making it harder to see into the shadows around him. Turning to where he heard the patriarch’s voice before, he bowed low and clasped his hands in a martial salute.

“I greet my Lord Father, Patriarch of the Chen clan and Scorching Fist Martial Sect.” Sun did his best to keep the venom out of his greeting, as whatever the elders had planned for him was likely going to be bad enough without his father’s ire added on top.

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“How goes your cultivation, my son?” It was not his father who spoke, instead it was a feminine yet monotone voice and Sun could barely make out a slender figure standing next to his father’s throne.

“I have made little progress since the tournament last year, honored mother.” he stated, biting back a grimace. Little progress was an understatement, it had been almost a year and his cultivation had remained almost unchanged. He had been outpaced by children half his age and been openly humiliated within the sect. That seemed to be the nail in the proverbial coffin as he became the laughing stock of the sect.

“I see.” was all she had to say in response.

“That is enough talking about the past, as we have important matters to discuss with you today.” another voice cut in, one of the elders.

“Yes, the mistakes of the past are best left in the past, don’t you agree?” asked another.

Murmurs of ascent and acknowledgement moved through the gathered elders.

The tone of their voices being almost jovial set Sun on edge, as he had never heard the elders speak except with anger or annoyance. The fact that they were now acting like doting grandparents, only heightened his confusion.

“And, pray tell, what matters are so important that the esteemed elders of the sect have taken valuable time out of their day to address this lowly one.” He was starting to get a headache from all the intent being pressed upon him.

The murmurs stopped and he felt as the elders’ attention turned away from him for a moment, instead being directed towards his father. Although he could not see the man, he heard him give a deep and weary sigh before he spoke.

“Rejoice, my son, for it has been arranged that you are to be married and that you will move to live with your intended and her clan.”

The words of his father took a moment for Sun to register, but only led to more confusion. Before he could respond, several of the elders began to clap softly at the announcement.

“. . .I’m sorry, but . . . I don’t understand.” Sun stated.

“He always was a little slow.” an elder whispered, and several more chuckled at Sun’s expense.

“Your intended’s family is an upstart clan and has offered a vast sum as a dowry to join hands with the sect.” one voice explained, sounding bored of this whole meeting. “Congratulations, you will finally be of some marginal use to the sect and repay us for all that we have done for you.”

Anger welled up inside Sun’s chest and his blood felt like it was boiling. All that they have done for him? All that they have done for him is turn his life into a waking nightmare!

Not only was he cursed with poor talent in a sect where one’s cultivation is everything, he had become a punching bag for older disciples who wanted to vent their frustrations. He was pretty sure he’d broken each bone in his body at least once and had been sent to the medical pavilion more times than any disciple in the sect’s history.

And to all this, the elders and the enforcement pavilion had all turned a blind eye. He had once gotten lucky and managed to break the hand of an outrider who’d tried to turn him into target practice. For that, he’d been locked away in the dirtiest jail cell they could find for a month and fed nothing but gruel.

His anger writhed inside him and he opened his mouth, ready to vent it all on those assembled.

Suddenly he was forced to his knees as the weight of the intent upon him magnified, he clenched his teeth as he willed himself to keep his head up. He looked towards the patriarch and felt that it was his intent that pressed upon him.

“The decision has been made. Be grateful and accept your circumstances, for you will no longer be tied to our sect.”

Sun wanted to scream and shout and rage against the elders, to let the festering hate in heart out of its cage. Instead, he shoved the anger down with difficulty and composed his expression as the intent upon him lessened. He stood up once more and looked around at the assembled elders. The dim light of the dying brazier revealed the arrogant smiles and smirks of the older men and women.

“I would beg forgiveness from the elders and the patriarch for my discomposure. If you would allow it, I would enter into secluded cultivation until the time of the ceremony so as to not shame the sect further.” The words tasted like bile as they left his mouth, but the nascent idea in his head required it.

He heard the cold and distant voice of his mother speak up.

“We would allow this. Your intended and her retinue are set to arrive in one month’s time. It is expected that you are to be presentable to her at that time, but until then are free to continue your cultivation.” she stated. 

None of the elders contradicted her words, and so Sun bowed to his parents before bowing in turn to each of the elders. He fought the instinct to sprint out of the room, keeping his pace to a relaxed and steady stroll as his mind worked hectically to formulate the rest of his plan.

He walked past the guards at the door and moved through the sect grounds. He slowed as he came to a balcony overlooking the sect and the forested mountains that surrounded it. All he had ever known could be seen from here, and for all the bad memories, it was home.

He continued through the halls, his mind working the entire time putting the pieces together. The elders wanted him to leave the sect? Fine. But, he was doing it on his terms.