The blood that splattered on the surroundings peeled off as if it had a life of its own. And as the blood pooled together, the voice of an old man screamed. “Impossible! How could you have known?”

“Brave demon. Or should I say foolish?” the middle-aged cultivator said. He snapped his finger again, and the mist spiralled around the ball of blood gathering mid-air.

“I’m not done yet! I refuse to fall here!” the same voice roared. It was hoarse and nasally, as if the speaker had a fever.

The blood cocoon shattered, and from inside, a black skeleton wrapped in blood bandages broke out. It had the face of the recruit who had been blown up.

The mummy flew into the sky. But after a few seconds, it seemed to hit a barrier. Thunder flashed down from the sky and flung the mummy back onto the earth. The smell of burnt flesh wafted. it made Yu Han want to vomit.

“Curse you! Curse you, curse you—”

“The demon has gone mad,” the pretty lady that had appeared from the blue comet commented. She gathered her palms before her chest into a lotus flower and chanted a mantra.

The cat meowed.

Blue flames gathered around the mummy and stuck to him like glue.

“No!” the mummy screamed. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. Lies! Lies!” It flew west next. But thunder flashed, and in the mummy’s path, a Sect Disciple wearing azure armour appeared. He pierced the mummy with a spear made of solidified electricity.

“Argh!”

The mummy retreated, flying north.

Water gushed, and a Senior Sister atop a giant python blocked the mummy’s path. The python sprayed green, sizzling liquid at the mummy while expertly avoiding splashing the new recruits. The mummy screamed again.

It went east, but a burly man with an axe cleaved the mummy’s right hand apart, and it disintegrated into black and red particles.

A lone swordsman stood to the south. He cleaved the mummy’s skull in half, the blue light of the sword covering the sky like a dome.

But the mummy still lived. A baleful wind gathered around him, and he flew up again.

“It’s useless, demon. You should’ve prepared for death when you dared to infiltrate our Sect!” the middle-aged cultivator with grey streaks in his beard guffawed. He unclasped the gourd at his waist and pulled out the cork.

Sparkling liquid slithered out, and the scent of fine wine entered Yu Han’s nose. The liquid expanded, and soon it was just mist. It cleansed all dirt from Yu Han’s body, and the remaining gore sizzled as though doused in acid.

"Then so be it! This Daoist shall seize your brightest disciple!" With a chilling roar, the mummy dove down.

Towards the recruits.

Towards the red-eyed boy.

Red Eyes took a step back, wearing a vicious expression, not of fear, but defiance.

“Come, evil creature.” Red Eyes roared, punching out with his left hand, the intricate golden ring on his finger shimmering like a lantern in the mist.

“Give me your body!” the mummy cried.

“That’s enough!” The tall, bald cultivator appeared in front of Red Eyes.

The mummy crashed into his outstretched palm. It roared, cried, struggled, but to no avail. The bald cultivator pointed at the ground and drew a circle.

The ground split open, and the overwhelming sound of crashing waves drowned out all sound. Water bubbled out from the hole and grabbed the mummy.

“No! I am unresolved, I don’t accept—”

“Virtue in silence,” Bald Monk said.

The bubbling water, alongside the mummy, flowed deep into the earth. The ground shifted, closing the hole. “A tribute to the Gods of the Mountain and Rivers,” Bald Monk prayed.

A ring chimed.

“Well done, Junior Brother,” Grey-Streaked Beard said.

Bald Monk just nodded. He turned to Red Eyes. “Remarkable courage. The Sect expects great things from you.”

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The next moment, he was on the stone platform again.

The other Seniors who had stopped the mummy’s path still remained there, looming in four directions. They radiated power and prestige.

“Li Yao,” Yu Han called out.

“I’m gonna be him.” Li Yao pointed at the swordsman to the east. “He is me, I am him. Here we both are—” There was madness in his eyes. Desire, hope, fanaticism.

“Li Yao.”

“Huh? Oh, tubs. Why’re you kneeling?”

“Help me stand.” Yu Han had buckled. His knees had no strength.

Jesus. Buddha. Krishna. Why the fuck am I praying? Move, damn it! Why’s my knee—That mummy. He had the same… same kind of feel as that hooded man. Demons!

Li Yao pulled Yu Han up, but Yu Han’s mind was on a book. “Creatures Compendium: Demons, Spirits, Monsters, and Beasts.”

But the book said that Demonic Beasts and Spirit Beasts were polar opposite creatures from the same root. Spirit Beasts were beasts and animals that gained spirituality and lived in harmony with nature. Meanwhile, Demonic Beasts did not always have spirituality, and they cultivated by stealing other living beings’ spirituality. Powerful Demonic Beasts were called Demons, while their opposite was Spirit.

Demons were hated existences, bringing kingdom-ending calamities.

While Monstrous Beasts were called monsters, they apparently weren’t “real” creatures. They looked the part, and acted the same too. They could mate with real animals and beasts, and the offspring would be real, but they weren’t. And whenever a being with spirituality was near them, they would go into a killing frenzy.

Beasts, or Primal Beasts, were animals that could cultivate, but had no crystallised spirituality.

Yu Han substituted the word "spirituality” with “sentience.”

But that demon was humanoid. Did that mean that humans… could become demons? Yu Han shuddered.

The surroundings were still in an uproar. But after a prompt from Grey-Streaked Beard, they quietened down.

“Such events are mere preludes to our life. Every year, there are foolish Demonic Cultivators trying to mix in. Don’t let it rattle you too much, children, for one day you must take up arms against them,” he said, then took a large swig of the gourd. After a few seconds, he continued.

“You’re recruits. Newbies, fresh blood. For one year, you’ll receive a grace period. None shall duel you unless you seek it out. None may force you. The Law Enforcement Hall takes such cases seriously. You’re exempt from external missions too. No need to attend cultural classes, but you will still need to select an internal mission. Each month, you will receive a Sect stipend, equal for all.”

I really, really need to get a notebook and a pen. Or invent it! Yu Han could echo this later—he wouldn’t forget the information. But his Johan-instincts itched to write it down on paper or type it on a note-taking app.

“With missions, you’ll earn contribution points, which you may exchange for currency or other treasures to aid your cultivation. You can join a courtyard, pavilion, or palace if you’re lucky, maybe even one of the halls. And the ambitious may create their own Courtyard. Our Stormy Reef Sect won’t hinder a disciple’s entrepreneurial spirit, as long as you follow the rules.”

Grey-Streaked Beard held up one finger.

“But remember: one year. After that, you’ll take part in the Assessment Tournament for Rookies. In one year, your progress will be judged, and it will be decided whether the Sect should invest more, or less. What you can contribute to the Sect, with your future as a bargain. You may even attract the attention of an Elder, or perhaps be taken into the Inner Sect or even Core as personal disciples! All will depend on your performance.”

He put his finger down.

“In one year, the grace period will end. Most will end up as Outer Sect Disciples. But don’t worry; such a life isn’t bad either. You contribute to the Sect, the Sect nurtures you back. There are many opportunities for Outer Sect Disciples too. If in time you reach the Qi Gathering Realm, you can be promoted to an Inner Sect Disciple, or if out of time, then a Sect Steward. Start your own village, grow your Courtyard, do business. All actions for the Sect, and we shall flourish together.”

Courtyards. Those were mentioned in Blue Strategies! Halls were permanent structures of the Sect, like the Alchemy Hall, Scripture Hall, and Law Enforcement Hall.

Courtyards were the lowest form of organisation that Sect Disciples could create and register with the Sect. Like their own faction, or business company. There were requirements to grow it to the next level, the Pavilion, and finally the Palace. A Palace had the same standing as a permanent Hall.

This Sect seems to be a bit messy. In most stories, disciples couldn’t blatantly create their own factions. Wouldn’t this just cause more infighting? But it was also competition. And for Yu Han, competitions were something to be gamed.

“Your Sect Seniors will give you a basic tour of the Outer Sect Facilities. That is all. Cultivate hard, and one day you’ll stand where we stand now.” With that, Grey-Streaked Beard disappeared into mist. The Blue-Fire Lady collapsed into flames, and Bald Monk sunk into the ground with the water, the hole closing over him.

“Gather around, gather around. Teams of ten and no more!” A Senior Brother herded the disciples, and soon they split into groups. “Quiet down! Chirping like a bunch of chickens won’t make you strong like the Inner Sect Elders.”

In Yu Han’s group was Li Yao, Li Weidong, Hu Feng, and Xiao Zhuzi.

“We need five more,” said a Senior Brother with a topknot. He wore simple azure-white robes, and at his waist hung a large stone slab.

“Can I join?” Red Eyes approached them.

“Ah, it’s the Junior who almost suffered misfortune. Sure, share some of that with us, why don’t you?” Topknot said.

Red Eyes stood there. Was that an awkward or nonchalant smile? It was hard to say. He stroked his gold ring.

“A jest, brother! Of course you can join. Didn’t you hear that demon? He said you were the most talented of the generation. Look at how the nobles are glaring at you! You’ll have a pleasant Sect life.”

This Senior seems a bit sarcastic.

Red Eyes moved next to Li Weidong.

He bowed to the rest. “I’m called Fang Zhao. A mere cripple. Please don’t take the demon’s words seriously—demons are known to sow discord.”

The rest introduced themselves too.

“Senior Sister, Senior Sister, do we really join them? They look poor. But that one guy is handsome!” a melodious voice said.

“Why not? I know them. They’re not bad people.” It was Huang Niuniu who replied.

She approached with two other girls who were squished around her like bunnies.

“It’s been a while,” Huang Niuniu said to Yu Han. “I’ve decided that most men are smelly.”