- Li Renji -

He had expected that he would not do well, and he was right. Despite an exceptional Vitra—he was confident that it was, the clan leader's eyes had conveyed enough—he had failed not only his late parents but Sister Huang Jingyi as well. He stood there, head lowered, as everyone else got tested. Sister Huang Jingyi, too, appeared to have passed, quite spectacularly so—exactly what he'd expected from her. Not only that, she'd immediately been escorted by the guards, she'd undoubtedly caught some Elder’s attention.

He bit his lip, grounding his teeth as everyone else passed. He tried so hard to cultivate this much with his trash talents… and yet… Why must the heavens be so unfair to him? What had he done to deserve any of this?! Li Renji would swear upon his late parents that he had done nothing wrong. Never. He'd lived a fair life, even in these demonic lands, and yet, and yet, this is what he gets? How is that fair?

When he'd seen Sister Huang Jingyi being taken away, she'd glanced back at him with pity and had appeared apologetic. He did not need her pity, or anyone’s for that matter. Heavens had been unfair to him, so what?! He would defy the heavens! He would break his shackles, and show everyone what he could do! Heavens be damned!

He glared at the heavens and saw red. He was angry. Angry at everything.

“Disciple Li Renji,” someone called out to him. Disciple? How strange, he was not a disciple. He only felt shame at being called as such.

“What is it?”

“This servant is here to escort Disciple Li Renji and Disciple Wang Kai.”

Huh. Escort him? Who was Wang Kai? Where would he be escorted?

His gaze shifted to the other boy—his age, if a bit taller and bulkier. Renji snorted, Wang Kai, was it? This Wang Kai would bow to him too, calling him Senior Brother.

As he glanced over at Sister Huang Jingyi, memories flooded his mind—how she had been there for him since childhood, the only one who played with him when he had no one else. She had not distanced herself from him, even knowing the curse he carried. She was the one who had shown him kindness and understanding.

Determined, he clenched his fists. He couldn’t allow the heavens’ unfairness to dictate his fate. He would rise above it. And yes, someday, he would prove himself worthy not just for himself but also for Sister Huang Jingyi. He would show her that he was capable of being more than the world believed. She would be his, he would make sure of it! He had liked her ever since they were children; he would surely need to court her!

“Lead us, servant,” Renji declared. He knew not who had chosen him as a disciple, but he was happy that he had gotten a chance in the first place, he had expected to go home… or that place he called home. He had no real home really, but that didn’t matter.

“This one is Wang Kai! Nice to meet your acquaintance.” The bigger boy grinned at him and Renji snorted, smiling back a little. No reason to antagonize his future minion!

He was so very optimistic.

***

- ??? -

Bis Ke couldn't quite put a paw on what was happening. Her furry little chest was all aflutter, like a butterfly flapping its wings inside her chest—though butterflies were those flappy, fluttery things outside, right? Oh, who cares! She yowled.

The fuzzy feeling within her seemed to grow with each passing moment. It was like a never-ending yarn ball that she just had to keep unraveling. She was… quite fascinated!

There were motes of light all around her, she could see now, for the first time she would dare say—because she hadn’t really been seeing before the Great Master had made her a Disciple. If this was what the world actually looked like, she chastised herself about why she hadn’t come to the Great Master sooner. So, so very colorful. She felt other enticing motes of light. She knew she was almost there. She knew not where but she knew she was going somewhere.

The pull of these motes was stronger than any before and that made her twitch into action—she followed the pull, the cosmic meowing calling her towards the sunbeams.

She had been very confused and surprised the first day the Great Master had made her a Disciple. Bis Ke couldn't believe her whiskers! What in the world was this Gu thingy—How did she even know of it?—and why was it swirling and moving all around her? It was like a game of tag with invisible friends, and she was the master of the chase! Day by day, those mysterious motes had been teasing her, flitting just out of her reach. She had collected many, mostly those fluffy ones from her favorite sunspots… She had always been a little short of something.

But today, with paws swiping and tail flicking, she’d caught them! She’d caught enough! She'd been on an epic quest, like a daring explorer discovering the uncharted realms of... um, the living room. The kitchen where the maids worked. The laundry room and the whole mansion of her Great Master. Okay, so maybe her expeditions weren't that epic, but they sure felt like it to her!

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Now, her eyes were on a new and cozier sun spot she had found. Her eyes narrowed, her tail twitched, and she felt like a sleek panther ready to pounce. She wanted to bask in the glory of those golden rays, feeling the warmth on her fur like a thousand cuddles wrapped into one.

As she settled into the coziest sunspot, she stretched herself out like a pretzel. Her eyes narrowed into dreamy half-moons as she soaked in the sunlight, purring contently, becoming one with it. If there were an award for “Most Enthusiastic Sunbather,” she'd win it paws down!

And there she lay, basking and daydreaming, her feline brain working overtime to make sense of the inexplicable. Was she turning into a sun goddess? The queen of warm spots?

She yowled and collected more motes!

And then it happened—a shudder that tickled her fur and a resistance she had to fight through, like trying to squeeze into a box that was too small for her chunky form. But Bis Ke was a determined kitty, and nothing would stand between her and those fascinating motes! So, with a final wiggle of her whiskers, she broke through the invisible barriers, and in rushed the Gu, like a flood of mysterious energy swirling and twirling inside her.

She could feel it, deep in her whisker tips—something was changing. Her heart, that fuzzy little engine of curiosity, was doing maneuvers she thought impossible, like a kitten discovering a ball of yarn for the first time. But this was no ordinary heart—oh, no! It was her Eclipse Heart! Now, what in the world was that? It sounded pretty grand, like a magnificent celestial event happening right inside her chest. And, in a way, it was, because from that moment on, Bis Ke had ascended to the First Realm.

And in came… understanding. She just knew.

As if struck by a lightning bolt of wisdom, she felt her cat-brain expanding!

Her nose twitched with excitement as the divine knowledge surged within her. Surely, it paled in comparison to the Great Master!

She purred to herself, puffing her chest. The Great Master would be proud! She would allow him to scratch her belly, as was right!

From this day on, she knew she'd be a different kind of kitty.

***

- Wu Ryujin -

“Another sect has been on the rise, one that recently launched an attack on us.” The eldest said.

Ah. Everything fell into place at once. That new sect had been the one who ambushed the Sect Leader and killed him, I could tell now. Everything made sense. He made sure not to reveal anything much, like the Sect Leader’s death or bigger casualties, but he explained a bit about the sect. After he was done, however, his next words left me speechless.

“Elder Wu is to rule the bordering town on Bleak Abyss Gorge from this moment onwards,” First Elder, Wei Rui, declared with his booming voice that echoed through the Crimson Misty Mountain Range,

I was doing my absolute best not to unleash a torrent of profanities at the despicable mute motherfucker. Seriously, he'd be better off shutting his trap altogether. Damn him. I let out a long, frustrated sigh. Fuck. Why did it have to be that fucking place out of all the fucking places in this goddamn place? Why did it have to be that cursed, miserable shithole?

I’m cursing again for no fucking reason. Shit. Fucking shit.

I managed to compose myself, swallowing my frustration and mustering a forced bow in “respect” to the insufferable First Elder. This announcement was like a punch to the gut, one I never could have imagined in my wildest dreams. Honestly, I had expected something shit, but I never thought this would be the fucking announcement. Bleak Abyss Gorge? Seriously? I was being yanked away from the town I had dutifully ruled for so long, and now I was supposed to lord over that forsaken place instead.

And what really ground my gears was the timing of it all. It hadn't even been a damn month since our Master's death, Not a month since I was crippled and the fucker already pulled all this.

With a poker face, I addressed the situation, trying my best to sound indifferent. “This Wu Ryujin would be honored, Senior Brother,” I said, my voice devoid of any emotion. He glanced at me, giving a nod of approval, probably thinking he was doing me some kind of favor. Yeah, right. Whatever motorboats his buttcheeks at night.

“I hope you bring that place to new heights, Junior Brother,” he said. I did not detect even an ounce of deceit. It was even more difficult since he never really spoke much. Zhang Jun seemed ecstatic, he was barely keeping himself from laughing out loud. I knew why, he was jealous of me—of Wu Ryujin—back in the day, so it was only natural that he would feel good.

Li Mei looked apologetic, knowing how tough this was for me. Shen Yue, well, she couldn't care less and dozed off, fully aware that my fate was sealed. I had to move to that place, and it would be nothing short of death if I did not survive. I let out another weary sigh before taking my leave. Li Mei seemed like she had something to say, but I had no intention of sticking around to hear it, and neither did I have the mood to.

As I made my way, Disciple Jin Ruo arrived again, ready to escort me. I had concerns about my stuff and, more importantly, my damn cat. Jin Ruo reassured me that the servants would likely handle the moving, but he promised to take care of it personally if necessary.

As we made our way down towards the Bleak Abyss Gorge, my mind raced with a thousand thoughts. The sight that unfolded before me was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. Jagged cliffs and unstable footing, a deep chasm shrouded in a dense crimson mist that made navigation a perilous task. This place was notorious for its constant danger, a true test of skill and bravery for any sect member.

The gorge held secrets and treasures beyond imagination, drawing in the most skilled individuals from our sect. But it wasn't without its price. Many who entered never returned, leaving something behind in there or coming out with something—that was the unforgiving cycle of this place. And on the very edge of this perilous abyss lay a small town, aptly named Bleak Town.

“We are here, Elder Wu.” Jin Ruo declared, and we moved down. Down on the most majestic place in the whole town, a mansion of sorts, it looked quite ancient, but still, it seemed that it had been maintained well over time.

From the mansion's lofty vantage point, what I saw left me breathtaking as well as stumped. The town appeared to be in between jagged cliffs and mist-shrouded valleys. Slight crimson mist snaked through the narrow streets, and the locals, hardy and resilient, went about their daily lives with barely a reaction. In the heart of the town stood a revered shrine, paying homage to the Leaders of old. This was to be my living place from now on.

I sighed, oh well… I would have to make do with what I had.