"You wish to join the sect?" The guard examined the disc shaped token given to him with a critical eye. Even to a novice, the intricacy of the falcon engraved on its face spoke to the skill of the craftsman.

"Yes, Senior?"

"And what is your name?"

"Mo Chen." The young man answered. The guard frowned. "Senior." He added.

The guard spared a brief glance at Mo Chen as he examined the token ever more closely. Mo Chen felt nervous as the guard continued to pass it through his hands, never quite satisfied. "Is there something -"

"You may call me Senior Guo Qing, or just Senior Guo, if you prefer. The man guarding the post next to me here is Senior Yuan Su."

"Yes Senior Guo, Senior Yuan Su."

"Good. Now then, your name. Mo Chen...? Was it?" Guo Qing tested the name slowly.

"That is correct Senior Guo."

"Hmm. And who did you say gave you this token Mo Chen?"

"Li Hui gave me that token Senior Guo."

"I see. And what did Li Hui say when he gave you this token? Did he give you any specific directions?"

"I'm sorry senior, the only instruction he gave was that I could enter the Cloudy Valley sect with it."

"Is that so?"

Mo Chen nodded.

Guo Qing circled around Mo Chen, closing in so close that he could feel the moisture of the man's breath. Then, without warning, he head butted Mo Chen! Mo Chen fell to the ground in a daze. He heard a distant yelling, but he couldn't make out the words. By the time he regained his senses, his face was pressed in the dirt with his arms painfully pinned behind his back.

"Where did you get this token?!" Guo Qing demanded.

Mo Chen cried out in pain as Guo Qing pulled harder on his arm.

"I told you! Li Hui! Li Hui gave it to me!" Mo Chen struggled beneath Guo Qing's grip, but it felt as though iron chains held him in place.

"Boy, don't lie. Li Hui doesn't take disciples."

"He said the token could get us into the sect! That's all I know! Honest!"

"Us? Oh? Now that is interesting. Who is us?"

"Me and my sister, Mo Shun! Li Hui told us it could get either of us into the Cloudy Valley!" Mo Chen cried out as Guo Qing's grip grew harder and an unbearable pressure continued to mount on his flesh and bone.

"Ah, so parts of the truth come out. This token is for your sister, not for you."

"He said either of us could use it! I swear!"

"Ha! Do you think I am fooled so easily? Hmm? Boy? Do I look like I was born yesterday? One token, one person. Everyone knows this rule. Do you think you are the first jealous sibling attempting to take another's place in the sect? Keep lying if you want a broken arm."

"Ow! Stop! I told you the truth!"

"Oh really now? Because I know who's token this is, and it's not Li Hui's."

"Its Master Tan Ru's." The other guard finally spoke. "Let him go Guo Qing. I know how much you love snapping arms, but the lad might be telling the truth."

"You believe him?"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

For all the skepticism in his voice, Guo Qing still loosened his grip.

"It would be quite the coincidence if he were lying. At the very least, I believe he *thinks* he is telling the truth."

"Why? What do you know?"

"When did you get that token lad?"

"10 years ago."

The guard nodded sagely with his eyes closed. "Yes, that certainly makes sense."

"What makes sense? Explain yourself Yuan Su!"

"As it happens, I knew Li Hui ten years ago. We trained under the same instructor, Master Tan Ru. That was before the 83rd Jade Pond Summit. Oh, what a tournament that was! So many young geniuses! Ba Wei. He Chang! Xia Zhou! Jia Song! Sun Xiuying! We put every other generation to shame I tell you. And of course, there was Li Hui, though no one knew his genius at the time."

"Get to the point Yuan Su."

"You cannot rush a good story Guo Qing! As I was saying, the first time I met Li Hui was in the third round of our sect's qualifiers for that Jade Pond Summit. Ah... I can still remember it like it was yesterday. There were hardly any spectators for our fight. Li Hui was still a nobody whereas I was known as *The Young Tiger* thanks to my practice of the Whirling Tiger technique. I was sure to make it to the top ten and everybody knew it. No one thought Li Hui would even last three moves."

Guo Qing snorted. "I never heard your name until I got this guard post with you. You were as much a nobody as Li Hui was!"

"Ha! Then explain why they called me the me *The Young Tiger*."

"Nobody called you that!"

"Anyways, on with the story. The odds at the betting pool must have been a hundred to one. As I said, no one knew Li Hui then, the best we all knew he was just another average practitioner of the Martial Heart technique whereas I had my illustrious Whirling Tiger technique."

Guo Qing rolled his eyes. "If the Whirling Tiger Technique is illustrious, then half the techniques of the outer sect are heaven grade."

Yuan Su continued, "Li Hui's mastery of the Martial Heart technique was remarkable, especially for his cultivation level and limited experience, but I'd kept him on the back foot, if only barely. Even if Li Hui was Li Hui, I was still Yuan Su, the young tiger, my victory was certain, it was only a matter of time.

"That was until Li Hui gave me a taste of his demonic fist technique. Caught me right in the sternum, broke six of my ribs in one punch and knocked me off the stage. Yes! That's right! This Yuan Su was actually the first to experience defeat at the hands of Li Hui's demonic fist technique!" Yuan Su pounded a fist on his chest. "Boy, I'll tell you, Li Hui's fist was exactly what I needed. It taught me the most import lesson of the martial world: there is always someone stronger."

"Ah, now that you mention it, this does ring a bell." Guo Qing chuckled. "Was this the fight where Master Tan Ru pulled you out of the mud by a rope because he didn't want to dirty his sandals?"

"Mock me as much as you wish brother Guo Qing. Fortune favors those with an open mind. I'm a very rich man, don't you know? After my defeat I was honest with myself. Li Hui had not won through some cheat, or fate of luck. I made no excuses. Li Hui's talent simply exceeded mine, and I was quick to accept it. The very next match I bet all my savings on Li Hui, and then again, and again, right up until his fight with Ba Wei. I even borrowed every tael I could get my hands on to bet on margin."

"Who would lend a fool like you money to gamble?"

"It's not a gamble if you know the outcome."

Guo Qing shook his head. "Fool. The only men to say such words are buried in their debts."

"And yet here I stand."

"How much money did you win?" Mo Chen asked, still pressed into the dirt.

"Five million taels."

"Ha! Only you could tell a lie so bold. You lie as much as Mo Chen here. If you had said a hundred thousand I might have believed you." Guo Qing said.

Yuan Su shrugged. "What do you know? You hadn't seen the fight. Only Master Tan Ru was there to officiate. At the time everyone was watching Ba Wei's match against Ye Zhi."

"Whatever, I don't care anymore. What does this have to do with this boy having a token of Master Tan Ru?"

"Oh. Right. I forgot about that. Well, for his merit, Tan Ru offered Li Hui his choice of a reward and Li Hui chose a token of his favor. He wanted to be granted one of his own to give out at his choosing, but given his limited status, it simply wasn't possible."

"And you think he would've just given it to some peasant children? Why not use it for admittance to a secret realm? Or a better cultivation technique?"

Yuan Su shook his head. "You wouldn't understand. Li Hui was different back then. More whimsical. And he still had some connection to the mortal world. It had only been two years since he'd entered the sect after all."

All the while that he was saying this, Yuan Su persuaded Guo Qing off Mo Chen and pulled the boy to his feet.

"Tell ya what, I'll take brother Mo Chen here up to brother Li Hui's and get this sorted out."

"As if I'd let you do that. Last time you said something like that, you went and got drunk with a couple of inner sect disciples. How the hell did you get on drinking terms with them anyway?"

"I happen to be very charismatic."

Guo Qing snorted.

"You're just too uptight to see my charm. Anyways, I'll be taking Mo Chen up to Li Hui's. If you wish to complain you can take it up with him."

"As if I'd go to him. This is my last straw with you Yuan Su. If Senior brother Li Hui won't take him in, I won't be so merciful anymore."

"Fine, fine." Yuan Su said with a sigh. "I'll be back as soon as I hear from Li Hui."

"Wait, hold up a second Yuan Su. Isn't Senior brother Li Hui in secluded cultivation?"

But he spoke too late. Yuan Su pretended not to hear and had already pulled Mo Chen around the corner.

...