The next day the children were awakened with the sunrise. Those that tried to sleep in were hit with tiny bolts of of energy. This energy sent waves of pain through their bodies and they screamed while spasms kept them on the floor. “When you are told to get up, you get up.” one of the snake masked men said.

Once the pain went away, those that had been hit with the attack stood up. “Good, now all of you are to be tested. Not for potential, as the Dragons already tested for that, but for determination. We want to know which of you have the will to live. Will you fight to survive, like a predator, or will you roll over and die like prey? Only those with the will to live can survive here.”

They were lead out into a courtyard, to where a sparring field was. “First lesson. Two shall enter the field, picked at random. The first to draw their opponent’s blood gets to eat. The other goes without.” The man pointed to two children. “You two, enter the field.” The two hesitated and two masked men that were standing to the side grabbed them and carried them into the field. “Now, fight.”

The two children stared at each other. They had been taught by their parents not to fight. How could they…? They hesitated for a few seconds, looking at the other one to see if they really wanted to fight.

Two bolts of energy left the instructor’s hand and hit the two children, who collapsed to the ground in pain. “Maybe you failed to understand my command. If you do not fight, not only do neither of you get to eat, but you both will feel pain. The tiny jolt that was used to wake you was only a fraction of the pain this technique can inflict. Every time we are disobeyed, the pain will increase.” The two had stopped jerking on the floor and now panted for breath. “Now, are you going to fight, or are you going to experience even greater pain?”

The older boy struggled to his feet a few seconds before the younger boy, and walked over. Just as the boy started to stand, he punched the boy in the face. It was a week swing, but it made the already weakened boy lose his footing and fall down. When he stood up a second time, his lip was bleeding slightly.

“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” the man said, and tossed the older boy a hard lump of flour that was used as field rations by the militia. “Next, you two.” The other two boys left the stage and two more entered it. While they seemed afraid at first, when the master told them to begin one boy ran at the other and slapped him as hard as he could. That didn’t quite draw blood, and the other one punched him in the face, making his nose bleed.

The rest of the morning combat went smoothly. Ponma tackled his opponent and slapped him until his lip was split and Shen fought dirty, kicking the boy in the stomach and clawing at his fase with her uncut finger nails. This meant that they were both allowed to eat breakfast.

After practice, at eleven in the morning, they were lead to a side room. Inside were twenty bunks on either side of the room. For a total of forty beds. “This is the housing for the outer disciples. This is where you will sleep until you earn a place in the inner sect. There are toilets over there and a sink over there.” he pointed to the locations. The man placed a basket of hard biscuits on the table, one for each child, and locked them inside.

After eating the girls took turns blocking the toilet and bathing area off for each other, then the boys did the same. Even in prison, one must behave properly.

At noon they were lead into a different training field. This one had dummies set up around the outside of it. The snake master motioned to a bowl of pills on a table near the doors. “These are Blood burn pills. The power we used to make you feel pain was developed by mimicking the power of these pills. There is much power trapped within the blood, and you must learn to harness that power.” The children were each ordered to step forward and take one of the pills, but not swallow it. “When you swallow this pill, you will start to feel a burning sensation inside your stomach. This is the power that you blood releases when it is destroyed by the pill. You are to take that power and channel it into your palm, then throw it at the target in front of you. If you refuse to use the energy, know that the pain will only increase until you release it.”

Every child was ordered to swallow their pill. Some of them refused, only to have one of the other snake people force it into their throat where it started to burn there. The children then swallow instinctively, putting the pill in their stomach where it was supposed to be.

Shen swallowed hers without being forced, and felt her stomach start to burn, like holding her hand over a candle. She forced herself to ignore the pain and focus on the energy that was causing it. The strange red energy swirled around her middle dantian, trying to force itself inside. Thankfully, the shell she had built around it when she advanced to the Gathering stage was holding back the energy, but she could feel it eroding. “This is just like the Torch Palm technique.” she whispered to herself as she touched the energy with her mind, drawing it out into her palm. The energy lessened for a few seconds before starting to recover to its previous level. The chi was strange, like it hated life, but she ignored that for the moment and forced it into a ball. After twenty seconds of concentration it formed a rough ball in her hand, and she threw the ball at the target. Her aim was terrible, and it flew wildly to the side, but at least she could remove it from her body.

Many of the children either stood doubled over or laid on the ground in pain, clutching their stomach. Thanks to her assistance with other chi techniques, however, Ponma had managed to take some of the energy and place it outside his body, into his palm, but not throw it. She could tell he was in pain, but she couldn’t help him at this moment. She fired four more chi bolts with the strange chi before it started to dissipate.

Now that her own levels of the energy were low enough that it wouldn’t grow out of control, she ran over to Ponma and started instructing him. “I can’t reach into your body and take the chi from you, but you can already remove it from your body. All you need to do is direct it away from you. Imagine it becoming a stone in your palm. Believe it is a ball or stone, and it will obey.”

He looked at her as if he barely understood the words she spoke, his teeth clenched in agony, but soon decided to try. He focused on the energy and tried to will it into a ball. The energy slowly started to take shape, but the distraction of the pain made it too difficult.

“Throw it away from you.” she said, seeing him start to lose control. He willed it to fly towards the target, and it flew two meters in that direction before dissipating. “Good, now again. Cast it enough and the pain will go away.” She gathered the last of the blood chi in her body and formed a small ball with it, and threw it at his target. It missed the center, but still hit. “Like that.”

He tried again, and this time it was easier. It took him seven attempts before the pain started to subside.

Shen breathed a sigh of relief. If she could teach the other students to do this, it wouldn’t hurt them anymore. She started to move towards one of the others that had managed to release the chi but was blocked by an adult. She looked up and noticed that it was the main Master that had brought them out here. “Interesting.” he said. “Tell me, little girl, have you used chi before? You seemed to learn the lesson quickly.”

“My name is Shen.” she responded.

“Those of the outer sect do not get names, little girl. If you want me to call you that, prove that you are useful and you can be moved to the inner sect. Now, tell me if you have used chi magic before.”

Knowing that she couldn’t lie to him and not be hurt, she nodded. “Only the Torch Palm technique. But rather than spreading out the chi, I compressed it into a ball, the way your people use it.”

The Master nodded. “Good. You have potential, then.” he pulled a piece of dried fruit from his ring. “Here, little girl, this is your reward for doing so well in the lesson.” He then addressed the others. “You may leave when you manage to release all of the energy from your body. Just know that if you fail to do so by evening meal, you will be locked into the training field and have to sleep outside tonight.” With that he left.

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Shen returned to trying to instruct the others and soon seven of them had learned well enough to go to the other children and try to help them. All but one of them had managed by the time the bell calling them to evening meal had rung, and the children were forced to leave the boy behind. Shen tried to carry him out but was stopped by a guard. “You may leave, he must stay.” the guard said. Shen knew she couldn’t defeat the guard in combat, so she laid the boy on a bench to make him as comfortable as possible and left for the meal hall.

After supper the children were locked into the bunkhouse. There were board games and cards, but most of them were too tired to do anything for entertainment and went directly to bed. The boys took the half of the room to the left of the door and the girls took the right half. There was only one more boy than girl this time, as one of them was left on the field, so there was no need to place someone on the opposite side.

The next day, they were taken to the combat field once again. “Today a simple wound will not be enough.” the masked man said. He placed a box of knives on the table. “You must draw blood with a blade. The first to do so will be declared the winner, and will get to eat morning meal. The other will go hungry. Do not worry about injuring the person too much. We can repair any damage you do with these knives.”

He stepped back and let the children take one of the blades. They were long and thin, and quite sharp. On their blades strange symbols were carved which Shen could not read. Some sort of talisman? She took one and, seeing that it had a string tied to it, tied the knife’s sheath to her waist.

Once everyone had gathered at the field, the adults started calling people to fight. She was paired up with an eight year old boy, the same one that had failed at the magic practice yesterday and had to sleep outside. He held his dagger shakily and his legs shook as well. Clearly he was terrified. “Begin.” said the instructor, and Shen drew her dagger and walked towards him. He made no effort to come at her and, in fact had moved away from her.

“Fine, then, I’ll end this quickly.” she said. She lifted her dagger and he moved his up slightly, closing his eyes. Maybe a morning without a meal will teach him determination, a lesson she had learned as an orphan through similar means. She sliced downward and cut the back of his hand. He screamed and dropped the blade, clutching his wounded hand with the other hand.

Ponma at least had a proper fight and, though he lost to an older boy, he at least managed to dodge a few times.

After combat the master addressed them. “Congratulation, winners. As a reward for winning your first battle, you may keep your blade. The others will need to turn them in, but can borrow them again for the next combat session.” He pulled out a basket, proper bread this time. “This is also your reward, as you did not hesitate to do what you must, even knowing your opponent and possibly even being friends. You have until noon off. Come to the dining hall at eleven if you want to eat, but make sure you are at the magic field at noon or you will be sorry.”

Many of the children were saddened by the reminder of what happened yesterday at the magic field, but knew that if they failed to arrive they would receive even more pain.

After eating her loaf, Shen returned to the bunkhouse. Many of the children there were playing cards or board games, but she sat at the foot of her bunk and started to meditate. Soon, several other children came over to her. “Big sister.” one of the girls said. She opened her eyes. “I noticed that yesterday you managed to perform the best in the magic practice. Do you think you could teach us?”

Shen smiled. “I can teach you what I know, but it will be up to you to practice it.”

The girl smiled in return. “That will be enough.”

For the next two hours she lead them in meditation, teaching them to manipulate the chi inside their bodies. Few of them had any skill, despite the instruction of the Jade Masters on the journey here, but soon she had them doing a proper Cleansing meditation, cycling chi throughout their body to drive out any toxins that might block the flow of chi within them. Some of the girls got sick and had to run to the bathroom, but most only got covered in a black or gray oily substance and had to wash themselves and their clothes. The boys and girls in the group each took turns blocking the other sex from entering or looking at the area and, by middle meal everyone had finished bathing.

The meal at the Dining Hall was simple hard biscuits, as they were still trainees, and after grabbing one and a glass of water they made their way to the magic training field. Many of them soaked the bread in their water to soften it up. Soggy bread was better than chipped teeth, after all.

Today’s magic lesson was the same as yesterday’s but they had to take two pills each. The children were reluctant to take them, but the second that master of the field formed a ball of blood chi in his hand they stopped resisting.

Shen lined up and took her pills. The energy flooded into her even faster, but because she was used to it she was able to form chi bolts almost as fast as it built up. She threw them at the training dummies and after thirteen shots the energy started to go away. She threw another three to get rid of the rest of it. Her accuracy had greatly improved and she managed to hit the dummy’s chest about half the time.

Once she was finished she noticed that several of the other children were managing to throw the bolts as well. Most of them were the ones who managed to handle the pain yesterday, but some were from her chi lessons a few hours ago. She walked around instructing those that were in too much pain and soon everyone had managed to release at least a little of it into their palms.

The master gave the same condition as yesterday. If they complete the lesson, they may leave. If they don’t finish by evening meal, they had to sleep outside again. Shen stayed behind to instruct the others and, about an hour before the evening meal, the boy who slept outside yesterday managed to form his first ball of chi and throw it at the target. While he never managed to hit the target, and barely managed to reach it, he was at least making progress. All of them got to sleep inside tonight.

Shen lead most of them in a meditation session that night, and the next morning they were lead to the combat field again. After the half of the group that didn’t get to keep their dagger grabbed one from the basket, the instructor spoke. “Now that all of you know how to use chi, thanks to yesterday’s lesson, you can learn how to use magical items. These daggers contain an array that converts any chi given to it into blood chi, to hurt the opponent even more. Your test today is simple. Put chi into the blade and draw blood. The blood chi will enter the opponent and cause them pain. Do this correctly, and you will get to eat morning meal, whether you win or not. Fail to do this, and I will demonstrate the technique by using it on you.” The master then chose two children and they stepped into the ring.

Several children failed to activate the effect before attacking, and their injury didn’t count. Once both children had managed to successfully use the technique, or one had been completely defeated, the match was over. Shen was paired up with Ponma, and, though he was faster than her, she managed to land a blow first. He screamed in pain from the slight cut and lunged at her, glancing her arm with the blade. A sharp pain filled her arm and she felt like it was on fire. Her hand started shaking in response to the pain, so she switched the dagger to her left hand.

“That is enough.” said the master. “Both of you landed a successful blow. Tomorrow you shall fight until one surrenders or loses consciousness, but not today.”

She was lead off the stage to a table where one of the snake people sat. The person formed some blood chi in her hands, but it had a blue haze to it. The person touched Shen’s injured arm and, though it hurt, the skin began to knit together. “Better?” the person asked. Judging by the pitch of the voice it was a woman.

“Yes, ma’am.” Shen said, and the woman nodded.

“In that case, you had better return so that you can get your reward. From what I saw, you will likely be declared the winner.”

Shen returned and the Master declared Ponma the victor, if only because he continued to fight after she injured him, whereas she was shaking so badly that she left herself open to attack. Still, both had passed.

After morning meal everyone returned to the bunkhouse where all of them joined in with the meditation. After both the boys and girls had washed the goo from their bodies they went to the dining hall, Shen in the lead, where they all got their biscuit and water and went to the magic field.

After they had eaten, the master addressed them. “Today’s lesson will be a contest. Now that all of you can properly fire a Blood Bolt and can handle at least two pills, we will see who is the best. Your reward today will be in Contribution points. Consider them the money that most sects use. They can be used to purchase many things within the sect, from clothing to technique scrolls, to better food in the dining hall. Today’s prize, five contribution points, is enough to buy a good meal in the dining hall, and will go to the person who can score the highest on their test dummy.” The children had seen other disciples eating proper stew and bread, and drinking things other than water. Three days of eating travel biscuits had them all craving something better.

The master lifted a piece of cloth with a target on it in the shape of a chestplate. “This is a target from one of the dummies. The outer circle is worth one point, the next two points, the next three, and this small inner circle, where the heart is, is worth five.” He motioned towards the basket of pills. “Everyone must take at least two pills today, though you don’t need to take them at the same time like yesterday. You may take as many as you wish, though.” The children looked surprised that anyone would do that. “Every pill gives you more blood chi to work with, and more chances to earn points. The one at the end of the training with the most total points will be the winner and receive the contribution points.”

With that he stepped back and let the children come and take the pills. Most only took two, but Shen took six and Ponma five. Once she was at her dummy she put one pill in her mouth with her left hand and started firing blood chi bolts with her right. Every time the energy started to die down, she put another in her mouth.

After one hour the master called an end to the practice and totaled up everyone’s score. Shen was in first place, with a score of one hundred and thirty three, but Ponma wasn’t far behind with a score of one hundred and twenty one. Few others beside those two had taken more than the two required pills, so most of the scores were in the single digits, with the third place having a score of only seventy two.

Shen was given a small copper bracelet with a Jade coin on the top. The master tapped his own bracelt to it and transferred five contribution points. “You will learn to transfer points soon.” he told her when she looked at the bracelet in surprise. He then addressed the other children. “A few of you barely even tried. Fail to put in an effort tomorrow, and you will be fined five points. You will then have to take on punishments to earn enough to return to a balance of zero. Dismissed.”

The children started to walk out of the training yard and Shen walked over to the instructor. “Instructor, sir?” she asked, and he looked at her.

“Yes, little girl?”

“May I take some of the Bloodburn pills with me? I wish to cultivate with Blood chi in my body so that I can learn to deal with the pain.”

The man shook his head. “Outer disciples are not allowed to possess pills outside of designated areas, like the clinic, supply room, or training fields. I can, however, let you and anyone else who wishes to practice with them remain here where I can supervise you, and you can meditate here.”

Shen looked around at the other children. Many of them wished to return to the bunkhouse and rest, but around half agreed to stay here with her. She nodded at the master. “In that case, may we use the field to meditate?”

The man nodded. “By all means.”