Thankfully Lin Fen didn’t decide to poison Yu in his sleep, though he gave him the silent treatment for most of the next day, which left the young reincarnator bored out of his mind as the two of them combed through their house for anything they would need to take with them once they left for the Inner Compound in complete and total silence.

It wasn’t even like the feline cultivator hadn’t enjoyed himself, as the young scion, who he later learned was named Wang He, had actually been surprisingly knowledgeable about alchemy and spiritual plants. But maybe he shouldn’t have been so surprised. Was it just his bias over people who didn’t Cultivate for a living rearing its head?

But even if his grey haired companion had ended up having an interesting discussion with a fellow scholarly minded individual he still needed to be punished in some way, it was the principle of the thing.

Yu Xiang perfectly understood where he was coming from but he still couldn't help but roll his eyes at Lin’s dramatic decision.

So the two spent the next days waiting for the meeting in total boredom.

Once the time had finally come, the two of them left the building that had been their abode for the last half-decade.

They turned around as they made their way out, taking a few moments to fix the image of their house in their minds alongside all the memories they’d made while living there.

Only once they were satisfied with their silent farewell did they finally leave.

<<<>>>

They weren’t the first to arrive at the meeting place.

Feng Liu was standing near the gate that led to the staircase which rose towards the higher plateaus of the golden mountain, looking to be in a much better condition than the last time they’d seen him. For one, his hair wasn’t a loose mess but was held together in a top knot by an iron pin, the rest of his hair reaching halfway down his back, furthermore, he wore his blue Inner disciple robes well, looking like they’d been tailored just like theirs.

Something that Yu Xiang still found mildly off putting…

Beside him stood the pair of girls that had arrived at the summit together, and now that they were no longer covered from head to toe in dirt and soot, he could finally get a good look at them.

One was a redhead, her short hair left in what could almost be called a pixie cut if her hair had been a bit shorter and with a braided lock of hair on the side of her head that reached past her chin. A pair of playful golden eyes met his own, and an amused smirk split her face as she caught him observing her.

He was no bashful cherry boy, however, so he merely responded with a smile of his own instead of flushing in embarrassment at being caught eyeing her.

The girl next to her held an obvious resemblance to the redhead, which led him to the obvious conclusion that they must’ve been related in some way. They didn’t look similar enough to be sisters, so Yu Xiang hazarded a guess of them being cousins.

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She had darker hair than her presumed cousin, bringing to mind the blood soaked mud that he and Su Rong had churned back before their latest bout, cascading down freely until her lower back, she too wore the secretly tailored robes, but unlike the rest of the disciples present she had chosen to wear a bluish gown that reached her lower calf over her robe pants.

They greeted each other amiably, the barest of camaraderie having formed after having suffered through the same tests.

Yu Xiang also finally learned the girls’ names, the short haired one was Zhen Yin while the one with long hair was Zhen Ai, and it turned out that his guess had been right on the money as they were indeed cousins.

“I see that you have come… prepared, brother Xiang.” Said Feng Liu hesitantly.

Zhen Yin snorted in amusement. “That's an understatement if I’ve ever heard one.”

Yu Xiang already knew what they were talking about. Every single one of them had brought with them a couple of bags filled with personal effects to carry to their new abodes, and he and Lin Fen had done the same, or rather the feline alchemist had a couple of bags slung over his back, while the young reincarnator was carrying a wooden crate almost as tall as he was, secured to his back with a leather harness.

“Well, you see, my friend here.” He said pointing at Lin Fen who nodded in acknowledgment. “Is an aspiring alchemist, so he has far more junk to carry around.”

One of Lin Fen’s feline ears turned towards him, the young alchemist unsure if he should be offended that his materials had been called junk.

Before he could make up his mind the last of the missing newly promoted Inner Disciples showed up, plunging the group in an awkward silence.

Su Rong stood by the side alongside his two companions, doing his best to ignore Yu’s presence as they waited for Elder Chao’s arrival.

They stood there in silence for a few minutes before the gate finally opened.

Instead of the middle aged man they were expecting, a relatively young man in crimson robes appeared from behind the door, a bag overflowing with scrolls slung over his shoulder.

The man fished one of the scrolls from his bag, scanning its contents for less than a second before he looked over their group in clear boredom and addressed them.

“Normally this would be Elder Chao’s job. To guide you up the mountain and relegate you all with some fantastical tale about the conception of our great sect and its founder.” He said dismissively.

“But I’m sure you all already know most such tales and would rather settle in in your new homes, so I’ll cut this short.” With that, he simply turned around and stepped past the gate he’d just come from.

The new Inner Disciples remained rooted to their spots, blinking in bewilderment at the atypical speech they’d just received.

“Well? What are you all waiting for? A formal invitation?” The man’s voice echoed from past the imposing doors, snapping them out of their trance, and they scrambled to follow him.

Once they’d all stepped past the gate its enormous doors swung back on their own, closing themselves with a bone shaking thump.

The gaggle of young cultivators hesitated for a moment before they started running towards their supposed guide, rapidly climbing the white stone staircase.

Nervousness unconsciously gathered in their minds, rendering their movements wooden and uncoordinated, until somewhere around the halfway point to the inner compound the spiritual energy in the atmosphere started to rise rapidly.

Energy filled their spirits and bodies, clearing away their doubts in a rush of new excitement.

They kept climbing, now moving faster than before and their guy accelerated so that he wouldn’t be left behind, rolling his eyes at their antics.

Minutes passed this way, with the energy in the air rising with every step they took until they finally spotted it.

An imposing work of carved red wood and finely crafted gold rising towards the heavens in defiance, and with an impression of the same mountain they were climbing carved on its surface, an aurora was circling the top of the golden peak forming the emblem of their sect.

The entrance to the Golden Peak sect’s inner compound.