Soft footsteps resound through the damp grassy soil of the forest. A breath is let loose, the labored inhales and exhales from the long sprint are present.

'Is this the place?' A question lingers in Kenki's mind, his eyes gravitating to the necklace held in his grasp, its constant movements now gone. The jade has stilled, and that could only mean one of two things

Either he has failed the exam –the declared hour and a half having passed. Or the destination set by core disciple Ryo has finally been reached.

The boy does not have to wander for long as soon enough silhouettes start to emerge through the fog of the forest –a group of ten outer disciples are revealed.

All eyes lock onto Kenki, those that are already here are examining the newest arrival. Their gazes betray nothing of their inward emotions, the youths behind them all keeping a still and stoic expression. Some are standing in place with their arms crossed, some have seated themselves down unto the grass, one has even perched himself upon a tree branch –there is a choking tension in the air.

'Did something happen?' Ken throws a short glance at everyone present, making it a point not to linger for too long at the group of four that had brutalized the supposed thief just an hour prior. Apart from them he recognises the bald-headed disciple, the first one to have rushed out of the starting building. As for everyone else, they had not made enough of an impression for Ken to remember them.

He hops onto a tree branch, mirroring the one other disciple. It isn't long before the interest in him is lost, the youths returning to their business of doing… nothing.

Off to the side, in his peripheral vision, Ken spots a figure floating through the air. It's Core disciple Ryo. The man waves at the boy with a smile on his face once he notices that he's being looked at.

"You're surprisingly fast despite being here for only a week. “Ken starts upon hearing an echoing voice in his head, eyes widening.

"Calm down, it's just me, Ryo." The voice calmly says with a teasing hint. “I'm using a technique to speak to you.” He relays with a flourish of his ruby hair, the action going either unnoticed or ignored by the other outer disciples. "[Elemental Whispers], it can be found on the third floor of the outer Heavenly Library and it allows its user to speak with anyone they wish to as long they have matching attunements."

“So you can hear my thoughts?” Kenki replies without speaking. He does it by mirroring the sensations the echoes cause in his head. The action is surprisingly easy –almost instinctual.

“Mostly” Ryo's responds, picking his ear with a pinky finger “The connection is a little off due to your low affinity. Oh and you don't have to worry about me reading your mind” he begins to frantically wave his hands, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead even as he continues to smile. His gesturing is performative –not done due to true worry. “The Heavens themselves can't read cultivators' thoughts, let alone a lowly adept realm technique. The only reason I could hear you is because you actively tried to communicate with me”

'I…see' an odd expression crosses the boy's face, his lips pressing together into a thin line. Despite the peculiar actions of the floating cultivator, the disciples below appeared entirely unaware of his antics.

Even with the silent communication technique, the direct gaze of the man would undoubtedly have led to an uncomfortable scene with his fellow outer disciples. Something that Ken wishes to avoid, especially after Ling He's brazen revenge.

Kenki takes a moment to deliberate on what to say next.

“Master Ryo. Might I ask why we are having this conversation? Did my previous actions displease you?”

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“Eh?” Ryo leans to the side, holding up his head with an arm "Can't I just display some interest in a natural cultivator?" He teases. "But if I am truly honest, I do have some self-serving motives for reaching out to you. Tell me, Kaito, what do you think of your master Rinako? Are you fond of her, resentful? What is your impression of her?"

Silence.

"Aah, too afraid to talk? I'll have you know that she's my trusted companion!" he remarks, raising his fist up. "I'm worried about her wellbeing and by extension the wellbeing of the one she's chosen as her disciple is all."

“Master Ryo... I think there might have been a misunderstanding. I'm not anyone's disciple, and I don't believe that I am familiar with the person you are talking about.”

Ryo chuckles softly, leaning back with a grin. “Oh come on, Kaito, did I leave that weak of an impression?” he spreads his arms wide. “Don't you remember me? I was there when we first opened the cart that brought you to the sect, right beside little Linlin~ Don't you remember how she smashed her leg into my face?”

Kaito's lips twitch upwards. The movement is brief, corrected within a second, but to a core disciple like Ryo it is as clear as day.

“Aha! So you do remember you little rascal!” Ryo points accusingly at the boy, grumbling.

'...' Kenki does not reply, he remains in place, not moving a muscle. The lackluster reaction causes the core disciple's smile to fade for the first time that day. Instead his lips even out, forming a single straight line.

The man heaves a sigh, his expression reflecting a complex mixture of emotions that are difficult to put a finger on.

"You're like a frightened squirrel you know, don’t worry I don’t bite. I kind of get where you're coming from considering that you spent more than a year in a dirty and rundown caravan by the orders of a cultivator, but don’t you think that this is a bit excessive?" Ryo comments as he awkwardly rubs his neck.

Kenki's expression tightens, he maintains a stoic expression that portrays nothing of what he is thinking "Master Ryo, may I speak what’s on my mind. Even if my words might be insulting?”

“Of course.” The man replies “I encourage honest interactions above anything else, regardless of their nature. I will value the harsh truth over comforting falsehoods at anytime and anywhere, no matter the situation.” Ryo’s tone holds a subtle warmth, a genuine attempt to reassure Kenki while acknowledging the underlying tension.

Kenki tilts his head to the side, mulling over the man’s words before he begins. "I mean… Master Ryo, please forgive me for being a bit apprehensive, but how could I not?”

“Imagine if you were in my position. How would you feel if a stranger that you have met only once before in your life, a stranger that could turn you into a red mist with a flick of his fingers suddenly strolled forth and began acting all friendly with you. Have you reviewed the contents of the customs examination?” Ken presses his fingers together as if he’s writing with an invisible brush to help emphasize his point.

“Every other rule is strictly about how one should interact with higher realm cultivators. Be it the Heavenly Librarian, the Elders of the sect or inner and core disciples. And if one fails to follow said rules… it is often warned that it might result in vicious consequences that would have them resting in the medical pavillion for the next month at least; that is, if they even survive to begin with.”

Ryo cups his chin with a frown. “Well, when you put it like that I do seem to be quite the intimidating fellow.”

Kenki nods, continuing “And, of course that I will be guarded after the beating that Ling He delivered to that other disciple”

"Wait, someone was beaten?" Ryo's perpetually closed eyes open in surprise, briefly revealing the jade irises that had been hiding underneath. It seems that this piece of information is news to him.

"Master Ryo" Ken says in confusion "Didn't you say that you've been keeping an eye out for me?"

"I have, but through the use of a technique. It grants me an image of you but nothing of your immediate surroundings." The man explains.

"This did not happen during that stretch of time where you were standing in place, was it?" The man asks in amusement, barking out a laugh through the connection once Ken relays the events that had transpired.

"I had judged that you were about to do ‘your business’ so I cut the connection." The red-haired man places a hand in front of his mouth in order to hide a smile “There aren't a lot of reasons why someone would stop so abruptly, especially during such a test where every second counts. Let me tell you, I've made this mistake once, many years ago when I was spying on a traitor of the sect, and I still haven't forgotten the horrors that I saw on that fateful day." Ryo shakes his head with a sour smile on his face.

"But I'm getting sidetracked." He turns, eyes zeroing in on Ling He and his accomplices. "That's them? They're quite the brazen ones, to attempt something like that under my nose."

Kenki nods but otherwise remains silent, waiting with bated breath about what follows next.

The topic of crime and punishment is an iffy one, with almost nothing about the subject being mentioned in the customs test.

By all means, there is no judicial system within the sect. There are no courts, judges or juries. Most importantly, no police or any such comparable force exists within the sect.

In essence, the outer disciples are dragged from a random province in the continent, released into the sect and expected to behave… or are they?

Is the lack of a peacekeeping force intentional, a deliberate effort to spark conflict between the outer disciples? Maybe the cultivators higher up on the food chain care that little about the outer sect, that as long as the outer disciples aren’t dying in droves they won’t get involved.

He'd only scratched the surface when it came to the conflicts within the outer sect, but even from the brief exposure that he'd gotten it seemed that the disciples had segregated themselves into groups, guilds and organizations –be it for safety, power or any other reasons that he couldn't think of.

The collective fear of him, a cultivator attuned to fire and light –affinities specialized in combat– had been telling.

Thoughts of such a nature were floating around in Kenki’s head.