The smell inside the carriage was far from pleasant, but that was hardly surprising given that a compartment meant to hold a dozen or so children was now packed with nearly thirty of them. Although children were much smaller than adults, the sheer number still made the space unbearably cramped.
Han Li, clever as always, shrank his thin body into a corner of the carriage and quietly sized up the other children inside.
The children who had come to participate in the entrance examination could clearly be divided into three groups based on their clothing and backgrounds.
The first group centered on the brocade-clad youth sitting in the middle of the carriage, surrounded by most of the other children.
This youth was named Wu Yan. At thirteen years old, he was the eldest among all the passengers. He had technically exceeded the age limit, but since one of his older female cousins had married someone in a position of authority within the Seven Mysteries Sect, the age issue was naturally no problem. Wu Yan's family ran a martial arts school and was quite well-off. He had also practiced some boxing and kicking since childhood—nothing particularly impressive, but more than enough to deal with children like Han Li, who only had brute strength and had never received any martial arts training.
It was clear that someone like Wu Yan, whose family had both money and influence and who could hold his own in a fight, would naturally become the "big brother" of most of the children in the carriage.
The second group consisted of the children flocking around Wu Yan. These children came from all walks of life—some had families that ran shops, some had parents who worked for others, some lived off skilled trades, and so on. But they all shared one trait: they had all grown up in towns and cities. Naturally, they had picked up a bit of reading people and chasing profit from their elders. So they all clustered around Wu Yan, calling him "Young Master Wu" this and "Big Brother Wu" that. Wu Yan appeared to be thoroughly used to it and clearly enjoyed the attention.
The last group was people like Han Li. These children came from remote, impoverished villages, where families lived off the mountains and rivers and were extremely poor. This group was the smallest in the carriage—only five or six children. Most of them looked timid and nervous, not daring to speak loudly, merely watching the others chat and laugh freely. They formed a stark contrast with the boisterous crowd.
The horse carriage galloped westward from Green Ox Town, picking up several more children at various stops along the way. Finally, on the evening of the fifth day, it arrived at Cai Xia Mountain—the location of the Seven Mysteries Sect's main headquarters.
The moment all the children stepped out of the carriage, they were utterly captivated by the stunning sunset scenery of Cai Xia Mountain, with its brilliant display of colors. It was not until Protector Wang urged them forward that everyone snapped out of their daze and continued walking.
Cai Xia Mountain had originally been called Fallen Phoenix Mountain. Legend had it that in ancient times, a five-colored phoenix had landed here and transformed into this mountain. Later, visitors discovered that the mountain was extraordinarily beautiful at sunset, as though shrouded in rosy clouds, so it was renamed Cai Xia Mountain. Naturally, since the Seven Mysteries Sect had claimed the mountain, outsiders could no longer come and admire the scenery at their leisure.
Cai Xia Mountain was the second-largest mountain in Lan Prefecture. Apart from Bai Mang Mountain, it covered the most territory, its range spanning over ten li in every direction. The mountain boasted more than a dozen peaks, large and small, all of them steep and treacherous, and every one had been claimed by a different hall of the Seven Mysteries Sect. The main peak, "Sunset Peak," was especially formidable—not only was it extraordinarily high and sheer, but from its base to its summit there was only a single path. After the Seven Mysteries Sect had established its headquarters here, they had set up thirteen watchpoints—some visible, some hidden—along the most dangerous stretches of that path, making the defenses virtually impregnable.
Han Li was observing his surroundings as he followed the group forward when the column ahead suddenly came to a halt. A hearty voice rang out.
"Brother Wang, what took you so long? You're two days behind schedule."
"Hall Master Yue, we were delayed on the road. Sorry to trouble you with this." Protector Wang stood at the front of the group and bowed respectfully to a red-faced elder, completely dropping the domineering manner he had maintained throughout the journey. A fawning expression appeared on his face.
"How many batches of disciples have been delivered to the mountain so far?"
"The seventeenth batch."
"Mm!" Hall Master Yue looked them over with an air of importance.
"Send them to the Guest Reception Courtyard. Let them rest well tonight. Tomorrow morning we begin the selection of qualified disciples. Those who fail should be sent down the mountain early—no need for them to break the sect's rules."
"As you command, Hall Master Yue."
Walking up the stone steps toward the mountain, all the children were brimming with excitement, but no one dared speak loudly. Though they were all young, every one of them understood that this was the place where their future destiny would be decided.
Protector Wang led the way, smiling and greeting people he encountered along the path. It was clear he had many acquaintances within the sect and was well-liked.
Most of the people they passed wore blue satin robes, with blades slung at their sides or swords strapped to their backs. Even the occasional unarmed person had a bulging waist, concealing who knew what. From their bearing and movements, it was obvious they were all agile and skilled, possessing formidable martial arts.
Han Li and the others were led to a relatively low peak. At its summit was a cluster of earthen houses, where they spent the night. In his dreams that night, Han Li saw himself wearing fine brocade robes, wielding a golden sword, possessed of peerless martial arts. He thrashed the blacksmith's son from his village—the one he had never been able to beat—and it felt incredibly satisfying. Even when he woke the next morning, he still lingered in the pleasure of the dream.
When morning came, Protector Wang did not let anyone eat breakfast. He led them straight down the mountain to a large bamboo-covered slope. There, the Hall Master surnamed Yue whom they had seen the day before was already waiting with several other young people they did not recognize.
(End of Chapter)