David

The shock shared by the three members of the Ascending Sky gave way to two different reactions. Peak Master Feng was stunned into silence, even as the two inner disciples burst into action.

Shi threw open the door and careened through it. "I'm going to go get Master Ling!" she yelled back at them as she parted the crowd of applicants and curious disciples gathered outside the door with her shoulder.

"And I'll go get Fairy Guan," Hao said, disappearing just as quickly.

Alice stared into the doorway, directly at the face of the man with long hair who had accosted them earlier. "Is having a principle a big deal?" Alice asked, as innocently as she could with that shit-eating grin on her face. "If I had to guess, it's not very common from the way my seniors have reacted."

Master Feng said nothing for a moment. He chose, instead, to work a smile onto his face. "Now, junior, this is incredible news, but it's not quite unheard of. Not entirely unheard of. No."

"Not unheard of?" Alice said, softly. She was playing with the flute again.

"Yes," Feng stammered. "Throughout history, there have been some recorded cases of early Principles."

"Like who?" Alice asked, politely curious.

"I've heard of someone... from the Northern Continent," said Feng.

"I see," said Alice. "You must forgive me for my lack of knowledge, Master Feng. After all, I'm only seventeen," she said, looking directly at the crowd. David thought she was laying it on a bit thick, but it was hard to fault her. There was something priceless about the despair on the face of Long Hair.

"But, to the point! This lowly Daoist has always had a keen eye for talent, and is willing to help nurture the new blood of the Ascending Sky. It would be a shame if you were to waste away in the Outer Sect," said Feng.

The smell of flowers drifted in through the door, not quite cloying.

Feng turned his eyes to the corners of the ceilings. "I am Master Feng Shui, Resolved - he who has searched for mysteries across the realm." This seemed more like a formal introduction than a reminder to everyone of who he was. "I profess expertise in all matters of the world, but especially in sutras. Would you give this grandfather the peace of mind of allowing me to accept you as my named disciple?"

Before Alice could figure out a way to tactfully accept or decline the peak master's offer, the smell of flowers intensified.

"Little brother Shui," came an affected drawl. "Watering our plants in the dead of night, like a thief. This disciple would have expected better of you."

A fairy floated into the room. She was beauty, she was light. She smelled of azaleas and parchment, of swords and sunlight. David had never seen a woman so attractive in his life, she was looking directly at him and she-

Alice elbowed him in the ribs.

"My, my, Junior Hao. You told me there was a girl of seventeen forming her core who had discovered Principle, but you didn't tell me she was accompanied by such a beautiful boy."

It was Fairy Guan, the woman who had flown over the sect as they were approaching. She was wearing mourning robes in white with a blood red armband on her right sleeve - an indication that the deceased was also a woman. Instead of a hairpin, she wore a branch sporting a pair of pure white flowers - irises.

She sauntered up to them. "Welcome to our humble sect, juniors. It's been many years since I've seen robes of that color," she murmured, running a long delicate finger across David's chest, tracing over his collarbones. The motion continued past David and ended in a light tap on Alice's chin. "The two of you may call me big sister - everyone does."

From the expression on Hao's face, it was clear he had never referred to her that way. Feng looked rather taken aback at her words. “Now that you mention it, those are rather transgressive colors to be wearing,” he said. He smoothed his mustache.

“You’ve heard my junior’s pitch, will you entertain mine?” Despite the sudden aggression in Alice’s hands as they found David’s, she gave a short, annoyed nod.

"I am Master Guan Meiyan, Resolved - she who holds a sword. The sword is what I teach, and I am a student of the sword." The woman's eyes - the clearest blue - found David's. "Come with your big sister to Sword Peak and she will show you the world," the fairy whispered.

Master Feng had claimed to be the most popular teacher amongst the Peak Masters, but David didn't buy it.

"Sister Guan, are you harassing the disciples again?" came a gruff rumble from the door.

The man who had spoken was old and large, as wide as the door and taller. He bent his head to fit underneath its frame. He was missing his left ear.

Shi squeezed her way past him into the room. "Elder Ling approaches!" she declared.

"I'm already here, girl. I might be old enough to be announced, but I'm not nearly important enough," said Elder Ling, ruffling Shi's hair fondly. His hand was larger than her head. His white robes fit him well.

Elder Ling surveyed David and Alice as they examined him.

The scar which had been his left ear ran down to his jaw. His eyes were dark and casually sad, like the night and just as noble. His hands were also covered with scars - ropy and white, but they were not from battle. Shi had mentioned that he was the master of the Skyforge, a smith of great renown.

"You have arrogant eyes," he said, to Alice.

She didn't protest verbally, but her chin jutted in a deep pout.

"Both of you do," Ling amended. "But this is good. To be a successful cultivator, you must have a little arrogance." He held up a fist with two fingers outstretched and tapped it against his heart twice, a gesture David found curious.

Ling looked pleased. "A coincidence, then," he said, not to them but to Feng and Guan. "Neither of them recognize the Oath Under Flowers. Those robes are just that - robes."

"What's going on?" David asked, even though he had some idea of what Ling could have meant.

"Before you were born, a sect that few would name died," said Ling. "They were the Falling Leaves - talented, sinister, powerful - with great backers in the stars above. That sect enjoyed collecting anomalies amongst cultivators, as well as sutras and scriptures which didn't belong to them. Their members wore robes of that color," he said. "Most of my generation do not have good memories of our run-ins with that sect. But it matters not. Tomorrow, you will wear the black robes of the Ascending Sky."

He gave them a bright smile. "Before I let you go," he said, pausing to look at Feng and Guan. "What is this nonsense about naming disciples that I heard on my way here?"

“Well, see here, Brother Ling,” started Feng.

“Named disciples are core disciples, are they not?” Ling said, bulldozing over Feng’s explanation. “We are the Ascending Sky, we make no exceptions. And if we wouldn’t make exceptions for the Houses of Zhu or Dun, we will make no exceptions for genius. These two have not formed their cores, unless I really am old enough to be mistaken?”

“We have not,” said David. Shi threw him a dirty look for daring to answer, but she was the only one who seemed to mind.

“Then we can choose another day to revisit this scenario. When the two of you have managed to ignite, the peak masters of this sect will fight over which of you will be our disciples,” said Elder Ling with an indulgent smile. "But I have come a long way for no satisfaction. Girl, what is your name?"

Alice looked at him, startled. "Chow. Chow Mulan," she said.

Ling frowned, as if he knew it weren't really her name. "Disciple Chow," he said. "Show me your Resolve."

The sound of Silkworms rose upwards. Eating, joining, taking-absorbing-chewing- Consumption.

David, who had grown used to Alice's Principle, basked in her Song. It was comforting. No one else felt the same. Shi and Hao looked fearful, Feng looked disgusted.

"How long have you had your Principle?" asked Guan.

"Nearly a week," said Alice, who wasn't lying.

"I see." Ling nodded and the peak masters shared a heavy look. "Where are you from?" Ling asked.

"The Southern Continent," said Alice. The peak masters said no more.

Guan broke the silence. "We cannot fix what made you this way," she said, almost hoarsely. "But know that the Eastern Wind-"

David couldn't stop himself. "- blows weakly over the wrecked flowers. The spring's silkworm spits until it dies. When the candle becomes ash does its tears dry."

"That was not what I meant to say," Guan said, looking supremely frustrated and sad. "I wish you well, Mulan. The Eastern Wind will carry you."

Ling steepled his fingers and then sighed. "We give up much to cultivate," he said.

His tone then changed. “Every week, there are lessons taught by the three of us to the outer disciples in core formation - that’s the two of you. Don’t miss them - we give up a lot of our personal time to help our disciples out. Our classes are held at our respective peaks and we try our very best to answer any questions about cultivation, regardless of the scriptures cultivated.”

With that, he strode out of the room. Fairy Guan followed him, stopping to incline her head at Feng. “Don’t do too much poaching behind my back, Shui.” She turned to David and gave him a wink.

He couldn’t help it, he blushed. Alice elbowed him again, lightly. She wasn’t pleased.

“Well, what are you two waiting for? Take them to the living area.” Now that his fellow peak masters were gone, Feng had become irritable again. “You still have more applicants to test,” he said, pointing outside the room.

“Come with me,” said Shi. David and Alice followed her out of the room, past the unrepentant eavesdroppers gathered in droves outside of the room. David found the disciple with long hair amongst the eavesdroppers and met his eye steadily. The man glared back.

“Where are we headed, older sister?” Alice said.

Shi didn’t respond, pulling them into the sonically insulated corridor they had come through to enter Earth Peak.

“This is the part where you’re supposed to tell me you had eyes but you couldn’t see Mount Tai.”

“Who knows where Mount Tai really is?” Shi asked, despondent.

“Never mind,” Alice grumbled. “My seventeen-year-old legs are tired. Will we have to walk far?”

Shi exhaled heavily. “Look, I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry for doubting you. But surely you must understand how strange it seemed to us?”

“I’ll make sure to put in a good word with the peak masters for you,” Alice said, grinning.

“Mulan,” David warned. Her new name sounded dumb coming out of his mouth, but he had to make it clear to her that there was no point in antagonizing Shi any further.

But instead of reacting more angrily, Shi looked ready to cry. “I know, I know,” she said. “I’ve blown it. I had one job and I blew it. What are the elders going to think of me when I ignite? I worked so hard to be someone reliable at the Skyforge and-”

“Elder Ling likes you,” said David cautiously.

“He doesn’t even know my name!” Shi spat.

They walked past Conversion Room Eighty Two.

“There, there,” Alice said, patting the girl on the shoulder gingerly. “You’re quite talented compared to your peers, aren’t you?”

Shi shook her head. “Not really,” she muttered.

“What can you do that other disciples can’t?” Alice tried. David nodded along.

“Nothing,” Shi said. “Nothing of substance. Even a blockhead like Hao knows more of the Skybound Scripture than I do.”

“Maybe the Skybound Scripture isn’t right for you, then?” David asked, but this made Shi even angrier.

“The Skybound Scripture is the greatest of all scriptures,” Shi promised. “There is something in it for everyone.”

Somehow, David doubted that was the case.

They passed by the disciple manning the door. Shi greeted him with a brittle smile. It was clear her mind was elsewhere.