I was nervous when I heard that the cultivator arrived.

I was sure there would be no problems, but feelings and reason sometimes weren't in line. I had been sure, years ago, but, while things were different, the scar still remained.

In the end, the time came, and I was in front of him.

I wanted to inform my parents only after the cultivator gave me the token, so they weren't present this time. Uncle Ying was there, though.

As the Village Chief, he had the duty to ascertain that all who sought to join were of the right age and were children of people born and raised in the Sect's territory. That was to keep other powers from infiltrating the Sect, I was said. Some probably still succeeded, but they surely had it much harder.

This time I was the only one in front of the cultivator.

"Here," he said, handing me a token, "you just need to infuse it with some of your qi until the sign glows. It will just take a moment.”

It took nearly a minute.

“…”

The cultivator looked at me speechless.

“I have very narrow meridians, sir,” I explained.

"May I see?" he asked, opening his hand.

I let him take my wrist, and he spent some time checking.

"It's a miracle you even entered Qi Gathering," he said, dumbfounded, "are you sure you want to join? Things will not be easy for you."

“I am, sir,” I simply said.

After a few moments, he just shrugged it off."Well, don’t regret it later.”

And, thus, I passed the first check.

“Congratulations, Ah Yuan,” said my uncle, with a smile after the cultivator left.

"Thanks, Uncle," I said. There was not much to add, since he knew my situation. I had to tell him before I went to see the man from the Sect.

We just bid farewell after that, and I went home to inform my family.

There was still time before I had to be present at the Wudang Sect. Usually, they accepted the applicants four times each year, and this token was only valid for the next two times, in three and six months. We were relatively close to the Sect, so I could make my preparations without rushing – when I reached there, I would have to spend money on the lodgings, or sleep in a tent outside, until the date, so it was better to not get there too soon.

When I spoke with my family I didn't have that many problems. They had already known I wanted to leave, and even if they were worried, they had at least some reassurance in the fact I was going to a known place.

The fact that Uncle's son was there was also a plus for them.

I never spoke to him much since, when I was just a kid, he had already gone to the Sect, and he only came back sporadically. He was around the same age as Second Brother, and even though they didn't really get along - such a wonder, uh – I personally thought he was a nice man, if a bit too serious. I could at least ask him for some tips when he wasn't busy.

The one who seemed to take the news the worst was Sister Qing.

I told her the next day when I went to help her with the herbs as usual. She didn't say much other than congratulating me and wishing me good luck, but it was hard not to notice the change in her behavior. By now, I knew her well enough.

We had been getting along extremely well in these years, and I learned much from her. We spent so much time together and, in the end, we decided to have a less formal relationship. She got into it a bit too much at first, calling me YuanYuan, but she desisted after I started to call her Aunt Dong. The result was that we ignored the seniority, going with Brother Xuan and Sister Qing.

It saddened me to leave her alone.

I still didn’t know why she led her life in isolation, but I decided not to pry. If it was something she wanted to share, she would have already.

I hoped I could help her one day.

Like that, two months passed until one day, a merchant caravan came by the village, and I decided to tag along. It was my first time traveling out of my birthplace, and I was nervous.

“Stay well, Ah Yuan,” said my father.

“Yes, and write us sometimes,” said my mother, “also come back to visit when you can.”

"Yes, mom, I'll write when I am settled down, don't worry," I said for the thousandth time.

"Also, remember to eat well, don't just pick what's easy to cook. Do eat some vegetables. Just meat and rice won't do. When you go to the market, be careful when you choose what to buy. Sometimes they mix something older with the fresh produce. Also.." she trailed off.

"Wife, calm down. You already told him that. He will be fine. I have already talked with Brother Yong, and he assured me that Ah Xin will help him settle down,” he said.

"I know, but I can't help it," she said, looking at me worriedly.

"Yes, I know, he will write as soon as he can, right, Ah Yuan?" he asked as he hugged mother at his side.

“Of course,” I said, trying to sound reassuring.

"Right, mom. Besides, he'll probably find a lass in the first few days there to cook and do the chores for him," said Third Brother, winking at me.

Second Brother smirked. "Yes, but only if he can keep from getting into trouble until then. He doesn't exactly have a clean record."

"Better than yours, that's for sure," I shot back.

“Mah..” he just said.

“At least get along while saying goodbye. Come on, give him a hug," said Eldest Brother, to which Second Brother looked at, appalled.

I couldn't help but laugh, as did everyone else.

After that, I said my goodbyes to my little sister, sisters-in-law, and my nephews and nieces.

“Bring me some presents when you come back,” demanded my little sister.

I just rolled my eyes.

After that, I went to say my goodbyes to Uncle Ying and Sister Qing.

Uncle just assured me again that his son would give me a hand when I went there. "Don't worry, my son will definitely help."

"Just try not to be too annoying, brat," he then added with a mock glare.

"Ahahah, don't worry, Uncle. I am only ever an annoyance to you!" I said with a satisfied smile.

“You!”

"Bye, Uncle!" I said, waving while walking away. He didn't have anything to throw right now.

Sister Qing just bode me goodbye with a strained smile.

I tried to reassure her.“I’ll send some letters, and I'll also come to visit when I pass by, though I don't know how often that would be."

“I understand. Have a nice stay at the Sect," she just said.

Then I decided to be bold, opening my hands to ask for a hug.

After an instant of indecision, she agreed. As we held each other, I noticed how small she was.

The first time I met her, I was twelve, if my memory is right.

I still hadn't had my growth spurt at the time, and while I was tall for my age, I had been shorter than her. Now I had surpassed her by more than a head. In these years, she did so much for me that I didn't even know how to begin repaying her.

We held into each other for a long time.

I knew she had a difficult past behind her. I also couldn't help but notice all the various different quirks she had, after passing so much time together.

"Goodbye, Sister Qing," I said as we let go.

"Goodbye, Brother Xuan," she said.

After that, I left with the merchant caravan.

The merchant didn't make me pay anything to accompany them. He was a welcoming and open person instead, always ready to have a chat.

It seems they always let people who wanted to join the Sect travel with them freely. If they showed goodwill, there was a chance they would have a connection in the Sect in the future – however small. They also wanted to avoid sowing enmity, or a sense of antipathy at least, from a potentially well-paying customer. After all, Immortal Cultivation was also heavily reliant on external resources. Those who could cultivate with only their talent supporting them were an extremely small minority. And even if that was the case, there were still many things a cultivator needed. Materials for weapons, armors, or tools were always in high demand.

They sure like to plan well in advance.

In the few talks we had during the voyage, he explained that this new road connecting to the village opened many opportunities. Other than traveling to the Sect faster, from this side of the mountain range, it also facilitated the connection with the territories on the other side. This allowed the transport of more perishable goods and lowered the prices.

It was, as he said, an amazing feat to cut a path through these forested grounds, and I was also stupefied by a tunnel dug through a whole mountain.

Furthermore, I also learned from his guards how to set up a camp for the night, with some tips if I ever needed to travel alone, though they didn't recommend it. Adding to the danger of some beasts coming out of the woods, I also had to guard against bandits or Corrupted cultivators.

It was an enjoyable trip, and I learned much.

It was also interesting to see the different villages and towns along the way. I now understood why they said that our settlement was more of a town than a village. And he also said that the villages along the way here were better than those I would find in less-traveled places.

Like that, we arrived at the city closest to the Sect, Fan city.

That had been the biggest shock I had in these last three weeks. I had slowly realized how little I knew of the world as I traveled, but seeing a true city for the first time, was not something I could be prepared for. Word, be it written or oral, cant explain this. Just the walls were magnificent. Let alone the endless buildings that stretched all over the valley and over some mountains too. At first, when I saw it from my vantage point, I couldn't comprehend just what I was seeing – such was the immensity of my shock.

“Welcome to Fan City, Mr. Gongsun,” said Deng Chao, the merchant that brought me here as we passed the gates.

The inside also looked incredible to me: I don't think I could have stopped my head from swiveling around even if I tried. The guards and the merchant thought it funny, even if it wasn't their first time to see someone behave like that.

Some citizens made some disparaging comments when they saw me, but I honestly didn't give a crap. It was just too amazing, too big, too… everything.

Before I could join the Sect, I still had to wait a week in the City, and I was excited to explore it.

Mr. Deng had also recommended an inn to stay until I got admitted. It was a relatively cheap one in a relatively safe zone. He also cautioned me to stay on the well-traveled roads and the places I had to avoid.

The merchant had been a blessing for me. I knew why he did it, but I still couldn't help but be grateful – I would have been hopeless if it hadn't been for him. I would remember this.

The inn I stayed in wasn't anything spectacular, but the place was clean, and the clientele seemed fine. The owner was a nice older man that had been quite welcoming when I arrived.

I barely had the money to stay for the week, and I paid all of it in advance.

The whole week I just toured the city. I only had a few talks with the inn owner, and aside from that, there were only a few times I asked for directions. I didn’t actually enter any shop or building, just looking for now – I also didn’t have the funds to do much else.

I noticed that here, in the better parts of the city, people were mostly well dressed. They were probably rich, and I felt a bit out of place. I did wear my best when coming out, but "my best" here seemed to be something a commoner wore every day.

Also, as amazing as the city was, I had a hard time adapting to the endless horde of people and lack of space. A few days, I had to take the afternoon going to the closest exit to be near the trees for some time since the stress became too much.

Like that, the day the Sect accepted disciples came again.