It had been a day and Bai Feng still could not process everything that had happened yesterday. Things had gone so wrong and then somehow fortune seemingly reversed itself in front of her eyes. At least she hoped it did. Nobody still had taken the time to explain what the powerful cultivator had meant or what the Emperor's Decree was. The only thing she knew was that she was to be joining the Flowing Waters sect, whatever that was. And she certainly wasn't about to ask herself without any prompting, lest she risk breaking whatever strange spell had taken hold over her fate by showing her own ignorance and disbelief about what was happening.

The only things she knew for certain was that she was going to do what she could to extend her newfound fortune to those she had survived with in the alleys and slums of Qizuishan once she figured out what exactly had happened and how much of it she could extend to them. That she was going to make that bastard Lu Jia pay for endangering her people and betraying them to the guards. And that it was very strange to look into a mirror and see a small girl with emerald eyes staring back at her clearly without any of the usual distortions of the water.

Yesterday night she had been taken from her original small and cramped cell into a spacious and luxurious room that she was sure only rich folk and the noble clans normally had access to. Why the prison had such a place inside it she wasn't entirely sure but the incredibly soft bed had near-instantly put her to sleep with how comfy it was and the private bathroom attached to it let her properly wash for the first time in years. The best she'd had before being soaking in the calmer parts of the river that wound its way throughout Qizuishan.

Bai Feng's messy brown hair hung down to her shoulders loosely, for the most part, sprawling out wherever it pleased to. Her rough beige skin was free of all but the most stubborn of the dirt and grime that usually clung to her and the scars she had from the years from getting into fights were all hidden except for one on her cheek by what was easily the fanciest outfit she had ever worn before.

It was a simple loose grey and blue dress filled with designs of what she thought were rivers on it, all seemingly leading to the symbol of a lake on the back of it. The fabric was incredibly soft like she was wearing a blanket and yet it felt like it didn't get in the way at all whenever she moved in it. Apparently, it was her new uniform she was to wear while within the sect. Dresses very much were not her thing usually since every one she had ever worn had been some form of uncomfortable and restricting, but this one, she could live with it. Even if it did feel weird wearing something so obviously valuable and well made.

A banging then came from the door to the bathroom followed by the stern voice of a guard. "Ten minutes until the carriage arrives. They will not tolerate lateness so be ready to be picked up by then."

Ten minutes until she was to be picked up by a carriage and taken away to go wherever it was this sect was. She looked down to her ring worn on a now properly bandaged hand, something they had returned shortly after her charges had been dropped, and took a deep breath. She may not have known exactly what was going on still or why but she did know one thing. She had an opportunity now to change her fate, and she was going to be damned if she was going to mess this up. "I'll be ready in jus' a moment. You're not gonna have to drag me out."

She heard a mumble from the guard she couldn't quite make out before they walked away to the entrance of her room where she knew he'd been standing guard. It was probably irking them just as much as it was her that they were to be polite to each other now. She took one last look in the mirror at herself before nodding. It was time to find out what exactly this Flowing River sect was that she'd be joining.

Turns out very far and out of the city was what it was. Bai Feng had been in the carriage for a few hours now with the sound of wheels rolling far faster than they should've been able to being the only thing accompanying her inside it as she watched a variety of forests, plains, and hills blur by as they passed through the window of the carriage. She had thought this sect thing was inside the city but apparently, it was quite a ways out. And from what the driver had said it was still another few hours away.

She looked at the bag sitting by her side on the seat. Within lay more things this sect was providing for her. A pad filled with paper alongside a brush that when pressed down produced ink. Some simple personal cleaning and maintenance supplies. And a make-up kit. She saw no reason to pointlessly doll herself up so that make-up kit wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do with the paper and brush, was she expected to draw something on it? Really, she'd probably only make use of the personal cleaning stuff, she didn't care much about how she looked for the most part but it was nice actually being able to clean up.

There was also a letter that said something in there as well. She couldn't make heads or tails of the symbols on it though so hopefully it wasn't important. Otherwise, there was still plenty of room within the bag, probably for any personal belongings one might have. Which she pointedly did not have anything to put in there. It'd at least mean that if she needed to put more things in it she'd certainly have the space for it.

She closed it up and began idly wondering how about how everyone in her little gang was doing now. Hopefully, she'd be able to get back to them semi-soon and let them know what was going on. She could at least be sure that they'd okay for now. They hadn't been able to grab much but jewelry like the one that fat merchant had was worth quite a bit to their fence and it would set them for at least a few weeks.

She wondered what exactly this sect was as well she was being taken to. It was obviously important. She wasn't an idiot. They were far too much effort being put into this for it to not be. And just what was this talent she had anyway? A good number of the people she had seen watching the carriage while it passed through the city had the sure signs of jealousy in their eyes so it was definitely something that mattered. Though the way that man had discovered it was certainly something.

Bai Feng rubbed the shoulder where the strange superior cultivator had stabbed her. Not a single sign remained of when he had done it and yet it had changed everything in an instant. Maybe he had something to do with why the guards had been pulled away yesterday.

A creeping pain began to form in her head as her thoughts began to spin and she muttered to herself, "Bah, all this time to think is hurtin' my head. I'll know more in jus' a few hours. Jus' have to wait."

She turned her gaze back to the blurring landscape and simply let herself watch it pass, forcing herself to not think about things that didn't matter at the moment.

Eventually, the carriage began to slow down, now traveling on a road by the riverside. There were even a few other carriages of similar look both in front and behind them now. And for the first time without any prompting himself, the driver spoke up.

"We're just a minute or so from the sect now so make sure you have everything ready to go. You still got a bit left to wait before everyone has arrived but once they have a few minutes after the Elders will be locking down the lecture hall for you kids. Trust me when I say you don't want to miss that. You miss it and the rest of your time here is going to be miserable as you attempt to figure out how things work until someone takes pity on you and explains it. Saw it happen to a boy and it was quite a sad sight to see him months behind everyone else. Shame too since he did have a good bit of talent. So make sure it doesn't happen to you"

Bai Feng perked up as he spoke, ignoring the brief flash of irritation at being called a kid, "What's goin' to happen there?"

"Explaining the rules of the sect and how to progress in it, as well as some of the very basics of cultivation. Normally that part is just an old formality since most kids are prepped by their families long beforehand in it, and a great deal of them are already awakened themselves. But you seem like one of the few that could make use of those basics. Listen to their words and you might just thrive. Or don't and struggle. Won't change things for me."

Bai Feng had just opened her mouth about to give a retort when her mind picked up on one particular thing he had said. Cultivation. There was no fucking way right?

The carriage came to a stop as the driver's voice pierced through her thoughts. "Well, this is our stop. Welcome to the Flowing Waters sect."

The Flowing Waters sect. Cultivation. She had talent. The jealousy. How crazy today and yesterday had been. At that moment, it all clicked for Bai Feng and she understood at least a bit of what was happening now. She had the talent to become a cultivator and was to learn how to do it at the Flowing Waters sect that she was now a part of.

The door to the carriage opened and her driver appeared wearing a blue headband covered in symbols as he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You look like you just had the revelation of a lifetime." His earth-brown robes covering him decorated with elaborate embroidery of the earth. Her driver was a cultivator too.

It took her a moment to reign in her thoughts and close her mouth which had opened in shock at some point. "I...I think I jus' did." She was going to be a cultivator. She was going to have the opportunity to become like the heroes in the half-remembered stories her mother had told her.

Her driver snorted. "Well, no matter how world-shattering your revelation was it's time for you to get out. Come on now."

Bai Feng dazedly grabbed the bag at her side and hopped out of the carriage, her gaze filled with renewed interest as she glanced at all the people around her and the buildings of the sect. She was a cultivator. They were all cultivators. She was going to become powerful.

"The lecture hall is right by the river, the biggest building right on the edge with the symbol of our sect on it. Shouldn't be able to miss it."

Bai Feng turned towards him and gave him a nod as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "Thank ya." She turned and took her first few steps into the sect, a smile slowly growing on her face as she took her first steps into the sect and into her new fate.