I wake up to find Elder Zhu leaning over me, his qi flowing through me and relieving the pain. I feel as the bone in my leg sets itself. “Congratulations Little Miss Lin, you have cleansed your heart meridian and broken through to the Second Level of Qi Awakening. Very impressive.”

  “Did I pass the test, Elder Zhu?” I ask, worried. Maybe I had taken too long to get up the stairs. Maybe-

  “Yes, Little Miss. You passed the test. You even impressed Elder Yu and I. Very few people can remain standing on those last steps.” The Elder retracts his qi and pulls out a bottle of water, then lifts my body up to help me drink. “The second test will begin in a few hours. Rest until then.”

  I nod. I wiggle my broken leg, surprised at how easily it moves. “Thank you, Elder Zhu.”

  “Of course, Little Miss Lin. Think nothing of it.” Elder Zhu stands up and walks away to talk to Elder Yu. The both of them move away from the rest of the hopeful disciples, their words impossible to hear.

  I study the inside of the sect. Small huts line the outside of the pavilion I am resting in, filling my view. I sit up and can just make out larger buildings peeking out over the huts. Streams flow everywhere through the sect grounds, small statues built around the places where the streams intersect.

  “Little Lin!” A familiar voice calls out. I sit up and into the lotus position as the girl I had met at the bottom of the staircase runs over to greet me.

  “Xia Jing.” I greet her, smiling at her excitement.

  She sits on her knees in front of me, smiling wide. “I was worried you wouldn’t pass when I saw you fall.” I freeze at those words “Who would’ve thought you would walk up the final steps! It was amazing to watch.”

  My smile falters when I realize she saw me fall. How embarrassing. How many other people saw that? I’ll never live it down if the entire sect saw me on my knees crying. “How… how many people saw me crying?” I ask in a whisper.

  “Oh, um… I’m sure no one else noticed.”

  I look around at the other disciples, most of whom are resting and talking in small groups. “Hopefully.” I say.

  Xia Jing is quiet after that and I start to feel awkward about the silence, knowing it’s my fault.

  “So… How’d you do on the test?” I say, coming up with anything to keep the conversation going.

  She sighs, leaning back on her hands in an unladylike manner. “I crawled up the final steps, but I made it. And I’ll make it through the rest of the tests too. I have to.”

  “You have to?” I tilt my head.

  “Mhm. If I don’t make it here, I’m not going to any other sect.” She brushes a strand of hair behind her ear.

  “What do you mean?”

  She pauses, her face flashing with darkness for a moment, before her smile comes back full force. “The Flowing River Sect has the only female matriarch in the six great sects. It’s a much safer place for girls like us.”

  “Oh.” I say in response. I look at her, a small pit of sadness settling in my stomach. In a way, I came for the same reason.

  Xia Jing grabs me and hugs me with an inescapable squeeze. I freeze in surprise, not sure how to respond. “What about you, Little Lin? Why are you here?”

  “My father sent me here, and Elder Zhu is here to protect me.” I answer, flustered at her closeness, as Xia Jing admires the hairpin my servants had me use.

  “You know Elder Zhu? How lucky of you.” She pauses, then turns my head to face her. “Your makeup is running, would you like me to help you clean up?”

  I still, then feel heat rise to my cheeks as I realize how hideous my face must look. I cover my face with my sleeves and nod at Xia Jing.

  She smiles. “We’re lucky there are so many streams in this sect.”

  “Xia Jing? Is that you?” she stiffens as a male voice speaks up from behind us.

  “Lu Gang.” Xia Jing turns to the boy. She puts her fist in her palm as she bows. The bow of a martial artist, not the bow of a servant. However, she doesn’t rise from her bow.

  I peek through my sleeves at the boy. Lu Gang. It’s a name I happen to know. The Lu family is a minor noble house under the Lin family. Lu Gang is the middle child of Lu Heng, the patriarch of the Lu family.

  I’d seen him once before, when my father had gathered all the houses bound to him, for my mother’s birthday. He had been ten years old then, which makes him fifteen now.

  His face is very angular, a common trait of the Lu family. His clothes are well kept and the two boys behind him are servants of some kind.

  Wait! Why did another noble have to appear when my face is looking hideous? If he were to see it now, my father’s reputation would be ruined!

  “I am surprised you would dare show your face here Xia Jing, after what happened with the Wei family.” Lu Gang interrupts my internal screaming with those words.

  The Wei family? They were a powerful noble family to the east. What does Sister Xia have to do with them?

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  “I am a free woman, Lu Gang.” Xia Jing responds, still not rising.

  “We will see how long you can keep saying that.” Lu Gang laughs. “I wonder what would happen if you were prevented from joining the sect?” A smile appears on Lu Gang’s face. The smile twists my stomach in a familiar way, making me want to throw up.

  Xia Jing rises and hides her hands behind her back. I notice a small trembling of her closed fists.

  How dare he? The thought penetrates my mind with a fury. My back straightens as I feel the blood of a Lady of the Lin family rush through my veins. Xia Jing is one of mine! How dare he threaten her?

  A sharp smile comes to my face as I remember the veil the servants placed in the pocket of my dress. I will have to remember to reward them when I get a chance.

  “Of course I might find it in my heart to help you. If you bow before me.” He says.

  Laughter bursts out of me as I finish putting my veil on.

  Everyone turns their attention to me.

  “My my, Lu Gang.” I cover my mouth with my palm. “You sound just like the villain from a bad play. How the mighty house of Lu has fallen.”

  “Who are you?” He asks with caution.

  “You don’t remember me? I guess that makes sense. It has been five years since we last met after all.” I wish I had some kind of fan to complete my appearance. Every proper lady in the imperial court has a fan. “I can’t wait to tell my father, Lin Fang, the middle son of the Lu family, is resorting to threats in order to get girls to do what he wants.” I put my finger to my chin in thought, “I wonder what he would think if I told him you had threatened me.”

  “Lady Lin.” Lu Gang bows to me, the two men behind him following suit. “How could I not recognize a beautiful figure such as yourself. Forgive this lowly one for his mistake.”

  I turn to Xia Jing with a smile. “Sister Xia,” I start, telling the impudent noble that she is one of mine by talking to her with familiarity. “You may ignore him. Lu Gang is not worthy of such respect.”

  “Yes… Sister Lin.”

  Lu Gang pauses, looking at Xia Jing then back to me with a contemplative look.

  “Do not follow us Lu Gang and if I catch you doing such things again, I won’t hesitate to tell my father. You would not enjoy his wrath.” I turn away from him and motion towards the stream, “Let’s continue Sister Xia.”

  I walk to the stream with my chest puffed in pride. No one threatens those allied with the Lin family. I showed him.

  “I don’t think that was wise Lady Lin. I’m not the kind of person one such as you wants to be associated with.” Sister Xia says as we arrive at the stream, her voice filled with an annoying amount of distant respect.

  She lifts my veil to wash my face, allowing me to see her troubled look.

  I frown at her words, my chest deflating. We were just starting to become friends. I don’t have many of those. “Do not call me Lady Lin. Please call me Sister Lin.”

  Xia Jing pauses with her cloth on my cheek, then nods, a smile spreading across her face. “It was fun to watch that boy squirm when he realized who you are, Sister Lin.”

  “He was being a bully.” I answer.

  Sister Xia laughs, dipping her cloth back into the water.

  “What?” I ask as I close my eye for her cloth.

  “For a moment there, I forgot how young you are.” Sister Xia finishes her last touches and puts the cloth into a pocket of her dress.

  “I’m twelve years old.” I say with a small pout.

  “Exactly.” Sister Xia responds. “Maybe I should start having you call me Senior Sister Xia.”

  I frown up at her. “Maybe I should have you call me Senior Sister Lin.”

  Sister Xia just chuckles.

  An hour later, the second test for entry into the inner sect starts. We line up as Elder Yu pulls each of us aside to talk to us one by one. It isn’t long before it’s my turn to speak with him.

  His questions are hard, but nothing compared to the lessons of Princess Shi Da.

  I answer every question with ease, until one particular question makes me pause, “Disciple Lin, the sect expects loyalty from its inner disciples. What will you do if your father requests help when the sect forbids it?”

  “Can I help my father?” I ask.

  “You could.” Elder Yu replies.

  “Then I would ignore the sect’s order.” I answer. “I am a daughter of the Lin family.” What kind of a question was that? Of course I would help my father.

  My thoughts must have shown on my face because Elder Yu smiled, “If you betrayed the sect, you would never be able to return.”

  I furrow my eyebrows at him. “And…? I would never betray the sect, but my father is my father. And I am a daughter of the Lin family.”

  “Your father is lucky to have such a loyal daughter.” Elder Yu nods his head. He folds his hands inside his robe and studies me.

  “Are you truly twelve?” Elder Yu asks.

  I nod, feeling a little shy at the question. “I am.”

  “Tell me, Disciple Lin, how did you unlock your qi so young?” Elder Yu asks.

  “I don’t know.” I pause to consider the question. “I think mother helped me. She showed me what to do.”

  “Your mother?” Elder Yu tilts his head “How did she help you?”

  “I don’t know. It was just a thought.”

  Elder Yu doesn’t speak for a moment, just studying me. “I see.” He moves over to me and pats me on the head. “Congratulations Lin Jia, you have passed the second test. Please wait with the others behind me.”

  In the end, twenty three of the forty disciples pass the second test.

  What was Elder Yu testing? I know some of the answers I gave were not the answers Elder Yu wanted, but he let me pass anyway.

  Elder Yu turns to the disciples who passed and says “We have tested your perseverance.” He motions towards the stairway we all climbed. “The path of cultivation is not easy, but you have proven you have what you need to pursue this difficult path.” He brings his arms back and folds them in his sleeves. “We have tested your body and your mind. The final test is one of honesty.” He motions with his hand, causing a blue line to appear in front of him. “All you need to do is cross this line.”

  The disciples stare at the line, everyone uneasy.

  “But be warned.” Elder Yu’s face darkens. “If you wish harm to this sect, you will die as soon as you cross this line.” The darkness disappears as if it never existed, showing a bright smile on the Elder’s face. “If you wish, you may skip this test and stay an outer disciple.”

  No one moves, until a boy a few years older than me bows to Elder Yu, fist to palm. “Elder, I wish to skip this test.”

  Elder Yu nods. “Very well.” With a flick of the Elder’s hand, the boy is thrown away from the group and out of the gate.

  No one moves after that.

  “Lin Jia, if you would go first?” Elder Yu asks.

  I hesitate as the other disciples look around their group, not knowing who I am.

  After a deep breath, I step forward. “O-of course Elder Yu.”

  I walk forward until I am right in front of the line.

  I close my eyes and take a step.