The next day, training was as tough as ever with the master driving everyone hard and yelling out correction orders and demanding for perfection, and when he finally dismissed us, I found myself still dripping sweat and so accompanied the other disciples to the wash station when someone shouted my name.

  "Fu Yang!"

  I turned. Chen Wu was walking toward me, smiling. He wore inner disciple robes—better quality than the outer disciple uniforms, with subtle embroidery marking his status.

  "Brother Chen," I said, returning the smile.

  He'd started insisting I call him that after we became sworn brothers. No formality between us, he'd said.

  "How was training?" he asked.

  "It's okay…."

  "Good." He clapped my shoulder. "Come on. You've been here three days and have barely seen anything except the outer disciple areas and the library. Let me show you around properly."

  "Don't you have your own training?"

  "Free time today — Master Yun is in seclusion for cultivation, so I thought I'd spend it with my brother.”

  "I'd like that,"

  We walked together through the sect grounds as Chen Wu pointed out various buildings and locations — "that's the Martial Pavilion," he said, gesturing to a large structure on the middle terrace, "inner disciples train there — advanced techniques, weapon practice, sparring arenas.”

  "It's impressive."

  "Wait until you see the Spiritual Garden. That's where we grow medicinal herbs and spirit plants. The concentration of qi there is three times normal.”

  He led me up several flights of stairs, taking paths reserved for inner disciples — and although a few people gave me curious looks, an outer disciple in these areas being unusual, nobody stopped us.

  "This is the Inner Disciple Pavilion," Chen Wu said, indicating a cluster of better-maintained buildings. "Living quarters, private meditation rooms, study halls. Much nicer than the outer disciple quarters."

  "I can see that."

  Everything was cleaner here, better maintained and more expensive — the hierarchy of the sect visible in architecture and resources —

  "Once you prove yourself, you can become an inner disciple too," Chen Wu said, "it takes time and effort, but it's possible.”

  "Even with damaged cultivation?" I asked…..

  He paused — "Yes, especially with damaged cultivation — overcoming adversity is one of the paths to greatness" — he said it with complete sincerity. "Master Yun always says that how you handle difficulty defines your character more than natural talent.”

  Righteous sect boring philosophy again — struggle makes you stronger, adversity builds character. At times it was true, but other times it was just what powerful people told those beneath them to keep them working harder for less reward.

  "That's true." I said.

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  We continued walking as Chen Wu showed me a small waterfall where disciples often practiced water-element techniques — and then, as we were crossing a central courtyard, voices called out.

  "Chen Wu-ge!"

  A group of young disciples was approaching and I recognized them immediately — Mei, Lin, Jian, Wei, and little Hua, the five kids from Greenbrook Village. They looked different now, wearing proper inner disciple robes with their hair tied back neatly, already adapting to sect life.

  "How are you all doing?" Chen Wu asked warmly.

  "Good!" Jian said excitedly. "Training is hard but amazing. We learned three new cultivation stances yesterday!"

  "And the food here is so much better than at home," Wei added.

  Chen Wu laughed. "I'm glad you're settling in well."

  Mei stepped forward slightly, smiling, though her eyes were fixed on Chen Wu with obvious admiration.

  "Chen Wu-ge, are you free later? I wanted to ask you about a technique I'm having trouble with."

  "Offcourse I can help," Chen Wu said. "Find me this evening at the training yard."

  "Thank you!" her smile widened as she glanced at me briefly, the smile dropping, before she looked back at Chen Wu smiling again — I couldn't help but feel amused by her behaviour — "are you showing Fu Yang around?”

  "Yes. He needs to learn the sect layout."

  "That's so kind of you." Mei's tone was polite, but I caught a slight edge in it. She didn't look at me again.

  Lin and the others were more openly friendly. They asked simple questions—how I was doing, if outer disciple life was okay, standard pleasantries.

  I replied briefly and kept it simple — little Hua looked at me with wide, curious eyes, "are you going to train with us, Fu Yang?"

  "Maybe, but first my cultivation needs healing first.”

  "Oh." She looked sad. "I hope you get better soon."

  "Thank you, Hua."

  Chen Wu chatted with them for a few more minutes, asking about their progress and playing the role of the helpful senior disciple.

  Mei hung on every word, finding excuses to stand closer — and finally, Chen Wu said goodbye and we continued our slow stroll.

  "They're good kids," he said. "Working hard. I'm glad they're adapting well.”

  "They admire you."

  "Maybe." He looked embarrassed. "I just try to help where I can."

  "Mei especially admires you."

  Chen Wu blinked. "Mei? She's just grateful. They all are."

  He really hadn't noticed or he was pretending not to — especially when she had been trying so hard, how could you ignore it, Chen Wu.

  We walked in silence for a moment before Chen Wu led me toward a different part of the sect — the buildings here were older, more traditional, and the air smelled quite different, medicinal.

  "Where are we going?" I asked.

  "You'll see."

  We approached a huge hall built into the mountainside, its entrance framed by carved pillars depicting plants and healing symbols — and the scent of medicine grew stronger as we got closer.

  Inside, the space opened into a massive chamber where shelves lined the walls, filled with jars, bottles, herbs, and cultivation materials, several workstations scattered around where disciples and elders prepared medicines.

  And at the center, an old man was sitting on a meditation cushion. Very old that his hair was completely white and his face deeply lined.

  He sat perfectly still, eyes closed, breathing so slow he could have been mistaken for a lifeless statue.

  Chen Wu stopped a respectful distance away and bowed deeply.

  "Disciple Chen Wu greets Elder Han."

  I quickly copied the bow.

  The old man's eyes opened slowly. They were sharp despite his age, assessing us with casual interest.

  "Chen Wu." His voice was dry but strong. "You bring a guest."

  "Yes, Elder Han. This is my sworn brother, Fu Yang. I wanted to bring him to you."

  Elder Han's gaze shifted to me. I felt his cultivation pressure increase slightly - not aggressive, just... examining me, with an instant thought I used the Mask of Sincerity and thanks to my luck it was on level 2 now.

  The elder continued his examination and I felt being looked through rather than looked at.

  "Fu Yang," Elder Han repeated. "Four meridians, damaged!"

  "Yes, Elder," I said quietly.

  "Hmm." He stood up with surprising ease for someone his age and walked closer. "Show me your hand."

  I extended my hand. He took it, his fingers dry and cool against my skin.

  For several seconds, he was silent, but then I felt his qi probing into my meridians, examining the damage.

  His expression didn't change. Finally, he released my hand and stepped back.

  "Meridian scarring," he said. "Dantian fractures. Whoever tortured you knew what they were doing. The damage is precise and deliberate."

  "Can it be healed, Elder?" Chen Wu asked.

  Elder Han was quiet for a long moment.

  "Perhaps. With time and resources. But it will be difficult. Expensive. And there's no guarantee of full recovery."

  "But there's a chance?"

  "There's always a chance." Elder Han looked at me. "Your body wants to heal. The damage is fighting against your natural recovery. With proper treatment, we can accelerate the healing process. Guide it. Prevent permanent harm."

  Hope flickered across Chen Wu's face. "Then you can help him?"

  “I can try." Elder Han walked to one of the shelves and began selecting bottles — "he'll need to come here three times a week, I'll prepare medicines to reduce inflammation in the meridians and promote tissue regeneration — but it will hurt like you are swallowing burning charcoal.”

  "I can handle the pain, Elder," I said.

  "We'll see." He returned with three small bottles. "Drink one of these each morning before training. They taste terrible. Don't vomit them up or you'll waste expensive medicine."

  I took the bottles. "Thank you, Elder Han."

  "Thank Chen Wu. He's the one who asked me to help you by using one of his tokens. And he's paying for the medicines from his personal resources."

  I looked at Chen Wu, surprised.

  He looked embarrassed again. "You're my brother. Of course I'd help."

  (OH MY….., what a big heart, such Righteousness, but Chen Wu, don't THINK I am going to fall for it, I already know why you are doing this…)

  "Thank you, Brother Chen," I said sincerely. "I don't know how I'll ever repay this."

  This was all an act of his……

  "You don't need to repay anything. That's not what brothers do."

  Elder Han made a sound that might have been amusement. "How touching now get out, both of you. I have work to do." We bowed and left the Medical Hall…

  I wasn't the only one who could change someone's perspective, he could do the same. For me, it was a way to survive, but for him, it was just another quest.