The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the village. Bai Yue stood at the edge of her home with a small bundle of her belongings slung over her shoulder. The air was thick with the scent of earth and the faint tang of smoke from cooking fires that dotted the village.

  As she took a deep breath, her heart began pounding with a mix of excitement, anxiety, and trepidation. She never had thoughts of leaving her village; she was content to scavenge in the forest, but now with her sister’s return. She could leave…and not with Madam Liu of the Silent Lotus.

  Bai Hui stood beside her, a comforting presence anchoring her amidst the whirlwind of her emotions. Her sister’s robes, emerald green and white with gold trimmings, shimmered in the fading light, a stark contrast to Bai Yue’s simple, homespun clothes. Behind them, Master Yusheng and his other disciple, Xiao Ting, waited, their expressions calm but watchful.

  “Do you have everything, Xiao Yue?” Bai Hui asked.

  “I think so,” she said with a nod, though her hands trembling as she adjusted the strap of her bundle.

  “Double-check your pack.”

  Bai Yue thought for a second, then realised she had nothing special to bring with her clothes. The only thing that was special for her was the pendant she’d found, and she’d already made a conscious decision to never take it off, but it was ‘luck’, indeed.\She turned to her sister and looked up at her, “I don’t have anything special to bring with me.”

  “Alright, then let's go.”

  Master Yusheng and Xiao Ting were already at the edge of town, while Bai Hui and Bai Yue wanted to say their proper goodbyes to their aunt and uncle.

  For Bai Yue, she had never seen her aunt so sad, yet so happy. She didn’t understand why she acted that way, but it made her feel good for her aunt to be happy, at least.

  Her aunt didn’t want to watch her leave, so she stayed inside, allowing her uncle to console her. Bai Yue wasn’t sure how she felt about that…but there was nothing she could do, so she accepted it.

  As she walked away, the dirt beneath her felt softer, as if it wanted to swallow her or not allow her to leave. She made it to the edge of the village, and her feet grew heavier. She turned around one last time, her eyes lingering on the familiar thatched roofs and narrow paths. It was a place of hardship, yes, but also of memories—of laughter, of shared meals, of quiet moments with Elder Chen. She would miss it, but she knew there was no turning back now.

  “One last look, sister,” Bai Hui said, taking her sister’s hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Then we'll make our way to the Emerald Star Palace.”

  “Yes Sister,”

  The landscape was vast and unfamiliar to Bai Yue as her eyes wandered. The rolling hills and dense forests were a stark contrast to the flat, open fields of her village.

  The forests she wandered through seemed denser, their foliage richer and more vibrant than anything she had ever seen. The towering trees with thick, gnarled trunks stretched toward the sky, branches forming canopies that filtered the sunlight into a mosaic of golden-green hues.

  The air was alive with the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves, a symphony of nature that felt both exhilarating and overwhelming.

  As breathtaking as the scenery was, her home ran through her mind; the village with its familiar thatched roofs and narrow dirt paths. It felt like a distant memory to her now.

  Elder Chen’s herb garden came to mind without thought whenever the scent of herbs blossomed in her nose. It was only a short thought, but those thoughts kept her grounded in the quiet moments. It also reminded her of the moments they had shared.

  Her aunt and uncle came to her as well, their weathered faces lined with both hardship and love, along with thoughts of her old home that had been her sanctuary. A pang of homesickness tugged at her heart, but she pushed it aside, reminding herself why she had left. She was to leave with Madam Liu, a woman who dressed in an elegant manor; it made her feel like an ant whenever their eyes met.

  She didn’t know what a sect was, but she knew about martial heroes and sects were where they came from.

  At this time, Bai Yue didn’t know how to feel about leaving for Emerald Star Palace, but she was relieved that her sister had come back for her, the sister she hadn’t seen in three years.

  She was beginning to worry that she would have forgotten about her, as with each day, her presence grew thinner within her mind. Now, they were walking, hand-in-hand. Making their way to the Emerald Star Palace.

  “What’s it like? The Emerald Star Palace, I mean.” Her thoughts turning to the Emerald Star Palace.

  Bai Hui glanced at her sister, a soft smile playing on her lips. “It’s… unlike anything you’ve ever seen,” she said, her tone warm with pride.

  “The main hall is grand, while the dorm rooms are clean. The courtyards are filled with blooming flowers and ancient trees, and the air always smells of incense.”

  As Bai Yue listened, her imagination began to paint vivid pictures of how the Emerald Star Palace would look. “Is it… intimidating?” she asked, reservation filling her face.

  Bai Hui laughed softly, as if memories rippled through her mind. Her eyes smiled, then she spoke again after a few seconds of silence. “At first, yes. But you’ll get used to it. You see, the sect is strict, but it’s also a place of opportunity. You don’t have to worry about meals like back home. You are assigned tasks. Completing those is the most important thing when you first arrive. Once you become of age. You then begin training.”

  “Training?” Bai Yue asked, confused.

  “Yes, everyone gets to train at the Emerald Star Palace!”

  “I’ll get to hold a sword like yours?”

  Bai Hui rubbed her chin and looked once she had reached the intermediate level.

  Bai Yue nodded, though her stomach churned with nerves. Holding a sword was something heroes did; could she be one? The thought never occurred to her, but it intrigued her; what floated in her mind was her ability to eat without worry.

  Now that was something she cherished. Not having to worry about her next meal.

  “It’s not always easy,” Bai Hui admitted, her tone turning serious. “The training is demanding, and the masters expect nothing less than your best. But if you work hard and stay focused, you’ll find your place there.”

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  As Bai Yue listened, her heart swelled with a mix of hope and determination. She wanted to make her sister proud, to prove that she was worthy of this opportunity. But beneath the surface, a flicker of doubt remained. Could she really adapt to such a different world? Would she ever truly belong?

  A few months passed, and yet the sun began to set once more, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink when the group stopped to make camp for the night. Master Yusheng and Xiao Ting set up a small fire, its warm glow casting flickering shadows on the trees. Bai Yue sat beside her sister, her hands wrapped around a bowl of steaming porridge. The food was simple, but it was warm and filling, and she ate with quiet gratitude.

  The next day, they made their way through a few more villages, helping with whatever they could help with and staying the night in a warm place. That’s how heroes lived, Master Yusheng told Bai Yue, and she understood.

  Heroes just didn’t fight evil; they helped wherever they could.

  Bai Yue realised one thing, Xiao Ting. Master Yusheng’s second disciple changed from stoic to dour whenever they assisted in mundane tasks such as weeding and gathering firewood for the locals.

  She would retreat into the forest and swing her sword. The few times Bai Yue stumbled upon her during her excursions, she would walk in the opposite direction. And that was due to the uneasy feeling she felt whenever their eyes met.

  After a few weeks, she finally had the courage to glance up at her. She quickened her steps unconsciously and caught up to Xiao Ting. She looked back at her sister and hoped she was far enough away that her sister couldn’t hear her. “Sister Xiao Ting?” she ventured carefully.

  Xiao Ting turned slightly, her expression gentle but reserved. “Hmm… how can I help?”

  “I was wondering...” Bai Yue started, “If you needed help with anything.”

  “Aww…” the elder disciple said, “I’m fine… whatever I need, your older sister can help me with.”

  “Alright…” Bai Yue said, then wandered back next to her sister.

  “Are you troubling Senior Sister Ting?” Bai Hui asked sternly.

  “No, sister, I wouldn’t dare!”

  “Good.”

  As the sun continually beamed in the sky, Master Yusheng ordered them to rest by a nearby lake to catch their breath. He went by the river to catch fish for their daily meal, leaving Bai Yue, Bai Hui, and Xiao Ting resting beneath a grove of trees. Bai Yue tapped her sister’s arm, drawing her attention. Bai Hui smiled as she turned and looked down at her sister. Bai Yue then drew closer to Bai Hui and covered her mouth as she whispered into her ear. “Why does Senior Sister Xiao Ting act so... formally? Even with you?”

  “In the sect,” Bai Hui said aloud, startling Bai Yue. “We follow proper etiquette. Xiao Ting is my senior martial sister.”

  “Senior martial sister?” she asked, confused.

  “You’ve called her senior martial sister.”

  “Yes, because she is.”

  “I don’t understand.“

  Bai Hui smiled and looked at Xiao Ting, who just shook her head, as if she were annoyed. Xiao Ting rose from her seat and walked to the lake, leaving Bai Hui and Bai Yue alone.

  Bai Hui turned to her sister, wind flowing through her hair. In this moment in time, Bai Yue realised that her sister wasn’t the same person that she saw all those years ago. The aura that flowed around her made Bai Yue scared.

  “Yue’er,” she said calmly. “There’s a certain etiquette you don’t display among people.”

  “I don’t understand,” Bai Yue said, confused.

  “I know, don’t worry about it, I’ll teach you what I can on the road, but you must obey. Once we reach the sect…you’ll be taught by Mistress Sang-Lo; she is a far better teacher than I could ever be.”

  Bai Hui asked herself; she had never heard the word before. She smiled nervously and nodded. “I understand, sister.”

  As the lie left her lips, she continued to smile nervously. Yet, the unease that stirred within her from the time her sister said ‘etiquette’ began to blossom and that bothered her, like nothing else could.

  “Yue’er, do you understand?”

  “Yes. Sister, I understand,” Bai Yue lied.

  “Good, now let me explain a bit about how the sect works.”

  Bai Hui went into detail on how the Emerald Star Palace was run, etiquette, and what to expect. She went into detail regarding training, evaluation, and the ranking system within the sect.

  The most confusing detail for Bai Yue, though, was when she started talking about the Jianghu. As detailed as Bai Hui was, Bai Yue didn’t understand a word of what the Jianghu was. When she tapered into a grandiose explanation that the Emerald Star Palace was one of the Three Great Sects of the Martial Arts Alliance, it didn’t resonate with her. At. All.

  She still nodded though, trying her best to follow her sister’s words. She didn’t understand who the Wudang Sect was, what the Shaolin Temple meant as a sect, or the relevance of Emei Sect’s qinggong technique. Mentioning how they were the true leaders of the Martial Arts Alliance…but their doors were closed after battling the The Demonic Cult to standstill over fifty years ago, only fell at her ignorant ears.

  But you couldn’t blame Bai Yue; she was six years old and hadn’t seen her sister in years. Now, she was entering a sect. A transition like this, was fast but not normal. Her life was about to change, but she didn’t know that. How could she?

  One thing that caught her attention was the mention of family. Older sect disciples were to be addressed as Senior Brother or Sister. Teachers simply called Masters unless you were a direct disciple of a Master within the sect. If you did, Masters were known as Uncle or Aunt Masters, but Bai Hui explained that although the terms were confusing, they simply remained as ‘Master’.

  “Do you understand?”

  “Not everything,” she said slowly, as if ensuring her sister wasn’t angry. “But I’ll learn.”

  Bai Hui smiled at that, and she hugged Bai Yue. It made her feel warm and cozy inside, but most importantly, protected. “Good…we’ll reach the sect in three days. I want you to be ready.”

  “I will be ready…”

  Mount Emerald rose before them like a giant breaking through the clouds, its silhouette imposing and dominating the horizon. The mountain’s slopes were carpeted with ancient pine forests that darkened to deep emerald near the base, while higher elevations revealed craggy outcroppings of pale jade-colored stone that caught the morning light and seemed to glow from within. Countless waterfalls cascaded down its face, their crystalline waters reflecting sunlight in dazzling displays that made Bai Yue gasp and point in childlike wonder. The mountain seemed alive somehow, breathing with an ancient power that Bai Yue could feel resonating in her chest, stirring something deep within her that she had never experienced in her small village.

  Winding up the mountainside was a path of white stone steps, so numerous that Bai Yue couldn’t begin to count them. The stairs flowed through stone arches, delicate bridges with misty ravines on both sides. At regular intervals, pavilions eased into view with their jade-tiled roofs where practitioners in robes similar to those of her sister, Master Yusheng, and Xiao Ting wore.

  The practitioners in these pavilions meditated and practiced sword forms with mesmerising precision. Bai Yue watched them with wide eyes, her fingers unconsciously mimicking their graceful movements.

  As they climbed higher, the air grew noticeably different – clearer, crisper; every breath felt like drinking cool spring water. The scent of mountain herbs, stone incense burners, and something undefinable – something ancient and powerful – filled Bai Yue’s lungs. Small gardens appeared along the path, bursting with rare medicinal herbs that seemed to glow with inner light, tended by disciples who nodded respectfully to Master Yusheng.

  Halfway up the mountainside, they passed through a massive gate carved from a single piece of jade, guarded by disciples. When Master Yusheng appeared, they bowed in unison. The wooden doors that lied before them opened and the Palace of Emerald revealed its true grandeur to Bai Yue’s eyes.

  A sprawling complex of interconnected courtyards, training grounds, and multistoried buildings that seemed to be part of the mountain itself. Some structures were carved directly from the living stone, whilst others were connected by bridges that looked too delicate to support weight yet carried dozens of disciples. Pennants of emerald and gold fluttered from tall poles, and the air vibrated with the distant sounds of hundreds practicing martial arts – the rhythmic stomping of feet, the whistling of swords cutting through the air, and the occasional crack of energy being released.

  At the very summit stood the heart of the sect – the Emerald Star Palace itself, a structure of such impossible beauty that Bai Yue felt tears spring to her eyes. Six jade-green towers rose into the clouds, giving the impression of emerald pillars piercing the sky.

  The main hall’s roof curved like a dragon’s back, adorned with thousands of jade tiles that shifted color with the angle of the sun. As they approached the final steps leading to the great bronze doors of the entrance hall, Bai Yue froze, overwhelmed by the scale and beauty before her. “This is home now?” she whispered, her voice small against the immensity of the mountain and all it contained. Bai Hui smiled and squeezed her hand. “Yes, little sister. This is where you will grow into who you’re meant to be.”