"Umm, I wouldn't really know the difference between the two...?" Yu Feng clarified with a hesitant smile.

  Shi Qiang gave a booming laugh that made Yu Feng jump. "That's true! Well, it shall be upto me to explain everything I guess, unless you want to do the honours, Senior Brother?" He looked toward Li Qian, who shook his head and gestured for him to go ahead.

  "Very well then. Come here and read this," Shi Qiang thrust out the piece of paper at Yu Feng. He received the parchment with both hands, and almost nervously started reading it, wondering what he would find. As he went down the paper, his brow grew more and more furrowed. This is way too detailed, was his thought.

  Name: Yu Feng

  Age: 15

  Height: 6'1

  Weight: 67 kgs

  And the paper went on and on, detailing stuff he didn't even knew existed. It even mapped down his tooth cavity down to the correct tooth, which Yu Feng confirmed by pressing on it, inciting a wince of pain.

  "Skip past all that stuff," Shi Qiang urged. "The important details are at the bottom."

  Taking his advice, Yu Feng skimmed past the rest of the page, finally landing on a section labelled: Cultivation Attributes.

  Attributes: Earth 70%, Water 30%

  Meridians: Robust

  Physique: NA

  Capacity: >Large

  Cultivation: Qi Condensation 2

  "Okay so, good news first. You have a nice foundation, if I do say so myself. Your meridians are strong, which means they can handle taking in more Qi from the environment," Shi Qiang lectured, as he pointed at labels on the paper. "And your capacity for Qi is big. Like very big. Its been years since anyone came by with this much storage. And having two attributes is also not too bad. Gives you more options."

  The explanation was giving Yu Feng more questions than reading the paper did. Attributes for what? And what the heck were meridians? But Shi Qiang was on a roll by now, so he could not interrupt even if she wanted to.

  "Now onto the bad, or rather, confusing news. You, my young friend, do not have a physique, which is actually pretty normal. But what's strange is the fact that you have the Qi reserves of a second stage Qi Condensation cultivator. Which, given the fact that Senior Brother Li Qian picked you up near the border and that you've not cultivated for a single day in your life, makes it very unusual."

  Looking at Yu Feng, he asked with a bright smile, "Did you get all that?"

  *No, I absolutely did not,* he wanted to say. Instead, he nodded dumbly. Sighing, Li Qian put a hand on his compatriot's shoulder and said, "Curb you enthusiasm a little. And try to explain from the beginning."

  Shi Qiang grumbles in frustration. "But there's so much to it, that if I started now, we would be here till the evening." He tapped his foot impatiently against the floor, his chin resting in his hand, before slapping a fist onto his palm.

  "I've got just the idea. Go back to the reception, I'll be there in a few," he said in excitement, before speeding off down the hallway and into another room. Yu Feng and Li Qian made their way down to the entrance in silence, while the sounds of what suspiciously sounded like things falling came from a room.

  They did not have to wait long before Shi Qiang came returned, clutching a small, leatherbound book in his hand. He proudly presented it to Yu Feng. "The answer to all you questions!" he exclaimed.

  Yu Feng took a look at the title. It said: Cultivation Basics - From Mortal to Immortal, by Vikas Rajan. Opening it, he saw long paragraphs and diagrams detailing parts of the body, and an index that divided the whole book into chapters.

  "This has fallen out of use in recent years," Shi Qiang said as Yu Feng perused the book. "We adopted a more lecturing model to teach new recruits, but for one who doesn't know whit about anything, it should be perfect for you."

  Yu Feng felt slightly insulted at the words, but he knew he could not refute them. He had entered a world he knew nothing about, and knowing what to do could only help him in the long run. So, he bowed deeply, and thanked Shi Qiang. "Thank you Senior Brother, for the advice."

  Shi Qiang nodded pleasantly, before turning to Li Qian. "I assume we are done here Senior Brother?"

  Li Qian shook his head. "I have some work to take care of urgently, as we just returned from a mission. So I'd like you to take Yu Feng to the barracks and get quarters assigned to him. Also, keep my involvement in this quiet."

  Yu Feng was slightly confused, while Shi Qiang had a look of understanding on his face. "Ahh, the old rumor mill," he sighed. "Very well, I'll take him there."

  Li Qian nodded in thanks, before turning to Yu Feng. "You have been given an opportunity that many would give their lives for. See to it that you do not squander it."

  Yu Feng bowed deeply. "I understand Senior Brother. I thank you for everything." And he was deeply grateful. While leaving his family and home behind stung, being a cultivator was all his childhood dreams had comprised of.

  Inclining his head to each of them, Li Qian turned towards the entrance, and disappeared in a small gust of wind that ruffled their robes.

  Shi Qiang sighed in exasperation, "That showoff."

  Turning towards Yu Feng, he said, "Well then Junior, shall we get going?"

  Yu Feng nodded in affirmation, and together they stepped out of the Recruitment Center onto their next destination.

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Taking another forest path, Yu Feng and Shi Qiang continued walking to wherever they were headed, Shi Qiang humming a merry tune. The sun had come up slightly now, but the coolness of the forest air only made it seem like a very pleasant day. He could hear birds chittering hear and there, and even spotted a few deer roaming around in between the trees.

  "Ughh, its so weird walking slowly," Shi Qiang complained on the way. "We could be there in minutes, but your poor body wouldn't be able to handle the speed."

  "I'm sorry, Senior Brother," Yu Feng dipped his head, not really sure what he was apologizing for.

  "No no, it's not your fault really," Shi Qiang grumbled good-naturedly. "Gives me a chance to get a slow start to the day too."

  According to Yu Feng, he would have been in for a slow start regardless, seeing how cranky he was when they woke Shi Qiang up, but he chose to keep his mouth shut.

  After about half an hour of walking, they finally exited the forest, to a large opening bare of trees. Yu Feng had not noticed this while walking, but they were now near the base of a small mountain, probably the smallest he had seen surrounding the valley the Sect was situated in. As his eyes travelled upwards, he saw that there was a road that travelled up the mountain, and that there were small houses that were situated, growing more and more fancy the further up his eyes could see.

  At the base was some sort of a small outpost, which was being manned by a disciple, dressed in robes similar to Wang Ya. As they drew closer, his eyes widened a fraction as he spotted them, but was replaced by a small smile as he bowed deeply towards them.

  "Senior Brother Shi! Good day to you. What brings you to the barracks today?"

  "Good day to you too, Junior Brother Shen," Shi Qiang boomed. They reached the outpost, which was just really a small stone booth which the other disciple was manning. Gesturing towards Yu Feng, he said, "Due to some unexpected circumstances, Yu Feng was unable to apply to the Sect during the yearly entrance exams. But he was found to have talent, so we are taking in him a bit later than usual."

  The Shen guy raised his eyebrows slightly, but did not argue. "I understand, Senior Brother. So you want me to do the regular?"

  "That would be appreciated," Shi Qiang nodded. To Yu Feng he added, "Shen Yao here will answer all your questions, and get you settled in. I unfortunately need to get back to cultivating."

  Though nervous at being left with the unknown man, Yu Feng bowed to Shi Qiang. "Thank you for your help Senior Brother."

  Shi Qiang nodded to both him and Shen Yao, then jogged back down the path where they had arrived from, leaving Yu Feng alone.

  "So, what's your story?" Shen Yao's voice addressed him from behind.

  Yu Feng stumbled. "Umm... so... I don't know where to start.."

  Shen Yao smiled. "It's fine really. I was just pulling your leg. Senior Brother Shi entrusted you to me, so rest assured I will take good care of you."

  Yu Feng was not assured. Shen Yao seemed normal by all standards, but there was something that put Yu Feng off. There was something predatory and snakelike about that smile. His face was just slightly too pale from the normal complexion Yu Feng had observed on cultivators.

  Not waiting for a response, Shen Yao went back into the outpost, and dug around under the counter for a few seconds, before emerging with a couple sets of outfits. "Your sect robes," he said to Yu Feng, dumping them in his arms.

  "Now how much do you know about the Sect?" he asked Yu Feng.

  "Senior Brother L- Someone explained the basics to me," he replied, wincing at his almost slip of tongue. "That we are a military sect, and that we offer manpower to other places in exchange for resources. I am not aware of the inner workings of the sect though, Senior Brother."

  "Not Senior Brother," Shen Yao shook his head. "We are at the same rank. But I guess I should explain what ranks are first, shouldn't I?"

  He gestured for Yu Feng to take a seat on one of the chairs at the outpost, and settled into one himself. "So, you know about the different stages of cultivation, right?" he started.

  "Yes." Li Qian had explained that bit previously.

  "Good. So, there are different ranks of disciples in the sect, and what rank you are depends on your cultivation level. For example, I am a Qi Condensation level cultivator, and thus am a Outer Disciple. Foundation Establishment cultivators like Senior Brother Shi are Inner Disciples. And there is a rank above that, of True disciples, that frankly is impossible for you to reach, unless you are insanely talented, or make significant contributions to the sect."

  "But how does one identify what tier of disciple one is? That's where the robes come in handy. Outer Disciples have just this plain garb, whereas inner disciples have a blue vest. I've heard that True Disciples have embroidery specifically tailored to each person, but my sources may be mistaken."

  Yu Feng's eyes widened slightly. So Li Qian was a True Disciple.

  "And above the disciples are Elders. They are our teachers and commanders, when a military issue serious enough requires for them to take command. And that's about it on the ranks in the Sect. Oh, and there's the Chief Elder and Sect Head, but nobody has seen them for quite a few years," Shen Yao finished.

  *So I'm at the bottom of the ladder here,* Yu Feng mused. Wang Ya and the rest were Outer Disciples, but they were posted near his village. So that meant that he could maybe go back and visit sooner than he thought.

  As he was lost inside his mind, Shen Yao got up and started to walk up the mountain path, calling out to Yu Feng. "Come, Sect Brother. I'll show you to your quarters."

  Shaking himself out of his reverie, he followed Shen Yao. "What about cultivation? When do we start that?" Yu Feng asked his guide.

  "That might be a problem," Shen Yao admitted. "The entrance exam got over a month ago, and your batch of recruits has already been training for a month."

  Yu Feng despaired. He was already behind in terms of knowledge, and now he would also be behind in his cultivation. Seeing the emotions on his face, Shen Yao hastily comforted him. "Don't worry too much. For most, cultivation is an arduous task, and its difficult to progress. You will not be too far behind. And the Elders will surely help if you ask for it. They are a nice sort. Well, most of them," he muttered as an afterthought.

  Within a minute, the stopped outside a small, nondescript looking door that was set into the wall of the mountain. Producing a key from inside his robes, Shen Yao handed it to Yu Feng and gestured for him as if to go ahead.

  Yu Feng opened the door, and was almost disappointed to see a small single room, with just a bed, mattress and a desk and chair. There were not other effects save a small window that let in light, and an incense burner on the desk.

  "It's not much, yes," Shen Yao shrugged. "But you are a starting disciple, so this is all you have access to. As you continue to prove yourself in the sect, your accommodations will improve."

  Yu Feng did not care much. While his room was slightly bigger back in the village, there was a different quality to the air in here. It was almost harder to breathe in, but not uncomfortable. He took in a deep breathe, and felt a wave of energy wash into him.

  "That's the Qi you are feeling." Yu Feng turned to look at his companion. "There is a greater concentration here on the mountain, and it gets better the higher up the mountain you go. That's why a good abode is integral for cultivation. Although," Shen Yao frowned, "it seems the concentration here is better than that of other's in the same tier. I wonder why?"

  He gave Yu Feng a suspicious glance, but he could only shrug helplessly. Yu Feng barely knew anything about this stuff yet, so he did not have any answers.

  "Well, its nothing worth getting worked up over," Shen Yao let go of the matter. "I will leave you for now. Do not forget to come to dinner. The mess is the large building a bit of a ways up the path. You cannot miss it."

  Yu Feng gave him a slight bow. "Thank you guiding me, Sect Brother. I will see you at dinner."

  Nodding slightly, Shen Yao closed the door behind him and left Yu Feng alone in the room, now his home for whatever period of time in the future.