Blue along with the two elders approached the gates of Silent Edge. Cheng and Yeol stopped.
"This is where we part ways. This is where you leave everything behind and start new." Cheng said.
Yeol nodded along. "When you're strong enough. You can pick up the pieces of the past. Until that day, focus on only what's in front of you."
With that the the two elders walked off into the night. Blue approached the gate, a man wearing black clothing leaned against the front gate.
"Are you the beggar my father told me about?"
Blue looked back at Cheng as they walked away. "Yup, torture, and they planned it all." He turned back to the man. "I suppose I am."
The man pushed himself off the gate and got in Blue's face. "Got an attitude I see, that's perfectly fine. Nothing the rod can't handle. I've seen dozens of you come and go. You're nothing special." The man pointed to the barracks beyond the gate. "Go and rest while you can beggar. Tomorrow the fun begins."
As Blue walked into the compound the gates closed behind him. Cheng appeared outside next to Wu Jin. "If what you say about that boy is true father, can he truly handle it all?"
"Thats what you're going to find out for us." Cheng laughed. He smacked the rod under Wu Jin's arm. "That's what the rod does best. He will either fail. Or become something of use to Silent Edge. Either way, treat him no different than anyone else, understood?"
"You do know I'm the Sect Leader right?" Wu Jin asked.
"You do know I'm your father right?" Cheng patted his head. "Now go."
The next morning, 25 recruits sat on the cold ground in the courtyard. Trainers lined the outside. Wu Jin approached.
CRACK.
His rod met the stone. Every recruit flinched. "Welcome to Silent Edge, today starts your journey. From misfits, trash discarded by clans and sects. To warriors, men who can hold their head high. It will not be easy. Most of you will fail. That's okay, we will not throw you away, we will continue to train you. Until you are recognized as a warrior who can uphold Silent Edge's reputation."
Wu Jin signaled for the trainers to hand the scrolls out.
CRACK.
Even some trainers flinched this time. "These scrolls are the sects breathing technique. Twilight Flow. You will be expected to master this in the next 2 months. Those who do not, will recycle into the next batch of trash my father brings around and you will start again if you wish." Wu Jin started to walk between the ranks. "This scroll does not leave your body, it does not touch the ground. If any Silent Edge member tells you to produce it, you had better, or their will be hell to pay. Discipline gentleman, discipline will turn you into men."
CRACK.
Wu Jin pointed his rod towards the wall on the east side of the courtyard. "Wall runs, 30 minutes. Do not let those scrolls fall gentlemen."
The recruits stared at the wall, but no one had moved.
CRACK.
"I MEAN NOW! Wu Jin hollered.
The boys started running to touch the top of the wall. One boy caught Blue's eyes immediately. He was moving up and down smoothly, as if this was normal for him. Blue finally reached the top after 10 minutes. When he landed he fell to the ground to catch his breath. "Phew, this is hard as hell."
CRACK.
The rod landed right by his head. "Did I say you could rest because you managed to accomplish some minor task. Get your ass up and move!"
Blue picked himself up and continued for the next twenty minutes. His eyes never left the other boy, the entire time.
"Enough, now you have 1 hour, read your scrolls and show us your competent enough to understand a basic technique."
The group all sat down, scrolls opened. A few were laid out on the ground in front of the recruits.
Blue looked over at one and shook his head. He looked up. "Here he comes." He muttered to himself
Wu Jin walked over and reprimanded those recruits, reminding them the scrolls must never touch the ground.
As Blue read the scroll, his system pinged.
[System Notification]
[New Technique Acquired]
[Twilight Flow Comprehension: 3%]
"Holy shit, this is a cheat code. All I did was read the name of it." Blue smiled and quickly stopped. "Better not give him a reason to use that rod." He thought to himself.
The rest of the day carried on like the beginning. Physical training, then studying the scroll.
One recruit spoke to loud. "Can't we just get a break before we have to look at this damn scroll again."
"A break? Sure why not... Mu Jang, this recruit would like a break." Wu Jin barked.
Every head turned and saw him. A giant pretending to be a man. Almost 7 feet tall, muscles bigger than most of the recruits heads. Beard that hung last his neck. Mu Jang walked over hovering over the recruit. He pointed down. "This one?" Wu Jin nodded. Mu Jang proceeded to grab the boy's entire head with one hand, lifted him up and carried him away.
"Anyone else like a break? Mu Jang has two hands." The trainers laughed.
No recruit dared to speak. By the time the day came to and end, the trainers had given each recruit a bag of rations.
Blue headed towards his assigned dorm. He sat and started eating. He placed the scroll on the floor, he grabbed a rice ball. Immediately he picked the scroll up off the floor. "No fucking way im taking any chances. These people are crazy. Good thing Murim doesnt have cameras. Damn."
The next moment he heard it. Some recruit next door just met the rod again for having his scroll on the ground. Blue's door opened. He had one hand with a rice ball stuck in his mouth, the other holding the scroll. The trainer nodded and shut the door. Blue sighed.
Blue continued to read for the next few hours. His system pinged for the last time before he fell asleep.
[System Notification]
[Twilight Flow Comprehension: 15%]
Blue's eyes read the panel for a second, then he drifted to sleep, on the floor, with the scroll resting on his chest.
The next morning Blue opened his eyes, Wu Jin was standing over him. "Oh my god! What the hell m-...ugh Sect Leader..." Blue sat up. The scroll fell off his chest, he fumbled it a few times before he caught it. "...Is there no privacy here?"
"Nope. Five minutes, courtyard." Wu Jin raised his rod as he walked away. "Or you know what happens right?"
"Yes, sir." Blue said annoyed.
"I wonder if Eve's training in Thalorin is this insane." Blue shook his head. "Probably not, Murim is full of psychos."
Blue headed to the courtyard. Only two recruits beat him, one who looked like an overgrown child. The other was the boy who made everyone yesterday look like toddlers. Blue sat down. The other recruits filed in, yawning, or dead to the world.
"Today, we want to see how each of you fight. We will start with the same routine as yesterday. We will end with you sparing each other. Winners get extra rations."