The Temple was laid out in a series of long buildings. Black tiled roofs, polished wooden beams between plaster walls, long porches stretching out into graveled courtyards. A few old trees dotted the temple, offering shade and sweet smelling flowers to the nervous kids. The kids were marched into a small courtyard with a bronze bell as tall as an adult standing in it. There was a skinny old man with a long white beard leaning on a giant padded club, smiling gently at the kids.
“Welcome, children. I’m Senior Brother Fu, and I’m overseeing today’s testing. It’s a simple test. One at a time, you use this striker and give the bell a whack. Just once. Don’t worry about how loud a sound you make. So long as you put your backs into it, the bell will ring. It won’t sound very loud for anyone, even if you have fate with cultivation.”
The soft smile widened a little. “Don’t feel like this is the moment that decides your fate. Such matters were decided before you were even born. Treat it as the chance to mark your entrance to adulthood. Once you strike that bell, you are saying you are ready to take on responsibilities. Ready to start helping your families. Take it from this old man- a mortal life has its charms and its advantages.”
The kids did as instructed. They walked up, grabbed the club, and whacked the bell. There was a muffled doooong, barely loud enough to reach the edges of the courtyard. Then Brother Fu nodded at them and sent them to wait on the far side of the yard. The bell was covered with pictures of clouds with things that looked like a cross between a snake and a lizard poking in and out of them. The snakes had weird heads with long horns. Tian didn’t know what they were supposed to be.
Eventually it was Tian’s turn. He had tried to be as unnoticable as possible, skulking along at the back of the line. Being alone in the middle of open space with all these eyes on him… his body tightened up. His eyes darted from side to side as he tried to think which way to run if he needed to. The elderly cultivator who called himself Fu frowned briefly, but didn’t say anything.
Tian picked up the club. It felt solid. His hands couldn’t grip well with only one good finger and thumb each, but a big heavy club was reassuring. He put his back into it, and swung at the bronze bell.
AAANG! The bell shook, sounding like the cry of some ancient beast. Brother Fu’s eyes shot open.
“The first in ten years to sound the Dragon Calling Bell. What’s your name, child?”
“I am Tian Zihao.”
The elder seemed to choke on that for a moment, then settled down. “Your parents had a sense of humor. Well, maybe their good wishes worked. Come stand next to me. We still have to let the others ring the bell.”
The rest of the children tried and failed. A few of them cried. All of them seemed to be glaring at Tian, either openly or secretly. Brother Fu sent them off with a few kind words and ushered Tian into a small hall. It was quite bare- polished wooden floors, warm wooden walls, and a single statue at one end. The statue was of a serene looking man with a long mustache extending one hand towards the viewer. He seemed stern, but welcoming.
“That is Elder Rui Yanzi, the current elder in charge of the Outer Court of Ancient Crane Mountain. We keep a statue up of the elder, just in case he visits and the current generation of Lay Brothers haven’t been alive long enough to recognize him. Not that it’s ever been needed, he comes by every decade or two. How much do you know about us? I know you aren’t a local kid.” Brother Fu sat down on a little cushion, and gestured for Tian to do the same.
“Nothing at all.”
“Nothing?” Brother Fu’s eyes opened in shock. “We are the preeminent sect for at least fifty thousand miles in every direction! Two million miles if you are headed south!”
“I never knew my parents and grew up in the forest. Some wandering beggars and passing hermits taught me a few things and looked after me from time to time, but mostly I don’t know anything about anything.” Tian repeated the story he and Grandpa had worked out. Tian felt that it was basically the truth anyhow.
“Good heavens.” Brother Fu looked away, lost in thought for a moment, before looking back quickly at Tian. “They didn’t… do anything to you, did they? Because I can promise you, Ancient Crane Mountain will hunt them to the ends of the world if need be. You need never fear them! Ever!”
“No? I don’t think so?” Tian shifted around. It didn’t feel good, sitting and answering questions. He couldn’t help but feel seen under Brother Fu’s ancient eyes. “There were some people who would see me and throw rocks and yell "Go Away.””
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“Good! That’s good.” Brother Fu patted his chest. Then quickly corrected himself. “Not good that they threw rocks. That’s bad.”
“Yes. Rock Throwers are bad.” Tian thought of the horse being beaten, and how it screamed.
Brother Fu seemed to hear something in Tian’s voice because he quickly changed the topic. “So… We are a monastery which carries on the teachings of the Ancient Crane Immortal. What those teachings are, you would slowly learn while you study here. You don’t have to join us just because you rang the Dragon Calling Bell, but you are very welcome if you do want to join. We would do some more testing to figure out your aptitude, but regardless, you would start here in the Outer Court and work your way up once you progress to the Heavenly Person realm.”
Tian nodded. “I want to join your Monastery.”
Brother Fu chuckled. “Welcome, then. I look forward to calling you Junior Brother Tian. It will take a few minutes to get the testing apparatus set up. In the meantime, enjoy.”
He slapped his hand on the floor, and a hidden panel jumped two feet into the air. Brother Fu set it to one side, and pulled out a tea set. The tea was warm, and remarkably fragrant. Tian drank it gingerly, not noticing Brother Fu’s thoughtful eyes.
Tian didn’t want to be tested. He didn’t mind before, but now he could firmly say that he did not, in fact, want to be tested. He was fine being unknown potential. It seemed a relaxing thing to be.
“Now, I know the needles look intimidating, but don’t worry! They are very sharp. Very, very sharp. Just… unfathomably sharp. You won’t feel a thing, as long as you don’t wiggle. So don’t wiggle, no matter what you feel. The needles breaking off inside of you would hurt a million times worse.” The lay brother in charge of the testing device smiled encouragingly.
“Yes, don’t be intimidated. We have all been through this, and see- we all lived!” Senior Brother Fu smiled.
“Yes. Yes I…” Tian frowned. “Did you just say that all the brothers here are the survivors of the test?”
“Hahaha! Ha. Ha. Do it.” Brother Fu chopped his hand, and the brother in charge of the test slapped a talisman on the eight limbed brass and iron device. The limbs shot forward and down, like spider legs piercing a particularly small frog.
Tian was staying very still. The eight limbs were tipped by long silver needles, and they were, in fact, quite painless going in. He was glad that he got naked for the test. He would hate for them to miss.
“Alright, testing starts now. And… Tian?” The test operator caught his eyes.
“Yes?”
“Remember that you won’t die.”
The needles seemed to be poked in at random points on his torso and head. He really had no idea what the fuss was about. Then he felt his organs convulse. Things were going on inside of him that he couldn’t put words to. Burning, freezing, shredding, petrifying, even a sense that something was growing someplace there really wasn’t room for anything to grow.
“Lungs- modest metal, minor wood presence. Liver- Powerful wood. Heart- modest fire. Stomach- Modest earth, minor wood. Kidneys- Oof! Powerful wood, significant water. Pineal gland and brain… Excellent. Spine Bone Rating… between High Tiger and Low Dragon! It seems we have a small dragon in our little pond.”
The brother running the test sounded cheerful about it. Tian supposed that whatever a dragon was, it was a good thing.
“Good job holding still, Tian.” Brother Fu smiled. “Now, I know this is the absolute last thing you want to do right now, but- you see that pinwheel coming down in front of your mouth? I need you to take the deepest breath you can through your nose then blow out through your mouth as long and hard as you can. There is a special prize if you can make it light up with your breath, so blow hard!”
A pinwheel with a crystal in the middle of it extended down from the top of the machine. Tian did his best not to cry as he breathed in. It felt like his lungs were full of sharp metal splinters. He breathed in as much as he could, puckered his lips, and blew. The pinwheel spun, quickly picking up speed until it was an almost invisible whirr of blades. The crystal in the middle started gently glowing, with a faint picture of a lotus emerging on it.
“Inhale like a snake, exhale like an arrow, Lotus Breath throughout. Oh good job, little Brother! And not a hint of murderous aura. Which I would hope there wouldn’t be, but there has been before. One last test. This won’t hurt but it will feel… odd. Don’t wiggle.” The test operator smiled.
There was the strangest sensation, as though a cold wind was blowing through his veins while tiny ants were crawling around inside of him. He barely controlled the flinch.
The arms pulled up and away. “And we are done!” The brother operating the device leaned over and conferred with Brother Fu. They then turned to Tian and smiled.
“Excellent news, Tian. Your body is very suitable for cultivation, particularly the wood and water elements. You seem to have some relation to lotuses, which is a fine thing, and your meridians are exceptionally pure and smooth. Provided you make good use of your opportunities, it is entirely possible for you to reach the Inner Court and be promoted to True Disciple by the time you are thirty!”
The two saw how lost he looked, and laughed. They lead him outside. Strong looking Brothers wearing uniform blue robes and white trousers were drifting about, moving across the gravel and up over the walls like clouds.
Many of the Lay Brothers were sparring, hands and feet moving like lightning, their clashes booming like thunder. Others were standing rigid, two fingers raised in front of their noses, commanding small swords to fly about. As they passed, everyone stopped and nodded politely. Some made meaningful eye contact with Brother Fu and the Brother who operated the testing device.
“Does thirty years old seem very far away? Are you perhaps wondering why we are all so friendly, despite how vicious you know people are?” Brother Fu asked.
Tian nodded.
“Because everyone in this Temple, regardless of how old they look, is actually at least one hundred years old. Many of us are nearing our second century. I’m the oldest, and I’m a little more than two hundred. The last child who rang the Dragon Calling Bell was an utter genius and is already practicing in the Inner Court.”
Brother Fu’s smile was mild and benevolent. The brother who ran the testing machine was showing a much less enlightened leer of satisfaction.
“He is earning us great merits as he wins tournaments, completes sect missions, and generally acts like a credit to Ancient Crane Mountain and our West Town Outer Court. Merits which directly improve the benefits we receive from the Monastery. And he was just the latest in a long, long line of disciples we managed to get promoted.” Brother Fu chuckled, stroking his long mustache.
Tian nodded again, clearly bewildered. The brother who ran the machine butted in.
“We’re farmers, little brother. And our best cash crop is promising juniors. Get ready, kiddo. You are going to be one hell of a cultivator!”