Walking behind Hu Lin, Ji-eun kept silent. Snow crunched underfoot as she led their way winding through the Sect. Where she was being led, Ji-eun didn’t know. An oversight she needed to amend.

  “Where are we going?” Ji-eun asked.

  “It’s a bit late to be asking that, don’t you think?” Hu Lin answered with a turn of her head and a grin.

  Out of sight, Ji-eun frowned. Hu Lin didn’t strike Ji-eun as a bad person. She had known the woman for all of 20 minutes, sure. But the way she carried herself was very disarming. Especially so compared to the rest of the Sect. She was right thought.

  “Well,” Hu Lin began, “we need to get you out of the cold for tonight, so I’m dragging you along to the Servant quarters.”

  Hu Lin paused in her steps and turned as Ji-eun, caught by surprise, stood beside her.

  “The dorms aren’t as fancy as the pavilions you Young Masters and Mistresses are given, but I hope you’ll put up with it for a night?” She asked with a smile.

  They were walking in step now. Ji-eun observed Hu Lin from the side. The woman was easily a head shorter than her, with a freckled face and her hair styled in two buns. Even now she was smiling to herself. Definitely disarming. Deliberately so? She sighed.

  “Thank you. It… will be plenty, I’m sure.” Ji-eun paused. “Still, I must ask. Why are you so eager to help me?”

  Hu Lin gave Ji-eun a curious, amused look.

  “If you saw someone huddled up out in the cold, wouldn’t you offer a place to stay? Wouldn’t anybody?”

  Ji-eun gave a flat stare.

  “… okay, maybe not everybody around here,” Hu Lin conceded. “But that doesn’t change my point! You looked cold, and I reckon nobody else was going to offer a hand to you.”

  Her reasoning made sense. Ji-eun’s suspicions couldn’t hold up against it. She’d spent too much time worrying about the other Disciples. It had only been a year, and she’d already forgotten what kindness looked like.

  “What can I expect of the dormitory?”

  “Take a look for yourself!”

  Lined in rows were longhouses surrounded by well-kept gardens. Orange firelight flickered through cracks in window shutters. Hu Lin led Ji-eun towards one of the farther dwellings. Inside, past a mud room, several rows of bunks were lined against the wall, separated by simple pingfeng. A few other women lazed about the space reading and mingling. The dormitory was basic — sparsely furnished — but warm.

  “Servants are assigned dorm numbers when we first arrive. There’s no difference between each one, just the people inside,” Hu Lin explained. “There’s another dormitory on the other side of the Sect for the men.”

  Ji-eun nodded.

  “My bunk is that one; and that’s my bunk mate Ai Jing,” she said, pointing to the currently occupied top bunk. “The one next to us is empty at the moment. It’s yours for the night, if you want it. I know it’s not as fancy as what you’re used to, but it’s still better than sleeping outside, right?”

  Sure, it wasn’t as overtly opulent as the pavilions Disciples called home, but the dormitory was still nice. Everything was well-maintained and of good quality. It all felt lived in.

  “It’s fine, the pavilion is a bit —”

  “Lin, is that…?”

  A small voice came from the top bunk. Ai Jing leaned over and peered down at the pair. Long black hair that practically shimmered in the dim light fell across the railing.

  “Yup! Disciple Ji-eun. I found her miserable in the cold and offered our dorm as a warm place to stay,” Hu Lin said.

  Ji-eun didn’t quite agree with that. Miserable? She bowed toward Ai Jing.

  “Hu Lin has been very hospitable. Thank you for having me.”

  Ai Jing shrunk back into bed. It was probably uncomfortable, Ji-eun thought, having a Disciple stay in the Servant quarters. Especially so after what Hu Lin said earlier; Disciples ‘made trouble’ for them every day? She had experienced plenty of that, and it bred no small amount of bad blood.

  Hu Lin stepped to Ji-eun’s side.

  “Don’t mind her, Jing is just shy. There’s a bathroom down towards the back if you want to wash up?”

  Ji-eun could feel the day’s sweat still clinging to her beneath the robe.

  “Yes, I’d like that.”

  —

  Steam floated around the bathroom on warm currents. Heat clung to damp wood panelling. Water dripped slowly from Ji-eun’s hair as she wiped down after her shower. Above the sink hung a large mirror. With a spare towel she wiped away the condensation.

  Through a head of ink black hair, two spiralling obsidian horns — one considerably shorter — stood. Deep black eyes scrutinised as she prodded at the swelling bruise across her cheek, flexing her jaw. She hung her head and sighed. With luck it would fade in a day or two. Ji-eun slipped into the night robe Hu Lin had given her, a spare of Ai Jing’s. It was a more than a little large on her. She opened the lantern hung in the corner and extinguished it.

  The lights were off as Ji-eun crept towards her borrowed bunk. The bed was small, but not cramped. Like Hu Lin said, compared to the extravagant bedspreads even Outer Disciples were given by the Sect, the Servants provision was nothing much. But it was warm and soft to the touch. Ji-eun didn’t want to think she had gotten used to the fanciful tastes of the Sect. Thankfully, she could still enjoy the simpler things.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Footsteps approached her bunk. Mortal footsteps, as she now knew.

  “How was the shower?” Hu Lin asked quietly. Through the darkness, Ji-eun could just make out the short woman bending down as she sat up.

  “It was good. Thank you for letting me use it. No, thank you for everything tonight.”

  Hu Lin made a sound like she was smiling.

  “I’m glad you’re willing to put up with it all. I know its not nearly as nice as what you’re used to, but—”

  “You keep saying that, Hu Lin. The Disciple’s pavilions are grand, but a roof over my head is a roof all the same,” Ji-eun interjected. “I would have spent the night sleeping outside in the snow if you hadn’t come along.”

  Hu Lin laughed meekly.

  “Still, I was worried you’d take it as an insult. You were kicked out of your own pavilion, then offered pity by a Servant? Most nobles wouldn’t take that too well. Too much of a wound to their pride.”

  Ji-eun was left stunned.

  “… You think I’m a noble?”

  “You’re not?”

  “No! Does everybody here think that?”

  “Well… it’s a bit embarrassing, but there’s a sort of betting pool going on? About the truth of how you got into the Sect. Cuz, y’know, the whole ‘Demon Slaying Mortal’ thing is a bit much. But if it’s true then I’m sorry for saying that! Ah, but if you’re not a noble, then me and like a third of the others are out a months pay. Still, I hope you don’t mind, but word did spread fast and —”

  “Stop, stop. You’re rambling. That’s — what — fine, one thing at a time,” Ji-eun heaved an exasperated sigh. “No, I’m not a noble. I grew up in the North. I was just another girl in a small town. The Demon Slaying Mortal ‘thing’ is probably exaggerated. I don’t know what you’ve heard about the incident, but that is how I got into the Sect.”

  Ji-eun took a breath. She came out from under the covers and joined Hu Lin on the floor.

  “About a year ago, I was attacked in the forest near where I lived. There were some casualties, including the scions of the regions noble clan. I survived, and as a reward for ‘bravery’, the Emperor allowed me to join the Sworn Sword Sect for training. It was a whirlwind, and ever since I’ve ben here.”

  “Wow,” said Hu Lin. “That’s nothing like what the rumours about you say.”

  Unseen, Ji-eun rolled her eyes.

  “Yeah, I’ve picked up on that.”

  “You’re famous around the Sect, Ji-eun. You’re probably famous around the whole Empire!” She leaned in conspiratorially. “I heard you defeated a Demonic Cultivator all by yourself, armed with nothing but a stick. I also heard that the Emperor himself wept with pride at your deeds.”

  “Say that too loud and we’ll both be hanged.”

  “Haha! A lot of the ‘rumours’ are complete fantasy and everybody knows it. But… not all of them.”

  “Like me being a noble?”

  “It’s an obvious conclusion to draw, isn’t it? Either you’re a noble who had the training to survive a once in a millennium encounter with a Demon. Or, you’re a noble who embarrassed your family and were sent away with a ridiculous story to cover it up.”

  Ji-eun leant back into the bed. She had no idea there was such things spreading around the Sect about her.

  “And which did you believe?”

  Hu Lin thought for a moment. She said, “I thought you were an unlucky noble who couldn’t cultivate and got sent here as a last ditch effort. The story about Demons was a way for whatever family you have to save face.”

  “Well, you’re right about being unable to cultivate,” Ji-eun said, much more dejected than she expected.

  An uneasy silence settled onto the pair. Hu Lin broke the silence.

  “Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

  Ji-eun turned to face her.

  “It’s fine. I can’t cultivate; it’s only the truth. A whole year in the Sect and I’ve gotten nowhere.”

  Hu Lin bumped shoulders with her.

  “Hey, at least you’ve got a chance. You’re part of the Sect, with all the instruction and resources that come with it. A lot of the Servants here originally came to the Sect hoping to join, only to be turned away at the gates and relegated to picking up after Disciples.” She paused. “Not me, I just needed the money.”

  Ji-eun smiled.

  “Sorry, I didn’t know. I didn’t think of that.”

  “Don’t worry about it. We’ve both said sorry once now, so we’re even.”

  —

  It was early morning. Dim blue light filled the sky and coloured the snow. Ji-eun stood outside in her training wear, planted on a stone paver she brushed out of the snow. Slowly, she went through the morning routine drilled into all Disciples: a series of long stretches and simple sword katas to prepare the body for a long day of harsh training. In her opinion it was overly complicated.

  Ji-eun focused on the sensation of each movement. Joints teetered at their edge, muscles pulled taught, bones ached under the strain. None of it was designed for a mortal’s body. She had put herself in the medical ward several times learning her limits. Still, each day she performed the routine like any other Disciple of the Sect should. She liked to think it had gotten easier.

  The sun rose in full as Ji-eun finished her routine. She stood there still for a moment catching her breath. Despite the cold, beads of sweat rolled across her skin. She wiped down with a towel and replaced her robes.

  It was a slow morning inside the Servant Dormitory. Some were beginning to move about and get ready for the day, while others — Hu Lin included — were still fast asleep. Ai Jing was in the middle of tying her robes when she spotted Ji-eun return.

  “Good morning,” she said with a deep bow.

  “Yeah. Good morning to you too,” Ji-eun said, returning the gesture awkwardly.

  Were all southerners obsessed with bowing, or just cultivators?

  “Um. Do you want a hand with that?” Ji-eun asked as she raised her head and pointed to the traditional knot Ai Jing had half finished and half ruined.

  The lady stood to her full height, easily towering over Ji-eun. She looked between the knot still held precariously between her fingers and the neat one around Ji-eun’s waist.

  “… Yes, please. This one is sorry to bother you,” she asked meekly.

  Ji-eun undid the damage and begun her work. She didn’t know if the Servant’s knot differed from the one Disciples were taught, so she just opted for a side knot.

  “You’re quite skilled at that, Disciple Ji-eun. Do all Disciples learn knot-tying as part of their training?” Ai Jing asked.

  “Not at all. I’ve always been good at anything involving my hands. I did a lot of art before joining the Sect,” Ji-eun said as she fiddled with the final parts of the sash. “There. Does that look right to you?”

  “It’s not quite as Ms. Lin does it, but it will certainly do. Thank you for your service,” Ai Jing said with another bow.

  Clearly the lady enjoyed her formalities. She had a very proper way of speaking too. Was she a noble, Ji-eun wondered? Many Disciples of the Sect that had bothered speaking to her had similar speech. It didn’t matter. It wasn’t her place to ask.

  “So Hu Lin usually does it for you?”

  “Ah, yes. Though she is typically not such a late riser…”

  Ji-eun recalled how she and Hu Lin had stayed up talking last night. It was probably her fault that Ai Jing went without her usual aide.

  Ji-eun left in a hurry for the southern quadrant gate. It was one of only two places in the lower sect that remained walled off, requiring permission from Sect authorities to enter. Master Yan was one such figure.

  The sky was clear as Ji-eun arrived at the gate. A tall, smooth stone wall separated the southern quadrant from the Sect proper. Snow kept clear of the towering gate and unnaturally refused to pile atop the walls.

  Ji-eun didn’t wait long for Master Yan to appear. He strode towards the gate at his own pace, and once close, Ji-eun bowed.

  “Greetings, Master Yan.”

  “Good morning Disciple. I hope you’re ready for the day ahead?”

  “Of course, Master. I would not think to disappoint you.”

  He nodded and walked towards the towering gate. Master Yan pulled an arm free from his sleeve and revealed the stump of his wrist, an old scar where his hand would be. With a wave, something invisible rippled through the air. Sigils and imperial characters lit up in glowing silver down the parting gate.