Three Mountain City sat in the southeast of Clear River County — remote, by all accounts. Mountains ringed the whole territory, and three peaks stood out above the rest. That was how the city got its name: Upright Brush, Jade Balance, and Flying Over.
The people of the region were poor and cut off from the world, and so were mockingly called mountain barbarians. Many could not even afford shoes; they crossed the peaks barefoot, as sure-footed as on flat ground.
Once the Three Mountain City group arrived, this year's Three-City Trial could officially begin. Riverview City's delegation had entered the city a day early.
By straight-line distance, Three Mountain City was not much farther. But the route from Riverview City to Maple City was easy by water: down the Clear River with the current, then into the Green Willow tributary — with a fair wind, they could make it in a single day.
From Three Mountain City, an ordinary walker took three or four days to reach Maple City — and that was on the official road.
It wasn't that the students not competing got to rest. Through the whole Three-City Trial, they had to help the authorities keep order. New disciples like Ling Chuan and Zhao Yan had no hope of slacking.
A detachment of city guards had even been quartered in town. Nobody had room to complain.
The Three Mountain City party would come through the south gate for certain, so the welcome party had been waiting at the south gate since dawn.
"How much longer?" Zhao Yan yawned. "If I'd known I'd end up on duty anyway, I'd have competed myself and given that third slot to Brother Jiang."
Jiang Chen was at home "resting," officially to prepare for his match. Meanwhile they — who weren't competing — had been patrol grunts for three days. Such was the gap in treatment.
"Ugh." Huang Azhan shook his head too. "I only gave up the lead spot because I felt sorry for Senior Zhang — he's getting old. Otherwise I should be leading the team. What am I doing wasting time with you kids!"
As a third-year student, no matter how he bragged, he should have stopped at Li Yun's level. He'd jumped all the way to a fifth-year's standing, gunning for the leader position. The art of boasting knew no bounds.
Zhao Yan and Ling Chuan both turned and gave him approving looks.
"Is that so?"
Huang Azhan was confused for a moment, then a soft voice continued behind him: "Am I that old?"
Huang Azhan nearly jumped out of his skin: "What I meant was... Senior Zhang is venerable and respected!"
Zhang Yuan stood two steps behind him, wearing a faint smile: "For the good of Maple City, how can you be soft-hearted? Don't give it up — take the leader position back..."
"Oh! Ah!" Huang Azhan intoned dramatically. "Why does my stomach hurt so much?"
"Seniors, juniors — excuse me, I'll be right back." Face twisted in pain, one hand clutching his belly, he hunched over and scurried off.
He was not coming back. He'd rather take an academy punishment, rather lose merit, than return.
Zhao Yan clicked his tongue. He'd only been running his mouth for fun, but Huang Azhan had talked himself into a grave. Clearly Du Hu's departure had left him short on drinking partners.
"Senior Zhang." Ling Chuan, a proper sort, bowed first. "Why have you come?"
Zhang Yuan returned the nod: "The Trial is at hand. I need to scout the enemy."
Dean Dong had clearly been leaning on him hard — a man who prized cleanliness and order, now willing to squeeze into a crowd to "scout the enemy."
In fact, plenty of townsfolk had crowded the south gate too. Compared to the rich folk of Riverview City, they were more interested in the so-called barbarians.
"They're here!"
A stir ran through the crowd. The cultivators of the Three Mountain City academy had arrived at last.
Unlike the Riverview City cultivators, who traveled with servants like an outing, Three Mountain City had sent exactly six people. Which was the number of trial slots per city.
They entered the south gate in a one-three-two formation.
Almost everyone's eyes went straight to their feet. It was said that each mountain barbarian family owned a single pair of shoes, reserved for whoever was leaving town.
And they were not disappointed: the girl leading the Three Mountain City group was barefoot.
That kind of look — dismissive, appraising — was bound to offend. Ling Chuan stepped forward at once.
"Friends of Three Mountain City! I'm Ling Chuan, of the Maple City Academy. I've been waiting for you. Please, follow me — rest and eat at the academy first, and later I'll show you the trial grounds."
By rights, Huang Azhan — a third-year — should have been the one to receive the guests. But the scheduling instructor, citing his "poor image," had appointed Ling Chuan instead. And Ling Chuan's sincerity made him a good fit.
Before the Three Mountain City party could even take offense, they were already following Ling Chuan away.
What surprised Zhao Yan was that the townsfolk crowded by the gate were staring most of all at a single round, bulky figure in the middle of the Three Mountain City formation.
Unlike the others' simple fighting clothes, he wore a hooded black robe with his whole face hidden in the cowl — which only made him look stranger, and far more conspicuous.
Zhao Yan could hear the gossip.
"That's their strongest, right?"
"What else? Standing in the place of honor, look at the presence!"
"Looks terrifying."
"Maple City had better watch out!"
"What's there to fear? Zhang Yuan of the Zhang clan isn't a pushover!"
"He seems to be vegetarian... last time he came to my restaurant, he didn't even touch the bear paws. Just a few bites of greens. I was the one who served them!"
The topic drifted away...
As for the little girl at the front of the Three Mountain City formation — she seemed far too harmless. Pretty, yes. Small, adorable, yes. But the world of cultivators was cruel, and only true strength earned respect.
As part of the welcome party, Zhao Yan chatted idly with the Three Mountain City cultivators. But they were a quiet bunch, and they held their formation tightly, guarding the robed figure at the center as if he were some secret weapon they feared would be studied.
Zhao the Young Master tried to squeeze into their circle a few times, pretending not to notice, and gave up.
He did notice that as the townsfolk kept gossiping, the faces of the Three Mountain City cultivators... were turning strange.
Zhang Yuan was not with them. He watched a moment from the crowd, then left.
With Ling Chuan's warm introductions and the barefoot girl's monosyllabic responses, the party angled right, heading toward the academy.
The barefoot girl suddenly stopped. Her gaze fixed on a restaurant by the street.
On the second floor, a handsome, cultured young man stood by the window — one hand behind his back, the other raising a cup toward her in a distant toast, with an impeccable smile.
The barefoot girl looked straight ahead and kept walking.
But Ling Chuan recognized him.
That was the leader of Riverview City's delegation — Lin Zhengren, first on the Riverview City Academy's merit list!