When Jun Li opened her eyes, she found herself looking into the ceiling of her new home, which still felt unfamiliar.

  As she took a breath and tried to sit upright, a sharp pain shot through the side of her body, causing her to fall back into her bed. “Ah, you’re awake, good.” A light voice sounded out from a corner of the room.

  Turning to look, Jun Li saw a young man looking up from a book. “How do you feel?”

  The young man stood up from his seat and walked to Jun Li’s side, giving her a better look at the man. He seemed a handsome sort, with short fluffy hair, but most notable to Jun Li’s eyes was the bright yellow robe he wore, something she had seen a few times before.

  “Why does my side hurt so much…?” Jun Li winced, more interested in her condition than the stranger in her home. “I don’t remember getting hit there during the fight.”

  When Jun Li said this, the young man’s expression darkened, and he paused before speaking. “Yes, well… I don’t believe you were hit in the side during the fight, but instead, after.”

  Seeing the confusion plainly on Jun Li’s face, the young man continued. “Ren Liwei was… rather brutal in how he ended the fight and hurt you perhaps more than was necessary to win.”

  The young man spoke in such a way as to avoid recounting the matter excessively, not to downplay Ren Liwei’s actions, but to avoid reinforcing any trauma in Jun Li.

  Despite his discreet wording, Jun Li turned pale, realizing the extent of Ren Liwei’s hate for her.

  “You’ve been unconscious for a few days, but you should have no lasting damage.” The young man continued to explain Jun Li’s situation, hoping to alleviate any of her worries. “You were treated by Elder Guo and later tended to by me, so your lingering internal injuries should heal well.”

  Jun Li listened quietly, somewhat distracted by the thought of Ren Liwei, but still made the effort to turn and listlessly bow in the direction of her caretaker. “Thank you…”

  Seeing how crestfallen Jun Li seemed, the young man had a troubled expression. “My name is Han Wenyan, I’m an Inner Sect Disciple, and a member of the Alchemist’s Association. You were my patient for a few days, so… if you need anything, or if the pain lingers too long, do let me know...” Han Wenyan smiled slightly, hoping to cheer Jun Li up a bit.

  “Oh, right!” Han Wenyan seemed to remember something important and moved over to Jun Li’s bedside table, picking up a small crate of medicinal goods. “A few spectators from the other day sent you medicine, hoping to help you recover more quickly.”

  Jun Li saw just how much she had been sent, almost a dozen expensive-looking containers of various shapes and sizes, from boxes and bottles to ampoules and sheafs of folded paper.

  “I… I see… if you happen to know any of them, please tell them I’m very grateful.” Jun Li couldn’t help but feel better, mollified by the knowledge that despite her origins, some of the people here still considered her human.

  Han Wenyan set the stack of medicine down at Jun Li’s bedside. “The Princess, Zhao Xiaoli, sent some medicine too. I had used some in your treatment, and it helped quite a lot, though it certainly must have been expensive.”

  Han Wenyan was pleased, remembering how Zhao Xiaoli personally came to deliver it to Jun Li’s house. With his eye, he knew by the careful assortment that had been delivered that it was more than just a hollow showing of charity; she had surely made certain her support would be meaningfully beneficial, and not just an expensive gift.

  “It might still hurt a bit right now, but you should be in perfect condition by the time the Outer Sect Trial happens in two weeks.” Han Wenyan spoke up, hoping to clear a concern that Jun Li didn’t have.

  Stolen story; please report.

  “Outer Sect Trial?” Jun Li wasn’t quite sure what he meant and gave him an oblivious look.

  “Elder Guo was the one who managed the Entrance Test this year, right? He should have mentioned how the Sect holds optional trials for Outer Sect Disciples to undertake every two months.” Hearing Han Wenyan’s explanation, Jun Li just barely remembered Elder Guo making an offhanded mention of it when he showed the new disciples to their homes in the Outer Sect.

  “That’s right… What are these trials anyway?” Jun Li finally sat up, pushing through the pain and adjusting to her physical state.

  “The trials change every time they’re held, or at the very least, it takes a year or so before they cycle back to any previous ones.” Han Wenyan closed his eyes and began sifting through his memories. “Simply put, they are tests, or challenges. Each one is made to test the skill of the disciples in any way a Cultivator might expect to be tested in life.”

  “For example…” Han Wenyan opened his eyes and raised a finger. “When I was an Outer Sect disciple, we had to identify Treasures in one Trial, scale a smooth 10-meter wall in another, and even fight Magical Beasts in one of them.”

  Jun Li furrowed her brow, thinking about those examples. ‘I wonder if I’d even stand a chance against something like a Magical Beast…’ After the events of her duel, she struggled to find any certainty in self-estimation.

  Han Wenyan nodded to himself, seeing that Jun Li had already somewhat recovered. “It might sound like a lot, but the rewards certainly do make it worth the trouble. Some good Cultivation materials make a world of difference, whether that’s Medicinal Plants, Pills, or Elixirs.” Hearing this, Jun Li recovered a bit of motivation, though realizing Ren Liwei would surely join in on these trials, she became more anxious about them.

  “Now then…” Han Wenyan sat up and turned to the front door of the house. “I’ll take my leave, good luck, and please do let me know if your health troubles you any further.” He gave Jun Li a shallow bow and laid his hand on the door.

  “Wait…” Jun Li gestured to stop him, feeling like she was losing sight of the reason she had come to the Sect in the first place.

  “How do you… make money, like, as a Cultivator?” Jun Li hesitated, almost too embarrassed to speak honestly about her motivations.

  Han Wenyan, on the other hand, didn’t seem at all as disdainful as she feared after hearing her speak about such things. “For that…” Han Wenyan turned back to Jun Li. “There’s no other option than to become an Inner Sect Disciple.”

  “Only Inner Sect disciples are trusted with carrying out missions for the Sect, and with those missions, not only do Inner Sect Disciples receive powerful Cultivation resources as rewards, but also valuable Treasures, the likes of which could easily be exchanged for vast amounts of more… worldly wealth.”

  Hearing Han Wenyan’s honest answer, Jun Li looked down into her lap. “And how do you become an Inner Sect Disciple?” Jun Li felt she already knew the answer.

  “There’s only one thing separating Outer Sect Disciples from becoming Inner Sect Disciples.” Han Wenyan opened the door leading out of Jun Li’s home. “Cultivation.”

  He paused a moment, emphasizing the simplicity of the fact. “Reach the Crimson Palace stage, and you will be an Inner Sect Disciple.”

  When Jun Li looked up, Han Wenyan was gone. Now alone, Jun Li started to curl up. “What do I do…” Jun Li felt sick in a way she never had before.

  At this moment, Jun Li regretted ever awakening to her inherited memories. ‘I don’t deserve this inheritance… I’m too weak to even begin to take advantage of these memories.’

  Jun Li felt fear, not fear that she might not be able to uplift her family out of poverty, and certainly not the fear that she wouldn’t be able to become a powerful Cultivator; she simply feared death.

  Jun Li was afraid that if she ever left her home and saw Ren Liwei that he would beat her to death.

  And perhaps even more than that, she feared that she would merely wallow in her fear, both unable to surpass the Outer Sect and unable to return to the orphanage in fear of her shame.

  Jun Li struggled to assure herself she would be safe, that an Elder would stop Ren Liwei from hurting her if things got out of hand. But if she had been beaten so severely in the middle of the sect, the moment she slipped away somewhere more obscured, it was likely she might simply die.

  Jun Li felt too much pain to comfortably stand, but she could still perform her Qi Circulation in bed, which helped restore a sense of control. 'Staying stagnant won't make me any safer, it won't help, there's only one way to help myself…'

  Immersing herself in her meditation, Jun Li thought with clarity. 'There's only one path forward… Cultivate until there's no room for doubt or uncertainty, until I surpass people like Ren Liwei so drastically that there's no possibility of them being able to meaningfully harm me.'