The Samsara Jade

Chapter 30

The morning air on the Azure Sword Sect mountain was freezing cold. The sun was just beginning to rise in the east, painting the dark sky with faint colors of pink and orange. But the sunlight could not break through the thick, white morning fog. The fog rolled across the ground like spilled milk. It covered the trees, the wooden houses, and the massive stone paths of the Outer Sect.

Today was not a normal day. It was the day of the Outer Sect Tournament. 

For the thousands of disciples who lived in the Outer Sect, this was the most important day of their lives. If a disciple did well in the tournament, they could win spirit stones, magical pills, or high-level weapons. If they were truly amazing, an elder from the Inner Sect might notice them. That meant they could leave the miserable, poor life of the Outer Sect and become true, powerful cultivators. 

Because of this, the energy in the air was electric. Everyone was awake. 

In the very center of the Outer Sect grounds was the great stone arena. It was a massive square made of heavy, grey blocks. Tall wooden poles stood at the four corners of the arena, flying large blue flags. The flags had the symbol of the Azure Sword Sect sewn onto them in silver thread: two crossed swords under a cloud.

Even though it was very early, the area around the arena was packed with people. Hundreds of young boys and girls in cheap, grey robes stood in long, messy lines. They were all holding their wooden identification tokens. They were waiting to register their names for the tournament fights. 

At the front of the arena, there was a long wooden table. This was the registration desk. 

Sitting behind the desk was Elder Lu, a fat, sleepy old man who did not care about the outer disciples. He sat in a comfortable chair, sipping hot green tea, and writing names down in a large book. 

But Elder Lu was not the problem. 

The problem was the two young men standing in front of the table. 

It was Wang and Sun. 

They were Zhao Feng’s two loyal followers. They were the ones who had helped Zhao Feng beat Li Chen into the mud a month ago. Because Zhao Feng was extremely powerful and his grandfather was an Inner Sect Elder, Wang and Sun acted like they owned the Outer Sect. They were bullies. They loved to make weak people suffer. 

Wang was a tall boy with a sharp, rat-like face. Sun was shorter and heavier, with small, cruel eyes. They both wore very clean, high-quality grey robes. They both carried sharp steel swords on their belts. 

They were standing directly in front of the registration table, blocking the line. They were forcing every single disciple to pay a "tax" before they could put their name in the book. 

"Next!" Wang shouted loudly, pointing his finger at the line. 

A small, skinny boy walked up to the table. His name was Xiao Ming. He was only at the 2nd Level of Qi Condensation. His clothes were patched and dirty. He was shaking with fear. He held his wooden name token tightly in his hands. 

"Name?" Wang asked, looking down at the small boy with a nasty sneer. 

"X-Xiao Ming, Senior Brother Wang," the boy stuttered, bowing deeply. "I am here to register for the tournament."

Wang laughed. He looked at Sun. Sun laughed too. 

"Xiao Ming," Wang said, holding out his open hand. "You know the rules. Elder Lu needs to write your name in the book. But the ink is very expensive. To help the sect, you must pay the registration f*e."

"But... but the tournament is free," Xiao Ming whispered nervously. "The Sect Leader said everyone can fight."

Wang’s smile instantly vanished. His face turned dark and angry. He stepped forward and grabbed Xiao Ming by the collar of his cheap shirt. He lifted the small boy up onto his toes. 

"Are you calling me a liar, you little rat?" Wang hissed. "Are you saying I am stealing from the sect?"

"No! No, Senior Brother!" Xiao Ming cried, tears forming in his eyes. 

"The f*e is one low-grade spirit stone," Sun added, stepping up next to Wang. He rested his hand on the handle of his sword. "If you do not pay the f*e, we will break your legs right here. Then you will not have to worry about fighting in the tournament at all."

Xiao Ming started to cry. A spirit stone was incredibly valuable to a poor disciple. The sect only gave them three stones a whole month. 

"Please," Xiao Ming begged. "I only have one stone left. I need it to buy medicine for my sick sister. Please, Senior Brother Wang, let me register."

"I do not care about your sister!" Wang yelled. He threw Xiao Ming backward. 

Xiao Ming hit the hard stone ground. He scraped his hands and knees. The other disciples in the line looked away. They were angry, but they were too afraid to help. Everyone knew that if you fought Wang and Sun, Zhao Feng would come for you later. And Zhao Feng was a monster. 

"Pay the stone, or get out of the line!" Wang spat, kicking dirt onto Xiao Ming’s face. 

Behind the table, Elder Lu just took another sip of his tea. He closed his eyes. He pretended he did not see anything. As long as Zhao Feng’s grandfather was happy, Elder Lu would let Wang and Sun do whatever they wanted. 

Xiao Ming sat in the dirt, crying quietly. He reached into his pocket with a shaking hand. He pulled out a small, dull blue spirit stone. It was his last piece of money. He slowly held it up toward Wang. 

Wang smiled a greedy, ugly smile. He reached out to take the stone. 

Suddenly, the wind changed. 

A freezing cold breeze blew across the stone arena. The thick white fog suddenly swirled wildly. The temperature dropped so fast that the disciples in line started to shiver. 

But it was not just the cold. It was a feeling. 

A heavy, terrifying pressure suddenly pressed down on the entire courtyard. It felt like a massive, invisible mountain had just been placed on their shoulders. 

The loud chatting and nervous talking of the hundreds of disciples instantly stopped. Total silence fell over the arena. Even Elder Lu stopped drinking his tea and opened his eyes, looking around in confusion.