Chapter 7: Shadows Beneath the Banner
The medallion of morning sun had yet to crest the mountain when the Iron Banner Sect's bell tolled, a somber echo rattling every disciple's bones. Jiang Wei emerged with the others into the cold dawn, limbs still tender from the previous day's bouts. The sharp air was alive with nervous energy—today promised something different.
In the assembly yard, Elder Hui stood waiting, arms crossed, his gaze severe. A low hush rippled across the gathered outer disciples. Jiang Wei scanned the faces beside him, sensing fatigue, hope, and the raw tension of ambition; Ming Xue looked unshaken as ever, her eyes bright with challenge. Yao Ping yawned nervously, and Han Zhi hovered at the edge of the crowd, chewing his lip.
Without preamble, Elder Hui addressed them. "A cultivator's enemy does not always come at the front gate," he declared, voice rolling over the assembly. "Threats linger in what you cannot see—within yourself, and in the shadows beyond our walls. This morning, you will face your first true test of awareness. Beyond the northern fields, a ravine lies cloaked in perpetual mist. Go as teams of four. Retrieve the token I have hidden within. Return before the hour strikes twice, or sleep under open sky."
Murmurs burst forth as apprentices looked at one another. "What's in the mist?" Yao Ping hissed. "Will there be wild beasts?" Han Zhi's face had gone pale.
They grouped quickly—Jiang Wei with Ming Xue, Yao Ping, and Han Zhi, their bond from shared struggles making the decision simple. Hui handed them a faded cloth with the image of an iron banner stitched upon it. "Show respect for the land as you cross it, or it will not show mercy."
With their assignment, the four slipped past rows of vegetable gardens and crossed the frost-tipped outer field. The world soon narrowed to the infamous ravine—a sunken hollow draped in pale fog where even birds dared not linger. Visibility shrank to arm's length; tree roots coiled down mossy banks and fallen leaves muffled every sound.
"Stay close," whispered Ming Xue. "Noise draws curiosity."
They pressed forward in single file, Jiang Wei leading, palm brushing the pebble on his wrist for courage. The air chilled further as they descended. Branches scraped his arms, and now-and-then, trembling shadows darted at the edge of sight.
Suddenly, a low growl rose from the fog ahead. Yao Ping's breath caught; Han Zhi froze, eyes wide. From the mists slunk a mottled, wolf-like beast, lean with hunger and shadow. It paused, baring fangs, hackles raised.
Ming Xue stepped to Jiang Wei's side, blade steady. "No sudden moves. If we lure it uphill, it might give up."
Jiang Wei nodded, heart thrumming. Images flickered in his mind—claws, teeth, defeat. But below those, the pebble pulsed, steadying him. As the beast lunged, Jiang Wei shouted, brandishing his training sword to draw its eyes. Ming Xue pivoted, slashing through the thick mist, and Yao Ping threw a handful of stones that startled the animal back.
They did not try to kill it—just survive. Elder Hui's voice echoed in Jiang Wei's thoughts: Restraint tempers ambition. Finally, the wolf-thing snarled and disappeared into the brambles, defeated by determination and unity, if not strength alone.
Deeper in the hollow, through brambles and shifting fog, they at last found a fallen pillar and, atop it, a lacquered box bound with the sect's ribbon. Ming Xue grinned as she snatched it. "Let's get out before the next test finds us."
Their climb out was strained, Yao Ping's knees trembling and Han Zhi sobbing in relief as the mist thinned behind them. When they burst into sunlight, Elder Hui was waiting, arms folded. Around him, a few other groups had returned, some with torn robes and haunted eyes.
He studied them, held out a hand for the banner token, and nodded once. "You faced the ravine and did not falter. Remember—cultivation is as much about knowing your companions' hearts as your own. Well done."
Back in the dormitory, aches resurfaced and laughter bubbled up between friends. That night, as Jiang Wei touched the pebble and felt the warmth within, he knew: they had passed through more than fog—they'd crossed the first true boundary between strangers and brothers-in-arms.
Tomorrow, new dangers would come, but for tonight, they rested in the hard-won glow of survival and the strength that only a shared trial could bring.