All Heavenly destiny reduced to ashes

Am I the one with the best quality among these people?

He raised his eyebrows and looked around, realizing that it was indeed the case.

About two hundred feet in front of the manor, there was a treeless clearing, presumably to prevent wild beasts and evil creatures from the mountains from entering, and to prevent those inside the manor from escaping.

There were two or three dozen carriages stopped in the clearing, and many more were approaching from within the forest, part of the large convoy that he was in.

And he was the first person to descend from all the vehicles.

"The others are still dizzy, feeling uncomfortable, and it's natural for them to hesitate to get off due to fear of arriving at a completely unfamiliar, distant, and enclosed environment," he thought.

An Jing thought thus, but he didn't keep a low profile afterward.

"Thank you for the compliment, sir."

He openly scrutinized the manor before him, responding to the one-eyed rider's praise, "Is this where we're going to live from now on?"

The manor, located in the remote, uninhabited mountains, gave off a formidable sense. It stood majestically surrounded by dense forests and mountains. The alien feel of it wasn't one of creepy eeriness but a stately intimidation.

It was like overlooking the abyss below from the steepest and most treacherous cliff, where even without any ghosts or monsters, one would still feel fear.

But An Jing narrowed his eyes slightly and identified the source of this solemn sensation as the manor's entrance plaque.

[Hanging Fate Manor]

The characters on the plaque were vigorous and forceful, subtly revealing a soul-shaking Divine Intention that was awe-inspiring.

"A person is born from the earth, their fate hangs in heaven. When the energy of heaven and earth combine, the result is called a human..."

As many thoughts emerged in his mind, An Jing murmured softly to himself, "Fate is bestowed by heaven, thus it hangs in heaven..."

"Hey, you really are a scholar."

Seeing An Jing seemingly captivated by the manor, the one-eyed leader was in a good mood at the moment, feeling like he had stumbled upon a treasure.

This time, during the Frost Calamity at the Northern Border, they had sent out nine groups to collect disaster-affected children who met the requirements.

As per tradition, the discoverers of each child who eventually awakened their Fate Pattern would receive a great reward.

But children who could awaken their Fate Pattern were scarce.

In the past trials, the number of children who ultimately awakened their Fate Pattern never exceeded the number of fingers on one hand; he himself was also a failure from the trials of yesteryear.

It often happened that a group collected twenty or thirty eligible children, yet not a single one could awaken their Fate Pattern, and the entire group, aside from the standard Salary Silver, received no additional reward.

But An Jing was different.

He possessed exceptional talents, an extraordinary mind, and dared to bargain with them.

To save his mother, he dared to sell himself and also dared to kill evil villagers, using their heads to deter others.

His body was tough, capable of withstanding the Soul Soothing Incense for a full quarter hour.

Now, An Jing was the first to endure the bumpy ride and the effects of the medicine, breaking through the fear of arriving in an unfamiliar place, and daring to be the first to step out of the carriage. He looked fearlessly at the words "Hanging Fate" written personally by the Northern Patrol Envoy.

This inherent ruthlessness towards himself, the heartless cruelty that came from within, an outstanding physical talent, and the spirit to fight against fate, all indicated a far greater possibility of awakening his Fate Pattern compared to other children!

The one-eyed leader felt that after many years of misfortune, he at least had a guaranteed minimum this time!

Not to mention, the other party might even be his superior one day, so it was natural to be a bit nicer in attitude.

About half a quarter hour later, other children began to trickle out from the carriages.

They were mostly restrained and careful, looking around nervously before lowering their eyes to the ground, not daring to move recklessly.

An Jing calmly counted on the side, and before everyone had assembled and the manor's gates were opened, he arrived at a number: "Two hundred and fifty-three people..."

This batch of collected children numbered two hundred and fifty-three.

Among them, a few children were quite special, escorted by a team of riders down from the carriage, wearing a uniform style of black clothing. These children also gave An Jing a special feeling, alienated from the other ordinary children.

They clearly held a higher status than those riders, even the one-eyed rider showing considerable respect.

"Have they already awakened their Fate Patterns?" An Jing speculated as the manor gates opened.

"Vice Envoy of Medicine!"

The arrival was the manor's Manor Master, an old man known as the Vice Envoy of Medicine.

He stood straight-backed, his face pale, his eyes cold, his features possessed a particular gauntness of those near death, his white hair tinged with a ghostly green glow at the tips—identical to the light deep within his pupils. A casual glance from him was enough to send a chill through anyone's body.

All the team leaders respectfully saluted him before stepping forward to report the roll and other miscellaneous matters.

After confirming the list, the Vice Envoy of Medicine nodded in satisfaction. He lifted his eyes, sweeping over the children before him.

Instantly, a sense of fear arose in all the children's hearts, resembling the fear one feels when seeing a vibrantly colored, poisonous creature, that with any careless movement, could pounce into one's embrace. Beads of sweat formed on their backs as they dared not breathe.

But this was just an innate deterrence; the Vice Envoy of Medicine had no intention of frightening anyone.

On the contrary, he even squeezed out a smile that had nothing to do with kindness, nodded to everyone, then gestured with his hand for everyone to enter the manor.

"First clean up, then change clothes. After roll call, have a meal. Once everyone has recovered, I will have the people from the Medicine Hall check everyone again… After some time of recuperation and ensuring all requirements are met, we will begin training and trials."

As An Jing was the first to descend from the carriage, he stood at the very front of the queue, only behind the five rider team leaders and the Vice Envoy of Medicine, making him the 'leader' in a certain sense.

Therefore, his overly keen perceptive abilities allowed him to overhear the Vice Envoy of Medicine's instructions to the servants nearby and the arrangements for himself and the others.

Bathing and changing clothes, dining and resting… and then training and trials.

The initial steps were all normal, but trials... Certainly, this was the process of selecting members for some mysterious organization?

But what exactly did it mean?

While An Jing pondered this, suddenly, the Vice Envoy of Medicine at the forefront stopped and then turned his head to look at An Jing: "Is this the one with the best qualities among these youngsters?"

An Jing was somewhat slow to react, staring blankly at the old man. However, soon enough, he smiled fearlessly in response: "Good day, Medicine Elder."

"Heh," the old man stared at An Jing, emitting an unintelligible laugh.

In the end, the Vice Envoy of Medicine did not respond to An Jing's greeting but simply stroked his beard and continued walking forward.

After this episode, An Jing noticed many gazes on him from behind.

The children did not know exactly where they were or what they would encounter; naturally, they subconsciously paid attention to the one deemed to have the 'best quality,' An Jing.

They wanted to see who it was that had caught the special attention of the Manor Master here.

An Jing indeed had an impressive appearance. Despite being thin from a long time of living as a refugee, he had an excellent frame that could support his physique. At a rough glance from the back, he resembled a young, lean tiger or a nimble cheetah, worthy of the title of first place.

But not all the attention was kind or merely observational—as is commonly known, being first, whether genuinely or not, means there will always be those who want to replace you.

An Jing's peripheral vision caught several looks that held extra animosity or challenge toward him.

"Hey, there are always some who are not convinced," he thought.

Feeling the diverse eyes converging with different sentiments, An Jing raised his eyebrows. His nature had nothing to do with modesty, at most only cautiousness, not wishing to expose himself for the sake of mere fame.

He would conceal himself before acting and then go all out when he did.

Since he was already exposed, why not embrace the acclaim? What's more, during the subsequent training and trials, being in first place might offer numerous additional benefits.

Let things take their course and act accordingly.