Ash and Honey [BL]

Fu Ran's sulking threatened his mood, but the second bell of An Xian Yun Peak rang after what seemed like hours of waiting. 

"The children are here. Stand up straight," Zhi Lao nagged.

With a crushing grind, the sect's weighty doors moved, and gave way to a distant army of tiny footsteps. When the first group of bright-eyed children were seen, Fu Ran could immediately tell they had come from so many backgrounds. 

Some appeared more delicate and refined, as if their only hobbies were singing, picking flowers, and playing. Others had a rougher look about them, as if they had grown up in a city where cunning was a way of life. But all in all, they all wore brave faces, whether they looked 12 or 16.

Fu Ran knew this scene well, as he had once stood in their very spot. Their small faces darted left and right, sizing up the Peak Master in front of them. It was hard to fight off a small smile of nostalgia. 

The children settled into their places, and two guards commanded attention. 

The courtyard consisted of two major parts: The outer walls, and the inner walls of the sect. The children had marched up the mountain side, and entered through the outermost gate, but in comparison the inner gates were grande. 

Those doors led into An Xian Yun Peak, and when those doors creaked open, they felt different. They caught the reflective light of the sun, and required two guards on each side to fully open.

Between the cracks stood the world's current most renowned cultivator.

"Attention towards Peak Elder, Yi Yang," the right guard said, rehearsed and reverent.

The name alone caused Fu Ran to stiffen, and his breath caught in his chest. High leveled cultivation had given Yi Yang such a youthful appearance, even after many years. He was by any and all standards absolutely stunning. Long and dark hair fell gracefully down past shoulders, blending in seamlessly with water-like black robes. 

Streaks of gold gave him an edge of elegance, but his air alone showcased the command he held. His attire matched simply his status, and sat him a cut above the rest of An Xian Yun Peak Masters.

This was the Peak Elder Yi Yang. 

With a simple stride and a clack of his mighty sword to the ground, he rested his weight upon it as if it were a cane. Yi Yang's gaze trailed over the young audience with a respectful and inquisitive silence. 

"Young blossoms of youth, potential, and endless possibility… An Xian Yun Peak welcomes you." The world had stopped to hear this man speak. "...As per our yearly cultivation exams, those qualified will be able to enter and join in study. Peak Masters, all of equally high quality, will be watching your every move. Ensure that you show them only your best face.

"Should you show prowess, you may stand where they do one day. 

"So today, conquer any task in front of you, even if it seems perilous. This is the nation's most renowned, and only those who have the grit to struggle will pass."

Yi Yang finished his speech with a second clack of his spiritual blade, and he sat on the highest level of the courtyard. His eyes scanned the sea of future disciples, and then the Peak Masters, only stopping to spare a look of intrigue when they landed upon Fu Ran.

Fu Ran hastily turned away.

Soon the courtyard had filled with only the chatter of Peak Masters, and the children were being directed into the sect by the guards.

He sighed. "Then, if that is all… I will return to Xingti Pavilion," Fu Ran said, lazily bringing his sleeves up in front of his face and locking them in a bow. "I'll be back when they finish their hunts." 

Zhi Lao barely got out a noise of annoyance before another man spoke instead.

"Haha, does this sleepy princess not know what kind of event is going on today?" Laughter from the soft spoken man proceeded only once he had fully said his peace.

There was no need to look, as only one person ever called him by that horrid nickname. Fu Ran's second sweet martial brother, Shesui Lang, stood before him with a wide grin on his lips. His words and expression showed a hint of mockery. 

"Good to see you, Shixiong." Fu Ran lifted his sleeve to cover his face, easily feigning calmness. 

It had been a full year since he last laid eyes upon Shesui Lang, as his seclusion caused him to stop venturing into Xing Xing Pavilion's library and records hall. Well, it wasn't just the library he had avoided, he didn't visit any building inside those walls. 

His teahouse pavilion home was nestled in between the outer walls and the inner walls, far from the rest of the mountain sect. And Zhi Lao dropped off supplies and clean clothes, so there was simply no need.

As always Shesui Lang was dressed to the nines, his hair done up in a high ponytail and adorned with trinkets of gold and gemstone. Mockingly, he cocked his head and brushed messy curls of black over his shoulder. "Oh? Good to see me, you say, but you make no effort to say a measly hello in over a year." 

His eyebrows knitted together and he crossed his arms. "You're not allowed to go back to sleep."

Annoyance. And since when did you decide my schedule? Fu Ran mentally huffed. Instead of biting back with snide remarks, there was one thing that always worked on his martial brother.

Fu Ran softened his voice. "Oh? And why not She-xiong? I'm quite tired, you see." Fu Ran playfully yawned, and tried putting on a sweet and innocent face. His simple act of playing cute was enough to change Shesui Lang's face into that of a Zhi Lao level of glower! 

Shesui Lang's brow twitched at the pretend play. "Don't give me that—This is serious!" he turned his dismay to Zhi Lao. "Zhi Shidi, did you tell him?"

Zhi Lao dismissively waved a hand. "This year, us Peak Masters are accompanying the children."

Huh? Why? Fu Ran was stunned, so he simply repeated the confusion: "Why? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?"

Every year, the entrance exam was always the same. The children would hunt down weaker demonic entities as a group. Given the power to make their own decisions, the entrance exam was to showcase capabilities and existing strengths. Laying the groundwork of group battling, it also reinforced the sense of comradery. This testing format has worked flawlessly for over a decade, and Fu Ran couldn't understand why Yi Yang would change his mind only now.

Fu Ran grimaced, and he grew more apparently frustrated. "That is just preposterous. If they cannot handle low grade demons, how are they expected to complete missions!"

Shesui Lang wearily laughed. "The Sleepy Master of Calamity must still be sleeping. Haven't heard a thing? Nothing at all?" 

His goal was evident: to further Fu Ran's pre-existing torment. Why, the minute he appears, does the rest of the sect lose the ability to be normal?

Fu Ran snapped, "Does you think anyone cares to tell me the details?"

"Shesui Shixiong—" Zhi Lao pressed a hand on Shesui Lang's shoulder and separated the two Peak Masters. His eyes lowered back to Fu Ran and he explained, "I should have told you sooner, but we are venturing into the demon realm."

"The demon realm?!" The question was nearly a yell. "Why? That place is trouble to trained cultivators, and we are sending children?"

The demon realm was not frequently explored without good reason. The temperatures were high, and dry, and the lands were roamed by monsters. It was unlivable! Cultivators are paid to handle demonic issues in the rest of the world. Why travel to the source, when there are plenty of existing opportunities already?

"I do not know," Zhi Lao said firmly.

Filled with rage, Fu Ran's knuckles turned white as he gripped onto his silvery white blade. "What fool made this choice?" Fu Ran emphasized the word "fool" with a hiss.

"Kuwei Jun," Shesui Lang said simply. 

"Kuwei Jun?" Fu Ran's face darkened. "Who is Kuwei Jun?"

Zhi Lao exhaled deeply. "The new Emperor."