Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 0

1. Qingyu City

The carriage arrived at a place called Qingyu City.

It wasn’t a large place, just a single Qingyu Road running east to west, and a lone inn.

“Hey, Han, who’s this kid? He looks just like you. Don’t tell me you’ve been secretly raising a child somewhere?” People whispered, glancing at the uncle.

“Goodness! What are you talking about? This child is my nephew from the main family. Of course, he’ll look a bit like me,” the uncle replied proudly, leading Han Li behind the inn. A path behind the building led to a separate house. The uncle pointed to it and said gently, “Han Li, you can rest there for a while. Someone from the inner sect will come for you soon. I need to go talk to some people.”

He was about to leave but paused, adding, “Don’t wander around. This place may seem small, but the paths are confusing, and you could easily get lost. It’s best to stay inside.”

“Yes, Uncle,” Han Li replied loudly, which seemed to reassure his uncle, who then left the room.

As soon as his uncle was gone, Han Li tossed his luggage on the floor and collapsed onto the bed. The moment his head hit the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep, not even noticing the unfamiliar surroundings. It was well past dinner when a worker brought him food.

It wasn’t a feast, but the food was delicious. The worker waited quietly until Han Li finished, then took the empty bowl and left. Soon after, his uncle, Han Zhi, entered the room.

“How is it? Do you miss home?”

“Yes, I miss my mother, but I’m okay.”

The uncle seemed pleased with Han Li’s answer. As he talked about his experiences and the people he had met, Han Li felt like he was escaping the stuffy atmosphere of this new place. A smile appeared on Han Li’s face for the first time in a while.

* * *

Two days passed quickly. Just as Han Li was getting used to his new life, a large carriage stopped in front of the inn.

The carriage was pulled by a white-spotted steed, said to be capable of traveling a hundred miles in a single leap. People gathered to look at the carriage, their eyes drawn to the black flag with a silver border and red trim.

The character ‘Hyun’ [玄, meaning mysterious or profound] on the flag exuded a mysterious aura. Even the seasoned martial artists [Jianghu, a term for the community of martial artists] knew that the person inside was from the Seven Mysteries Sect, one of the two major powers in the region.

The Seven Mysteries Sect, also known as the ‘Seven Colored Gate,’ was founded 200 years ago by the ‘Seven Colored Immortal’ and once dominated the Gyeongju Fortress area for decades.

However, after the ‘Seven Colored Immortal’ fell ill, the sect’s power rapidly declined, and they were driven out of Gyeongju Fortress by a coalition of other sects.

They then took root at the foot of Noeul Mountain, the most remote part of Gyeongju Fortress. They started as a small local force and gradually expanded their territory.

Now, their influence has grown to the point where they control ten small cities, including Qingyu City, and have 3,000 to 4,000 disciples. The Seven Mysteries Sect has become one of the two major powers, alongside the Arang Clan.

The Arang Clan, rivals of the Seven Mysteries Sect, was formed by bandits who plundered the borders of Gyeongju Fortress and some corrupt government officials.

The Arang Clan retained its bandit nature, often killing people cruelly and plundering villages. They also coveted the fertile lands of the Seven Mysteries Sect, leading to frequent clashes between the two groups.

Due to the frequent attacks by the Arang Clan, the leaders of the Seven Mysteries Sect decided to recruit more inner sect disciples to strengthen their internal structure. This is why Han Li was here.

* * *

The man who stepped out of the carriage was thin but agile. He seemed familiar with the place and strode into the inn where Han Zhi was.

As soon as Han Li’s uncle saw him, he bowed respectfully. “Lord Lee Ho-sik, what brings you here in person?”

“Hah!” Lee Ho-sik looked at the uncle with an arrogant expression and snorted. “The elders ordered me to bring the children myself. The roads have been unsafe lately, and several people have been attacked. Time is of the essence, so let’s skip the unnecessary talk. Is this child the one you recommended?”

“Yes, that’s right. This child is my nephew from the main family. Please take good care of him,” the uncle said, bowing and handing Lee Ho-sik a thick pouch. Lee Ho-sik glanced at the pouch, and his stiff expression relaxed.

“You certainly know how to do things! I’ll take good care of your nephew, so don’t worry. It’s getting late, so let’s get going.”

* * *

Where Han Li followed, there were at least thirty children already on the carriage. The smell of the children’s sweat mixed with the stale odor of the carriage, stinging his nose. Han Li quickly curled up in a corner and observed the other children.

The children who came for the entrance exam were clearly divided into three groups. The most noticeable was a boy in silk clothes, sitting in the best seat.

Later, he learned the boy’s name was Mu-yeol, and he was the oldest. He was technically over the age limit, but since his cousin married the leader of the Seven Mysteries Sect, no one questioned it. He had been practicing martial arts since he was young, so although he wasn’t outstanding, he was significantly different from the other children.

The children called Mu-yeol, who had both money and power, ‘Young Master Mu-yeol’ or ‘Brother Mu-yeol’ and followed him. The children surrounding Mu-yeol came from various backgrounds.

Most of them grew up in the city, so they knew how to distinguish between the strong and the weak. These children were the second group.

The last group was children like Han Li. They had grown up in the countryside, living close to nature. They had lived very poor lives, but they had their own stubbornness.

However, there were not many children in this group, and they were intimidated by the others, unable to speak loudly. They just stared at Mu-yeol’s group, who were talking boisterously.

In Han Li’s heart, excitement and fear swirled together as he looked at them.

* * *

The carriage left Qingyu City and headed west without stopping, picking up more children along the way. After five full days, they arrived at the main gate of the Seven Mysteries Sect.

“Junior Brother Lee, why are you only arriving now? You’re two days behind schedule.”

“Lord Ahn Hong-baek, the road was rough, so we were a little delayed. I apologize for causing you concern,” Lee Ho-sik replied politely, his previous arrogance gone.

“How many times have you brought children up the mountain?”

“This is the seventeenth time.”

“Hmm…” The lord spoke to Lee Ho-sik and then glanced at the children. “Let the children rest well today and take them to the Guest House. The disciple selection test will begin tomorrow. Those who do not pass will be sent down the mountain immediately, and there should be no deviations from the rules.”

“Yes, Lord.”

The children were all excited, knowing this was an important event that would determine their fate. Lee Ho-sik led the children, smiling and greeting the people they met along the way.

Most of the people they encountered seemed skilled in martial arts. Their movements were efficient, and they were not bothered by the rough mountain path.

As Han Li and the children climbed a relatively low peak, they found a mud-built dwelling prepared for them. They stayed there for the night. The children were tired and fell asleep quickly, and Han Li also fell asleep right away due to the tension.

* * *

When the children woke up, Lee Ho-sik took them to a sloping hill full of bamboo below the mountain without giving them breakfast. There, Lord Ahn Hong-baek, whom they had seen yesterday, and some young people were waiting with stern expressions.

Lord Ahn spoke loudly, “Listen carefully, everyone. If you follow the small path through the bamboo forest, you will reach a cliff where you will temper your bones. The first section is the bamboo forest, the next is the rock wall, and the last is the mountain cliff. Only those who reach the top of the cliff will be officially admitted into the Seven Mysteries Sect. If you do not arrive by noon, you will not become an official disciple. However, depending on your attitude, you may be able to leave your name as a nominal disciple [a disciple in name only, with limited privileges].”

Han Li didn’t fully understand ‘nominal disciple.’ All he understood was that he had to climb the mountain. The mountain in front of him didn’t seem too difficult, with thick roots and thin, long bamboo growing on it.

As Lord Ahn finished speaking, the atmosphere among the children changed completely. He looked at the rising sun and continued, “It’s time. Prepare to depart! There’s no need to be afraid. Your senior brothers will be behind you to make sure you don’t get hurt.”

Han Li turned and glanced at the people behind him. They were probably disciples who had entered before. While Han Li was lost in thought, the other children had already run into the bamboo forest, and seeing this, Han Li quickly followed.

The bamboo forest was much wider than it looked, and even though there were 30 children, they were scattered in all directions and could not be seen. Behind Han Li, a thin, tall senior brother was silently following him. Han Li was a little nervous but moved forward along the hillside.

The bamboo forest seemed easy at first, but as the walking time grew longer, it became increasingly difficult. Han Li moved by grabbing the slightly protruding bamboo to waste as little energy as possible. After moving forward for a while, Han Li decided to take a break. He took a breath and looked at the thin senior brother who was following him.

Although the path they had walked was very rough, the senior brother wasn’t even breathing and was quietly watching him, standing straight like bamboo. Han Li quickly turned his head away after seeing the senior brother’s cold eyes. He caught his breath and immediately started climbing again.

As the slope of the hill became steeper, he bent his waist to avoid losing his balance, using both his hands and feet to climb, and tightened his clothes to protect his joints. As he moved forward, there were more rocks and less bamboo. Finally, the end of the bamboo forest came into view, but he was starting to lose strength, and his speed was slowing.

He could no longer grab the bamboo to move forward. When he came out of the bamboo forest, an open space appeared, but a huge rock was blocking the way. Children and senior brothers were already climbing on it. Han Li had no more time to hesitate. He immediately ran towards the huge rock.

The rock wall was stacked with layers of stones and was very steep. In some places, pieces of rock fell off as soon as they were touched. The rocks were very sharp, and even a little force would cause wounds on his hands. Han Li’s body was covered in wounds. Not only his hands but also his elbows and knees were injured. When the fallen rock dust entered his wounds as he climbed, the pain was indescribable.