Beyond the inner gate lay another courtyard, neatly lined with several large carriages. What was unusual were the beasts pulling them—not ordinary horses, but several tall deer with snow-white antlers. Most striking of all was the color of their fur, shimmering in a dazzling rainbow of hues, extraordinarily beautiful.
Xiao Bangchui had never seen such strange and magnificent creatures before. She couldn’t help but stare for a long while until she suddenly heard a burst of mocking laughter from behind her. A voice, neither too loud nor too soft, sneered, “Where did this beggar come from? I could smell the stench from miles away.”
Laughter erupted. Xiao Bangchui turned and saw several young boys sitting in a small pavilion in the courtyard, all neatly dressed with rosy lips and fair complexions. They were staring at her, laughing, whispering, and exchanging knowing glances—clearly not saying anything kind.
Having wandered with her Master for years, she had seen her share of human warmth and coldness. She always stuck to the principle of avoiding trouble. These boys, dressed in fine clothes, were obviously from wealthy families. Better to let it go than stir up trouble. Pretending not to hear, she turned back to admire the deer.
“Country bumpkin, never even seen a Rainbow Deer before. Look, his eyes are about to pop out of his head.”
The jeers and snickers continued behind her. Xiao Bangchui silently moved away, heading toward the northwest corner where no one was around. She sat on the ground and let out a long sigh.
The courtyard had already gathered over a dozen children—the youngest looked about six or seven, while the tallest girl stood a head above the rest. These must all be the ones who passed the preliminary selection. Xiao Bangchui thought of the bustling crowd outside. So many people, yet only this few had been chosen. If the first round was this difficult, she wondered what the Second Selection would be like.
She recalled the hoarse voice that had whispered in her ear during the preliminary test—it had sounded like an old man. Was he still following her now?
“Old sir… Old sir? Are you there?” she called softly. “Thank you for warning me earlier.”
No one answered.
Xiao Bangchui glanced around but found no trace of any suspicious figure. She tried again, “Old sir? Are you gone? What did you mean when you told me to hold my breath? Old sir?”
Still no response. She scratched her head—had she imagined it?
The pitch-black inner gate suddenly swung open again, this time admitting three travel-worn children who looked about her age, their clothes patched and worn. Though slightly cleaner than hers, they weren’t much better off. Two girls walked ahead, followed by a boy, seemingly acquainted with each other. One of the girls was chattering nonstop.
“Ah!” the talkative girl suddenly exclaimed, rushing toward the Rainbow Deer in excitement. “Could these be the legendary immortal beasts?! Sis, look!”
Her exaggerated reaction naturally drew more ridicule from the wealthy boys in the pavilion. A boy in green mimicked her in a mocking tone, “Sis, look! Wow, I’ve never seen anything like this before! Immortal beasts!”
The girl flushed red with embarrassment, her lips trembling as if she wanted to retort. The boy beside her gently pulled her aside and whispered, “Ignore them.”
The three turned and spotted Xiao Bangchui, ragged and sitting alone in the corner. They froze for a moment, clearly not expecting to see another shabby outcast like themselves here."Are you alone?" The girl walked over with a smile. "Mind if we join you?"
Xiao Bangchui nodded and wiped the brick beside her with her sleeve. "Go ahead."
"My name is Baili Gelin. I'm ten. This is my sister, Baili Changyue—she's twelve. Oh, and this is our little brother, Ye Ye. Haha, isn't that a weird name?"
Chang Yue, Ge Lin—such elegant names for girls surely didn’t come from ordinary farming families. Besides, the surname "Bai Li" was extremely rare. She felt like she’d heard it somewhere before... Why did these sisters look so destitute? And calling that boy their younger brother—was he not their real sibling? Their surnames didn’t even match...
Xiao Bangchui silently observed the trio. Though the sisters were dressed in rags and covered in grime, their delicate features and graceful movements set them apart from ordinary village girls. The boy named Ye Ye also had an air of refinement, completely different from the rough village children.
"Who’s your little brother?" Ye Ye rolled his eyes at Baili Gelin. "I’m a year older than you. You should be calling me ‘big brother.’"
He nodded at Xiao Bangchui in greeting. "I only met them a year ago. None of us had anywhere to go, so we stuck together to look out for each other."
"What’s your name?" Baili Gelin scooted closer to Xiao Bangchui, naturally linking arms with her.
"Xiao Bangchui. I’m ten too."
"Pfft—" Baili Gelin burst out laughing. "Xiao Bangchui? Who names someone that? What’s your surname?"
Was the name really that funny? Xiao Bangchui pulled her arm back. "I don’t have a surname. My master picked me up and gave me this name."
Baili Gelin quickly apologized. "Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it—"
"See? Sharp-tongued and always offending people." Ye Ye lightly tapped Baili Gelin’s head. "She never thinks before she speaks. Don’t take it to heart. You have a master? Does he teach you Immortal Techniques?"
Xiao Bangchui nodded. "Yes, my master taught me Arcane arts, but I wasn’t talented enough to learn much."
"Don’t be modest." Ye Ye grinned. "Anyone who passed the Young Phoenix Academy’s first selection can’t be lacking in talent."
First selection... Truthfully, she wasn’t even sure how she had passed... Xiao Bangchui rubbed her head, recalling that hoarse voice again. It couldn’t have been an auditory hallucination—who was he? And what was the point of telling her to hold her breath?
Perhaps their laughter had grown too loud, because the wealthy boys in the pavilion started sneering again. "Look at the beggars gathering—what a grand spectacle. Planning to beg together?"
Baili Gelin’s pretty face twisted in disgust. "Ugh, these people," she muttered.
"Why bother with them?" Ye Ye crouched beside her. "They’re probably privileged young masters from influential families. Let them flap their lips—they might not even pass the Second Selection."
"Do you know what the Second Selection is like?" Xiao Bangchui asked, noticing his familiarity with the topic.
Ye Ye shook his head. "Think about it—a small place like Lu Gongzhen alone has this many candidates. Across the entire Central Land, how many people must there be? Only a few dozen enter the Young Phoenix Academy each year. That’s like picking one in a hundred thousand—or even a million."No sooner had the words been spoken than a dark shadow shot from behind, striking him squarely on the back of the neck. Ye Ye let out a muffled groan of pain and collapsed to the ground. Something clattered beside him—a five-tael silver ingot. The boys in the pavilion made faces and jeered, laughing uproariously. "Here’s a reward for you! A bunch of beggars babbling nonsense—why don’t you kneel and thank us?!"
This was beyond insulting. Xiao Bangchui frowned and was about to stand when she saw Baili Changyue, who had been silent until now, bend down to pick up the silver ingot and stride purposefully toward the pavilion.
"Changyue!" Ye Ye grabbed her arm. "I’m fine. Don’t go."
"You were hit," Baili Changyue replied coldly, her brow slightly furrowed. Her tone was a stark contrast to her lively, talkative younger sister.
"It doesn’t hurt. Don’t cause trouble!" Ye Ye held her back firmly.
As they spoke, the dark inner gate opened again, and a stunningly beautiful little girl in luxurious robes entered. The children in the courtyard couldn’t help but steal glances at her. The girl carried herself with an air of arrogance, her back straight, her gaze fixed ahead as if she were a young phoenix. The rowdy boys in the pavilion quieted down, and soon a boy in yellow ran out to whisper something to her before escorting her inside to sit with them.
"That one must be the daughter of some noble or aristocrat," Ye Ye said with a pained smile, pulling Baili Changyue back down beside him. "I’m fine. If you storm over there, it’ll just lead to a fight. Why invite trouble?"
He snatched the silver ingot from her and flung it far away without a second glance.
"Does it hurt?" Baili Changyue reached out to gently rub his neck. "It’s swollen."
"It’s not broken," he said, shaking his head. "See? Perfectly fine."
Baili Gelin giggled and stuck out her tongue at him. "Thick-skinned and tough!"
Perhaps because the little beauty had joined them in the pavilion, the children didn’t want to upset her, and the wealthy brats temporarily quieted down. Gradually, as Ye Ye had predicted, more and more children passed the initial selection. As the sun began to set, the first round was nearing its end. Rumor had it that the Rainbow Deer-drawn carriages would take those who passed to another location for the Second Selection, while the unsuccessful ones would be sent home.
Xiao Bangchui clutched the Amulet Bead on her wrist tightly. If she failed the Second Selection, where would the carriage take her? Her master was gone—she no longer had a home. If she didn’t pass, she might never get the chance to find her master or senior brother again. What would become of her master? What would become of her? Would she be left to wander the world alone?
Lost in thought, she suddenly noticed the dark inner gate opening once more. A timid little boy, no more than seven or eight years old, entered. Like them, he was dressed in rags and covered in grime, but unlike Baili Gelin and the others, he lacked their boldness. Hunched over, he shuffled into the courtyard, not daring to lift his head. If he accidentally bumped into someone, he would bow repeatedly and apologize—a child who had clearly suffered much hardship.
A pang of sorrow struck Xiao Bangchui. If she failed the Second Selection and had no master to return to, she might end up just like him—helpless, without means to survive, forced to wear a false smile and live alone, crushed by life into servility, afraid of everyone she met.The little boy timidly huddled in a corner, but soon, perhaps noticing the gorgeously dressed and beautiful little girl sitting in the pavilion, even he couldn’t help stealing glances. His cowering demeanor was too conspicuous, and the wealthy children in the pavilion immediately grew restless. One of them jumped up and shouted, "Hey! What are you staring at with those dog eyes?!"
The little boy suddenly let out a cry and pointed at the little beauty, stammering, "You... you..." His face flushed red as if he were both furious and anxious, his whole body trembling slightly.
"Do you know him?" a boy in white inside the pavilion couldn’t help but ask.
The little beauty frowned in displeasure. "How would I know a beggar like him? This beggar has some nerve! Daring to point at me!"
The boys in the pavilion erupted into an uproar. Someone picked up a stone and hurled it, yelling, "Get lost!"
The fist-sized stone struck the little boy squarely on the forehead, instantly drawing blood that streamed down his face. He let out a wail, crying so hard it seemed his heart might break.
But the more he cried, the more stones were thrown at him. Within moments, his head was battered and bleeding, and he crouched on the ground, his sobs growing weaker.
"This is too much!" Baili Gelin fumed, her eyes blazing. "Is no one going to stop this?!"
No sooner had she spoken than Xiao Bangchui rushed over. She yanked the wailing boy to his feet and snapped, "What are you crying for? Useless!"
Her scolding only made him cry harder, his face a mess of snot, tears, and blood.
The sound of wind whistled behind her. Xiao Bangchui nimbly dodged the stone aimed at her, then turned and glared coldly at the boys in the pavilion.
"Today, I’ll teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents," she said, rolling up her sleeves. She blew on her palms, bent down to pick up a stone, and hurled it with force. A loud "smack" followed as the stone struck one boy’s face, swelling it instantly. He clutched his cheek and screamed.
Everyone was stunned. No one had expected this little beggar to dare strike the children in the pavilion—those seated there were either the offspring of wealthy families or the scions of nobility!
Xiao Bangchui moved swiftly. Though she was no good at arcane arts, her martial skills were impressive. Every stone she threw hit its mark squarely on the cheek, and soon the pavilion was filled with cries of pain. The boy in white, who seemed to be the leader, was so enraged he could barely speak, his finger trembling as he pointed at her. "Y-you have some nerve... D-do you know who I am?!"
"Here’s your silver back!" Xiao Bangchui picked up the five-tael silver ingot they had thrown earlier. With a flick of her wrist, the ingot smacked the white-clad boy’s face with a sharp "crack." Even more impressive, instead of falling, it bounced off his face and landed perfectly atop his head.
By now, no one in the pavilion was left standing except the little beauty, whose face had turned green. The rest were clutching their faces or heads, howling in pain. Xiao Bangchui clapped her hands, shook her fist at the pavilion, and sneered, "Feels good, doesn’t it?"
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