Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: The Gate of Dragon Carp

After the tense meeting in the corridor, Gù Ti?nháo redoubled his caution. Miss Qing's intervention was fortuitous, but he could not count on luck. The need for real strength, not just mental cunning, has become even more pressing. His evening cultivation sessions with Tyrannical Art became longer, the pain more intense, his determination sharper. He also realized the vital importance of information. His bluff about the accounts worked with Ah San because he exploited a common vulnerability, but he couldn't rely on blind bluffs. He needed concrete knowledge about the outside world, about the opportunities and dangers that existed beyond the suffocating walls of the Gu Mansion. During his brief, discreet raids outside his courtyard, he began to frequent the common areas where low-ranking servants and disciples gathered to gossip or exchange information - kitchens, service yards, rest areas near the gates. Keeping his young master facade weak and disinterested, he positioned himself discreetly within reach of the voice, pretending to observe the clouds or rest his legs, while his ears absorbed each fragment of conversation. It was in one of these clandestine listening sessions, near the east gate, where the servants in charge of shopping came in and out, that he first heard a conversation that made his heart speed up." ..."the examination of the Green Cloud Sect is two months from now," said a robust servant, cleaning the sweat from his forehead. My nephew has trained day and night. He would give anything to pass through.Hmph, easier for a carp to jump the Dragon's Gate, replied another, older and cynical. The Green Cloud Sect only accepts the best. Talents such as the Young Masters Tiany and Tianf?ng can enter easily, but for ordinary boys such as our nephews? It is almost impossible. Thousands try, only a few dozen are accepted as external disciples each year. Green Cloud sect (?ng Yún Z?ng). The name resonated with the memories of the ancient Tiannháo. It was the most prominent growing sect in Maplewood County, one of several sects that responded to even larger powers in distant regions. For families like Gu, having accepted members of the Green Cloud Sect was a source of prestige and, more importantly, connections and resources. The ancient Tiannháo never even considered trying the exam. His condition of garbage made the idea laughable, an impossible fantasy. But for Alex Chen, now Gù Ti?nháo, the mention of the examination ignited a powerful new flame of hope. A sect! A place dedicated to cultivation, with access to better techniques, resources, teachers and, crucially, a path away from the oppression and contempt of the Gu Family. If he could pass the exam, even as a mere external disciple, it would be a gigantic step towards freedom and power. The Dragon Carp Gate. The metaphor was appropriate. For young people of humble origin or average talent, entering a sect like the Green Cloud was really like a carp trying to turn into a dragon - an arduous ordeal with a transformative reward for the few who could. Two months. The deadline was tight. He was still at Level 1 of Body Refinement, although he felt he was approaching the threshold of Level 2 thanks to Tyrannical Art. What were the requirements of the exam? What were they testing? In the following days, Ti?nháo focused his collection of information on the examination of the sect. He listened carefully to the conversations, asked indirect and discreet questions of lower-level servants (who were less likely to suspect his motives), and even dared to visit a small library accessible to low-ranking family members, searching for any public records about the sect or its previous exams. He found that the Green Cloud Sect examination was conducted annually in the county's main city, the Jade River City, several days' journey from Maplewood City. The examination consisted of several stages, designed to test not only the level of cultivation, but also the physical strength, endurance, willpower and, crucially, the elementary affinity and raw talent for cultivation (usually measured through a Talent Test Stone). The minimum requirements for even being considered were generally to reach Level 3 of the Kingdom of Body Refinement before the age of eighteen. That alone was an immense obstacle for him. He was sixteen years old and struggling to get out of Level 1. Reaching Level 3 in two months seemed like a herculean task, even with Tyrannical Art. In addition to the cultivation level, there were basic combat tests, pressure resistance tests (such as supporting the aura of a stronger grower) and the final talent test. The competition was fierce. Young people from all cities and towns in the county, including the talented children of established families like Gu, would compete for the few places available. His brothers, Tiany and Tianf?ng, were already far beyond Level 3. For them, the examination was a formality, an expected step on their predetermined path to success. For Ti?nháo, it was an almost insurmountable mountain. But the difficulty did not discourage him. On the contrary, it solidified its resolution. This was his Dragon's Gate. It was his only realistic chance to escape his predefined fate as the trash of the Gu Family. Failure would mean languishing in obscurity and contempt, always under the shadow of his brothers and the indifferent father. Success would mean a new beginning, a world of possibilities. The goal was clear: to reach Level 3 of Body Refinement in two months and find a way to reach the Jade River City to participate in the exam. And somehow pass. The urgency of his training increased tenfold. The evening sessions became even more brutal. He began to use pain not only as a side effect to be endured, but as an active tool, forcing his body to the absolute limits described in Tyrannical Art. He also began to think strategically about the tests. Physical strength, endurance, willpower - perhaps he could compensate for his low level of initial cultivation by excelling in these areas, using his mental maturity and tolerance to pain forged in two lifetimes. He also desperately needed the Meridian Opening Pill. Without repairing its damaged power channels, its cultivation speed would always be impaired, no matter how brutal its technique. That meant he needed money. He needed to find a way to obtain resources, even though he was the poorest and most forgotten Young Master of the Gu Family. A plan began to form in his mind, a risky plan that would involve using the unique knowledge he possessed - not only of the Account, but also of his past life on Earth. He would need to leave the mansion, go to the market in Maplewood City, and turn his knowledge into capital. The Dragon Carp Gate was in front of him, high and imposing. The journey would be dangerous, the escalation painful. But for the first time, Gù Tiannháo saw a clear path, a goal for which to fight with every fiber of his being. He would no longer be defined by his past or the expectations of others. He would jump that gate, or die trying.