Chapter Six: The Entrance Examination

Ye Min awoke from the cold, his clothing too thin to ward off the chill. He struggled to his feet, leaning against the wall, his arms aching faintly. It seemed the person who had brought him here had tended to his injuries. He found himself imprisoned in a place surrounded by walls on all sides, with only a small high window letting in a sliver of light. The air was damp and cold, and he could faintly hear the sound of water.

Expressionless, Ye Min leaned against the wall, his face deathly pale. His master and second master had been lost overnight. The enemy was so much more powerful than he, revenge would have to wait. If he did not find a way out, even survival would be difficult. He could not understand what he had done wrong to bring about the deaths of the two who had raised him.

Soon, Ye Min had little time to dwell on such thoughts.

Outside the cell, Nine Faces pressed a protrusion on the wall, and a brick slid aside. Peering through the opening, Nine Faces saw Ye Min awake and leaning against the wall. “Awake?” he asked.

Ye Min followed the sound and saw a pair of eyes suddenly appear through the wall.

Nine Faces looked Ye Min up and down. “Good, you’re awake. Pay attention. The place you are in is a rite of passage for everyone who enters the Thousand Heads Gate. Survive here for three days, and your life will be spared. If you make it out alive, it won’t be hard to continue living.”

With that, Nine Faces closed the brick opening again. Since the master had ordered him to accept this boy as a disciple, everything had to follow tradition. Only those who survived this living hell could be counted as members of the Thousand Heads Gate.

Not long after Nine Faces left, one of the walls opened. On the other side was a cage, from which came a whimper—like the cry of a wild beast.

In the dim light, the beast’s eyes glowed red, piercing and dangerous.

Ye Min’s nerves were taut as he stared at the animal. He heard the faint scrape of the cage door as it slowly opened, and the beast emerged.

As it drew closer, Ye Min could see in the faint light that it was a black panther, obviously starved for some time. Its muscles tensed, and its glowing eyes never left Ye Min, already regarding him as prey.

The panther prowled near Ye Min, who remained vigilant. Suddenly, the panther lunged at him. Ye Min seized the moment to slip beneath its belly.

He had hoped to reach the cage, but the wall had silently returned to its former state, blocking his escape. He had no choice but to face the beast directly. The panther, having worked out its own strategy, pounced again.

With no way to retreat, Ye Min noticed something gleaming around the panther’s neck—a collar. An idea formed in his mind.

At the instant the panther attacked, Ye Min grabbed the collar and mounted the beast, tightening it with all his strength. Despite the panther’s furious struggles and the wounds it inflicted on him, Ye Min refused to let go, determined to survive.

Time passed, though he could not tell how long. At last the panther ceased its struggles, the collar and the beast now frozen in place. Exhausted, Ye Min collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath as his consciousness faded. After all, he was still just a child and could not withstand such torment. He lost consciousness.

When Ye Min awoke again, every inch of his body was in pain. He looked around at the still-dark surroundings and rose, drawing a sharp breath. This time, he found himself in another room much like the last, only this one was filled with children his own age—some cold and aloof, some clustered together and sobbing, some brimming with excitement.

Ye Min withdrew to a corner to recover his strength. A boy came over, cheerful and friendly. “I’m Wuye. What’s your name?”

Ye Min wanted only to conserve his energy, barely opening his eyes, ignoring him.

Wuye seemed not to notice his indifference and continued, “I came here willingly. The others were captured by the Thousand Heads Gate. What about you? Why are you here?”

Ye Min gave no reply, but his stomach growled in protest. Wuye stifled a laugh and pulled a bun from his pocket. “Here, I have one left. You can have it!”

Ye Min finally opened his eyes and looked at Wuye. Wuye tore off a piece and ate it himself, indicating it was safe. Ye Min grabbed the bun and devoured it ravenously. When he finished, he found Wuye still watching him and quietly said, “Ye Min.” His voice was hoarse, for he had not had water or spoken in a long time.

Wuye’s face lit up with surprise. “What a coincidence! Our names both have ‘Ye’ in them.”

Ye Min, recalling that he’d eaten Wuye’s food, felt obliged to respond and nodded reluctantly.

Wuye was about to say more when the iron door swung open. Nine Faces entered with several others, each carrying a tray. Nine Faces did not look directly at Ye Min, merely swept his gaze across the room and announced, “This place is called the Dead Prison. As the name suggests, only one of you children will survive. The one who does will join the Thousand Heads Gate and continue living.”

A richly dressed boy in the room immediately broke down, rushing to Nine Faces and clutching his clothes, crying, “I want to go home! Take me back! I order you to take me home, or my family will not spare you!”

Nine Faces sneered, and before he could act, one of his men stepped forward and killed the boy with a single stroke. The child was dragged out, and Nine Faces glanced at the blood splattered on his clothes with a frown. “How unlucky. If you disobey, this is your fate. We’ll provide each of you with a knife; the rest is up to you.”

Nine Faces clapped his hands, and his men handed knives to the children, most of whom received them with trembling hands, some unable even to hold them.

The iron door slammed shut, and a strange silence filled the air.

No one knew who struck first, but soon the room was thick with the scent of blood. Ye Min sat quietly against the wall, watching coldly. His body was already covered in blood, and his eyes narrowed. Except for Wuye, most assumed he was already dead.

The battle ended sooner than Ye Min had expected. Soon, only Wuye and a few others remained. The group cornered Wuye, who was now battered and wounded. Ye Min, remembering the bun Wuye had given him, stepped forward to stand with him.

The others were weak and far gentler than the panther; Ye Min dispatched them easily. Those who tried to kill him received no mercy, and most were left without breath.

Ye Min was about to turn and speak to Wuye when a sudden stabbing pain erupted in his back. Wuye, trembling, pulled the knife free and stepped back, saying, “Ye Min, don’t blame me, don’t blame me—I want to live, I want to live!”

Ye Min’s face remained blank. At that moment, he understood: this was human nature, nothing more.

The outcome was exactly as Nine Faces had anticipated. In the end, only Ye Min survived the Dead Prison, gravely wounded, his knife lodged in Wuye’s chest. Wuye’s face was frozen in shock.

Nine Faces carried Ye Min into a room with a little more light, thinking to himself that this boy was a promising candidate for a killer. Yet his reckless approach—wounding himself as much as he hurt others—resembled a soldier resigned to die.

While Ye Min was fighting through the living hell and the Dead Prison, Nine Faces had watched from the sidelines. Since the master’s order had been given, he was bound to train the boy, whatever his character, and could not fail in his duty.

Now, Nine Faces had already decided how to teach him. He suspected the results would surprise him greatly.