Kunlun Mountain Part 2 - The Masters Disciple.

Chapter 5 - Part 1. The Trial

2 years had passed in the blink of an eye since Si Yins arrival, and so much had happened in such a short space of time.  His relationship with the other Disciples had grown stronger and the love for his new life grew with each passing day, though there were times when his mind took him back to The Fox Den which he hadn't seen since the day he arrived nor The Peach Tree Woods which he missed the most.  But Mo Yuan did not allow the boy to mope about too much, instead  keeping his mind occupied at all times, save only when it was time to sleep.  

Though occasionally Si Yins inner turmoil with his split personality would cause problems.  The girl Bai Qian being highly excitable, would sometimes break through drawing attention to himself and causing his seniors to look at him in confusion, and each time Mo Yuan had no choice but to remove him to reestablish the spell.  He had to find a way to manage his emotions through self control, something that Mo Yuan was working on assisting with him with.

Mo Yuan spent more and more time with his Seventeenth Disciple as the days passed.  The boys mind was astounding and the more attention he paid, the more he learned of the many facets that made up Bai Qian.  Though still very young, he knew under his guidance and tutelage, the boys mind would surpass every single one of his brothers, who were already beginning to seek his advice on a variety of subjects.  But the one subject that Si Yin really excelled at was war strategy one that only Die Feng outdid him in.

Deciding to test the boys abilities along with his seniors, he prepared a trial, that would not only give him a greater understanding of the boys ability to think laterally, but also to determine how well he took direction from his fellow Disciples and also how well he could lead.  And the trial he would devise was the perfect solution to the clashing and overlapping of the boys split personality.  He would be forced to control the spell himself so he would not have to rely on Mo Yuan again.

For one week he worked tirelessly on the trial he had planned for them, and once ready, even his own excitement began to build as he went over every last detail one last time.

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On the day of the trial, his Disciples were woken just before Dawn and after allowing his Disciples only a brief time to enjoy breakfast, he led them all to the base of the mountain and into the west valleys.  An area that contains a large forest overgrown with thick vegetation and several small streams that run through it intermittently.  There are also many kinds of wildlife that live there, and the noise at times can be deafening, which will only add to the difficulty of the test he has prepared, because every one of their senses will be needed if they are to complete it.

Leading them all to a small opening, he explained the reason for their presence and as they listened, all eyes grew wide with excitement.  It wasn't often something this exciting happened and the eagerness began to show immediately as they all crowded around Mo Yuan to hear every detail.

Splitting them all into two groups, he waved his hand over one of them.  Instantly their gowns were changed to dark blue, while the other group kept their white robes. And as there were an uneven number of Disciples, Die Feng was given the role of overseer.  It would be his job to ensure his juniors kept within the rules which Mo Yuan informed them of next.

Waving his hand outwards towards a hill in the far distance, he drew their attention to the bright beacon that was shining brightly above it.  

"On either side of the beacon are two flags.  One white and one dark blue." He explained.  "Your objective is to claim the flag of your opposition and bring it back to me here.  You do not return without your opponents flag and you do not return without your full team, you will also need to be prepared to stay overnight.  Once you have your opponents flag, you may return through the center path"  he says pointing in the direction of the easiest and quickest route in and out, the one they had led them on.  It sounded simple enough, but they knew Shifu, there would definitely be challenges.