Ezio made his way to his first class where their new abilities were going to be tested to determine which master they would seek tutelage under. Ezio had no qualms about the fact that he was privileged and specially treated considering his background, but many would consider it wrong to use that privilege…his father always told him he disagreed that the point of past generations fighting for the future generations is that they had shoulders they could stand on to reach greater heights. It all depended on attitude.

The fact that he was talented enough to be blessed by the Phoenix god of rebirth was enough to allow him to be confident and prideful. Few deities had as many followers or sheer influence as Saisei which only proved he was cut form a different cloth than most of the other disciples here this wasn't in his mind to be smug, but in this world where only the strong survived it was merely a fact of life.

Ezio made his way up towards the where the masters would be selecting their disciples from among the new inner court disciples. As he approached he became aware of many of the others staring at him with hateful glares. "What are their problems?" He said to himself as he looked at them from the side of his eyes pretending not to care.

"They don't like you!" besides him a young black haired youth spoke his arms crossed over his chest "you came in here after not being in the outer court at all and they feel that you put no work in to get into the inner court."

Ezio turned his head to the young man to get a clearer image of him. The young man must have been his age his hair was pinned up in traditional a hair brace representing that he was someone of importance his face had a noble hawk like feature that made him look older than he was, but Ezio could still tell he was around his age.

Turning towards Ezio he held out his hand "My name is Sun Yun it is nice to meet the youngest son of the crown prince."

Ezio grasped his hand "Sun Yun huh? You must be the youngest child of the great general Sun Shuren. It is a pleasure it seems that we are likely the most prestigious of the new disciples."

He smirked "yes… It would seem. I always expected to be under a watchful eye, but now I feel like you may take some of the pressure off me."

Several moments passed before Ezio broke the silence "So what deity did you receive a blessing from?" He asked curiously.

"Iarae goddess of dusk" he stated bluntly without any hesitation.

"...huh?!? *gak*" Ezio coughed as he was caught off guard "wait... Doesn’t Iarae only accept females into her ranks?"

"Well yes, but apparently she took a liking to me so he accepted me as her first and only male in her familia." Sun Yun smiled as he looked at Ezio’s shocked expression from the corner of his eyes.

Ezio couldn't believe his ears surely this guy was some sort of player who would take advantage of all the females in his goddesses familia why else would he even try to join that familia.

"Well good luck I will see you around" Ezio moved away towards the front of the crowd trying to get a more clear view of the masters up ahead.

...

Several hundred of the new inner court disciples gathered around the masters that stood on a balcony overlooking them trying to spot any potential students they wanted.

All the masters discussed amongst themselves about some of the more impressive students this year. Naturally all of them were discussing the Crown Prince and General Sun's sons. In the corner a beautiful fox like woman stood who was widely considered one of the most beautiful women of Xi'an the capital of the empire. Her face was emotionless giving her the appearance of complete disinterest in the whole affair.

"Cui Xinya" an old man's voice called out behind her quietly.

"Yes Grandmaster Zhou? How may I assist you?" she said dryly.

"Oh come on Xinya surely it isn't that bad."

"I despise having to take direct responsibility for another human being Grandmaster. Nothing you say will make me enjoy this process."

"You never know. Maybe you will find another talent like yourself" he said encouraged.

"Pfft! from this lot?" her deep black eyes scanned the crowd "only two of them show any true promise and they were obvious."

Except that one girl she had a very interesting aura about her, even with her allegedly cursed eyes. Cui Xinya thought to herself.

"Very well than, but you will have to choose someone so play nicely."

"No promises Grandmaster."

Cui Xinya never tried to be hopeful. It stopped oneself from being let down. She looked up to the east and smiled "Isn't that right Mofeyr?" as she spoke a quiet breeze brushed past her face. “I pray that we speak again soon…”

…

Blood dripped slowly into a small puddle of blood giving a small splashing sound that echoed throughout the room.

*drip*

*drip*

*drip*

A man stood chained up in a nearly pitch black dungeon save for the torch light that filled with the smallest semblance of light. Blood dripping down his entire body.

His body was haggard, beaten, and his hair was grown out and wild. It was obvious that he had seen many nights of beatings from his tormentors. The last beating was too much for him and he was slowly bleeding out from months of wounds that had not healed properly. His body was chained up against the wall so his arms were forced to hold up his body as his legs lost all power to try and relieve the burden on his wrists.

Over the man stood a masked figure who wordlessly watched as the life eeked out of his eyes. A sadistic look flashed across the eyes that peered out from them. The man began to weep with the last of his strength as he lifted his eyes to see his tormenter. A look of pure dread filled his face with the realization that he would soon be dying, followed by a sea of anger.

*gak*

"The gods will punish you! Someday you will pay for this you will hang from the Phoenix gates of Xi'an" he said weakly coughing out a small amount of blood that dripped down his bottom lip.

"Bwahaha!" a sweet seductive left escaped the attacker lips "really? Now I don't know about that it isn't like the gods to be that caring is it."

The masked figure crouched down besides the dying man. The mask hide the devilish smile on their face. "Besides how will I hang from the Phoenix gate when I will be the one sitting on the eternal throne you silly man."

Getting up the figure walked out of the chamber slowly their leather boots hit the ground feather like barely making an audible click. The door swung open slowly before the figure paused at the door way looking back behind them.

"Oh and do me a favor tell your precious deity on me It won't matter there is nothing any god can do to me that they haven't already done."

As the figure walked away the man's vision slowly faded away as he could feel his soul being tugged from his body. The last of his strength was released as his body entire weight fell on the chains.

...

64 Years Earlier

Ryoma walked with pride as the crowds of people whispered to themselves an air of excitement to all those who saw him. He made showing himself to the public regularly it made royalty seem less detached to the people. Of course Ryoma also liked to fancy himself an arbiter of justice he was strict and uncompromising no matter who it was that broke his father's laws. If he had one criticism of his father who had little to criticize it was that he wasn't connected enough to his own people. Ryoma was determined to gain the respect and support of the people something his father had, but lacked their adoration as well. His father was simply to disconnected from the day to day lives of the people he ruled over.

That is why when he demanded that little pickpocket to hang it wasn't out of spite. It was to give an example to all other pickpockets that age was not a factor in punishment granted the girl had tried the pickpocket the wrong person this day, had it been anyone else she may have simply got a severe lashing, but with that life came risk, you don't execute someone if they pickpocket a commoner, but nobility changed that. If he didn't show the people that they were indeed different they would get grandiose ideas of equality which just did not exist in this violent world. Those sorts of ideas led to rebellion and ultimately death for the common folks.

The sound of the rope going taunt followed by the snap of the young girl’s neck caused Ryoma to flinch and tense up his body even as he kept his calm exterior he took no joy in what just happened.

"What a sad day, this should not be celebrated" he whispered to himself.

...

Present day

Cui Xinya stood up before two disciples who were kotowing to her asking her if she would take them as her first students.

Yawning she looked down at the mediocre talents "fight each other" she said stretching.

Both of them looked at the master with a little confusion "Sorry master you said to fight?" they both said in unison.

"Yes show me you are worth the effort." Cui Xinya said in a bored disinterested tone.

The two boys glanced at each other before leaping in opposite directions the first one muttered a quick prayer to his deity which was a minor river god. Condensing his Ki he let loose a single ball of energy that had changed to take on the characteristics of his gods blessing his attack becoming a stream of pressurized water. The stream shot past the other disciples head cutting a few strands of hair from his head.

The other disciple leapt up into the air giving his deity a prayer as well before his muscles seemed to engorge themselves his arms becoming twice their size. His god was Baul the god of labor so it was slightly surprising that he had already understood exactly what his gods blessing would do to him. It wasn’t uncommon for students to immediately have innate knowledge that went more on an instinctual level once blessed by their deity.

Cui Xinya was mildly impressed that the two were already this skilled with their deity they didn't have reason to think that they wouldn't be worth for tutelage under any other master, but Xinya had higher standards than this. They are…predictable. So unfortunate.

The other student descended his fist colliding with the ground leaving a small fist imprint into the ground missing the other student by no more than a meter, as he used his fluid like movements to dodge around him to strike him from behind as he was in his crouched position. The other muscle headed student sneered as he lifted his body into the air twisting around he sent his heel into the other students ribs with a sickening crack.

The first disciple's eyes widened as he was sent flying into a tree his slumped against the tree spitting out a mouthful of blood. The impact caused the surrounding onlookers to winch for the second disciple.

The second disciple rose up smiling bowing before his opponent before turning to who he thought would be his new master.

"Master Cui Xinya" he bowed "I hope that was satisfactory for you Master Xinya."

Xinya looked at the student lazily "ehh mediocre" the words fell like a hammer on the second disciple.

His face look it has been slapped by his lover his face became red from embracement "bu-- but master! I clearly won that altercation and showed my raw strength!"

Cui Xinya sighed her eyes looked at him slightly annoyed as she lifted herself to sit up properly in her chair that she had been slouching on. "Really? You were sloppy and had your opponent been any other person you would have been killed in really combat you left your back open to that other students attack. You were brash and thick-headed. Therefore I have no time for you. Many other Master’s would have gladly taken you, but you in your arrogance thought that you’d be able to become my first disciple? Leave me." Her tongue stabbed out the words like daggers that hit the large student to his core.

The second disciple went over to his opponent as he helped him limp away both of them their dreams crushed. Cui Xinya had little patience for inadequacy if they had not learned these basics from the outer court than she couldn’t waste her time with them.

Cui Xinya was irritated already and the day had just begun.