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As they went inside the manor, Yan Sha could see it was much bigger on the inside than it seemed from the outside, a trick of the proportion. There were in fact wings and many rooms. "Where will I stay?"

There was a gruff sound as the man dropped her hand. "Did your father not explain what it is that you are going to do here?"

"My mother did not wish for me to leave her side."

"Ah, so he did not tell you anything. You are in Wei. You are here to become the Lion of Jungpi."

Yan Sha sighed. "What does that mean?"

"I am your teacher. My name is Yung Shu."

"Yung Shu of the martial world. Why would you help the royal house of Jungpi?"

"I trained your father. I trained your grandfather. I was trained with your great-grandfather before he became the king of Jungpi and I took the place of our mentor."

Like a ghost a woman with pale skin and unbound white hair to the floor appeared out of the darkness. "Yung Shu, let me have her, she is inside the sect now. I can teach her everything we--"

"Madam Jia, you know your role. Please wait your time."

The woman hissed in irritation and moved away. Madam Jia was graceful that Yan Sha could hear no sound as she moved. The limited light only struck the thick white hair that slithered like a thick snake behind her in the direction that was down and dark.

Yung Shu shook his head in irritation.

"She looks fun," Yan Sha said. Her voice felt awkward in the almost tomb silence of the inside of the house. The stone of the floor drew the 0cold to around her feet. She chafted her feet together in discomfort.

Yung Shu laughed. "She can be, if she isn't the presence of students." His laughter turned into a hacking cough and he turned into the darkness and began walking into it.

"Wait, you didn't tell me what to do next?"

Yung Shu laugh echoed as his form blending in to the surrounding darkness.

Yan Sha looked around and realized other than the circle of light she was standing in next to the small torch by the front door, the rest of the building was completely dark. She was cold as the house was very drafty. She carefully took the torch off of it's holder and ventured into the house. The direction that Yung Shu had gone to led to a solid black wall slick with water. Madam Jia had gone down a stairwell where she could see a snake slowly stick it's tongue out at her. Finally as she made a full circle around assessing the area, Yan Sha found a dry staircase that lead up. She had a strange feeling that she should leave the torch behind so she did so.

The torch did light bits of the staircase as she went up so she quickly ran up them thinking there would be light at the top. Her hands fell through an open doorway and she caught herself before she face planted. Her exertions were loud as she felt around the blackness for something. There was a wall with stones that she felt along, until she found a door. She pushed against it. It was solid metal. She felt along the side until she found a brass door handle engraved with some sort of an animal. Her hands grabbed at it and she realized there were two points where if she applied pressure they went in. She did this and something clicked.