They stood in a neat line of three, that started with Yun Ip Chun and Wang Zen at either sides and Ding Dandan in the middle. Lao was standing before them, looking at each in silence with her arms clasped behind her back. The breeze made the tails of her blue tight fitted overcoat to flutter.

“Now, I have had the displeasure of experiencing my first impressions of you,” she said. “But I believe in also allowing someone to introduce themselves, the way they want to be seen, not just by who they are. So, I am going to give another chance to introduce yourselves. I want your name, cultivation rank, element and why you are on my team. Let’s start with you, Yun Ip Chun.”

Chun sighed, “Is there any real point? You’re probably going to kick me out as soon as possible.”

“Just do as she said,” Dandan said. “You’re wasting our time.”

He sighed again and shook his face, as if shaking the annoyance off his face and replacing it with a charming smile. “My name is Yun Ip Chun. I am a Master, Rank 5 and I am an Earth Elementalist. I am in this Team because I am good in a scrap, powerful and smart. If you keep me here, I suspect you’ll lean on me the most, not that I expect you to…”

“That’s enough out of you,” Dandan said. “I think we know all we need to know about you, it is my turn now. My name is Ding Dandan. I am a Rank 3 Master, also an Earth Elementalist. I’m here to grow strong and be better than these dumb people with tiny sticks between their legs that we find ourselves surrounded by.”

There was silence. Then Lao looked at Zen, his hazel eyes with a dash of silver looked at her in confusion for a moment.

“Oh! My turn!” he said. “My name is Wang Zen. I guess I am one of the people with a tiny stick between their legs.” He joked.

Chun was the only one who laughed, which made Zen chuckle awkwardly.

“Uhm… sorry Ma’am.” He said when he saw Lao was not amused. “I am Wang Zen, Rank 4 Master and I am a Metal Elementalist. I am here for the opportunity to use my skills in battle to earn some revenue, respect and reputation. Pleased to serve under you, Ma’am” He clasped his hands and bowed.

“What a kiss ass,” Chun whispered.

“At least he knows his place is being a kiss ass to a powerful woman.” Dandan said.

“I am not a kiss ass,” Zen said.

“Quiet!”

They all fell silent and stiffened.

“Now, it is my turn.” Lao said. “I am Lao Lu. I am a Duke, Rank 1 but none of that matters. What matters is why I am here, which also has to do with why this team was created with you three specifically.”

Lao kept quiet for a moment, to let her words sink in to the tree new recruits.

“I will not lie to you. I will not sugar coat the truth. This team is created for one reason and one reason only. To fail.” She said, her face not losing any seriousness. “And I was put in this team to fail right along with it. So that my name will have a black mark on it. But I want you to hear me. I do not plan on failing, even if as a team do. Whatever shortcomings we have together, whatever black mark this team incurs, I will survive it. Now, the choice is yours. Will you fail like everyone expects you too or will you rise above their expectations?”

“I’ll rise above it,” Dandan said. “No man will keep me down. No man will tell me I am destined to fail.”

“I’ll rise above it,” Wang Zen followed. “I have very important goals to achieve, which hinge on this being a success.”

“I’ll rise above it.” Chun said. “I don’t know what the old farts of Blue Swallow Sect are thinking putting me on a team they think will fail but I’ll show them not to underestimate me.”

“We will see. We will see.” Lao said, skeptically. “And fortunately for us, we have our chance to test that.” She touched a storage stone that she produced and a scroll appeared before. “We have our first mission.”