INITIATION
The initiation took place the following night.
Shen Chen stood at the edge of a canyon, his heart pounding. The bandits had blindfolded him, led him through the desert, and now stood in a circle around him, their voices low and serious.
"Chen," Old Liu said, his voice solemn. "You have proven yourself a capable fighter and a loyal brother. But to truly beco one of us, you must pass the initiation."
"What do I have to do?" Shen Chen asked, his voice steady despite his racing heart.
Old Liu smiled, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "You have to sing."
Shen Chen blinked. "Sing?"
"Sing," i confird, her voice barely containing her laughter. "The most embarrassing song you know. In front of all of us."
"That's the initiation?" Shen Chen asked, incredulous. "Singing?"
"Don't underestimate it," one of the bandits said. "We've had grown n break down crying. And one guy actually died of embarrassnt. Well, he didn't die, but he wished he had."
Shen Chen stared at them, his mind struggling to process the absurdity of the situation. After all the battles, the pain, the near-death experiences—his initiation was singing?
"Is this a joke?" he asked.
"It's tradition," Old Liu said, his face serious but his eyes twinkling. "You want to be one of us? You have to prove you can laugh at yourself."
Shen Chen was silent for a long mont. Then he laughed—a genuine, warm laugh that seed to surprise even him.
"Fine," he said. "But you asked for it."
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began to sing.
It was a song from his childhood, a silly nursery rhy about a clumsy spirit beast that couldn't find its way ho. His voice cracked, he forgot the words halfway through, and by the ti he finished, he was red-faced and breathless.
The bandits were silent for a mont. Then the laughter erupted, so loud and heartfelt that Shen Chen felt tears streaming down his face.
He wasn't sure if he was laughing with them or at himself.
Probably both.
When the laughter finally died down, Old Liu stepped forward, his face warm with approval.
"Welco to the family, Chen. For real this ti."
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