Golden City

-Stand? What do you mean? Asked Huang

-I am talking about this "spirit" that follows you.

-!! How do you know about it?!

-It's a rather simple story. There was once a book written by an old Tibetan master that talked about a "spirit" that haunted him for many years. He eventually learned it was not a spirit per se, but more of a manifestation of himself. The book went on to explain all of his experiences and experiments with it for years to come.

-Initially, I thought it was only a fairy tale book, but seeing you here made me think otherwise.

I obviously know a lot about stands, but I have to fake it, otherwise, it might be strange.

-... I see. So this isn't a demon, but a manifestation of myself… But how?... I…

-I can't answer that question. There was only a single book on this subject, and even if there was more, I wouldn't really search for fairy tale books.

-A manifestation of myself… It's oddly fitting. I always thought I was the only one. I tried many means in order to "cleanse" this demon, but it always came back. But in the first place, it wasn't a monster… It was myself. I can't deny myself, I understand everything now.

-...Would you mind if I asked how it first appeared?

-... Let's leave that for later. Let's go back now, disciple.

He snapped his fingers and a sudden barrier of light appeared all around the mountains, it slowly came closer and closer.

But that was what I was waiting for.

While he was distracted using his Stand, I charged my Hamon into a twig and threw it towards his flag.

He looked surprised, but couldn't move due to his stand.

The twig pierced his golden flag and ripped it apart from his arm.

I ran and took it from the ground giving the old man a wide grin. He looked at me with a similar wide smile.

Eventually the light reached me and Huang.

When I reopened my eyes I saw myself back at the temple, together with Robert and the disciples who were piled up on the ground. Including Turtle, who was snoring loudly.

-What Happened?! There was a light and then... Speedwagon seemed confused

-Calm down uncle. Everything is fine, I will explain it on the way.

-Wait a bit. I can allow Robert to come with us. But you are now a disciple of our temple, and I hope you follow our traditions.

-Every time a new disciple joins our monastery, we give him a new symbolic name, in the hopes that the trainee will strive to recover his original name. Which they do when the disciple completes the "Illuminated Road". We hold a very deep meaning to names. And losing it is worse than death. The symbolic name is also very important in that regard, as it represents yourself and what you should strive to be.

-Normal disciples are given single-word names, but special disciples, people that we hold high expectations for, receive double-word names. Some people even receive special names, related to myths and legends. And I shall give you a name, using my authority as the highest master in China. Your determination to grow and change, to challenge your limits and evolve.

-Your name shall be Flying snake. So that one day you may become a flying dragon.

-Now. Let's go on our way. It's over a day of walking to get there.

Robert looked at me looking for some answers. But I didn't really have much to say to him. So I started with how the test went.

Our journey was rather uneventful. The disciples seemed downcast though, perhaps because they lost to a child.

Huang then came to explain to me how his Stand came to be.

-... And so, like that, on that cloudy day, I looked at the butchered bodies of my enemies, and I laughed at it. When I came back home I saw the horrified looks of my family and friends. I didn't understand why they were so scared and I ended up… Hitting my own wife, the love of my life. When I came to myself, my family had already fled from home. I looked at my clothes and saw the blood and gore in them, and understood why. It wasn't that hard to find where they had gone but… I never had the courage to go after them.

-Since that day I noticed that there was something "Haunting" me. I thought it was the spirits of my enemies, so I plunged all of my time into training, as a way to forget. The decades passed, and my wife and son died… My grandson is now an old man, living a happy life. I don't have the heart to go after him… Only a few years after my wife died did I come to understand that the "presence" was more than just a "ghost". I could control it and wield its powers in battle. From that point on it became a demon.

-The rest, you already know…

So he awakened his Stand through heavy emotions...

…

The mood became heavy for the following days after this revelation. The disciples didn't know what was going on, since he only told this story to me and Robert.

-... I couldn't imagine that there was such a strange power in our world. Said Speedwagon.

-... Who knows what else might be out there. I said.

Our conversation ended right there, but Speedwagon started to liven up the mood by talking about his many adventures. Huang soon joined us and he started to talk about his own crazy adventures.

After a day we soon reached a Plateau hidden deep in the mountains. It was very mystical in a sense.

-We arrived. I am sorry Robert, but you can't proceed from here. You know the rules, it isn't that time of the year yet. It was already a stretch bringing you here.

(Huang already knew Speedwagon from the many deals they made over the years.)

-No no, it's fine! I shall meet you in June next year, according to the old deal.

It's around August 1 so that would be 10 months till June 1

-You too, little John! I promise to bring some new, incredible findings!

-Bye uncle!

-Until next time, friend. Said Huang

Speedwagon then turned around and left under the protection of several disciples.

-Hey, grandpa Huang. Couldn't Robert stay for a few days to eat something?

-... Unfortunately, it's the rules. Don't worry, we don't have anything to fear. The most dangerous thing in this forest is the poisonous creatures. But we have long since developed antidotes for all of them.

-Now. Let me show you your home for the next few years.

-Years? I will master all of your arts in a few months...

-Cheeky brat. What about the old generation? Do you want us to lose our pride?

We laughed a little as we stepped into a special stairway carved in the mountain. It was rather scary, but I could use my Hamon to stick myself into the mountain in order to not fall. According to Huang, this is a test for the disciples. If you don't have the courage nor the talent, then you will never be able to enter/leave the Plateau.

Half an hour later we arrived at a big gate, this was the entrance to the Hamon monastery.

There was a big sign that said: Golden city. A very generic name.

-There is a lot of history here… The founder of this city was said to have a Hamon so strong that he would generate a golden cloud when he used it. It's only some legends since I never saw any techniques like that. And yes, there is a city on the other side of this gate. Isn't it impressive?

-The current number of inhabitants is around 45 thousand. We always seek to bring talented people into the city, since our numbers are always declining due to the dangerous training… He looked at me with a smirk.

In front of the gate, there were two guards wearing heavy armor. They made way so that we could pass. Old Huang then pressed his hands into the gate but stopped.

-Why don't you try it? This gate is very heavy, opening it shows that someone has completed their training and is now ready to become a "Hall master".

-If I open the gate doesn't that mean I can't become an apprentice?

-In a sense, yes. But a lot of things will get easier if you do this.

I looked at the tall double-door gate. I don't know how thick it is, but its surface area seemed to be made of iron.

This might take some effort…