Yu tilted her head and asked, “How is it the honor of the outer sect if we’re both outer sect disciples?”

Yu said, “It would dishonor the outer sect to have a verger girl like you represent us.”

Yu blinked at him, surprised. “Oh. Well, come on down then. I said I would accept any challenge and I try to be true to my word.” While he was climbing down Yu asked, “Although I am curious, which is it that bothers you so much, that I am a verger or a girl?” The muttering certainly increased at that question but there was something odd about it Yu couldn’t figure out.

He snorted at that and lept to land on the center challenge circle.

Elder Guang stepped with an odd expression on his face and asked, “Disciple Yu, what are the match conditions?”

Yu looked at her opponent and said, “Melee weapons only.” And then pausing for a moment before finishing with, “No Qi.” You would have thought she said that everyone should just up and die on the spot. The whole place went berserk. Well, what in the hells did they expect from such a mismatched battle?

The young man across from her had eyes wide with surprise and asked, “No Qi?”

Once again surprised, Yu asked, “What did you think I would do battling someone substantially stronger, more experienced, and with however many more meridians opened?” Then turning to the elder she asked, “It is a legal battle condition is it not? The rulebook does not explicitly forbid it.” The arena had quieted slightly, waiting to hear the answer.

The elder was silent for a few breaths and said slowly, “Technically, you are correct.” That caused the white-haired boy across from her to gape and he said, “Then I withdraw my challenge.”

Yu said, “You cannot. You either have to battle or admit defeat.” Then she raised her silver eyebrows and asked in a curious tone, “Are you saying you are unable to defeat a little verger girl without Qi?” Once again, Yu must have said something astonishing because the place exploded with sound. This time Yu decided to listen to some of them. It was hard to make out, but some words came through. “Mad,” “Master,” and “Dead” were the most prominent. The ones that caught Yu’s attention the most were, “Prince,” and “Royalty.”

Yu blinked, then processed a few things quickly in her mind. She glanced at his hair, his hands, his then at her shy friend, Gui Ai, who had her face buried in Jao Lu’s shoulder. Uh oh. Did Yu just do what she think she did?

Elder Guang reluctantly said, “I’m sorry Disciple Yu. I am going to have to step in here. Per the rules of the arena, I can assess whether the conditions are reasonable and if you refuse the use of Qi I will have to find that the conditions are not equal.”

Maybe that was for the best. If this was who she thought it was, allowing everyone to move on would be the wisest choice. She was about to agree when the young man looked victorious and asked snidely, “Well, verger?”

Why did he have to say that? What, other than arrogance and pride, allowed such an attitude? He was just like that haughty elder from above. All Yu wanted, what she presumed most disciples wanted, was to be given a chance to prove themselves. Yu was just about fed up with these self-righteous, contemptuous pricks.

Yu said with bite, “I will allow you to withdraw for 10,000 points. Half your original wager.”

Maybe she should have left well enough alone. Maybe she should have avoided making waves, especially this large; but the whole place was helping her understand Granma Huan’s grouchy attitude better. This sect, or at least parts of it, seemed to be just like her twin brothers who thought they could push her around and manipulate her when was weaker. Or was it like Bao Qing who was willing to harm three girls just there to learn and grow? Or perhaps all those horrible sect elders who thought her family was trash for living a harder life and fighting for what they earned and growing a city with it. This place thought those lesser could be taken advantage of because of where they lived or who their parents or grandparents were. What made them better? What made this princeling better?

Yu had no idea where all that anger came from all of a sudden but she was utterly unable and, frankly, unwilling to hide her fury from these people.

***

Elder Guang was struggling with what to do. He really should side with the girl but she didn’t understand what she was doing. Who she was bating. Why did the prince have to open his mouth and challenge the sect leader’s disciple? She was clearly more than competent for her age and deeply gifted. Certainly more than enough for her master’s attention. More importantly, everyone knew she was under the sect leader’s protection and if he was set off who in nine hells knew what he’d do? He was totally unpredictable. He might not notice or he might attempt to destroy the entire royal family. It’s not like he hadn’t done something similar before. A century and a half ago he wiped out a powerful noble house single-handedly because they did something that annoyed him, although no one knew what it was anymore because everyone that did disappeared.

Based on her previous behavior, the elder thought she was sane and reasonable, unlike her master. Everyone could have ended it without losing face but he said those last words and it seemed to have set her off somehow. And then she made that ridiculous statement of demanding half his points. He had to put a stop to this.

The prince sputtered in response to her claim and questioned, “What are you talking about?”

Elder Guang was about to end it with agreement until the girl pointed at her badge with her left index finger and hovered it there. The child, because she was certainly a child at nine (if she really was nine), looked at him and stated firmly, “Regulation 31, subsection 12, paragraph 2, last sentence.”

That was when he saw and heard it - the glow and that voice that vibrated with power over the world itself. Elder Guang saw her eyes start swirling and her hair glowed and floated behind her.

Those terrifying eyes narrowed and she said in a familiar vibrating tone he had only heard a few times from her master and hoped to never hear again. “Am I correct?”

Is that why he took her on? Because she was like him? The elder could feel his scarred face paling. Knowing he had no choice, he coughed and looking at the prince said, “As per the sited regulation, the challenger is permitted to withdraw for up to half the original wager. You may withdraw if you are willing to accept the loss of 10,000 points.”

As he said that, it occurred to him that she recited the exactly correct sentence off the top of her head without faltering once to recall it. Thankfully the glow around the girl was fading and she corrected him in a more normal tone, “10,550.” Then everyone was confused but she explained, “All points totaled would be 21,100 without the extra thousand of defeating him similar to the first contest.”

Elder Guang blinked at her, did the math in his head, and realized she was right. He nodded and turned back to the prince. “10,550. Will you battle or withdraw, Disciple Gui Zihao?”

***

Yu wasn’t sure what happened, but she felt a lot calmer after the Elder did the right thing. Of course, Yu knew she was in the right; she had read the damn rule book front to back. Technically that section spoke to challenges of any type except those for placement in the rankings, so the situation qualified. One couldn’t split half a place on the ranking after all.

Anyway, Yu decided to put it back in the princeling’s hands. She was willing to take the chance he was better at combat than her. Even without Qi, his physical size was superior so she would likely be forced to depend on skill and speed. Hopefully he was as spoiled as she hoped he was. If he accepted. She awaited his choice and was ready either way.

***

Who was this verger to force him, Gui Zihao, to lose face and so many points? For whatever they mattered. He was the seventh prince of this empire. What right did she have to challenge him? And what was her master doing taking on a verger anyway? So many nobles approached him, offering who knew what for their children to become his disciples. And he chose her. Everyone knew Long Bingwen was a madman but even he should have known better.

At least that was what he thought before she had shown her power. Or was it her master’s power? Who knew with that lunatic? Either way, it was terrifying. He could have sworn the world started to bend around her. What in the hells was she? And the way her eyes moved and her hair floated? Frankly, it was. . . beautiful. What right did a verger like her have being so stunning? And why the hell was she so young? In a few years, she might be the most beautiful young woman in this empire, even more so than the pampered popinjays that tried to distract him in the palace, but right then. . .

There was no way she was nine. It was impossible. She had to be just small. She was probably 11 or 12. How many affinities did she have? And how in the nine hells could she use both Aura and Mana skills? He needed to speak to his father about her before anyone else. She was a threat. Or perhaps something else.

“Disciple, what is your decision?”

The prince jumped at the elder’s interruption and he realized he had been standing there staring at her for the entire time. She was doing the same, seeming to be patiently waiting for his answer. She looked. . . ready? Maybe even a little excited. Did she want to fight him? Could she actually enjoy fighting? Nobody liked it the way he did, but maybe it could be fun for a little while. He didn’t particularly need the points but maybe he could offer them as a sign of goodwill.

***

Yu was surprised when the young man’s expression changed to curious interest. He asked her, “What answer would you prefer, Disciple Fenghuang Yu?”

She blinked at him. It was Disciple Fenghuang Yu instead of verger then? “Umm. Why does my opinion matter? You are the one who has to risk the points.”

Once again, Yu was surprised by his answer. “What if I told you I was at no risk of being expelled from losing 20,000 points. Would you want to battle me?”

Yu could hear the crowd and they sounded as confused as her. Why the change of attitude?

She decided to be honest and say, “I always want an opportunity to learn in battle with a challenging opponent.” Then she looked at him curiously and asked with head slightly tilted, “Would that be you?”

His smile caught her off guard. It looked genuine. What in the hells was going on? “Then let’s fight. Would you use the hook swords?” Yu nodded, a little dazed at the sudden change in attitude. “20,000 points it is then.” Then Zihao turned to the elder and said, “Let’s do it as she requested originally. Melee weapons and no Qi.”

Yu blinked, smiled and withdrew her hook swords.

Elder Guang must have been as surprised as her because it took him a bit to step forward with his enchanted blunting stone.

Yu held her swords out when a spear appeared in the princeling’s hands. It was a stunning weapon with a red shaft, a small puff of some sort of beast fur where the head and shaft met, and a glistening silver bladed head three times as long as her hand. There were also exquisite carvings of various beasts all up and down the long red solid bamboo. A remarkable weapon, worthy of an empire’s prince.

Yu was grinning widely by the time Elder Guang was done with her blades and he moved to the spear which the princeling held out horizontally to make it easier for the enchantment to be placed.

They took their places and were smiling at each other. Yu was conflicted but hoping in her heart he wasn’t just putting on a show. Maybe he was better than she feared. When the elder dropped his hand the two leaped at each other.

Prince Zihao, as Yu now knew him thanks to Elder Guang, brought his spear in a classic forward stab, but Yu saw it for what it was. An obvious testing lunge and she simply sidestepped it with a wack from the side of her blade. It was an insulting first strike and an insulting defense.

Her opponent’s eyes opened wider and then his grin grew and Yu could tell he was ready to get serious. She shifted her grips, slightly lowered her center, and readied herself in an aggressive speed-focused stance for the real fight.

***

Prince Zihao lunged as a test and saw the derision in the girl’s face and in her parry. It surprised him how simply she both dodged and sent the return message. Through that simple set of movements, this girl told him, “Stop messing around and fight me for real.”

He was sure his face was grinning like a madman but having an opportunity like this was rare. He was the seventh prince, one of the favorites for Crown Prince; thus nobody dared risk angering him with a real fight or, heavens forbid, an injury. He loved combat more than any of his rivals for the throne but found it hard to find true competition. She had no compunctions in battling him and did not seem to care who he was, even though he was pretty sure she figured it out. At least some of it. Even as a verger she had to know some of it.

Maybe she wasn’t from the verge after all. Maybe her master was only saying that to further his own mad agenda. That would explain a few things. Reflecting, the prince could accept he perhaps too easily fell into the imperial attitude that was always expected of him and gave off the superiority of a potential future emperor. Maybe he shouldn’t have said what he did with her. It was what had seemed to set off her using that. . . whatever it was. This girl though. . . she was like no verger, no girl, he had known. Well, whatever she was, this was an opportunity he would not let pass.

And so he changed his stance to match hers and jabbed his spear forward, adding a downward swipe, the blade turned to slice into her thigh at the end. She crossed her bizarre weapons and his spear clanged against her twin guards. He saw her arms give slightly allowing him to jerk straight backward while twisting to prevent those hooks from catching his weapon’s head. He followed that with a downward sweep to the left which she responded to with a forward slide. During that slide, she guided the flats of her blades against his enchanted spear's shaft, once again showing physical weakness as her arms shook slightly. He slid backward to keep her at a distance but going forwards was always faster than retreating, at least without Qi. Thankfully, his legs were longer than hers so he barely managed to keep enough distance to disengage and leap backward with a spin and wide sweep. Even without Qi, his body was strong; with all the Qi-rich foods and stones and other resources he was given, it had better be. He felt that momentary retreat was guaranteed to give him sufficient space to start his forms which specialized against an enemy with lesser reach.

But something happened that shocked him. She leaped after him and stayed in a closing position. How in the. . . There was absolutely no way she was a verger. None. No verger could have a body like that without Qi. Well, when she was soaked from that incompetent Bao boy he saw a pretty muscular body, but she was still so small. Seeing that leap. . . it was impossible. Unless she cheated and used Qi? He doubted it, given how she had handled everything to that point and Elder Guang would have seen it.

The surprise of her leap caused him to miss the brief opportunity he had to change stances so he was forced into a defensive position as she closed. He spun his spear in a circle in front of him to avoid getting jammed by those utterly terrifying weapons. Was any part of them not deadly?

He turned his body and attempted a diagonal slide while conducting a risky forward shove while spinning his spear and she reacted how most would, she blocked with a diagonal cross sweep requiring strong wrist and arm strength. Unfortunately for him, not only did she have two weapons, she had two utterly bizarre weapons he had no experience fighting against. So while her left sword and arm shook from holding back his forceful forward push, her right sword swept low right and caught behind his left ankle which was forward. His eyes went wide as he took the only plausible action that could save him from losing his balance and thus likely this contest. He lowered his center of gravity while pulling back and down on his spear for a downward leveraged leap. But he had forgotten one important thing. The slip of a girl in front of him was not wielding standard dual swords. His yank only pulled the bottom half of his spear as the top was caught on the hook of her sword and twisted around the head, which she slid upwards during her shaky block. The result was his downward press turned into a forward fall which resulted in a knee meeting his face and he saw stars.

***

Yu was surprised and impressed with the princeling’s expertise with his spear. He was not the coddled fop she was starting to expect in the nobles in the empire. Both his forms and adaptability were excellent. His strength was clear quickly and Yu realized she was substantially weaker than the prince in the arms but not in the legs. She figured she needed to use his unfamiliarity with her swords to win. His actions were clever, firm, and quick, but his eye motions told her he was making decisions hastily, attempting to adapt to her strange weapons. That meant she needed to force him to move on instinct, which she had the opportunity to do only after her leap caught him off guard. She barely held back that brilliant spinning push and managed to drag her sword up and hook it around his spearhead while he was distracted with her right sword catching his ankle. It just barely caught too. He then did what she believed he would which was pull and leap. Thankfully, that instinctive move resulted in him losing his balance when his spear didn’t follow causing his leverage to be gone and his momentum to be mostly forward.

Yu saw the moment he lost his balance and thrust outward with both her right knee and left arm. At the same time as the prince’s forehead struck her knee, his spear was launched along with her sword far to the left of them in the circle. He rolled backward, clearly struggling with the blow and Yu thrust forward towards his neck for a finishing slice, but he did the reverse of her and she was surprised by his legs sweeping quickly up. One struck her wrist and the other her armpit and her sword went tumbling away, along with her balance. He continued his spin to his feet and just as she regained her balance, he was shaking his head clear of the stars from her knee strike.

Okay. Yu was impressed. She didn’t know if his resilience was from his higher cultivation, his upbringing with the better resources, or just pure willpower; but it didn’t matter at that moment. Yu had a small window to take advantage of while he was still recovering. She launched herself forward driving one fist in a sweep from her left to right aimed at his temple and her right leg aimed at the outside of his left knee. He raised his right arm and hers struck it. It was like contacting steel and didn’t even budget. His knee on the other hand wobbled, which allowed Yu the opportunity she needed to pull her arm back before his right, which was reaching over, got the chance to grab her. She bent backward and flipped on her hands and then back on her feet, returning to a low ready stance, her arms up, her legs bent and her body on her toes which her heels slightly raised.

Yu could barely make out the screaming of the crowd above the blood rushing in her body. That was what truly brought her joy. She couldn’t get enough of this type of combat. She had already learned something and expected to learn more.

***

This was what non-lethal combat was all about. The prince was sure his face had a huge grin which matched the one several paces from him. Her escape was brilliant and he wasn’t expecting that knee strike. She must be able to control different parts of her body as independent weapons. Extraordinary.

Hoping for more, he sprinted forward and leaped at her with a quick straight jab while also beginning to let loose a rounded stiff-fingered strike at her ribs. He was certain she was weaker and absolutely could not block both. To his shock, she did not try. She used one hand to redirect his straight jab so it struck her upper arm and spun her body so his fingers would still hit her ribs, but instead of the side, it would be in the back closer to her spine where the bones would be strongest and less likely to crack or break. At the same time, that side’s arm folded and sharpened into a bent-elbowed spike that was driving forward towards his sternum.

Both his fingers and her elbow struck simultaneously and the prince felt a pain which nearly caused him to black out. But it wasn’t in his sternum that it struck. It was below it, right at his diaphragm. He heard her grunt from his strike but could tell the trade was in her favor when his body refused to take in air. No matter how hard he tried, his chest refused to expand. The prince collapsed to the ground and the next thing the prince knew, an arm wrapped around his neck and legs surrounded his middle from behind.

***

Yu was struggling to breathe. That blow to her ribs was quite the sharp strike and she was pretty sure a rib was close to cracking. But pain didn’t mean much to her. She saw him struggling to breathe as was her intent with the strike to just below his center mass, so she rushed him. The muscle that expanded and contracted the chest to allow the lungs to also expand and contact was actually quite sensitive to focused strikes. Even enhanced by Qi, that muscle tended to spasm when hit strongly in a focused area. Hence the elbow strike following the exposure of his middle with that sweeping stiff-fingered drive at her ribs.

She finally reached the kneeling and struggling prince and wrapped herself around him from behind. Only fools depend on a single source of capture like the arms, which are many times weaker compared to the legs. She hooked her arms around his neck in a suffocating choke, and her legs around his waist, jabbing her heels into his already spasming diaphragm.

She squeezed with all her might and felt his hands reaching up and pulling at her arms. Then they got weaker and weaker until she felt a tap on her shoulder from behind. She released her limbs, slid backward on her tucked legs, and slowly lowered the prince’s head to the ground.

She touched his head with her blue glowing hand and heard the elder say “What are you-”

But he stopped when she pulled back and stood up. “He will be fine although he will have a terrible headache and be sore in his stomach area when he wakes up in a few minutes.”

Yu then glowed blue herself and saw through the same diagnostic skill she just used on the prince, Follow the Water, that her ribs were not broken but definitely bruised. She changed to Nature’s Blessing and Soothing Flow and her body swirled with blue and green. She was able to stand up straight after a few painful breaths and shook her body out as the glows dimmed.

She turned to Elder Guang and bowed. “I apologize, elder. I wanted to make sure neither my choke nor elbow did any damage that risked his health. The diaphragm can occasionally have difficulty restarting after severe spasming according to my healing teacher back home. I hope I didn’t violate any rules.”

The cheering died down and the elder spoke after a few breaths of watching her. “No, you did not. We encourage looking after the safety of our fellow disciples.”

Yu nodded and said, “I would hope so. Just because we compete doesn’t mean it has to be acrimonious.” Yu was sure at least part of the crowd heard that response.

Clearing her throat she looked at the elder expectantly. He coughed. “Ah. Yes.” Then called loudly. “Disciple Fenghuang Yu is the victor, wins 20,000 points for the failed challenge, 100 for the fight, 100 for the victory, 1,000 from elder Bao, and another 1,000 from elder Bao for ending in a similar physical fashion to the first.” Then he asked, “Will you battle one more for the five in a row bonus?”

Yu thought about that and then nodded. Having four free months without the fee seemed like a good deal for just one more fight.

Elder Guang asked the crowd, “Who will challenge this disciple for her final battle of the day?” Then he turned to her and said quietly, “You might have to initiate it. After that showing.”