Ruidie placed down and a piece of paper and picked up another, humming as she read the information. “The Nine Dragons Gang has nine heads... The first and second heads are unknown, so it is the third head who currently runs the gang...”

Xiaosi, the other person who sat across her room, opened his eyes. “I can’t get it to work.”

She looked up with shifted brows. With the limited lengths of time she spent reciting Memory Palace and speaking about what she knew, the rate that Xiaosi learned was even faster than her. “In our minds, sometimes a sense can trigger a different sense. For example, doesn’t a meal that’s red elicit the taste of meat and green elicit the taste of vegetables?”

“I understand what you’re trying to say, but I think your mind just works differently. The most vivid crossing of senses I know is the sight of the sky and feeling the touch of wind.”

“Are you sure?” She tilted her head. “Then, what about the reference board?”

Above her, hanging on the wall were a dozen sheets of paper, tied together like a hanging banner. However, all the sheets overlapped each other, except for a portion of the side where a column of characters was written.

A sheet could be folded up to reveal the definitions of the column of characters. She had made it as an example and had Xiaosi replicate it in his memory palace on a larger scale. Ruidie based the characters and organization on Ran Qiang’s trays which held her print blocks.

Xiaosi nodded with a smile. “It’s slow, but I can get through a book written in New Script.”

“Still, it could be faster. You can kinda replicate visual physical interactions now, right? What about the other ideas I had. Maybe we can design some sort of string-pulling system to retrieve slips of information.”

“Actually, even with just this much, at my normal pace, I feel like I’ll be able to read and write as fast as other students within a week.”

The door opened to interrupt their conversation.

Shibara appeared. “Brother found the target. He’s at the Vermilion Pavilion right now. Is the plan to be friendly?”

Ruidie thought about it.

“What do you want me to do?” Xiaosi asked.

“We’re not doing anything. Let’s have fun and see what these fights are supposed to be about.”

...

The Vermillion Pavilion was just as large as the Azure Pavilion with a matching sky well. Below the sky well were nine circular rings, each having a weapons rack by its side. Interspersed around the rings were spectators, though one ring attracted the most attention. The watchers were mostly from Grand Heart, but based on the yellow, purple, and red uniforms, many were also from the Three Academies.

A man dressed in black and pale-green shouted. “Ashina Israk and Pan Lijuan at ring three!”

In the distance, Israk picked up a saber from a nearby weapons rack and stepped into ring three. Across from him, a youth, whose height and pale-green Grand Heart uniform matched his, stood. Her features were sharp and a ponytail collected all her black hair that extended to her waist. She chose a medium-length bamboo spear.

“Single contact! Begin!”

Israk immediately ran forward until being forced to pivot when a downwards spear swipe arrived in front of him. The speartip did not continue, it stopped perfectly level with the ground and followed after him without losing speed to meet his saber.

Clang!

Pushed back a single step into the optimum range of the spear, Israk had lost his momentum. He gritted his teeth and gave up even more distance until they had returned to their original positions.

Pan Lijuan had not followed after him. “Try again, Ashina?”

Ruidie remembered that Senior Instructor Fang had mentioned Israk fighting this person the other day as well. ‘Try again’ meant multiple things.

Her eyes drifted away from the match to the dozens of spectators at the side of the pavilion. Some were less focused on what went on in the ring than others. She began walking towards one of them.

The student, perhaps two years older than her, wore Grand Heart’s uniform. He pinned his hair loosely to unblock his tanned skin.

“Senior, do you know why there are so many students from the Three Academies here?” Ruidie called.

The youth turned his head and presented a practiced smile. “First time here?”

Xiaosi caught up at this time. “Right.”

“What’s the difference between the Three Academies and the other six schools?” he asked.

Ruidie smiled. “They are the wealthiest.”

The youth shook his head wearily but smile anyway. “You ruin my joke. Yes, they’re the wealthiest. Some might be here to scout for future talents, but most are just here to make bets.” He raised his hand and gestured. Across the hall at various spots, three other students gestured back. “Memorize their faces, and mine as well, we are the house. Our odds are all the same.” He held out a small notebook. “These are for the next few matches on the facilitator’s list.”

The odds of Israk winning were three to one. A twenty-five percent chance. Terrible odds.

“Facilitator’s list?” Xiaosi asked.

The youth twisted his lips while sizing up both Ruidie and Xiaosi before closing his mouth.

“I’ll make a bet if you explain for us.” She waved her pouch holding forty coins.

He immediately smiled. “I’m Huang Fu. The sheets of paper hanging by the entrance is where you write your name and the type of match to enter the queue. You can also request a match against a specified opponent as well.”

“Who’s the facilitator?”

“It’s the guard that judges the matches. Sometimes an instructor might take over to give advice. The duty of a facilitator is also to facilitate wagers between students. As for the matches, there are two types. With blunt weapons, the rule is ‘first contact’. The first to use their weapon to touch the opponent first wins. With fists, the rule is ‘takedown’. The first to get dropped onto the ground loses. People can make up their own rules at one of the open rings, but the match won’t be judged and we can't open bets on those.”

Xiaosi nodded. “I’m going to write my name.”

“Do you even know how to fight?” Ruidie asked.

“No. Since I’ve never tried, I’ll do it now.”

Somehow, she didn’t think his response was illogical at all. “Then write my name for first contact as well. You memorized my name, right?” She turned back to Huang Fu and glanced at his notebook. Written in addition to the names were the year and school of the participants. “What do you think of the next three matches after this one?”

He cleared his throat. “For the next one, I believe the odds are right. For the second, there might be an upset, but for the last, it is unlikely for the odds to be wrong.”

Ruidie handed him her pouch. “For the next match, I am betting four taels on the Grand Heart third-year. For the next one after, place all my winnings on the Thousand Thought fifth-year. For the third, place all my winnings on the Grand Heart fourth-year.” She was following his advice for the first match and doing the complete opposite for the next two.

Huang Fu lost a bit of balance.

“Is something wrong?”

He coughed. “Of course not.” He turned the page on his notebook to write out Ruidie’s actions before signing it and tearing out the sheet to give to her.

Ruidie took it and returned to watching the ring.

A tired smirk passed Pan Lijuan’s face.

Israk attempted a new dash from the right. His saber swept in a curve path that knocked Lijuan’s spear upwards. His other foot stamped onto the floor and pressed forward.

Just before his blade reached his opponent, Lijuan simply twisted her wrist. Her spear arrived at a vertical stand before being stabbed downward. Like a stable tree rooted in the ground, it obstructed Israk's saber once again.

With the spear held so close to her, Israk thought that he had the advantage in speed with his saber. In the next instant, using the spear itself as balance, Lijuan's leg lashed out and kicked Israk in the stomach, sending him across the floor.

Pan Lijuan stood with her spear next to Israk’s neck a moment later. “Better try again next time.” She turned around and walked towards the entrance with only boredom in her eyes.

“The winner is Pan Lijuan!” the facilitator announced. “The next match will begin in ten breaths.”

Ruidie stepped towards Israk when multiple students began making their way towards Huang Fu.

Shibara had remained next to the ring. “How many times have you lost to her already?”

Israk sat up and slammed down his fist on the floor. “I don’t get it. I have beaten all my seniors so far. She’s a first-year not any older than me!”

“Perhaps this will humble you, Brother. Her technique is flawless and she has enough experience to use them without hesitation.”

“And how are you doing?” Shibara asked Ruidie.

“So far, I’ve made three bets, and both Xiaosi and I signed up to fight.”

Her mouth hung open. “Are you just playing around?”

Israk got up and stepped off the ring. “You signed up? You’re looking to get squashed. I can’t wait to see this.”

Ruidie frowned. Soon the next few matches began and finished, and Huang Fu appeared before her again. She had a wide smile on her face. “So how did I do?”

Huang Fu made no expression. “You won all three.” He tossed her pouch back. “Twelve and a half taels. I’ll take back the bet slip.”

She opened the pouch. There were twelve silver pebble-like ingots and five coins. Four taels have been multiplied by three. I might not know who should likely win, but he did. Although she was certain his advice was true for a first match and false for the second, whether he would lie for the third was a tossup.

“Dugu Qiyi and Hei Ruidie to ring three!” the facilitator announced.

“So you wrote my name before yours.” Ruidie tossed Xiaosi her pouch of winnings and took a step forward.

Xiaosi held the pouch and tilted his head. He turned to Huang Fu and handed over the pouch. “I’m betting this on her.”

Ruidie froze mid-step. Her head rigidly spun around. “What. Was. That.”

“Don’t you want me to bet on you?”

“No! I wanted you to hold onto those so they won’t fall out of my uniform!”

Huang Fu chuckled and handed Xiaosi a slip of paper. “Good luck, Juniors.”

“Good luck,” Xiaosi casually said.

She couldn’t believe it. “Where’s your guilt? Where's your shame?”

“What do you mean? You’re going to win anyway.”

Ruidie left her mouth open. His eyes completely believe it! “What are my odds?” she said to Huang Fu.

“Three to one.”

She clenched her fist. Times Three! Times Three! I can do this! It’s all for the taels! I have a chance!

…

“She has no chance.” Israk leaned against the wall. “Just like you, she doesn’t practice any weapon.”

Shibara smiled without objecting. “But a spear is the correct one for someone who’s never fought. The first contact rule also gives her a slight chance doesn’t it?”

He shook his head. “The students who use the Vermillion Pavilion are all experienced martial artists looking for practice. Dugu Qiyi is in the middle state of Perception. She, on the other hand, somehow chose a spear that is an ornament piece.”

In the ring, Ruidie held a lustrous silver spear. It simply had an outer coating over the wooden pole, which made it lighter compared to another spear of the same length. This isn’t a real fight, there are fewer drawbacks to a light weapon.

The mismatch in size between her height and the spear caused the youth across from her to snort. The tall buzzcut youth named Dugu Qiyi held a sword.

“First contact! Begin!”

Qiyi sprinted forward at an even pace.

Ruidie held the spear level forward and stood balanced in an unpracticed manner, in no way a form, yet, unexpectedly, Qiyi halted. He took a sidestep when the spear shifted and allowed an open path through, yet when he stepped forward, he suddenly hesitated again and backed away. The exact same scenario played out one more time.

Israk slowly widened his eyes. What is this happening? What is this nonsense?

Qiyi frowned. Just as his sword swept aside the girl’s spear, he watched her propel herself back and suddenly he saw the vision of a spear being pulled and then thrust forward to graze his waist in an angle that prevented him from responding. His advance faltered and he backed off again. This opponent… Does she have a response for everything?

“That’s it,” Israk muttered sharply. “She’s conveying so much intent that it’s practically being projected. Even if they don’t try, someone in Perception would be forced to perceive it.” Even though he wasn’t in the ring, he was grasping a style reliant on spatial awareness from the girl.

Qiyi was perceiving Ruidie’s intent and predicting her reactions to his advances. In these predictions, he saw her perfectly countering and winning. Whatever style she knew, it suppressed him.

Yet in reality, Ruidie did not have the physical capabilities of pulling off the maneuvers Qiyi saw. She knew the theory in her mind, but her physical body was incapable of following. It’s as if she learned a martial arts style without ever practicing it.

However, she was confident she knew how to theoretically counter Qiyi, and was recreating the images in her head. This intent was caught on by Qiyi who’s in Perception, which made him hesitate. In other words… it was all a bluff! Everything was a lie. All nonsense. If Dugu Qiyi just fought normally, Ruidie wouldn’t even be an obstacle. Perception was meant to be used to predict the opponent, yet now it backfired.

Israk creased his lips. It’s still just a trick. Even if he’s intimidated a few times, she’s incapable of attacking. Eventually, he will either see through her sham or take action and find out it's a sham, whichever comes first.

With two arms, Qiyi raised his sword level and forward next to his shoulder. He saw the path to break past what he didn't know was an imaginary spear style. In three steps he found it surprisingly easy to sweep the spear past him. Instead of taking a strike at Ruidie, he used his sword to keep her spear pushed away as his foot pivoted his direction around now so that he was now behind her. At this moment, no time allowed for Ruidie to turn around, so he raised his sword and slashed.

...

“The winner is Hei Ruidie!”

Qiyi’s eyes shook. He stared down and found that the bottom end of a spear had tapped his chest.

Ruidie stood with her back towards him, and her arm extended back without her even looking.

“How?” he said in disbelief.

“Silver is reflective.” Although someone else would have trouble using a curved surface as a mirror, she could easily make out where he was behind her. No intent existed because she had immediately thought of and did the action.

“No, I mean... what spear style was that?”

She gave a small smile. “Ninth Military Spear.”

“But there is no ninth manual in the Military Spear Series.”

“That's because Senior Instructor Lei is still writing it,” she said aloud before walking off the ring and standing before Huang Fu. “Hand over my thirty-seven and a half taels.”

Huang Fu absently did.

As she excitedly counted every piece of silver, the next match was announced. “Chen Xiaosi and Pan Lijuan at ring three!”

“What are his odds?” she immediately asked.

Huang Fu creased his lips. “Five to one.”

“So he only has a sixteen percent chance of winning? They’re both first-years. Isn’t that too low? Is your info right?”

“I know who your friend is, and who you are as well. Among the Three Institutes’ first-years, the three hopefuls are Xiang Gen, Ashina Shibara, and Pan Lijuan. Then there are you three. Chen Xiaosi, Hei Ruidie, and Ashina Israk.”

“What are we?”

“The three delinquents on the verge of failing. Grand Hearts values martial arts.” He glanced at Israk. “Thousand Thought is always unorthodox,” he said towards her. “But Stargazing is for scholars, and Chen Xiaosi is still struggling to catch up on just that.”

Ruidie placed her hand on Xiaosi’s shoulder just as he had picked up a solid bronze broadsword. “Listen, takedown might be fighting, but first contact is a game. Tag the other person before they tag you.”

He nodded.

“So, you’re winning, right?“

“Why wouldn’t I win?” He sounded genuinely confused.

She immediately tossed her pouch again. “Everything on him.”

“Are you sure? Thinking straight? Perhaps you’re unwell today?” Despite saying that, Huang Fu still wrote her action.

Ruidie faced forward. “Some people don’t lie because they don’t need to. Since he says he’ll win, Pan Lijuan is basically dirt in my eyes.”

“And where does that put me?” Israk walked up from behind her.

“I wouldn’t know.”

He tsked and gazed intently at the match. Pan Lijuan immediately signed up for another match after theirs ended, so in a way, it made sense that her name would be after Xiaosi’s.

...

“First contact! Begin!”

Xiaosi stood in place, swinging his sword like a club, getting a feel for it.

Lijuan sighed and walked forward. A dud match. I won’t gain experience from this. Once they were across one another she made a thrust so quick even most of the spectators didn’t catch it.

Yet, with a slight shift, Xiaosi stepped out of the way.

She raised an eyebrow and sprung into action. A spear began dancing.

Bending his waist back. Titling his entire body. Diving forward. Swinging his sword as a stick. He continued to avoid the swings of the spear, like a performer.

It actually did become a game of tag. Lijuan chased Xiaosi around the ring in circles. She became increasingly agitated as it went on.

The facilitator sweated as he watched.

A wide horizontal swing arrived and Xiaosi leaped. Simultaneously, like chopping wood, he swung his sword down with the flat end facing up.

At that instant, Lijuan’s muscles swelled as her strength pushed upwards against Xiaosi’s attempt to knock her spear towards the ground.

The wind blew.

In the air, Xiaosi shifted his weight forward. Like an acrobat balancing on a pole, he used the spear’s upwards pushing in conjunction with his sword to lift himself higher in his leap. At a man’s height off the ground, he finally made a real slash down towards Lijuan.

Lijuan’s bright eyes saw victory at his juvenile action. Her spear’s control was perfect. It followed him up the moment his weight left it. She crouched down, thrusting her spear upwards in a flawless path that would contact Xiaosi first.

At the crucial moment, Lijuan flinched at an unexpected pain.

A sword was then brought down.

“The winner is Chen Xiaosi!”

The spectators erupted. Pan Lijuan’s winning streak had somehow ended. Almost everyone had lost money.

...

“It was the opposite of your fight. Both of you have zero experience, but while you rely on lies, he has the instinct and ability,” Israk said.

Ruidie didn’t hear him and muttered instead. “He’s like a bird, isn’t he?”

Shibara nodded. “Yes, like when Isitin fights over territory. Sweeping in and blocking with his talons. Twisting his wings to avoid strikes. Biting off feathers as distractions.”

Talent. Illiterate. Climbing rooftops. Principal Yao’s favor. Waiting on the wall. The touch of wind. Demon. It all came to Ruidie. Does he miss the sky?

In the ring, Xiaosi stood with his free hand holding three strands of long black hair.

Across from him, Lijuan finally left her frozen state. She took out a small knife. A tense moment passed before she placed the knife behind her head and cut off her ponytail at the base. Without looking back, she left the pavilion.

Xiaosi blinked and left the ring. “I won.”

Ruidie walked up to him and placed her hand on his head.

He smiled.

She smiled… before she gripped his hair to start dragging around. “How could you pull her hair out!“

“But I won!” he struggled to say as his head was pulled in circles.

“If we fight someday, are you going to pull my hair too?”

“Maybe?”

Someone coughed. Huang Fu stood there in a darkened expression. Although the house benefited from the upset, his own cut as a dealer went into the negatives for the very first time ever. He even borrowed from the other dealers to fill the heavy pouch he's handing over. “One hundred eighty-seven and a half taels in total.”

Ruidie took it. “I knew I had an affinity for gambling. I always planned to visit Taiping’s casinos after breaking through to the second realm.”

“Doesn't that imply you're going there to cheat?”

She tilted her head exaggeratedly. “Does it? When did I imply that?”

Huang Fu frowned. “Will you be making any more bets?”

“I’m not an idiot. I’ve already made a killing. How about you?”

Her condescending smirk broke his restraint. “I can easily ban you from every casino in Taiping.”

“Are you sick?”

“My father owns all of Taiping’s casinos.”

Her smile disappeared from her face. Despite her height, she stared straight into his eyes. “Fine you sore loser, I’ll fight one more time. As to who I’ll fight, you can choose.”

“What?” he said surprised.

“First contact rules. An opponent of your choice. As long as they’re a student, it can be anyone. I’ll bet everything I’ve made, but the odds will be locked five to one. In other words, another five times payout if I win.”

...

He sat lazing across the wooden mat in front of the open window, reading a cloth scroll held in his hand. His grey uniform student tied his hair in a short loose ponytail. “Start over from the beginning.”

“Jingxin! I already told you everything, I can’t say anything more,” Huang Fu said.

“Fine. You lost some taels to her, but the house actually netted profits, so there really isn’t a problem.” Jiang Jingxin sighed. “The only problem here is you. Do you know what your flaw is? It is judgment. You need to be able to judge when people are more capable than you. Even an idiot can become a successful scammer if he only scams those dumber than him.”

Huang Fu felt his intelligence attacked by the student who was a year younger than him, but this has become a common part of their conversations already. “So what do I do?”

“Do? You said the girl’s name was Hei Ruidie, right? You’ve learned your lesson. It’s a sunk cost at this point. Don’t do anything. In fact, if you see her again, avoid her. Don’t make deals with her. Don’t make bets with her. Don’t play any more games.”

He shifted uneasily. “I can't.”

Jingxin dropped his scroll. “What do you mean, you can’t?”

“I had her agree to one last fight. One last bet. Five times payout.”

He narrowed his eyes. “So you didn’t tell me everything... And who are you planning to have her fight?

“Anyone will do. One of us at the upper state of Perception could tell she won her fight on a fluke. She doesn’t actually know any martial arts.”

“Idiot! What did I just say about judging people?” He heaved a sigh. “Does your father know you’re this incompetent?”

He blanched.

Jingxin continued. “Listen carefully. That girl is more competent than you. Do you really think you were the one to start this bet? We are all the same kinds of people. We lie, cheat, scheme, and do anything in order to get what we want. If she agreed to play, it is because she is confident that she can win. Do you know why she’s so confident of winning?”

“No.”

“Exactly! Right now, she knows something that you don’t. You’re on side with less information. You’re guaranteed to lose. It’s this simple!”

His eyes opened. He finally realized what Jingxin was saying. I’ve been played this entire time. “Tell me what to do. Don’t just keep leading me on here.”

He shifty his lazy eyes. “Yeah, I’ll help. We’ll have her fight Zhan Yiting. He still owes me the debt I got out of him. He’ll be happy to do something so trivial.”

Huang Fu sat up. His eyes shook.

At this moment, the Three Institutes had three prodigies and all three were in their second year. They were the capital’s weapons for the next conference. Dong Xia of Stargazing, Jiang Jingxin of Thousand Thought, and finally Zhan Yiting of Grand Heart.

“Are you really going to waste the favor?”

Jingxin raised an eyebrow and grinned. “What do you mean waste? Isn’t this fun?”

“Fun?”

“And it won’t be a waste. I actually regret not becoming friends with Zhan Yiting last year. I thought that he didn’t have what it takes, but he’s still keeping up with me and Dong Xia. This will be a show of goodwill.”

He blinked. “If he easily wins, he’ll see this as you throwing his favor away. If he loses by a fluke, he’ll feel more indebted to you.”

Jingxin stood up. “This is your second lesson. Only play games where you always gain something no matter the outcome.”

…

A large framed youth followed Huang Fu into the pavilion. His hair gathered in many small braids. Small scars littered his face which set in a perpetual frown. Zhan Yiting stepped up to the facilitator who had already been informed of the wager between Huang Fu and Hei Ruidie.

“Hei Ruidie and Zhan Yiting at ring three! Priority wager match!”

Spectators surrounded the ring.

Once Yiting picked up the largest sword at the rack and stepped in the ring, he clicked his tongue.

“Hello, Esteemed Senior!” Ruidie hopped and waved her spear in a greeting. “Are you famous? Can I get a signature?”

The facilitator ignored her and called the match to begin. “First contact! Begin!”

Yiting prepared to end everything in a single blade stroke when he looked up and leaped back.

A mass of something dark fell and scattered outwards in every direction.

The spectators all exclaimed and fell back. “What on earth!?”

Lumps of centipedes all broke apart. Several more fell down from the sky well above like rain until it stopped. Hundreds of centipedes squirmed in the ring until slowly surrounding Ruidie in a circle.

She tossed her spear down. “Esteemed Senior! If you can dance like a monkey and get past this, I’ll admit defeat!”

“Go, Esteemed Senior!” Xiaosi yelled from the audience. “You can do it!”

Yiting’s eye twitched. It was actually effortless for him to cross the field of centipedes, but- “Is this joke?” he directed specifically at Huang Fu.

“It isn’t!” Huang Fu immediately denied it.

“Do you want me to make a fool of myself.”

“Of course not, Sen-”

“Don’t call me senior!” His eyes darkened. He spun around and stepped off the ring. “Jingxin can keep my debt, but if he dares to try this again, I’ll drag that uncaring smile of his apart from his jaw.”

With his mouth left open, Huang Fu stared at Yiting’s back as he walked out the pavilion. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go at all!

“Too bad he gave up,” Ruidie said to herself. There are still three more waves of centipedes on the roof that were waiting to be dropped.

Slowly, the centipedes on the floor joined together in round mass and began returning to the Plum Forest, causing many spectators to hurry out of the way in disgust.

The facilitator, confirming that the insects were a part of Ruidie’s cultivation, solemnly announced the victor. “Zhan Yiting forfeits! The winner is Hei Ruidie.”

Huang Fu found it difficult to speak.

She nodded towards the facilitator and faced Huang Fu. Shibara had asked if her plan was to be friendly. The answer was no. Being antagonistic works so much faster than making friends. “Nine hundred thirty-seven and a half taels. Do you have it or not?”