“Victory goes to Wu Jian!”

“Wu Jian is the winner!”

“Wu Jian wins!”

The tournament continued and Wu Jian wracked up victory after victory. However, most of his battles were against his fellow Wu Clansmen. He didn’t know if this was coincidence or not. Who fought who in which ring had been determined by random drawing (supposedly), meaning there should have been no way to rig this part of the tournament, but he still couldn’t help but wonder if maybe this was part of Wu Wei and Ming Han’s plot.

Since he was currently done with his battle and someone else was fighting, Wu Jian went over to watch Wu Meiying’s battle. Hou Jingshu was already there, watching the fight with a dour look.

“I’m guessing you lost?” he asked as he walked up to her.

“That obvious?” Hou Jingshu asked with a bitter glare, then sighed. “I lost to Ming Shen in the second round.”

“Ouch.”

“I normally wouldn’t be so bitter about losing, but not only did he beat me, he also…”

“Did he do something to you?” Wu Jian asked.

Hou Jingshu bit her lip, closed her eyes, and gritted her teeth as a shamed blush spread across her cheeks. “He… touched my chest.”

“I’ll kill him.”

“Please don’t. That would get you disqualified.”

While they were joking, Wu Jian really did hate the fact that Ming Shen had touched Hou Jingshu. He might still be getting used to the idea that she was his fiancée, but that didn’t change the fact that she was his fiancée, and he did not want anyone else touching her. Wu Jian wouldn’t kill Ming Shen because it was against the rules. However, nothing in the rules said he couldn’t beat the boy to within an inch of his life.

Dispelling his anger through force of will, Wu Jian focused on the battle between Wu Meiying and Juishi Meirin. The two girls stood in the exact center of the ring, duking it out with reckless abandon. That was what it looked like, at least. It was clear from Juishi Meirin’s red face and Wu Meiying’s calm one that his best friend had the advantage.

“How long has the fight been going on for?” asked Wu Jian.

“It just started a few seconds ago,” Hou Jingshu answered.

As they spoke, Juishi Meirin threw a high kick at Wu Meiying’s face. It was a graceful attack. Her foot traveled in a clear arc that cut through the air. Yet for however graceful her kick was, it was also predictable and easy to outmaneuver.

Wu Meiying lowered her body to the ground, pressed her hands on the ring floor, and swept Juishi Meirin’s feet out from under her. The other girl squawked as she fell to the ground. She tried to scramble to her feet, but Wu Meiying moved into a parallel handstand and kicked the other girl in the face.

Many winced as the loud sound of foot meeting face echoed around the arena.

As her opponent’s head snapped back from the attack, Wu Meiying stood smoothly to her feet, spun around, and launched a reverse wheel kick. The back of her heel struck Juishi Meirin on the neck, putting her out of commission. Hou Jingshu winced when the Juishi clan heiress dropped to the arena floor with a hard thud.

“That must have hurt,” she muttered.

“Yup. Mei’s kicks hurt like nothing else,” Wu Jian agreed.

“Wu Meiying is the victor!” The elder at her ring stated.

With her victory now announced, Wu Meiying turned to them and hopped off the ring with a grin. Two Zhou Clansmen went onto the ring and carried Juishi Meirin out on a stretcher.

“Congratulations on your victory,” Wu Jian said.

“Hah! That was too easy. Juishi Meirin never stood a chance against me,” Wu Meiying boasted, though she still looked quite pleased at the praise. “The only one I’m concerned about is Zhou Lihua. She’ll be a tough opponent to beat.”

“But you will beat her, right? I’ll tease you mercilessly if you lose,” Wu Jian said, poking her in the cheek.

“Don’t worry. I won’t lose to anyone.” Wu Meiying turned away from Wu Jian to look at Hou Jingshu. “I heard about what happened during your last match. Much as I hate to admit it, Ming Shen is pretty strong. He might not be the strongest, but since you only started training within the last few months, he has a definite edge over you.”

“I know. I still wish I could have won,” Hou Jingshu said with a sigh.

Wu Jian grabbed her hand and rubbed her knuckles with his thumb. “The fact that you feel this way is proof that you have pride in your abilities. Use this loss as determination to get stronger, so the next time you and he fight, you can kick his butt.”

Hou Jingshu giggled, her cheeks a touch pink. “Is that what you did after your loss in the last tournament?”

“You bet it is!”

“Will Wu Jian head to ring four! Your match is about to start!”

“That’s my cue. Will you two watch me?” asked Wu Jian.

“Of course we will,” Wu Meiying said.

Hou Jingshu agreed. “I would love to see you fight seriously.”

“Whether I fight seriously or not depends on my opponent,” Wu Jian grinned.

They moved over to ring four and Wu Jian hopped onto the ring, where his opponent was already waiting. Wu Jian paused to stare at the girl’s lean body. His opponent wore a sleeveless training gi, which laid bare her muscular arms. The pink pigment of several scars stood starkly against her light skin. Light blond hair tied into a ponytail and green eyes made her appear very different from the traditional Shang Kingdom resident. He wondered which country she hailed from.

“So, you are Wu Jian.” She eyed him up and down, then licked her lips. “Don’t take this personally, but I’ve been asked to beat you.”

Wu Jian drew his lips into a thin line. “Is that so? Was it Elder Wei who put you up to this, or did Ming Han hire you to take me out?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” the girl said with a laugh.

“Are both contestants ready?” The elder asked. “Bow to me. Bow to your families. Bow to each other. Now… fight!”

Wu Jian’s initial plan was to fight defensively until he knew what kind of opponent he was dealing with. He preferred building strategies after he understood his enemy’s fighting style. However, the moment this battle started, he understood that simply waiting to learn more about his foe might result in his loss.

The girl was already within fighting range the moment the battle began. Just when she had closed the distance was something he didn’t know. It was almost like she had appeared before him after he blinked. His reflexes saved him from her initial punch. He tilted his head to the side and smacked her hand away to further the distance between them, but a loud explosion of wind erupted from her attack, showing what kind of strength he was dealing with.

How can anyone be this strong?!

Wu Jian stumbled away from the girl, who had no intention of letting up and doggedly clung to him. She launched a swift series of punches. Each one was powerful enough to rent the air. They left aftershocks in their wake.

Realizing that he was not dealing with an ordinary person, Wu Jian leapt back several feet, then ducked low as the girl rushed him. He raised himself up on his hands and mule kicked at his opponent, but she nimbly swerved around his attack and came in from the side. Wu Jian was forced to roll across the ground and skip back to his feet before her kick could connect.

“You really are strong,” she said at last. “I never expected someone so much younger than me to be capable of reacting to my attacks. I’m impressed.”

“And I never expected someone from outside the clans to give me this much trouble,” Wu Jian returned. “What’s your name?”

The girl placed a finger against her lip, smiling. “Hmmm. I suppose it wouldn’t be proper for me to know your name when you don’t know mine. Very well. You can just call me Yue.”

Yue meant “moon” in the ancient tongue. It was an oddly contradictory name. This girl with her bright hair, vibrant eyes, and outgoing personality didn’t seem to fit the name. When he thought of the moon, he imagined of something enchanting, mysterious, and unobtainable.

“I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking my name doesn’t suit me at all, right? You might be right. But you might also be wrong.”

“What does that mean?”

“Who knows.”

Wu Jian clicked his tongue. He would have said something else, but Yue quickly moved, and he was once more surprised when she appeared within his guard so fast it was like he had blinked and missed it.

How is she doing that?!

As the battle progressed, Wu Jian found himself giving ground. He gritted his teeth as he tilted his head, just barely avoiding another strike, but he flinched as pain struck his cheek. A warm wetness dripped down his skin. He had been cut. Her punch was so powerful it had created a fierce wind that cut into his cheek.

There’s no way a normal person at the Body Forging Realm can be this powerful, is there?!

Wu Jian prided himself on his strength, but even he wasn’t powerful enough to create wind blades out of thin air. That was not something a person at the Body Forging Realm could ever accomplish.

With his thoughts distracting him, Wu Jian was unable to react in time as Yue feigned a punch, then hooked her foot behind his leg and yanked. He fell to a knee, then was forced onto his back. Before he knew what was happening, Yue was straddling his torso and had his arms locked above his head.

“You’re… older than sixteen, aren’t you?” Wu Jian asked.

Yue’s eyes flashed with surprise, but then a bright and seductive smile appeared on her face. She leaned in so close that he could feel her chest press against his as she whispered in his ear, “Congratulations on figuring that out, but so what if I am? You have no proof.”