“Messing with you? What makes you say that?” asked Wu Jian.

“Don’t play dumb.” Hou Chāo ’s glare grew even more fierce. “You’ve been going easy on me this entire time. You think I can’t tell? I wasn’t born yesterday. I know when someone isn’t taking a fight seriously.”

Wu Jian shrugged. “I guess you caught me. I meant no offense, but the truth is, you’re not strong enough to make me go all out.”

Hou Chāo clenched and unclenched his hands, knuckles turning white. Wu Jian remained silent. He wasn’t sure what to do in this situation. The second prince didn’t look angry, but he did seem frustrated, and he had power that Wu Jian did not. It wasn’t the strength of an individual but that of a nation. That wasn’t something he could fight against.

“Yeah… I kinda figured that was the case,” Hou Chāo suddenly sighed and all the tension seemed to drain from him. “I noticed at the very beginning of this fight that your heart wasn’t in it. It’s easy to tell that sorta thing if you have enough experience. It’s frustrating, but you’re much stronger than me. I know I’ve got no hope of winning as I am now.”

“Does that mean you’ll give up?” asked Wu Jian.

Hou Chāo glared at him, and all the tension that had disappeared suddenly returned.

“Course not. You think I’ll give up just because you’re stronger? Fuck that. I’m not the kinda guy who gives up just because the situation is hopeless.”

He pointed at Wu Jian.

“I’m gonna keep fighting until I can’t fight anymore. If you wanna step outta this arena, then you need to beat me black and blue!”

Ugh… really? The prince wants me to beat the crap out of him? What a pain in the butt. Does he not realize how badly doing that can tarnish my reputation? I might not care about how people perceive me, but as Hou Jingshu’s lover, I can’t afford to let my reputation get dragged through the mud.

“You’re putting me in a bit of a bind here,” Wu Jian said.

“Hah! Don’t worry about any of that. Your rep ain’t gonna get tarnished just because you beat the snot outta me. I’m the one who wanted to battle.”

“That’s easy for you to say… you’re not the one beating up a prince.”

“Enough talk! If you want me to give up, then you’re gonna have to make me!”

“Tch. Damn idiot.”

Hou Chāo rushed forward, thrusting his staff at a speed so rapid most people in the audience were unlikely to see anything more than the trail of fire left in its wake. The flames of Hou Chāo ’s chi surrounded the staff, causing it to ignite. It was hot enough to make Wu Jian sweat.

What should I do now?

Wu Jian twisted his body as the second prince tried to jab him in the stomach. Then he leapt into the air when the man attempted to sweep his legs out from underneath him. He flipped around, landed in a crouch, and rolled forward as Hou Chāo slammed his staff into the arena floor. Flames erupted where he struck and several cracks appeared in the arena.

If I end this in one blow, the second prince might get upset and decide to make things hard for me. I can’t overcome the influence of an entire nation. But if I don’t do something, he’s gonna get angry anyway… dammit.

Wu Jian realized soon that it didn’t matter what he did. Hou Chāo would get upset regardless, and if that was the case, then wasn’t it better to end this farce now and save himself some time?

Hou Chāo came in with another thrust. Wu Jian dodged, but then reached out his hand and grabbed the staff. The flames seared into his palm, but he manipulated the space around it, freezing the flames within their own space.

“What the heck?!”

Hou Chāo ’s eyes widened in shock, but he didn’t have time to do much more as Wu Jian yanked on the staff. The second prince stumbled forward--right into Wu Jian’s extended arm. Wu Jian wrapped his arm around Hou Chāo ’s upper chest and neck, lifted him into the air, and slammed him into the ground. He did not use all of his strength. Even so, a deafening boom echoed around the arena as the floor beneath Hou Chāo cratered.

Wu Jian stepped back and took a single deep breath. He held it in for ten seconds, then released it in a sigh.

“Ooooi. You okay?” he called out to Hou Chāo .

The second prince didn’t respond right away. He was out cold, eyes rolled up in the back of his head. Wu Jian worried that he might have overdone it.

Not a soul spoke in that arena. Everyone was completely silent as they waited to see what would happen. Even Mun Han, who should have been refereeing this match, did not do much more than stand around like an idiot.

A gasp echoed from the crater as the prince came to, blinking his eyes rapidly as he sucked in a deep breath. Wu Jian walked toward the edge of the crater as the man looked around like he didn’t know where he was.

“Hey. You feeling okay?” asked Wu Jian.

Hou Chāo stared at him for several seconds… then laughed.

“Ha ha ha ha ha! Hah hah hah hah! HAH HAH HAH HAH!!”

“Um…”

Wu Jian took a step back. Had the second prince lost his mind? Did Wu Jian slam him so hard into the ground that he’d suddenly become stupid? He hoped not. That would be bad. Nevermind the blow to his reputation, people might accuse Hou Jingshu of sending someone after her brother to remove him from the competition for the throne. What would Wu Jian do if that happened? Crap! Dammit! He hadn’t thought this through at all!

But contrary to his expectations, Hou Chāo eventually calmed down, though he continued to snicker.

“Damn… you really are as strong as you claim. Shit. I didn’t stand a chance. I feel like a frog who’s been stuck in a well this whole time. I only saw a small glimpse of the sky, but now I’ve been dragged out into the wider world. It’s hard to imagine there are people like you who are so much stronger than me, but I gotta accept that if I want to get even stronger.”

“Uh…”

Wu Jian was rather speechless. Maybe that damage to his brain had knocked something back in place?

Hou Chāo clambered to his feet, patted himself down, then climbed out of the crater. He stood before the wary Wu Jian. Grinning, he thrust out his hand.

“That was a good fight!”

“Uh… oh. Well, I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

Wu Jian didn’t know what else to do other than extend his own hand and clasp the prince’s in a handshake.

“But don’t think this is the end,” Hou Chāo warned. “I’m gonna get way stronger than I am now. Then I’ll come back and beat you to a pulp.”

“Well… good luck with that,” Wu Jian said.

“I won’t need luck,” Hou Chāo declared.

Wu Jian didn’t know what kind of expression he was making, but he was sure the conglomeration of emotions tumbling about inside of him were reflected on his face. This day was turning out to be full of surprises.

***

Wu Jian did not remain in Mencho after that. He spent the night at the inn with Yu Qiang, then made his way back to Imperial Shang City. It took two days of traveling at full speed to reach the capital. Wu Jian had tried to see if Yōuměi wanted to come out of his shadow, but the black panther refused to emerge even when he called for her. He could tell she was okay since they were connected via his shadow. However, she wasn’t responding to his calls.

They reached the Shang Kingdom capital, walked through the city, and eventually came upon the Shang Kingdom Imperial Academy.

“I need to see the head elder,” Yu Qiang said. “I have to inform him of what happened on our way here.”

“I’m going to find Jingshu and let her know I’ve returned,” Wu Jian said.

The other man nodded. “I’ll come find you when I’m done. I should have your Inner Court Disciple robes.”

“Mmm. See you.”

Wu Jian and Yu Qiang parted ways after entering the academy. Wu Jian did not even bother traveling to his old room and instead headed for the inner court. He was already a fairly well-known figure to the guards there, so they let him in without much fuss.

“Is that him?!”

“It is! That’s Jian Wu!”

“Did you hear about what he did during the Inner Court Disciple Exams?”

“Only a few rumors. What happened?”

“They say he slew the Hell Ape?”

“That can’t be true. You shouldn’t believe every rumor you hear.”

“It’s true! I heard the elders talking about it!”

“I don’t believe you. Not even Yu Chenguang could defeat that monster. What makes you think someone at the Asura Realm could do what our most powerful cultivator can’t?”

“Well… that is a good point, but everyone’s saying he did it.”

“Like I said, don’t believe every rumor you hear. You’re being way too gullible.”

Wu Jian’s ears tingled as the people around him spoke, but he made his way unerringly to the Core Discples’s compound. There were only a few Core Disciples milling about outside. Most of them were likely cultivating in private or sparring. Very few cultivators would rest on their laurels. Those who longed for strength knew that the only way to acquire it was to seek it out themselves.

Hou Jingshu’s building was tucked away in its own little area. He knocked on the door but didn’t receive a response. Furrowing his brow, he pondered what to do for a second, then produced a small token. This token contained Hou Jingshu’s chi and could be used to unlock the door.

Nobody was in the entrance hall when he entered, but he heard a sound coming from the back--grunts of exertion and the thudding of feet. He walked through the hall, came into the main living space, and headed toward the backyard. There he found Hou Jingshu sparring with Zhou Lihua, whom he had not expected to see at the academy.

They were sparring.

She’s using a pair of tessen.

Commonly known as a war fan, the tessen was an extremely difficult weapon to wield. It was much more delicate than a sword or a spear. Because it was so easy to break, wielding it required a lot more finesse. This was his first time seeing her spar with them. She seemed quite adept.

Hou Jingshu thrust her spear forward. Zhou Lihua sidestepped, closed her fan, and thrust it out. She smacked the spear aside, then stepped forward and waved her other fan. Flames burst from the fan and sped toward Hou Jingshu. The other woman attempted to back away, but Zhou Lihua stomped on the ground and several roots entangled the princess’s legs.

Narrowing her eyes, Hou Jingshu released a mighty swing that caused the very air to reverberate. A sound not unlike a dragon’s roar echoed all around them. The roots were destroyed and the flames dispersed. Hou Jingshu didn’t waste time. She darted forward and released a continuous stream of attacks that were either dodged or blocked.

They’re both really good, but it’s clear Jingshu is better.

It might have looked like they were evenly matched to the average onlooker, but Wu Jian could see how much Zhou Lihua was struggling to keep up with Hou Jingshu’s relentless attacks. She used a lot more chi and techniques than her sparring partner. For every one technique Hou Jingshu used, Zhou Lihua was forced to use twelve or thirteen. She would run out of chi long before the Shang Kingdom’s princess.

Wu Jian removed his mask, sat down on the porch, and silently watched the pair as they continued. The spar eventually came to an end when Hou Jingshu tripped Zhou Lihua and thrust the spear at her face.

“This is my win,” she declared.

“Haaah… haaaah… so it is,” Zhou Lihua said. She smiled bitterly. “You’ve become much stronger than me, it seems.”

“That’s only because my focus is on my martial dao, while yours is on alchemy.”

Hou Jingshu smiled as she stabbed her spear into the ground and held out her hand to Zhou Lihua. The other woman took the hand and let the princess pull her up.

“I remember a time when I prided myself on my martial prowess. I’ve grown soft like a persimmon.”

“Maybe a little.”

Wu Jian began clapping as the two finished their spar, causing the pair to turn around. Their eyes lit up with delight.

“Wu Jian!” they shouted at the same time.

Hou Jingshu ran over to him, but Zhou Lihua was surprisingly faster. She sprang forward like a lightning bolt and jumped on top of him. Wu Jian fell onto his back as the young woman pressed her full body against his.

“Welcome back. We were wondering when you would return,” Zhou Lihua with narrowed eyes and a seductive smile.

“H-hey! Lihua!” shouted Hou Jingshu.

“I would have returned sooner… but I got held up,” Wu Jian admitted as he stroked Zhou Lihua’s hair.

“Hey! Are you two listening to me! Lihua! Get off him!”

“Hmph. You sleep with Wu Jian all the time. The least you can do is allow me to be the first to greet him,” Zhou Lihua said to the princess.

“Ah… but that’s… ugh! Fine! But I… I want to greet him too.”

Zhou Lihua grinned. “Just wait your turn patiently.” She turned back to Wu Jian and smiled down at him. “You’ll have to tell me all about why you were held up, but first, you should give me a proper greeting.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Wu Jian cupped Zhou Lihua’s face as he drew her into a kiss. This woman certainly didn’t waste time. Her tongue was in his mouth the moment their kiss began. It took all of his considerable willpower not to groan as she rubbed her tongue against his, exploring his depths like a cultivator seeking ancient treasure. The way she pressed her chest against him was just the icing on the cake.

This seemed to be too much for Hou Jingshu, who began shouting at them.

“All right! That’s enough! Hey! Are you two listening to me! Hey! Stop iiiiiiiit!”

It was good to be home.