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And unwelcome.

Hei Dong had summoned both Rhi and Fia to stand with him, along with Fia’s enclave of Silver Shadows. The twelve women in black stood in formation, encircling the central courtyard of the Dong Estate.

Their positioning was strategic.

If Lo Feng had come here to start trouble, they would not make it easy for him.

Lo Feng leered at him in greeting, performing a short bow as he stepped through the main gates. A tall woman, with fiery red hair, barely covered by a wide douli, bowed at his side.

“Master Lo Feng,” Hei Dong said without masking his disdain. “To what do I owe this visit so early in the morning?”

Lo Feng gave an exaggerated expression of shock and surprise. “Why Master Hei Dong, is that any way to greet an old friend? Certainly, our court matters should not sour the relationship we have forged over the years.”

“Perhaps accusing our daughter of murdering your nephew might have something to do with it,” Rhi said, her Qi churning with anger. “Why have you come here?”

Normally Hei Dong would seek to bridle his wife’s tongue, but today her sentiments mirrored his own. “Indeed, why have you come unannounced, Master Lo Feng?”

Lo Feng harumphed. “Merely to make a new introduction.” He then gestured to the woman next to him. “This One is Master Hin Wu, Sect Elder and my new successor to Hong Feng’s position. I thought it only fitting that you should become acquainted.”

The woman bowed again, cunning in her gleaming red eyes. “This One is pleased to meet such an auspicious family.” She then looked directly at Fia. “And This One has heard of your gifted daughter. The Lady Silver Light, is it? This One hears she has remarkable taste.”

Fia looked back at her crossly, her Qi unstable with anxiety. “A pleasure, I’m sure.”

Hei Dong could sense the sudden tension as the older woman continued to leer at his daughter. “Are you seeking to install this Hin Wu as enforcement for your writ?”

Lo Feng laughed. “That will all depend on what your expert has to say in court. How long will it be now before the Grand Sage arrives?”

“Still months,” Hei Dong said. “Is it your intention to harass us daily until then?”

“Do not exaggerate, Master Hei Dong,” Lo Feng said dismissively. “I am merely making introductions. It would be rude to simply have a new face appear without being properly announced, would it not?”

Rude indeed, Hei Dong thought with contempt, but he retained his composure to keep his mouth closed. Any action by Lo Feng was a calculated one, but Hei Dong hadn’t quite figured the angle on this one yet. The woman was confident, powerful, and clearly an outsider. Was she brought here for mere bravado, or something worse?

“This One is pleased to meet Master Hin Wu,” Fia said with a bow. “Should I be forced to fight for my own defense in court, it would do well to put a name and face to my challenger.”

The woman Hin Wu laughed. “Indeed, little sister. I hear you have recently qualified for Gold. Congratulations. That would indeed place us within the same bracket. But not within the same league, I’m afraid. Still, I would most gladly make your entry into the Gold Bracket a memorable one. Perhaps even your last memory.”

A spike of anger ran through Hei Dong as Lo Feng joined the woman in laughter.

Rhi and Fia both stepped forward with a flare of Qi.

“You would dare to threaten my daughter!” Rhi shouted. “Perhaps we need not wait for our day in court.”

“But we shall,” Hei Dong said, stepping before his wife. “And the evidence will vindicate the Lady Silver Light of your false accusation.” He then paused to level eyes with Lo Feng. “What follows after that will be in the form of either retribution or apology, you can decide.”

Lo Feng scoffed again. “We shall see. Good day to you, Master Hei Dong.” He then bowed to Fia and Rhi. “Honorable ladies.”

Hei Dong seethed as the duo left their property.

“Shameless wretches,” Rhi cursed them. “Trying to intimidate us with that foreign hussy.”

“Hussy is right,” Fia said with a shake of her head. “It is no wonder there is no royalty in their midst.”

“I don’t like it,” Hei Dong said. “Why has he brought this woman here to meet us now? He must be planning something.”

“Oh, she’s been here for a while,” Fia said. “I wouldn’t worry too much about her.”

Rhi raised a brow. “You know that woman, Fia?”

Fia blinked as if surprised by the question. “Well… not know. I have seen her before, is all.”

Hei Dong had sensed the strength of the woman’s core. Although he was no scholar, he knew she was indeed much stronger than Fia. A 9th-Tier Core Realm Cultivator compared to a 5th, perhaps even stronger than Hong Feng had been.

“You must take care in your travels now, Fia,” he said. “I don’t know what that old dog is up to, but I don’t like it.”

“It is fine,” Fia said. “My shadows already keep track of h… well, they keep track of the Iron Bull. But I will task some of them to keep watch over the woman Hin Wu also. If Master Lo Feng is indeed up to something, we will know well in advance.”

Hei Dong nodded. “An excellent idea.”

Fia called over one of her disciples and conferred with her briefly. The woman dressed all in black nodded. “It will be done, mistress.”

“Right,” Fia said. “With that settled, I must be off.”

“This early?” Rhi asked.

“A new training regime,” Fia said with a smile. “I’ve decided to take to the wild and train daily until the writ with the Iron Bull.”

“Daily?” Rhi said. “I do not know if that is a good idea, daughter. Not with this Hin Wu woman about. Take your shadows with you for safety.”

Fia sighed. “Mother. You are being paranoid. They will already be watching her, and it would be safer for me to venture into the wild anonymously. It’d be a dead giveaway if I take any of them with me.”

The Silver Shadow dropped to her knees before his wife, Rhi Dong. “Lady Silver Moon, I swear your daughter’s safety on my life. We will ensure the woman Hin Wu has no idea that the Lady Silver Light will be venturing into the wild.”

Rhi grimaced with apprehension, but Fia’s insistent smile eventually won her over.

“Very well,” she said. “Just be careful. All of you.”

“Indeed,” Hei Dong said. “The Fire Birds are licking their wounds from a very embarrassing loss and are seeking someone to blame. Let us all ensure that they realize the Dong family is anything but an easy target.”

* * *

I awoke with a start, sitting upright and could still feel the world spinning.

My throat was parched, head throbbing.

The sun was already up and beating down in vibrant rays that caused my headache to grow even worse. I crawled to my feet, cycling my Frenzy, desperate to rid myself of the remnants of Wong’s special brew.

If I wasn’t already at 5th or 6th Stage in Internal Strengthening, I’d likely be dead.

Maybe I’ll have to borrow some more of that brew and sip it slowly like Master Wong to advance even further, I thought. But at the moment, just the idea of drinking any more of that stuff sent my stomach churning.

“Shit...” I cursed, holding my head and feeling every bit like the word I’d just said. “This is going to be a rough day.”

I left the square still wobbly, unable to even look at the morning cooking woks without feeling sick. By the time I got through the handler station and out into the wild, my stomach finally revolted, and I spent a good ten minutes heaving into the trees.

Feeling slightly better, I made my way to the lake and was not surprised to see Fia standing there with a scowl of annoyance on her face.

“You’re late!”

It was a fact I couldn’t deny as I stood there grinning like an idiot, weaving shakily on my feet. “Just a little.”

“You also still look drunk,” she said with a disapproving shake of her head. “My shadows saw you practically falling over yourself at some wee hour this morning. When you said you needed a day to prepared, Max, I thought it was for something important.”

“It was,” I said. “I just got sidetracked.”

She rolled her eyes. “Perhaps I was a fool to think you’d be a better student than you are a lover. Come on, it’s time to train. We need to be focused.”

I grinned. “So, I guess that means no chance for fun before we start?”

Fia harrumphed. “Most certainly not. You’ll need to earn your kisses from now on. Come at me. We’ll start with some simple unarmed sparring. I need to gauge your skill. Drunk as you are.”

I laughed thinking she was joking until suddenly I found myself on my back as she flashed across the distance to me in a burst of Qi. I didn’t even realize what happened until she took my legs right out from under me with a low sweep.

“I’m not going to go easy on you,” she said, dropping into a martial stance as she backed away from me again. “Let’s beat that alcohol out of you. Again!”

Over the next hour I saw a very different side of Fia.

And I had to admit.

My body hated every second of it.

Exchange after exchange we went all out, or she did at least, pushing her reflexes and skills to the max with rapid bursts of Qi. I floundered in comparison, still working the toxins of Wong’s brew out of my system and winding up on my back more often than not.

I was bathed in sweat by the time we took our first break and was feeling much more like my normal self again after sweating everything out. I looked upon Fia with new eyes as she refreshed herself casually with a sip of fresh water from the lake. I did the same, but chugged the water in huge gulps to replenish all I had expended.

“I hope that was mostly the alcohol,” Fia said as we squared off to start again. “Or we have a lot of ground to cover in four days in order to beat Silver Sparrow. You won’t be ready at this rate, Max.”

I rocked my shoulders like a boxer ready for another round. “Don’t worry. I’m feeling better now. Let’s go for it.”

The second hour went much better than the first. I had more self-awareness and was actually trying to anticipate and counter her techniques rather than just reacting instinctively like I was before. The results were much better, but I still ended up on my ass half the time.

“I honestly thought this was going to be more fun,” I said, dragging myself off the umpteenth time. “You’re a real ball buster, Fia.”

“I’m here as your instructor not your lover,” she said matter of factly. “If we do not set hard boundaries on that distinction, then it is likely we will get nothing done here at all.”

I raised a brow at that.

“Yes, Max,” she said, still not breaking character. “I’m exercising extreme discipline to simply not bed you on sight, and I expect for you to do the same. We must train. That is our purpose here. Not pleasure.”

It was nice to hear her say that even if it came without the frills of temptation.

“Fine,” I said. “I’ll focus more. I appreciate your dedication.”

I expected her to smile or something, but she simply nodded instead.

“Tell me something,” she said. “Where did you learn your fighting technique?”

I didn’t have to think very hard, but it was sort of embarrassing to admit. “Honestly…From a book mostly.”

Her eyes went wide with shock. “No wonder.”

“Why? Is that bad?”

“I’ve been trying to figure it out all this time.” She suddenly dropped her ready stance, becoming more casual. “You alternate between a very simplistic and wooden structure, which you perform quite poorly I might add, and wild untamed actions which are hard to predict but somewhat easy to counter.”

I blinked feeling like an idiot. “What?”

“I can see why you have progressed through the Iron Bracket so well, but to advance any further you must understand the concept of countering techniques. Your raw instinct and intuition is superb, but it will only get you so far. You need more tools in your repertoire and knowledge of other techniques in order to function at the next level.”

“Damn,” I said. “I didn’t think I was that bad.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” she said. “Your savage side counts for a lot. It can throw many cultivators off. But you should treat it like a special technique almost. Use it sparingly.”

“I see.”

“Come,” she said walking towards me. “Evaluation time is over. It’s now time for instruction. I need to take you back to the basics.”

She placed herself behind me and guided me through the most rudimentary of techniques, from simple stances, advances, withdrawals, and blocks. With her body pressed against me, it was hard to keep my mind on track, but she seemed oblivious to it, maintaining professionalism throughout.

“Not that way,” she said, adjusting my footing by mere inches. “This way.”

It was all small stuff like that. Minor things that reminded me of the way the orb described the various Berserker techniques, where even the angle of your footing was prescribed to precision. It made me realize just how crappy my first manual probably was.

It also made me realize that I’d never truly had a master before.

The whole time Fia maintained her utmost professionalism, so much so that at times she felt almost cold. But I realized then that I was being granted another peek into her world. This was likely the same way her mother had instructed her—complete discipline and devotion to the task at hand without familial interference.

It was just something else for me to admire in her.

Were Fia to become my wife, she could advance the sect and our family in all kinds of ways. Truly a quality to be cherished and revered.

“Pay attention!” she chided, breaking me out of my daydream. “Start it again.”

I dug down deep and focused more, leaving the emotions and fanciful thoughts aside and viewed Fia as purely an instructor and not a love interest. The mental shift helped, and I gained even more respect for her as she patiently guided me through the techniques, form by form.

The instruction was slow paced, but the morning and afternoon went by in a blur with me relearning almost every basic skill in my arsenal. They weren’t major changes, but by employing them I noticed my speed of execution and fluidity increase tenfold. It made me realize I had to pass the same knowledge on to Kelsey when I went back to the wild.

I’d been passing down bad habits all this time.

“Not bad,” Fia said once we had taken a final break around mid-afternoon. “You’re an amazingly quick learner, Max. I’m impressed. You get things after very little instruction. If you got as far as you have from only a book, I can only imagine how skillful you’d be if you had the benefit of actual instruction.”

I smiled. “Thanks. I was beginning to feel like a real dunce for a moment there.”

She laughed, returning to her non-professional mode now that the training session was over. “Don’t get too confident. You are a quick study, Max, but you still have much to learn. I’m correcting your own techniques but to truly win, you need to understand the techniques of other styles as well.”

“What do you mean?”

Fia knelt in the white sand of the lakefront beach and began scribing characters with her index finger. She wrote two columns, one titled Attacks, the other Responses.

Attacks

Responses

Light/Quick, Slow/Heavy, Distanced, Feint

Block, Parry, Counter, Avoid

“In any combat, these are the eight basic principles of action and there is an order of hierarchy among them. Light attacks are easily Countered or Parried, Heavy attacks should be either Blocked or Avoided. Distant attacks can be Blocked or Avoided. And Feints can be Countered or Avoided but not Parried or Blocked. Knowing which one of these attacks your opponent is executing will give you an advantage in how to properly respond. Many a duel has been lost by being either too aggressive or too defensive or simply misreading an attack for what it truly is.”

I studied the simple table, mesmerized. “Are you serious? All combat falls down to this one table?”

“For duels especially, yes, but in all combat also. It does not look this simple in practice mind you. Techniques can be complex and have many forms, and there is even more complexity when you start talking about sequences. You can gain an advantage by leading your opponent into making an attack or even a mistake in a response to an action. Like using a light attack to force a parry but in reality, it was a feint.”

I was starting to see the picture. It reminded me of the tons of fighting games I used to play as a kid. Knowing which attacks had priority over others was a big deal, but I had no idea it could be applied to real life. I was about to share the reference but stopped short of embarrassing myself yet again. Fia wouldn’t understand what a video game was much less appreciate how many hours of my life I had wasted playing them.

“So how do I know which attack is which?” I asked.

She smiled. “That’s where the learning of other weapon and combat styles comes in. The more intimately you understand your opponent’s fighting style, the better equipped you are to see the patterns, understand the flow of combat and ultimately control the fight. Opponents read each other sometimes three, four or even five exchanges in advance. In fact, at Jade and Diamond level, many say the combat is more akin to a game of high-speed Xiangqi than brawling in a ring.”

Xiangqi, the Yee version of chess. It made perfect sense actually and even more so with my video game analogy. The best players in PVP weren’t those who knew their own character well, but those who could play all the characters, understanding each one’s unique strengths and weaknesses, knowing when to strike and how.

I felt something click inside of me as my understanding grew.

There was so much more for me to learn now.

I didn’t just have to become a master of the axe and the Phalanx Glaive to win in the ring.

I needed to learn as many weapon styles as possible.

“So to beat Wi Shen, I need to learn the Silver Leaf style?”

Fia laughed. “It’s called the Path of Heavenly Silver. And no, you will not need to learn the entire Heavenly Silver Style to defeat Wi Shen.” She then grinned. “You will need to learn it to defeat me however, but that will be months from now. You will have time to learn. For her you need only learn one technique.”

“Which one?”

She grinned. “That, dear student, I will leave you in anticipation for tomorrow’s lesson. Hopefully it will spur you to arrive sober and on time.”

I chuckled, raising my hands in defeat. “Guilty.”

“Now come,” she said, while quickly removing her robes. “It’s time for you to pay for your lesson.”

I cut another laugh short as Fia pressed her lips to mine and jumped on top of me with a fervor that rivaled her fighting style. We rolled across the sandy beach, getting lost within one another as all the pent-up tension between us finally came undone. I almost couldn’t believe my luck. A beautiful woman who was willing to give up her whole world for me and an excellent teacher to boot. I was well on my way to conquering the Gold Bracket and all it would take was time.

The next four days were going to be fun indeed.