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452 - Am I wrong
🕑 Added 2024-09-30 20:52:23 +0000 UTCAmdirlain’s PoV - Nepal Mountains - White Tiger’s Claw Sky Keep
None of the newly passed students were in sight when the afternoon rounds started. The afternoon’s combat still showed minimal Ki use; the most common signs were an incoming blow slowed, a strike hitting harder than expected, or an opponent standing unshaken beneath a pummelling. Between the matches, Amdirlain continued to administer healing from her box seat. Though there were some exceptions where a more senior student dominated their match, most were so closely fought that competitors battered each other until a mistake let a finishing blow slip through.
It’s like watching hundreds of UFC matches going on at once.
As the losers staggered around the circuit towards the next circle, their bruises, split lips, and swollen eyes healed. The winners merely straightened up as their pain washed away.
“This will make for an interesting year. The dominant fighters in the group will have to prove themselves against every opponent at full health,” said Jinfeng. “Though it becomes a strategic issue with your Ki reserves.”
Amdirlain twitched. “Does attrition normally speed up the tournament?”
“When someone’s too battered to continue, the healers withdraw contestants.”
“What happens if they refuse the healer’s judgement?”
“They don’t have a choice,” Jinfeng firmly nodded to the combatants. “They’re drilled to the same standards, and those who don’t meet them will have already washed out. Those children who have graduated to be full students will replace some that this tournament washes out, but most will wash out over the next two years. They’ll apply enough pressure to get it to an acceptable number.”
“Will this year’s tournament go on longer?”
“This can happen for other reasons besides you. If the matches drag on, the normal practice is to cull those with none and one win simultaneously,” explained Jinfeng. “Instead of only eliminating the people that lost all matches in the first set, they’ll remove those who only won a single fight. The White Tiger’s Claw isn’t the only sect that uses this tournament approach.”
“So I’m cutting down on some students’ chances to even their win-loss ratio,” proposed Amdirlain.
“Consider enduring five such beatings in a row. They wouldn’t make it to the sixth fight. With the choice between carrying those battering from one fight to the next or having a clean slate, you’re giving them a better chance fighting at full strength,” said Jinfeng.
“Tournaments such as these are where many junior healers gain experience,” offered Kadaklan. With a nod, he directed Amdirlain to a group in yellow and orange robes standing along the arena wall.
Does that mean I’m stealing someone else’s progress?
Amdirlain sighed. “I feel like I’m on the verge of major insights with the different wounds I’ve been handling.”
“It was a comment on the abundance of injuries, not a criticism.” Kadaklan patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Normally, the healers get overwhelmed and rushed since there are far fewer of us. Now, they can reserve their strength to check the condition of those culled from the tournament and ensure no lingering damage remains. Efficient battlefield healing requires different training as a healer where diseases and physical issues need to be tended.”
When the day’s bouts wrapped up, Amdirlain teleported them directly to the suite before Grandmaster Indra Ka even made it from his section. The place was empty, though Sarah’s security gadget still hovered above the table in the main room.
Kadaklan blinked at their sudden relocation. “You cut off another visit?”
“He’s looking to get a smack at this rate,” grumbled Amdirlain. “He had a few conversational gambits he wanted to prod me with, some of which I didn’t feel like dealing with today.”
“I’ll head over to the temple and see if they need any aid,” said Kadaklan before heading for the balcony.
“Did you wish me to continue speaking with the crafters?” asked Jinfeng. “None of them have been comfortable chatting to a Ki Practitioner.”
“If you visit the taverns the guards frequent, I’ll chat with the crafters,” replied Amdirlain. She blurred into the servant’s form and teleported to a shadowed alley.
The spinning prayer wheels across the laneway from her buzzed fractionally faster. The difference was so minor that it would have been unnoticeable even when she had transformed into a Fallen, but now her eyes caught it and catalogued it with everything else. A boy cradling a bundle in his arms ran down the laneway before her, muscles flexing to drive himself forward, yet he looked like he was moving through mud, and Amdirlain stepped forward to see the lane’s length.
A few paces away, another excited child happily burbled away to her mother, practically tripping over the words as they spilled from her lips. Yet each syllable dragged at a glacier’s pace to Amdirlain’s awareness. As she listened to that conversation and scores more, she absorbed snippets of sound from thousands of sources; glances took in the marks on clothing and tools, and an inhalation captured the scent of wool, flesh, and hair. A hand extended to pass a bundle of wool to a person travelled less than twenty centimetres, yet in that time, Amdirlain could have crossed the seventeen-point-four metres between them and back with time to spare.
Torm said maintaining relationships with mortals is hard, yet more than lifespan is isolating; I have to watch myself to avoid breaking the sound barrier. Is paying attention to what mortals are doing at such a slow pace why some gods become so distant?
Amdirlain stood and waited for the boy’s foot to descend. Droplets sprayed up from a puddle. Even before the foot had hit the stone between the thin layer of water, she’d determined the number of droplets, watched the air resistance shape the initial spray, and calculated their trajectories and impact points. A shift in the boy’s momentum caught her attention.
Pain flickered across his face as his toes caught on a lip of stone hidden within the puddle; he toppled. Indecision ran across his mind before he sought to twist and protect the bundle. Only after he had figured out that he was going to hit stone, no matter what approach he took, did Amdirlain move. One hand grabbed the back of his shirt, and the other braced the nearly prone boy and the woollen bundle from beneath. The rush of motion caught the attention of a few nearby adults.
“Your mother wouldn’t want it bounced across the mud,” Amdirlain slowly enunciated, and she straightened with the boy.
The boy let out a frightened yelp. “Thanks.”
“I won’t tell you to walk, but pick your footing more carefully.”
Wide-eyed, the boy looked at the muddy ground he’d avoided sprawling across and up at Amdirlain again. “Okay.”
“Do you need a moment?”
The boy shakily exhaled, adrenaline for his near spill causing him to tremble; Amdirlain lightly supported him until his knees were stable. “Thanks. Mum would have been mad if she needed to wash it first.”
“Slow down a little and stay out of puddles.”
The boy bobbed his head and gave her a scared smile. Carefully placing his feet, he trotted away slowly, following Amdirlain’s instructions.
“You moved fast,” said a nearby woman. Her round face crinkled, tanned skin showing decades of laugh lines. “He had a good scare, but escaped harm.”
“I was just in the right place to help.” Amdirlain gave a relaxed shrug, timing it off the woman’s breathing.
“Not all in a position to help bother to act. Can I help you with directions, stranger? You’ve gotten away from the shops.”
Amdirlain smiled reassuringly. “I’m more interested in what you can tell me about Lady Dor Ji and her loans? I was told some weavers had taken them.”
The laughter left the woman’s face, and her gaze darkened to match her black hair.
“My only advice is to stay away from her. You’ll end up paying her back what you borrowed dozens of times and still be in debt. The repayment ‘schedule’ in the contract doesn’t cover the accumulated interest, and she holds everyone to her contacts, so you can’t pay faster. None of us knew how her maths worked until it was too late.”
That’s the same tale I’ve heard from others.
“So no one has gotten clear of their debt to her?”
“Not that I know of,” snapped the woman. Her mouth tightened, ready to spit more angry words, but she took a slow, shuddering breath before she spoke. “Pardon my anger. My family is caught in Dor Ji’s trap.”
“I appreciate the warning, but I’m not taking a loan. Hopefully, the situation will be corrected for you shortly.”
Amdirlain nodded her thanks and, ignoring the question the woman called out, moved away with carefully paced strides. Under an illusion to hide the glow, she cycled Ki through her sigil thousands of times for every step she took. Its calm relaxation helped soothe the anger she felt towards Dor Ji.
I almost wish she’d pissed off Sarah instead of drawing laughter from her Karen drama.
Amdirlain’s footsteps carried her towards the square before the Lord’s compound. It wasn’t a market day, so the square was empty of the bustling stalls and wagons, with only a few people walking between shops along the perimeter. The outer gate was partly ajar, but the tunnel beyond it was dog-legged to prevent casters from having a line of sight into the open space beyond.
If I approach her, I become the petitioner, shifting the power dynamic. Should I wait for the tournament to end and leave it to Indra Ka, or deal with it beforehand? Do I send a note summoning her to attend me? She’s got no reason to listen to it. If I get the Grandmaster to send her to me, he’ll want the favour repaid.
Or I can bait them if the compound guards are interested.
A mental thread reached out, and Amdirlain found they were indeed on the lookout for her Human guise. Across the square, a gate guard spotted a woman who matched the description they’d been given. A whispered word to his commander had a messenger boy running for Lady Dor Ji’s chambers.
I figured she’d leave word that she wanted to ‘speak’ to the servant. I’m not impressed with Lord Dha Cha’s guards taking part, but it’s something to look into later. It’s also unlikely to be something I can simply resolve without a bunch of meddling.
Amdirlain didn’t scan around for options. She already knew one family in the square that Dor Ji held in her grasp. With quick steps, she headed for a Seamstress’ shop that looked like it was preparing to close for the day. Despite the late hour, a wizened lady cheerfully greeted Amdirlain and beckoned her in with one hand while the other kept a white-knuckled grip on the top of a walking stick. The lady’s white hair, with barely a tinge of colour, almost made Amdirlain regret her game, except the need for coin that prevented the old lady from shooing her away was very real.
At least her family will profit from my picking their shop. I’ll buy some simple clothing and give it to someone in need.
“Could you help me with a few sets of woollen robes?” asked Amdirlain, setting silver coins on the counter.
“You’re quick to offer coins, youngster. What trouble are you in?” The woman’s wary gaze flickered to the open shutters before returning to assess Amdirlain. A series of accurate measurements and what robes she had that would require minimal hemming ran through the old woman’s mind.
Was that a Power or Skill?
“I’m sure some people will show up wanting a word with me. I’ll take it outside when they do, but I’d like the robes delivered to Master Jinfeng’s rooms at the Valley’s Rest.”
The woman halted with her fingers just short of the coins, and her mind caught onto pieces of gossip. “You’re the servant that disappeared.”
“I never disappeared. I just wasn’t where people looked,” replied Amdirlain drily.
“What sort of game are you playing?”
“You owe Dor Ji a debt as well. Help me put her in a pinch so I can remove the financial trap she’s landed people in,” said Amdirlain. “It requires nothing from you other than to treat me as a customer until her guards arrive, and I’ll let them peacefully escort me away.”
“No trouble?”
“I won’t kick up a fuss,” said Amdirlain. “Or would you prefer to avoid involvement? I can leave the store when they’re close enough to grab me. Even if no one shows up, the coin is yours.”
The lady slipped the coins from the counter. “Let me show you what I have in stock. Unless you’re disguising a lot of height beneath those robes, I’ve got a few that would only need a bit of hemming. The sleeves would be extra long, but it's more protection when the weather cools. I also have finer wool or silk bolts if you want something for Master Lu Jinfeng.”
“Let’s go over the options while we wait.”
“You’re sure they’re going to show.”
“A gate guard went scampering off when he caught sight of me, and Master Jinfeng didn’t see Lady Dor Ji at the tournament,” advised Amdirlain. “What would explain me staying in your shop the longest?”
The old woman chewed her bottom lip for so long that Amdirlain almost called it off, but she finally released an unhappy huff and nodded. She pulled a bolt from a rack behind the counter with practised motions. It slid forward and tilted down towards the bench top. “Let’s pick some wool,” she said.
Amdirlain kept her back to the drape-covered door, not glancing about when she heard stomping boots hurrying across the square.
Only five minutes passed before Dor Ji’s guards entered the store. Without hesitation, the guards flanked Amdirlain; one grasped her shoulder, his fingers tightening in her robe. The guard was the same fellow who had been embarrassed by the change to the security device.
“Lady Dor Ji will speak with you.”
“Are you insisting I accompany you?” asked Amdirlain. “And without speaking to Master Jinfeng?”
“You will come with us if I have to drag you,” growled the guard.
Tilting her head up to look at the grim-faced guard, Amdirlain widened her gaze dramatically. “You’ve been ordered to treat me this way?”
The guard yanked on her robe and shoved her towards the door; shifting his grip with the other hand, he kept one hand twisted in the cloth of her robe and the other clamped on the back of her neck.
Treating someone this way is going to get you into grave trouble.
Though unbothered, Amdirlain let out a dramatic whimper. “You’re making a big mistake.”
Through their link, Amdirlain felt Sarah’s hackles rise. Amdirlain carefully broadcast amusement to her, along with an image of unsheathing claws.
“We’re taking you to Lady Dor Ji. She’ll extract the apology she desires.”
Amdirlain glanced at his hand. “Let me go. I can walk.”
“Move.” The first guard continued to push her about while the second followed them back to the compound, his hand not straying far from his sword as they escorted her. The guards at the front gate let them through, despite the pleading expression Amdirlain put on.
Once past the inner gates, Amdirlain found the inner buildings of the lord’s compound to be a colourful sight. The stonework was a bright purple with white highlights, making the colour pop even more. Aside from the guards, the only visible people were various lesser officials wearing crimson robes with silver trim.
Amdirlain deliberately lingered, provoking the guard to give her another forceful shove, and she added it to the tally.
He continued to push her along to a side door, and they climbed a narrow flight of stairs to a corridor on the third story. While they walked, Amdirlain kept up the act of the terrified servant and was unimpressed by his lack of concern.
Eventually, they stopped at a door carved with a floral pattern; a light rhythmic tapping sounded from beyond. “We have the servant that insulted Lady Dor Ji,” announced the fellow.
“This is a mistake,” said Amdirlain, letting her voice grow shrill with fear. “This is an insult that will get repaid in full.”
The door opened to reveal a well-furnished chamber filled with warm colours. A semi-circle of comfortable chairs was arrayed on a thick rug around a hearth.
Dor Ji sat in an elaborately carved chair on the far side of the room—the long fingernails on her left-hand beat regularly against the chair’s arm. Her greying hair was done up in elaborate braids secured with green jade combs bearing the Storm Peak crest. She wore a fancier set of purple and orange silk robes than last time, embroidered with the same crest in silver, a mountain peak beset by lightning striking from clouds overhead. A steaming cup of tea, a knife, and a pair of long-nosed jewellery pliers stood on a small table to her right. Behind her, the third guard from their run-in at the inn stood beside a shuttered window.
Her mouth tightened at the sight of Amdirlain in the servant’s guise, and her hand dropped to the knife. “Bring the wretch here so I can take her tongue.”
The guard pushed her forward, but when her front foot hit the central rug, Amdirlain stopped moving. As he futilely pushed her, Amdirlain sat cross-legged in mid-air, letting her form shift back to her elven form. Azure blue hair brushed her shoulders as her robes shifted from their black and grey woollen appearance to silken green. As yin energy curled within her flesh, swirls of darkness drank in the light, and the guards flinched back. Together, they turned and dashed for the door, only for a shimmering barrier to block their path, and the blood rushed from Dor Ji’s face.
“You ordered your guards to drag me here. What should I do about that?” Amdirlain raised her hands before her and carefully let energy crackle across her fingertips, keeping it clear of her shadow vine robes.
Dor Ji lowered her gaze. “Lady Am. Why did you not announce yourself?”
“You don’t get to dictate the course of this conversation. You were going to maim a serving girl. Let’s start there,” Amdirlain instructed.
“A servant who had repeatedly disrespected a noble,” countered Dor Ji. “I had no way of knowing it was a disguise.”
She’s still trying to dictate the course of events, but this puts our conversation in a position I can use.
“If it weren’t a disguise, you would have still maimed a servant who was under the protection of the Monastery of the Western Reaches. If you have the right to attack a servant since they are beneath you, then I have the right to do the same. Is that correct?”
Outrage put colour back into Dor Ji’s cheeks. “You wouldn’t dare. The Storm Peak would seek retribution from you and the western reaches.”
“You don’t have the slightest idea of what I’d dare. Right now, killing you would improve the lives of many townsfolk and farmers,” replied Amdirlain. “I warned you to correct your assumptions. I know many tales about the Jade Emperor and other Immortals travelling incognito, even dressing as improvised farmers. What if you’d attacked one of them?”
Dor Ji blanched again.
“Having your guard drag me here is a grievous enough offence, but you had intended to do far worse,” continued Amdirlain.
“Let me make amends,” pleaded Dor Ji.
Amdirlain’s smile turned predatory, and Muse’s Insight deliberately stroked Dor Ji’s fears. “You’ll pay for the insult and what you tried to do?”
The surge of fear dried out Dor Ji’s mouth, and she nervously licked her lips. “Yes.”
“For starters, every loan you hold now belongs to me. Also, you’ll sign over Valley’s Rest Inn from among your assets since the trouble between us started there.”
She went wide-eyed, gripping the arms of her chair. “You’ll beggar me.”
You were all set to pull my tongue out. Maybe a typical servant wouldn’t have acted like I did, but she would have taken a bloody revenge for a slight when she ended up in fancier rooms.
A glance into Dor Ji’s mind revealed her claims of poverty were subjective, and Amdirlain’s vicious smile hardened further.
“I don’t care, but I know you’ve assets and plenty of ways to earn coin.”
Though maybe I’ll hurt you there as well.
Dor Ji’s spluttered protests immediately cut off when the ink blackness of yin energy completely enfolded Amdirlain’s hands.
“What are you doing?!”
“The other option that appeals is to kill you for attempting to attack me and seizing everything you own. That way, there won’t be a niggling worry that you might try this with someone else.”
“Mercy,” gasped Dor Ji.
“You wouldn’t have had mercy on a serving girl from a foreign land doing her duty in protecting her master’s possessions.” Amdirlain turned away from Dor Ji to glare at the guards. A trickle of Charisma sent fear rushing through them, and they dropped to their knees and kowtowed before her. “You knew what she had planned when you dragged me here.”
Images of broken limbs, maimings, and destroyed houses appeared in their minds. All four of them grew aware of her presence in their minds, watching and observing their memories. A cluster of psi-crystals formed in the air before Amdirlain, and she impressed a set of rules and conditions into each.
The bleakness in Amdirlain’s gaze had Dor Ji cringing back in her seat. “What are you going to do?”
Last year, I killed someone to prevent him from murdering people because I had no way to moderate his behaviour, but I’ve studied since then.
“Do you deserve an explanation?”
A crystal drove into their sternums, consuming bone until it was a jewel set in the clasp of a ring. Once its position was stable, it threaded tendrils into their nervous systems and minds. Aware of the misery they’d spread, Amdirlain ignored their cries of pain.
[Metacreativity [M] (88->89)]
“I expect documentation showing the transfer of the debts and the inn’s ownership to be sent to the suite, along with your ledgers. If you ever commit or order such acts again, you’ll experience the terror and pain of your victims a hundredfold. Last, a warning: pry that crystal out at your peril, as they’re now tied to your mind. Count yourselves fortunate that I didn’t tie them to your souls and your path of reincarnation.”
I wish I could kill them and be done with it, but her enchantments protect towns. Stupid blood plinth.
Amdirlain vanished.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
The ledger and documents arrived before the inn closed for the night. With further knowledge extracted from Dor Ji’s mind, Amdirlain arranged to notify the parties involved and provide the required legal documents to prove the debt clearance. The innkeeper and his family were among the townsfolk affected by Dor Ji’s greed, and Amdirlain invited him to the suite via a maid.
When the innkeeper left the suite, he was clutching the deed and legal declarations that restored the premises to his family in trembling hands.
As Sarah closed the door behind him, she let out a satisfied chuff. “Putting things back in order. You sure I can’t deal with this legal thief the way she deserves?”
“Please don’t turn her into a snack,” grumbled Amdirlain.
I’m certain the plinth would hold it against me; I wanted to do far worse to the bitch.
“The dehydration effect of my breath weapon lets me make jerky fast,” offered Sarah.
Jinfeng went slightly green, but Amdirlain only rolled her eyes. “I guess that’s better than chewing on the charcoal and ash left behind by a plasma blast. I hope you’re not looking for trouble out of boredom.”
“I’ve figured out how to slip past their defences,” Sarah advised, waving absently towards the keep.
Sarah’s found a different brand of trouble to play with instead.
“Let’s keep that as an ace up our sleeves. Did I do enough to restrict Dor Ji’s cruelty?” asked Amdirlain. The thought of all the people who’d had no escape from Dor Ji’s trap caused Amdirlain’s eyes to grow cold.
Sarah took in Amdirlain’s grim expression and brushed her cheek. “You can’t force people to be good, nor are you responsible for everything. How about a massage, and we curl up for a while?”
“That sounds good.”
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
As Kadaklan and Jinfeng moved to take their seats for the morning session, Amdirlain caught Grandmaster Indra Ka’s approach.
Tying back the drapes from the doorway, Amdirlain moved to the tea service on a side table and started heating water.
With the drapes open, Indra Ka stepped into their section without knocking and exchanged polite nods with Amdirlain.
“Good morning. What brings you by this morning, Grandmaster Indra Ka?” Amdirlain asked sedately.
“I received word from Lady Dor Ji that she wouldn’t be able to make a meeting I arranged,” said Indra Ka.
“Such a shame,” Amdirlain smiled. “Why were you looking to meet with her?”
Indra Ka regarded her steadily. “You had mentioned her holding debts you disapproved of, so I sought to gain you a suitable apology gift.”
“I appreciate your attempt, but it’s no longer an immediate problem as she has already gifted all the debt to me. However, I still need to set up a fund and an administrator to provide financial assistance.”
Amdirlain glimpsed curiosity in Indra Ka’s gaze and listened to the questions that burbled in his thoughts.
“Might I ask what occurred with Lady Dor Ji?” asked Indra Ka. “I hadn’t heard of any duels taking place.”
That’s not the question you really wanted to ask, but I guess you can’t ask it without losing face.
“She had her guards pick up someone they believed to be the serving girl from our suite,” replied Amdirlain, and her smile turned cold. “She threatened to cut out my tongue, and then I shed my disguise and infused my Ki Body with yin. Having got her attention, I demanded the debts she held as an apology, so she’s probably gone off to nurse her pride or contact Storm Peak.”
“If Storm Peak approaches me, I’ll ensure they know Dor Ji overstepped herself,” Indra Ka said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. His gaze had brightened with particular interest at the news of her using yin energy.
Yep, I gave a hint away, but you’re likely expecting me to use one or another, not anything I want.
“That’s putting it mildly,” replied Amdirlain. “I’d word it more strongly, but I have a different perspective on the value of life.”
“Would you have time to receive a few guests arriving to witness our exchange?”
I’m taking care of something for you; now, do something for me.
“I might if you answer a question first,” said Amdirlain. “I’m pretty sure of the answer, but I don’t like assumptions.”
“That would depend on the question, Lady Am.”
“Why the schemes to pull in funds?” asked Amdirlain.
Indra Ka swept an arm towards the sky keep’s centre. “This is costly to maintain, yet it serves two purposes: a military stronghold against the chromatic dragons and a means to evacuate many people quickly. My responsibility is to ensure it remains operational, but that takes funds.”
“More funds than the territory your sect draws on can provide?”
“Our best sect members are almost constantly on expedition when not defending the border.”
Amdirlain hummed thoughtfully. “Good reasons, but the wrong approach to take with me.”
“With most individuals of strength, being direct would get me nothing,” advised Indra Ka. “In my years, there has only been one exception: yourself.”
“Very well. I can at least chat with a few individuals. Whether I will help is a different matter,” replied Amdirlain.
Indra Ka nodded politely. “I heard from an old student who suggested I might have some trouble in our exchange, but I’m still determined to press you, Lady Am.”
“The only truth of a fight is in the moments that opponents clash.”
Her words drew a smile from Indra Ka, and with a bow, he headed on his way.
How far do my heightened abilities now stretch each moment? Will I learn more or less in the time it provides, with events seeming to take so long now?
Amdirlain resumed preparing the tea. Intent on the boiling water, she felt for the shift in temperature, and tracked each degree as it heated.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
No other guests appeared during the initial week of the tournament, but more of the sect’s senior masters occupied the upper sections. Their attention seemed as much on Amdirlain and Jinfeng as on the competitors.
Amdirlain’s concentration wasn’t on their monitoring, but through the psionic links to battered flesh, she felt for each change she caused in healing wounds. As the ranks progressed towards the senior tiers, the amount of damage endured by each Monk increased and added to Amdirlain’s work. Though she was already maintaining hundreds of healing techniques, as the last of the morning’s matches ended, Amdirlain pushed to complete the formation of more and felt the energy shift.
[Psychometabolism evolved to Advanced Psychometabolism
Psychometabolism [S] (48) -> Advanced Psychometabolism [M] (1)]]
I’ll need to put more effort into practising telepathy if I’m going to figure out how to combine all these powers. Although Metacreativity and Psychoportation are still left to evolve, that’s less time than it might seem. Certainly, transforming a psionic Skill into a Power has become easier since the first breakthrough.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
The tournament continued without further drama except for the martial conflict within the rings. On what they expected to be the last day before the junior Master matches started, a heavy knock sounded on the frame of their section, and the drape pushed aside when Jinfeng acknowledged it.
A bare-chested, muscular man ducked in through the draped entryway, his shoulders filling the opening. “Master Jinfeng, I’ve got your placement token.”
“I see you still haven’t learned how to put on a shirt, Master Timur,” said Jinfeng.
The man laughed and slapped his hands together, unleashing a booming crack. “Less for my foes to grab.”
His gaze darted to Amdirlain, whose attention was nominally on the fighting within the circles.
Jinfeng shot him an exasperated glare. “Don’t disturb my Sifu.”
Flowing from her seat, Jinfeng stalked to the doorway and thrust out a hand.
Timur dug thick fingers into a small pouch at his waist and produced a white token that looked like a mahjong piece. He held it up, pinched between two fingers so Jinfeng could see the number four embossed in black.
“Some would consider that an ill-omened number,” Jinfeng noted drily, plucking it from Timur’s grasp.
“Maybe you’re the death that will visit the ambitions of others,” offered Timur.
Jinfeng’s gaze showed a glimmer of surprise. “We will see. You’re fully healed?”
The question prompted Timur to flex his left arm, his thick biceps bulging like a bodybuilder’s display. “Does it look evenly proportioned?”
“Having your arm back doesn’t equal fully healed,” countered Jinfeng. “Appearances can be very deceiving.”
“Will you have time to catch up afterwards?” Timur asked with a mischievous grin, ignoring her enquiry.
“I’m not paying for your drinks,” rebuffed Jinfeng. “What number are you?”
“Seventeen, so we might not meet unless we’re both in the finals.” Timur laughed and slipped backwards, letting the drape fall into place.
Despite his bulk and boisterous behaviour, he didn’t make a sound when he left.
Amdirlain waited until Jinfeng had returned to her seat. “A friend?”
“We fought together against some fell beasts from the higher peaks,” offered Jinfeng. “One bit his arm off just below the shoulder. He broke its jaw with a punch, and the healer with us stopped him from bleeding out.”
The calm recital drew a fleeting smile from Amdirlain. “What sort of fell beasts?”
“Arcane abominations,” clarified Jinfeng. “I’m glad I won’t meet Master Timur until the finals.”
Another example of ley lines cutting both ways.
Amdirlain raised an eyebrow. “Are you worried he’ll knock you out of the tournament?”
“No, he’s a friend, and I thought he’d already be a senior Master. I don’t want to eliminate him early so he can at least get to senior Master when they backfill my spot.”
“I’ll spar with him after the tournament,” offered Amdirlain.
Jinfeng grinned. “That will give him a nice advantage for the next tournament.”
The genuine glee in her gaze drew a smile from Amdirlain. “You also want to see me kick his butt.”
“Yes.”
With that admission, Jinfeng’s mask of composure returned.
Comments
Gopard
Thanks for the chapter! I'm glad I decided to read ahead once again. Enjoying this story in single chapters is fine, but reading multiple at once is always a different experience!
Luboš Hemala
Both actually :-) I want to see Jinfeng stir trouble and Am slowly teaching Indra Ka a lesson :-) but the second will be much more brutal I would guess.
CringeWorthyStudios
Ah, makes sense. I was a bit confused why she was doing that. Maybe make it a bit more obvious it’s deliberate?
Glenn Wright
She can manage it fine with her intelligence. I just thought I'd show the impact of the heightened attributes beyond being a blur in combat.
CringeWorthyStudios
Damn, I love Jinfeng. She’s great. Also, if Am is having issues with her perception speed, shouldn’t there be a skill or power to be able to manually or automatically lower it based on who she’s talking to? That’d solve the issues of making it hard to interact with mortals. Thanks for the chapter!
Peter Gerganov
I’m not gonna lie, I really wanna see the main event, but still very curious about Jinfeng’s bouts. Gotta finish your meat before you have any pudding
James Skinner
Thanks for the chapter! So that's two matches for Am so far.
Glenn Wright
Grandmaster Indra Ka and Amdirlain or the tournament? I feel the former will be of more interest to most people.
Luboš Hemala
I can't wait for their sparing to start!
