Chapter 18 - The Final

“Ready, Mu-Di?” The second prince asked with a confident smile.

“Um. This brother is ready to win against Hui-ge” I answered in kind and his smile broadened.

“We shall see.”

“Participants, resume your places!”

Heng Hui adopted the snake style, while I resumed my tiger starting position.

Free from the reins of propriety, I breathed in and gathered Chi around my person.

“Begin!”

The instant the call was made, both the prince and I launched simultaneous attacks. He with a double fist strike, while I released the chi from the palm of my hand with a shout, air following it and causing a gale of wind that lifted him off his feet and pushed him backwards.

He was too accomplished of a fighter to lose from one move, no matter how surprising it was, and he landed on his feet a step away from the edge of the arena.

He stood rooted to the spot, watching me with wide eyes, as did the rest of the audience but for those in my family’s and the emperor’s pavilions.

However, I hadn’t stopped moving, gathering chi for another strike that the prince weathered thanks to his earth-breathing.

“Wind huh? Let's see you move the earth with your breeze!”

He switched to Leopard style and attacked with a ferocity and precision that had me on the defensive for a few strikes. While I moved, however, I continued gathering chi and capitalized on it when I switched styles mid-step. Landing a punch to the solar plexus with the surety and strength of the earth element. He gasped and cradled his stomach with a hand in time to receive a short punch to the shoulder. It had been aimed for his chest, but the prince was able to mostly twist out of the way despite the pain.

This time I gave him time to catch his breath.

“Air… and Earth.” He gasped “to master opposite elements… you truly are a worthy opponent for this Prince.”

I nodded my thanks, but I wasn’t finished. During the previous days, I had been working hard to master my two opposing elements to the point where I didn’t need to switch from one to use the other as most did.

Adopting the crane style, my soles grazed the stone platform under them finding purchase in the earth beneath.

“Earth and Air aren’t opposites.” I educated him while shifting from one form to another that flowed continuously like tai-chi. “They are unlikely brothers that will work only for those who recognize their likeness.” I hit the floor with a foot and a stone jumped from the earth, floating in the air thanks to the currents surrounding me. I hit the stone with my chi-charged fist, and it flew like a bullet toward the prince who had the sensibility to move out of the way.

The stone ended up embedded in the wall that surrounded the stage.

(From Heng Hui’s POV)

Hen Hui paled as he stared for an instant at the stone that had flown out of the earth at the boy’s silent command.

When he looked back, a dozen stones of different sizes were floating around his opponent.

“Ready yourself, brother. I’m coming.” Shen Long Mu glared at him and he could swear that his eyes were shining.

The following moments were excruciating for the Second Prince.

Every move of Shen’s Arms and legs corresponded in pain for him. He hadn’t landed a single full blow since before he began using the Evolved Elemental Form, but the grazes and scratches he had received were beginning to throb, bothering him like crazy.

Every time he had tried to attack, his fists and legs met with the stones floating around his opponent that appeared to be movable until he hit them.

Hui could do nothing but respect the small child that wielded a power he had only heard of in legends. Even if he had traversed the first Heavenly Tribulation to earn his mastery, he had never thought to continue, because his experience with the Elemental force of Earth had been the scariest event he had ever witnessed… until now.

Yet this boy had surpassed a second Tribulation, and he had already mastered the evolved forms of both his elements.

Indeed, the Fourth Prince was a genius among geniuses.

Right then Heng Hui felt a relief he had never known, in the knowledge that there was now another stronger than himself tied to the imperial family.

In the end, it took the Second Prince five minutes to tire himself out, while Shen Mu was barely breathing hard.

“I yield,” Heng Hui said, lifting both his hands.

There was a lull in the mood of the crowd as they saw the Second prince yield to the younger yet obviously stronger opponent.

There was no dishonor in recognizing the strength before him, none in the crowd save for a few exceptions would have done any better, and it was truly an achievement for him to have lasted so long.

“Winner, Shen Long Mu!”

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I relaxed my breathing and slowly released the chi holding the stones in the air. One by one, they fell to the ground and the wind around me calmed until my chi was back to its normal state.

Only then did I notice the crowd chanting my full name.

I scratched the back of my head, while inside I was giddy with excitement.

‘It feels so nice to be recognized.’

I approached the Second Prince, who sat on the ground while the imperial physicians looked after his wounds.

Hearing my steps, he looked up. It was clear that he was spent but happy.

To the absolute surprise of everyone watching the scene, I kowtowed to him.

“This servant thanks the Prince for this match.”

“Raise your head, you imbecile.” he was smiling despite his tone “I should be the one thanking you. It is the first time in my life I have been so thoroughly defeated.” He bowed his head “Thank you for giving your best in this fight.”

“The Prince honors this servant with his words and fighting spirit.”

The older boy chuckled. “Go and get congratulated by my father.”

I bowed again and left him in the hands of the physicians.

I crossed the arena and knelt in front of the emperor’s pavilion.

“Shen Long Mu” the emperor began, and the crowd fell silent, wishing to hear his speech. “You are indeed an honor to this great nation. I thank you for your participation today.”

I was beyond words when the emperor himself offered me a small bow.

After thanking the emperor for his words, bowing to him and the public, I left the arena in a daze with people still chanting my name.

The day before, I had been swarmed by people before my friends and family could get there. But today, I had a whole tent to myself, where my family waited for me.

“Congratulations ge-ge!” Zhi grabbed my hands while she jumped in joy “It was amazing!” beside her, my two younger brothers too were singing praises that made me laugh.

I hugged Zhi and patted the heads of the young ones before walking to my parents and offering them a pronounced bow “Father, Mother, thank you for giving life to this Shen Mu, and for granting me the opportunity to win honor for the family.”

Mother was openly crying, and father gulped to bring his emotions in order before they too hugged me. Which soon became a group hug when my siblings joined in the effort of surrounding and smothering me with their feelings.

We remained together inside the tent for a couple more minutes, until a loud clap came from outside.

I blinked. “Yes?”

“The Third Prince and princess request an audience with the Fourth Prince” answered the voice of the captain of Heng Li’s guard.

I blinked and looked at my sister, mouthing ‘That sounds so strange!’ making her giggle.

“Come in.”

The tent flap opened and Heng Li and his sister came in, bowing politely at me. Me and my family bowed back.

My parents took one look at the youngsters and excused themselves, stating that they could catch us at the Ying Yi for dinner.

Heng Li passed one arm over my shoulders “So you’re a prince, now huh?”

I nodded “Which means I can now officially slap you over the head when you get cheeky with me.” We laughed together.

“What you did today” he shook his head “can you teach me?”

“I can only show you the way, you will have to walk the path on your own.” I smiled cheekily “Yet, Hui-ge is past the first Tribulation, I’m sure you can too, in time.”

“Father has already tasked the servants to prepare a wing for you at the palace, so we won’t have to hide anymore.”

“That should be fun… although I will have to juggle my time between my blood family and the imperial family.”

Suddenly, we were interrupted by Zhi coughing. We both blinked and turned to her, who was standing at Meiling’s side.

“Oh, right.” Heng Li grinned and took a step away from me.

I looked at him as if he were crazy but returned my attention to both girls when my sister coughed again.

“Yes?”

“This princess would like to congratulate Mu-ge, can she?” I stared at her, not really understanding what she meant. But Zhi, who stood behind the princess, urged me to accept.

“Umm… yes?”

I found myself being hugged by a small trembling princess. My arms instinctively circled her shoulders, while I looked at my sister and adoptive brother in shock.

“We shall give the two of you some privacy.”

‘Traitors!’ I mouthed while glaring at them.

And they had the nerve to laugh in my face.

The four of us left the tent together a couple of minutes later to be greeted by a wall of sound caused by the many fans I had gained in the few days of the competition.

The celebration broke earlier than usual when Meiling caught me snoozing off while seated. The final fight had taken its toll on me, and the delicious food afterwards made me drowsy.

Still, I had enough presence of mind to accompany my adoptive brothers back to the palace.

When I reached home, Ling had my bath ready and unceremoniously proceeded to bathe me, whether I wanted her to or not.

Truth be told, if left to my own devices, I would have probably fallen asleep on the tub.

Probably.

I was out like a light as soon as my head touched the pillow.