14 Chapter 014 - Annual Martial Art Competition

It's a nice day today, the weather is nice the sun is bright. And the Ba's are gathered in the dining room eating lunch.

It was a regular day like any others, the usual crazy amount of food that is more than enough to feed the four of them. But wait, there's actually 'FIVE" people in the dining room today!

That's right, the 7th prince is also here today! And he is sitting right next to Ba Yue all happy and smiley. He has his chopsticks ready to serve food to his future wife.

"Why are you still here?" asked Ba Yue as she picks up a piece of chicken and stuffs it in her mouth. She has absolutely had no table manners and doesn't eat like any other young miss from the other families. But then again, all the Ba's in the family eats the same way, so she fits in perfectly with them.

"Future father in law has invited me to stay and have lunch together." Said the 7th prince as he picks up some vegetable to place it on Ba Yue's bowl. He saw the Ba Yue eat mostly meat, that's why he places the vegetable in her bowl.

"Ah Yue, since you and the 7th prince is now engaged and will most likely get married in the future. It's good to get to know each other first," says Ba Shao Ten as he grabs a chicken leg and stuffing it in his mouth.

"Future father in law, please call me Lok Son, we are going to be a family soon."

"Hey, 7th prince, can we also call you Lok Son too? asked Ba Jing as he handing the empty bowl to the maid for more refill of the rice.

"Sure, brother Jing! I'm so happy that you all treat me so nicely! It's been a long time since I eat with so many people."

"Why? Weren't at you the banquet? There were lots of people there and I'm sure your imperial father eats with you too." Said Ba Yue with her mouth full.

"Eating at the banquet is different, there are lots of people there, but no one really talks to me. Imperial father is always busy, he doesn't spend time with me, especially after my mother has passed away." Says Mak Lok Son as he looks down on his bowl with a sad face.

"Lok Son, you are always welcomed here. We are going to be a family soon, all I ask from you is to treat my daughter well."

"I will treat big sister very good! I will make lots of food to feed big sister so she will be "big" again!"

Hearing that, Ba Yue has blacks line on her head. She wants to throw this prince out the door! But she knows that he didn't mean harm when he said that so she'll forgive him this time.

"Hey, don't call me big sister, it sounds weird."

"Then should I call you wifey?"

"No, we are not married yet."

After thinking long and hard, Mak Lok Son finally said, "I'm going call you Little Yue, same as they do." The "they" in his mouth is Ba Jing and Ba Zi.

"Why? Why are you not going to be "big" again? I thought you look cute before when you were "big", but you are still very cute to me now too."

Everyone stops eating and look over at Mak Lok Son.

"He's a definitely a keeper, little Yue. Said Ba Jing, while Master Ba and Ba Zi nods their head to agree with him. Finally, someone that thinks like them and can see her inner beauty!

Ba Yue rolled her eyes at her family, then turn to Mak Lok Son and said "the old me doesn't train martial arts or cultivates and as you see how much our family eats. That's why I have become so "big", but now it's different. I have started to train and cultivates, so I won't become "big" again!"

"Wow! Big Sis, oh, I mean little Yue, you can train martial arts and cultivates now? You are awesome! Would you be joining the Annual Martial Art Competition?"

"The Annual Martial Art Competition, huh? I don't really have time for that," says Ba Yue while she is pouring herself a cup of tea now that she finished her food.

The annual art martial competition is really for those influential families and government's families to show off their power. The head of the families can't join themselves but will send their descendants to compete.

The rules for martial art competition are:

* 3 people from the same family can join at the same time.

* Age: 15-20 years old only

* Poisons are forbidden

* Martial Artist whose also an element user is not allowed to use their power. (This rule is to make it fair for those martial artists that's not an element user.)

When I was still Li Hei Yi, I ranked 2nd out of the top 3 before. Mu Huang didn't even make it to the finals. Maybe that's why he hates me!

"Little Yue, you should join this year, it's always me and older brother that join every year. You should join this year and show those people that have look down on you before that you are strong now!"

"Little Yue, don't listen to ah Jing. If you don't want to join, you don't have to," says Ba Zi

"I heard from my imperial father that this year reward is going to be a little different. In the past years, the winner will get a choice of either 50k of gold coins or a chance to work for the government. But this year, the reward has been raised to 100k of gold coins and can also work for the government if wanted to."

"I'LL JOIN!!!!!" says Ba Yue very excitedly, you can actually see money signs in her eyes. The money is mine! Even though the Ba family is well off and don't need that kind of money, but it's still not mine. For me to carry out my plans in the future, I'll need lots of talented people and money to help me. In order for me to make more money, I'll need my capital fund. I know father will definitely help me if I asked him, but I can't use the Ba family's money. I will use my own hands to earn the money.

"Okay now that's been decided, Lok Son, you have to go home since I have to start my training. I will be too busy training to take care of you."

"But little Yue, I won't bother you. I promise! I even got my imperial father's permission to stay here for a while to farther our relationship. So can I please stay here with you?" says Mak Lok Son with his watery eyes while pulling on Ba Yue's sleeve.

"I know how to cook, I can cook for you. I might not look like it, but I'm strong too, I can fight the bad guys that will bully you. And I can even warm your bed for you, so please don't kick me out!"

"Stop right there! Who taught you about warming beds? Do you really know what it means? asked Ba Yue while everyone else all looks at Mak Lok Son.

" I heard it from the guards at the palace talking about it on one cold night. Doesn't it mean to keep the bed warm? I can warm up the bed for you, little Yue so you won't be cold when you sleep on the bed at night."

"Lok Son, you can stay over, BUT no warming the bed are allowed here!" says Ba Shao Ten.

"Okay, deal!" answers Mak Lok Son very quickly, worried that his future father in law will change his mind.

"I'll go back to the palace now to pack my things up, I'll be back later." As soon as he finished saying that, he quickly ran out the door.

"Father, you sure it's okay to have him to stay here? asked Ba Zi.

"Father, big brother is correct, Little Yue and Lok Son are still not married yet. They shouldn't be living under the same roof," says Ba Jing.

"Ah Zi and ah Jing, I know what you two are worried about, but Lok Son has already said he got permission from the emperor, there's nothing much we can do about it. And I think it's not a bad idea that he stays here. At least with him here, that Li Dong Man won't dare to come to bother ah Yue."

"Well, it actually doesn't bother me too much. I plan to go train by myself in the mountains until the competition. So I won't be home most of the time.

"You don't plan to let us come with you, do you? asks Ba Jing.

"Nope, it's time for you and older brother to go back to school. It's been so long already since you two come home. I'll see you two at the competition in 2 months."

The school that the Ba's brother attends is a school for element users that are far from the Fu Country. They have to live in the dorm and can only come home once every few months. The only reason why they are home so long this time was due to Ba Yue being in an accident, so it was a family emergency. They have received permission from the school to come back home.

Most of the time, the brothers are away at school. They knew there's some bullying going on with Ba Yue, but they didn't know how bad it was. Their father is always busy since he's the head of the family, and Ba Yue will never tell when someone bullies her since she doesn't want anyone to worry. She will only keep eating more when she's unhappy or sad. They only found out about Ba Yue liking Li Dong Man from the maids after the accident had happened.

"All right, I'm going to go get packing now before Lok Son comes back. If he sees me, he's going want to come with me. I'll never get anything done with him around." Ba Yue then rush out the door and head to her room.

"Father, are you sure it's okay to let little Yue go back herself? asked Ba Zi.

"Yeah, she's not just going there during the day and come home at night like she used to. She's going be staying in the mountains by herself," says Ba Jing.

"She's old enough to know what she's doing. You two have seen her changes, she is now strong enough to take care of herself. We have to believe in her and support her choices."

"You are right, father. We will go pack too to go back to school," says Ba Zi. He then left with Ba Jing to pack up to go back to school.

Ba Shao Ten sits in the dining room all by himself. He thought to himself that he's going to be all alone now, because not only his sons is going back to school. His only daughter is going to the mountains to train too.

I guess I'll go to "that" room and talk to my dead wife and tell her about the children's progress. He then got up to leave to go to "that" room.

"That" room is actually a secret room that belongs to Madame Ba when she was still alive. It has all her procession in there. Madame Ba told her husband to keep that room a secret from everyone even their children. But to give the room to Ba Yue after she turns 16 years old because she had something in there that she wants Ba Yue to have.

Master Ba never go through the stuff in "that" room since it's something that's left for Ba Yue. He will only go in there from time to time to look at his wife's painting on the wall and talks to the painting to remember his wife.

He was going to give the room to Ba Yue when she turned 16 years old, but he was too busy to remember and soon follows the accident with Ba Yue. There was just too many things that had happened recently, but he will definitely give it to her this time after the annual martial art competition ends.