Chapter 723

Chapter 723

Standing atop my floating log adrift in the Citadel basin, I smile and wave to the crowd while wishing I stopped to take off my decorative armour before heading out onto the water for a fight.

The weight and discomfort aside, Im pretty sure Yong-Jin is strong enough to shatter the gilded steel plate with his bare fists, to say nothing of what will happen if he brings out his sword and gauntlet. Itd be a different story if my armour was Runic like Shen ZhenWus, but while Taddy offered to look into crafting me a set, I turned down his generous proposal so he can focus on his lifes ambition instead. Hes been dreaming of having his very own Spiritual Garden and researching the medicinal properties of various Spiritual Plants for as long as anyone can remember, though Husolt mentioned that my whimsical Teacher was once obsessed with Spiritual Beasts as well. That phase has clearly passed, and while he has been known to steal Pong Pong away to study whenever he can, in my Teachers heart, his garden comes second only to his beloved daughter.This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com

Who is currently waving her scarf from the main stage and looking oh so beautiful as she cheers for my victory, so I should probably focus on winning this match so as not to cast a shadow over our wedding day.

Sparing a moment to respond to my wifeys enthusiastic support, I grin and wave back before turning to study my opponent. Standing comfortably atop his floating foothold less than ten metres away, Yong-Jin seems perfectly at ease before the cheering crowd, the very picture of the virtuous and upright young hero he supposedly is. Unlike me, he thought ahead and shed his fancy outer robes before leaping off of dry land, though in fairness, I cant exactly slide out of my armour like he can with his fancy, formal wear. Its clear man-bun came prepared though, as hidden underneath said robes was a thin hide breastplate, a light, sleeveless affair made from dark leather and covered in glimmering etchings which can only be Runic engravings. These markings cover every square inch of the light and flexible armour, lines and squiggles without any apparent symbolism on their own, but as my eyes unfocus on the details to take in the bigger picture, I realize the lines converge over the centre of his brawny chest to form a stylized depiction of his taloned metal gauntlet, with fingers bent and claws extended in obvious threat. Fancy threads to hide even fancier armour, these are the trappings of power which Yong-Jin traded his freedom and independence to obtain, and for a moment, I wonder if I made the wrong decision in refusing.

...No, definitely not. Things wouldve been easier if Id accepted the Legates offer, but I was never great at taking orders. Besides, Ive seen how Imperial Nobles treat their underlings, and theres a good chance I wouldve just ended up like poor Kuang Biao, enslaved for no better reason than to make a god-damned point.

After flexing his armoured gauntlet in a remarkable likeness to the Runes upon his armour, Yong-Jin strikes a pose at full attention with head raised and arms folded behind him. Combined with his confident smile and what some might call conventional good looks, this makes him look the perfect part of home grown hero of the Empire, a man so nondescript he might well be the definitive portrait of your average citizen, a feat which I, with my lean frame, amber eyes, and angular features, could never achieve. I can see why Shen ZhenWu picked Yong-Jin over Hideo, Wu Gam, Tam Taewoong, or any other young Imperial, though if the world was less sexist, Id argue Ryo Dain would have made for the perfect cats-paw.

Then again, I suspect he had other plans in store for her and still might, so while I worry Ive invited the fox into my coop, I cannot in good conscience abandon my support of her and her family. Even if the Ryos are deeply in Shen ZhenWus pocket, and I have no proof that they are, I will consider them allies until such a time as they prove themselves otherwise.

That being said, it would appear that the former Legate was not stingy with his support for my supposed replacement, and given the presence of this Runic hide armour, I make an extra effort to inspect Yong-Jins jewellery. The only piece that really stands out is his thick silver circlet, which as I mentioned before, looks more like a head protector than fashionable accessory. Then again, the Tyrant has plenty of Runic Jewellery with the Runes inscribed on the inner band, which means any one of Yong-Jins gem-studded accessories might well be hiding a nasty surprise. Removing his robes also revealed a bracer on his left forearm which might also be Runic in nature, but as he stands with hands behind his back, I dont have the right angle to study it. His loose white pants appear as if theyre made from silk, but the material is so thick with such heavy stitching that I suspect its some unknown blend of fabric that is probably both expensive and defensive in nature. Lastly, though his boots look fancy in design, theyre made from tough leather and look fashionable, comfortable, and serviceable, though neither leggings nor footwear appear to be Runic items.

As stated before, Yong-Jin appears to be the perfect model of a mighty Martial Major, the rank he currently holds under Shuai Jiaos command. I will note that aside from their shared Blessing, its difficult to see any similarities between the Commander General and his one and only Disciple, with the younger Warrior bucking all of the trends set by his ascetic Mentor. Even if his jewellery is Runic and functional in nature, its appears as if Yong-Jin knows how to appreciate the finer things in life, and his full head of long, luxurious hair tied up in an elegant and fitting man-bun, something he had long before he entered into the Legates employ, shows that he loves to preen for the crowd. Whats more, Shuai Jiao is infamous for not possessing a Spiritual Weapon, and while I now suspect he uses Domain Plating to make up for this deficiency, Yong-Jin clearly did not follow suit and has two Spiritual Weapons of his own. I suppose its possible he already obtained both of them before becoming the Commander General's Disciple, which would beg the question of why Shuai Jiao would wait so long searching for the perfect candidate before accepting a Disciple so very different from himself.

Truth be told, on paper, it feels like Yong-Jin and I should be the best of friends. Unlike most Warriors who make it into the Hwarang, he comes from humble origins and earned every accolade hes ever received, and perhaps a few more he was passed over for on account of his lacking background. An orphan and career soldier who started from the bottom and is now here, this exemplary young man stands at the forefront of his peers and is on track to become a pillar of the future, provided he survives the trials and tribulations ahead. There are no rumours about any darker desires or gossip regarding sordid drunken antics connected to him, because unlike so many young men his age, Yong-Jin is a boring bastard who spends his days serving in the army and the rest of his free time training. Everything about him just screams Good Person, which is so rare to find in the world of Martial Warriors, because most let their own power get to their heads.

So why do I hate him so much?

...

Whatever. I dont need a reason. Fuck him and his stupid man bun. I bet he doesnt even like dogs. Stupid jerk.

Stifling my irrational ire for a man I dont really know all that well, I take a deep breath to calm down before trusting myself to speak in a cordial tone. So how do you want to do this?

Too casual and impolite considering our difference in status and public location, but unlike me, Yong-Jin knows how to mind his manners. In light of your considerable skills, this one is not arrogant to think himself a match for the Legate, he begins, his voice rough, but not unpleasant and rather fitting for his stalwart image, but his decision to broadcast his part of the conversation for everyone to hear only irks me further. However, this one still yearns to experience the Legates might firsthand and truly appreciate the skills of the Number One Talent in the Empire, a genius seen once every ten-thousand years. As such, in order to best display your Martial skills for all to see, this one suggests we have an exchange in the truest sense of the word, by taking turns to attack and defend with the end goal of knocking one another into the water, though this one humbly asks for a handicap of three defeats.

...Ah fuck. I walked right into their trap. He buttered me up so good it sounds like my victory is an absolute given, and thus there is no benefit for me to accept his terms. If I win, then its only as expected, but if he wins, it becomes a black mark on my reputation for others to use against me. The problem is, I waited too long to ask how this match would go, and now everyone has heard his proposal, so I really have no choice but to accept, else it makes me look scared and weak.

Well, at least he didnt ask for a higher handicap. I just gotta knock him into the water three times before he knocks me down once. On land, it might be a different story, but here on the water, I am literally in my element. Besides, from the way he was skipping along all the logs, its clear he has yet to learn how to Cloud Step, and that alone is a huge advantage for me in this match up. I could even afford to offer him a higher handicap, since I doubt his pride would allow him to accept and the offer itself would sting more than a little, but then I run the risk of finding out hes every bit as shameless as I am if he unexpectedly accepts. Better to just pretend like I dont care and just go with the flow, a decision I come to almost instantly despite my long internal considerations. Sure, I reply, striking a more casual pose and leaving Peace and Unity on my hip rather than making preparations to fight, a move meant to show how little I think of my foe and provide myself a valid excuse if I should lose in the first exchange. Let us proceed as you suggest.

I mean, whats the worst that could happen? I lose and laugh it off, no big deal. My rep takes a bit of a hit, but Im young and talented, not almighty and undefeated. Ill just roll with the punches and see how this goes.

Then this one will make the first move. Doing away with all pretenses, Yong-Jin attacks without any further preamble, bounding forward in a spray of water as he launches himself headlong towards me with metal claws extended. Tiger Pounces Upon the Lamb, but he will find I am no helpless lamb frozen with fear. Leaving my weapons to hang where they are, I deploy my Domain and compress it down to my skin while lining up my airborne opponent for the easiest counter ever. Aiming to knock him out with a palm strike to the chin, I ready to Deflect past his offensive reach and palm his face with just enough force to shatter a few teeth, but then he suddenly accelerates in mid-air and grabs my wrist before it can connect. Not a problem, as my Domain and Spiritual Heart combined are tough enough to withstand his iron grip and leave me firmly in control as he tries and fails to wrench my arm aside, his Earthen-Blessed Reinforced muscles proving no match for my combined Internal and External Reinforcement. Though his clawed talons find purchase in my flesh, Yong-Jin surprisingly neglected to Hone his weapon, else he couldve taken my entire hand off at the wrist, likely because this is supposed to be a friendly exhibition match, so he can hardly act so ruthlessly from the get go.

Doing what I do best, I go with the flow and throw myself back, purposefully falling away so as to avoid a headlong crash. Though this sounds like a dumb move, retaining control over our descent is critical at this juncture, an advantage I use to good effect as my foot connects with his inner thigh and hurls his entire body up and over my head. Following this up immediately with a backflip in place, I cleanly reverse our positions so that he is below me and will most certainly fall into the water first. Belatedly remembering I gave him a handicap of three defeats, I realize that if we both fall into the water, then it would probably count as my overall loss. Best not to risk it, so I use my free hand to grab Yong-Jins thumb, twist my captured wrist towards the weakened appendage, and lift my knees to my chest before stomping down on his stomach with both feet and Cloud-Stepping ever so slightly away, forcibly freeing myself from his grip through a combination of finesse, skill, and good old fashioned brute strength. Even as my opponent crashes into the water below and takes my foothold with him, I execute another backflip mid-air and scour my surroundings for a floating log to land upon. The symmetry of switching starting positions is just too tempting to pass up, so I Lighten and gently Cloud-Step in a manner that makes it look like Im floating back to Yong-Jins initial foothold, all the while wasting copious amounts of Chi to Heal the minor wounds along my wrist and hoping my sleeve isnt too torn up to cover up the minimal amounts of blood.

God, theres so much to consider in these exhibition matches when fighting from a position of strength. Well, its my turn next, so I guess Ill just beat the shit out of Yong-Jin and leave him unconscious in the basin.

Well fought, son, Dad Sends, his pride and approval enough to set my cheeks aflame, both from embarrassment and the strain of keeping the stupid grin off my face as I land lightly atop my opponents abandoned foothold and wait for him to emerge. Your mother was almost disappointed when she thought there were no more contests to be had, so it is good you had this surprise event planned. Be careful not to lose face though, as being perceived as weak is worse than actually being weak, so tread carefully. A bit of advice. You allowed yourself to fall into a prickly predicament by forgetting your opponents favoured fighting style, but you extricated yourself cleanly there.Good to see you have picked up the knack of Domain Plating as well, but we will speak of this later.For now, concede your next move and allow Yong-Jin to attack again, but this time, remember that he favours close-quarters grappling and act accordingly. Do not neglect his sword either, which he left unused this time as he did not expect you to give way so easily, but know that he could have opened your throat had you stood your ground instead of giving way as you did.

I knew I made good decisions under pressure, even if I dont always understand the reasoning behind them. Wait. Concede my next move? Why?

Useless skill though it might be, its pretty fun to do in the bath, and its hilarious using it to scare Jimjam away. Poor kitty. I should stop teasing him so much now that hes going to be sleeping in my bed with Lin-Lin and the bears.

While I muse about my sweet, water-phobic kitten, Yong-Jin finishes gathering up all the wooden logs left floating in the basin. Laid out side by side to form a floating platform, he stands at one end of the stage and sets it to drifting in my direction, extending a wordless invitation to join him which I cannot refuse. Even knowing he could ostensibly use his Wood Chi to interfere with my movements, I must rise up to this challenge and overcome it with relative ease, else tomorrow, the common people will be left thinking I am not all that far ahead of my peers. Ridiculous is what it is, in more ways than one, but I got myself into this mess, and only I can get myself out.

Suppressing the urge to berate and chastise myself for being a big stupid dumb dumb, I smirk and step onto the platform without hesitation. Again, I extend my Domain around me in order to better guard against Yong-Jins tendrils of Wood Chi, because I will know if his Chi stirs within my Domain. Its not much of a Domain as far as distance goes, extending maybe ten centimetres from my skin, but its more than what most can match, which means Yong-Jin wont account for this in his attacks. Without Domain Plating to protect me, the time has come to draw my weapons, but an errant thought strikes me as I lament my inability to beat Yong-Jin with bare hands alone. Couldnt I just partially Domain Plate myself, like just my hands? Giving it a shot on a whim, I find success as easily as breathing and crack a small smile as I ready to face my foe.

Focusing on nothing, I find everything and become aware of nothing but awareness itself, my mind detecting everything and anything that might be of use. The logs are not equidistant, nor are they bobbing in concert, but rather shifting and jostling about as if trying to fight free of Yong-Jins control. Not out of conscious intent, but rather because he cannot actually control all the logs at once and is simply maintaining the perimeter. The rest are merely trapped and floating in place, which is both good and bad. Good because I will sense if Yong Jin tries to take control of the log beneath my feet, and bad because I have to be more careful about where I step, since one wrong move can set into motion a domino effect of unintended consequences. If he takes control of a log before I set foot on it, then he could catch me off guard at an inopportune moment. I could also take control of the water and move the logs indirectly, but I dont have the fine control to pull off anything useful. At most, I could send a few logs shooting out in various directions, but only the outer ones since theyre not blocked by other logs, a card Ill keep in my pocket for later.

Honestly, I could just Cloud-Step up into the air and leave him no avenue of attack, or Mountain Collapsing Stomp away the entire makeshift raft, but that would probably be frowned upon as unsportsmanlike behaviour or something. Whatever. Ill beat him at his own game and force him to acknowledge my strength, and if thats not enough, Ill slap him around a few times for good measure. Fuck him and fuck his games. Its all meaningless in the face of overwhelming might.

Oh no...

Thats essentially saying might makes right, except using more words. Ive become everything Ive ever hated...

Launching into an offensive the moment he sees my attention slip, Yong-Jin dashes across the floating platform with claw extended. Thrusting his gauntlet towards my face, he uses this ineffective charge to block my peripheral vision and brings out his hidden blade for a surprise attack, but I expected as much and have been Scrying on him from above. Dad thinks its a bad move to watch someone from two different perspectives, but I see it as something similar to using a mini-map and find it easy enough to pay attention to both. A casual step and spin moves me out of the way of both attacks, and I glide over the floating platform while barely ever touching the logs, Lightened to the extreme so as to avoid having the proverbial rug yanked out from under my feet. Unwilling to give up just yet, Yong-Jin continues his offensive as well within his right, seeing how we never agreed to limit ourselves to a set number of moves each turn, only that we would alternate between offence and defence.

Another oversight on my part, because if I hadnt thrown him into the water both times, his turns would not have ended. Be better Rain. Be better.

Happy to play along and throw him into the drink once more, I slip away from his flurry of attacks with remarkable ease, given how my mobility is hardly hampered at all by the unstable terrain. If he thought his floating platform would offer him an advantage, he was sorely mistaken and I am more than happy to show him why. Whats more, much like me, Yong-Jin is accustomed to fighting opponents from inside their range, getting up close and personal where their swords, axes, and hammers are unable to easily reach. However, given my familiarity with this particular style, I know exactly what to watch out for and how to deal with whatever might come my way. Where others would falter when presented with unfamiliar angles of attack, I dont even have to think twice before batting Yong-Jins weapons aside, with the only caveat being that I have to be careful not to let him grab onto me again. Its childs play putting up a whirling ring of defence using only my Domain Plated hands, the absence of Peace and Tranquility meaning nothing as I abandon myself over to the movements and trust my body to know what to do. I only need to perceive and identify the threats as well as my counter opportunities, and my body knows exactly what to do with the information.

A lesson I learned long ago and tried so hard to forget, because I could never have done this without Baledagh.

A surge of sadness and longing lifts the veil upon my mind as I finally identify whats been bothering me. The real reason why I hate Yong-Jin so much is because he reminds me of the little brother I lost but never had. My opponent here is the native born Warrior I so desperately wanted to become, so much so that I created a second persona for that very purpose. Things wouldve been so much easier if I couldve let Baledagh take over and just become him for the rest of my life, but I never could surrender control to this alter-ego of mine. Now, Im faced with Yong-Jin and his stupid man-bun, who is so similar to me minus the perversion and floof dependence. He even has the Blessing of Wood, which is like my Blessing of Water, but better because it comes bundled with Earth, and the two can then be combined to make a whole third Blessing. Seeing him is like looking at a better, happier, more sane version of myself, the person who I envisioned was more suited for this world and could never live up to, all because I am a stranger in a foreign land.

Well fuck him, and fuck me too. Im here to stay, which means this is my world now, and nothing can ever change that. Im not suited for this world, so I set out to make it better suited to me, and look at me now. Im Legate of the Outer Provinces Falling Fucking Rain, and Im not going to let some prissy, man-bun, Captain Empire wannabe of a stinking brat disrespect me.

Yong-Jins hands are unable to even touch the surface of my armour as I ward off his flurry of blows with ease, my mounting displeasure emanating out in an Aura of barely restrained fury. Slowly but surely, I ramp up the pressure against him, pushing forward and cutting off his path of retreat even while remaining firmly on the defensive. Hooks and uppercuts, kicks and sweeps, slashes and thrusts, and more, every attack he throws at me is blocked, parried, or brushed aside in a display of absolute dominance, but still he will not give up. My patience running thin, I deploy my Domain further around me, not equally in all directions but unevenly in outstretching tendrils which allow me to reach further than the mere ten centimetres my base Domain affords me. Pushed to my utmost limits as my Domain struggles to carry out my Will, this phenomenon lasts only for a fraction of a fraction of a second, but even this momentary effort is enough time for me to eradicate Yong-Jins control over the wood logs and currents around us. The platform comes apart and I send the logs shooting off in every direction, some hard enough to splinter as they impact against the bridge or docks in the distance, but even then, my foe continues to persevere, right up until his clawed gauntlet closes in around my forearm as my fingers curl around his throat. You lose, I whisper, reining in my anger to offer him a chance to accept defeat with grace, but I can see that he is not yet convinced, his eyes filling with anger and disbelief. Alas, with him in my grasp like a chicken bound for slaughter, he has no choice but to concede, because he knows just as well as I do that I can easily pop his head like a pimple before he can break my Domain Plated arm, which means this match is over.

The crowd bursts into applause as I release Yong-Jin, who lets go of my arm a half-second later. As I turn to leap back to the docks, my opponents voice cuts through the cheering. Legate is truly mighty, he says, speaking over the quickly quieting crowd, But alas, the Legate has yet to show the true extent of his strength. This one is to blame, for he is lacking indeed, but might this one be so bold as to request the chance to experience a single attack from the Legate? Treat it as if this one had the courage to decline Legates earlier offer to pass on his turn, for this one would truly live in regret if he were to come so far and not experience the Legates strength firsthand.

Without even looking back, I lock eyes with Shuai Jiao in the distance, sitting so arrogantly on a chair in the middle of nowhere which someone brought out for him. Eyes burning with anger, I cast Peace behind me without looking away, and take great delight in watching him shoot to his feet so quickly that his chair topples behind him. The Commander General stops himself short of leaping out to save or avenge his Disciple just as the log explodes under Yong-Jins feet, smashed to pieces by my sword as it delivers a Guided Mountain Collapsing Strike from afar, something Ive been practising in secret for some time now. There. One attack, as you requested, and now Ive entertained you long enough. Though supposedly spoken to the water-logged Yong-Jin, my words are actually meant for Shuai Jiao as I slowly Cloud-Step back to the dock. Today is my wedding after all, and there is still much to be done, so youll have to forgive my abrupt departure. Courteous as the words might be, my tone is cold and domineering and Oration inadvertently blazing with heat, which clues the audience into the fact that all is not as it seems.

The hushed whispers and growing rumours are of no interest to me however, nor do I care to keep glaring at Shuai Jiao, because waiting back on the docks is none other than my sweet wifey herself, ringed by her guards and looking oh so lovely in her red silk dress and veil. Good job hubby, she says, greeting me with a smile so bright it shines through the sheer silk face-covering. You kicked his butt good, but you were too nice about it like always.

Glad you enjoyed the show wifey. Anything for you, I reply, and as I take her hand in mine, I realize that my words are absolutely true. I would do anything for Lin-Lin, anything at all, so long as I can keep her by my side. Cmon, I say, pulling her along behind me as I head back to receive my next guests now that the Commander General has left to retrieve his shell-shocked Disciple from the basin. Why dont we go welcome guests and accept gifts together? It goes against custom, but youre probably bored to tears sitting up there for everyone to gawk at.

Presents are nice, but theres nothing to open, which is half the fun of getting gifts in the first place. A woman after my own heart, Lin-Lin hugs my arm tight as if daring anyone to try and pull her away. Still, if youre bored, Ill keep you company, ya?

Perfect.

And I mean it. Today is my wedding day, and nothing can ruin it.

...

Okay, plenty can ruin it, but that wasnt a challenge, so please have mercy, Mother above.

Chapter Meme