Savage Divinity

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, I’m 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. It’d be a different story if my armour was Runic like Shen ZhenWu’s, but while Taddy offered to look into crafting me a set, I turned down his generous proposal so he can focus on his life’s ambition instead. He’s 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 Teacher’s heart, his garden comes second only to his beloved daughter.

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 wifey’s 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 can’t exactly slide out of my armour like he can with his fancy, formal wear. It’s 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 would’ve been easier if I’d accepted the Legate’s offer, but I was never great at taking orders. Besides, I’ve seen how Imperial Nobles treat their underlings, and there’s a good chance I would’ve 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, I’d argue Ryo Da’in would have made for the perfect cat’s-paw.

Then again, I suspect he had other plans in store for her and still might, so while I worry I’ve invited the fox into my coop, I cannot in good conscience abandon my support of her and her family. Even if the Ryo’s are deeply in Shen ZhenWu’s 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-Jin’s 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-Jin’s 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 don’t have the right angle to study it. His loose white pants appear as if they’re made from silk, but the material is so thick with such heavy stitching that I suspect it’s some unknown blend of fabric that is probably both expensive and defensive in nature. Lastly, though his boots look fancy in design, they’re 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 Jiao’s command. I will note that aside from their shared Blessing, it’s 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, it’s 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 Legate’s employ, shows that he loves to preen for the crowd. What’s 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 it’s 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 he’s 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 don’t need a reason. Fuck him and his stupid man bun. I bet he doesn’t even like dogs. Stupid jerk.

Stifling my irrational ire for a man I don’t 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 Legate’s 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 it’s 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 didn’t 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, it’s 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 he’s every bit as shameless as I am if he unexpectedly accepts. Better to just pretend like I don’t 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, what’s the worst that could happen? I lose and laugh it off, no big deal. My rep takes a bit of a hit, but I’m young and talented, not almighty and undefeated. I’ll 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 could’ve 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-Jin’s 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 I’m floating back to Yong-Jin’s initial foothold, all the while wasting copious amounts of Chi to Heal the minor wounds along my wrist and hoping my sleeve isn’t too torn up to cover up the minimal amounts of blood.

God, there’s so much to consider in these exhibition matches when fighting from a position of strength. Well, it’s my turn next, so I guess I’ll 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 opponent’s 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 opponent’s 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 don’t always understand the reasoning behind them. Wait. “Concede my next move? Why?”

“Because not only are you stronger than your opponent, you are also higher ranked, and therefore must appear magnanimous.” Sending an amused chuckle for added effect, he continues, “You erred in countering instead of defending, as the rules dictated you were supposed to. Every Expert present will have seen this, and while none might care to ever bring it up, they will remember your actions and keep your cunning ways in mind when dealing with you in the future.”

God dammit. I’m not used to seeing things from this side of the fence and keep forgetting that I’m not the under-dog this time around. The best defence is a good offence, but Dad’s right. I was supposed to defend against Yong-Jin’s attack, not knock him out before he delivered it. Thankfully, my two-footed stomp sent my foe plummeting into the basin depths, giving me time to chat with Dad and digest the fact that my compressed Domain is actually Domain Plating. It’s a lot easier than I thought it’d be, but a quick attempt to extend this Domain Plating to my clothes instantly falls through, as the fabric resists and overcomes my attempt to merge the physical and metaphysical together.

Why? Merging my Domain with my body takes almost no effort at all, but trying to Domain Plate my clothes feels like putting together a 3-D puzzle blindfolded while having no idea what I’m building. Ah, probably because the clothes aren’t... I dunno, Spiritual? And lack the proper... connections for my Domain to adhere to? Which means I would need to manually affix my Domain to my clothes in order to merge the physical and metaphysical together, a feat which I’m not entire sure how to do.

Long seconds later, I put my testing aside as Yong-Jin emerges from the depths looking none too worse for wear, surging out of the waters to land lightly upon a wooden log with man-bun somehow still intact. Though wet and soggy, his ruffled clothes make him look more sympathetic than downtrodden, and his smile is so modest and self-deprecating it could’ve come from my own face. “It appears that the Legate saw through this one’s desperate attempt to seize victory through surprise and deceit,” he says, his eyes flashing with a hint of roguish charm that seems all too genuine to be faked. “A failed gambit and deserved loss, but this one will not concede just yet, for though the Legate has travelled far along the Martial Path in so short a time, this one still hopes to one day catch up.”

“It matters not how quickly or slowly you proceed, so long as you arrive at your destination in the end.” Offering him some fortune cookie wisdom as a response, I flick my fingers in a beckoning gesture as per Dad’s advice. “Come. We’ll count that last exchange as both of our first turns, as I forgot myself in the moment and countered, rather than strictly defending. My apologies for that, but old habits die hard.”

Clasping his fist in a martial salute, Yong-Jin bows ever so slightly to show his respect. “This one thanks the Legate for his profound words of wisdom, and though none would dare fault the Legate for his actions, this one will also gladly accept the generous offer, lest this match end too soon for everyone’s tastes.”

I gotta admit, he knows how to put on a good show for the crowd, who cheer and applaud at his statement. To the average observer, it truly appears as if we’re having a friendly exchange and competing as young men are wont to do. It annoys me that he’s so good at this and further aggravates my inferiority complex, but there’s nothing I can do except be better to prove to everyone, myself included, that I deserve to be called the Number One Talent in the Empire.

After Mila, with her crazy laser beams. Oh, and Yan with her giant tornado of slicing death. Possibly Lin-Lin too, considering she redirected an attack from the Ancestral Mammoth, half-hearted though it might have been. An argument could be made for a few other stand out talents, but even if I’m not number one, I’m at least in the top five, right?

...Top ten for sure. I deserve that much at least.

Focus dude. Even though it looked like an easy victory from the outside, it actually took a fair amount of skill, luck, and effort to avoid losing so disgracefully in the first exchange, not to mention how you used several of the advantages you were keeping in your back pocket. Maybe it’s time to pull out the trusty sword and shield, yea?

Alas, the thought comes too late as Yong-Jin almost instantly launches into his next attack, leapfrogging over wooden logs to avoid a head on approach. As I turn to face him, something snags my foot and I stagger in place, not quite enough to stumble but more than enough to stop me in my tracks. Inwardly reeling for balance of the mundane variety, I recover just in time to defend against Yong-Jin’s low kick, or so I thought. As I move to raise a foot and avoid the scything sweep, I falter yet again as my foot gets caught on something again, and all too late I remember Yong-Jin’s Blessing, something he has yet to publicly display but is well known all the same. Emerging from the wooden log beneath me is a thin tendril of Wood Chi, seemingly planted there in advance by my devious foe. It’s hardly the most impressive working of Chi and not at all worthy of his Mentor’s sobriquet ‘the Grasping Vine’, but even though the tendril breaks with little more effort than lifting my foot, it has already done its job in slowing down my response.

The problem with moving on reflex is that you have no control over what those reflexes will do. Everyone has experienced it before, walking along when suddenly the ground drops out from under you as your foot finds a step down you didn’t expect. Even though you land firmly and are in no danger of falling, your mind panics and your body fights for balance you already have because you’ve encountered something wholly unexpected and can only move on instinct. So too is my response both times when encountering this tendril of Wood Chi, and even though I recover in less time than it takes to blink, the two combined pauses allow Yong-Jin just enough time to land his devastating kick. Bear’s Stepping Grasp, except while most Martial Warriors interpret this movement as an instep to follow through with a punch, Yong-Jin executes it with his right foot alone, using his sole almost like a hand to cup my left ankle and sweep it out from underneath me, which looks and feels a little like I’ve slipped on a banana peel. At the same time, Yong-Jin’s armoured hand shoots out to push my right shoulder hard and throw me off balance, while his unarmoured hand latches onto my right sleeve and pulls in the same direction. My balance broken, he follows through the moment his left foot touches down on the wooden log beneath me, his entire body moving in concentrated effort to twist me about and bend me backwards in a valiant effort to use his strength and momentum to throw me into the water and secure himself a much desired victory.

So simple a motion, this grappling throw, but one that uses opposing forces to good effect. One hand pushes, the other pulls, while the sweeping foot keeps my weight on one foot that makes it easy to pivot me about. The world spins as I struggle to keep my footing and avoid a public dunking, the rotation due to our bodies’ movements and the actual log twirling about underneath us. Pushing my body’s flexibility and the seams of my pants to their absolute limits, I wrench my raised foot down and back until I am no longer bent over backwards and fully upright again, all the while carefully making sure my foot doesn’t go into the water. At the same time, I latch onto his arms at the elbows and pull him in close, breaking his hold and giving him a taste of his own medicine as I use my upper body strength alone to fling him aside. Cartwheeling through the air in a display of phenomenal agility, Yong-Jin gamely clings to my arm and uses it as pivot point to swing around and try to attack me from behind, but I am not yet done.

Feet planted firmly on the wooden log, I give up on trying to move them for fear of more Wood-Blessed shenanigans and use my own Blessing in response, taking control of the currents and forcing the wooden log to bring me out and away from Yong-Jin’s aerial grab. Momentum and gravity do the rest as he is unable to Cloud-Step and maneuver in mid-air, leaving him no choice but to let things play out as I extend my arm and lower it until his feet sink into the water below. “I believe that makes it two points for me now,” I say, making it impossible for him to take advantage of my poor posture with another attack and claim ignorance after the fact. “I’ll pass on my turn again, so do your best and leave no regrets.”

His brown eyes flash with anger for all of a millisecond, disappearing so quickly I’m almost convinced I only imagined seeing it there, which Blessing aside is the first similarity I’ve seen from Yong-Jin and his Mentor. Shuai Jiao is similarly a master of controlling his emotions, and his Disciple only a little less adept at hiding them. Releasing his grip on my arm, which would be sporting blackened bruises if not for my Domain Plated defences, Yong Jin allows himself to fall into the water with a nod and swims away towards the nearest log. This time, I’m able to appreciate his aquatic skills as he dives under the surface only to launch himself out of the water shortly after, rising into the air head first before landing lightly on the wooden log reminiscent of how Pong Pong sometimes exits the water.

Or a penguin, except they tend to land on their bellies, which is real cute. Do penguins exist here in the Empire? God, I hope so. Where would I go to find them, and would they survive back home in the mountains? How come I remember penguins and how they leave the water, but can’t remember what my parents looked like?

Glancing down at my feet to study the log beneath me, I extend my Domain not to Plate it, but merely to block any Wood Chi from entangling my feet again. I could switch over to a different log, but considering Yong-Jin hopped over a good number of them on the way out here and I didn’t keep track of which ones, it’s better to work with a known quantity and just expect the worst. Besides, changing logs would make it seem like I’m worried about his Blessing, which I am, but staying shows my disdain for his skills to everyone who noticed. As Dad only just reminded me, appearances matter more than facts, because so long as appearances are kept up, face must be given. If I lose here, it doesn’t matter if I am technically stronger than Yong-Jin, because no one will care. All they will focus on is how I lost, and until such a time as I can regain face, they will treat me as if I am weaker than I truly am.

Hey look at that. After almost an entire decade, I’m finally getting a grasp of this face thing. Wooo, go me.

“This one thanks the Legate for his advice,” Yong-Jin declares, putting a bit too much oomph into his words to suit his subordinate tone. “As such, this one will no longer hold back.”

Implying he has been holding back this entire time, which is bullshit. God, I hate this guy.

Then the time for flippant thoughts is over as Yong-Jin takes his stance. Right hand extended forward with taloned claws pointed in threat. Left hand behind his back and ready to draw his sword, but hiding how he intends to hold it, either normally or in reverse grip. His feet shift to shoulder length apart, knees bend ever so slightly, all with a posture which is neither wholly rigid nor entirely slack, but somewhere in between. A tree bending in the wind, so to speak, and I find it impressive how well he’s incorporated this singular adage into his style, one that is strong and flexible without sacrificing strength or stability. The Blessing of Wood is not just something he uses alongside his Martial Skills, but part and parcel of the whole. There is no differentiation between him and his Blessing, no divide between a Wood Blessed Yong-Jin and one without, a level even I have yet to reach. My fighting style is an aggressive one in which I rush in and overwhelm my opponents at a range they are not accustomed to, yet when it comes to the Blessing of Water, I’m trying to establish a style in which I hang back and blast my foes from afar, two distinct and wholly dissimilar method which have little in common, something I should reflect upon when I have the time.

Standing in place because my foe has yet to act, I am so focused on Yong-Jin’s presence that I almost fail to notice my surroundings. Startled gasps from the crowd catch my attention, and only then do I notice the floating logs converging towards him, carried over on unseen currents directed by his Chi. Though the logs move slowly and I could do better, the fact that he can even do this much is impressive considering he’s what? Twenty-five, maybe twenty-six years of age, which is fairly young for a Martial Warrior to exhibit such fine control of External Chi, much less Elemental Chi. Mila, Yan, Dastan, and maybe a handful of more names, there are not many people his age who can match Yong-Jin’s display, though I suppose Tenjin probably had both of us beat when he was twenty-five, a mere four or five years ago.

Hang on... I can feel... something off about this whole thing, a wrongness in the air which stems from Yong-Jin’s bracer. When Martial Warrior’s use Chi, there’s rarely ever a discernible disturbance in the surroundings Heavenly Energy wise, but I can feel Heavenly Energy gathering about that Runic bracer. Maybe it’s some sort of focus to help Yong-Jin utilize the Blessing of Water, similar to the Runic bangle the Legate gifted me during my wedding with Mila that helped with Lightening ever so slightly. If so, then I can only look on in envy and wonder how much face it would cost me to steal that bracer away, though if this is the full extent of what it can do, I’m not sure it’s even worth taking. Needless to say the crowd is impressed, because Yong-Jin has just shown us all his ‘true potential’, a man seemingly destined to follow in his Mentor’s footsteps to become a Living Legend in his time. Though it pales in comparison to the power I demonstrated out on the Azure Sea, I had the help of an Elemental Spirit who provided me with the means to Bind the entire sea and carried out my Intent. What Yong-Jin is doing here and now is probably under his own power and control, not to mention happening in front of an audience that massively outnumbers the soldiers who witnessed my feats.

There’s a saying that holds true in this life as it did in the last: Pics or it didn’t happen. Alas, there are no cameras here, so unless I can control the Azure Sea on demand, there will always be a sizable number of doubters out there. As for Yong-Jin, even though this is his first time displaying any skill at all using his Elemental Blessing of Wood, he’s almost able to match the skills that I’ve shown off to the crowd, which is essentially limited to moving logs around in the water. I could swim real fast for everyone to see, but somehow, I doubt they’ll be all that impressed by my aquatic acrobatics, and while I can conjure up a pretty long stream of Water Chi, I’m not shameless enough to do my imitation of a fountain in public for all to see.

Useless skill though it might be, it’s pretty fun to do in the bath, and it’s hilarious using it to scare Jimjam away. Poor kitty. I should stop teasing him so much now that he’s 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-Jin’s tendrils of Wood Chi, because I will know if his Chi stirs within my Domain. It’s not much of a Domain as far as distance goes, extending maybe ten centimetres from my skin, but it’s more than what most can match, which means Yong-Jin won’t 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. Couldn’t 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-Jin’s 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 don’t 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 they’re not blocked by other logs, a card I’ll 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. I’ll beat him at his own game and force him to acknowledge my strength, and if that’s not enough, I’ll slap him around a few times for good measure. Fuck him and fuck his games. It’s all meaningless in the face of overwhelming might.

Oh no...

That’s essentially saying ‘might makes right’, except using more words. I’ve become everything I’ve 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 it’s 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 hadn’t 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. What’s 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 don’t even have to think twice before batting Yong-Jin’s weapons aside, with the only caveat being that I have to be careful not to let him grab onto me again. It’s child’s 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 what’s 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 would’ve been so much easier if I could’ve 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, I’m 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. I’m here to stay, which means this is my world now, and nothing can ever change that. I’m not suited for this world, so I set out to make it better suited to me, and look at me now. I’m Legate of the Outer Provinces Falling Fucking Rain, and I’m not going to let some prissy, man-bun, Captain Empire wannabe of a stinking brat disrespect me.

Yong-Jin’s 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-Jin’s 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 opponent’s 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 Legate’s 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 Legate’s 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-Jin’s feet, smashed to pieces by my sword as it delivers a Guided Mountain Collapsing Strike from afar, something I’ve been practising in secret for some time now. “There. One attack, as you requested, and now I’ve 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 you’ll 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. “C’mon,” 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 don’t we go welcome guests and accept gifts together? It goes against custom, but you’re probably bored to tears sitting up there for everyone to gawk at.”

“Presents are nice, but there’s 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 you’re bored, I’ll 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 wasn’t a challenge, so please have mercy, Mother above.

Chapter Meme