"Hiryu... Shoten Ha?" Ranko repeated, blinking as she processed the information she had just received. It definitely sounded impressive, there was no doubt in her mind that if this technique was named after a dragon rising to the sky then it would surely be stronger than one named after a lion's roar like Ryoga's.

She couldn't figure out what a spiral had to do with it, however.

"Is this attack really as strong as my Shi Shi Hokodan?" Ryoga asked, unknowingly voicing what his girlfriend was also wondering about.

"Ranko, I want you to stay here and pay attention to what we're going to do," Lotion said with a serious tone, ignoring the question as she walked further into the clearing. Once she was almost at the center of it, she called Ryoga with her left hand. "As for you, boy, attack me with all your strength, no holding back!"

"You want to spar?" The boy asked, scratching his chin, not that he had any objections about sparring with the old woman, but he had trouble understanding why she wanted to do that instead of actually showing them the technique the way she had done with the Bakusai Tenketsu and the Amaguriken.

"Spar? No, fool, I want you to attack me for real! Because the stronger the opponent and their battle aura, the stronger the Hiryu Shoten Ha will be," the old amazon explained. "Now stop wasting time and come at me, I need your strength to show Ranko how to perform this special move!"

Still doubtful, Ryoga walked towards the waiting elder, but took the time to look back to where Ranko stood. He hoped to see the concern in her eyes, but all he saw was deep concentration and anticipation, as she was obviously more interested in what she was about to see. Sighing as he realized that perhaps it had been silly of him to expect her to be worried about his well-being, Ryoga lowered his face and was about to turn to face Lotion when he heard Ranko calling him, and he looked back up to see her.

"Be careful, Ryo!" she said and smiled at him, also offering him a flirty wink. "But make sure ta give that relic a good show, I won't learn this Hiryu Shoten Ha thing if you don't try your best, ya hear?"

"Uh… yeah… I will," he answered, offering her a hesitant smile before taking in a deep breath and focusing on Lotion. Those were not exactly the words he had been hoping to hear, but it was a bit reassuring to know she did worry about him in her own way.

"Well, I'm waiting, boy," Lotion called with a sneer, only to add in a whisper, "and just between us, I think she will pay more attention to you if you can actually land a punch on me this time…"

"Heh… and here I thought you'd be more considerate," he answered as he cracked his knuckles, not appreciating the old amazon's apparent mockery. "But if you're going to be like that then I will really not hold back… get ready!"

And with this warning, Ryoga attacked the amazon elder.

----------------------------------------

At the same time...

Ranko, standing very still, her full attention on the fight, was not entirely sure this was going to be of any use to her. Ryoga was indeed trying, and she could admit to even feeling a bit proud of him as he had gotten close to hitting the old ghoul more than once. He really had improved a lot in the last few weeks, which meant she was surely stronger too, given how much Lotion had trained them.

'Yeah… Ryoga's stronger and a walking boulder, but I'm all about precision and speed…' the redhead thought as she continued observing the fight. 'He's strong and I'm fast, we… we actually complement each other quite well, don't we? Like the time we fought that pig-faced goon or even Taro's cursed whatever the hell that was, monster form, if we fight together, there's no way we can lose!' Ranko pondered, letting her ego get the best of her, clenching a fist out in front of her.

The problem was they would not fight together all the time, one mistake and they could end up separated, like when Taro captured her. If that happened again she would not be able to help him fight… or what happened in Fist Rock could happen again, where not even her wits and quick thinking had been enough.

"Because I wasn't strong enough…" Ranko muttered after a time, feeling her throat close and her confidence falter. "Because I was weak, Ryoga… almost got killed… if we hadn't learned that Minotaur freak's weak point was hot water…" the redhead couldn't deny the kind of powers they were up against, the chance of death hitting one felt as eventual as the falling of rain.

'I can't let that happen again,' she thought, feeling pained at the idea of her boyfriend suffering because she couldn't help him. 'I can't see Ryoga hurt that bad again… not for me. I'll learn this Hiryu Shoten Ha special move not just to be at his level, but to go higher if I have to! And every time you climb a new height I'll be there to remind you we're more than just equals!'

Despite paying close attention to the fight, Ranko was caught by surprise by the sudden flash of light unleashed by Lotion, and she had to bring her arms up to cover her face from the wild winds that started roaring with a deafening BOOM all around her, forcing her to squint as she tried to see what had just happened.

And then the blinding light and deafening wind receded, showing Lotion was now alone in the clearing… Ryoga was gone!

"W-where's Ryoga?" the girl asked, rushing to the old woman's side as she looked left and right. "Did you… did you vaporize him?"

"No. He's up there," Lotion explained as she pointed up with the tip of her cane. "He should be landing in just a moment."

Ranko looked up and yes, she confirmed Ryoga was way above them and coming down fast. Sudden concern filling her chest, eyes never leaving her boyfriend's falling form, all she could do was to angrily scream. "Why did ya do that to him!?"

"It was necessary for you to see how the technique is performed, besides the boy survived my Bakusai Tenketsu training, this won't hurt him that much," the elder amazon said while looking up to trace Ryoga's descending trajectory. "He's such a helpful young man."

"You… you're impossible! No! You're off your rocker if you think-" the redhead shouted and started running towards the place she believed Ryoga would crash into; the top of the hills where the few remaining rocks from his training for the Breaking Point technique still remained.

As she ran she saw the moment of impact, and panic rushed through her when dust and pebbles went flying in her direction. She forced her legs to run faster and finally, jumped high to reach the top of the hill as quickly as she could. She found him in the middle of the rubble, his shirt and pants torn as if a beast had attacked him with sharp claws… was he dead? Ranko felt her eyes water and, hands over her chest, she slowly approached him fearing the worst.

'Please be alright, please be alright, please…' she thought, and then she saw it, his lips trembling a little, waiting and watching, noticing his chest expanded as he drew air in. He was still alive!

Relief washing all over her, Ranko quickly went to his side, placing her hand on his forehead to find his skin felt a little cold as if Ryoga had decided to go for a walk during a chilly morning. Noticing he was starting to stir, she gently moved him so his head rested on her knees, softly she caressed his face, trying to let him know he was not alone.

'It's okay, I'm with you now… you stupid, pig-headed love of my life you-' the girl thought while tracing the shape of his face with her fingers, though halfway through her thoughts her inner words sink in, her thoughts seized, she couldn't think of why she felt such a giddy and nervous feeling inside her gut. All she knew was that she cared deeply for him, how far and how she could get across her words were the new challenges her relationship faced. Proper self-expression proved to be too great a feat to overcome for her.

"He isn't hurt, is he?" Lotion asked, standing behind Ranko. "That blast wasn't strong enough to hurt a man who learned the Bakusai Tenketsu."

"Not… strong… enough?" Ryoga asked, surprising both women as he slowly sat up, leaning on Ranko's supporting shoulder to steady himself.

He felt glad to see her by his side, though Lotion's presence and the matter at hand kept him from expressing it. He would thank her later of course, but right then, he had questions that could not wait. "Is that a joke? That thing was incredible, I can't believe it's so powerful!" Ryoga exclaimed, feeling more than literally blown away.

"That was only about ten percent of what a real Hiryu Shoten Ha can be," Lotion said in a serious tone. "If you had been truly angry when fighting me you would have seen the complete version of the attack," Lotion said, sounding almost disappointed, although probably also flattered that Ryoga probably doesn't want her dead.

"So that means… if I had used it against Taro…" Ranko muttered, slowly getting back to her feet.

She had only felt a little annoyed when Ryoga ignored her the moment he came to, but her interest in the technique was enough to make her forget about it, and besides, they could always talk later, once her training was completed.

"Imagine if it had been charged up to a hundred percent!?" Ranko added after the smallest of pauses.

"Something like that could have defeated him on the spot," Ryoga said in awe, impressed by the power this special technique possessed.

"Perhaps, but enough of that," Lotion said, pointing her cane at the redhead. "Ranko, tell me your analysis of the Hiryu Shoten Ha."

"Well, first of..." Ranko answered as she started pacing around the old amazon, her arms crossed while she thought. "All you did was dodge Ryoga's attacks."

"Go on," Lotion invited with a nod.

"You were leading him to the center of the spiral, and made it so once you were at the center…" she made a pause and then scratched her cheek, reflecting on what she had seen for a second. "I believe you made Ryoga think he had you cornered, but then… you made one single move and blew him away?" she asked with some uncertainty in her voice.

"Congratulations, child, that is correct... and after seeing it only once, too!" Lotion said with a satisfied grin.

The old amazon knew the girl was talented, but confirming she was not just talented but so perceptive as well was a pleasant surprise. Perhaps these two teenagers would continue making her life a little bit more interesting, and maybe, just maybe, they would be just what she needs to recover her precious memories from the Joketsuzoku Amazons.

"Heh, of course, I would get it right the first time!" Ranko said with a gloating smile, greatly enjoying the praise she'd just earned. "If I'm not wrong, it all depends on trapping your opponent in the spiral, that's not difficult and I'm quite fast. You'll see, old bat, I will master this thing by sunset!"

"Oh, quite confident aren't we?" Lotion said while her eyebrows rose at the redhead's affirmation. "It's good that you're motivated, but you'll soon see learning the Hiryu Shoten Ha will not be as easy as you think."

----------------------------------------

Somewhere else…

The woman had walked alone for a while now, not daring to enter the road a few steps to her left yet, as she didn't want to be seen before she was ready. She continued for a few minutes until she reached a tall tree that would provide enough cover; there, she placed the bag she carried over her shoulder on the ground, spared an instant to glance around, and then looked up at the few clouds above, pondering again about Shanjie, the town not too far from where she was. She had not visited it before, but she had heard the little village was rather peaceful, the kind of place where anything out of the ordinary was talked about for weeks and even months.

She looked back at the river and noticed she was now so far from it that her boat was small enough to look like a toy. Her companion was no longer there, which meant he had gone ahead without her.

"So impatient, I hope he refrains from entering the town as we agreed," she muttered, feeling a bit annoyed by what her fellow Nekonronian had done.

"I guess it's time to do something about how I look… what a pain," the woman said as she looked appreciatively at herself. She was a tall and attractive young woman of nineteen, her exuberant beauty being the object of desire for countless men in Nekonron no doubt, while she was proud enough of her physique to show it without feeling any remorse, she also knew quite well doing that would be a disadvantage in a place like this small town.

Sighing at the idea of hiding her beautiful body, Monlon of the Seven Lucky Gods crouched to open her bag, taking out of it a white robe and red sandals that she hastily put on. She didn't like it much, but these clothes would help her blend in with the villagers and avoid unwanted attention that could disrupt her work. Once she had the unfashionable dress on, she used her fingers to straighten her shiny silver hair and then a handkerchief to remove her make-up. Her preparations were complete, she slung the bag over her left shoulder and picked her lute with her right hand. With this done, she finally entered the road to Shangjie.

Monlon found the town's square fast enough and after locating a comfortable spot under a tree, she sat on a small bench, then she started to play her lute. Her melody, a happy tune with a melody fit for a dancing beat, attracted a decent amount of people, Monlon smiled as her playing alternated between notes just enough to entice her audience to stay, that was until had enough attention and she ended her performance with a slow, calming piece she was obviously quite fond of playing, given how into her lute playing she got.

The silver-haired beauty finished her charming performance by standing up and moving her hips slowly to the left and right along with the final notes of her song. This alone would have easily convinced any man to tell her anything she wanted, but given that her audience consisted mostly of women, children, and a few men, she was for once glad that she was wearing something that covered her sensual curves, as the last thing she needed was to be chased out of town by a small horde of angry, jealous wives.

"Thank you, you're much too kind!" she said with a cheerful smile, bowing a little and enjoying the applause. She was gladly surprised when a few people deposited some yuan in her bag, which she had placed out in front of her while it was opened.

Not that she needed the money, but if she was going to pretend to be a happy-go-lucky traveling musician she had to do it right or people would suspect her, something she didn't need. "And thank you for your cooperation, I'm so happy to know you liked my music!"

Taking advantage of the good mood of the dissipating crowd, Monlon approached a small girl first, as she imagined children would be far more eager to share information than adults.

"Excuse me, can I ask you a question?" she called.

"Yeah, sure," the girl said. "Hey, where did you learn to play the lute?"

"Ah… well, my master taught me, so…"

"You're very good!" the girl interrupted.

"Thank you. Now, about the question…" Monlon insisted a bit discouraged the conversation was not going the way she wanted it to.

"What is it?" But just then a woman called the girl from the other side of the plaza. "Sorry, my Mom's calling me, goodbye!"

And saying nothing more the girl ran off, leaving Monlon feeling a bit disappointed. Did she waste her time playing for the villagers? A bit frustrated, she glanced around hoping to find someone else, and saw a woman dropping some coins into her bag. Smiling, Monlon went to meet her, hoping she could get information.

"Thank you," the musician said, bowing politely to the other woman. "I appreciate whatever help you can give."

"You don't have to, your music was fantastic and I enjoyed it very much."

"You should listen to my friend's voice, we usually travel together but I was held back in Nekonron so I'm on my own for now… but we'll meet her in Tong Po Harbor," Monlon said. She had prepared a story to tell when asking about the redhead beforehand and was ready to use it in hopes this woman would take the bait.

"Oh, perhaps you both can visit our village on your way back and perform for us?" the woman asked.

"That would be my pleasure, but you may have met her already? I believe she was here recently."

"Really?" The woman blinked, a little confused. "No singers visited the town recently, perhaps she took another route?"

"Oh, but maybe she didn't sing when she was here…" Monlon said. "I am sure you would remember her, she's got fiery red hair and is very pretty."

"Ah, a redhead you say?" The other woman smiled. "I did meet one a few days ago now that you mention it; she and her boyfriend were here. It seems the girl's boyfriend was working with the construction crew that's building the bridge down the river, the new one near Fist Rock… or what's left of it I should say." She explained, chuckling nervously.

"Oh? She wasn't alone?" Monlon asked, memorizing that bit of information as Prince Kirin had not mentioned the redhead was traveling with some boy. "Do you know where they went? If she was with him then maybe they didn't go to Tong Po Harbor..."

"Or maybe they did. Her boyfriend is a nice young man, very polite, he even managed to become friends with my son!" the woman said. "I didn't think my Taro would ever make friends, to be honest, he can be so shy!… Oh, I'm rambling, aren't I? Apologies, the truth is I'm afraid I don't know where the girl and her boyfriend went after they left town."

"Maybe they told someone?" Monlon asked, phrasing as not only a question for her present company but also making it sound as if she were questioning herself too.

"Well… I heard they bought some things from Hui Quing," Taro's mother recalled. "He owns a store here in town, you may want to ask him." the older woman suggested.

"I will," Monlon said while picking up her bag, not bothering with counting the coins. "Which way is that store you mentioned, please?" she asked, closing her eyes with a slight smile.

"Just go down that street and you'll find it, you can't miss it." She answered, putting her hands together.

"Thank you, you've been of great help," Monlon gave her thanks and went on her way.

----------------------------------------

A few minutes later…

The store was filled with trinkets, general appliances, clothes, shoes and even cheap plastic jewelry, and Monlon had to admit there were things here that caught her attention, mainly some make-up sets she found in one corner. The deadly musician decided on a set with lipstick, eye-shadow and blush, all of which she promptly took to the counter.

It was more expensive than she expected, but she knew a sale would loosen the merchant's tongue, besides, she did need some new make-up.

"Thank you!" the merchant said as he gave Monlon her change. "Are you new in town?"

"No, I just stopped here to eat something; I'm on my way to Tong Po Harbor," the woman replied. "I am meeting a friend there... I understand she was here a few days ago so you've probably met her already."

"Oh? Perhaps I have. People from other villages sometimes pass through our town on their way to Yakusai or Tong Po harbor and they usually stop by my quaint little shop."

"Then you must have seen her, my friend is a redhead, and I believe her boyfriend was with her too."

"Ah! Yes, you don't forget a girl like that," Hui Qing chuckled at the memory of the pretty redhead and her boyfriend. "She was here indeed. The two bought some gear and then she came back to buy shoes… she haggled for them as if her very life depended on it, by the way." he chortled and fanned his hand, remembering how something otherwise so trivial could rally someone up like that.

"Yeah, that sounds like her," Monlon said with a giggle so her performance would seem all the more natural. "Do you know if they went to Tong Po Harbor? It would be a shame if she decided to go somewhere else."

"Hm… well, she and her boyfriend wanted some Corly Weed but I don't have any. If they still wanted it they must have gone to Yakusai. The herbalist village is probably the only place where you can find that plant at this time of the season, that's all I can say for certain." he crossed his arms and nodded his head.

"That is good enough, thank you," she said with a polite smile.

----------------------------------------

Later still…

The frown adorning Monlon's face may have done little to hurt her natural beauty, but it did a lot to keep curious men from approaching her. She wasn't pleased with the information she had obtained and as she made her way back to the river, she tried as hard as she could to understand what had happened in this town.

It was quite vexing, to say the least, not knowing that what she heard didn't quite match what their Lord Kirin had told her. Any thief worth their salt wouldn't have openly entered a town's store to haggle over a pair of shoes or to befriend someone from a construction site. No. Thieves would rather avoid bringing attention to themselves, especially if they were carrying something as valuable as a Musk royal heirloom; or at least that is what Monlon believed.

"The only thing I'm almost certain of is that the girl didn't go to Yakusai," Monlon muttered while running her fingers through her silvery hair. "But now I have no leads… where did she go?" she questioned aloud. 'I do know the Joketsuzoku amazons are watching Tong Po, so…' the lethal musician's voice trailed as she touched her chin and looked at the road in front of her. 'Well, if the girl didn't go south then perhaps she went north, and the only village in that direction happens to be Bao, so maybe I should go there and ask around.' she pondered, humming in satisfaction.

With this idea in mind, it didn't take Monlon too long to reach the river, from there she went to her boat and tossed her bag in.

Her companion wasn't here yet, so she started pacing back and forth until he arrived so she could tell him their next stop was Bao. She had done this for a few minutes when she felt familiar ki approaching, not the least bit surprised when a tall, bearded man jumped down from a tree, landing in front of her with such skill he did not even lift a speck of dust.

"Bishamonten," she greeted.

"You took longer than expected in that town," Bishamonten said, clearly not pleased. "I hope you have useful information because I would rather we return to Nekonron sooner than later." he clarified with wishes.

"No need to be so anxious," the silver-haired beauty said with a soft smile. "I know you're worried because of your wife's condition… she is due any day now, is she not?" she asked, showing genuine intrigue.

"Yes, and I should be by her side," the tall warrior said, his voice tinted with sadness. "This is our third child, and we're hoping to finally have a girl… I have to be with her." His head lowered as he spoke.

"I'm sorry, old friend, but you know we both have our orders," Monlon stated, her expression turning sour but in the sense that she felt bad for her comrade.

"It's just…" the man didn't finish the sentence, his eyes instead set in the river, his concern almost palpable.

Monlon sighed and felt sorry for her fellow member of the Seven. His worries affected her too, as Bishamonten's wife was none other than her own master, the previous guardian of Seven Luck Mountain's Fourth Gate who had retired from her position only seven months before.

"Bishamonten, the only reason why I am a member of the Seven is that your wife told King Hirin I was ready for the trials," Monlon recalled. "But without her training and advice, I wouldn't have completed my tests. I owe her a debt I will never be able to repay." She explained, shutting her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest.

"She said you surpassed her before you were seventeen," Bishamonten replied, his hands on his hips. "Called you the best pupil she ever had. If you passed the trials it was because your Ongaku no sentō is unmatched in Nekonron." He proclaimed proudly.

"All thanks to your wife," Monlon repeated with a warm chuckle. "It pains me that you can't be with her right now," she revealed.

"I appreciate the sentiment," the tall warrior said with a nod and a sigh, as he knew they wouldn't be able to return to Seven Luck mountain until they had found the redhead the Musk Dynasty was after.

'I suppose I should help Bishamonten,' Monlon, who had been silently observing the spear master, thought. 'It is the least I can do for him.' she thought, thinking it was about time she repaid her master the favor.

"We will go to Bao next," Monlon said, surprising her companion.

"That's… that's not far from Nekonron, why are you going there?"

"Because Lord Herb told Prince Kirin the Joketsuzoku Amazons already sent people to Yakusai and Tong Po Harbor, remember? There is no need for us to go south," she explained as she distractedly adjusted her lute's strings. "We can go upstream and when we reach the bridge that connects Nekonron with the main north road, I'll get off the boat. That way you can go see your wife while I go to Bao."

"You, will you do that for me?"

"For you and my master both," Monlon said with a smile. "That way you can tell my master I'll visit her as soon as I can, please?"

"I will tell her… and Monlon, thank you," Bishamonten said and bowed. "I truly appreciate this."

"No need to thank me," she said, then chuckled and added, "you're a good friend and the Seven should help each other, so ask Prince Kirin to send the twins to Bao. I do believe I can do this by myself, but I'd feel better if Daikokusei and Daihakuse could offer some help, they're better than I am when it comes to obtaining information unseen."

"I promise I'll tell the prince, very well, then, let's go!" The tall spear master said and with a nod, he jumped onto the boat, preparing to row against the current as fast as he could.

"I should have bought something to drink," Monlon lamented as she got on the boat, but her mood quickly improved as she thought her master would be very happy to see Bishamonten back so soon.

----------------------------------------

Twenty young soldiers, all appearing to be between the ages of seventeen and nineteen, stood in groups of four or five as they waited for something to happen. They were in the large plateau that crowned Seven Luck Mountain, in front of them, about fifty meters away, stood the majestic Royal Tower, home to the rulers of Nekonron.

The teenagers had been summoned the night before, the only instruction they received was to be there at that hour and to bring their weapons with them.

"Why do you think they called us here?" One of them asked his friend, who was standing to his left.

"No idea, but since we're all armed I imagine we'll get a mission," the other teen answered while he ran the tip of his finger over the edge of his sword to confirm the edge was indeed sharp enough. "Maybe it is related to the Musk Dynasty, I heard some nobles from the dynasty were here recently."

"… I hope we won't have to go fight them," another teenager said. "I heard the Musk nobles are far more powerful than even the Seven."

"Quiet, all of you!" One of the older teenagers interrupted. "Someone is coming out of the Royal Tower!"

The whispers that had filled the plateau ended abruptly as the large doors on the tall building opened, revealing two figures walking out of the imposing tower, stopping only when they were right in front of the group of young soldiers. The teenagers could do nothing but kneel in front of the person who now stood before them, Prince Kirin, heir of Nekonron and the strongest of the current Seven Lucky Gods that protected their land.

"It is good to see you all," the man standing next to Kirin said. Despite his short stature, his skills in the martial arts were respected and feared across the land, for Ebiten, second in command of the Seven, he was well known for being both a wise and powerful warrior.

Twirling his mustache as he paced in front of the young soldiers, Ebiten nodded and then continued. "You were all summoned here with one purpose. Today, you will help with Prince Kirin's training, those of you who do well may even be considered to enter the royal guard, which would mean training under one of the Seven."

"Is… is that true?" One of the young soldiers asked as this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all of them.

"Bishamonten, Wu, and I are willing to take some students," Ebiten assured.

"What about Lady Monlon, or the twins?" One soldier asked from the back row.

"Monlon and the twins are still too young to train any of you," the short martial artist answered. "Those three have only just recently joined the Seven themselves, it will take them a few years before they are ready to take any students of their own. Just be glad you'll have the opportunity to learn from one of the others!"

"Training with Bishamonten for a month is a great opportunity," a spear-wielding soldier said.

"And I'm sure Wu has many things to teach," Another said.

"I would like to learn a few staff tricks from Ebiten, myself," a third stated.

"What do we have to do?" the soldier at the front asked.

"You will attack me as soon as Ebiten gives the word," Kirin ordered, taking a step forward. The young prince then stood still, a gust of wind blowing his cape as he shifted his hands, the one holding his rice bowl moved slightly back, while the one holding chopsticks he lifted to eye level.

Sensing the prince was ready, Ebiten raised his hand and with one last glance at the soldiers, he yelled, "Now, attack Prince Kirin, and remember! No holding back!"

Overcoming their initial fear and respect for their prince, the soldiers did as they were told, going on the offensive with a loud yell. Kirin, however, remained silent, his eyes set on the opponents approaching him. The first one to get in range tried to swing a staff at him, but Kirin used his chopsticks to deflect the hit, and taking advantage of this he got under the soldier's defense, hitting his fingers with the tip of his chopsticks, forcing the attacker to drop his weapon and retreat a step to gather his wits. The rest of the soldiers were already performing their own attacks, however, they all felt confident that at least one of them could land a blow on the prince.

But none of them could. Kirin dodged every single attack, and at the same time used his chopsticks to deliver precise pinches, hitting the hands of his opponents, forcing them to drop their weapons.

This exchange lasted less than two minutes, with Kirin surrounded by the discarded weapons of his adversaries. Stepping on a sword as he moved to an area that was clear of obstacles where he could sit down and enjoy the sun for a few minutes, the prince smiled and glanced at Ebiten.

"I believe it's time we rest for a while," Kirin stated. "Let the soldiers know."

"As you wish, my lord," Ebiten said, amazed to see Kirin untouched and completely relaxed, as if he had just finished eating breakfast. Nodding, the short martial artists regarded the soldiers.

"We'll continue in a few minutes, take this opportunity to rest and prepare for the second part of the exercise," Ebitan ordered.

And the young soldiers did just that; they didn't bother to pick up their weapons, as they all understood how useless they were against someone like their Prince Kirin. The pain, bruises in their hands, and forearms proved carrying weapons was actually detrimental against a martial artist who had such solid defenses.

"Prince Kirin's defense is impenetrable," one of the oldest teenagers said while rubbing the back of his right hand. "Same as his father..." he said, flinching from twitching his palm, gritting his teeth.

"I know," agreed another. "I didn't think he had already mastered the Hiyakumoto no Hashi o Tsumamu,"

"There's no way we can land a punch on him if he's using the Pinch of a Hundred Chopsticks," a third said. "It's like trying to pierce an iron wall with just our fingers!"

"You're forgetting his dodging speed," A fourth soldier said as he approached the group. "The prince was able to avoid several hits that were aimed low, where his chopsticks shouldn't have been able to reach. His defense is perfect..."

While his soldiers rested, Kirin entertained himself by examining the tip of his chopsticks, looking for signs of damage and feeling glad when he found none. He had purposefully used regular chopsticks instead of the custom-made metal ones he and his father normally carried in order to add to the challenge of the exercise and force himself to improve his parrying, dodging, and blocking by using a weapon weaker than what he was accustomed to. The fact these chopsticks weren't damaged indicated he had succeeded in his first goal for this sparring session.

'Now it's time to try for goal number two,' the prince thought as he got back on his feet while moving his shoulders this way and that.

"Let's continue with the exercise," Kirin told his bodyguard, not facing him as he spoke. "I must know if I have already mastered my father's ultimate move," he explained, sounding a little eager to start again.

"As you wish, Prince Kirin," Ebiten said, closing his eyes and bowing his head. "Everyone, come here and get ready!" he exclaimed, arching his head back.

The younger soldiers did as they were told and quickly surrounded both Kirin and Ebiten, waiting for instructions, even if they already knew they would be asked to attack the prince once again.

Most of them were not looking forward to it as they had just experienced how skilled the leader of the Seven truly was, but they would follow their orders to the best of their abilities, as they understood it was their duty to help the prince become strong enough to defend their kingdom.

"Attack me!" Kirin ordered, taking an offensive stance for the first time during the training exercise. "Come at me with everything you've got!"

The twenty soldiers surrounding Kirin did not hesitate, with loud battle cries, they all charged at their prince, aiming to overwhelm Kirin with wave after wave of multiple attacks instead.

But they never even touched the prince.

Because just when the first one was about to deliver a kick to the prince's face, Kirin's aura manifested and then expanded like an explosion of pure light, enveloping the attacking group inside a powerful ki blast. When the light receded Kirin stood alone, the unconscious bodies of his training partners scattered all around him.

"That was fantastic, my lord!" Ebiten congratulated. "You have finally mastered the Hyaku hashi-zashi!"

Kirin offered his bodyguard a nod and allowed himself a quick smile. His previous attempts to use the Hundred Chopstick Sting had met only varying degrees of success, but this time he had finally done it correctly and decided he had earned the right to feel proud, as mastering the ultimate attack of Nekonron's royal family was not an easy feat. He only wished his father had been here to witness his victory.

"Thank you Ebiten," the prince said as he composed himself again. "I may have used too much force, however, please make sure our soldiers receive medical attention if they need it."

"Yes, of course," the fisherman said while crouching to confirm one of the soldiers who got caught harder by the blast was still breathing. Behind him, Kirin turned and entered the tower, leaving him to tend to the guards.

'Nobody seems seriously hurt, they should wake up in a few minutes…' The short martial artist thought and was about to enter the tower to ask for help when ten men came rushing out.

"Prince Kirin sent us to help you move the unconscious soldiers into the tower," one of the men explained.

"The prince said he wanted them to rest in the shade while they recover," another added.

"Excellent," Ebiten said with a smile, pleased to see his young prince was as considerate with his subjects as his parents were because this was the same thing his father, King Hirin, would have done had he been there.

----------------------------------------

Sometime later...

Kirin took in a deep breath as he entered the tower's library; he placed his rice bowl and chopsticks in the center table then walked to one of the twelve shelves filled with books, scrolls, things of that sort, selecting one, he took it with him to a sofa next to a nearby window.

The prince sat down, once he was comfortable, he looked at the scroll he'd taken, which showed a detailed map of the Bayanakara region. Kirin looked at the many roads, wondering why the Musk had not yet captured that evasive redhead Herb was so desperate to find. With their animal skills, tracking someone would've been easy for them, it made no sense that this particular person was giving the Dynasty this much trouble.

'Perhaps the girl is moving along the rivers?' he thought, wondering if the redhead stayed near water to hide her scent from Herb's trackers. 'If she is then that woman is quite clever…'

Pondering that possibility, the young prince was slightly startled when someone knocked at the door. Who could it be? He had only told the twins he would be at the library.

"Come in," Kirin invited, looking over his shoulder as he placed the scroll on the table.

"Thank you, my lord," Bishamonten said, entering the library and bowing at the prince to show his respect.

"You returned quickly. Did you and Monlon capture the redhead?" Kirin asked, hoping this strange incident was over so they could call Herb and turn the girl over to him.

"No, not yet," Bishamonten admitted and went on one knee, keeping his face low.

"I said you couldn't come back until you captured her," Kirin reminded him. "Why are you here?"

"It's because of my wife, she…"

"I know of her condition," Kirin said, walking up to the kneeling Lucky God. "Rise, Bishamonten, there is no need for you to kneel."

The tall martial arts master obeyed and did as he was told, standing still and in silence, waiting for the leader of the Seven to continue and hoping he would not be sent out again.

"I imagine the reason why you returned is because Monlon said she could do this mission alone?" Their Prince inquired.

Bishamonten nodded. "She told me she could handle it and is on her way to Bao, but... she did want Daikokusei and Daihakusei to go help her," he told the noble heir.

"As expected of Monlon," the prince sighed.

Kirin knew Bishamonten's wife had trained Monlon, so it was not surprising for her to do something like this to help her master, even if the consequences could put the mission in danger. Still, Kirin did find Monlon's gesture admirable and worthy of respect, which convinced him of letting the lute player have her way this time.

"Very well, Bishamonten. You can be with your wife until she gives birth and once we're sure the child is safe and healthy, you are to return to your gate in case of an emergency. Is that understood?" Kirin asked, awaiting confirmation with a stern look to his eyes.

"Of course, my prince," The spear master's voice almost cracked with emotion. "I am forever thankful!"

"As long as you continue working hard as a member of the Seven, I will be well rewarded," Kirin told him. "Go with your wife, but do pass Monlon's message to the twins."

"Of course, Prince Kirin," Bishamonten said and bowed again, rushing out of the library once he was dismissed.

'Perhaps it's best to have Bishamonten here,' the Nekonron prince thought. 'He tends to draw attention to himself, unlike the twins or Monlon, who know how to be discreet.'

Considering that he should have sent the youngest members of the Seven to investigate the nearby towns since the beginning and making a note to better use the skills of his Lucky Gods in the future, Kirin returned his attention to the map and started tracing routes along the rivers in the region that someone could try to follow if they wanted to avoid detection.

----------------------------------------

At the same time, far from Nekonron…

The forests covering the base of the mountains that surrounded Mount Phoenix were quiet and peaceful, not frequented by travelers or merchants as there was no road or path that would take them through the woods to the secluded town of Jusendo; anyone who wanted to reach Ho'O Peak or the citadel around it had the sense to take the road that bifurcated from the entrance to Jusenkyo, walk further north for half a day and then west until they finally saw the entrance to Jusendo.

Today, however, the forest was not quiet or peaceful, as two Joketsozuku Amazons, who had decided to approach Mount Phoenix through the woods instead of taking the usual path, were now running as far as they could in a mad race to reach Jusenkyo, hoping their pursuers would stop chasing them once they entered the cursed springs. The ones chasing them, casting a multitude of shadows around them from above, were getting more desperate the closer they got to the springs, and their screams of indignity were soon accompanied by several arrows that hit the trees and branches and more than once graced the Amazons in the legs or arms. It was only thanks to the women's strict martial arts training that they had managed to avoid the projectiles, though the feat was getting more and more difficult with each passing second.

"This is all your fault!" One of the amazons berated the other as they dived and rolled under a low branch to avoid a barrage of falling arrows, continuing their race without stopping for breath once they had passed the obstacle. "We only had to look around Mount Phoenix for Ranma like Cologne wanted, but you had to try to enter Jusendo without permission!"

"I didn't ask you to follow me!" The other amazon answered, barely ducking under an arrow that hit a tree in front of her. "All I wanted was to see if I could find something good to sell in Yakusai, I didn't think the guards would get so angry at us either!"

"Well, they did and we'll be lucky to survive this!" the first one said while sidestepping three arrows that would have hit her if she had continued running in the same direction.

"The trees are thicker over there!" the second amazon said and pointed to the right. "They won't be able to shoot their arrows at us!"

"Good, let's go!"

The two amazons nodded at each other, then made a feint as if they were to turn left and just at the last moment, when they heard the sound of approaching arrows piercing the air, changed directions to the right, barely escaping the assault with their lives but it was worth it, as they now had a few safe seconds to reach the cover of the leafy trees now in front of them.

Except for the safety, the amazons expected to find was denied to them.

A series of shining blades spun above their heads, impacting on the tree right in front of them and chopping it in pieces that loudly fell to the ground. The mysterious attack surprised the amazons enough to stop them dead in their tracks, staring at the trunk pieces only to discover they had been cut that way by sharp, immaculate white feathers.

"Those feathers must have been super charged with ki to cut the tree like that," one of the amazons said, still unable to understand how that could be.

"That is exactly what I did," a melodic voice said from behind the women, who quickly turned around to see who had felled the monstrous tree with such ease.

The amazons found in front of them a winged apparition of almost unearthly beauty slowly descending until she touched the ground a few steps away from them. The Joketsuzoku warriors held their breaths as they admired the woman's white as snow skin, her luscious hair that glittered like priceless strands of silver, and her majestic wings that were like polished ivory. The winged beauty was not alone, however, as dozens of winged men flew in circles above her, keeping their bows at the ready to support the gorgeous woman who now stood tall and proud before their would-be intruders.

"You must know I missed on purpose," the white-winged woman said as she crossed her arms. "I could have sliced you two into bloody ribbons with my Sen Tsubasa no Suraisu but I chose to let you live."

"Who… who are you?" The first amazon asked.

"I am Kiema, Commander of Jusendo's Royal Guard," the silver-haired beauty answered, casually walking over to the fallen tree and picking up one of her feathers that was still embedded in the trunk. "Be glad I am more interested in learning why you tried to enter Mount Phoenix uninvited, it is the only reason why you still live," she smirked as she inspected her feather-like throwing blade.

"We… we just…" One of them tried to answer but choked.

"Talk quickly or die," Kiema threatened, extending her wings menacingly. "Because there's no way you can dodge my Thousand Wing Slice!" she warned.

"It's my fault," the amazon who had tried to sneak into Jusendo said, taking a step forward.

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

She had decided to protect her friend who didn't deserve to get hurt for her mistake. "I heard Ho'O Peak is the only place to find unprocessed phoenix feathers, I just wanted to confirm the rumors."

"And you think that was a good enough reason to enter our land?" Kiema smirked. "The only outsiders who have permission to do that are from China's Central Government; anybody else who wants to enter Jusendo must first contact us properly… as for the phoenix feathers, they are a treasure that belongs to our people to use as we see fit, and those who steal them from us are dealt with permanently."

"We aren't thieves!" The first amazon argued. "We didn't want to take anything!"

"We only wanted to see if the tales were real or not!" the second said, her voice shaking a little out of fear.

"We promise we will never set foot in Jusendo again!" the first assured. "But please… let us go…"

"Hm… I really should kill you," Kiema said as she paced from left to right. "But considering nothing was stolen I suppose I can ignore your transgression… but be warned, the next time the Joketsuzoku Amazons want to enter Jusendo, they better send an elder who knows how to properly ask for permission instead of two ignorant fools like yourselves."

Saying nothing more, the beautiful winged soldier crossed her arms and gracefully extended her wings, taking to the air with an elegance that could only be described as poetry in motion, soon vanishing from sight along with her companions, they flew high between the clouds, returning to Ho'O peak.

"I… I think we should go back to the village and stay there," the first amazon said after a moment of silence.

"I agree with you," the other answered. "I completely agree."

----------------------------------------

Later that afternoon...

With a calm look of diligence, the redhead at Lotion's farm proved again she had superb form. She had taken every step as though she had done it a thousand times before, standing nearby was Ryoga; not too much further from him was Lotion as she stood with her arms in her sleeves.

After some time Ranko began closing her eyes, letting her mind focus on the task alone. This was her moment, her time to overcome the mountain between her and Ryoga, 'I can't let Ryoga stay on top! How can I stay by his side when I'm too damn weak!?' she thought as if she were making a declaration of war.

"She's sorta' got a weird, kind of grace going on," Ryoga commented as he gazed at the girl.

For him, it was like watching a dancer beautifully waltzing towards what he knew to be a violent end. 'Damn shame it's gotta' end,' he thought to himself. Where normally some might have taken this as a chance to show off for attention, Ranko was no such girl, she was focused solely on reaching the new plateau her comrade had taken.

"Hhhaaa!" Ranma exclaimed as she reached the end of her spiral, sweat flying off her form like a dog shaking some water off its fur.

Watching Ranko heave and ho so heavy after her practice, he couldn't help but find his eyes drifting to the most pronounced part of her body. Getting warm in the face, he felt himself thinking back to the few times he had paid witness to the beauty and majesty that was Ranko's being.

"Breathe, Fido…" Lotion cautioned Ryoga with a roll of her eyes.

"H-huh?" Ryoga blushed in embarrassment, looking like someone who had just been caught late-night snacking, while on a gluten-free diet.

"H-hows dat, huh?" Ranko asked as she began to relax.

"It was very pretty actually," Ryoga commented as he swallowed a little, getting Ranko to stare for a second before looking away.

"Y-yeah, thanks, but I was asking the old crone over there if it's good enuff," Ranko responded somewhat quietly as she tucked some of her hair behind her ear, hiding the faintest of blushes.

"Yes, that was quite excellent, especially if you were looking to impress the Joketsozuku judges at the village's yearly autumn festival," Cologne chortled but in a way that was somewhat playfully condescending.

Taking this as a jab to her pride the redhead crossed her arms and glared, "What's with the joke, Grandma?"

"I think she's just trying to say something else," Ryoga commented as he thought about her words from before.

The redhead's eyes remained glued to their mentor figure, mulling over her words as well, humming lightly, "So then, what's the damage?" she asked, uncrossing her arms, putting her hands on her toned but surprisingly still very curvy hips.

"The so-called 'damage' isn't really damage, it's merely the fact that without a hands-on approach..." she explained, closing her eyes as she clanked the end of her staff onto the ground, "...the steps I showed you are merely an old Joketsuzoku dance, nothing less, nothing more," she finished as she opened her eyes.

Once again, the phenomenon of Lotion smiling was meeting them in the face. Though, after everything they had been through, perhaps it wasn't so bad to see her smile. It wasn't something they thought, more so, it was something they felt between them.

"How's about you and I give it a go," the relentless redheaded Japanese beauty challenged the exiled elder.

"I need to judge your stances when you're actually performing the technique, so, I'm afraid that's not possible," Lotion answered plainly.

"Plus I imagine someone who's familiar with the power of this skill might think twice before meeting the other end of that spiral," the lost boy threw into the conversation.

"Which defeats the whole damn point," Ranko muttered begrudgingly, closing her eyes and finding no solution to her dilemma until it hit her! Or rather it could hit her!

"What are you thinking Ran-" Ryoga started, only to stop short as he swore that her head had turned to him before he could finish blinking.

"I-I don't think that's a good idea," he regrettably informed her, rubbing the back of his head.

"What?" Ranko blinked. "Why not?" she questioned after her question.

"Because it's not!" Ryoga repeated, clearly wishing she would drop the issue.

"Dat all?" Ranko asked rhetorically, shaking her head. "Just follow my lead, all ya gotta' do is attack," the blue-eyed girl instructed as she started easing herself into a strong stance.

At this one crucial moment, Ryoga expected Lotion to step in and do the responsible thing. That, however, was like someone with dyslexia going for a science fiction novel in the history section of the library.

"Of course…" Ryoga's words dragged in mild disappointment.

"This won't work either but it should, at the very least, show you two what I meant," Lotion added before letting out a slightly agitated sigh.

Seeing the dejected look on the redhead's face, Ryoga succumbed to something far more powerful than even peer pressure: making your girlfriend happy! For a moment, he stared but ultimately decided that he'd just try to do his best.

"Fine," Ryoga sighed heavily, closing his eyes. "If that's what you really want," he added as he shifted into his stance.

"It is," Ranko answered firmly, narrowing her eyes to thin slits.

Lotion shook her head and made her way over to the nearest tree she could find, getting under the shade she leaned her back against the trunk and pulled out her smoking pipe. Twirling her wrist before stopping when going around full circle, seemingly manifesting a matchbox.

What followed was a dry sizzling sound, hissing as the flame's initial ignition dwindled to a small round-tipped bit of fire. Taking a deep inhale, she felt the rush of dopamine firing on all cylinders when she did.

"Haaa…" Lotion's voice trailed in a deep groan, smoke exiting her mouth in front of her, it looked as though the two had taken her exhaled breath as their signal to start.

Sprinting as quickly as they could to one another, they met in the middle, supposedly swinging with everything they had. To the untrained eye, it might appear that their training was going where they wanted it to. Although something like this couldn't possibly slip under Ranko's radar; not by a long shot.

"Are you even trying!?" Ranko asked, trying to drive the lost teen deeper and deeper into the spiral.

"I am trying as hard as I can!" the yellow-clad teen shouted his reply.

Though they were angry, from Lotion's perspective she was getting a much different inflection,` It's much like trying to watch someone's closest friend try and hate them over something trivial," Lotion commented with a flat look to her eyes.

"Is it me or are you slower than usual?" Ranko asked as she mistimed a step, which was odd given how she had seen even greater speeds from the Lost Boy during their fight with Taro.

"What do you mean!?" Ryoga exclaimed, immediately to cover his shame, he decided to use this as a chance to go even faster.

Ranma's eyes widened from pin needles, expecting Ryoga's attack to land and from what she had seen before she needed to, watch as Ryoga's fist intentionally aimed to lightly graze her, clearly, he couldn't bring himself to harm her.

Her sheer, utter irritation caused her to even misjudge her step and nearly lose her balance. "Oh, Come on, Ryoga!" she bemoaned angrily.

"One more time!" he exclaimed as he parted his legs and put up his arms again.

Meeting his eyes, Ranko stared at him, feeling the heat raise to her face she sighed quickly. Glaring she took her spot in front of him, commencing her training again but try as they might, their efforts changed nothing.

Ranko would dodge or attack whenever the step called for it but was unable to sense the proper aura surrounding her training partner. Honestly, since she had never done this before, as far as she could tell, she wasn't sure exactly what she was supposed to be hearing or even sensing for that matter.

She just knew that she wasn't getting anything for a trick that was supposed to be able to slay powerful opponents with the use of their own ki.

"Stop!" Ranko declared as she lazily dodged his attack, what was the point when there was no actual risk factor?

"What's wrong?" Ryoga asked angrily after his failed attack.

"Cut the act, would ya!?" Ranko exclaimed, feeling a vein on her head about to burst. Fighting it back, she pinched the bridge of her nose suddenly.

"W-what act!?" Ryoga demanded to know.

"You're not actually trying!" Ranko accurately accused, opening her eyes and dropping her hand.

"Even if I try... I-I just...-I-I don't know!" Ryoga exclaimed, trying to defend himself.

"I-I get that you like me! I like you! We're freaking dating already so please just let me get strong enough to-" the young redhead hadn't recognized how much she was saying until she had already reached the point of embarrassment.

"To wha-" Ryoga got as far as asking before feeling a swift conk on his head.

"Ah!" they both screamed out in pain.

"What'd I do!?" Ranko barked out, demanding to know as small pain tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.

"You were unfairly casting blame on your fellow student," She explained, huffing and clanking her cane menacingly.

"Huh?" the magically cursed redhead blinked in confusion.

"Remember when I mentioned that training with Ryoga wouldn't work either but that you'd see what I mean?" The exiled Amazonian sage asked if she remembered.

"So when you were saying that you were also saying it was..." Ryoga said, pausing as he looked from their teacher to his girlfriend.

"It can't be me!" the blue-eyed girl stubbornly dejected. "I ain't the one who's not giving it his all!" she defended.

"Oh? Enlighten me," Lotion gave room for pause, shoving her hands into her sleeves.

"If I could just get him to stop holding-" Ranko began, only to be overshadowed by Lotion's voice.

"You're at just as much fault as he is!" Lotion pointed her cane's end at the ginger's face. "Because whenever he happens to be around, you're either too embarrassed or angry, and the Hiryu Shoten Ha requires you to maintain a soul of ice!" she outlined, retracting her wooden discount morning star.

It dawned on them exactly how much they meant to each other, it was enough to cause the two awkward teens to sit on their knees and look away from one another.

"Clearly, this is something you can't do while Ryoga is present," their mentor announced in begrudging disappointment.

It was oddly subtle but when Lotion looked at Ranko, she could see that she had started to press her lips closely together, averting her eyes ever so slowly, trying to look as natural as a honey dipper in a cereal commercial.

Changing her study, she saw that Ryoga was unknowingly doing the same, 'Sorta' reminds me of when I used to date at their age,' she thought with a warm inner tone before getting back to the point.

"Ryoga, listen to me," Lotion started.

"Yes, sensei?" Ryoga asked somewhat timidly, the red on his face yet to die down completely.

"Could you honestly attack Ranko without holding back? Without any regard for her safety and well-being?" The sage inquired, reiterating her question as to hopefully make her point crystal clear to the redhead.

Stiffening as though he had been struck by lightning, the Lost Teen met his Master's eyes. All he could do was submit to their wisdom, so instead of talking, he decided to remain silent.

Whenever he thought of engaging his girlfriend in anything like that, a pain would spread from his heart and into his gut. It was enough for him to actually reach his hand and clench it over the fabric of his yellow shirt.

Faced with wavering certainty, Ranko wanted to lash out, say something to the contrary. Though she kept ending up not saying anything, clearly at a loss but still desperately looking for anything to cling onto.

Clenching her fists on her sides to the point her knuckles turned white, she lingered between looking at the ground, Ryoga or Lotion. "What are you-" Ranko's mind began auto correcting herself until she could find something to say on her behalf.

"Could you, Ranko, bring yourself to hit your boyfriend with the full force of a Hiryu Shoten Ha?" The old woman asked, narrowing her eyes skeptically at the amnesiac.

"I-I could!" Ranko declared, answering quickly but her voice quaked with uncertainty.

Ryoga at first looked hurt, lowering his head as if to signify those feelings. That was until the break in her voice happened, now far more confident, he looked up to see her from the side of her face. "Ranko…" his voice trailed as he whispered her name with a deep level of concern in his inflection.

Dropping her head, she turned around. "If-if I wanted to," she tried to emphasize but fell flat on her face.

"All this bolstering is pointless without the proper someone to challenge," Lo-shen finished her analysis on.

Unsure of what to say about all this, Ryoga watched as their guardian started walking back into her cabin, 'I know Ranko wants to fight me for real but how could I honestly go all out on someone I've-' he thought, various instances of him and Ranko's budding romance flooding his mind with pleasant images and warm fuzzy feelings.

"Hmm," Lotion hummed as she tilted her head back a little, 'Mayhap I was wrong to choose her for this skill, oh well, back to the drawing board I suppose,' she pondered.

"Hey, Grandma!" Ranko called out.

Raising a brow the Amazonian elder looked over her shoulder and at her student.

"Even if I can't get Ryo here to work with me, I'll just master that soul of ice or whatever the hell you call it!" Ranko declared determinedly.

"You would, would you?" Lotion asked, sounding to be mocking her.

"Keep smiling! It'll be all the sweeter when I wipe that smug look off your ugly mug!" she continued her display of intense bravado.

"Talk is always so cheap..." Lotion grumbled.

"Then teach me what I need to achieve a soul of ice!" she demanded, taking a step forward and clenching a fist out in front of her.

Lotion's small smile spread to a full-on grin, "I'm sure I can help you with that. Though, I'm not so sure you'll like it…" the Amazon's voice trailed.

----------------------------------------

Somewhere else...

Stroking her strings into a mystical and eerie melody, the lute-playing musician walked with her eyes closed. Letting her lovely music take the wheel, she smiled gently as the beautiful maiden traversed the rough soil as if it were nothing.

Humming to herself as the fog was clearing over Bao, to anyone watching, it was as if a spirit had used the fog itself to traverse through the realm of the dead and cross over to the land of the living.

Monlon hummed to herself silently, her tone now matching that of a horror movie scene. The sun shined behind her as she stopped playing, her closed eyes relaxing as she took a second to slide her lute pick over a single string.

"Looks like I'm here," she commented, opening her eyes as she found herself on the outskirts of the small community.

Now that she was alone, the woman felt slightly on edge and wanted to get things done here quickly because she would have to travel to Yakusai and even as far as Tong Po harbor if she couldn't find what she wanted there.

An old man with a gardening hoe had stopped mid-plow, his eyes glued to the other worldly-looking woman in a white robe. To a simple man such as himself, this ethereal beauty was all too much to bear. His legs shook as he begged his body to start moving again, praying that he did not draw attention to himself.

"Old man…" Monlon's voice trailed as she played a string to help catch his attention.

Cursing silently beneath his breath, the old-timer looked up from the ground and awkwardly pointed at himself, making an "uh" sound before asking.

"Me?"

"I don't see anyone else here," she replied. "I know this won't be much to go on but seeing as there aren't many people running around, I guess I'll start by asking if you've seen any redheads as of late?" She asked, almost casually even.

Though her intent was to simply get information, the elderly male couldn't help but get a chill in his bones whenever she spoke as he was still unsure if this woman who came out of the fog was a ghost or not. "I-I think I've heard word of one, from a couple in town, t-think they're the owners of the largest fruit stand I-I believe!" he answered, his voice constantly on the verge of a panic attack from the sounds of it.

"You're not just saying that so I leave, are you?" she questioned as she suddenly appeared behind the man with her blinding speed.

"O-of course not!" he exclaimed, standing as though he were some poor soldier before a drill sergeant.

"For your sake, I hope you're right..." she said, her voice trailing one last time before vanishing so quickly that the villager's clothes fluttered against the wind pressure of her departure.

A bit harsh, she knew, but without Bishamonten as backup and with time growing short, Monlon was no longer as willing to play nice the way she did in Shangjie.

When she reappeared as she moved further into the quaint little town, looking around she eventually spotted a large fruit stand among the crowd in an open marketplace. Near the back of the stand was a hefty man with a bald head and next to him was a woman that looked healthy but also quite a bit underfed.

"Thank you! Come again!" the portly man exclaimed as he put down a box in front of a woman with a baby carrier on her back.

"Hello! How can we help you?" The woman with slightly graying hair asked.

"Greetings," Monlon spoke up. "I'm sorry to be a bother but I'm just looking for someone," the teal-headed woman elaborated.

"Oh? Got a name?" The bald man asked, scratching his chin.

"Or anything else to help us help you, dearie?" His wife questioned further.

"I'm looking for a redheaded girl," Monlon said, hoping that her answer would suffice.

"Dear, one of your friend's daughters is a redhead, right? The one that works at the restaurant or something, I believe?" He grumbled as he dropped his hand from his chin.

"Not exactly a redhead, but…close enough, I guess. Would you like me to tell you where her restaurant is?" she asked Monlon as behind her was the front of her home.

"If you could be so kind," she answered softly, smiling confidently in the fact that she had managed to catch a trail.

"Can I ask what your relation to this girl is?" The kind middle-aged merchant woman asked after giving Monlon directions.

"She's a friend of the family, I figured we could catch up…" Her voice maintained a proper tone, though the second they weren't looking, a small, but crooked smile graced her face.

----------------------------------------

Later…

With her hood casting a shadow over her eyes, she inspected every sign she came across until finally stopping in front of the one she was looking for. "Han Restaurant," she paused after saying, going inside.

With a demeanor devoid of any emotion, she strolled in, doing her best to be as casual as possible. Though the moment she grabbed a seat, she heard the unmistakable sound of an elephant coming from the back.

Monlon's eyes widened as if someone had broken an expensive piece of china. Looking over her shoulder from where she sat, she saw a counter with a backdoor, and out from it came a girl with orange-blonde hair.

Making eye contact for a second, Monlon blinked as her waitress closed her eyes and hugged some of the menus close to her chest. In that short time, the master of the lute couldn't sense anything particularly strong about this girl.

Monlon sighed heavily, crossing her arms, crossing one leg over the other, 'She's not even a redhead exactly, just like the woman from the fruit stand said. She's more like an orange blonde actually, easy enough mistake, maybe there's something I can get to eat in this-' the member of the Seven Lucky God's thought.

"Welcome to Han's Restaurant! I'm Lychee, please take the time to consider our specialty, yes?" she asked with a warm smile, cocking her head to one side before taking her leave.

Raising an inquisitive brow, then looking down to the menu out in front of her, she then looked back up to see that Lychee was already moving onto the next table. "Thank you?" she asked, feeling that was all too sudden.

Lychee took orders in the meantime, Monlon, however, was weighing her options and wondered if this had been a waste of time. "Seems like I might be coming back empty-handed," she commented quietly, shaking her head before reaching out and seeing if they had anything that was without a doubt, pickled.

"So Lychee, have you talked to your friend lately?" A fatherly voice asked.

Monlon gawked at the menu, everything in it was non-pickled. For someone like her, it was repulsive! Shutting her menu she closed her eyes, 'This ordinary girl couldn't have possibly been the one to avoid capture by Musk trackers, especially long enough for Lord Kirin to have to step in,' she pondered feeling beyond perplexed, as her intuition was usually far keener than this.

"Are you asking about Ranko, father?" Lychee asked after writing down an order across the room.

"That's the one!" A fit, redheaded man with an apron answered. "She was that girl with-" he stopped to say, trying to recall what she had said about her friend in the past.

"She's a redhead and like me, she's got a special color to go with it!" she exclaimed as she went over to pick up a tray of steaming hot ramen bowls.

"That's a strange name, but she sounds nice from what you've mentioned earlier," A blonde woman said as she stepped out from the kitchen.

"I hope she's thinking about visiting sometime soon, she was so nice to me," the waitress commented with her eyes closed and a smile adorning her pretty face.

"Especially since most people we meet either ignore us or just want our products," her father commented, cleaning a glass before storing it on a shelf.

"Anything you two wanna' do while she'd be visiting?" Her mother asked as she took some orders left on a nearby receipt needle.

"First I'd show her around town and then the river and maybe after that, we'll play some board games!" she explained as she put some more orders on top of the needle.

Deciding she hadn't actually wasted her time after hearing that, Monlon stood up from her table and walked to the door without ordering anything, right before Lychee could even come around to ask if Monlon had chosen her meal.

"Are you leaving?" the light-haired waitress asked.

"Forgive me, I remembered something important, I have to go," the mystical lute player excused herself.

Lychee tilted her head again, not sure what to make of that woman she put her hands on her hips. "I wonder what happened?" she questioned aloud.

Even her parents thought the same, whoever that was, she wasn't anything like their usual clientele, they couldn't even remember ever seeing her in town. Lychee's mom was the first to recover, though, remembering she had work to do. Though on the way back to the kitchen, she stopped by her husband and waited for him to notice.

"Something wrong?" he muttered.

"How about instead of Ranko visiting, she-" the wife of Han's restaurant gestured to Lychee with her head, hoping the husband caught her drift.

"Oh!" Han's eyes widened. "Today seems a bit slow sweetie... if you want to, you can maybe go visit your little friend, since you'll be free and all…" his voice trailed playfully.

"Really!?" She exclaimed, dropping the menus in her arms, picking them up with blinding speed to regain her composure.

"Heck, stay the night if that Lotion lady allows it," he suggested, his smile now beaming.

"Then I'm going to take a board game with me!" she shouted, running to the back to clock out.

Once she ran out the back and then within a few seconds ran back out, the orange-blonde ran past her parents. "Love you!"

"So happy to see our little girl finally has a friend her age," Lychee's father commented.

"I know, it distracts her from that 'waiting for my prince' nonsense she was so fixated on until recently," the mother said with a smile.

"Perhaps she'll finally move on from it." She added, smiling as her daughter went out to have some of her own fun.

----------------------------------------

In Joketsuzoku…

Genma, overlooking the training grounds, waited in silence until the girls he had been training that day all left. As he had suspected before, the twins had proven to be the ones with the most potential of the group, and he had already suggested to Elder Rinse they get further training under a more experienced amazon warrior, to which the old master had agreed. Feeling strangely satisfied as these last few days had reminded Genma he actually enjoyed teaching martial arts, he stretched and then placed a hand over his gut, lamenting the fact the limited food he received as a captive was making him lose weight.

'Heh… I bet Nodoka would approve of me getting thinner, wouldn't she?' the man thought, fondly recalling his wife for an instant but burying the memory almost as quickly. 'No need to think of her right now, not when my plan to present our son to Nodoka engaged to one of Soun's daughters and as the heir of his own dojo to prove how manly I raised him are all in danger now…'

"Speaking of that, just where is that son of mine?" He muttered, wondering not only where his son was, but also what he was doing, because Ranma had spent enough time hiding in the woods as far as Genma was concerned. "He better have a damn good reason for taking so long, because friend or no friend, he should have come back to help me escape already!"

"Did you want something mister Saotome?" An attractive woman said as she approached Genma, meeting him with a soft smile. "I couldn't quite understand what you were saying."

"Ah… no, nothing, I was just thinking out loud," Genma quickly answered, eyeing the clearly seething man behind Basil, the married amazon who had been charged with bringing him food a few weeks before.

"Very well, in that case we'll continue with the girls' training tomorrow," Basil said and walked to her husband, giving him a quick kiss on the lips before leaving the training grounds.

"I think it's time I also turned in…" the Anything Goes style master said as he started walking towards the meeting hall where Cologne and Rinse were waiting for him, as Genma had to report to them after each training session.

"Stop right there," Basil's husband said, his tone of voice making it clear he was expecting to be obeyed.

"Uh… but Zhang Wei... I have to go meet the town's elders, they…"

"No, you don't. I told them I would take their report later," the man said. "We need to talk."

"Can't we leave it for tomorrow? I am tired and..." Genma started, trying to think of a way to avoid a conversation with the jealous husband in front of him.

"Just come with me," Zhang Wei insisted, placing his hand over Genma's shoulder to lead him down the street.

----------------------------------------

A few minutes later...

Genma was surprised. Instead of an alley and a challenge to a fight to the death, he and Zhang Wei had entered the town's tavern and were now sitting in front of each other, waiting for the baiju they had ordered. The situation seemed better than what the Saotome master had expected, and was starting to believe that he wouldn't have to deal with a furious husband anymore. Relaxing, Genma began wondering if he could order something to eat; sure, he didn't have any money, but perhaps he could use his status as a martial arts master who was helping train the younger fighters in the village to obtain some free food.

And Genma was about to mention that when the owner of the tavern, a tall and muscular man, placed their drinks on the table, returning behind the bar immediately after.

"I am the best archer in town," Zhang Wei declared after taking a long drink of baiju. "I can hit a mouse from here all the way to the other side of the village with my arrows, and I never fail."

"That's… impressive," Genma offered, not liking much the way that boast had been made.

"It is," Zhang said. "And I'll do that to you if I ever see you flirting with my wife again."

"Eh… it won't happen again, I promise you that," the bald master said, feeling cold sweat running down the back of his neck. "I didn't know she was married at the time."

"Well, don't forget it. Basil is the mother of my three daughters," Zhang Wei said, leaning back on his seat and studying Genma with a piercing stare. "There's something else…"

"And that is?"

"Your fighting style is very interesting," the archer admitted. "It is unlike anything I've seen before."

"Zhang Wei is right, your school is quite unique," the owner said from behind the bar, revealing he had been listening to their conversation.

"Listening to conversations that don't concern you again, Chu Chou Ji?" Zang said and finished his baiju.

"Everything that happens in my tavern concerns me," the bartender replied. "As for that man's style, many of my customers are interested in learning about it."

"I'm already training some of your teenagers," Genma disputed. "I can't take any more students."

"You've mostly trained our girls," Zhang Wei said. "Only two or three of our boys have learned from you."

"We're not asking you to train them like you train the women," Chu Chou Ji said. "We want to see some of your special techniques first, if we think they're useful, you will teach them to a few of us and then we will pass them to our boys."

"We can't give you money as you're technically a prisoner here," Zhang Wei clarified. "But we can let you drink here free of charge."

"Your elders won't like it," The Saotome master indicated as he closed his eyes and adjusted his glasses.

"They don't have to know, do they?" the bartender asked with a wily smile. "And by the way, what's your school called, nobody really knows?"

"Musabetsu kakuto Ryu," Genma provided. "Saotome style, of course."

"Anything Goes Martial Arts?" Chu Chou Ji repeated. "Interesting, I'm looking forward to seeing some of your techniques."

"I have not agreed yet," Genma reminded the bartender. "And offering me free alcohol isn't enough to convince me, I'm not a drunk."

"If alcohol isn't enough, we can give you food," Zhang Wei said, recalling Basil had mentioned Genma seemed to love food. "Double the food you get in your cell plus two glasses of baiju a day in exchange for you sharing some of your special techniques.. what do you say?" he offered.

Genma sat in silence, considering this new opportunity that had presented itself. This had possibilities, he decided; if he befriended some of the men, he could eventually ask them to look the other way when he tried to escape the village again, and there was the extra food, too, all in all this deal could be very beneficial to him.

"Well?" Chu Chou Ji asked.

"You have a deal," Genma smiled, already plotting his next escape plan.

----------------------------------------

Meanwhile, in Bao...

"Ok, Jasmine, time to go!" Lychee announced after she finished securing her things to a basket tied to her elephant's side. The girl smiled and patted the animal's leg. "It's great Dad gave us permission to go… let's just hope we don't visit Ranko at a bad time."

The elephant flapped its large ears and made a soft sound as it softly expelled air from its trunk; doubt was evident in the beast's eyes, which made Lychee giggle.

"It's ok, Jasmine," she said and gently placed her hands on the elephant's trunk. "It's just that nobody picked up the phone earlier, and Elder Lotion can be very strict and not very friendly if she's surprised, remember?"

"Excuse me, do you have a minute?"

"Huh?" Lychee blinked and then turned to meet a very pretty girl about her age who wore blue and pink silky robes that left her shoulders and arms bare.

She hadn't seen her in Bao before, so she was obviously an outsider. For a second, the orange-haired girl seemed suspicious about meeting a second stranger that day, but glancing at the kind blue eyes of the other woman she quickly decided the newcomer was not a bad person, so she decided it would be alright to talk to her and hear what she had to say. "Of course, what do you need?"

"Thank you," the other said with a smile and a quick bow; she then produced a map from the bag she carried over her shoulder. "My name is Rouge and I come from the north; I am supposed to go to this place called Jusenkyo, but I can't find it on my map, do you know the way there?"

"Jusenkyo?" Lychee scratched her neck and felt a bit nervous at the question. Every single rumor she had heard whispered around the village that mentioned the valley of cursed springs had convinced her it was a dangerous and very, very evil place, one that she would make sure to never visit in her life. "Jusenkyo is dangerous, why do you want to go there?"

"I need to deliver some merchandise to the guide who lives there," Rouge said. "My father got sick and couldn't make the delivery, so I offered to do it instead."

"Don't you have any brothers?" Lychee asked. "Jusenkyo is no place for anyone to visit alone."

"I have two brothers but they are only six and seven, they couldn't make the trip," Rouge said while opening her bag to show Lychee a wrapped box and next to it a rather large knife. "And as you can see I am not defenseless, so please tell me how to get there."

"...Very well," Lychee said, staring at the knife with a bit of fear. "You need to go south once you leave the village, keep walking until you find a fork on the road, go west from there and you should see Yakusai after a while; my dad told me there are carts for rent in town if you need to get to Jusenkyo faster so... will you leave now? Because you won't reach Yakusai before nightfall, and it could be dangerous even if you have that knife."

"I'll stay the night," the other girl said. "I only travel during the day."

"That's good," Lychee smiled. "It's safer."

"Yes, it is," Rouge smiled back. "You were very helpful, may I ask your name?"

"I'm Lychee," the light haired girl said. "My parents own the shop and restaurant here."

"I see. Well, then I thank you for your help and I hope we meet again, Lychee," Rouge nodded politely and after bowing again, making her way back to the only inn in Bao.

"She seemed friendly, don't you think, Jasmine?" She said once she was alone with her loyal elephant.

The animal blinked and simply moved its trunk this way and that as if indicating agreement.

"Well, we better leave," Lychee said and stood in front of Jasmine, moving her left hand in an upwards motion. The elephant understood the sign and used its trunk to help its trainer climb onto her back, only leaving when she felt her master was comfortable.

----------------------------------------

Close to Lychee, hiding behind a tree...

Was Monlon, who had been spying on the waitress ever since exiting her restaurant. She had paid close attention to the conversation between her and the tall girl called Rouge in hopes she would get any clues, but the only important bit of information in her opinion was learning her quarry was not going to Jusenkyo, something the lute player appreciated a great deal as she was not interested in visiting the valley of cursed springs at all.

"Thank the gods for small favors," Monlon whispered. "Jusenkyo is a place where nightmares are born."

The beautiful musician noticed that Lychee was already on her way out of Bao, and knowing she had to find out where she was going, she started following her, being extra careful not to make any noise. Monlon chose to stay out of the road, and gracefully maneuvered over bushes and around branches as she went, making sure she never lost the elephant from sight.

But then something happened that forced the Lucky God to pause and stare in shock. The elephant suddenly stopped, ignited its battle aura in a way that covered its body in black, angry ki, and turned to look at Monlon's general direction with burning red eyes. Awed by the impressive battle aura the beast had released, Monlon felt a shiver run down her spine and understood the animal's message: 'Stop following us or I will hurt you.'

"No need to tell me twice, my gigantic friend," the musician whispered and adjusted her robe as she retreated into the forest, knowing full well that even if she fought the elephant with all her strength, there was no guarantee she could defeat it.

"Something wrong Jasmine?" Lychee asked, concern evident in her voice as she patted her elephant's head, trying to calm it down while wondering why Jasmine had suddenly become so aggressive.

The faithful elephant puffed some air out of its trunk and allowed its battle aura to disperse. Raising its trunk to gently touch Lychee's arm to assure her everything was fine, Jasmine finally resumed her way.

----------------------------------------

A few minutes later…

Monlon avoided entering Bao, instead going around it and walking until she reached a small clearing. Feeling a little frustrated by the turn of events and still wondering how to deal with Lychee's elephant, the musician tossed her robe aside and sat on a rock to think about the situation. She found that she couldn't concentrate so she reached for her lute and started playing, as music always helped her think.

'Maybe if I... yeah, that could work so it's worth a try, I guess?' Monlon thought after a few minutes of focusing on her music. 'Now, if only one of the others arrived…'

"We knew you would be here," A boy of fifteen said as he entered the clearing, interrupting Monlon's music.

He wore a gray robe with a white circle on the chest. This was Daihakuse, one of the two youngest Seven Lucky Gods and also one of the few experts of Odayakana Hansha Ken in Prince Kirin's kingdom.

"We just had to follow the music," A second boy, identical to the first with the only difference being the black circle on his robe, said as he approached.

He was Daikokuse, who along with his twin, was the youngest Lucky God of his generation, and also another of the few experts of the Calm Reflection Fist in Nekonron.

"It's about time you two showed up," Monlon said. "I have a lead on the redhead we're looking for."

"You do?" Daikokuse said, surprised that Monlon had tracked the redhead so quickly.

"But not even the Musk trackers could find her," Daihakuse pointed out, feeling as surprised as his brother.

"I believe that's because the Musk probably only stalked the roads and farms hoping to ambush any girl with red hair they could find," she told the twins with a satisfied smile. "But unlike those half-beast fools, I actually talked to people instead of wasting my time prowling the roads like some hungry animal."

----------------------------------------

In lotion's farm…

Sounds of birds squawking in the distance filled the silence, for what could Ranko say while standing in a clearing in front of a spiral made of oil? On top of that, fastened onto her person was a set of training gear wrapped around most of her body.

Standing nearby were Lotion and Ryoga, the yellow clad martial artist had a hand on his hip and the other on his chin, obviously trying to make heads or tails of this training course. The sagely Amazon however, was only mildly amused with the redhead's confusion.

"What is all this junk?" Ranko inquired, curiously inspecting her armor by knocking on her torso piece, almost like it was some sort of door on her chest or something.

"You really are quite a fool," Lotion insulted her, closing her eyes with a confident smile.

"Finally started throwing back your own insults, huh!?" the pig-tailed girl stomped her foot out in front of her and held out her fist.

That was, until, the memory metal in her training gear acted up. Her eyes widened and she pressed her teeth together at the sudden change in the training gear, her boyfriend off to the side, began to panic as he reached his hand out to her.

"Eh?" Lotion acted as if she hadn't heard her.

Ranko's body was forced into the fetal position, she struggled against her restraints and found that nothing she could do would free her. "W-what's happening to me, ya fossil?" she demanded to know through gritted teeth.

"What was that?" Lotion asked, continuing to play dumb as her own way of payback for how insufferable the redhead could be.

"Please! Is she gonna' be alright?" Ryoga asked Lotion, moving closer to where Ranko was.

"She'll be fine," The Elder chuckled as she coughed into her hand.

Ranko and Ryoga looked at one another then back to their Sensei. Putting her hand behind her back and lowering her head she thought for a second on how to best describe the regimen.

"The material encasing Ranko's limbs and torso are a special sort of resource known as memory metal, known to react and contract to the slightest amounts of heat," she divulged.

Feeling like an idiot but reasoning with herself internally, specifically, how could she have known that? Taking a deep breath, the redhead eased her mind and wiped it clear of any thoughts. Focusing on her breathing, she could hear metal springs and coils begin to loosen.

From Ryoga's and Lotion's point of view, it was like watching an android activating for the first time. Though Ranko's actions were mechanical-like in nature, they were pretty sure she was only doing that to make sure she didn't set the contraption off again.

"Excellent, you'll actually be able to move…" Lotion's voice trailed before reaching into her sleeve to pull out a matchbook.

"She can't seriously be thinking of..." both Ranko and Ryoga muttered quietly to themselves.

They watched as she took a match and struck it against the coarse striking surface, lighting it, doing all she could do to waste burn time, she masterfully and gently threw out her arm, opening her hand to cast out the still burning matches, each one landing at the beginning of the spiral before lighting up in the pattern, the flames spread until reaching the spiral's center.

Once the flame serpent was complete, Ranko and Ryoga gawked, not in awe or amazement but rather with looks that could best be described as 'You've gotta' be fucking kidding me!'

"She's gotta be kidding," Ranko said, pausing right after.

"I told you, you wouldn't like it," Lotion reiterated, putting her hands into her sleeves. "There's no shame in backing out," the cruel old-timer egged the pig-tailed girl on.

Even if the fire was frightening, even if there was a chance she could risk terrible third-degree burns, Ranko couldn't let Lotion get away with mocking her! For just once, she wanted to wipe that smug look off her face.

Ryoga on the other hand was having an inward battle with himself. The proud warrior in him knew that someone like Ranko would probably want to face this challenge head-on, 'I still can't help but worry, is it like boyfriend instincts or something?' he thought, gritting his teeth and grabbing the front of his shirt, feeling like biting his tongue.

"You'll need to follow the spiral all the way to center, all the while never leaving the path in the middle, and should you happen to, there might not be a chance for us to save you, so, I'll ask again," Lotion put her cane and her hands behind her back.

Ranko had always known that the life of a great martial artist might require suffering for her art, she looked to be deep in thought. Though since she was still wearing the training gear, her breathing was even and steady.

"Knowing how this alloy reacts, knowing that the metal can bind you, that if you're afraid or angry during your practice, the chances of you suffering terrible burns will increase significantly!" she emphasized, looking up at her.

Unable to fight it any longer, Ryoga shook his head in rejection. "That's insane! It's downright barbaric even! You know her condition makes her really sensitive to heat!" he vehemently defended, his eyes shut as he panted a little.

"You really ought to bite your tongue, your inability to put aside your feelings for her is the reason we're resorting to this method," Lotion reminded the Lost Boy.

Ryoga opened his mouth and wanted to fight back but knew that to some extent, maybe she was right. "But… I-I-I mean… it's just..." Ryoga started but his mind, unfortunately, couldn't fill in the blank.

"Besides, I've taken the appropriate precautions just in case," Lotion clarified, using one of her hands to point her cane at a bunch of water barrels.

Reacting like a really in sync pair of twins, the two young wards blinked in unison. That was a bit more comforting for sure but the fact that she had to add what she just did, well, it stung the directionally challenged teen.

Ranko narrowed her eyes dangerously, looking as though she were about to lash out at the slightest disturbance, wondering if this was a mistake but promptly deciding it wasn't. She had come this far; she would see it through to the end!

"Just be prepared to help Ranko if she's in need," Lotion added as she turned to face the flaming obstacle.

"What about her condition?" Ryoga asked more sternly this time, his eyes looked to be burning with a white-hot intensity.

"Boy, it's her condition that will help us, for you see if Ranko can overcome her fear of heat and fire then mastering the Soul of Ice will be all but assured," their powerful instructor explained in a bit more detail.

The redhead's mouth went slightly agape, her eyebrow twitching as she fought back her annoyance as best she could, sadly, there was only so much she could take. "Don't bother, Ryoga! I don't need ya' to go around saving me and I sure as hell don't need your help if..." Ranko ranted strongly before suddenly clamping her teeth together.

Ryoga immediately looked hurt after hearing her say she didn't need him to come to her rescue, he wasn't entirely sure what his feelings were on this but for the moment, he knew that her words had left a mark.

He was so lost in his own thoughts, that he failed to see that the redhead was being forced back down to the fetal position and was not happy about ending up as a human ball rocking on the ground.

The currently rethinking her life choices Amazon sighed heavily before muttering quietly. "We have much, much work to do," Lotion announced while shaking her head.

----------------------------------------

A couple of hours later...

"...Haaaa!" Ranko exclaimed as the flames around her dispersed upward, setting some nearby foliage on fire.

Her audience watched the display of pseudo fireworks set off, though this was just a training exercise, the way it had been accomplished was nothing short of breathtaking. Though right after a burst of burning oil came hurtling towards Ryoga and Lotion.

"It's coming this way!" Ryoga exclaimed, covering his face, mentally prepared to stop-drop and roll.

With a scoff and a smile, the powerful elder crossed her arm over her chest and then swung her cane with a grunt. The sudden dispersal event caused the trees behind Ranko to be put out, blowing back their clothes and hair enough to make them flap in the wind.

"Huh?" Ryoga gawked before lowering his hands and seeing that Ranko was slowly lowering her arm as her pigtailed blew in the breeze, 'I'm really glad I met Ranko,' he thought before a blush spread across his face.

"Congratulations for finally achieving a soul of ice!" Lotion declared when the wind pressure died down. "…After twenty tries," she added.

"Honestly she should have taken longer!" Ryoga added as he clapped his hands. "But great job, Ranko!" he threw in his own congratulations.

"Heh," Ranko closed her eyes and then beamed brightly. "You know it!" she threw in before taking off her metal bindings.

"Quit being such a ham and learn some humility, child," Lotion said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah," Ranko replied as she made her way over to them.

"You really are something else," Ryoga commented warmly.

"And you're getting better at complimenting me," Ranko half-joked, chuckling right after.

It was at that moment that they all started laughing, it wasn't enough to bust a gut but it was true. "Lucky me then!" he said as his laughter died down.

"Hey, Ryoga," Ranko said, catching his attention.

"Hm?" he gave a quizzical hum.

"I'm gonna' master the Hiryu Shoten Ha in less than two days at this pace, no matter what…" Her voice trailed softly as she met his eyes.

He stared into her deep blues, there was something she was trying to say to him, 'I think she's challenging me. Can she really not stand me being strong enough to protect her or is it something else?' He pondered this notion, but his thoughts were suddenly interrupted.

"Rankooo!" Lychee's voice echoed as she rode in on her pet elephant, Jasmine.

They turned to look at the orange-blonde strolling over, her hand waving as tucked under her other arm was a board game sticking out of a large satchel.

"Hm?" Lotion hummed, raising a brow.

"Is it okay for me to come and visit?" she asked Ranko first, then looked to the actual owner of the farm.

"Really?" Ranko asked, confused until a smile spread across her face. "I don't mind it being so soon but guess we know who has final say, huh?" she put her hands behind her head, looking over at their proud sensei.

"She can visit, it's probably a good thing you start making some friends anyways," Lotion granted them permission.

"Nice!" Ranko clenched her fist, while her other hand landed on her hip.

"I very much appreciate your hospitality!" She exclaimed, hopping down from her guardian animal.

"You're quite welcome dear, but this reminds me of something," The wise Amazon said, opening her eyes. "I think I should be getting dinner ready, would you two care to help?" she inquired.

"If it means we can start eating sooner, you know I'm in," Ranko answered, looking at Lychee to see if she was interested in helping.

"I work in a restaurant! This is no trouble for the mighty Lychee!" she answered with a laugh as she rolled up her sleeves.

"If you're all going to be doing something, would you mind if I could help too?" Ryoga asked, tapping the tips of his pointer fingers together.

"You can start by sharpening a few old knives I've got on the counter while I teach these two girls how to cook Moo Goo Gai Pan, Lotion style," The experienced elder began walking back to her home.

"Ohhh!" The other three were now curious what her version of Moo Goo Gai Pan might be like.

"I'm certain these two would only stand to benefit from learning my recipe," she said, her confidence in her cooking rivaling Ranko's cockiness.

----------------------------------------

Sunset...

After some bellies were fed and dishes were washed, the sun was slowly setting. Out on the exiled Amazon's front porch were Ranko and Lychee, between them sat a Chinese checkers game board, atop a short square table.

"Dinner was great," Ranko commented as she took a piece and used her turn, clacking the black and white-colored game piece on the game board.

"I will ask Lotion if we can serve this at the restaurant," Lychee remarked.

"That's a good idea, careful though, she might try and demand a royalty fee," Ranko scoffed with a smile.

"Is she really like that?" Lychee asked with a skeptical brow, that old woman must have been quite different when she wasn't around.

"Yeah, but she's not like that, as much, anymore…" Ranko started off strongly but kept pausing as she felt that she had to keep correcting herself.

"Hmmm, would you mind if I asked something?" The farm's visitor asked, making her move on the board.

Ranko crossed her arms, then curled a brow upward as Lychee's sudden question seemed a bit out of the blue. "What's dat?" she asked.

"What was that thing you were doing earlier?" she asked, putting her hands on her thighs while she sat on her knees.

"Why do you ask?" Ranko asked, tilting her head.

"Because when I was coming here, there was fire and wind spreading like some explosion happened!" She exclaimed while leaning forward a little.

"You saw that, huh?" Ranko replied, a bit bashful as she looked off to the side.

"It was hard to miss," she answered plainly and then a slight chuckle.

"Well, guess I was bound to tell you sometime," Ranko lowered her head.

"Did you remember being a secret agent?" Lychee guessed, eyes widening at the idea.

"What!? No!" Ranko answered then shook her head, pausing to think, 'Maybe! For all I know and what I can do, it doesn't seem impossible,' she thought. "And no I haven't remembered anything! For some reason most of my memories are still locked up tight," Ranko complained with a sour demeanor, closing her eyes.

"Then what is it you're trying to say?" She inquired.

"I was going to say that I'm a martial artist and what you saw was me mastering the steps and soul of ice needed ta' put me on the same level as my Ryoga," Ranko explained, smiling warmly.

"Just need to find a decent partner to pull it off now." The redhead finished as she put her hand to her chin and moved her next piece.

With eyes one could swore they saw stars in, Lychee nodded her head. "I truly hope you can do it!" Lychee encouraged, picking up her piece and putting it down quickly.

"Thanks, I appreciate it," The blue eyed redhead replied, rubbing the back of her head.

"In fact, when you may have time... maybe teach me how to defend myself?" she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, something which Ranko noticed she had done before too.

"Seriously? I ain't ever had my own pupil before…" Ranko's voice trailed as she averted her eyes.

Lychee panicked inwardly, racking her brain for a proper apology for infringing so much. "U-uh-uh, I…didn't mean to insult you...!" Her voice squeaked out.

"Nah, you didn't. And it sounds like it could be fun," Ranko smirked.

----------------------------------------

Meanwhile…

Sitting on one of the sofas in the living room, Ryoga's eyes scanned the pages in front of him, going from right to left before starting back from the right. In his hand, however, was a book about carpentry, 'Okay, so it seems that I really gotta' understand measurements and then…' he thought, his other hand on his chin.

"I hope she's not trying to use me as a cheap way to save on furniture," he whispered faintly, the idea of being used like that didn't sit well with him.

Across from him sat the Elder, sipping tea calmly. "Ryoga, there's something I need to inform you about," she stated, looking down at her reflection in her tea.

"Yeah? What about?" he asked somewhat casually, eyes looking at her but still facing in the direction of the book.

"I think you're going to have to sleep in the living room for the time being," Lotion spoke softly but firmly, clearly implying that there was no if very little room for debate.

"Is this just for Lychee's visit?" Ryoga inquired further, turning a page.

"Afraid not," Lotion answered, shaking her head in disapproval. "The only reason I even let you and Ranko sleep in the same room before, was because I knew you'd be far too shy to make any sort of attempts…" her voice trailed, then her eyes narrowed for a little before closing.

Images of all the intimate moments between him and Ranko played out, knowing that after all that he wasn't what you'd call inexperienced. Granted, neither knew exactly what they were doing.

"But since you two happened to become official, it seems that you two have been practicing in your spare time," she opened her eyes and gave him a blank stare.

Clearing his throat with an uncomfortable expression, Ryoga pretended to keep reading but for some reason, couldn't get past his current page.

"So since you've become rather bold, I figured Lychee's visit could be a good excuse to move you into the spare guest room," Lotion outlined for him.

"But-but that room's full of boxes and it doesn't even have a bed in it!" he exclaimed, standing up while keeping the book in one of his hands.

"My dear, why do you think I gave you a book on carpentry?" She smirked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

Ryoga's mental face palmed himself for not putting that simple two and two together. Perhaps it was probably because he was more focused on the fact that he wasn't allowed to sleep in the same room as his lovely redheaded vixen.

"Damn you…!" Ryoga's voice trailed and growled as he lifted his book back up, reading the page for real this time.

Lotion chuckled all the while.

----------------------------------------

At the same time...

The two Joketsuzoku scouts walked along the path, heading towards Tong Po Harbor. One of the two appeared at ease while the girl in black held the map out in front of her, struggling to see in the dying light.

"Why are you checking that thing?" The man in blue asked, watching as a flock of birds flew overhead.

"I'm just looking for any landmarks," she explained, putting her finger on the map and dragging it down.

"Yakusai was our landmark, so, we should be seeing the Inn our Honorable Elder mentioned before," he remarked, shutting his eyes and straightening his back, as the gear he carried was starting to tire him.

"I know, I've been there before, and... there it is!" the woman in black said after lowering her map and looking out in front of them.

Hurrying as quickly as the weight on their backs allowed them, they briskly jogged over to see the Inn's sign.

"Chuntao Inn, huh?" The man in blue garb commented, tilting his head and blinking about twice.

----------------------------------------

At the inn...

Behind a counter was Lady Chuntao, sitting atop a stool and reading a small romance novel tucked in between an irrelevant magazine. In the background was her husband, busy moving over to the key rack of unclaimed rooms, he took one and proceeded to head on over to the stairs, a toolbox in hand.

"I miss Ranko and Ryoga, things aren't as lively anymore…" he stopped at the foot of the stairs.

"I do too dear, now I've had to resort to these trashy-" she paused and put her hand over her mouth.

Haun shook his head, chuckling a little as he took his personal hat in his overalls and put it on his head, affixing it to his head by yanking the bill down.

Wallowing in her intrigue for as long as she could, until hitting an uninteresting segment in her book. "I wonder if they ever got together?" she asked herself.

That was until Lady Chuntao heard the sound of her service bell dinging, catching her attention; she looked away from her magazine to see a man, along with a woman. By the design of their outfits, Chuntao already knew she was a Joketsuzoku Amazon, and the man a soldier from the same village.

When she saw them they looked to one another, then back at the kind old Inn keeper. "Greetings,"

"Rooms are-"

"Uhhh, that's not why we're here."

"Huh… no? Then how can I help you?" Lady Chuntao asked, knowing it was probably in her best interest to help them.

"We're here because we're looking for a redhead, a girl specifically," The Amazon in Blue clarified.

"I used to have one working as a maid awhile back but that was weeks ago and I haven't heard from the girl since," she replied with a heavy sigh.

"Do you happen to know where she went?" The Amazon in black questioned Lady Chuntao.

"Hmmm..." she hummed, pausing to consider where they might have gone. "I believe I heard her mention that she wanted to go to Yakusai, I'm afraid that's all I know…" her voice trailed as her head dropped a bit.

Disheartened at the news, the two Amazons shoulders slouched as they then stood up straight and bowed their heads in appreciation, the clerk slash owner returned this gesture of respect.

"Thank you for your time," They said at nearly the same time before turning around and heading back out onto the road.

"It would appear we've hit a dead end," the man said.

"Should we head back, report our findings?" His companion asked, sounding thoroughly disappointed.

"That would be wise, I suppose." He replied, sounding just as bothered as her.

"When we're back, hopefully, we'll get new instructions as well." The long-haired woman said and shook her head.

----------------------------------------

Far from the inn…

The people of Shangjie gazed in wonder at the loud ruckus coming from a local restaurant. None of them were entirely sure but it almost sounded as though some mystical gnomes were arguing, but over what, they weren't sure, far too many angry voices at once for the owner to get much in.

"What's wrong!? How come we're still bald!" The Niku-man with uzumaki swirls demanded to know as he was perched atop the bald head of his orange-colored compatriot.

"That Dragon Whisker Soup didn't do anything at all!" The one with the mustache adds.

"A-allow me to explain! U-unfortunately I believe the Dragon's Whisker, 'fresh by date', officially expired as of today!" he declared.

"How come you didn't tell us!?" The gold-colored one with sharp eyes demanded to know.

"I forgot to check my calendar today!" He cried, holding his hands out in front of him defensively.

"Go check," Their leader with the mustache commanded, looking at the peach-colored Niku-men.

"On it!" he exclaimed, running behind the counter and looking around.

"You better not be lying," The bun with the scissors warned, holding the shears to his face.

"I-I'm not! I-In fact there's still hope!" he alerted him, a look of utter desperation in his eyes.

"What? Really!?" The swirly cheeked pork bun men asked, going starry-eyed.

"Did you hear that guys?" The one with the clippers pointed to the Shangjie chef asked.

They all turned to one another with smiles on their faces, delighted to know their chances of attaining the mystical 4000-year-old Dragon's Whisker was coming to a close.

"Yes, yes! Of course!" he nervously congratulated them. "All you would need is a mass of hair from someone who's already eaten the Dragon Whisker soup!" he explained, clasping his hands together, hoping they didn't see past his ruse.

'It's not like it's completely impossible but since it's an extraordinarily rare ingredient, getting creative is nearly impossible!' he thought, certain that he was going to have to risk another encounter with these men.

"Didn't that redhead that kicked us, eat that porridge?" The peach-like bean bun short bald man said as he held out the calendar he had been told about, looking at his fellow members.

"Before you go, allow me to show you how to make it yourself, no need to waste precious time coming back here!" The chef offered.

After the chef took out a notepad and pen, writing down the instructions on how to properly prepare the porridge, they snatched it from his hands the instant he finished.

Moving out and onto the road outside Shangjie, they pulled out their maps and began to speculate, rubbing their smooth chins and craniums.

"Well, since we already asked all of Shangjie and Yakusai," The pizza bun one thought aloud for the others.

"And neither have heard hide nor bun about any redheads," The one with swirls on his face added.

"Especially since we go to Yakusai to try their hair growth tonics all the time," The Pizza bun member rubbed his head on a spot where hair might have been, had he had any that is.

"Do you guys think she might've ended up on one of the farms?" The steamed bun member of the group asked, throwing that idea into the conversation.

"Sounds likely!" Their yellow-ish member agreed, putting his hands in his sleeves and nodding in agreement.

"Aren't there some farms on the way ta' Bao?" The scissor user reminded them.

"That's pretty far on the normal roads," The orange gnome-like person commented. Then looked in the direction of the dense forestry.

"Not unless we take the forest as a shortcut…"