Henry had refilled his ki reserve now one-third of the way and was only slightly feeling like doing something crazy. He also only had about ten gold coins left after this. He wasn’t broke he still had a couple of ki stones but for the sake of his cultivation Henry had to budget.

Henry wasn’t really sure how he should play this next match. He wanted to mess with his one and only martial technique but he also wanted to make some money. People were slapping his back and calling him The Dragon. Some folks knew that it had all been an act. Some people were actually bought into the character.

“I’m glad you were able to avenge your sister's honor, that Ping was a real asshole,” a housewife looking lady told Henry as she passed by him.

“My dad told me that you are a weirdo but I think you are pretty cool, mister,” a little boy said. Who let this kid in here?

“Is your sister hot bro? Wanna introduce her to me?”

Henry was gonna clock this guy but stopped himself at the last moment. Henry had been an only child but that didn’t matter; that guy was a creep.

The loot was so good last fight with Ping that in the end Henry decided he had to milk this for all it was worth. He was half way from taking his shirt off when he noticed his opponent for this round.

It was that stupid asshat young master that tried to pick a fight with him before his first match. Henry rolled his shirt back down. One thing that Henry had a burning passion for ever since he was brought to this world was to slap down young masters. Maybe it was a revenge for his past self or maybe he just hated bullies, or maybe that guy just had a very punchable face.

Henry leapt into the pit to thunderous applause. The rafters seemed to be even more packed than before . Some were chanting The Dragon while others just screamed in expectant fever. Henry just stood in the pit, his gaze trained on his opponent. The screen said his name was Mui Wu.

That bastard young master was grinning at him with a shit eating grin and was about to monologue until Henry held out one hand.

Henry was the main character, he would be the one to monologue.

“ Well look what we got here, a trumped up rich boy slumming it with the commoners. Not happy enough sitting in your manor and lording it over the peasants? Well you picked the wrong day to be you, cause I’m gonna beat your ass so bad that you’ll be wondering why you even woke up.”

Audible gasp and groans could be heard all through the rafters. People were whispering and gold and ki stones were exchanging hands.

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Mui Wu was fuming as he looked at the smiling face of his next opponent. It was the same dog that had insulted him earlier. The mongrel had dared to speak back to him and even laugh at him. Now this insect was standing in front of him again. Hen Ri they called him or The Dragon his fans had shouted from the rafters.

Impudent whelp, this peasant did not bow down to him during their first interaction. Mui Wu, third son of the Wu main family was doing him a favor by ending his existence. If he lived on this earth any longer then he would continue to besmirch the grace of his betters.

Mui Wu meant to say something along those lines before the dog went and interrupted him. He then went on to insult Mui in front of all the cultivators of the Rising Star. Mui was furious, he swore he would make this fight long and bloody and by the end of it this upstart would be begging for death.

Henry stretched a bit after his little speech to Mui. When fighting someone that is more skilled than you, try and get as much advantage as you can. Henry knew this bastard was trained at birth to fight just like that other fat young master. Henry was trying to rattle him and attack his concentration.

Judging by the constipated look on his face Henry was successful.

Mui drew the blade from his side and it vibrated with ki, Henry just stood there looking nonplussed. The countdown hit zero and with a burst the young master dashed forward. He slashed horizontally and Henry saw the gold afterimage of the strike and dodged to the side.

Pain.

Henry touched his shoulder now sporting a deep cut. How had this happened Henry thought, he was certain that he was not in range of the strike. Like an idiot when Mui saw the confusion on Henry’s face he couldn’t hold back from his monologuing tendencies any longer.

“You look shocked dog, did the realization that you are worth less than dirt finally hit you? Or are you finally understanding what it means to fight a scion of the Wu family. Today this young lord will show you the wonders of the Wu Extending blade.”

Mui flicked the blood off his sword and readied himself for another attack.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Henry understood that he couldn’t let Mui get close. The sword being able to hit him pass his battle precognition put him at a severe disadvantage. That was fine, two can play at games of surprises.

Mui dashed in again, this time in a stabbing motion right for Henry’s heart. Four water whips rose to form a shield grabbing the sword and pulled it downwards. Henry’s punch rose to meet Mui’s face. A satisfying crunch met his fist as he felt Mui’s teeth embed itself into his flesh.

Mui was a competent opponent Henry thought as the young master dashed quickly backwards out of range again.

Mui spat blood out of his now mangled mouth as well as a recently dislodged tooth. His eyes hardened and gone was the look of some pampered dolt. This was a young tiger and Henry had just pissed it the hell off.

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He had been mistaken, Mui thought as he spat the blood from his mouth. This dog, no this cultivator named Hen Ri was dangerous. His Heartbreak Strike was his claim to fame. He had killed many cultivators with this one move and had honed it to a razor's edge. This cultivator in front of him though was able to block his attack with such a low ranked skill like the Eight Hands Water Whip had shown true combat prowess.

Hen Ri’s version was quite different though, Mui thought. There were only four whips to start with and the mass and density were all wrong. His Heartbreak Strike was an Earth Grade technique and the Eight Hands Water Whip was only a Mortal Grade. How was his strike countered so easily? Did this Hen Ri know some secret version of the technique? Maybe he was just putting a massive amount of ki into the whips overclocking their potency.

This Hen Ri was truly an enigma to Mui. Perhaps he was a scion of some ancient house who came here to test the cultivators of the Martial Alliance. Mui certainly has never heard of the Ri clan before. Whatever the case Mui would not be the one to lose because failure was not allowed from a scion of the Wu clan.

Henry was trying to keep a stoic expression as Mui circled him like some giant jungle cat. Internally though he was panicking. Henry had to put a large portion of his ki into his water whip technique in order to block Mui’s last strike. That blow came so fast that even with his battle precognition and strengthening his water whip he still felt his chest cave. It hurt to breathe but he couldn’t show weakness, doing that would spell death. He had to go on the offensive; he could not let Mui dictate the pace.

Henry dove forward with his whips leading with two to the head and two to the legs. This forced Mui to twist at an awkward angle exposing his midsection. Henry threw a kick with a bit of his ki infusing his shin right for Mui ribs. He had to slow this bastard down and make him question moving in. Henry felt his kick make contact but it felt like Henry was kicking a cement pole.

Mui brought his sword down for a slash cutting two of Henry's whips in half. The cultivator was breathing harder now after the kick but showed no visible anguish. Damn this guy was tough Henry thought. Mui brought his blade up from the ground and a golden shimmer showed a slash aiming for Henry’s elbow. He dodged thinking that the blade would miss, instead it was like the sword extended another four inches slashing him. Henry was sure that the blow was meant to take his arm off instead of just scoring a deep cut.

Fuck, think Henry what can you do against this bastard. Mui was breathing much harder now the toll of using his technique was starting to show. Henry realized this guy probably never had to fight someone for this long judging by that strike to Henry’s heart. If this guy wanted a war Henry was going to give him one. Henry didn’t really know any fight styles or techniques but he knew he could take a beating, so let's see if Mui could as well.

Henry formed his water whips onto his hands, condensing them into spiked knuckles forcing his ki to be more tight and condensed until they felt like steel. Banging them together until they made a clinking noise Henry rushed at Mui again.

Henry kept compact and used angles to his advantage. Even though he was a big fighter Henry had been boxing for a lifetime. He was quick with his in step moving to Mui sides throwing hulking hooks to his injured ribs. Mui was no sitting target, cutting Henry for every time he was hit. Blood trickled down Henry’s arms and his shirt looked like a bloody mess. This was a battle of attrition and Henry was following Mui like a blood hound. He could not allow Mui to make space, flooding his arms with ki Henry continued to rain blow after blow at Mui. The concrete wall was slowly cracking and it showed on Mui’s face.

**********

Mui knew what Hen Ri was trying to do but he could not shake the persistent man. For every slash and cut Hen Ri rewarded Mui with a punch to the mid section. Mui had been using his ki to soften the blows but his reserves were draining quickly.

He could not keep this up. The man was tenacious Mui would give him that and willing to trade blood for blood. Mui knew his ribs were broken at this point and he was breathing hard as blood trickled down his mouth. He had to end this.

Mui spun in place with his blade out, dislodging Henry then put both hands on the hilt of his sword. Letting his ki gather and build into his technique Mui slowly brought the sword parallel to Hen Ri.

“I must admit Hen Ri, you are a worthy opponent so I shall grant you a worthy death.”

“You aren’t too shabby either Mui,” Henry said squaring his shoulders and lifting both hands up. “I’m gonna assume you are gonna hit me with some kind of super mega death move right?”

Mui had to chuckle.

“Yes Hen Ri, a super mega death move indeed.”

Mui felt a ki build in Hen Ri as they talked and knew that this would be his opponents last stand also.

“Well fuck it if you are gonna hit me with your good stuff then you are gonna get mine,” Henry said as his knuckles turned gold.

Blood was leaking out of every cut on Henry’s body and he looked like he was in a horror movie. He wasn’t bullshitting Mui, this was really his last shot.

Henry poured all the ki in his body into his fist, to the point where most other cultivators would be dead. His hand glowed and crackled with lightning.

Henry saw Mui’s eyes flicker and his knees bend. The combatants knew this was the end as they dove at each other.

At that moment there was only victory in each of their minds.

Victory or death.