In all his years of military service, Nian Zu could only remember a handful of days in which he’d been more miserable than today.

His poor mood had only a little to do with the festivities themselves, though sitting under an awning for the better part of two hours listening to young Rain recite the names of fallen soldiers did little to improve Nian Zu’s ill humour. Part of his misery was due to the fact that a good number of those names were familiar to him, and another part due to the fact that he didn’t recognize the majority of them. Though Central trained soldiers had borne the brunt of the casualties here in the Citadel, they were still loyal soldiers of the Empire who gave their lives for a good cause, and Nian Zu felt guilty for not knowing who they were. It didn’t matter if it didn’t make sense, it was how he felt and he’d be damned if he tried to change it.

Rain wanted to call this marker The Tombstone of Heroes, a fanciful title that would do what the monument was intended to do, make the living feel better about possibly dying for a good cause while contributing nothing to the dead or their surviving families. Which was the point after all, as young Rain had so bluntly pointed out. “The ceremonies we hold for the dead are not for their sake,” he said, so poignant and jaded for one so young. “The dead are beyond caring. Funerals, vigils, memorials, and the like are all for the living, so that we might ease the pain of their passing.”

And as it turned out, the boy was right, as he so often was. Though Nian Zu knew of the plan for a military dedication beforehand, he worried that all it would do was thin out the crowd as the common people lost interest in his long-winded litany. Better to have the monument engraved beforehand and then reveal it to the audience, but again, his worries were for naught. The crowd stood still and silent out of respect for the fallen, listening with bated breath while Rain listed off the names of the fallen, each one engraved into stone to honour their sacrifice instead of disregarding these heroes as dead and gone. The docks were so quiet you could hear individuals mourning as well as others consoling them for their loss. This was another reason why young Rain insisted on reading the names out loud, because so many of those in the audience were illiterate, and therefore would have no way to tell if any one particular name was actually on the monument. Most soldiers serving along the Western Wall brought their families with them, a practice which was widely encouraged to minimize the chance of desertion and defection. Thus, so long as their family members were present and listening, they would know for certain that their loved one’s name had made it onto the monument, a deed which meant more to them than Nian Zu understood.

Perhaps it was because he had nothing of Du Yi’s to remember him by, no keepsakes or letters to reminisce over. The nature of their relationship had demanded they leave no trace behind, so any personal correspondences were carefully worded to keep things aboveboard, and even then Du Yi insisted they burn any and all unofficial letters once they were read and memorized. A paranoid man, but his efforts paid off in the end, for right up until the day he died, there was not a single soul, not even the daughter he raised and loved with all his heart, who knew that Shing Du Yi loved Situ Nian Zu. A secret well kept, but only now did Nian Zu realize how much he would’ve liked to have something from which to remember the man he loved.

Except he did have something to remember Du Yi by, all the way back at the Northern Wall. That too had been arranged by young Rain to honour the man, an unmarked roadside shrine housing a beautiful, unmarked urn, a monument to an unknown father who died saving his daughter.

That was Du Yi’s resting place, his name left off because the Shing Clan had been exterminated to the last man, woman, and child by order of the Emperor, their property seized and accomplishments struck from the history books, all because they had the audacity to cover up the death of a drunk Imperial Scion who took a tumble off a balcony. For revealing this, Du Yi was given the dubious honour of a clean death, and his name left intact on some list somewhere of all the Marshals of the North, a poor reward for a man who dedicated his life in service of the greater good. Nian Zu had only heard about it from Yuzhen and others who knew Du Yi well, but he had yet to visit it himself. He could lie and say it was because he was a busy man with much to worry about, and that he’d been away from the Northern Wall for almost two years now, but the truth was, he’d avoided going there because he could not afford to be seen weeping over another man’s ashes.

This realization more than anything soured Nian Zu’s mood for weddings and festivities, because for the first time in his hundred years, he resented the Empire which he served so long, for it had taken away the sole light of his life.

A grudge he would nurse on another day, but in light of all these revelations regarding his lost love, Nian Zu was thoroughly irked by the fact that this was the third wedding he’d attended with young Rain as the groom, while he himself had been denied even one. By choice, of course, for during the prime of his life, Nian Zu could have had his pick of any eligible woman in the Empire to take as his wife. The only issue was that he never did much enjoy the company of women. It wasn’t just that he didn’t find them sexually attractive, he also could never make heads or tails of women as a whole. Men were just so much easier to understand and be around, but women might as well have been an entirely different species and all but impossible for him to connect with. Over the last year, he spent much of his efforts in an attempt to form some sort of familial bond with Yuzhen, and though they both tried their damnedest to make things work, there was still a barrier between them that he could not entirely describe. Their relationship was one of friendship and mutual respect, but nothing more in spite of how much effort they both put in, with rules they both had yet to wholly understand.

For example, she would share the most sordid details about the happenings within her bedroom, assuming Nian Zu was interested simply because he enjoyed the company of men, and once even asked him to share some of his personal experiences. He had no interest in either listening or sharing, and when Yuzhen continued with the subject over his objections, he was horrified to learn that this sort of topic was commonplace among women, who for some insane reason saw fit to share the most intimate details of their relationships with one another. She wanted to share everything, right down to his size and favourite position, and thought it entirely natural to do so while expecting Nian Zu to never mention it to Gerel at all.

Inconceivable is what it was. How was Nian Zu supposed to look at the young man the same way again, knowing what he knew now?

Then there was the matter of Nian Zu repeatedly inviting Yuzhen to join him and Gerel in training, a means to get closer to the girl and spend more time together, but she always made excuses about how she didn’t want to interrupt their ‘manly bonding’ moments. Nonsense is what it was, what manly bonding was there to be had? All they did was spar and offer advice to one another, and that was that. Nian Zu barely knew the first thing about Gerel besides the obvious. He was deeply devoted to his wife, fiercely loyal to his people, and a deeply disturbed man who loved bloodshed just a little too much. Though this was the sum total of Nian Zu’s information on Gerel, it was enough for him to trust the young man with Yuzhen’s life as well as his own.

That was how it was between men. You didn’t need to know a man’s likes, dislikes, and every other detail of their life in order to have friendship and camaraderie. All you needed to do was get along, but for some strange reason, this just wasn’t enough for women. There had to be more, had to know more, and share more, but Nian Zu was a private man and had been all his life, so he could not bring himself to meet Yuzhen’s high expectations.

But he tried, and would try again, and when he inevitably failed, he would keep trying until he either got it right or Yuzhen no longer cared to ask. Even the thought of such a day coming to pass filled his heart with grief, his chest aching as he studied the lovely young girl sitting beside him in her dazzling formal dress. Du Yi had always favoured wearing his robes of Office during events like this, and he’d always looked quite fetching in them, but Yuzhen was a fiend for fashion and always spearheading the latest trends, mostly because she took great delight in riding the razor-thin margin between stylish and scandalous. Today’s affair was a traditional dress, albeit more form fitting than the ones Nian Zu remembered from his youth, a short sleeved, blue silk affair embroidered with white plum blossoms that contrasted beautifully with her golden blonde hair and seamlessly blended into the long slits running down both sides of her skirt to reveal the pale, unblemished flesh beneath. There was a time when women kept those slits buttoned all the way down to keep their thighs, calves, and ankles hidden away from sight, but ever since young Mila, Yan, and Li Song took to the stage for a martial exhibit some two years ago wearing dresses similar to Yuzhen’s, it’d somehow become acceptable for ladies of high birth to show off their legs as much as possible.

Not that he was complaining. Even he, a man lacking any and all attraction to the fairer sex found it all very tastefully seductive, and wondered if there would ever come a time when male fashion followed suit. If not legs, maybe chest and abdomens, with men leaving their robes unclasped to show off their toned upper torsos...

That being said, Nian Zu was not the only one who appreciated Yuzhen’s choice of dress, as there was many a man fixated on her beauty in the crowd. Even the most vigilant of guards couldn’t help but steal a glance every now and then, though they quickly looked away once they noticed Gerel’s piercing and protective glare. The man was simply seething with jealousy and Yuzhen absolutely loved teasing him about it as she ignored his existence to make friendly conversation with the other men around them, a fact Nian Zu would’ve never really noticed if not for her love of sharing sordid details. Also dressed in the latest fashions, Gerel’s high-collared, blue-silk shirt hugged his muscular frame so tightly his rippling muscles threatened to burst out if he breathed just a little too deeply, but the overall effect was every bit as eye catching as Yuzhen’s dress. Rather than plum blossoms, Gerel’s shirt was embroidered with sinuous dragons soaring above the clouds, a none-too-subtle allusion to his prodigious talents. Yuzhen’s idea most likely, as Gerel was not one to flaunt his Martial skills, but the girl was not one to leave a piece unused in the grand game of politics. The dragons were a reminder to all that as a Peak Expert in his mid-thirties, there was a significant chance for Gerel to one day reach the apex of the Martial Path, rising beyond a mere Peak Expert to become a Divinity, a pinnacle existence able to match Ancestral Beasts in sheer destructive power.

And so Yuzhen’s enemies should tread lightly, lest she harbour resentment for the future and one day dispatch her Divinity of a husband to settle old grudges.

That was the idea at least, but aside from the most adept of players in the political game, few cared to think so far ahead into the future. Most were incapable of thinking more than a few minutes ahead, as evidenced by the slew of men who continued to steal glances at Yuzhen despite Gerel’s growing aggravation, as he didn’t need to be a Divinity to kill most of the men here in an open and fair duel. Though ‘merely’ a young Peak Expert, he was still strong enough to easily dispatch anyone under forty years of age, and well connected enough to do so without having to worry about consequences, so Yuzhen’s admirers were quite literally risking their lives for a peek at her thighs. In fairness, she was doing a fine job of tempting them by arching her back to show off her ample cleavage or repeatedly crossing and uncrossing her legs to cause her skirt to shift dangerously about, and the glint in her eyes told Nian Zu she knew exactly what effect she was having on the men around her, Gerel included.

Were they alone, Nian Zu would’ve quietly pretended not to notice the bizarre couple’s antics, but alas, there were too many other people present to feign ignorance. Southern Marshal Quyen Huong’s repeated scoffs were clearly meant to convey his disdain for Yuzhen’s company, but Nanda Bayin, the chosen successor to the rank of Colonel General sat in between the Southern and Northern Marshals, was either feigning ignorance or so captivated by Yuzhen’s beauty that he had yet to notice his superior’s subtle derision. Likely the latter, given how Quyen Huong hand picked this lustful toad to fill the void left by Tiger Slayer Tran Hoang’s untimely death, which was against everything the rank of Colonel General was meant to represent. Marshals were not supposed to appoint their Colonel Generals, because while civil officers worked hand in hand with military command, there were many aspects to their relationship that were antagonistic in nature. This was the reason why Marshals held the authority to grant any military rank to anyone they pleased short of Colonel Generals, who could only be appointed by the Emperor Himself. Granted, the Marshals usually had some say in the nomination process, but their word held less weight than that of a Lieutenant and Major Generals.

In fact, to avoid the appearance of favouritism and curry favour with his Society backers, Du Yi had vocally opposed Nian Zu’s promotion to Colonel General all those years ago, but his loyal comrades had rallied around him and the Emperor saw fit to grant him the highest rank in all the lands.

Or at least it had been the highest, until Shuai Jiao appointed himself as Commander General and expected both the North and South to fall in line. Seated on Nian Zu’s left, the ascetic Warrior was dressed in his customary brown robes, so plain and unappealing when paired with his bald, mottled head, rugged, weather-worn features, and darker, earth-toned complexion. At first glance, the Commander General almost appeared out of place amidst such esteemed company, handily out-dressed by Marshal Yo Jeong-Hun sitting on his far side, who was garbed in a flowing robe festooned with enough feathers to make Rain’s laughing birds give the man and his shiny jewellery a wide berth. Though drastically different in appearance, these two men were birds of a feather, voracious political animals who would do almost anything to come out on top. Shuai Jiao favoured the neutral approach, taking no sides and playing his enemies against one another, while Marshal Yo was more direct in his meddling, often backing a weaker competitor in order to waste the strength of a more superior foe. On the surface, it appeared as if both men were like oil and water, but Yuzhen saw through their deception long ago and warned Nian Zu not to cross either one, for their relationship was more akin to oil and fire.

“They are much like you and Dad,” Yuzhen had explained, a statement which had given him the entirely wrong idea at first. “Their relationship appears confrontational on the surface, but dig a little deeper and you’ll discover that one has never made a move that proved detrimental to the other. Jeong-Hun plays the part of fire starter, igniting conflicts where tensions already existed and prompting all parties involved to waste the resources and reveal their strength, only for Shuai Jiao to appear as peacemaker before a true victor is decided.” Shaking her head in admiration, Yuzhen continued, “This way, they weaken their enemies without need for direct action, playing their foes against one another while staying above or behind it all. Why do you think Central had a third Colonel General to begin with? Because Shuai Jiao needed someone to take the brunt of Mitsue Juichi’s focus away from him, and who better than a young Warrior and commander so popular and promising that he threatened Juichi’s very legacy?”

It seemed so simple and obvious once she explained it all in depth, but Nian Zu would’ve never seen through their ploy on his own. It also raised many concerns regarding the pair, such as whether or not Marshal Yo was running the same scheme on young Rain with help from his brother, Yo Shi-Woo, or if Shuai Jiao had manipulated events to kill Ryo Dae Jung with a borrowed blade now that Mitsue Juichi had removed himself from the board. Impossible to prove for the moment, but Nian Zu remained guarded against them both. Unfortunately, due to the nature of their stations, he was forced to interact with them both on a near daily basis, either via correspondence or in person at high profile events, such as today at young Rain’s third and most lavish wedding.

At least Shuai Jiao kept to his humble persona and refrained from displaying the airs of a superior, holding his own fan and pouring his own tea as he sat ever so slightly forward of the rest of them. Nian Zu had not seen the man move his chair, so either he was seated slightly in front of the rest of the group by sheer coincidence, or he’d done so under an insidiously subtle cloak of Concealment. If Nian Zu had to guess, he suspected the latter, but short of catching the man in the act, there was no way to prove it. Either way, it would not do for the crowd to see tension within the highest echelons of command, especially not with young Rain preaching unity and harmony to anyone who would listen.

It was all part and parcel of the show, so Nian Zu smiled and paid lip service to the boy’s message while resisting the urge to drive his fist into Shuai Jiao’s hypocritical face. Hmph, Commander General indeed, this upstart had the gall to elevate himself above his peers and expect everyone else to fall in line. That was indeed what happened, but only because Yuzhen had advised him not to rock the boat. “The exposed nail is the first to get hammered down,” she’d said, referring to how Marshal Quyen Huong had already thrown his support behind Shuai Jiao, no doubt in exchange for aid against the unruly Southern General Officers with grand ambitions of rising to Colonel General, all of whom likely started fighting the moment they received news of the vacancy.

But now, Rain had entered the game and was busy praising the fallen Tiger Slayer for the sake of the Southerners in the crowd. Say what you will about the boy, but he learned fast when he wanted to, no longer the same wide-eyed, slacked-jawed, backwater lout of a yahoo who first stepped foot in Nan Ping with the Divine Turtle at his back. Looking resplendent in his golden armour as he stood before the crowd, the young Legate addressed his audience with the confidence and charisma of a leader born, a far cry from the mumbling, stammering fool of a persona he so loved to play at. Many of his insecurities were genuine of course, but there had never been a man more arrogant than Falling Rain, someone who believed he should be capable of doing everything right and never forgiving himself for any of his mistakes. Combined with his indefatigable determination and innate inability to give up, this proved to be an advantage for the brilliant young man who not only held the highest office in all the outer provinces, but was also quite possibly the most promising young talent in all history and a Warrior who eschewed all common sense by reaching a stage of strength wherein he was not quite a Peak Expert just yet, but at the same time quite possibly a mere half-step from Divinity.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

A fact he was supposed to prove today, by means of the Bekhai’s popular wedding custom wherein the groom’s strength, endurance, and/or intellect were tested through a series of ‘friendly’ tests arranged by the bride’s family.

To this end, young Rain commanded his Death Corps to open the sluice gates, and as the crystal clear waters flowed into the sparkling white basin that would soon become a harbour in truth, he announced that the games would begin after a Citadel-wide break for a sumptuous lunch provided by his household. Free to stretch his legs and fill his belly, Nian Zu used this time as an excuse to distance himself from the stifling company of his peers and study the new Citadel defences with a critical eye while partaking of the delectable ‘finger foods’ provided to them all. Though he’d been present for the planning process and kept up to date with the progress, seeing the wide basin, expansive bridging docks, and spanning towers with his own eyes left him breathless with appreciation. Any ship attempting to make it onto the docks would first have to get past the four seasons towers, isolated island fortresses with room for only a single ship to dock at the back, which led into a sheltered kill room from which the defenders could loose bolts and stones from any and all angles as the attackers contended with the three heavy barricades barring the only path further up and into the tower. This was contingent on an enemy ship actually making its way to the tower in the first place, as the multitude of upper levels were festooned with aptly named murder-holes brimming with too many bolt-throwers to count and room for Irregulars to add their crossbows to the barrage. There was also a concrete crow’s nest at the top that held three massive catapults each, and plenty of footholds for a Peak Expert with a Runic Cannon to rain death upon his foes below. Even without those fearsome wonder weapons to keep the Enemy at bay, Nian Zu was certain that an army of Irregulars supported by a small contingent of Martial Warriors would be enough to hold the Four Seasons forts, freeing up a sizable number of soldiers to serve and deploy elsewhere.

If the Enemy intended to assault the Citadel by land rather than by sea, then their options were even more limited. Either they could assault the Northern or Southern section of the walls or proceed along the wide, concrete bridge that led straight to the docks and the Bulwark overlooking them. Both options meant the Enemy flanks were left open to the towers, but the bridge was most certainly the more deadly trap of the two, for it could be raised at multiple sections to allow ships to sail past, which in turn could also be used to deny passage to Enemy combatants. As for the docks themselves, those were also fortified, though less so for the sake of convenience, with raised platforms and parapets to fire from should any Enemy combatants ever make it that far.

And if they did? Well, then they’d be faced with the daunting prospect of taking the maze-like Bulwark, a feat even Bai Qi failed to accomplish in a timely manner despite leading an army larger than anything the Empire had ever before faced.

To further bolster the defences, there were plans to install raised platforms similar in design to the Four Seasons Towers all along the Western border, and the Central Citadel already had four such bastions in place. A native to the province, Sir Gwangjong was the brilliant mind responsible for the speedy construction of all these sturdy fortifications, and he’d done an admirable job contributing to the defences of his homeland. Nian Zu only hoped young Rain could convince the man to bring his construction company north for a few months to work on the Northern Citadel as well, because there was a good chance the Enemy would avoid the Central Citadel and its formidable, newfangled defences from here on out in favour of easier targets.

The tides had finally turned in the war against the Enemy, for time was no longer on their side. As the Empire fortified their defences and procured new, more effective weapons of war, it would become increasingly more difficult for the Defiled forces to break through the Western border. For this reason alone, Nian Zu supported Rain’s bid to launch an offensive into the Western province, because at the very least, it would buy much needed time to prepare. Even Shen ZhenWu could not have foreseen the incredible impact young Rain would have in a few short years, as none of this would have been possible without his personal brand of peculiar ingenuity. Bolt throwers, crossbows, catapults, and cannons, as well as the trained Irregulars to man them, Nian Zu had no choice but to admit that the addition of commoner combatants to the Imperial Army was quickly tipping the scales in the Empire’s favour. Then there were all of Rain’s curious inventions, such as clear glass to create magnifying tubes that allowed anyone to see far off into the distance, cheap paper to keep track of anything and everything one cared to write down, the concrete ships floating out on the river in apparent defiance of physics, and the cast iron wagons with their rubber-lined wheels Yuzhen procured for long distance, overland travel, all these things and more were changing the Empire as Nian Zu knew it, and all for the better to boot.

This was without even touching upon the economic improvements young Rain introduced into the world, of which there were too many to list and Nian Zu quite frankly didn’t entirely understand. Why anyone would part with cold hard coin to buy a piece of stamped paper was beyond him entirely, to say nothing of why those papers were now worth exponentially more than what he’d initially paid for them. Rain had also recently introduced some more stamped papers, which were somehow different from the first batch, but still readily accepted by nobles and merchants alike in lieu of coin. Madness is what it was, but it made sense to Yuzhen and other financially savvy individuals of the Empire, so Nian Zu simply accepted it and moved on.

By the time he was done touring the defences, the massive concrete basin was almost entirely filled with water and Rain made his presence known once again. Having exchanged his golden armour for a loose, unbuttoned shirt and waterproof shorts that stopped just above his knees, he’d lost much of the grandeur and dignity his mantle of office was expected to maintain. So much so that Nian Zu could hear Yuzhen grinding her teeth while struggling to maintain her smile, but the boy made up for it and then some by Cloud-Stepping from the Bulwark all the way to the marble monument he unveiled only a few hours earlier, a sizable distance to cover at such a slow pace. Impressive as this display might be for a boy noy yet twenty two years of age, most of the audience would not understand just how demanding a feat this truly was, for Falling Rain Cloud-Stepped like an old hand who’d been at this for years. Take Gerel for example; After making the initial jump, his subsequent Cloud-Steps came quickly and often, making it appear as if he were sprinting atop empty air while moving through molasses, with legs pumping disproportionately to how far he travelled. In contrast, Rain all but glided through the air in a slow, gentle arc, only to land lightly atop nothing and hop forward again whenever he so pleased. A leaf floating upon the wind, that was how other Peak Experts described this level of mastery, one few could ever reach. Even Clearsky Bao, Nian Zu’s dearly departed friend and a man once hailed as the fastest mortal in the North, had only just recently reached this level of proficiency after decades of gruelling effort, and while young Rain might not be faster than Clearsky Bao, he made Cloud-Stepping look far more effortless than the once Sovereign of the Skies ever could.

And as if that were not enough to shock and amaze, Rain did so while carrying his bride to be, the charming and lovable Mei Lin, whose wide, heart-felt grin was infectious to behold as she lay in her beloved hubby’s arms, flutter-kicking her dainty feet in an expression of pure delight.

Having achieved this high a level of Cloud-Stepping, it was clear that any contest Rain took part in against his peers would be farcical at best, especially considering how he’d already trounced the young military minds of the Empire during his last wedding. According to Yuzhen, the boy claimed he’d come up with something suitable for the grand occasion, but Nian Zu harboured his doubts as to how interesting it would be. Whatever the boy was scheming, it required six floating platforms, each one big enough for five people to stand on and bearing a wall of netting affixed to two poles standing upright on deck. There were also several rafts bearing stacks of wooden logs cut to similar dimensions, around thirty centimetres in diameter and at most half again in length. All of this and more was being carried over in four small boats, each one manned by eight Death Corps Guards who rowed in perfect synchronicity. Young Mila and Yan were also present, as were Li Song and Zheng Luo, each one seated in a different boat and dressed for the occasion in outfits even more scandalous than Yuzhen’s, though still more modest than most.

Say what you will about Falling Rain, but he was a man with varied tastes...

As the small fleet made its way across the basin, trailed by the Divine Turtle and a pack of roosequins no less, the Death Corps guards slowly released their logs one by one, without any real rhyme or reason. Soon enough, Rain arrived at the monument and landed lightly beside it, still carrying his bride-to-be and not showing even a hint of fatigue. As he turned to address the eager crowd, he spoke in his customary casual manner asking if the food was to their liking and idly discussing his favourites, all to buy more time for the Death Corps Guards to loop around the basin and unload their cargo. The six netted platforms ended up with three on either side, and Nian Zu was beginning to see the boy’s plan take shape. Some sort of aquatic battlefield setting perhaps, to show off his mastery of the Blessing of Water? Baatar claimed the boy had yet to replicate his downright unbelievable achievements that helped secure victory against Huanhuzi’s fleet, but young Rain had been sparring with Gerel almost every day lately, and from what Nian Zu had seen, the boy would find few worthy opponents under thirty, if any.

Once it was clear the Death Corps Guards were almost done setting up, Rain launched into an explanation regarding his intent. In the end, Nian Zu’s guess had been close, but rather than a sparring match he would undoubtedly win, Rain had devised a contest in which Martial Strength was not the defining factor. A sport, he called it, though he had yet to come up with a name, one played with two teams of five Warriors, preferably ones capable of Cloud-Stepping. Each player would receive a wooden rod, one with two forked tines affixed to one end. The tines were just wide enough to hold the rubber ball, which was the object of contention in this particular engagement. At best, one could only cradle the ball within the tines rather than firmly carry it around, which was intended rather than an oversight as Nian Zu had initially suspected. The goal of the engagement was to get the rubber ball into one of the nets without touching the ball with anything besides the rod. What’s more, neither the ball nor the player were allowed to go into the water, else control of the ball was forfeited to the opposing team, who would then start back by their nets. There were also rules for goal-keepers, who were allowed to stop the rubber ball with any part of their bodies, but one could only score a goal using the rod, else the point would not count. In the end, it came down to a game of numbers, and the higher scoring team would win.

And most importantly? While players were not allowed to make contact with the ball using anything besides the rod, there were no restrictions against making contact with other players.

All in all, Rain claimed the rules were a fast and loose version he’d thrown together for the occasion, and that some fine tuning might be needed, but once everyone understood the game, he called upon four members of the Bekhai to come join his team. Rather than his wives, he picked his sister and her husband, as well as Fire-Bird Tenjin and his wife, Tursinai, a fearsome, chain-wielding Warrior who Nian Zu had marked as the most dangerous young talent after Gerel. Perhaps even more dangerous, considering she was more than half a decade younger and only half a step behind, but Alsantset was hot on Tursinai’s heels and obviously of a mind to surpass her.

Finding a team of Cloud-Stepping Warriors to pit against them was no easy task, but young Rain had plenty of volunteers eager to try their luck once he promised a sizable reward of a thousand gold per player to any team able to defeat him. The first group to try was a mishmash of various well-known youths, older than Rain’s group and veterans one and all, but the young Legate’s team ran roughshod over their opponents in an overwhelming display of skill, speed, teamwork, and talent. Having devised the rules himself, Rain held the upper hand as he was the only one who had time to put together a plan of action, and he used this to great effect. Since it was all but impossible to carry the ball using the rod and Cloud-Step away, passing was the best way to move the ball forwards, and the Bekhai skills in archery served them well here. While their opponents converged on the ball itself, Rain and his teammates focused on passing and intercepting the ball as they moved across the wooden logs with remarkable ease, never once faltering in their offensive or defensive efforts. Eventually, Rain’s team scored eleven goals to their opponent’s three, all of which were lucky throws on unguarded goal posts. That was the other key to Rain’s victory, the fact that even though a goal keeper was allowed to use their body to block the ball whilst standing on the netted platforms, there was no rule forcing them to remain there. Thus, his team always outnumbered their opponents in every engagement, an advantage which proved well-worth the risk more often than not.

Three more teams tried their luck before the Warriors of the Empire started taking their Legate’s game seriously, for each team had forced Rain to reveal a few more of his hidden tiles and uncovered the true depths hidden within the sport. Only the rod could be used to stop the ball, and touching it with any part of one’s body meant control was forfeited to the opponent, so whenever Rain’s team was unable to progress, they would simply whip the ball at the closest unsuspecting opponent and bounce the ball off their bodies so that they might start anew from their side. Then there was the fact that no one thought to bounce the ball off a floating log to make an unexpected pass or goal, or how one could throw the rod to intercept the ball so another player could catch it, or how one could simply target and break their opponent’s rod, forcing them to return to the bridge to retrieve a new one, as well as half a dozen other devious schemes young Rain put to the test over the course of those games.

Not even the Azure Ascendants, a team led by a former Lieutenant Colonel and made up of multiple infamous bandits could defeat young Rain’s team in this game. They could only force him to reveal yet another powerful hidden tile, wherein he used his Blessing of Water to propel the logs in any direction he liked. Oh how the crowd laughed when he simply glided away from a devious trap set by Lord of Thunder Lei Gong, only to carry himself and the ball right up to the net. Even Gerel and Yuzhen took part in the fun alongside a team of their peers, though young Rain showed no face to his older, talented tribesman as he repeatedly moved the logs out from under Gerel’s feet, an act which had Nian Zu howling with laughter. The man was far too uptight most of the time, and a cool dunk was just what he needed, though he would never admit as much to Yuzhen.

Despite all of Rain’s Water-Blessed shenanigans, Gerel and Yuzhen’s team came closest to defeating him, but even they were unable to secure a victory once Charok revealed his true skills and started scoring points without ever leaving his goal post from across the lake. Fiery Eyes, the Bekhai called him, on account of his unparalleled vision and uncanny aim, which as it turned out was Rain’s final hidden tile that helped him secure a victory in their closest game yet. All in all, the games were played in good fun and everyone left in high spirits, even after Rain’s team emerged undefeated against all comers, though he had the good graces to donate the promised prizes to help pay for the blood price for the fallen soldiers. His mood much improved, Nian Zu clapped the soggy yet smouldering Gerel on the back and gave him a big grin, which only further darkened the surly man’s disposition and set his wife to laughing.

All in all, a successful display of young Rain’s talents, though not what anyone expected. Not only did he flaunt his ability to Cloud Step and manipulate Water Chi, he also proved himself able enough to engage in friendly clashes against Peak Experts. More importantly, he demonstrated his tactical acumen by running figurative circles around his more skilled opponents. As a Warrior, his skills were so undeniably impressive that there was no doubt he stood at the forefront of humanity in terms of raw talent alone, but now, he’d proven he was also a competent leader and cunning tactician, qualities he would need to lead the Empire to victory.

Even Nian Zu had to admit he had his doubts when the boy declared his intention to drive the Enemy out of the Western Province, but as the date for the counter offensive drew near and his brilliant plans started coming together, Nian Zu felt a spark of hope forming in his heart, one he ruthlessly suppressed so as not to let his expectations get out of hand.

“Such a shame,” Nanda Bayin exclaimed, shaking his head as he watched young Rain play a few rounds with sweet Mei Lin, who leaped across the logs with more grace and agility than most of the contestants today. “The Legate is so talented at so young an age, yet insists on planting his seed in barren fields. A great man such as him should have many wives yes, but also many children to ensure his talents are passed onto the next generation if the worst should come to pass. Such is his duty, else the Mother will soon run out of suitable sons to take up arms against the Enemy.”

“Oh?” Lips pursed in a smile which Nian Zu could only describe as a diplomatic scowl, Yuzhen shrugged off the Southern Officer’s statement and said, “No matter. If the Mother lacks sons, there are still many daughters for her to call upon.”

“Ah I meant no offence.” Waving his hand in a lackadaisical manner, it was clear Nanda was not one for politics, as he continued to explain himself despite Yuzhen’s narrowed eyes and Marshal Quyen’s subtle cough suggesting he shut his mouth. “But a man’s holy duty is to fight, while a woman’s holy duty is to bear the soldiers of the next generation. Only then can we continue to struggle against the Father’s minions most foul. Since half-beasts are unable to bear children, it is a clear sign of the Mother’s disfavour, and as such, a marriage with one is akin to...” Awkwardly gesturing at Yuzhen, Nanda finally realized he’d overstepped as Gerel’s handsome features twisted into a furious grimace, but the Southern Warrior would not be cowed by a young, Northern upstart.

And Mother forbid it, Yuzhen looked like she intended to let her husband fight the man for her own entertainment...

Stifling a sigh, Nian Zu stepped in to pull Gerel back, and to his surprise, the man only resisted a little. Facing the Southern Warrior, Nian Zu drew himself up to his full height and said, “I have spent my life in service to the Empire, but I have never married, nor have I sired any children. Would you claim that I have failed my ‘holy duty’?”

“This one would not dare.” Though his words were deferential due to their difference in rank, Nanda’s attitude was anything but. “A shame though, for the son of Situ Nian Zu would be a formidable talent indeed. A tiger father will not beget a dog son, but there will come a day when the old tiger can hunt no longer.”

Impudent bastard...

“Come now, let bygones be bygones.” Interjecting himself into the conversation with a long sip of tea, Shuai Jiao offered a solemn smile that lacked any and all warmth. “As Colonel General Nanda said, he meant no offence. It is merely a difference in perspective, one we must look past if we are to unite in harmony. Is that not what the Legate always says?”

“Of course,” Yuzhen purred, stepping in before Nian Zu could even consider doing anything unwise. “No offence taken. It is true, I cannot bear children, but just as I was raised by a father unrelated by blood, I mean to adopt an orphan to raise as my child once matters have settled down here.” Turning to Nian Zu, she smiled sweetly in a manner that was anything but and added, “And you sir... how could anyone accuse you of failing your duty for not siring a child of your own? Why even Commander General Shuai Jiao has no heirs to speak of, and General Nanda surely holds you both in the highest regards.”

A clever rejoinder, pointing out that even though Central and South might have allied against the North in this political struggle for power, there would eventually come a time when they would clash as well. There was more nuance to the conversation as well, including her outright refusal to call Nanda ‘Colonel General’, but that was about all that Nian Zu picked up on. The girl exchanged a few more words with the Commander General before withdrawing from their company, bringing Gerel and Nian Zu along with her. There was nothing else to be said, nothing of note at least, for even though Rain was working tirelessly to unite the provinces together, the absence of pressure from the lacking Defiled offensive was proving detrimental to his cause.

Strange to think that the second greatest threat to the Empire came from within, but such was the nature of power. Du Yi once said that those who sought power were not deserving of it, and those deserving did not seek it. A wise man he was, and Nian Zu was lost without him, but as he followed Yuzhen away and watched her scheme her schemes, he was reminded that he had yet another memento to remember Du Yi by.

For Yuzhen was Du Yi’s daughter in every way that counted, and though Nian Zu would never presume to call himself her father, he was Du Yi’s husband in heart and in spirit, if not in fact. He didn’t need a ceremonial vow and validation from an audience to know that he and Du Yi had loved one another dearly, a thought which eased away a heavy burden Nian Zu didn’t even know he’d been carrying. His steps steady and spirits light, Nian Zu took a deep breath and let go of all his lingering sorrow, for all it did was darken the happy memories he still had.

They lived, they loved, and they made merry together for many decades before Du Yi’s passing, and for Nian Zu, this much was enough. Now it was time to let go of the past and look forward to the future, perhaps even playing the part of doting grandfather to Yuzhen’s future child. Grandfather Nian Zu, now there was a title he never expected to bear, and a significant one at that, but when he imagined what it would be like, he could not help but smile.

Such was life, trials and tribulations, but not without reprieve or reward.

Chapter Meme