The contestants were given two days to prepare for round three. The point store proved invaluable to the teams despite the dispirited quartermaster and his streamlined prices.

Ku Xue, sticking to his strategy from the last round, kept his purchases basic. He trusted in his own ability to locate and secure a location using his control over earth elements. As such, he invested in five archery squads for one point each and two extra flags for two points each.

Ku Yu Zhengzhong's team was next to buy. They weren't confident in their base building skills, so they purchased a survey team and a construction crew for two points each to help ensure their base was up to scratch. Their final four points went towards two infiltration specialists, lauded by Quartermaster for their stealth and extraction skills.

Following in Ku Yu Zhengzhong's wake was Ku Qin Zemin. He forwent the survey team, because his teammates were self-assured of their ability to locate and build a proper base. He did, however, insist on recruiting a construction crew because they also help with repairs over the course of the round. Next, a team of engineers, for two points, capable of working the two catapults they purchased for one point each. Their last point secured a squad of pikemen that rounded out their forces.

Last to shop was Ku Wang Xiaobo. He struggled for a while over what to purchase, but after a brief discussion with Quartermaster he settled on a team of engineers, an ice cultivator and a wind cultivator for two points each, and an extra flag.

“Ugh... I'm bored. Can't we start the third round already?” sighed Ming Jia Ying half way through the second day of preparations. Lin Liqin and Tsubame glanced at each other before erupting in laughter, causing the young girl to pout, “What are you laughing at?”

Tsubame wiped a tear from her eye as she explained, “You're finally acting your age. We were worried you'd forgotten how to be a kid.”

“What she means is you're being a bit of a brat and we couldn't be happier,” Lin Liqin added with a big grin. At that Ming Jia Ying's pout became more exaggerated as she stifled a laugh of her own, but it couldn't hide the hint of a smile.

The three decided to leave the barracks and stretch their legs for a bit to alleviate the boredom. They had to bundle up due to a thunderstorm that passed through the night before, traces of which still lingered in the air as fresh snow continued to fall. Fire cultivators were busy melting the snow while water cultivators guided the runoff away from the common areas and outside the fort's walls.

As the sun began to dip behind the mountain top the gate leading out into the valley opened to reveal the four Ku Clan heirs still in the competition. Captain Fan had instructed them to be present for one final address before the beginning of round three. Lin Liqin's trio went to greet them, but as they approached he could sense something about Ku Wang Xiaobo had changed. Closing his eyes for a moment, he could no longer feel the chaotic surges of chi coming from the young man.

With a slight bow Lin Liqin cupped his fist towards Ku Wang Xiaobo, “Congrats Xiaobo on passing your tribulation. I look forward to seeing what you're capable of in the next round.”

“You're quite perceptive Liqin,” Ku Wang Xiaobo said bashfully as he rubbed the back of his head.

Ku Yu Zhengzhong clasped Ku Wang Xiaobo's shoulder, “Why didn't you say anything cousin? We should celebrate!”

“I didn't want to make a big deal out of it,” explained Ku Wang Xiaobo, obviously still uncomfortable with being the center of attention.

“You're an official Graduate Realm Cultivator now. That's impressive for someone your age,” Ku Xue countered.

“No one wants to hear that from a prodigy like you,” Ku Qin Zemin playfully chided as he lightly elbowed Ku Xue in the ribs.

The group entered the fort's central square just as Captain Fan was leaving his office. “Good you're all here. We can go ahead and get this over with. You've had two days to prepare your bases. Ku Yu Zhengzhong's survey team will be returning to the fort. Any construction crews will remain to help maintain their respective base, but will not engage in combat. Speaking of which, this is simulated combat. All squads will be using blunted weapons and will disengage when they have taken a 'lethal' blow. We ask that you similarly attempt to soften your Chi techniques when not facing a fellow contestant. As stated previously, this round will go the full three days. Team Lesson Three will be commanding the opposition. They will start with five squads to lead each wave. Each day the number of squads will increase by five. In addition they will get five more squads for each base that's destroyed. I suggest you all return to your bunkers and rest up, it may be the last chance you get. The first wave will be ready to march at dawn. The third round has officially begun! Dismissed!” With that Captain Fan turned and headed back to his office, a slight smirk at noticing Ku Yu Zhengzhong's raised hand as he left him hanging with a question this time.

The quartermaster took pity on him and stepped forward, motioning for him to ask his question. Without hesitation Ku Yu Zhengzhong asked, “I know he said the first wave would come in the morning, but he also said the third round has already begun, is that correct?”

A sharp glint passed through Quartermaster's eyes before he spoke, “That is correct, but I would remind the young masters that Fort Grendel is a neutral zone and that any acts of violence within it's walls will not be tolerated.”

The cousins that had been walking shoulder to shoulder and laughing merrily mere moments ago now cautiously eyed one another as they slowly backed away from each other. There was a flash of light followed by a thunderclap that rattled their bones and when they turned they saw Ku Wang Xiaobo waving from atop the fort's walls. It was difficult to hear him over the ringing in their ears as he shouted, “I'll be heading out first cousins!” With another flash and clap he was gone.

Ku Xue, seemingly convinced the others didn't pose a threat boldly walked towards the gate. Thin slabs of earth began to cover his body creating a makeshift plate armor as he made his way out, as if daring them to try and attack him.

Seeing the last two displays of strength, Ku Qin Zemin and Ku Yu Zhengzhong both sighed at the same time. “Want to grab a bite to eat at the mess hall before we go? The first to finish can leave while the other finishes their meal,” Ku Qin Zemin suggested.

“We'll join you!” Tsubame exclaimed, linking arms with Ming Jia Ying and dragging her along while Lin Liqin followed not far behind.

As they ate Tsubame flexed her intelligence officer muscles and got Ku Yu Zhengzhong to brag about his fort's construction. He revealed they had cleared the surrounding area, putting in several trenches and barricades to hinder any approaching troops. Then he started comparing it to Ku Xue's five sided fort atop a flattened hill with tall guard towers at each corner providing clear lines of sight for his archers. However, when he went to mention something about Ku Qin Zemin's fort his cousin was quick to silence him. It was at that point he timidly recalled that the people he was chatting up were his opponents. He glanced at Tsubame before embarrassingly admitting, “You're more dangerous than I thought.”

“You have no idea,” Lin Liqin agreed.

“Please, they wouldn't even let me bring my poisoned daggers into the tournament,” Tsubame added on in mock lament. The two boys felt their blood run cold for a moment and were suddenly very thankful they weren't truly going to war against this woman.

The rest of the meal was spent in silence and eventually the two young men from the Ku Clan finished, each departing in turn. The trio finished their meals as well, mildly amused at the discomfort of their former dining companions. As they made their way towards the barracks to call it a night Captain Fan called out to them, “I see the young masters have retired to their bunkers for the evening. Lucky them, I'm far too busy to rest tonight. So much to prepare for tomorrow's offensive. In fact, I'll be so busy that I could hardly be blamed if some overzealous new additions to our forces slipped my notice and ran off half cocked to cause who knows what kind of havoc.”

Lin Liqin gave the captain a sympathetic smile, “Command is indeed a heavy burden, one we are more than happy to help you carry...” then his smile turned decidedly sinister, “first thing tomorrow.”

“Indeed. Tomorrow then,” Captain Fan said with a laugh and a lackadaisical salute that hadn't finished before he'd already turned to leave.

The snow continued to fall as they set foot in the woods for the first time since round one. The memory of the beasts they encountered still fresh and chilling, causing them to pull their coats a bit tighter. There was a light fog clinging to the trees giving the forest a dream like quality that was quickly turning to nightmare as every shadow and flicker of light became bloodthirsty figures and hungry eyes.

Lin Liqin took the lead, donning a now familiar and well worn blindfold. “Stick close. I'll guide us through. Let's focus on reconnaissance for now and if there's an opportunity for a little sabotage, well all the better,” the confidence of his tone reassuring his companions as they followed in his steps.

It wasn't long though before Lin Liqin motioned for them to stop. “There's a lynx nearby. I think it noticed us. Hmm. It's making it's way here, but doesn't seem to be trying to hide,” he said with clear confusion.

Tsubame, however, was positively giddy as the light sound of purring could be heard from over head. She nudged Lin Liqin expectantly, “It's Ankoku[1]! Quick, the meat!”

“Ankoku? Not a bad name,” Lin Liqin commented as he retrieved a marinated steak from the cosmo bag and handed it to Tsubame.

Tsubame smiles at that as she flexes her Chi and pulls on a few branches with her free hand. The first few branches arranged into ascending steps with the next few woven together into what appears to be a rather comfortable looking seat. She climbs up into the seat as she levels out several more branches into a platform of sorts for Ankoku and places the steak there for her enjoyment, which she happily indulges in.

As the shadow lynx savors her meal Ming Jia Ying is admiring Tsubame's control, “You seem to be getting more proficient at mobilizing your Chi. How many branches do you think you could manipulate at one time?”

Delighting in Ankoku's purring and smacking lips, Tsubame fails to spare the young girl a glance even as she absentmindedly answers her question, “Hmm. It's not really about the number. More the amount of mass and the degree of manipulation. And the material matters. And if it's designed to do what I want it to do or not. And it's easier if I manipulate it by hand, instead of purely through Chi.”

It doesn't take long for the shadow lynx to finish eating. She rubs against Tsubame's outstretched hand in thanks and then breathes deep of her scent. She leaps into the branches of a neighboring tree, disappearing into the night as she does.

Disappearing to all but Lin Liqin's Druid sensing technique. He faintly smiles as the shadow lynx hovers on the edge of his perception, following along as the trio heads deeper into the forest.

They travel for a little over an hour, admittedly moving at a cautious pace, but stopping only once to avoid a small pack of wolves. Eventually, Ming Jia Ying speaks up, “I detect some man made structures north east of us. We're a bit beyond where I'd mapped during the first round, so I can't be sure how old they are, but we should check it out.”

“You can still tell which way north is? I can barely avoid tripping over my own feet in this dark. If it wasn't for the snow falling I'm not sure I'd even know which way up is anymore,” Tsubame says with a self deprecating chuckle.

“Speaking of the weather, something was off with the wind. The wolves earlier were hunting a nearby deer, but the direction they were heading was slightly off. It was like the wind wasn't carrying the scent the way their instincts were telling them it should,” Ming Jia Ying added with a contemplative look.

Lin Liqin agreed, “I'm still getting used to these new senses, but the snow and the wind... hum... They are Chi touched, I think. Someone may be manipulating or creating this storm on purpose.”

Ming Jia Ying closes her eyes and takes a long, slow breath and the other two can feel a stronger pulse than the ones she tends to release constantly now. After a bit she reopens her eyes and confirms his suspicions, “Definitely something wrong with this storm. It's only snowing here in the valley, not in the mountains. And the coverage is oddly even throughout. Probably, a subconscious desire for equilibrium from the wind cultivator responsible for distributing the snow. I've seen similar habits at Siege tournaments. People would use symmetrical unit placements without a tactical reason for doing so.”

They continued to discuss and guess at the motivations behind the storm as they moved through the night. The moon finally crested the mountain tops as they reached the edge of a large clearing. Tsubame was grateful for what little light filtered down through the storm clouds, allowing her to make out the landscape before her.

Just as Ku Yu Zhengzhong had described, there was a large hill in the middle of a sprawling glade that had been flattened with five pointed bunker atop it. Each point was accentuated with a tall tower with a platform on top where sentries could keep watch. Fire sconces along the walls further illuminated the area, preventing anyone from getting too close to Ku Xue's bunker without being seen even in the dead of night.

At the far end of the clearing there was an area that was recently part of the forest, but was now a series of stumps. In their midst lies Ku Yu Zhengzhong's bunker. As he'd boasted, there were many obstacles strewn about. Some were those felled trees simply laid across the path. Others were the stumps, uprooted, their previous position now a makeshift pitfall and their knotted roots used as a barrier. There were also several trenches filled with an oily liquid.

With Ming Jia Ying pointing it out, Tsubame was just barely able to make out another bunker in the moonlight. It was built into the side of the mountain face a ways to the east, just high enough that it could over look the other two bunkers. The tops of the catapults peeking over the walls was the only tip off that this fortification belonged to Ku Qin Zemin.

“Is the fourth one around here too?” Tsubame asked as she strained to peer through the deep dark night.

“I haven't sensed it yet and I don't want to release any strong pulses this close to Prince Xue's bunker. There's a good chance he already knows we're out here and I don't want him narrowing down our position,” Ming Jia Ying explained as she turned to Lin Liqin.

He harrumphed as the two ladies looked at him expectantly, “The snow and the wind are picking up and they're making it difficult to discern any details from more than a couple dozen paces out.”

“Still, finding three so soon is good intel. Let's look around for a bit. Maybe we'll find some flaw we can dig into and exploit,” Tsubame said as she shifted into that more serious persona she always adopted when discussing spycraft. However, she still maintained that overly cheerful outlook that seems to be fundamental to who she is at her core.

Guards could be seen posted in the towers and patrolling the walls of Ku Xue's bunker. In order to avoid drawing their attention the trio stuck to the treeline as they circled around to Ku Yu Zhengzhong's bunker. Navigating the obstacles laid out in the area made for slow going and they could tell that it would hinder a full squad's advance even more.

Before they could get too close Lin Liqin motioned for them to stop as they hid behind a nearby overturned stump. Tsubame and Ming Jia Ying caught a glimpse from between gnarled roots of two shadowy figures dropping from the walls of the bunker. The first shadow dove straight into the earth like it was water, disappearing from view. Seeing this, Ming Jia Ying quickly clamped down on the pulses she was producing in fear the earth cultivator may notice their presence. A moment later they saw them resurface, presumably for air, before diving under again. As the earth diver moved away from them and towards Ku Xue's bunker Ming Jia Ying finally released the breath she'd been holding.

It was at that moment a wind tunnel arced past their position causing them all to tense up. The technique that wasn't usually visible was highlighted by the trail it was carving through the falling snow. A second later the other shadow went flying past, it's running speed accelerated to the extreme by the wind tunnel as it followed close on the heels of its companion.

“Continue on, follow them, or split up?” Lin Liqin grunted.

Tsubame smiled, a confident, mischievous smile. “I'll continue on. Seeing two infiltrators up close has me all nostalgic. Went head to head with a few over the last couple years. I'd like to remind them why I was a top agent even without my Chi,” she says while using a thumb to point at the flag that can be seen waving over her shoulder. “I'm sorry, but you two would only slow me down. Why don't you two follow our shadowy friends and see if you can stir things up?”

Ming Jia Ying nodded, not bothering to argue the point. Lin Liqin simply said, “If we don't meet up sooner, regroup at dawn where we first arrived at the clearing,” before turning to follow after the little girl.

Continuing on towards Ku Yu Zhengzhong's bunker Tsubame examines the nearby branches from the recently felled trees. Most are too skinny or too short, but she manages to collect a few that are just right by the time she reaches the wall. Ku Yu Zhengzhong's two hired units already left and she assumes that him and his teammates are sleeping in shifts, so at worst there are two people patrolling the bunker at the moment. With that in mind she thinks she can get away with a bit of noise.

The walls are a little over one story tall, approximately three times her height. She lashes the branches together using her jacket creating a ramp that can get her most of the way up. She leans it against the wall, checking the angle a few times before giving herself some running room. As she sprints up it a few branches snap and the jostling undoes the binding, but she's already grasped the edge of the wall and is pulling herself up when they finally collapse.

She hunkers down for a bit and catches her breath as she listens for raised voices or footsteps. Neither come, her entry going unnoticed. She glances at her target, the flag waving with pride of place in the belfry[2] above the central structure. Tsubame made her way down a set of stairs along the interior of the wall and approached the door.

Slowly easing the door open, she hears the familiar sound of deep rhythmic breathing with the occasional snore. As she slips into the room she sees a member of Ku Yu Zhengzhong's team seated in a chair near some stairs, chin against his chest as he sleeps soundly. Tsubame can't recall his name, but she recognizes him from the race through the mine. He's a Ki user capable of immense strength and agility, but he seemed to tire easily. An issue that has reared its head once again as it appears he was meant to be on watch.

Tsubame's steps are neither hurried nor slow, even as she feels that familiar rush of adrenaline. She walks silently, with confidence, wholly in her element, as she slips past the sleeping guard and up the stairs. There don't seem to be any other rooms and eventually she arrives at the door to the belfry. There's no lock, but as she begins to open the door she notices the slightest bit of resistance. Instantly, tensing her muscles, stopping herself from opening the door any further. She crouches down and looks through the crack in the doorway, revealing a tripwire. Tsubame reaches for her dagger only to remember that she doesn't have them with her when her hand comes back empty. She begins to gather and flex he Chi until the wire is lax enough that she can slip it under the door and then opens it the rest of the way. Once in the room she disables the device that was designed to set off some firecrackers, presumably to alert the sleeping guard below.

She stands before the flag. It is a simple thing, no more than a triangle of white cloth, yet possibly the most important resource the players this round possess. While the players can steal them from each other, if she manages to bring it back to the fort it will be out of play for good and there is something about that thought that makes her smile from ear to ear. Given the level of security so far, she's not surprised when she finds that the flag isn't simply hanging from a rope, but is rather the connective material between two ends of rope. She can't tell what they're connected to, as they extend into the dark recesses above and below the belfry, but she's sure its some form of alert system.

She carefully attempts to tie the two ends together before removing the flag. Both were under heavy tension, limiting the amount of rope she had to work with. She has the flag now and is racing to leave the bunker before anyone notices. The knot won't last long, but it's bound with her Chi, however she can feel her grip slipping as the distance grows.

Tsubame is already passed the sleeping guard and closing the door behind her when she feels the last of her Chi unravel from the rope. She's already running for the stairs leading up the wall when a loud explosion echoes through the compound. A part of her admires Ku Yu Zhengzhong for holding onto some of the blasting caps from last round. As she mounts the wall she can hear the cracking of wood and stone even at this distance as the Ki user propels himself up to the belfry. In addition, the shouts coming from the other side of the complex inform her it's well past time she left.

Dropping from the wall she quickly grabs her jacket and dons it once more before grabbing one of the branches. Wedging the branch between two barricades, she pulls on her Chi once again to bend it to the extreme. There are now voices up on the wall, but she doesn't spare them a glance as she lines up her shot. She hears the sound of cracking wood and stone again like a starter pistol as she releases her Chi, the branch sending her flying, an arrow to its bow. She clears the treeline even as the Ki user that leapt from the wall lands where she'd been.

Tsubame continues to run even as she hears the heavy footsteps closing in. But she can hear something else too, a subtle purr coming from the nearby trees, keeping pace with her. She smiles at that and turns towards a thicker cluster of trees. Climbing into the canopy, she barely has time to weave herself a place to sit before Ankoku practically tackles her. The large cat leans its body against hers, going very quiet, very still, the smokey shadow that makes her form hard to perceive gently wrapping around Tsubame.

Tsubame hears the snapping of twigs below and heavy breathing. “Where did she go!” another voice demands as it approaches. She's fairly certain the new voice belongs to Ku Yu Zhengzhong.

“I'm... not... sure...” the Ki user says from between labored breaths. After a brief moment to steady himself he adds, “She may have launched herself again. The trees here are close enough together and there are plenty of branches available.”

Ku Yu Zhengzhong grunted before shouting out at the forest, “You play dirty Tsubame!” Then after a laugh he shouted again, “I like it! I'll buy you a drink when this is over!” Tsubame smiled at that, but otherwise held perfectly still even well after the two had left.

While Tsubame was making off with Ku Yu Zhengzhong's flag, Lin Liqin and Ming Jia Ying were watching his infiltrators attempt the same thing at Ku Xue's bunker. “Looks like the earth cultivator is going to run interference. Then the wind cultivator will sneak in if an opportunity presents itself,” Lin Liqin commented.

“Not a bad strategy. Prince Xue has probably noticed the earth cultivator already,” Ming Jia Ying agreed. “If a fight breaks out it will distract the lookouts, even if only for a moment.”

Lin Liqin thought for a moment before musing, “You know it's probably in our favor if a fight does break out. They can weaken each other before our forces show up in the morning. Even better if they can get one of Xue's flags. If he's feeling pressured he'll be more likely to make a mistake later.”

As they continued to watch the earth cultivator started swimming through the earth, testing the density of the bunker's walls before retreating outside the range of the firelight to resurface in a mock showing of trying to infiltrate. The wind cultivator, however, waited patiently in the shadows. Ku Xue could be seen pacing the bunker walls now, matching the movements of the earth cultivator, but seemed hesitant to initiate a conflict.

“Looks like they need a little nudge,” Ming Jia Ying said with a light smirk. As subtly as she can, she gathers her Chi and uses it to create an earth column where the earth cultivator just passed. With a little luck Ku Xue and the earth cultivator will blame each other for it's creation.

The earth cultivator emerges from the ground behind the pillar. Focusing his Chi before palm striking, he causes it to shear off at the base and topple towards the bunker. Ku Xue calmly watches the approaching column as he flexes his Chi. The earth cultivator's Chi that is guiding the pillar fails to block Ku Xue's as it begins to reshape it. Soon it's taken on the form of a large boulder as it rolls up the hill, before coming to rest gently against the bunker walls. With a wave of his hand, Ku Xue sends it tumbling back down towards the earth cultivator who quickly dives underground to avoid it.

Ku Xue and the earth cultivator continued to trade barbs while the archers posted in the towers took shots whenever the enemy came within range. Seeing that all eyes were on them, the wind cultivator circulated their Chi to cause a breeze that pushed some snow off the roof of one of the towers and extinguished a nearby sconce. The reduction in lighting and attention cleared a path for the wind cultivator to follow and they were more than happy to take it.

Despite the guard towers at the corners, Ku Xue's bunker is much more traditional than Ku Yu Zhengzhong's with a domed roof covering the entire complex. A wind tunnel cuts across the field, sticking to the shadows and ramping up the hill and over the wall. The wind cultivator followed in the tunnels wake, arriving on the bunker's roof. Ku Xue's three flags were placed on three separate flag poles, the first of which was already within the wind cultivator's reach.

Ming Jia Ying and Lin Liqin continued to observe as the wind cultivator pocketed one flag and moved towards the next. Suddenly Lin Liqin, still wearing his blindfold, turned towards the southern edge of the glade, focusing on the sky above the tree line. “Well, this should make things more interesting,” he said with a light chuckle.

Before Ming Jia Ying could ask Lin Liqin what he was referring to an arc of lightning drew a scar across the night sky. Everyone followed it with their gaze as it crashed into the wind cultivator. The impact sent the cultivator tumbling back across the roof as Ku Wang Xiaobo landed where they'd been standing. “Someone was getting greedy,” Ku Wang Xiaobo said as he gave Ku Xue a bow. The prince returned a smile and a bow of his own, but froze half way through the movement as he watched Ku Wang Xiaobo grab the second flag and disappear in another flash of lightning.

Now aware of the infiltrator, the archers took aim while several others exited the towers through doorways leading to the roof in a move to capture the thief. However, the wind cultivator, while still mildly dazed, managed to roll off the roof of the bunker before they could surround them. The earth cultivator reached out from under the earth, pulling them down into cover before the archers could open fire on them as they made their retreat. Ku Xue withheld his forces from giving chase and was oddly calm despite losing two of his flags.

Lin Liqin and Ming Jia Ying decided to withdraw as well. They both sensed Tsubame upon arriving at the meeting point, but Ming Jia Ying was still surprised by how difficult it was to spot the woman standing in the shadow of a nearby tree even though she knew she was there. But the reason became clear when she noticed Ankoku curled up at Tsubame's feet.

The sun was just cresting the mountain, officially announcing the new day, as the trio made their way back to Fort Grendel. Captain Fan welcomed them back with a warm smile that was at odds with the dark circles under his eyes. “We could hear that kerfuffle from here last night. I took the liberty of organizing the first wave's troops. They are ready to go whenever you are,” he said with clear fatigue.

Tsubame stepped forward with Ankoku on her heels and came to attention before the captain, which seemed to surprise several of the nearby officers who only now noticed her and the animal. Fortunately, Captain Fan waved them off before they could overreact. “Don't worry Captain! We'll take it from here! Please, get some rest!” she said with force while giving a salute.

Some of the soldiers standing in formation were irked by her display, feeling like she was mocking them, but Captain Fan recognized the Japanese salute. Cocking an eyebrow he asked, “Military experience?”

Suddenly remembering that was against the rules Tsubame just shrugged and giggled, “I guess it's a good thing you already disqualified me.”

Captain Fan started to head back towards his office and it seemed like he was going to ignore the matter, before he suddenly turned back to her, “Weapons?”

“Knives,” Tsubame answered, but hesitated for a moment, “I thought weapons weren't allowed.”

Now it was Captain Fan's turn to laugh, “Contestants are supposed to rely solely on their Chi, but, as you pointed out, you were disqualified.” Then he waved at the soldiers carrying swords, pikes, and bows, “And you joined my army. As you can see we have no such restrictions.”

Reaching into a nearby supply crate, Captain Fan produced two knives in their sheaths and tossed them to Tsubame. She drew one of the blades and was happy with the balance, but quickly noticed how dull the blade was. Seeing the look she was giving the weapon, Captain Fan was quick to remind her and her companions, “This is just a mock battle. All of the weapons are blunted and we'd appreciate it if you held back a bit when using your Chi techniques on the soldiers the contestants recruited. They have been instructed to bow out if they take a blow.”

The trio nodded and Captain Fan took that as his cue to leave. He retired to his office and left them to size up the troops he'd selected. The first thing they noticed was that the squads they were leading are larger than the ones the contestants had recruited. While the archer squads Ku Xue recruited had three soldiers theirs contain ten. And Ku Wang Xiaobo had recruited single elemental cultivators where they have a squad of three. Altogether, the army they were about to lead into the field consisted of two squads of archers, one squad each of pikemen and swordsmen with shields, and a mixed squad of cultivators containing a water cultivator, ice cultivator, and wind cultivator.

Ming Jia Ying stood before the squad of cultivators, “Captain Fan doesn't seem like the type to choose his troops randomly. What's your specialty?”

The ice cultivator stepped forward and saluted. Despite appearing to be three or even four times her age he still addressed her with the respect owed to a superior officer, likely ingrained in him from years of service, “Sir, we're demolitions experts. Wind blades to put cracks in even the hardest walls, fill them up with water, then freeze it and watch them crumble.” Ming Jia Ying gave an approving nod and the ice cultivator stepped back into formation. Then she moved aside and signaled for the troops to follow Lin Liqin out of the fort.

The large gathering made it impossible to avoid the beasts of the forest, but their numbers also meant few dared to attack. Lin Liqin sighed as he finished off the last of a pack of wolves, they'd been too starved to pass up the opportunity, but also too starved to succeed.

It took several hours to reach the clearing again. Before they breached it's edge they created a forward command camp of sorts among the trees. Ming Jia Ying was busy discussing troop placements with her teammates, when an officer interjected, “Sirs, I'm responsible for communications. Captain Fan ordered me to send word regarding the troop composition for the next wave and it's almost time for me to check in.”

Ming Jia Ying thought about it for a moment and then said, “The current composition is fine for now.” Seeing that Tsubame and Lin Liqin didn't have any objections, the communications officer made out a note on a small slip of paper and gave a sharp whistle. A carrier crow landed next to him and he fastened the note to its foot. Then, after a quick treat, he sent it on its way.

For the first wave a squad of archers was sent to harry Ku Yu Zhengzhong's bunker and the pikemen were sent towards Ku Qin Zemin's, but the majority of their forces were focused on Ku Xue. They chose an angle of approach that minimized the number of guard towers that could fire on them, but it still gave Ku Xue's archers the range advantage over their own. The swordsmen with their shields raised protected the other squads while Ming Jia Ying circulated her Chi to disturb the air currents, reducing the number of arrows they had to deal with.

By contrast the squad of cultivators seemed rather relaxed. The ice and wind cultivators didn't even break their stride when they mobilized their Chi to block the occasional arrow that made it passed the swordsmen. However, the water cultivator was the most calm by far, she hadn't even needed to leave the treeline. Instead, utilizing the impressive range those of her element were known for she peppered the nearest tower with jets of water, further reducing the number of shots the other squads had to deal with.

As they got closer to the bunker it got harder for the further towers to target them thanks to the bunker's own walls blocking line of sight. That didn't stop the archers from arcing their shots over, but it drastically reduced their accuracy. At this point Ming Jia Ying's archers were close enough to return fire. Her and the wind cultivator stayed back to defend them while the swordsmen focused on getting the ice cultivator as close as possible.

Once the ice cultivator arrived next to the wall it was time to begin. Ming Jia Ying hadn't seen many wind blades before, but those she had were smooth and sleek like a saber blade. The one the wind cultivator released was different, in the snowy air she could make out dozens of rough edges like the teeth on a saw blade tumbling over and passed each other as it flew towards the wall. It slammed into it and instead of slicing a clean groove it screeched as it ground against it. It left crisscrossing gashes, scratches, and most importantly cracks in the face of the bunker.

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Next the water cultivator released a large torrent against the wall. Ming Jia Ying noticed it lacked the force of the smaller blasts that had been directed at the tower, but carried a much larger quantity. This flood of water also failed to run down the wall as one would expect. It was held there, pressed against the wall and into the imperfections created by the wind blade, like a drop of water beneath a pane of glass.

Lastly and perhaps least visually impressive was the ice cultivator. The elderly man simply raised his hand, touching the water, and it froze instantly. There was a deafening cracking sound as chunks of the wall broke free. Through her druid senses Ming Jia Ying could see that he'd driven spikes of ice even further into the stone. She was confused for a moment as she saw the ice cultivator and the swordsmen retreating from the wall, but then the wind cultivator next to her made a punching motion and released a compressed ball of air akin to a cannonball. It slammed into the ice, shattering it and causing even larger sections of the wall to collapse.

However, the walls were thicker than they expected, the compartments held within still couldn't be seen. To make matters worse, as the chunks of stone hit the ground they took on a spherical shape and started rolling down the hill. Now faced with large boulders Ming Jia Ying's troops had to scatter. A proctor even appeared to block one particularly large rock and motioned for the swordsmen behind him to leave the field, they had been eliminated.

In the time it took Ming Jia Ying to reorganize her troops and reestablish their defenses they had lost several other members to enemy arrows. Once things calmed down, she turned to face Ku Xue standing atop the wall. She can feel his Chi pulling on the earth below the bunker and the walls are already beginning to mend themselves at a rate visible to the eye. But it's slower than they'd damaged it and in a drawn out conflict she doubts he could last as long as three cultivators. However, before she can order another assault two large snowballs the size of a carriages crash near their position.

She followed the arc of them back to Ku Qin Zemin's bunker and notices a second volley headed their way. Ming Jia Ying immediately calls for a full retreat, but loses half her troops in the effort, including the wind cultivator to a stray snowball.

After reaching the trees they turned towards Ku Zemin's bunker, but it wasn't long before they ran into Tsubame and Ankoku. Ming Jia Ying immediately noticed the pikemen weren't with her, “I'm guessing things didn't go well on your end either.”

Tsubame frowned, “Your fiance is a crafty one. The path leading to the bunker is a set of switchbacks carved into the mountain face. His pikemen held ours back halfway up and one of his teammates dropped a rock slide on them. Two proctors showed up to block it, but our squad was eliminated.”

They turned around and started heading over to Lin Liqin and the archers attacking Ku Yu Zhengzhong's bunker. As they passed the command post the communications officer informed them that reinforcements would be arriving in about an hour.

Stepping through the last line of trees and out into the clearing they saw Lin Liqin engaged in a fist fight with the Ki user that had chased Tsubame the night before. While both men possessed gold auras it was clear that Lin Liqin's opponent's had a deeper color and was tinted with blue at the edges, hinting that he was approaching his third Ki refinement. Despite the advantage this implied Lin Liqin was holding his own and was preventing the muscular man from charging into the nearby squad of archers.

It was hard to pry her eyes away from the boxing match before her, but eventually Ming Jia Ying noted the large snowballs littering the battlefield, including a few that had landed on Ku Yu Zhengzhong's bunker. It seemed Ku Qin Zemin was still dialing in the aim, but it wouldn't be long before they were zeroed in. She also noted that the walls of this bunker seemed softer, the arrows from the archers were able to cut into them, but the wooden substructure kept them from falling. In addition, she could see the damage being repaired, it seemed the construction crew Ku Yu Zhengzhong recruited was hard at work behind the scenes.

Ming Jia Ying contemplated ordering her men to charge out and join the others, but when a snowball landed close enough to spray Lin Liqin's archers in fresh powder she decided against it. Instead she signaled for Lin Liqin and his troops to retreat while her archers and the water cultivator covered their egress. Rather than pursue them, the Ki user elected to take this opportunity to hop over the wall back into the bunker.

As they were returning to the command center Ming Jia Ying inquired about the enemies strength, “Correct me if I'm wrong, but he seemed to have a higher realm than you, Liqin. How come you seemed to be fairing better? I know with Chi users there are elemental advantages that may give one an edge over someone of a higher realm, but as far as I'm aware there's no such thing for Ki.”

“You're not wrong, but it's not as straight forward as you may imagine. Chi cultivation focuses on honing the mind through meditation and understanding of your element. Ki refinement is similar, but we hone our bodies through exercise and testing our limits. I'm guessing he's focused exclusively on strength training. So he was stronger and capable of explosive speed, but I was more agile, capable of dodging and reacting at a speed he couldn't match. Then there was his terrible stamina, after a few big moves his strength and speed dropped off considerably. And if I had to guess I'd say he doesn't have much experience fighting other Ki users,” Lin Liqin broke it down for her.

“Stamina and experience, two things our dear Qin has in abundance! Just ask the hoards of angry husbands and happy wives that constantly chased him across Duihaiguo,” Tsubame added with a playful laugh.

Lin Liqin wore a light smile and slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close, “Jealous?”

Tsubame's smile matched his as she threw her arm around his neck and, in a voice loud enough everyone could hear, whispered in his ear, “I'm only jealous you didn't bring me along to play. A girl's got to have her fun too, you know?”

With a wicked grin, Lin Liqin scooped the woman up into his arms and began blowing raspberries across every inch of exposed skin. Tsubame's bell like peals of laughter echoed through the woods as he carried her back to camp. They left a violently blushing Ming Jia Ying and several squads of speechless soldiers in their wake.

The next few waves met similar fates and it wasn't long until the sun disappeared behind the mountains, the last hints of red and orange on the horizon heralding the beginning of another long night. The day wasn't a complete loss though, they had gathered plenty of intel. “We were right about Zhengzhong's trenches being full of oil, he lit them with a fire Chi technique during our last encounter. I can handle the Ki user well enough, but his water cultivator is capable of picking off our people as they navigate the maze the obstacles and fire create. However, the bunker itself seems to be the weakest, there's a section of wall that is still collapsed from one of the snowballs that hit it this afternoon,” Lin Liqin recounted his latest encounter before adding his opinion, “I think we should focus on Zemin first. If we can take his bunker and commandeer his catapults we can turn them against the others. Not to mention that it will be easier to advance on the others if we don't have to worry about those snowballs raining on our positions.”

“I don't recommend approaching from the front. The losses we would suffer to make it up the switchbacks would be huge. I think a small team of earth cultivators could cut us a new path, an underground tunnel perhaps,” Tsubame suggested.

“It'd have to be a large team. Zemin has an earth cultivator, he'd feel you coming, no point in being subtle. You'd need to move quick and enter the bunker before he can counter attack,” Ming Jia Ying added before asking, “Still no sign of Xiaobo?”

“Not since last night. By my count he currently has the flag advantage, so if we can't find him he has no reason to reveal himself. When we saw him he entered and left from a southerly direction. That's most likely where his bunker is located, but it could be a feint,” answered Lin Liqin.

Ming Jia Ying approached the communications officer standing to the side, “We've decided on the troop distribution for the next few waves. We need earth cultivators and scouts.”

The night passed silently for the contestants, but for some reason the calm only added to the anxiety they felt. Many of them couldn't sleep properly, but the same could not be said for Lesson Three. All three had been up since last night and happily took this rare moment of peace to rest properly.

The morning light came late as the sun had to make the slow climb to the mountain's summit before its rays could reach the valley below. Ming Jia Ying was the last to leave their tent and was greeted by Lin Liqin with a cup of coffee as he refreshed him and Tsubame's cup, the three had become partial to the drink during their time with Tomo. After she'd taken a few sips and managed to wake up properly she asked for a status report. “As they say, good news comes in threes. It's officially the second day, so we get an additional five squads each wave. The tunnel is coming along nicely, they've reached the theorized edge of the earth cultivator's detection range and are just awaiting your order to make the final push. Lastly, the scouts think they found Xiaobo's bunker, it's not guaranteed but they have a solid lead,” Lin Liqin answered with a bright smile.

Tsubame chimed in with, “I'll follow up on the lead. Who knows, maybe I can even take Xiaobo by surprise. And we were thinking you should be the one to spearhead the raid on your lover boy, Zemin. Qin can take the rest of our squads and keep the other two distracted.”

After a small breakfast the three split up. Ming Jia Ying went to meet the three squads of earth cultivators they had digging with one team of engineers following behind her, that would be tasked with manning the catapults once they'd been liberated. Tsubame followed one squad of scouts along the route they suspected Ku Wang Xiaobo of having his base. Lin Liqin met with the remaining five squads, two demolition teams with the same composition as the team they had in the first wave, two squads of archers, and one squad of swordsmen.

Lin Liqin took his troops and headed for Ku Yu Zhengzhong's bunker. Instead of entering the clearing he dispersed his men out and had them stand just behind the first row of trees, the forest hiding their true numbers. Then, with a sigh he stepped out, hands raised. He makes it about half way when he notices the water cultivator lining up a shot. He focuses his Ki on his arms, enveloping them in dense aura. Despite the water's speed he manages to palm away the stream even as he sidesteps the remnants. The impact leaves his hand numb and he can't help but shake it out as Ku Yu Zhengzhong's voice sounds from the top of the wall, “My friend I think that's close enough. What brings you to my doorstep, this fine day?”

Ever since the second round when they worked together to sell the silver Lin Liqin knew that Ku Yu Zhengzhong was a kindred spirit that enjoyed a good negotiation, as such he said the magic words, “I'm here to make a deal.”

In spite of himself, Ku Yu Zhengzhong couldn't stop his lips from spreading into a broad grin, “And what deal would that be?”

“There's no rule stating we can't work together. Why don't you help us eliminate the other three?” Lin Liqin offered with an equally big smile.

Tsubame and the scouts arrived at a large tree. Nothing about it seemed particularly impressive other than its size. Like most of the oak treas it had an expansive network of branches that were currently packed full of snow from the ongoing storm. One of the scouts pointed up at the canopy and explained, “When I was passing by earlier some of the snow fell. I looked up and there was the corner of a wooden building and above it I saw one of the flags the bunkers have been flying fluttering in the breeze. The view only lasted a moment, then the storm filled in the branches with snow again.”

“So... you're saying they built their bunker on top of a tree...” Tsubame shook her head at how ridiculous it was, but eventually just shrugged, “Alright, lets look for a way up.”

This particular tree lacked lower branches that might be used for climbing. Tsubame and the scouts circled the tree looking for handholds or a rope, but came up empty. Just as she was beginning to contemplate climbing a nearby tree and jumping across one of the scouts called out to her. They'd found a hole in between two roots that had been filled in with snow. After squeezing through they found themselves inside the hollowed out trunk of the tree. It was a miracle the tree was still alive given how much space had been carved out inside and based on the worn down edges on the steps leading up, this space had been created years, maybe even decades ago.

Tsubame got Ankoku to lay in a corner and gave the lynx some jerky to chew on. She was worried about it hurting someone or, even worse, getting hurt by someone during the mock battle. Fortunately, it seemed like the big cat was fine with being left behind for a bit with its snack.

The scouts weren't intended as combatants and only had machetes meant for clearing paths, not fighting. Ironically, with how the other weapons had been blunted for the competition it was entirely possible that this was the best equipped squad in their army. Nevertheless, Tsubame led the way up the stairs.

They arrived at a trap door that led into the lowest level of the structure. It looked as old as the steps within the tree and appeared to have been a smuggling den or some other type of shady storage area. Near one corner was a set of stairs that was made from new materials that lacked the wear and tear or aged patina found in the rest of the building. Ascending the stairs, they found themselves in a hallway with several smaller rooms and another set of stairs at the end. Tsubame was not certain that they had found Ku Wang Xiaobo's bunker and these rooms were likely for the engineers and cultivators he'd recruited.

Tsubame whispered to her troops, “Each of you take a door. I'm headed up the stairs, when you hear fighting break out storm your chosen room. If the people you find don't surrender immediately attack without hesitation.”

At the top of the stairs was a landing and another trap door. As she slowly lifted the trap door she was assaulted by the snow and fierce winds. Peeking through the gap she was able to make out three individuals. One was operating a long rope with a large kite attached to it, she wasn't sure of it's purpose, but this person was probably one of the engineers. Another man not far from the first was waving his hands and changing the air currents, obviously the wind cultivator. The last was a woman, she was standing nearby close to the edge of the platform. If Tsubame had to guess, this was the ice cultivator based on how the snow seemed to get denser as it swirled around her.

None of them were looking her direction, so Tsubame took a slow, steady breath to center herself before carefully opening the hatch the rest of the way and climbing up onto the deck. Once she was standing she noticed there were three flag, one posted in three of the four corners. She moved to the nearest target, the ice cultivator, and she was throwing one of her daggers at the wind cultivator even as she kicked the woman over the edge. The ice cultivator's scream alerted the other two, but it was too late. The flung dagger was too blunt to break the skin, but the weight of it hitting his sternum was enough to knock the air out of the wind cultivator's lungs. Before he could recover she was there with her other dagger pressed against his throat. Then the proctor was there, still holding the ice cultivator as he grabbed the wind cultivator, leaving as quickly as he'd arrived.

Seeing how quickly the others were taken out the engineer did the sensible thing and surrendered before retreating to the trap door. Tsubame approached the rope, she still wasn't sure why it was here, but it seemed important so she tried to cut it, however the blunted dagger wasn't up to the task. As she glanced out at the kite she noticed a harness beneath it through the slowly clearing storm. And then she saw a flash. And then he was there before her, Ku Wang Xiaobo all pale lightning and thunder. The force of his arrival sent her sprawling across the deck and, even though she was about to tumble over the edge, she shot him a smile as she snatched one of his flags. Her Chi screeched into motion on instinct alone as every branch she hit turned into rubber and eased her fall, but she still hit the ground hard.

Ming Jia Ying joined up with the cultivators responsible for carving the tunnel. They were mostly earth cultivators, with a few wind cultivators to help recycle the air. According to there estimates they were currently located in the mountain right behind Ku Qin Zemin's bunker. It would just take one more quick push to clear the gap between them, but Ku Qin Zemin's earth cultivator was sure to notice their approach.

She wanted to get the lay of the land and wasn't as worried about him noticing as she would be if it were Ku Xue, so Ming Jia Ying loosened the grip she had on her pulses, letting them travel through the mountain. The earth cultivators with her sensed the strange energy radiating off her and prepared to start excavating again, but she raised a hand indicating they should wait. Through her druid senses she can see that the earth cultivator is keeping an eye on the switchbacks, this is likely the furthest he'll be from the rest of his team, so she drops her hand.

The tunnel comes alive, undulating under the combined effort of so many cultivators. As she suspected Ku Qin Zemin's teammate notices almost immediately, but she taps into her mother's Breath of the Earth technique. As the earth cultivator turns to warn the others a rock comes up and catches his foot causing him to stumble. He quickly exercises his control over the earth, the weight of his Chi preventing her from disturbing the earth further at this range. But it was enough, it bought the time her people needed. Before the cultivator can raise the alarm the back wall of the bunker come crashing down, revealing the tunnel and Ming Jia Ying's forces.

Seeing the shocked look on Ku Qin Zemin's face as they came swarming out, Ming Jia Ying couldn't help but tease, “Hello dear husband!”

Her wind cultivators moved to defend against the ice cultivator while her earth cultivators started tearing down the bunkers walls. The sheer number of earth cultivators saturated the area with their Chi, making it difficult for her or Ku Qin Zemin's earth cultivator to use earth techniques. Ming Jia Ying switched to producing sheets of water to block Ku Qin Zemin's blasts. Any time he shifted his focus from her and he tried to target one of her troops she conjured wind blades from tricky angles. She lacked experience with wind and water techniques, but it was enough to keep him occupied.

Ku Qin Zemin managed to block or dodge most of the wind blades, but it didn't take long for him to receive several minor cuts, leaving his robes in tatters as blood ran down his forearms. At that moment, a wind blade came from his blind spot and caught him in the calf, causing him to take a knee. He sighed, “It's a good thing I didn't wear my new robes. Mother-in-law would have never forgiven me if I'd ruined them so soon.”

Ming Jia Ying chuckled at that, “You never would have heard the end of it.” The water screen she'd been using fell away to reveal a girl more bloodied than the boy she was smiling at. There was a particularly nasty looking hole in her shoulder and her arm hung limply at the side, the sleeve was soaked red.

He laid down and she practically collapsed as she attempted the same. The two enjoyed a quiet moment, watching the last of the snow fall as the storm broke revealing the bright blue sky above. Their blood spiraled out into the puddles strewn about from their fight and framed them in a morbid sort of beauty.

The walls of the bunker started to collapse one after the other, tumbling down the mountain. Several proctors arrive to put a stop to the fighting, declaring the bunker destroyed, and team Seige Squad eliminated. Ming Jia Ying's engineers have their orders and she trusts them to carry them out. She only gives them a passing glance and nod before leaving with Ku Qin Zemin as the proctors guides them to the healers the empire has on standby for the competition.

Ku Yu Zhengzhong and his infiltrators joined Lin Liqin in the field while his teammates stayed behind to guard their bunker. The earth cultivator proved invaluable as he was able to move the ice cultivators safely in and out of position when they needed to freeze a wall to crack it open. Meanwhile, Ku Yu Zhengzhong and the wind cultivator were able to clear entire volleys of arrows.

Unfortunately, Ku Xue was quite persistent and his defenses were holding up well despite the overwhelming offensive. In fact, the boulders he periodically sent crashing down into their lines were whittling away at their numbers. They'd been at it most of the morning and the communications officer had informed him that the next wave was ready, but according to the rules he can't call them until he retires the last set of squads. That is something he isn't willing to do as it might effect Ming Jia Ying or Tsubame's missions.

Lin Liqin and Ku Yu Zhengzhong watched Ku Qin Zemin's bunker collapse, their troops cheering even as they continue to assault Ku Xue's bunker. Lin Liqin strums his zither from the back line and the men feel energized, bouncing lightly on their feet as they dodge an incoming boulder. “That is quite the magical effect you have,” Ku Yu Zhengzhong comments from the side as he turns a cluster of incoming arrows to ash with a wave of his hand.

“I could say the same of you,” Lin Liqin returns the compliment with a light smile before gently placing his hand on the instrument, “This isn't so magical. It just pushes the fatigue to the side. They'll feel all of it when this is over and they'll probably curse my name before the day is through.”

Ku Yu Zhengzhong shrugs, “Still better than getting hit with a boulder.”

Lin Liqin laughs as he stands to face the slightly younger man, “This has been fun.” There is a moment of hesitation before his look turns determined, “If you can warn your teammates you should do it now.”

The smile on Ku Yu Zhengzhong's face cracks and his head snaps back to Ku Qin Zemin's base in time to see the first set of snowballs headed for his bunker. “Son of a bitch,” he curses as he raises a hand to the sky, throwing a large pillar of flame straight up.

It's some sort of signal that incites Ku Yu Zhengzhong's men to begin attacking Lin Liqin's remaining troops. Slowly he brings his other hand up to face him and Lin Liqin can feel Ku Yu Zhengzhong's Chi thrumming. His head is telling him, -Gather your aura. You can block most of the flames. At most it will be like a light sunburn,- but his gut is telling him, -You've been watching him cast flames all day, you've gotten used to the vibration of it. Trust in your Chi, you can slow the vibrations enough to render the flames harmless.” Knowing that there are proctors waiting nearby Lin Liqin decides to risk it and go with his gut.

The world comes to a crawl as adrenaline forces Lin Liqin's senses into overdrive. He can see air rippling as the fire elemental energies gather in response to Ku Yu Zhengzhong's Chi. Lin Liqin can feel the rhythm of it as it pulses around him. His own Chi begins dancing to the beat, spiraling out from his dantian. He can feel the fire elements come alive as they rush even quicker into the area. -Not good,- he thinks. Driven by self preservation he stops matching Ku Yu Zhengzhong's melody and changes his to an accompaniment. Through this he finds that he can influence aspects, such as the target or intensity, but he can't change the original intent.

-Better, but not enough.- He's too close to divert the target enough to make a difference and the flames are beginning to form even as he reduces the intensity. The heat is already becoming uncomfortable, but soon it'll be dangerous. Again his instincts scream at him to change course. Abandoning the accompaniment, he instead embraces a counter melody, not disharmonious with the original, but subversive to its intentions.

Recalling Tomo's lesson that fire elements and ice elements are really the same thing just turned to opposing purposes, Lin Liqin can feel the fire elements closest to him being influenced by his melody and shifting to ice elements. The heat is manageable now, but the flames still exist even as they appear to flow around him. -Still not good enough.- Fire consumes oxygen and Lin Liqin can feel the air getting thin. A million ideas pass through his mind and are discarded until he remembers his sister talking about creating lightning. The details were sparse and the theory was thin, but it's the best option he can come up with.

Lin Liqin can feel that the fire elements that are flowing around him seem most densely packed where the streams intersect behind him. Pushing his counter melody to supplant the main melody, he begins pushing the ice elements gathered near him towards Ku Yu Zhengzhong. The young man looks confused and mildly surprised by his efforts, but persists in his attack. As Tomo once told his disciples, “Heat rises and cold sinks,” and true enough Lin Liqin watches as his ice elements slip under Ku Yu Zhengzhong's fire elements and begin gathering behind him.

Using his Chi in a new ways that feel natural and uniquely his has been exciting, but also incredibly exhausting. It takes all of Lin Liqin's remaining focus, as his lungs burn and his brain screams from the lack of oxygen, to release a single, resounding discordant note with his Chi. As the note echoes out it forces the fire elements concentrated behind him and ice elements clustered behind Ku Yu Zhengzhong to swap frequencies. The energies were a little off center and the resulting electrical surge arced through both men's right flank.

The clap of thunder and sudden collapse of both groups' leader caused the fighting to come to a sudden stop. Before it could resume a proctor arrived to announce the destruction of Ku Yu Zhengzhong'z bunker and their subsequent elimination. Him and Lin Liqin were both lying on the ground, their heads next to one another as the grasped their wounded sides. Ku Yu Zhengzhong sighed, “You're full of surprises friend. I told Tsubame I'd take her out for drinks later, you should join us.”

“If you're buying I'll be there,” Lin Liqin quipped and both men chuckled at that, something they instantly regretted as they strained their wounds. The nearby proctor smiled at their display, indulging in some mild schadenfreuden. He soon approached and helped them up before leading them towards the healers.

Tsubame awoke to the sound of low growls followed by a hiss. Glancing around the first thing she noticed was the fading sunlight, then she spotted a proctor and in between her and them was the source of the noise, Ankoku. It took a second to speak. Her lungs felt like it'd been holding a breath for too long, but also oddly empty and nothing wanted to move. Eventually she was able to croak out, “I'm alright girl.” Hearing her voice Ankoku came over to nuzzle against her face.

“That's a good animal you have. A bit overzealous though. I only wanted to see if you needed medical attention,” The proctor stated.

Slowly and painstakingly Tsubame lifted herself to her feet. Every muscle and tendon screamed from the effort, but eventually quieted down as she shook them out. “Everything hurts, but nothing seems to be broken. I'll live,” Tsubame said flatly.

The proctor raised an eyebrow, “That's unexpected. I admit I failed to catch you as you fell. Your limbs were bent at odd angles from hitting the branches and the ground practically caved in when you landed.”

Tsubame looked at the perfectly flat ground and scoffed, “Must have been your imagination. Either way, no harm no foul. I'm fine, so I'm going to go.” As she turned to leave she began to sway before collapsing, in between heaving she spat, “The world... keeps spinning... I'm not... fine...”

The proctor approached and fortunately this time Ankoku was willing to allow it. Helping Tsubame to her feet, the three slowly made their way to the empire's healers. When they arrived, even through her daze, Tsubame noticed several people she recognized. Ku Yu Zhengzhong and Lin Liqin were all smiles, their beds were surrounded by female healers that were treating their matching wounds. Off in a corner Ming Jia Ying and Ku Qin Zemin, the doting couple, were helping each other redress their bandages.

Tsubame found her way to an empty cot and it wasn't long before a healer came to evaluate her. He gave her a quick once over and after a few tests, including having her follow his finger with her eyes, she received her diagnosis, “Seems to be a concussion. We should be able to treat the dizziness and nausea. You'll need to rest for a bit after, but no sleep. I mean it, you can't sleep until you're feeling better.”

The next couple hours are a blur as the healers flood her brain with their Chi. When they finish she notices Lin Liqin beside her bed. Seeing the focus return to her eyes as she gazes at him he gives her a light smile, “The healer said I should help you stay awake once you recover.”

Patting the bed seductively, Tsubame joked, “I'm sure we can think of something to occupy the time.”

Lin Liqin's smile slid into a smirk as he motioned towards Ming Jia Ying and Ku Qin Zemin, “If it weren't for the kids I'd have a few suggestions.”

“I'll never forgive the little couple for robbing us of this opportunity,” Tsubame pretended to pout.

All of the former contestants gathered together and swapped aggrandized versions of the fights that landed them here. The excitement of the day carrying them well into the night as they talked, laughed, and accused each other of snatching glorious victory from their grasp. The jovial atmosphere is interrupted by a distant boom of thunder and then another and another.

The medical tent was stationed near the peak of the mountain range overlooking the valley where the tournament took place. Those patients that were well enough to move made their way outside as the thunder continued to echo. It was hard to make out the clearing where Ku Xue's bunker was through the inky black of night, but the continuously flickering arcs of lightning seemed to be tracing the area. After a while they seemed to become more concentrated and, even as the arcs became shorter, the thunder became louder.

The display lasted no more than five minutes. After the last flash of lightning the people gathered to watch waited for another, but the cold of the crisp mountain air on a winter's night got to be more than they could handle. One by one they sought the comfort of the medical tent.

It wasn't long until the sunlight came trickling through the flaps of the tent, marking the final day of the competition. As the early risers and those that still had yet to sleep were discussing breakfast plans Captain Fan arrived with two others in tow. On his left, Ku Wang Xiaobo was holding a bloodied cloth to a clearly broken nose framed by two prominent black eyes. To the right, Ku Xue was missing the hair on one side of his head and the rest of him was covered in soot and scorch marks.

Captain Fan motioned for some of the healers to come examine the new patients as he glanced around the room. “Good you're all here. The tournament has officially concluded. You'll all be free to go as soon as you've been cleared for travel. I'm sure you're wondering how things played out. After the members of team Lesson Three were eliminated I stepped in to command the troops. Ku Xiaobo wiped out the scouts that went looking for his bunker so we only had an approximate location, as such I decided to focus our efforts on Prince Xue. We were preparing for a full assault when Ku Xiaobo arrived and challenged Prince Xue to a duel, which he accepted. Ku Xiaobo's speed and power were formidable, but Prince Xue's earthen armor was equally impressive. At first it seemed like Prince Xue would fall first as blows began to crack his armor, but he pulled a large vein of iron out from deep in the earth that acted like a lightning rod. When Ku Xiaobo was unexpectedly drawn towards the iron during his final charge Prince Xue was able to get a hold of him and ended the fight with a merciless punch to the face using a stone gauntlet. That makes Prince Xue this year's winner. I know he was the favorite going into the tournament, but I have to say I was impressed with all of your performances and I'll be reporting it to Imperial Prince Ku Fu personally.”

*** *** *** ***

“UhuuhuuhAAAAHH!” two voices moan out as one, their entangled bodies slowly floating back down to the floor.

Charlatte collapses against Tomo's chest and just melts into his embrace. She is content to just lay there, but it's possible she knows his body better than he does and she can feel the tension in his muscles and minor fidgets as he holds himself back from disturbing her. She ignores it for a moment, instead breathing deep of his scent. She's missed this and she's in no hurry to let it go, but eventually she says in a voice that sounds more annoyed than she intended, “If you have something to say Ezra...”

Before she can even finish speaking he blurts out, “Five days has to be some sort of record.” They both start laughing at that. There was a time when Tomo lived to hear her laugh and the sound of it makes him smile so wide his jaw feels like it might cramp.

They lay there for a while longer with only the occasional giggle to mark the passing of time. As much as they want it, they know this moment can't last forever. Charlatte burrows deeper into his arms, hoping that they might hold back reality a bit longer. Speaking into his chest, she says in a subdued tone, “What did you want to speak to me about?”

“Um... Well... As my cultivation realm has increased I've found that my memory has improved. Specifically, I've been able to recall things from our world more clearly,” Tomo says as he waves a hand at the shelves of books lining the walls of his library. “I've taken the time to transcribe nearly every textbook I've ever read. Have you experienced anything similar?”

“Sure... I guess...” Charlatte pauses for a moment, “You know I try not to dwell on what we left behind.”

“I think one of my disciples may be able to use Chakras to make a breakthrough, but none of the meditative texts I've read in this world mention them. It's as if the concept was never conceived.” Now it was Tomo's turn to hesitate, “I... remember you mentioning your sister being interested in them... Did you ever speak with her about it at length?”

Tomo knows how close his wife was to her sister and is worried the memory may be painful, but then something unexpected happened, she started to laugh. “I always thought she was such an airhead for buying into all that metaphysical stuff. It's funny isn't? After all we've experienced here I can't help but wonder if she saw the world more clearly than I ever did.” As the laughter subsides she wipes a tear from her eye, “I used to read the books she gave me to help me fall asleep. I can make you a copy, but the real question is: what are you going to give me in return?”

Lightly kissing the top of her head, Tomo teasingly sighed, “What a greedy wife I have. How about an exchange of information? I'll give you the Druid sensing technique and, to make up for not telling you about Shan Yang before, I'll tell you what happened to him and where he is now if you promise to let him enjoy his retirement in peace.”

“He served me well, but his cultivation has been stalled for years and his age is starting to catch up with him. Honestly, I'd been expecting him to step down sooner rather than later. This isn't how I'd hoped it'd happen, but he has nothing to fear from me and I'll make sure the rank and file give him his space. However, if we're talking about people that suddenly went missing, care to explain how Wei ended up as one of your disciples?”

“So greedy, but you deserve to know. He's family after all,” Tomo said. He buries his face in her hair, the smell triggering memories of a thousand other happy moments together. Pulling back, he lets his fingers dance along the curves of her figure, before adopting that softer tone he always uses when telling her a story, “Let's see, where should I begin?”

*** *** *** ***

“Welcome to Wyrm's Silk! Can I help you with anything?” Da said out of habit as he rearranged some of the fabrics. When he finished he glanced at the customers that had just entered. “Ah, Young Master Zemin! I hope the suit is still to your liking. Is there something I can help you and your friends with?”

“Actually, I think the manager will want to handle this transaction,” Ku Qin Zemin responded with his signature bright smile.

As Ku Qin Zemin was speaking the girl standing next to him removed her hooded shawl. With her own gentle smile she greeted her old friend, “Hello Da. It's good to see you doing well.”

Da hadn't recognized Ming Jia Ying at first thanks to the shawl and a recent growth spurt. He began stammering a bit from both shock and happiness. “Mi... Miss Jia Ying!? Thank The Academic and The Contender for guiding you here! Please head on back, the manager is in her office,” Da said as he opened the door behind the counter and held it for them. He glanced at the third member of their group, he didn't recognize the youth, but he trusted Ku Qin Zemin and especially Ming Jia Ying.

Before stepping through the door Ming Jia Ying surprised Da with a hug. “Store work seems to agree with you,” she said as she released the man.

Absentmindedly rubbing his thigh where his leg broke, Da joked, “It's much easier on the bones than driving coach, that's for sure.”

Ku Qin Zemin was familiar with the back rooms so he led the way for the other two. Traveling down a long hall, he stopped at the last door on the right and lightly knocked. There was stirring inside followed by a loud voice, “I'm busy. This better be fucking important!”

Unfazed by the outburst, Ku Qin Zemin simply replied, “It's me, Mother Ming.”

“Oh, Zem'er! I wasn't sure if you'd be returning to the capital after the tournament. Come in, come in!” Ming Fang yelled excitedly.

Entering the office, Ku Qin Zemin wore a big grin as he said, “I brought a couple friends with me this time.”

Stepping out from behind Ku Qin Zemin, Ming Jia Ying beamed at Ming Fang, “Hello Mother.” It was a short greeting, but everyone present could feel the depths of emotion contained in those words.

Ming Fang was quick to embrace her daughter. After a heartfelt moment spent in silence she held Ming Jia Ying at arm's length to look her up and down. With an appraising tone she said, “You've grown. Not just your height, you carry yourself with confidence. I guess that Old Goat was right, this time away has been good for you.”

“I came because I heard our Little Baby Goat had returned, but I'm so glad I arrived in time to hear you say I was right. I never thought I'd see the day,” Shan Yang laughed as he leaned against the doorway.

Ming Jia Ying instantly blushed from embarrassment at being called a Little Baby Goat. Meanwhile, Ming Fang scoffed, “I don't know what you think you heard you senile old fool.”

Shan Yang's eye twitched at being called senile, but he was able to ignore the barb by changing the subject. He gave the third youth in the room a sincere bow, “Crown Prince Ku Xue, you honor my humble shop with your presence.”

Ku Xue returned the bow, “The honor is mine Great Pillar Shan. It is my good fortune to have the chance to meet you outside those stuffy official functions held at the palace.”

“Nonsense, there's no need for you to use honorifics with me. I'm no longer one of the pillars. Plus, my granddaughter will be marrying your cousin soon, so we're practically family,” Shan Yang boasted as he took the young man's offered hand, but accidentally shook it a bit too hard.

Ku Xue increased the strength of his grip, squeezing tight as he said, “You're right, a more casual form of address between us seems appropriate, Old Goat.”

Through clenched teeth Shan Yang hissed, “Gaia's Little Genius is welcome here any time.”

Before Shan Yang could enhance his own grip Ming Fang stepped in and broke them up. Turning to face Ku Xue, she wore an enchanting smile as she said, “You've got guts kid. I'd heard you weren't very ambitious. That's fine, but I'm glad to see you aren't a push over either. Being willing to stand up to the old guard is the only way to get things done sometimes, especially in politics. So, what brings you here?”

“I was told you might be willing to take me on as a disciple,” Ku Xue answered, giving Ming Jia Ying a brief glance.

Ming Fang followed his eyes and Ming Jia Ying blushed again under her gaze. “Is that what you heard? Well, aren't you going to try and convince me? Offer me riches? Or threaten me?”

“No. You're either interested or you're not,” Ku Xue states flatly with no hesitation.

“Simple as that?” Ming Fang asks. Ku Xue nods and she laughs, “I like this one. Sure kid, I'll take you on. I taught Ying'er, but I've never had an official disciple before. You'll have to forgive me if I'm not familiar with all the proper protocols.”

After watching their exchange Shan Yang approaches Ku Qin Zemin, “You're a water cultivator, right?” Ku Qin Zemin nervously nods and Shan Yang claps him on the shoulder before announcing, “From today onward you're my disciple. No need for thanks, just consider it an early wedding gift. First order of business is going to be increasing your strength and battle awareness.” Glancing in Ku Xue's direction he added, “I don't want to be accused of bullying the weak, so in the future I may need you to beat up some people from the younger generation. It'll be in the name of protecting my honor, of course.”

“Of course,” Ku Qin Zemin parrots, sounding quite defeated by the whole proposition.

While Ku Xue and Ku Qin Zemin were meeting their new teachers Tsubame, Lin Liqin, Ku Yu Zhengzhong, and Ku Wang Xiaobo were enjoying the local night life. “Cheers!” the four said as they downed the fifth round of drinks.

Ku Wang Xiaobo was a bit unsteady on his stool and Ku Yu Zhengzhong stopped him from falling back before saying, “Let's get you out of here before you're completely useless. You took second in the tournament Cousin! We should go celebrate, really celebrate! And I know some nice ladies that would love to help us celebrate.”

While Ku Yu Zhengzhong didn't directly invite Lin Liqin, it was clear from the glances he was giving that it was implied. Rather than answer, Lin Liqin gave Tsubame a bashful glance of his own. The woman giggled as she stood up, grabbing his arm and yanking him to his feet in the process, before yelling, “Let's go celebrate!”

*** *** *** ***

A month after the tournament, winter is waning, the last of the snow is gathered in the shadowy parts of the imperial courtyard. Ku Shen doesn't have time to admire the fleeting beauty of nature that surrounds him. He's received an official imperial summons and is headed to the throne room. Upon arriving, the attendant begins announcing him to the court.

While he's being announced, he looks around and the first thing he notices is that his father is sitting below the thrown, not on it. Below him are his brother and aunt. Seated on the lowest level is a woman he doesn't recognize, but she bears a striking resemblance to Yingying, a fact that makes his blood boil for a moment. Then he notices General Gui kneeling on the floor opposite her. Lastly, there is another mat next to General Gui's that seems to be for him. Ku Shen steps up to the mat. He hesitates, not thrilled with the idea of being seated so far below Ku Xue and positioned like an outsider.

All month he's been contemplating Ku Wei's third lesson, wondering who he can trust. While Ku Wei had negative things to say about their father Ku Shen couldn't think of anyone else he truly trusts. His father has always been there to guide him, helped him grow, looked the other way when he caused trouble. Ku Shen glances at his Ku Fu and sees him wearing that light smile he's seen so many times, it's the smile of knowing what's to come, it's the smile of silent approval. Seeing that smile Ku Shen can't help but think, -I seem to be one of the focuses of this meeting. Maybe it's some sort of opportunity that Father arranged for me,- and then he kneels respectfully to the court.

As soon as he was seated a rainbow light flooded the hall and when it faded Emperor Ku Pa was on the throne. The emperor motioned for them all to stay seated. Facing Ku Shen the emperor said, “I have a technique for you. Try to memorize it and I'll ask you about it in a bit.” An attendant approached and handed Ku Shen a document detailing how cultivators could mimic druid senses.

Now facing General Gui the emperor gestured towards the woman before him and continued, “Did you think the higher ups were unaware of your grudge against Ming Fang and the Ming Family? When you both served under Pillar Shan she was second in command and turned down your advances in favor of the unit's cook. Then, when she left the unit to care for her daughter, you blamed her and Pillar Shan when you were passed over for her position. After leaving to start your own unit, you've repeatedly used your influence to get revenge on individuals for personal reasons. Most recently you targeted Ming Fang and her daughter, framing them for crimes they did not commit, and refusing to halt your pursuit even after being informed of their connection to the Ku Qin branch family. Do you have anything to say in your defense?”

General Gui sneered at Ming Fang and said, “She is currently harboring the deserter Shan Yang!”

“Ah, yes. I am aware of your latest rumor.”

“It's not a rumor. He's still alive and she's hiding him. I can prove...”

“Silence!” Ku Pa snapped. “Interrupt me again and you take your life into your hands. Of course he's still alive. After his mission in Alkebulan[3] ended in disaster he decided to retire. He is currently on indefinite sabbatical while I look for someone to take his place as Pillar. It's a position I know you've been eyeing, but why would I give it to someone like you that has no honor and no regard for the chain of command. You'll be lucky if you can still call yourself General by the end of the day.”

Seeing that General Gui was making no move to protest further Ku Pa moved on, “Now for you Ku Shen. What is it the kids say? The loser is a thief and the winner is emperor? Well, you've been the thief quite a bit lately, haven't you? In fact, I'd even call you an assassin.” There is something in the way she says it that makes Ku Shen's heart race. His heart beat is in his ears, acting as background noise as the emperor continues, “You're definitely no emperor, you're not even worthy of being a prince. I'm stripping you of your title and banishing you. By the way did you finish memorizing that technique?”

Ku Shen is so confused by what is happening that he answers in a bit of a daze, “I'm not sure how it will go in practice, but the theory is pretty straight forward. Seal your vision, then modify and adapt your Chi usage to sense the world around you.”

He hears the emperor's voice, but he doesn't register, “Let me help you with the first step.” Ku Shen's scrambled thoughts drift back to Ku Wei's lesson and trust. He looks at his father. He's still wearing that knowing smile. Fully aware, fully approving, and fully entertained by what is happening to Ku Shen. And that is the last thing he sees. A blast of light from Emperor Ku Pa seals his vision.

Ku Shen is so overwhelmed that he doesn't even scream and just passes out instead. Turning back to General Gui, Emperor Ku Pa is gratified to see him flinch. “If you want to prove yourself, your mission is to complete the mission I gave Pillar Shan. Secure the territories at our southern border and find a safe and secure way to cross the desert. Your punishment is two fold. First, exile. You aren't allowed back on the mainland until you finish your mission. If you step foot in any of the eight provinces you'll be executed. Second, Ku Shen. You're taking him with you. His welfare is your responsibility now. If he dies you die.”

Ku Pa waits a moment, but when General Gui doesn't do or say anything then emperor yells, “If you understand get out of my sight. Go! NOW!” General Gui scowls, but says nothing as he stands. He is surprisingly gentle as he picks up Ku Shen and carries him out of the room.

When Ku Shen wakes up he has no idea how much time has passed. His eyes still ache and no light enters them no matter how many times he blinks. He suddenly become very aware that he's being carried when the person holding him stops walking, likely from noticing him stirring.

The person carrying him speaks in a gravelly voice that he recognizes as General Gui's, “Finally awake huh? Listen kid, we're going to have a rough go of it for a while. Now, I'm loyal to people that are loyal to me. I'll get your back if you get mine, get it? If we stick together, not only will we get back what was taken from us today, but we'll collect interest. This is just a setback. I'm still headed for the peak! Are you with me?”

Author's Notes:

[1] Ankoku is a Japanese name meaning darkness

[2] Belfry trivia: the original belfries didn't have bells and the two words aren't related despite appearances

[3]Alkebulan is the oldest known name for the African continent, meaning mother of mankind