The second round of the tournament was under way and the six remaining players were split into two groups of three. In a three-player match each player starts with six squads and three cities, each beginning with twelve supplies and producing four more each turn. Unlike the six-player matches, the rivers split the board into thirds, each player has eight actions per turn, and when a city falls it is removed from the board.
Ming Jia Ying was finding it difficult to focus on the match, her mind kept wandering to the previous conversation. So many shocking things had been revealed to her all at once, it was difficult for her to process. Fortunately, none of her opponents could pressure her the way Shan Yang had and she was able to easily handle them. As her match was coming to an end it seemed the other match was also nearing its end.
As her opponents left the arena with dejected looks Ming Jia Ying made her way into the stands with a lifeless look of her own. The audience members she passed by cheered and praised her, but when she approached her mother, Ming Fang snorted, saying, “Sloppy!”
“Indeed!” Shan Yang chimed in, “If you'd played like that against me, I could have reversed the situation a dozen different ways.”
Ming Fang's tone softened, “Sit down Ying'er, put those troubling thoughts aside and focus. I'll answer any questions you have on our way home, but this next match will require your full attention.”
“Is my next opponent that skilled!?” Ming Jia Ying asked in surprise as she took a seat. Her mother had never warned her to be wary of an opponent before.
Shan Yang answered in Ming Fang's place, “It is difficult to measure his skill, he is like a bored tiger playing with his food, dragging the match out instead of using his full force to end it.” Not missing the chance to brag, he continued, “Obviously he isn't as skilled as your mother or I, but he should be around your level. Also his style of play is a bad match for yours. You still haven't fully internalized Rule 1 yet. Your moves are too straight forward, they are powerful and efficient, but lack feints. Your opponent's style on the other hand will be like walking through a maze, he'll present you with several ways forward, but most of them will be dead ends.”
As Ming Jia Ying sat in silence, contemplating Shan Yang's words, the other match came to a close. Unsurprisingly, the youth she'd been warned about grasped victory from his opponents with ease. Taking to center stage while his opponents made their way out of the arena, his eyes met hers. He gave her the same bright smile he'd given her at the beginning of the tournament and with a slight nod he motioned for her to join him on stage. Under the youth's unceasing gaze Ming Jia Ying's cheeks felt hot as she made her way out of the stands.
The two smaller tables were being removed to make room for the larger table that would be used for the final round of the tournament. Ming Jia Ying was making her way back onto the stage when the announcer came floating down from the ceiling in an overly dramatic display that grabbed the audience's attention. “The finals will begin shortly, but first lets meet our finalists!”
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Gesturing to center stage the announcer continued, “He's the rising star of the Qin Provence, the governor's son, and your reigning champion Ku Qin Zemin!” Turning to Ming Jia Ying with a flourish, “Ku Qin Zemin was only nine when he won last year, but our challenger is eight! She's aiming for more than his title, will she take the record for youngest victor from him too? She's the daughter of the Siege Grand Master Ming Fang, making her regional tournament debut, welcome Ming Jia Ying!”
As the crowds cheers echoed through the arena, chanting “Ku Qin! Ming! Ku Qin! Ming!” Ming Jia Ying arrived at Ku Qin Zemin's side. Holding his hand out to her he said, “They seem so excited, let's put on a good show.” Thinking he'd offered it as a sportsmanly greeting, Ming Jia Ying put her hand in his. Unexpectedly, Ku Qin Zemin turned to the crowd and raised their hands into the air, causing the cheers to intensify once more.
Despite facing the crowd Ku Qin Zemin's gaze never left Ming Jia Ying's. As the heat that had begun to fade from her cheeks returned in full force she turned away from him just in time to see her mother and Shan Yang giggling to themselves. Suddenly feeling very self conscious, she lowered her head and tried to ignore the stares coming from all directions. Ku Qin Zemin noticed the changes in Ming Jia Ying and lowered their hands before lightly tugging on hers as he guided her to her seat. Seeing Ku Qin Zemin taking his own seat, the announcer officially started the final match.
In a two-player match each player starts with twelve squads, three cities, each beginning with twelve supplies and producing four more a turn, and a capitol city, beginning with twenty-four supplies and producing eight more a turn. Similar to three-player matches, each player is given a third of the board to place their starting pieces on, however the remaining two sixths of the board are situated opposite each other and bordered with rivers, creating a no-man's land between the two players' territories. Unlike three or six-player games, a privacy screen is placed between the two players so that they can place their starting pieces simultaneous. The other defining features of a two-player match are that each player has twelve actions per turn, a player loses when their capitol falls, and the ability to deploy scholar units.
Scholar units are based on standard squad units, with double the stats. They cost thirty-six supplies to deploy, but only spawn with eight supplies, however they can only be eliminated by an attack from another scholar unit. Due to the overwhelming strength of these units they can only be deployed from the capitol and each player may only deploy a total of three during the match.
As the returning champion, Ku Qin Zemin had the right to choose if he wanted to go first or second, however he had to make the choice before seeing where Ming Jia Ying had placed her starting units. He chose to go first, because it would give him the supply advantage and, despite having half the usual number of actions the first turn, it would allow him to position his units to ensnare Ming Jia Ying's before her turn. However, he was briefly stunned when he saw her starting positions before he went about his turn.
Ku Qin Zemin had expected Ming Jia Ying to use a similar starting line up to his own. He had his capitol near the bottom of his territory, his three cities were spread evenly across the remainder of the territory, and his starting squads were a well balanced mix. Instead Ming Jia Ying had her capitol and cities in what was known as the blossom formation, where they formed a ring and looked like the petals of a flower.
The blossom formation was typically a defensive way of grouping a player's cities and they would be placed with the capitol near the bottom of the board. Ming Jia Ying had flipped it on its head and had her capitol near the lake in the center of the board. In addition the majority of her starting squads were water squads poised to take advantage of the nearby rivers.