“Do you think this will actually fool anyone?”

Jingyi wobbles her head in thought while she adjusts the veil to fit my face. “I think so. The veil does a good enough job that I would have trouble identifying you.”

I click my tongue. “I’m going to look ridiculous.”

Jingyi smirks mischievously while placing the wide-brimmed hat, replete with a ring of dangling veils, atop my head. “I think you look cute.”

“How can you tell? You can’t even see me! Furthermore, how am I supposed to see?”

“Let’s worry about that later!”

I rise to my feet and swish back and forth to check myself out in the mirror. The conservative outfit Jinyi arranged for me covers everything from head-to-toe and does a fabulous job of hiding my identity, even if it looks ridiculous. The first issue of going out of the estate is ensuring that no one recognizes me, and we resolved it without too much difficulty.

“How about my parents? Did you tell them that I am ill and do not wish to be disturbed?”

“Of course!” Jingyi answers excitedly. “Master Zhou was greatly concerned for your well-being, but your mother dissuaded him from calling for a physician after I explained that you were suffering from a lady’s tro—”

“You did not!” my horror is palpable. There are certain things my loving father does not need to know.

“Master Zhou is a very shrewd man. He’d never have relented otherwise. This embarrassment is a small price to pay.”

So long as I ignore the screaming inside my head, I have no doubt I will weather that storm. It isn’t like my dad is ignorant of such things, after all, he is the foremost mind in the empire and has been married to my mom for over twenty years. If he still doesn’t understand the fairer sex, then he has failed miserably somewhere along the line.

Even if my conclusion is logical, and reasonable, it doesn’t make me feel any better.

The second problem for the day, my parents, has also been resolved, but the third challenge remains. A carriage, along with some guards, will take us safely to the venue, and while the reservation drained a bunch of my meager savings, I consider it a worthwhile investment in my personal growth and enrichment. The issue is getting to it, and setting out, without arousing suspicion.

“The escort should be ready, so we need to go before we miss our chance.”

I agree and briskly shuffle toward the door, only to be intercepted by Jingyi. She insists on going first to make sure the way is clear, and I see no reason to argue about it. After several moments of waiting, Jingyi signals that the coast is clear, so I scurry off as quickly as I can. My attempts at sneaking are nothing short of disrespectful to the burglars and thieves of the world, but my skills do not lie in subterfuge. They’ll just have to forgive me.

The carriage is not too far away, but considering the risk of discovery, it feels nigh insurmountable. Jingyi leads the way, and takes the initiative to distract the only two servants we come across so that I can slip by unnoticed. Neither of them seem to think anything is amiss and part ways in short order. Jingyi bids them a polite farewell and catches up.

We soon find ourselves huddling up against the final door and peeking out through a small gap as best we can considering my obtrusive headwear. Four guards in the livery of a local escort service are milling about just beyond arm’s reach, and the carriage is open and ready to receive us. Jingyi puts a finger to her lips and urges me to stay behind while she goes out and notifies the guards of our arrival.

After an agonizing thirty-seconds or so, Jingyi subtly waves her hands, urging me to make haste. I dash out as if she had just lit a fire behind me, and board the carriage with such haste that my hat nearly falls off. Jingyi is only a moment behind and pulls the door shut without delay. I settle in and try my best to calm my rapidly beating heart while Jingyi secures the door’s latch for travel.

A moment or two later, before Jingyi even has a chance to get fully seated, the carriage starts rolling and she wobbles precariously. I, on the other hand, stretch out on the padded bench seating and release a heavy sigh before meeting Jingyi’s gaze. We exchange smiles and begin to giggle and snicker like mischievous children. Our plan to get me out of the house has gone off without a hitch!

“My heart hasn’t raced like this in quite a while,” I announce while setting the bothersome hat aside.

“This has already been too much excitement for me, my lady, and I worry I am not fit to endure such things. I can only hope we weren’t spotted.”

I brush the rear curtain aside and peek out. “I doubt it. Someone would be coming after us if we had been.”

Jingyi smiles brightly. “Would you care for some tea?”

“Tea? You really prepared everything, didn’t you?”

Even at our leisurely pace, we only have time to finish one cup of tea before we arrive at the venue. However, due to a short queue, we are not able to disembark immediately. I sip the last bit of my tea before handing the empty cup and bide my time watching out the window while Jingyi cleans up.

“It looks like we’ll be next,” I remark while sitting back and crossing my legs.

“That’s good, my lady,” Jingyi eyes me and smirks at my impending discomfort. “You will need to put your hat back on.”

I roll my eyes, but there’s no sense in protesting. I plop the hat back atop my head and smile, even though she probably can’t see it. “You’ve done well, Jingyi.”

“I went through a lot of trouble to make this work, so I am glad you are pleased, my lady.”

The carriage lurches and begins rolling again. “What next?”

“We’re unloading at a special entrance for important people who don’t want to be seen, or just want to avoid the peasants, I guess. The guards will make sure no one interferes, so we can just go right in. Fortunately, the venue has a bunch of private viewing booths and I was able to secure one for us. We can watch from there and not worry about others.”

“Huh… I will make sure you are properly compensated later.”

Jingyi bows her head. “Thank you, my lady. Your appreciation is all I need.”

Once the carriage has stopped, one of the guards raps their knuckles on the door to let us know that we can exit. As usual, Jingyi takes the lead to ensure nothing goes wrong, and I follow on her tail. There is really nothing to worry about, though. The venue uses wooden barriers to deter onlookers and trespassers, so the area is well concealed, perfect for young ladies sneaking out against the wishes of their parents.

I take a deep breath as I step down onto the flagstones. This is my first real step out into the city proper, and it is getting increasingly difficult to bottle up my excitement. Fortunately, the layered veils mean no one can see me grinning like a fool.

Two of the guards begin leading the way while the others trail behind. Their conduct, bearing, and equipment really drives home how professional these four are. I haven’t met any guards aside from those that are normally stationed around the academy, but these four seem to be at least a cut above them, if not more. Each carries themselves tall and proud, and even I can tell they are all strong fighters. I do find myself starting to worry about my savings. Hopefully Jingyi hasn’t overspent too much.

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“This way, my lady,” Jingyi gestures to an open door that one of the guards disappeared into a moment before. I suspect he went ahead to make sure everything is clear and safe.

I happily enter and find myself rendered completely speechless.

I have never seen so many people in one place before, nor have I ever been subjected to such an overwhelming number of voices. The academy, and by extension, my family’s estate, is usually subdued since shouting is considered poor manners and very disruptive, but that is clearly not the case here.

The fighting arena features extensive terraced seating, filled with the teeming masses of townspeople coming to see young martial artists battle for prizes and glory. Based on the sound, and my observations from the rest of the seating, I can tell even more people are seated above our viewing booth. Hundreds? Thousands? I am used to counting people by ones and twos at most, so this is certainly a new experience.

I sit down and try to steady my dizzied senses by giving them a moment to adjust to everything around me. I focus on anything else, and soon find my mind wandering a bit as I try to imagine what it would be like out in the middle of the arena. I can only surmise that it would be many times worse than sitting here.

“Here, my lady, take this,” Jingyi hands a booklet to me. “This might help you figure out who is who.”

I accept the book with a trembling hand and spread it open across my lap, eager to focus on something else. It contains a plethora of information on each of the fighters, as well as some historical information about the venue and the tournament itself. According to the book, this annual event is always held in the early weeks of summer to showcase the martial arts of the local schools. It does not feature their masters or veterans, but their up-and-coming students due to a strict age limit.

The most interesting bit of trivia I learn about the tournament is that most of the fighters don’t participate for monetary prizes, but for the opportunities they might receive if they perform well. Recruiters from many daoist sects, and even the military, come to tournaments such as this to look for promising candidates, and securing an offer from one is a life-changing opportunity for anyone. Since the contestants are about my age, or maybe a year or two older, I spend a moment wondering about what I’d want if I won, but I can’t make up my mind.

“Quite the place, isn’t it, my lady?” Jingyi remarks as she examines the edge of the viewing booth. The front of the box is elevated a bit, but the perimeter appears to be no higher than I am tall. “Is it safe, though? It seems a bit exposed.”

“It is safe, my lady,” one of the guards replies. “I have been here many times, and I have only seen fighting spill over into the crowd once or twice. Even if it did, we would protect you.”

“Thank you, I appreciate your diligence,” I answer while leaning forward to peek over the wall with Jingyi.

I can guess why the walls are so low. The onlookers probably want to be as close as possible to the fighting. The only section that isn’t this low is on the opposite side. It is a raised segment made from stone, rather than wood, and towers at least three times as high, if not higher, and seems reserved for the owners, or perhaps nobility of some sort. As far as I can tell, it is more luxurious and comfortable, but certainly less private than our booth, so I’ll remain content with what we have.

“Everything has gone well so far — let’s enjoy ourselves,” I suggest while getting comfortable in my seat.

The opening ceremonies begin soon enough. The brightly-dressed host of the tournament proudly leads a procession of staff and fighters into the arena while the crowd cheers and hollers for their favorites. After a brief speech, the fighters are given a chance to mingle, introduce themselves, and interact with the people in the crowd fortunate enough to be seated up close. I spend the time rubbing my temples.

‘Why must it be so loud? Ugh… at least I am getting used to it.’

While reading the booklet, I mentally highlighted a few fighters that piqued my interest for one reason or another, and now that they are in the arena, I try to pick out who they might be. I specifically marked Zhang Qinghu, the eldest contestant, and sole representative of the Mind and Body Severance Style. I can’t help but find the name rather ostentatious, so I am curious to see if it will live up to it. However, at only twenty-two years old, he isn’t old enough to pick him out of the crowd on age alone, and I don’t know what his school colors or emblems are.

The second contestant I take note of is Ban Shuyi, one of the few girls fighting in the tournament, who also happens to be the same age as me. Aside from our matched age, she is remarkable because of her non-human heritage. A great spirit beast, a fox of some sort, has lent its power to her family at some point, and she bears markings of that heritage. Ban Shuyi proves easy to pick out of the crowd due to her vulpine ears and large, fluffy tail. Her size, stature, and figure are all remarkably similar to my own, so she is my favorite since I can imagine myself as her.

‘I wish for the best of luck on your behalf, miss Ban. I can only imagine the others will look down upon you. Show them that you’re not to be underestimated!

Society often disparages those like Ban Shuyi for their mixed heritage. She has certainly faced challenges that none of the other fighters had to endure, and will continue to do so as long as she lives. I understand a bit about how an outsider can feel, even if our situations are very different. Ban Shuyi also practices the Heart-guarding Palm, a style taught by Master Li, which helps cement an immediate bond between us as martial sisters, even if Ban Shuyi has no idea that I exist. Granted, I don’t know if Master Li teaches Ban Shuyi, but I don’t dwell on it too much. It is just one more reason to wish for victory on her behalf.

“There’s quite a few fighters, isn’t there?”

“Thirty-two, to be exact,” I answer. “I am not sure if that is a lot, but they could fight up to five matches depending on how well they do, so I suspect this will take most of the day.”

“Wouldn’t it be sad to be eliminated right away, my lady?”

I take a deep breath and try to imagine how it’d feel. I did not like it one bit. “I suspect so.”

The guard to my left shifts uneasily, and then takes a step towards the front of the booth, putting himself between me and one of the fighters who is approaching us. The tall, swarthy boy carries himself with confidence, and considering how he ignores the rest of the crowd to visit us, he must have a specific goal in mind.

Though it is clear he notices the guards, he seems unconcerned despite stopping at a respectable distance. He places his palm and fist together in a martial artist’s salute and bows to greet us. I do admit that I find his confidence appealing, and I cannot deny that I am very curious about his intentions.

“May I approach, my lady?” He is clearly intent on holding his bow until he receives an answer.

Jingyi turns to me with obvious concern, but I nod. With my permission, Jingyi replies: “You may.”

‘I wonder what he wants? There’s no way he knows who we are, and I doubt we stand out more than any other group in a private booth, so what could he be after?’

“Greetings, my lady. I am Han Zhiran,” he announces while stepping up to the booth. The guards tense up, making it clear he needs to be on his best behavior, and he is perceptive enough to understand. “I couldn’t help myself. I find that I am drawn to you, like a moth to a flame. I had to approach, because I simply must know your name.”

I stifle my laughter. ‘Why does he talk like that? Is that normal?’

I am about to respond, but Han Zhiran holds up a hand and… swoons? “Nay, my lady! Withhold your name, for I have yet to earn such an honor! Only an unparalleled beauty would go to such lengths to hide herself from the view of others; a truly noble gesture undoubtedly done to preserve the dignity of other visiting ladies, but do keep your name. I ask that you wish me luck, and only once I have claimed victory dare I ask you to bequeath your name!”

I turn to Jingyi, with my mouth agape, and entirely uncertain about what to say, and find her positively mollified. ‘How could someone be so awkward!? Bequeath? What era is he from?’

“You believe you will win?” I inquire.

“If you accept my humble request, then I know it shall be so!”

“Very well, Han Zhiran. If you win, I shall tell you my name.”

“Ah! Fate smiles upon me!” he swoons again. “Consider it done! I shall fight with all of my heart and prove my worth is true.”

With that, he bows and runs off without delay.

“What an odd boy,” Jingyi remarks.

“Shall I make him disappear?” the guard to my left asks in a remarkably casual fashion.

“Uh, no. Thank you, though.”

‘Jingyi, you were supposed to hire guards, not assassins!’

The guard bows politely and steps back.

“Will you actually tell him your name, my lady? That doesn’t seem like a good idea.”

“No, even if he somehow wins, we will already be on our way home.”

Jingyi appears content with my answer. Anonymity is the goal, but apparently our attempts to keep my identity hidden are not going as planned. Instead of being unnoticed, we have drawn the attention of the oddest fighter in the tournament. With any luck, he’ll be eliminated right away and it’ll be the last we see of him. Our luck has held so far, and thus I remain optimistic.