Round one ends without any significant fanfare, and none of the other fights are remarkable enough for me to bother remembering. Even the other fighters I made note of didn’t provide me with sufficient entertainment, so I have to hope for better in the next round. Alas, as round two begins, it proves to be more of the same as the weaker fighters are culled and sent home in short order.
Ban Shuyi devastates another fighter with an unorthodox move, leaving him face down on the floor almost as fast as she had with Han Ji. Han Zhiran proves his mettle again while fighting a rather stout boy who couldn’t do anything besides defend against Zhiran’s barrage of blows. Though his opponent lasted longer than he had any right to, Zhiran’s second fight is in the running for the most boring fight of the tournament.
Only one other fighter catches my eye, and even then, it is brief. A young man named Liu Gongming, who practices the Twin Crescent Divided Palm, is performing remarkably well in contrast to Liu Heng. He overwhelms his opponent in short order, and then politely helps him back to his feet once he has been declared the victor.
Liu Gongming’s sportsmanlike showing, Han Zhiran’s relentless offense, and Ban Shuyi’s surgical removal of her opponent are the only highlights of round two. With their completion, the second round wraps up, and over half of the contestants have been eliminated. However, the impending third match of the third round holds more promise than any other thus far, and I figure it’ll be the highlight of the tournament.
“Who do you think will win?” Jingyi inquires as Han Zhiran and Ban Shuyi enter the arena.
“Well, Ban Shuyi has proven capable against the Arhat’s Long-fist already, even if it was over really fast, so she is probably familiar with the way Zhiran will fight. Han Zhiran has exceptionally long arms, so his reach will be a significant hurdle to overcome. It’s hard to say, but Ban Shuyi may have a slight advantage.”
Jingyi smiles. “It makes me happy to see you having so much fun, my lady.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you.”
As the round begins I lean forward and truly focus. ‘Alright, Shuyi, it is time to see what you can do. Zhiran is a tough opponent, but I think you can win this.’
Unlike his previous matches, Han Zhiran didn’t immediately rush onto the offensive. Ban Shuyi’s extremely closed-form style makes it difficult to get a reliable opening like in the past fights, and her potent counter attacks would make even the boldest fighters pause to think.
To my surprise, it is Shuyi who takes the initiative. She rushes in, keeping low, and starts strong. Despite being a defensive style with an emphasis on counter striking, the Heart-guarding palm is not forced to react, but can be used aggressively by a skilled practitioner. Ban Shuyi opens with the Heart-guarding Palm’s first move: Flowing River. I am trained to use Flowing River by countering with the guarding palm, but Shuyi uses a feint, instead, something I consider a little unorthodox.
As soon as Han Zhiran reacts to the feint, Ban Shuyi hits him with a powerful palm-strike that he narrowly brushes aside. Flowing River doesn’t end right away, but like its namesake, continues to flow by baiting the opponent into a series of counters and devastating strikes. Zhiran falls for it, and Ban Shuyi draws several rushed attacks from her opponent who, to his credit, narrowly avoids or deflects the subsequent palm strikes.
Han Zhiran hastily back-peddles to put some distance between them and tries to reset the fight, but his opponent does not relent. She shifts from her false stance, with all of her weight on the back foot, to a more neutral stance, which I recognize as the second move: Parting Clouds. Zhiran has to notice the change, too, but whether he knows what it signifies or not will be important to the next few moments.
While Flowing River seeks to bait and counter, Parting Clouds serves as the aggressive offense by forcefully parting any central defenses to leave the target vulnerable. Han Zhiran doesn't allow her to control him in such a manner, but Ban Shuyi’s swift attacks add up and she finally creates the opening she needs. She strikes like lightning, and Zhiran sways back in response, ensuring that she falls short of his chest. However, a concussive force impacts hard enough to send him reeling backwards despite his otherwise successful evasion.
‘What was that? Did she just use Inner Force?‘
I need another look to be sure, but Shuyi doesn’t try it again right away.
Zhiran’s surprise shifts into panic and he quickly dances back and away from her. Ban Shuyi allows him the opportunity and falls back into her false stance once more. They exchange a few words that I can’t make out, and then Han Zhiran resumes the fight. He approaches with diligence, a wise strategy considering the advanced skill needed to wield Inner Force, and starts off with a few tentative punches at the extent of his reach.
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Ban Shuyi merely sways back and keeps her distance from his fist until he throws a strong right hook. Her guarding-palm rises to direct his attack upwards and she ducks low. To me, it becomes clear that she intends to use the style’s fourth move: Severing the Peak. Like Flowing River, the intent is to counter, but instead of a palm strike, Severing the Peak utilizes the false stance’s versatile front foot to deliver a powerful lateral kick to the opponent’s ribs, like kicking the peak off a mountain.
Surprisingly, Han Zhiran willingly takes the blow with a grunt, but seems otherwise unbothered by it. I have to commend his ability to reinforce himself against such a powerful blow, because in doing so, he finds an opening for a lower left hook. Ban Shuyi, unable to dodge, brings both hands together and catches his fist. Rather than halting him entirely, she springs off her back foot and launches herself into the air. From there, she angles a rapidly spiraling kick down towards his neck — the fifth move: Toppling Giants!
‘The Heart-guarding Palm’s fifth move: Toppling Giants, is a finisher of sorts, where a kick is delivered to the head or neck. Airborne is a bit of an odd application, but thinking back to the first match, even Shuyi’s heel kick could be put under Toppling Giants. Her flexibility and adaptability are very impressive!’
Han Zhiran ducks just enough to avoid the kick and allows his momentum to carry him under his opponent. Shuyi deftly somersaults over his shoulders and lands behind him, ready to attack. Zhiran acts as quickly as he can, ensuring that his opponent has no time to go on the offensive while he has his back to her, by whirling around, arm extended and braced, to try and backhand the fox girl with all of his might.
Ban Shuyi uses both arms to block, and then raises her leg to intercept his follow-up sweeping kick that completes his spin. She is overpowered, or at least allows herself to be thrown, but willing or not, she ends up tumbling and rolling back to her feet a short distance away. Despite blocking him, Shuyi’s expression shows a brief hint of discomfort, confirming that his strength would be key to winning, at least if he can find a way to overcome her superior speed and technical skill.
“They are so amazing!” Jingyi chimes gleefully. Despite showing no prior interest in martial arts, even she is excited by their intense exchanges.
I can’t disagree, after all, I am quite literally on the edge of my seat at this point. “They are both incredibly skilled. Ban Shuyi is fantastic, and Han Zhiran is holding his own. Despite taking several big hits, he doesn’t seem to be struggling at all.”
“Do you think you could fight like her?”
“No, I don’t think so. The way she moves and adapts to everything he does is something she learned through real experience. I’ve never actually fought other people, so I wouldn’t be anything like her.”
“Oh, well, I’d still cheer for you.”
“Thanks…?”
The fighters continue. Zhiran weathers another offensive bout before turning things around. Ban Shuyi deftly switches onto her backfoot and shifts from Parting Clouds to Flowing River in hope of landing a few counter strikes, but Zhiran appears like a mighty tree amidst a storm. He bends and sways, but no matter how hard she hits him, he does not break.
She even attempts several more palm strikes using her Inner Force which batter him quite badly, but to no avail. Han Zhiran merely grits his teeth and powers through, and when it starts to seem like he doesn’t stand a chance of stopping her, much less catching her, he smiles. Zhiran suddenly seizes all the momentum! His punches fly faster and strike harder, forcing Ban Shuyi to focus purely on defense.
She relies heavily on the eighth move: Gentle Touch, to negate the incoming force and turn the blows aside, but even that seems insufficient as he batters her with rapid strikes. Despite being reduced to nothing but defense, Ban Shuyi still shows her determination. She hasn’t lost yet, and despite all his efforts, Han Zhiran is struggling to land even a glancing blow.
Han Zhiran’s pleasant smile opens into a toothy grin.
One foot stomps down hard on the ground, solidifying his stance. His body shifts, his muscles bulge and tense, and his arm expands before our very eyes. And then he strikes. Ban Shuyi, true to form, attempts to deflect him with her guarding-palm.
For the first time, Ban Shuyi’s expression changes and her eyes go wide. I can clearly see her lips form: “Huh?”
The force negation of Gentle Touch is insufficient, and even bringing her other hand in to help makes no difference. Ban Shuyi only redirects Han Zhiran’s mighty punch by a hair’s breadth before it shatters her guard and pummels her in the vulnerable midsection. The fox girl is lifted from her feet and launched like a rag doll. She lands on the ground several paces away and tumbles until she is sprawled out on her back, gasping for air.
At first, Han Zhiran doesn't move, but holds his follow-through stance. Once Shuyi comes to a stop and doesn’t get up, he places his fist to his palm and bows, confident she will not rise again. She proves him right. The blow has taken the fight out of Ban Shuyi and she can not continue.
With that incredible blow, Han Zhiran claims victory.
I fall back into my chair and let out the breath I have been holding for a while now. “He’s stronger than he looks.”