Torsten Hewson
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v2c80: To The Finals
🕑 Added 2021-11-20 04:09:55 +0000 UTCAnother day, another short fight. Xiulan was starting to understand where Tigu was coming from. It was unbearably boring, sitting in her seat, with nobody to talk to. She had given leave to the Petals to sit in the crowd with the Xong Brothers, and watch the tournament from there.
The rest of them were up in the stand. Gou Ren and Yun Ren were in their usual seats, along with Bowu, and a strange looking man with a bunch of patches on his clothes. Gou Ren’s look of panic when An Ran had sat on the opposite side of him from Xianghua had been rather amusing. As had Ri Zu’s flight. Xiulan caught the small black streak as she transferred from Gou Ren to Yun Ren, fleeing from the line of fire.
An Ran had found her courage, it seemed.
Gou Ren was sandwiched between two flowers who were glaring at each other, though Xianghua seemed more amused than annoyed. Xiulan had given him a thumbs up when she felt his eyes, begging for aid.
She left him to his fate.
The most exciting match of all had been when Loud Boy had taken to the field against Tie Delun. The scrappy young man held out admirably, managing to strike Delun’s massive hammer so hard it broke, shattering into a thousand pieces.
Xiulan thought that was the end of Loud Boy’s defiance, but he dug deep, stomping forwards.
A second strike hammered home, managing to crack the Hermetic Iron Body. An ethereal dragon’s tail writhed around Loud Boy as he sought to end the fight in a sudden reversal, like he had so often before.
Delun staggered back. His skin cracked, and his eyes went wide as he received the devastating strike. For a moment, he faltered.
Until Tigu started cheering. Delun’s eyes had sparked, and fire had steamed out of his mouth like an active forge, as his cracked skin hardened once more. He dug in his feet, and managed to force his way through the devastating dragon’s tail, landing an upper-cut, and taking Loud Boy out of the fight with a broken jaw.
Loud Boy’s face twisted, as he was on the ground, his eyes narrowing with something ugly— Until Delun offered him a hand, nodding at his accomplishments.
The crowd echoed this sentiment, shouting the name Loud Boy as he departed.
Loud Boy had seemed very surprised, and contemplative, as he left the arena.
And then there were four.
Cai Xiulan of the Verdant Blade Sect. Guo Daxian of the Grand Ravine Sect. Tie Delun of the Hermetic Iron Sect. And the independent Rou Tigu.
===================================
The day of the semifinals was charged.
The thunderous beat of the drums. The howling of the crowds was deafening.
They once more entered to pomp and ceremony. A play on the same opening ceremony, where the contestants had entered, lining up in their hundreds.
Now, they had been reduced. There were no disciples beside them. Each entered alone. Xiulan, with the Banner of the Verdant Blade. Guo Daxian, with the Grand Ravine. Tie Delun, to the ringing of iron.
And the last. Rou Tigu, carrying the flag of the sectless. She seemed a bit amused to be carrying it again, and as she placed it below the Phoenix banner, she flipped her hair, exposing the symbol on the back of her shirt. While the others had their sects, and the people who were invested in their cause, Tigu had the majority of the crowd.
Loud Boy led the call, his jaw healed by Ri Zu. They were ill organised, but full of spirit, as they shouted her name. Even if she wasn’t truly the underdog, she was a manifestation of their spirit. A girl who came out of nowhere, without the backing of one of the established powers.
The first match was hers. Her opponent,Tie Delun.
He shuffled uncomfortably.
“I’m looking forward to this, Handsome Man!” Tigu shouted. “Come, show me all your strength!”
Tie Delun gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and steeled himself.
Tanned skin turned to grey, like iron.
His skin was inviolate, even against Tigu’s mighty blows. Her claws scraped off him without finding purchase.
But Tigu had trained with Xiulan, and against Bi De. Tie Delun’s hammer, a new one, was fast… but not fast enough, as his smaller opponent danced circles around him.
He even once left himself open, purposefully taking a blow, to land a devastating hammer hit on the smaller girl. The strike shook the entire arena. An explosion of dust, as Tigu was driven into the ground with all of his considerable might.
Tie Delun staggered back, panting. He looked worried that he had done Tigu harm. Such a strike likely would have killed another contestant.
The small, orange haired girl staggered to her feet. Some of her ribs were obviously broken.
She smiled her brilliant smile.
“A fine blow!” she praised him, while kicking off her sandals. “My turn”
She crouched down, digging her toes into the solid rock of the arena.
[Pounce of the Tiger]
A meteor struck Tie Delun, moving too fast for his eyes to catch.
His iron skin broke.
The fight ended, with Tigu sitting atop his chest like a cat, smiling down at him.
The crowd roared her victory, as she helped her opponent up. The master of the Resounding Crystal podium was yelling himself hoarse.
And then it was Xiulan’s turn. Guo Daxian, the Young Master of the Grand Ravine. A man who had laid her low once before.
The cheers were deafening, but inconsequential.
Daxian, in contrast to Delun, was calm. His eyes were focused as he took Xiulan in.
“Thank you for your consideration for my junior, earlier.” Xiulan whispered.
The man’s voice was deadly calm. “I would be a fool not to return your favour, woman. But now, are you going to disrespect me as well? Strike me with that open hand of yours?”
Xiulan considered him. He was a prideful man. One who would take her being kind to him as an offense. One who would bear a grudge for not seeing her might.
He was a bit like Tigu, in that way.
“No. I will not. Out of consideration for the Young Master of the Grand Ravine Sect’s talent.”
Daxian nodded.
“Show me.” He commanded. “Show me the power of a cultivator in the Profound Realm.”
The gong sounded.
Xiulan obliged him.
And for the first time, let lose her power.
[Verdant Blade Sword Arts: Thirty-Two Blades of Grass]
The roaring crowds went silent. A halo of jade green swords surrounded Xiulan, pointing upwards, like grass growing towards the heavens.
Slowly, they shifted. They orbited her in the first steps of her dance, a green procession of Qi infused metal.
Until they all froze, and shifted. Each and every blade turned like a living thing, and pointed directly at her opponent.
Guo Daxian unlimbered his weapon.
He faced the storm with a straight back.
For the first time against her, he was the one who did not hold the initiative.
He was a testament to his line. A charge that was heroic, almost noble. A dive straight into the jaws of death.
There was no denying his skill. There was no denying his ability. He deflected and parried her blades. He chained his movement technique so often he was a blur across the arena.
And yet… he could not get closer. Xiulan had long since realised the reason why Tigu was so successful. She was in the end, a spirit beast, and they were naturally more durable, tougher, than men. Blades that Tigu would deflect with her body instead cut deep lines into Daxian..
Xiulan’s assault was overwhelming.
She did not move a single step.
With a roar, Daxian's tattoos glowed blue. He called upon the strength and protection of his ancestors, doubling his speed, and shielding him from her blade’s bite.
Xiulan stepped to the side, as her opponent's weapon reached desperately to score a hit. A few strands of her brown hair fell from her head.
Daxian shot past her. And straight into the trap of blades Xiulan had created.
He looked almost resigned, as the jade swords descended. But he still turned, intent on launching one last attack.
There was a thud, as he was driven to the floor. Looking for all the world like there were blades of grass growing from his body.
The crowd was silent. Their eyes were wide, as they stared at Xiulan. Even Xainghua had ceased her games, staring at Xiulan with wide eyes.
Her blades disappeared, combining together until only two were left.
Xiulan bowed to her defeated opponent.
===================================
The Tournament Organiser, Bai Huizong, looked very pleased, as he stared down at them all, a bright smile on his face, after the Earthly arena was raised. It would rise one more time, when the victor was declared. They alone would stand upon the peak.
Xiulan and Tigu stood across from each other. Ten paces behind them stood their opponents and the rest of the defeated.
Both Delun and Daxian looked dead on their feet, covered in bandages, but still standing as tall as they could.
“What a lineup. What a magnificent set of contestants, do you not agree?!” The man boomed into the Resounding Crystal Dias. The crowd roared their approval.
“The strength! The passion! I have no doubt this Dueling Peaks Tournament is one for the ages! One that will resound throughout our Azure Hills! Even the defeated are of a quality that we rarely see! In any other year, I can think of many who would rise to be champions themselves!”
More roars, as people shouted names, Xianghua and Loud Boy prominent among them.
“Now, we commence another break, so that the contestants may fight at their full strength during the coming bouts! But do not fear for lack of entertainment! We have the amateur pill contest in the Stone Pavilion, an event that's sure to be… explosive!”
There was some laughter at that. There was a reason that one was held in a fortress of stone, with nothing flammable near the contestants..
“For the Mortals that wish to catch a sect’s eye with your skill and strength, the mortal’s contest shall be held in the lesser arena on the south side. It's sure to be an interesting set of bouts! And finally, we have the lesser events. A performance every day from the legendary Skytree Troupe! The Hero of the Ravine, The Demon Slaying Orchid, the Song of the Framed Sun, The First Emperor, and of course, the always entertaining Ballad of the Drunkard! Standing is free, courtesy of our Tournament!”
Bai Huizong basked in the adulation of the crowd, raising his hands high.
“Contestants! You are all dismissed for today. Remember to return, bright and early for the final ceremony, and don’t get too wild.” He finished with a chuckle.
Done for the day, and a week-long break to look forward to. Normally, she would have spent the time cultivating, but…
She glanced at the crowd, as the majority filed out.
Xianghua caught her eye waving her hands and making a drinking motion, and Xiulan rolled her eyes then nodded.
Yes, she remembered the party that night. Yes, she would be going. Xianghua really didn’t need to keep annoying her about it—She wasn’t going to change her mind. The last couple of times had been fun.
She idly wondered who would be there today.
==============================
“Haha! Behold, the benevolence of this Young Mistress!” Xianghua roared, her voice echoing across the street as she stood with Chen Yang of the Framed Sun Sect, the man grinning at all the eyes on the two of them. They were on a small, raised platform in the street’s square, addressing the crowd. Streamers of cloth and paper lanterns lit the area, somewhere musicians plied their trade, and this street in particular was jam packed with bodies, raising their cups to the two figures standing on an impromptu stage.
There was a roar of approval, some laughter, and some jeers at Xianghua’s words.
As it turned out, everybody showed up. Or nearly everybody. The Grand Ravine Sect was nowhere to be seen, but it seemed like every other person who had participated in the tournament was in attendance.
Xiulan, quite frankly, had no idea how Xianghua managed it. Although the promise of free drinks on her was likely the deciding factor for many who were present. There were many here who could be classified as the Misty Lake Sect’s enemies, like The Azure Horizon. Yet there the Young Master of the Sect was, raising his cup.
Xiulan supposed that even being Xianghua’s enemy didn’t stop him from taking advantage of her generosity.
Or the Young Man just didn’t particularly care.
Most didn’t seem to care. There were some groups that formed, sticking together, but for the large part, they mingled. Oh, how a party changed things. Or at least this party had. Perhaps it was the youthfulness of the attendees, but Xiulan had once imagined these kinds of parties to be... tenser affairs. That she would have to watch herself more closely. That there would be veiled words and pointed questions. That, in addition to the questing eyes, had her writing the whole affair off. To her, parties had just seemed a waste of time.
Instead, there was little propriety. The vaunted Young Masters and Mistresses… were acting like mortals.
It was an amusing thought.
Xiulan hummed to herself, and tapped her feet to the music, as she wandered around the venue. Some made room for her. A few she absently dodged, as they gesticulated wildly.
Somewhat surprisingly, very few eyes were directed her way, as most seemed to be looking at the wall Yun Ren had commandeered watching his highlights of the fights.
There was even a small corner, off to the side, where several people were setting up a mahjong table. Xiulan turned to where the person who invited her to the entire affair was.
Xianghua was still belting out how she was an untouchable, generous goddess, and might be at it for a while.
Xiulan took a moment to consider whether it was worth going anywhere near Xianghua, then she turned back to the table setting up for the mahjong game. They noticed her approach.
“Ah… Miss Cai, do you wish to join us?” one of them tentatively asked, gesturing to the mahjong table.
“If you’ll have me.” She replied.
Their game began. The rest of the players were intensely nervous, shooting her glances, but slowly, they seemed to calm down as the game progressed.
Her opponents were quite skilled. Much better than Master Jin, but she could never tell whether he was actually bad at the games they played, or he just didn’t care about winning them.
And her new opponents were actually rather pleasant. They snuck their glances. But seemed content to merely discuss the game, and didn’t ask any awkward questions.
The eventual winner was the largest of them, a thickset and slightly thuggish looking Qiao Dan, who was the son of an official from Grass Sea City. He had chewed his lip for a full minute after Xiulan played her hand, before playing his.
“Nine Gates of Heaven.” He intoned, as he revealed a play that bested her own. He seemed a bit nervous.
Xiulan inclined her head. “A fine game. Another?” She asked.
The men looked around at the table. They shrugged, and started again.
“Ah! There you are, Cai. Huddled off and playing over here!” Xianghua asked, in the middle of their game, leaning on Xiulan’s shoulder, and with no regard for what Xiulan was doing, started to rearrange her tiles.
Xiulan slapped her hand away, and put them back how she had them.
“Begone, Damp Pond.” She stated, irritated, but took the cup of wine that was shoved into her hand.
Xianghua scoffed. “You’re terrible at this, Xiulan. Really, I’m doing you a favour.”
“Haa? Get over to that side then, and see if you win.” Xiulan demanded, glaring at Xianghua. Her other opponents were watching meekly, as the two argued.
Xiulan dealt her into the next game.
It turned out to be a mistake.
“All Green Imperial Jade.” Xianghua announced smugly.
Xiulan tossed her tiles aside in disgust as Xianghua got up, laughing all the while.
Xiulan reshuffled the tiles, and found herself challenging a fresh set of people. Inevitably Gou Ren and Tigu got involved.
Gou Ren proved a challenging opponent.
“Here! The Great Pillars of Fa Ram!” Tigu exclaimed.
Gou Ren stared blankly at her.
“That isn’t even a hand, Tigu.”
“But it is the best looking of the arrangements!” She argued.
“You don’t get any points for how pretty it is!”
“The largest picture then?”
“No! You’re as bad as Jin at this!”
Xiulan hopped from table to table, game to game. Occasionally playing with somebody she knew but most of the time with people she didn’t.
She even indulged in the game of dice she saw the soldiers start up.
And swiftly realised why they were so addicted to it.
...she probably lost more money than she should have, but she had gotten most of it back, when there was a small commotion near the edges of the party, as the Grand Ravine Sect arrived.
It spoiled her throw. Instead of the dice landing properly, they turned to damnation.
The man running the game smiled beautifically, as Xiulan cursed, turning to the tardy arrivals.
“Hmph. So these Bastards can throw a party.” She heard a loud voice call. Some of the talk went quiet. Guo Daxian and the Grand Ravine sect members stood, their arms folded across their chests.
Xiulan rolled her eyes.
Guo Daxian made a great show of looking around, wincing slightly around his bandages.
“I think we should—”
“Ah! Blue Man! I have been meaning to speak with you!” Tigu called, accidentally interrupting him. She marched straight up to Guo Daxian. The Disciples of the Grand Ravine seemed taken aback by the sudden accosting.
The Young Master of the Grand Ravine’s eyes narrowed, as Tigu approached him. The smaller girl stood before the hard man. His hair was covered by his bandana, and his bright tattoos stood out on his arms.
“What is this art upon your skin? I like it!”
Guo Daxian looked directly at Tigu, an eyebrow raised.
“Aren’t you the brat who carved my face into a table?” He drawled.
“Yes! Your tattoo was hard to get right! I had to look at Yun Ren’s recording’s many times to capture the intricate detail!” Tigu replied. “To cover your body in art! I think I like it! Though too much might ruin the aesthetic of one’s muscles….”
Gua Daxian paused, his face still locked in his frown, but seemingly a bit confused. “Yun Ren?” He asked, and Tigu pointed.
Yun Ren perked up when he saw her pointing, wandering over.
“What’s going on? He asked, putting a hand on Tigu’s shoulder, and leaning towards Guo Daxian in a manner that suggested he was backing Tigu up.
Daxian glanced at Yun Ren, and his eyes became thoughtful as they landed on his scarf.
He started intently at Yun Ren’s manner of dress. Now that Xiulan was looking at it more, the tattoos on Guo Daxian’s arms were quite similar to the design on Yun Ren’s scarf. He glanced back to Tigu.
“Which tribe do you hail from?” He asked, his eyes narrow.
“From up north aways, yanno?” Yun Ren replied, putting on a thick accent that Xiulan had heard his mother use. And dodging the question.
Daxian barked out a laugh, before replying with an odd accent of his own. “That be fair enough.” He nodded his head, apparently approving.
He looked over at the rough looking girl, considering her… before dropping his arm, and pulling at his shirt, better allowing Tigu to see the ink upon his skin.
“It is the legacy of our ancestors. Only the mighty may bear these marks, after the great warriors of old.”
Tigu’s eyes sparkled, as she looked at the ink.
“A needle, imbued with my father’s Qi. Ink, infused with my own blood. The process is painful. Only the greatest of warriors can withstand it, and a true man must receive his ancestor’s blessings without making a sound.”
Tigu made an impressed noise.
“I bet I could do it.” She said, her gaze challenging.
“Feisty little brat, you are.” Guo Daxian muttered, before shaking his head, and gesturing to one of his comrades. “Oi. Little brother, what manner of style do you think would work on this one here?”
One of the Disciples of the Grand Ravine looked closely at her.
“Perhaps Ancestor Daxian the Ninth?”
The conversation continued, as the notoriously stand-offish Grand Ravine Sect claimed a table, and started talking to the wild looking girl, who listened intently.
Another cup of wine was shoved into Xiulan’s hand, as Xianghua found her again.
“Drinking contest is starting!” She shouted into Xiulan’s face, and started dragging her off.
It was a whirlwind. A sometimes chaotic, confusing mess, as Xiulan slammed back the drinks that were put in front of her.
She didn’t realise she had won until Chen Yang held out both arms, presenting her to the crowd, Xianghua doubled over and looking like she was about to—
Xiulan grimaced, and patted her back as…. liquid splattered to the ground.
Xiulan staggered to her feet, pleasantly buzzed, and brought her friend to Gou Ren’s care. He was sharing drinks with her Petals.
Rather, Xiulan just dumped the woman in his lap. She had cleaned up Xianghua’s face, it was fine.
She wandered around again, the lights were very floaty and pleasant.
Stalls had popped up around the outskirts. People selling food and drink, with the bold even wading into the gathering of cultivators. Xiulan, with a craving for something greasy, wandered over to one that smelled absolutely heavenly, picking up a large order of...meat? Something that was rotating on a spit. It smelled heavenly, whatever it was.
She wandered back to the table she left Gou Ren and the Petals at, her arms laden with food.
Tigu was shouting excitedly. Yun Ren had his hand on her arm, as a blue tattoo scrawled across her shoulder. Several people looked on with amusement, as what looked like a mustache formed on her face swiftly afterwards. She handed them both some of her prizes, before continuing back towards the table.
She bumped into a very drunk man, and they both staggered slightly.
He squinted at her, through his bleary eyes, and red face.
“Marry me, Oh otherworldly, and beautiful fairy.” He asked dreamily.
Xiulan stared at him.
“Terribly sorry miss Cai!” one of the men with him said, pulling at the drunk man’s arm.
“Yes, Miss Cai, we’ll get him out of your way!”
His friends grabbed the drunk’s shoulders, and pulled him out of her path.
Such nice fellows.
Xiulan returned to her seat, and began distributing the food.
An Ran, her face flushed bright red, and her eyes hazy from drink stared at her.
“Marry me, Oh otherworldly, and beautiful fairy.” She asked.
Xiulan stared at her, and shoved a bite of food in her mouth. Disappointed by the response, An Ran turned to Gou Ren next.
“Marry me, handsome brother.” she asked. Gou Ren grimaced at her sour breath, even as his face flushed.
“She’s been like this for a while.” Huyi muttered, shoving a glass of water in An Ran’s hand.
An Ran blinked, and turned to him.
“Marry me, handsome fish.” She slurred. Huyi’s dead-fish looking eyes twitched.
An Ran turned to Li, and repeated the question.
Then, Xianghua, who burst out laughing.
Xi Bu, the only one of them who hadn’t drank anything, sighed heavily as he picked An Ran up.
“Marry me, cute little one.” An Ran muttered, as Xi Bu started walking in the direction of the manor.
==========================
The moon was very high in the sky, as the world trailed mostly back into focus. A large space had been cleared in the square, free of obstructions. The outskirts were full of clapping revelers, while inside, people danced with abandon. Most looked quite drunk. Xiulan stomped her foot and clapped her hand in time with the music.
She saw Tie Delun boldly approach Tigu, who was on the other side of the circle, still with Yun Ren. His face was red, as he whispered something in her ear.
Tigu grinned, and grabbed the large man’s arm.
Xiulan laughed as Tigu jumped into the circle, dragging Tie Delun with her. The man looked panicked, as she started to move, bouncing around with abandon.
Some people pointed, and jeered, but most seemed content to watch or chat
The song petered out, and an older gentleman took the stage. Wrinkled and toothless, with only a pipa to his name. He grinned through his gums, and started to play.
An old song. Old, familiar---nostalgic. It stirred something, deep in Xiulan’s soul, hearing it.
Tigu’s dance changed, looking like she was copying Bi De’s dance. The one that Senior Sister said was from her village.
Tie Delun danced with Tigu. Awkwardly at first, and it was clear they had been taught two different movements to the same song. While Tigu’s movements were sharper, more like a flickering flame… Delun’s was slower. More solid. Half-way between earth and metal.
Xiulan watched the dance fondly, but there was something itching in the back of her mind.
It was rough. It was imperfect. But there was something…. Magnetic about it.
Something that drew her in.
Xiulan’s feet moved of their own accord. Moving to a dance she knew.
Moving to the dance that the earth spirit taught her.
Wood joined the movements. Slower that fire, but more vigorous than stone. A dance she knew by heart. She slotted into the movements perfectly. Like it was made for three.
No, it was made for five.
Xiulan’s focus was on the three of them.
Water. The movements were halting. Xianghua was staggering a bit, as she danced. It was something Xiulan had seen before, in the villages around the Grass Sea. Smooth and flowing.
Flowing like water.
Each step was different, yet in perfect synchrony. Occasionally, their movements would intersect.
The music faded out, until the only thing that was left was the beat.
The world compressed, as Xianghua’s movements became more sure. Tigu’s eyes went blank. Tie Delun’s movements smoothed out.
Fire. Earth. Water. Wood.
They moved together in a circle.
Some of the movements were wrong. Some of them were not what they should be. And they were completely missing metal—
The pounding reached a climax. Their movements synchronised.
There was something there.
Their feet slammed into the ground as one.
The song ended.
The spell broke.
All of them were breathing hard, when the world swam back into focus.
A spark, a brief connection.
And then it was gone. But Xiulan herself still felt energized. The old man was just getting started. His fingers began to pluck out a new tune.
Her feet continued their tapping. Her arms moved, as she started to flow through the movements.
People joined the circle. People left it.
Xiulan danced until the sun came up, breaking through the sky, and appearing framed in between the peaks.
=================
================
I apologize for the wait. hopefully, this is worth it!
A cultivator party. Tigu gets a temporary tattoo. Xiulan gets a marriage proposal.
And a nice dance~
Remember, Next Friday is no post, though, as it is my birthday!
Comments
STORRM
is the reason there's no metal because that whole region got wiped out? and became the north tribes?
Joe
:DDDD
Sodiumfreesalt
The plot chickens
Joe The squatch
In ancient Chinese cosmology, the five basic phases that explain change in the cosmos are earth, wood, metal, fire, and water. Later on this was simplified/updated in which wood and metal are combined into air and we get the more familiar element set, that being Air, Fire, Water, and earth. Most Xianxia works use the older 5 element set than the modern 4 set.
David Bean
Excellent chapter. Just awesome. Side note, is Air not an element there? Weird to have Wood and Metal but not Air.
Brian P.
That's what I thought, but apparently this is happening as Jin leaves after that meeting, per the author on discord.
Steven Whitfield
Awesome!
Some person
I am looking forward to two things… seeing if Jin makes the final and seeing the elders face when he gets the report that Jin was stronger then he could have been
TheOne320
I hope so too, but he even has one week now to get there.
Yshua
I disagree- this is exactly what I’m here for. I love the slice of life and subversion of xianxia tropes. Overpowered and ruthless protagonists are a dime a dozen, BoC is a treasure.
Undead Writer
Thanks for the chapter!! Love it! Actually thought that the chapter you weren’t going to post would be this Friday.
Here's hoping Jin will show up for the final match.
NeWorlDark
I'm going against the grain and claiming Bi De is metal
Carl Mason
I do hope Jin makes it in time for the finals. "Ah, these two, always fighting, they're such good friends..."
Aesoir
Ok, now I really want a drawing of xianghua leaning on Xiulan’s shoulders at the mahjong game. Great imagery this chapter as well.
Will mILLER
I love it
Jacob
Great chapter, I can't wait for Jin to show up and have Tigu start asking if she can get tattoos
Joshua
Need to hurry up, this is all nice and stuff but it's becoming a bit too much like filler
Leviathon251
Ah ha just a nice dance 🤣
BigBro Bluesman
This is happening at the same time as Jin with lu ri is having his meeting right?
pat
Nice chapter. I like how the immunity to protagonist disease seems to have spread to Loud Boy here.
James Squibb
I can't say it enough of how much I love this story!
Whale A
"It's just a Henna Dad. No need to spaz about it"
David Giles
Jin's going to have to cope with the fact his adopted daughter has a tattoo.
John Brady Anderson
What system? BoC has gotten me building a XianXia storyline for my gamers using Fantasy Flight’s. None of my previous XianXia or Wuxia reads caused the same.
Demian Buckle
Thank you for the Chapter.
Joel Bullock
That was absolutely wonderful. I really hope Jin can get to the Finals in time to watch
TheOne320
Thank you for this chapter. I enjoyed it much more than the last one.
J B
rediscovering the proper dances, more like.... :)
Nick Marini
Also that old man…. Possibly someone’s missing husband? 😏
Nick Marini
Amazing! I wonder who’s going to take the roll of metal… Jin maybe? I almost feel like it might be a new character, one we haven’t seen yet! I thought Tie would be metal, but I guess not. Maybe Earth-Chan? She does have the gold! And I guess Jin does too…
Luke Preston
This was beautiful thank you very much
Andrew
Thank you!
Brian P.
He tends to post it in the discord
Imspinnennetz
The shapeshifter is going to cause trouble if he realizes that Jin is connected to the Fa Ram group.
Ross
There's like a week left before the final fight, so saying there's a performance every day makes perfect sense.
Phillip Ingram
I loved this chapter. I definitely got the vibe that the shapeshifter dude is gonna be showing up to cause troulbe soon. Was there a song you had in mind for the dance they were doing at the end?
Nicholas Grey
And the Young Master of the Hermetic Iron sect suddenly discovering that there’s a man even bigger than him, who wants a *word* about courting his daughter…
Gunnar Crider
What was that. Moooore
Michael Maor
Great chapter, I really liked the party, especially the five elements dance (although the hints about whatever it's leading to are also getting a bit annoying - I hope that gets revealed soon). One nit pick about the anouncer's spiel, this line " A performance every day from the legendary Skytree Troupe! " does not make any sense at this stage. It would have made sense at the start of the tournament, but not the end. Maybe something like "The final performance from the legendary Skytree Troupe! "
RJasdf
Thanks for the chapter, loved the dance at the end!
Ask-if-I-like-lemons
Man. I really want to see these characters get more involved in the future. My brain automatically thought to the typical Xianxia tournaments where young masters get beat, get outraged, and never seen again. But now that I've known them more, I became quite attached.
Nicholas Grey
Hmm. Or not. Looking up the Chinese five elements, air doesn’t come into it. Apparently it’s Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, Earth. So we’re actually missing a Metal element, which I would have assumed was Hermetic Iron.
Nicholas Grey
“Or the Young Man just didn’t particularly care.” - Young Master, or young man (no capitals) “And for the first time, let lose her power.” - let loose “Even Xainghua had ceased her games, staring at Xiulan with wide eyes.” - Xianghua “The man running the game smiled beautifically” - beatifically (different root word from “beauty”)
Reijiato
Such a good chapter loved it. What are your rules on fan art ?
Nicholas Grey
That was fantastic! There is *definitely* something up with Loud Boy… destroying the hammer and breaking the armor of the Young Master of one of the five leading sects… that’s main-character stuff. Oooh, Lanlan getting absolutely maggoted 😄 It’s a pity the Young Master of Grand Ravine didn’t join the dance (I’m pretty sure he’s the missing Air element. The Framed Sun would be fire, with Ti Gu standing in). Would be fascinating to see what happened.
Prent
rediscovering the proper dance eh? this is exciting
Nicholas Roberts
Great chapter!
Call0013
Love it.
Summercat
I paused playing my tabletop rpg so I can read this I regret nothing! I mean I'm playing a sort-of-cultivator whose personality takes some inspiration from Tigu. ....some. he's a fennec, not a cat.
Imspinnennetz
That ending reminded me of the final scene from the Return of the Thief with the dancers in a trance.
aj0413
Goddamnit; I don't know why but I keep expecting Jin to pop up super dramatically any second now
on the upside
Happy bday
Michael Ox
Thank you <3
