The ivory carriage with gold accents raced down the road almost impossibly fast. The wingless Longma was a steed bred for pulling loaded carriages great distances and was currently nearing its destination. Surrounding the carriage were 12 guards on alert for any potential dangers.
Inside was a young man with a sharp nose, chiseled jaw, and short black hair that almost appeared impossibly thick. He wore a light gray robe with decorated silver trim and symbols of his clan embroidered proudly. As if seated at a dinner ceremony, he drank a powerful wine that filled the carriage with its aroma.
Across from him sat Fairy Xu wearing a fake, yet extremely charming smile that could ensnare the heart of any man. The simple black robe was unable to hide her beauty and her black hair held up in a bun highlighted her thin attractive neck.
Six days of travel left her exhausted but she was able to avoid any efforts to locate her by the Warring Crane Sect. However, scouts from her current company brought her to the young man in the carriage after they described her appearance.
The fact that the scouts were able to find her so easily told Fairy Xu that they were at least in the mid-nascent realm, stronger than most elders of the Warring Crane Sect. They would be able to offer her a level of protection but she did not feel comfortable riding alone while surrounded by such powerful guards.
The man who sat opposite of her was Young Master Huang Yun, a potential heir to the Huang Clan. He was the same age as her but his cultivation was already at the peak late stage of Core Formation, a step away from the Nascent Soul realm. Two small realms higher than the older Wang Zi and one small realm higher than she was. This alone confirmed her belief that the Warring Crane Sect was nothing much at all.
Currently they were traveling to Xiamen City where Huang Yun planned to compete in a martial tournament held every 5 years. When she asked him why he was attending he answered, “One day I’ll stand on top of this world, to do that I’ll need to defeat many opponents.”
His goals sounded similar to hers. She too wanted to stand at the top of the Alchemy world, but the purpose was different. She wanted to see what was beyond a grandmaster and even beyond that. Though she would not delude herself into believing her hands would arrive clean, she was not like Huang Yun.
He looked forward to reaching the top with bloody hands and when he made it, he would use his power to rule over those who were weaker. His goals were far more ambitious than Wang Zi’s, but in her opinion, he was still limited in his thinking.
She understood that if your goal was to rule a sect you would never become greater than a sect leader and if your goal is to rule over a group of people then that was your limit as well. Her goal was simple. Travel to the end of knowledge and once there build your own road.
It was a goal with no end. There was no limit. There would be obstacles along the way but she was willing to face them. For now, her biggest threat was time. She had 1,000 years if she reached the peak of cultivation. She would need to see what was beyond grandmaster within those 1,000 years.
She believe that if there was a level beyond grandmaster, then perhaps there was a stage beyond the limits of 1,000 years. She wanted to know it all, but unfortunately, people with limits surrounded her. She could only play her part for now though. This was the sin of being weak.
Huang Yun placed the jar of wine down and asked, “Tell me Fairy Xu, have you considered my offer?” Earlier, he offered Xu Wei a place in the Huang Clan. He told her that they had a grandmaster in their family line who left behind many tomes and formulas. They also had an extensive herb garden with many rare spirit plants.
However, she understood nothing came free in this world. There was always some form of payment expected. Right now, she was unaware of the Huang Clan’s internal structure and had no idea of where they ranked amongst the many powers in the area.
The Warring Crane Sect had a grandmaster in their history as well, but the elders restricted the many tomes and formulas he left behind. As an outsider, she very much doubted the Huang Clan would give her access to such important information.
She also understood that Huang Yun was not a saint. He was easy to read and his eyes betrayed his kind words. Smiling she spoke, “Young Master Huang please forgive this ignorant girl. The world is so vast with many things I do not know. I ask you allow me time to comprehend the enormity of your words.”
On the outside, Huang Yun nodded magnanimously, but she did not believe he was a very patient man. He most likely wanted her answer now, but forcing her too quickly would affect his goals. She knew his type well, he wanted her to submit to him willingly, but was not above using force if necessary.
Several hours later, they arrived at the gates of Xiamen City. Unlike the many people waiting to enter, Huang Yun’s carriage was able to pass by once the guards showed their family crest. Fairy Xu had only been here once before several years ago with her master.
At the time, she had to wait in line as well but this line was far longer than the one she stood in. Before she was able to say anything Huang Yun said, “Let’s take a quick look at the arena first. I want to check on any news about competitors and there may be a few interesting battles as well.”
She never cared for fighting; however, it would be impossible not to go at this point so she nodded with a smile. It was also a good opportunity for her to gain a bit more information. If she was able to get a few bookmakers to talk, she would get a better picture of the powers.
When they arrived at the arena, Huang Yun brought her to a standing area several rows back from the stage where two young men had arrived. The first was a handsome man with flowing golden blonde hair holding a thin but long two-handed sword.
He was standing in the center of the stage showing off his intricate techniques and sword qi. The masterful display excited the crowd and roused the interest of many gamblers. Without armor, Fairy Xu believed he had some form of protective talisman and relied on his speed.
His opponent was a large young man with tanned skin and short hair. He carried a massive Warhammer and wore a layered leather cuirass and tassets. Although he looked strong, he struggled to carry the hammer painting the image that he was unable to use the weapon fully.
However, the results of the match were beyond anyone’s expectations. The young man with the hammer took the initiative and attacked before the blonde man could respond. Fairy Xu admired his fighting style. He understood a prolonged battle was not favorable and it was best to take his opponent out with one strike.
As they were about to leave she looked across the stage and was stunned. It was a familiar face in an unfamiliar setting. The old man from the auction in Tian City was leaving quickly and the young disabled boy he was with was trying to keep up.
She remembered the boy was unable to walk and the old man sounded extremely desperate to heal him. After watching for a moment, she noticed the boys arms flapped freely and a few people shouted at him as the dead appendages that hung to his side slapped them.
He was wobbly and his face was very pale, which led her to believe the old man must have found a doctor able to cure his legs. However, the blank expression on his face and the lack of response to the insults confirmed his mental impairment remained.
From his passionate display at the auction, she understood how much the old man loved his grandson, but she wondered if there was enough money in the world to cure the boy. She never asked for their names as she thought it pointless to concern herself with a family of two, but they did appear to have some means.
Her ex master said the old man was not simple though and she decided to keep him in the back of her mind. If he had connections in the city, he might be a good source of information. After all, the old man did call her the savior of his family.
Smiling at Huang Yun the two walked towards the bookmakers to find an information broker. He told her he would bring her to the hotel owned by the Huang family afterwards where she could stay during the competition. She understood this was his way of placing her in a cage. However, no matter how strong the bars were, she would make sure to escape before it tightened.
***
The old man divided the Red Furred Stone Apes armor plates into smaller squares that measured three fingers long and wide. He used a thin ruddy brown leather to weave the plates together telling Liang, “This is a waste, complete waste boy, but this is the lowest quality leather I have. If Chaofeng knew I used one of his descendants skin to weave ape plates he’d track me down and fight me to his death.”
Seeing Liang had a confused look on his face the old man explained, “Chaofeng was one of the nine sons of the Dragon King and in the sixth heaven, I harvested one of his descendants.” Liang thought it was another fantastical story that would make for a good children’s book.
After one day and one night, the old man held the armor up and showed Liang how to activate the arrays. He told him it was quick work but it would keep him alive even if the brute from the day before landed his hammer on him. However, he did not say Liang would walk away uninjured.
Like the old man said on the sixth day, he was able to move his arms again and on the seventh, he was able to use his weapon and shield. Although he was still not accustomed to the changes, the old man was confident the battles would fix any issues.
It was the day of the free for all and it would be his first true fight against humans. The old man treated this as if it was a waste of time but Liang knew he would finally be able to test everything he had learned. It was time to find out where he stood in the martial world.
