Jiu Lan stood up from her seat, her heart beating steadily. Before she could step forward, her brother placed a hand on her arm. Jiu Yin looked at her with calm confidence.
“You’ve trained hard for this,” he said quietly. “Remember what you practiced. Flow like moonlight. Don’t meet strength with strength. Create openings and strike when he overcommits.”
Jiu Lan met his gaze. For a moment the suspicion she felt toward him softened. “I know. I won’t let our family down.”
Jiu Ping reached out and squeezed her daughter’s hand. “Be safe, Lan’er. Show them the strength of the Jiu name.”
Jiu Lan nodded, then stepped onto the fighting platform, her thin blade held ready at her side. The crowd’s energy pressed against her like a physical force. Her heart beat steadily, a mix of nervousness and determination coursing through her veins. This was her moment. She would prove to everyone where she belonged.
The announcer’s voice rang out. “Jiu Lan of the Lu Clan vassal families will face Chen Huo, an Iron Warrior rank 5 from the Shi Clan!”
A broad-shouldered young man stepped onto the opposite side of the platform. Chen Huo carried a heavy axe, its blade gleaming under the overcast sky. Steam rose from his skin as he activated his fire-attribute Qi. The heat radiating from him was palpable even from a distance. His eyes burned with rage as he glared at her, clearly underestimating the slender girl standing before him.
In the stands, a loud spectator from the Shi Clan supporters shouted confidently. “Chen Huo is going to crush her! A rank 5 against a girl who barely made it here? This will be over in seconds!”
The match began.
Chen Huo charged with a roar, his axe swinging in a wide, powerful arc. Flames licked along the blade as his Qi fueled his attack. The air around him shimmered with heat. Jiu Lan moved gracefully, sidestepping the strike at the last moment. The axe slammed into the stone platform, sending sparks and small fragments flying. The force of the blow left a visible crack in the stone.
He didn’t stop. He charged again, swinging the axe in a brutal overhead strike. Steam continued to rise from his body as his rage grew. Jiu Lan danced aside once more, her movements light and fluid. She used his own momentum against him, letting him overcommit to each heavy swing. As he recovered from the miss, she darted in and delivered the first quick slash with her thin blade. The edge cut across his forearm, drawing a thin line of blood. Chen Huo grunted in annoyance but kept coming.
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Another charge. Another heavy swing. Jiu Lan slipped around him again, her blade flashing. This time she opened a shallow cut along his side. Blood welled up immediately, mixing with the steam rising from his heated skin. He roared and swung wildly, the axe cutting through the air where she had been a split second earlier. She was already moving, circling to his left and landing another precise slash across his shoulder.
The crowd began to murmur.
“She’s dodging everything! That Shi Clan boy is too slow!”
“Her blade work is beautiful. She’s wearing him down.”
Chen Huo grew more frustrated. His swings became wilder, his breathing heavier. Steam poured off him in thick clouds as his fire Qi burned hotter. He roared and charged again, axe raised high. Jiu Lan waited until the last second, then spun around him, her blade flashing. She opened a longer cut across his back. Blood welled up immediately, staining his robes.
He turned, swinging wildly. She ducked under the axe and slashed his thigh. The cut was shallow but painful. He staggered for a moment, but kept coming. Another overhead strike. She stepped aside and cut his forearm. The axe grew heavier in his hands as blood loss and exhaustion took their toll. Each time he attacked, she punished him with another small wound. A cut on his calf. A slice across his bicep. A nick on his cheek that drew a thin line of blood down his face.
The fight dragged on. Chen Huo was breathing hard now, his movements slowing. Steam still rose from his body, but the fire in his eyes was dimming. Jiu Lan remained calm, her Moonlight Qi flowing smoothly through her movements. She was not the strongest, but she was precise. She used his rage against him, making him miss again and again while chipping away at his defenses.
Finally, after a particularly wild swing, Chen Huo overextended. Jiu Lan stepped in close and delivered a series of rapid slashes across his chest and arms. He tried to raise his axe one last time, but his strength failed him. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the platform with a heavy thud, unconscious.
A small crew of medical personnel rushed onto the field. They checked his condition quickly and carried him off on a stretcher. The crowd cheered loudly for Jiu Lan.
She stood on the platform, breathing steadily, a small, confident smile forming on her lips. She felt much more sure of herself now. She would prove to everyone where she belonged.
In the stands, the loud Shi Clan supporter who had been so confident earlier sat in stunned silence. His face had gone pale. “That… that can’t be right,” he muttered, clearly eating his own words as the people around him laughed at his earlier boasting.
The crowd’s conversation buzzed around her.
“That girl from the Lu Clan vassals is impressive!”
“She took down a rank 5 with pure skill. Not many can do that.”
“Her blade work is elegant. She might go far.”
Jiu Lan looked toward her family in the stands. Her mother was beaming with pride. Her brother watched with a calm expression, but she could see the quiet approval in his eyes.