Chapter 108 - Zi Jue in Action

Zi Jue eyed the group of people who just passed the threshold of the forest. Surprisingly, they were coordinating with each other pretty well. Better than his men at the very least. They weren't flustered and if they were facing somebody else, not him and Yan Qing Shan, they wouldn't have been noticed despite the number of their group. Though, the Aces could use a bit more finessing, they were still up to par.

He squinted his eyes at the center of this excellent synergy. Seiryuu of the West, or as Yan Qing Shan fondly calls him, Aki-nii. As if feeling eyes on him, Aki shifted his attention to where Zi Jue was observing them.

"He's not so bad." Zi Jue murmured his commendation.

"Of course he isn't. He is my grandfather's protege after all. The only one who's able to best him would be me. And that still depends on the given circumstances." Yan Qing Shan boasted unconsciously which made Zi Jue smirk a little.

He turned his eyes unto her and leaned in closely. "Let's see how much fight he could put up then."

Yan Qing Shan raised a brow at him before letting out a little smile.

"Don't let them get off easy."

Zi Jue smirked playfully and eyed the people below them. "I won't. You didn't let my boys off easily. Allow me to return the favor."

Aki signaled his companions to spread out. He knew very well not to take this kind of game too lightly. That one time was enough for him to learn his lesson. Aki was after all suffered grievous injuries back then. It was one of his numbered embarrassing moments.

He suddenly felt an incoming presence going for his blind spot. It was quick and ruthless that Aki muttered an expletive under his breath. Obviously, he was not the only one taking things seriously. What he couldn't figure out was whether it was Zi Jue or Yan Qing Shan herself that went for him. Yan Qing Shan had never had any team mate going against them in her games. He could fondly remember her saying that she was better alone. It was hilarious how much things could change.

"You're really good, man. Except, try not to let your mind wander off. You don't seem to notice the fact that you pause for a brief moment whenever you do. That brief moment is going to kill you one day."

Aki squinted at this statement. Not because he found it offensive but because it was something that Yan Qing Shan pointed out to him as well.

"So I've been told. Ojou-sama seems to have given you the reins in this. I don't know whether I'll be glad for you or pity you. This isn't a turn-based game. You're severely outnumbered." Aki stated blandly as he dodged the punch aiming for his face and countered with one going for the other man's gut at the same time. Zi Jue grinned at his statement as he met with Aki's fist.

"Nah. This much is still fine. And even if it isn't, a man has got to do what he's got to do. I can't let myself be undermined with just this if I want to keep your little lady." Zi Jue answered as he aimed his left hand at Aki's eye which the latter breezed through by a hair's breadth. Zi Jue leaped up over him and promptly dodged two sets of stray kicks aimed at his calves.

"Yo, Aki, how come you're stumbling like this so early on in the fight? Ami is going to bust your ȧss at this rate." Akane scoffed at Aki's direction.

"If it were so easy Akane, no one would call him the devil. Why don't you try coming at him by yourself?" Yui retorted for Aki as the latter darted to Zi Jue's left trying to get a hit in. Akane pouted at this whilst going back to an attack stance.

Aki hated to admit it. But he was struggling. Fighting with Zi Jue was like fighting Izanami. Both of them seemed to be reading his every move. The only difference is that Yan Qing Shan fought in a straightforward manner. Zi Jue was a sly one. His unpredictable moves and deceitful feints made him not only a difficult opponent to fight but also quite annoying. Aki sighed inaudibly underneath his breath and waved his hand.

Seeing Aki's hand signal, there was no longer any hesitation from the others. They all went into attack mode. Even the usually timid Jia Yi Lan seemed to have transformed into another person. One might wonder just how Zi Jue will be able to win with such odds against him.

Yan Qing Shan raised a brow at this spectacle. She was quite pleased at how the Aces were acting. The training they underwent seems to have been effective. But what really caught her attention was the way her brother fought.

She had never seen Yan Qing Yu in a brawl nor had she ever seen him in a state of violence. Yan Qing Shan mostly remembered him to be cold and serious. Though, there had been times that he showed her a warm smile or a concerned look.

'I guess it's another one of those things that I should have paid attention to.' Yan Qing Shan thought with remorse. If she had, she would have long noticed that Yan Qing Yu's air had a dangerous vibe to it. Something that screams underworld, and if not then it would definitely be the forces opposite it.

Yan Qing Shan followed Yan Qing Yu's movements keenly. Clean, precise hits with no hesitations. Though Zi Jue avoids or counters every attack from the group, she knew that if he lost focus for even a second one of Yan Qing Yu's punches would definitely hit their target. And it would be a fatal one since all his trajectories aim for the vitals.

"What in the world have you been up to in America, big brother?" Yan Qing Shan murmured to herself curiously. She's got to give it to him, however. He's almost as good as Mamoru. Yan Qing Shan wondered who'll win if they fight.

'I should have them fight it out one of these days. Mamoru-nii has been slacking off these days. Oh! Right! I could also have him spar with the Aces.'

Yan Qing Shan shook off her wandering thoughts and turned her full attention at the fight occurring below her dangling feet.

"It's about to end." She concluded as she gazed at the contrasting sharp glint of Zi Jue's eyes and his sweet smile.

Zi Jue kept a leisurely face as he suddenly pulled Jia Wei Ren, who was the closest to him at the moment, by his collar. The latter gave a pained yelp at the force which made an audible ripping of the fabric. With a straight punch to his solar plexus and a hard yank which threw him a few feet away, Jia Wei Ren was knocked out cold. Zi Jue then sent a roundhouse kick at Jia Yi Lan the moment she sent a worried glance to her twin which sent her following his way.

Seeing the two being knocked out cold, the following attacks coming at Zi Jue's way were a lot more urgent and brutal. Though he could single out the guardians' unfazed hits and one other that came as a surprise to him. Yan Qing Yu's attacks from start to finish were unhurried yet obscured that he couldn't sense it 'til before it was about to hit its target. And it was all timed during moments where he was caught up with other attacks and dodging wasn't an option.

Zi Jue held Hong Zhen Yue's neck firmly and sent an elbow strike at Qi Xia. When the both of them went down, so did the remaining Aces. The only ones left were Aki, Mamoru, and Yan Qing Yu. Akane and Yui were taken down by a knee strike and a side kick when they fell for one of Zi Jue's feints.

"Would there be any chance for you three to just surrender? I want to get back to my date already, honestly speaking." Zi Jue stood with his hands in his pockets a couple of feet away from the three men.

Yan Qing Yu threw Zi Jue a dirty look to which he merely responded with a casual shrug.

"Date? You call this a date? How dare you bring my precious little sister to a date like this?! You didn't even bring security. That picnic mat you brought was too thin. What if she bruised her knees or got bitten by bugs? What kind of fuċkɨnġ date is this? No. You shouldn't even be dating her in the first place." Yan Qing Yu ranted quickly, his tone turning harsher by every word.

Yan Qing Shan almost fell from the branch she was sitting comfortably on while the other men gave Yan Qing Yu a strange gaze.

Brother Qing Yu's siscon was obviously showing