Chapter 281

Chapter 281

Huffing with displeasure, Zian sneered as Rain shuffled through the door with a covered box in hand. With his plain, unadorned coat and unkempt hair, Rain looked like a random peasant picked off the street. His shuffling gait and slumped posture belied of a lack of confidence and courage, but Zian knew this man was more arrogant than most. It was a quiet arrogance, a conceit deeply intertwined with the core of his personality. He didnt act high and mighty, he merely presumed himself to be better than his peers, oozing disdain for his betters as he spoke of charity and advancing humanity through change and innovation.

It was easy enough to ignore his senseless drivel. Any advancement made without enough strength to back it would be crushed out of hand. Giving a voice to commoners, pei. They lived and died on the mercy of their betters, what point was there in giving ants a say? Unlearned and unwashed, commoners were too small-minded to be trusted with such power, likely to waste time whining about matters of no consequence like uneven roads or inclement weather. No, what truly irked Zian was when Rain offered unsolicited advice in matters of combat.

Not that his advice was poor. Despite his dismal showing in their spars, Zian found Rain exceedingly perceptive at spotting flaws or openings, though he rarely took advantage of this during a match. Overthinking things in combat most likely, slowing his reactions and causing him to hesitate, but Zian would rather eat a live rat than help Rain overcome his shortcomings. No, the damned savage offered sage advice, but Zian found his way of speaking most vexing.

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Hateful, arrogant, amber-eyed bastard.

Rain had a knack for analysis and clarification, often breaking things down to their most basic components to study the how and why. His work with BoShui was nothing short of extraordinary, turning a man who stood at the higher end of mediocre into a true talent with but a single phrase. He who rules with his left, rules the world said the scruffy barbarian, flashing his pompous, narcissistic grin before continuing. Jab and block, parry and measure, the left is both sword and shield. The right is your lance, your thrust, and though it is powerful, using it opens you up to a counter. Set the stage with your left and close the curtains with your right. Then, when you get better, you switch it up and use them interchangably, but that's for later.

It pained Zian to concede Rain's words held profound truth. Though he would never admit this out loud, the sight of Rain before a spar often sent a chill down Zians spine, a trauma from his most disastrous defeat. With sword in hand, the runtish barbarian became a changed man, head held high and shoulders back as his piercing eyes filled with hunger and determination. An attitude befitting a warrior of his reputation instead of the slack-jawed, lackadaisical, underachiever he showed the world, as if to say Situ Jia Zian isnt worth much, even this worthless barbarian defeated him.

Illogical and irrational to believe Rain was doing it on purpose, but Zian hated him for it nonetheless.

Even after months of interaction, Zian still wasnt sure which version was the real Rain, but it mattered little. These spars were a farce and Zian hadnt the faintest clue why he continued to take part. The only reason for sparring with his peers was so he could improve his skills, but ever since Sumila stopped coming, only the slave girl offered him a proper challenge. The others were improving steadily thanks to his efforts while Zians time could be better spent, but Jukai insisted they continue coming here day after day. Flowers grown in gardens are pretty to look at, but lacking compared to weeds in the wild was his reasoning, but these spars were hardly the wilds.

Seeing no fiery-haired maiden following in Rains wake, Zian swallowed his disappointment. An entire month since Sumila joined them, thirty full days since hed last seen her. Annoyed at his childish thoughts, he fixed Rain with a glare and said, So glad you could find time out of your busy schedule to join us. I heard you went on a pleasure hunt and had a family lunch, it sounds so exhausting I dont know how you have the energy to still spar.

With an apologetic smile, Rain slouched even further and picked up his pace. Sorry, had important matters to attend to. By the Mother, he sounded like he was about to cry over Zians sarcastic jab. You defeated Situ Jia Zian in single combat, at least have the decency to rise into the heavens like a dragon among men. The worst part of these spars were seeing just how little Falling Rain had improved, definitive proof that Zians loss was a fluke. Jukai once said Zian would have won nine out of ten matches against Falling Rain, but months of sparring proved it was more accurate to say 9999 matches out of 10,000. While others might find relief at this news, knowing hed lost such an important match to such an unskilled duellist tormented Zian to no end. If only hed won on that fateful day, his life would have turned out so differently.

With Rain dead, the Bekhai would have been found guilty of assault against the Society and suitably punished for their infraction. Under those circumstances, Nian Zu would never have had the gall to promote Baatar as his second and the honour instead would have fallen to Uncle Yang. Having taught their enemies a lesson, the Society would still be the number one faction in the north and undivided by the Bekhai. Without a disastrous loss hanging over his head, Zian wouldnt have gone to Sanshu in search of redemption on that disastrous bandit hunting exercise, instead remaining here at the Bridge. True, he gained much from his time around Sanshu but he wouldve learned so much more here battling the millions-strong horde of Defiled. Instead of sparring with these peers, he would have lorded over them as the undisputed number one talent of the north before casually stepping into the ranks of Experts with much celebration and aplomb.

If only... were there ever two more depressing words in all of history?

Disgusted by Rains attitude, Zian dropped Rains tardiness. At least he was still here, useless though he might be. Besides, it was fun beating the runt day in and day out, a stress relieving exercise. This match was to be the last, with all other pairings concluded. Your matches will be fought consecutively, but it shouldnt be a problem for the undying Falling Rain.

Sure. Placing the box down, Rain lifted the covers to check on its contents, revealing a colony of sleeping bicorn rabbits, fifteen kits and their mother. Ridiculous. Now he was raising vermin? These were his important matters? Hopeless. Enough was enough. No matter what Jukai said, Zian decided this would be his last day with these worthless idiots. On stage, Fung and BoShui traded ineffective blows, each testing the other and searching for an opening, but their dancing about was pointless in Zians eyes, with more gaps to exploit than he cared to name. Though both had formed their Natal Palace, it did little to improve their mediocre martial skills. If they had difficulties understanding the intricacies of the Eight Forms then how successful could they be at parsing the mysteries of Chi?

Leaving his rabbits with the slave girl, Rain returned to Zians side and whispered, Can I ask you a question?

Biting back his sarcastic retort, Zian inwardly rolled his eyes. Ask it, but I make no promises to answer.

Er, through Sending.

Ugh. Fine. Flicking his sleeve, Zian offered Rain his forearm, knowing from experience if he offered a hand, the ignorant savage would use the opportunity to interlock their fingers. Holding another mans hand was not an enjoyable experience for Zian, but neither of them were capable enough to Send without skin contact. For Rain to Send at all was a testament to his talent, talent which he squandered away with his frivolous pets, business dealings, and charitable acts, the height of foolishness.

During the Purge, you told me the villagers were doomed regardless of my actions. Oh Mother Above, was this idiot still fixated on the Purge? Holding his tongue, Zian waited for Rain to finish his question as the savage hesitated to voice the next part. After a prolonged silence, Zian discovered why Rain insisted on a Sending. During that time, if you had the personal power to save those villagers, would you?

How was todays Falling Rain going to deal with him?

So preoccupied with his thoughts, Zian almost missed the match. Moving without warning, Rain struck out the moment Dastan hefted his axe for a probing strike. A single movement, both parry and slash, and Rains victory was assured, his shield blades breaking through Dastans hasty defence to rest against his throat. Replaying the brief match in his mind, Zian marvelled at the sheer genius of Rains movements, the sole reason for his absolute domination. Having seen it from the side, Zian broke the movement down into four components, toe, heel, slide, and step, the shield remaining locked in place until the moment he was ready to strike. From the front, he imagined it looked like Rain shifted diagonally in the blink of an eye, an illusion which took advantage of the narrow focus many warriors adopted during a duel.

So Rain was hiding his strength all this time, but the why would have to wait. Without a thought for Dastans pride, Rain shooed the defeated man off stage and pointed at the other slave. Springing on stage, she showed a rare hint of enthusiasm for todays match, her warriors instincts sensing a challenge in todays Falling Rain. This time, Zian banished all errant thoughts and focused on the match itself, intent on committing the battle to memory for future review.

Opening with the same step, Rain won the advantage in the first exchange and used his twin weapons to press her back. With the slave as his opponent, Rain demonstrated the versatility of this step, able to use the same strange movement to shift in all directions and confound the slave. When he looked to move left, he moved back, when he appeared ready to charge, he glided aside, all while striking out in a myriad of expert combinations. Swiping the Rushes melded seamlessly into Gliding Wing, Raising the Winds concealed Darting Fang, and Uplifts the Sequoia united with Twitching Tail so well it appeared to be a single move.

Thus, in a dozen heartbeats and five exchanges, Falling Rain emerged victorious against Li Song, a warrior almost Zians equal. From start to finish Rain set the pace and had the slave dancing in the palm of his hand, guiding her along as he sealed all paths leading to her victory.

A worthy foe indeed.

Fung and BoShui suffered similar defeats without offering new insight on Rain's strength, and then it was Zians turn. Ignoring the all-too familiar chill making its way down his spine, he strode onto the stage and faced his opponent. Taking no satisfaction or pride from his victories, Rain stood in the same initial stance, shield arm outstretched with blades pointed at his opponent, his sword positioned just short of the shield. A hyper-aggressive posture to mask his preference for defence, Zian refused to approach and play his game, gesturing for the runt to come to him.

Even if Zian won today, he intended to return on the morrow, for this was a Falling Rain worth sparring against.

Knowing exactly what to look for, Zian spotted the telltale signs of Rains charge and prepared accordingly. Sidestepping left to avoid the inevitable charge, Zian thrust at the area Rains chest would appear, waiting for the fool to impale himself on the blunted tip. A powerful move, Balance on Windy Leaf into Pierce the Horizon, but Rain was a fool to think no one would ever develop countermeasures. Victory today belonged to Situ Jia Zian and he ached to know what face Rain would make once he realized he was no match even when giving it his all.

Time slowed as Rain charged across the gap and Zian committed the next moments to memory, watching in excruciating detail as Rains twin shield blades smashed the thrusting saber aside with a flick of the wrist. The sword, waiting close behind, slashed out at Zians neck and met his second sabre, the left always covering for the right. Using the impact to make distance, Zian stepped aside as the shield chopped into his shoulder and sent him tumbling head over heels across the stage. When the world stopped spinning, Rains knee was pressed on Zians chest and weapons at his throat.

This match ended with a single exchange, Falling Rains indisputable victory over Situ Jia Zian. Ignoring the outrage and indignity, Zian stared in disbelief for several seconds before finding his voice. Explain.

The step was something Du Min Gyu helped me with way back when, but Im finally getting the hang of it. As for this, I figured someone would notice I use the same charge all the time, so I devised a handful of countermeasures to common counters. A counter-counter if you will. That one was a variation on Mantis Form, Twin Blades, but I have others up my sleeve. Chuckling, he added, Just be glad you didnt step back. I cant really control that move yet. Broke my ankle and Gerels ribs last time I tried it.

No you idiot! Zian snapped. Why have you been wasting my time and holding back during our spars?

Withdrawing his weapons and offering a hand to help Zian up, Rain gave a sheepish grin. I havent been holding back, not exactly. In Sanshu, I realized my passive, reactive style wasnt suitable for the battlefield. To make up for shortcomings,Ive been trying to be more aggressive. Its... going okay.

So startled by the idiotic answer, Zian forgot himself and accepted Rains proffered hand. Youre not making any sense. Why are you using duels to hone a style you developed for the battlefield?

Wincing, Rain shrugged and changed the subject. So... see you tomorrow then? After helping Zian up, he refused to let go and Sent. How strong would you have to be?

So worked up over the sheer madness of it all, Zian replied out loud. What?

Unperturbed, Rain Sent, You said you wouldnt help those people even if you were as strong as Nian Zu. How strong would you have to be?

Gaping like a fish, Zian had no words for his foolish, indecipherable rival. This was lunacy, sheer insanity. How could he not understand what was being asked? Wrenching his hand away with too much strength, Zian spun a half-circle before catching himself and hurried out the door without looking back. Better to cut all ties now and never return but Zian was a man of his word. He would keep his mouth shut and continue sparring until he won three matches in a row against his rival, but Rain was mad if he thought Zian would have anything to do with his delusions.

Truly arrogant beyond all belief, it appeared Falling Rain harboured intentions to rebel and challenge the Emperor himself.

Utter madness.

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