"I understand." Bai Xifeng nodded, her expression finally sharpening with a cold, piercing focus that replaced her previous exhaustion.
She slowly stood up, wincing slightly as she dusted the thick, stubborn layer of dirt from her travel-worn robes. The two girls soon took their respective positions, standing roughly twenty paces apart in the very centre of the quiet clearing. Above them, the lush bamboo leaves rustled softly in the cooling evening wind, whispering amongst themselves as though they were eagerly anticipating the upcoming clash of wills. Ji Yuan remained seated calmly beneath the shadow of the gazebo, silently observing the scene with the eyes of a patient predator watching its young cub learn to hunt.
"You may begin." Ji Yuan commanded, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade.
