Their eyes shone in the night as the atmosphere shifted -Wuxing, run... when I settle this I will look for you, till then dont come back- said mother, the assasin rushed forward and was greeted by sharp crimson nails, the place was filled with the clang of the nails hitting the iron of the sword as sparks iluminated the night with the fireflies of battle.-Run, NOW!- said my mother, but I didn't want to, I didn't want to flee, but nothing there was for me to do, I rushed down the hill towards the valley seeking help. Little by little, the sounds of the battle faded. "What use am I when I can't protect my family? I'm a failure... a damned failure," I thought between tears and drowned sobs, my heart felt a wave of relief when, after minutes of rushing between trees and herbs, I reached the town; through the streets I yelled -HELP!- I yelled in full desperation between the houses all the way until the village chief's tent -SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME! ANYONE... PLEASE!- I collapsed between dust and mud as my heart constricted under the pressure of the situation, my whole body was heavy like lead and trembling like the most brittle of trees -look up, boy- I rose my gaze to find the town chief with his sword in his hand, -EVERYONE...LET'S SHOW THEM WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY MESS WITH ONE OF US!- in the blink of an eye the townsfolk rushed through the houses gathering hoes, rope darts, knives, hammers and torches, this is the magic of independant towns, they are specialists on defending themselves -Buy us some more time boy; we will arrive when everyone is ready- said the town leader as he headed back to the gathering crowd, the constricting pain now shaped into something more... something like hope -snake waterfall- with that I jumped back into the forest, I dont need to win, buying time is enough, surviving is enough.
Meanwhile back at the hill a trace of crimson blood sorrounded my mother, -I didnt imagine you would know the eternal wound technique- she said while holding her left bloodied arm, her legs trembled in exhustion, no matter how much she tried to run her qi to her wounds a foreign energy disrupted any attempt to use her energy to close the wound, deep inside she knew it, the fight was over, but she had to hold on, buy more time for her son, she couldnt die until he was far anough to be safe, far enough to not see her take her las breath, -I will put you out of your misery now- said the man as he charged again, Ning desperatedly blocked the attacks with her functional arm but it was all futile, one arm isn't near enough, she couldnt keep with the speed and power of the attacks and so the crimson nails, her pride and weapon were shattered under the sword of the imponent man, the force of the impact sent her flying and crashing against a tree, she gave it all, in many battles she partook, battles where her insides burnt with desire of violence, prospects of a challenge and not even once she feared death; The flame for combat has long ago been extinguished, and for the first time she was afraid of death, afraid of not seeing her son grow to be a capable man of good, she regrets not seeing her grandchildren, she regrets not seeing the sunrise one last time by the side of the man she cherished the most, her body tensed as she felt a wave of air followed by the swoosh of the sword.
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-Mom, there is a monster in the forest WAAAAH!- -of course not Wuxing, don't be silly, and even if there was a monster, nothing would happen to you--How can you be so sure, Mom?- -because as long as I am here, no harm will come to you-because as long as I am here, no harm will come to you
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With a surge of power, the woman dodged the strike by rolling aside, "I can't lose, not now, not here." "-Oh, great spirit, my master, please hear the plea of your student one last time!-"When these words left her, she was transported to a dark pavilion. She was kneeling in the dark, cold space, and before her, a curtain concealed the frame of a woman, the brush of her ornaments the only disturbance in a seemingly unending silence. "-what makes you think you have the right to call me your master after being nothing but a shame to me, to my teachings and to my very existence?-""-please...grant me the azure nail technique one last time...I beg-"The female voice on the other end yelled with a surge of wrath befitting a wild beast or the worst of demons, the bells of her dress sounding like the most dangerous snake's rattle.
"-You got the nerve to keep asking for things? Why do you even think I would?-""-many years ago, when we met... oh great spirit, you asked me what I fought for... I was naive and reckless, superficial and confused, but now I found it, my reason to fight, my reason to live...my reason to survive, I want my son to live, I want to scold him by his missdeeds, I want to see him grow to be a man of good, I want to see him marry and have a family...the reason for my survival, the reason why after so many years I come to face and kneel before you is because of him...it's because of my son-"After seconds that felt eternal, the woman simply sighed and exclaimed "-Hua Ning...say my name one last time-""-your student greets you Zhang Lizhi, The crimson viper-"When that name left her mouth Ning went back to the world, and her eyes shone again with renowned vigor, she rose her broken claws and pointed her last dagger-like nail at the asassin as a new aura enveloped her, not one of fury but of tranquil focus -not today, not here- Ning resumed her fighting, she was careful, calculated, it's as if something changed not only on her power but in her mindset -is that your new plan? Dodging till your death? HAHAHA- spat the assassin, -got you- when Ye rose his sword again, Ning found the perfect gap and so the nail pierced the armpit with enough strength to make it go rigid, useless, and cold -YOU WENCH! I'll dismember you piece by piece you hear me!- the man said with poisonous words which were answered with a blurry of attacks, stomach, upper shoulder, and finally the forehead, before the lethal blow made contact the asassin slipped to his left avoiding Ning's attack, "I still got time before the conection fades" and so Ning zigzagged trying to confuse the assasin as she threw herself in the offensive, she dodged a horizontal slash by ducking and as Ye tried to pull back his sword with just one arm, Ning aimed for his neck with her last nail, a lethal needle seeking to finish the rumble "-STEP BACK!-" a voice echoed in her head, almost instinctively she complied only to see the zhanmadao tear the air in the position she would be..."was he faking his weakness?" "is he strong enough to wield such weapon in one hand?" before she ponered on these questions the answer came in the shape of a rapid vertical slash followed by a horizontal one, "this bastard, he wanted to set me on a trap", she dodged with feline agility and speed but the wave of attacks never ceased,"-Ning the more one attacks, the more likely they are to leave gaps...FIND THEM!-" urged the female voice in her head, and she wasnt wrong, as Ye rose his sword with his right arm only his left side was defenceless and vulnerable, she rushed forward, the wind sang as she made her way to victory, her nail pierced the skin of his torso like the best of needles, she heard the heavy "thud" of the sword falling from his grip, "i did it, I...""-RUN!-" she quickly tried to withdraw her needle but it was caught into the torso muscles, she then noticed it, the zone she stroke was imbued with Qi, she fell right into his plan, he reinforced his body flowing qi through it and now her nail is stuck like a blade caught between rocks -Your time has come you pest- then from his back the man took a dagger, Ning in a final desperate attempt broke her last nail but it was already too late, the dagger tore flesh and cloth, under searing pain Ning bent and knelt, with arrogance Ye went for his sword, wiping the mud with a scoff finally he decides to make the final move, his sword rises high reflecting the moon's light, it descends rapidly freezing everything on it's way.
-HYAAA!- I rushed through the bushes and trees aimed at the assasin, a rock left my hand and made it's way towards the asassin with enough speed to disturb the leaves scattered on the ground until finding it's target the blade that threatened the only family I got, the sharp clank of the impact was followed by the rustles of my clothes as I rushed forward, my bold move was greeted by yet another slash from the enormous sword "how predictable" I muttered to myself as I ducked under the sword grabbed my mother's bathered form from the collar of her clothes and rushed with her on my arms -hold tight- I took my mother in both of my arms and rushed deep into the forest as I heard heavy footsteps right behind me, I zigzagged avoiding by a hair's length the wide swings of the assasins, every failed swinging bought me precious meters and hence seconds, and so before I could notice we reached a beautiful waterfall ending in a lake, beautiful flowers and crystal clear water reflecting the moon are a wide contrast to the violence about to unfold, I gently placed the battered form of my mother above the grass on the other side of the lake, I stretched my arms as I stood between the asassin and my mother -bring it on-, I said as again I flowed my fire qi to my fists.They burned with the intensity of the sun and ferocity of a wild beast. Tense seconds went by as the man stood in the entrance to the small lake of the waterfall, -Die!- the man once again took the lead with long, wide, powerful swings, his sword cutting the air as we danced in the water; -YOU SHALL NOT PASS!- I said as I tried to block his attacks only to be met with a harsh reality, the strtength of his sword was demolishing my wrists, with every movement I became more stiff, I became slower, "I stil have one trick" and so after taking a blow I leaped backwards and stroke the ground before me shaking the water of the lake in a crystaline wall -this is my chan...- just when I was preparing my attack I was surprised when I saw the blade of his sword pierce through my distraction -your trickery is mockingly low- I kept trying to create distracions but he cut through every one of them, I could feel my dantians drain, my flow became unstable and so was my breathing, "am I really at my limit? is this really all this life is worth?" as I pondered on my next moves I could sense it, my mother was struggling to stand up, even in that blooodied form she still has the courage to fight "I can't give up, I won't give up, I don't have the right to give up" "duck""right""left"I tried to dodge the best I could, the help was close but death felt closer "I can't keep waiting, I dont need help... I'll be my own help" I exhaled deeply visualizing my dantians, I imagined the flow of my channels, from my three dantians to the tips of my fingers, the flow of y energy through all my body, the rustle of the wind of my hair, the quicken of my heartbeat and the unstable of my breathing, my mind dissolved into my qi and into my body, for the first time this body felt genuinely mine my qi became different, not a devouring untamed fire but the consistent flame not even winter can waver. -Puny- his sword filled with Yin energy as the surroundings became cold, I could feel him draining the Yin energy of our surroundings, "don't think, act," and so I rushed forward, he raised his sword one last time as we both braced for the clash
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-Wuxing, do you know why chivalrous fighters are the strongest?- -uhm, no dad--Because when you fight for what's right, you can't allow yourself to lose, because while others fight with greed, you fight with your life, your love, your spirit, and an unbreakable will of justice... when you are a chivalrous fighter, you don't lose...you can't lose-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!-
My fist conected with the ice sword, ice feezes fire, fire melts ice, two forces of equal magnitute opposing in a deafening conflict, the thin balance broke when the imposing zhanmadao snapped at the precise point where my mother pierced it, my fist went through iron and cloth reaching the chest of the assasin, the fire of my qi leaving a burn on his chest and sent him flying to a nearby tree - y-yes - I said before collapsing to the ground after using all my qi, I glanced at my mother and tried to crawl towards her before hope could settle on my heart my worst nightmare became true, I head rustling of bushes, when I turned I couldn't believe my gaze, torn chest clothes, broken sword, bloodied mouth and staggering pace...the man was still alive "how?" -I-I will make you pay for that...- in that moment when I thought hope was lost heavens bugle sounded in the shape of screaming and cursing townfolks, I managed a final smirk as I collapsed onto the ground barely conscious. Dozens of townsfolk surrounded the area quickly denying him space or a step near us; hoes, scythes, and knives aimed at him - DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM? HOW DARE- he was cut off abruptly by the elder village leader. He took a single step forward, unsheathing his Jian -We know who you are... you are dead man... or at least you will be if you dont leave now- the man turned his massive back on them and then like a thunder his sword roared in the wind once more on a final lounge against the crowd CLANK!, swords met, the staggering arms of the elder were slowly giving in to the tremendous power of the asassin pressing down towards the elder -HAHAHA all that big talk for this you sack of bones?- the elder merely smirked, in one swift move all the villagers rushed forward swinging their weapons at him, hoes, cleavers, and scythes, all of them missed their marks but the magic unfolded here, no time to breathe was give, no counter can come given the ammount of simultaneus threats, a wall of weak ants with open jaws forming an impregnable wall, then a single thoughtn crossed his mind "where did the damned hag go?" the zone was a chaos of yelling, clattering of weapons, feints, attacks and retreats too wild to notice anything until it was too late, a moment before disaster he felt it, a faint qi just behind him, he turned and squimed but it was rather pointless, the stab pierced his lower torso near his hip he saw the sword tip tear the front of his skin -AGH!- his grunt of pain resonated all over the waterfall and fueled the townsfolk inviting them to bolden their attacks, the elder withdrew his sword and posed to take the killing blow -Such... Humilliation- the man's eyes shone bright yet again using a wave of qi to send flying the townsfolk swarming him -This is far from over!- with that the man staggered into the forest bloodied and wounded taking route towards the west, the elder tried to stand up but his body gave no more to his orders -we have to stop him...- he collapsed to the ground and punched it "just how useless has time rendered me" After the assassin was out of view, a young man, the baker's son, helped me to my feet, but I ran to my mother -We did it, Mom...we did...- I saw my mother's fragile small frame soaked in a crimson red, her body pale, limp, every step a heavy stabbing of my hear at the harsh reality I fought so hard to prevent,my hand tentatively took hers, it was the rough hard working hand of someone who worked for everything she had, but something was missing, the warmth that would consolate me on my lonely nights, the wound that healed and nurtured me with her soul, the warmth that could melt glaciers, I held her with strength, every drowned sob a plea for mercy -NOO! NOO! WHY! WHY YOU OF ALL PEOPLE!- I pressed my forehead with hers, the townfolks gathered around, horrified and struck, no one dared to say a word -Yàoshén! If you exist... please save her!- I wanted to rip the earth and slay the heavens as the wounds on the person who meant the world to me never ceased to bleed pressing our foreheads together so hard it felt like we would crush any moment -my my.... kids these days sure are noisy~- I couldnt believe my ears -mom!, dont talk... save your strengths, the healer will come and...- I was interrupted by a soft caress, the back of her hand gently rubbing my cheek -my dear Wuxing... son and mother share heart and spirit, I will continue to live as your heart keeps beating, as your spirit keeps wandering... please Wuxing... I beg of you... Live the life your father and I couldn't...- after those words her delicate hand fell the healer of the town arrived, checked her pulse mouth agape, my hopeful gaze was met with his ashamed face not daring to look at me in the eyes, her body pale like the snow we used to enjoy in winter, rigid and cold like the nights we spent telling tales and dreaming, lifeless like my soul.