Disclaimer: See chapter one

Chap. 16

China, 1459

In a plain grassland field, two horses appeared and rode across the land. One carried a man, middle aged with long braided hair and a mustache. The other carried a young, beautiful woman, with equally long hair, but unbraided and swaying in the winds. As they rode, the horses suddenly halted and stopped. The two looked over and saw even dark clad figures. Two of them leapt in the air and at them, causing the horses to jump in surprise and throw their riders off. However, both riders rolled on the grass and to their feet. But somehow, the seven strangers had surrounded them.

"Too late." the man muttered.

The woman looked over at the man, "Father? What is this?"

The man gazed at her briefly, "I was hoping to get you away before they caught up."

One of the black-cloaked men responded with a cold voice. "You have interfered with Shadowloo's plans for the last time, Dorai Xiang. Both you and your daughter must now pay for your intrusion."

Dorai glared as his hand move to the side, toward his sword, "Leave the girl out of this."

"I'm afraid that's out of the question. No witnesses."

With that, all seven men charged. Dorai quickly pushed his daughter aside and drew his sword. The first of the men swiped out while still in the air, but Dorai swiftly ducked and brought his blade up, cutting into the attackers shoulder. While the blade was still high in the air, Dorai twisted his body and caused the blade to spin and clash with the blade of another attacker who had struck out.

While they clashed, Dorai hopped to the side and kicked one in the face, sending him charring to the floor. Chun-Li arose and watched in amazement at her father's swift movements. But one of the men grabbed her from behind. Chun-Li half-gasped, but the attacker had her by the throat.

"Chun-Li!"

The young woman struggled a bit and managed to hit her attacker with a sharp elbow to the ribs, followed by a high kick that smacked in his face. She began to run away, but the man had recovered quickly and grabbed her hair. And before she could escape and fight out, a sharp pain entered her back and inside. Chun-Li felt her strength ebb away, her knees buckling from weakness and her eyes beginning to close. As darkness began to overtake her, the last thing she saw was her father rushing toward her, screaming her name.

When Chun-Li awoke, she was face-first in the middle of the grass. She slowly rose to her feet and grabbed her head in slight pain. 'What...happened? Oh no. Father.' She quickly jumped to her feet and looked around. The dark-clothed assassins were gone. There was nothing left of them or their presence, except for a dark object on the ground. Upon closer inspection, Chun-Li gasped.

"Father!" She instantly moved to the fallen body, hoping to awaken her falling father.

"Father?"

She began to shake him, but stopped upon feeling a wet sensation on her hands. Lifting them, she found them stained in blood. His blood. She slowly rolled him over and found that his body was riddled with stab wounds and slashes. His eyes were still open, but there was no life in them.

"N-no…"

She bowed her head and trembled as fresh tears fell from her face on onto his dead body. After sobbing for quite some time, her eyes slowly rose and caught sight of her father's double-edged blade, still grasped in his hand. 'He died fighting.' Still trembling a bit, she moved her hand over and took hold of the sword, unlatching his fingers from it. Now in her hands, she held it before her face.

Father. I promise. I will seek justice for this. Your death will be avenged.

From that time forward, Chun-Li traveled alone, searching for the ones responsible, yet never fully understanding the reason why she lived still. Her search, driven by the memory of her murdered father, led her all over China. She managed to find a few members of the shadowy organization, but despite that, she was nowhere close to finding the bulk of it or more to the point, its leader.

Those she confronted would rather die than reveal his identity and wasted no time in killing themselves. After searching for five years, Chun-Li's attempts had been all but successful. And even though she was a warrior, as a woman, it made it even harder to even get information and that frustrated her even more

Then he showed up...

It was during a trip heading for Shanghai. She had heard rumors of a secret group in the city. It wasn't much to go on, but she had to find out. Passing through the town of Changshu, she suddenly felt it for the first time.

The presence of another immortal...

Chun-Li didn't realize it at first and nearly panicked, spinning her head around in confusion.

"Aren't you the confused one?"

Turning to the voice, she found that it belong an elderly man with a long white beard and hair, wearing a purple uniform. His eyes seemed to pierce into her and it was enough to cause her to draw her sword.

"Who are you? Identify yourself."

The man simply strode forward, not caring about the blade that was trained on him.

"I believe the question is, who are you?"

Chun-Li frowned, "I am Chun-Li Xiang. Now who are you?" She lifted the sword, barely touching his neck. "Are you with Shadowloo?"

The blade at his throat seemed enough to warrant a response as he suddenly slapped his hand against the blade, causing it to fall down and away. And before she could raise it again or do anything else, his blade had found her throat instead. Chun-Li gasped at the speed of this man.

'How...?'

As if reading her mind, he answered, "Age is not always a disability, child."

He lowered his blade, but his eyes remained on her, "You truly have no idea what you are, do you?"

Chun-Li continued to frown, but her eyes did rise in slight curiosity. "What do you mean? Of course I know who I am."

The old man sheathed his blade, "Let me guess. You got into an accident of some kind and somehow woke up, correct?"

"It was no accident. Assassins murdered my father and tried to kill me."

The old man gave out a chuckle, "It would appear to me that they succeeded."

"What?"

"You were killed."

"What do you mean?" Chun-Li said in bewilderment. "I'm standing right here, alive."

"That you are. I will explain it to you, but not here." His eyes quickly swept the streets,

"Even these walls have ears. Come."

Chun-Li watched him go off. What was this man talking about? She began to figure that this old man had too much to sake, but the way he disarmed her and held her with his blade said otherwise. And what was that...sensation she felt when he approached. Her curiosity soon overrode her caution and she followed, keeping her sword in hand though. He led her to an open pasture just outside the city. Chun-Li began to fear for an ambush and tightened her grip on the blade.

"Wise precaution." he answered while his back was still on her. "You will need such instincts to survive the others."

Chun-Li stopped walking, "Others? Who?

"Immortals." he answered. "As long as you live, they will come after you."

Chun-Li blinked and then gave an exasperated laugh. Okay, now this guy had to have too much sake.

"Immortals? I'm supposed to believe that?"

The old man didn't answer. Rather, his hand drifted for a moment and then he suddenly spun around, slashing the air with an unsheathed blade. Chun-Li gasped, but suddenly winced as she saw what had happened. He had slashed her arm. Blood began to form and leak out of the wound. Angry, Chun-Li raise her blade and prepared herself to fight. But the old man simply sheathed his blade once again.

"Look."

Chun-Li growled, but looked over briefly, only to be shocked and looked again. Her wound was slowly fading away and it quickly disappeared altogether. There were no marks or bruises anywhere. Just some trace blood that was left over from the wound.

"Yes." he said, answering her previous question. "You are. Because like me, you are immortal."

Chun-Li said no word in reply.

From then on, Chun-Li remained with the man, Gen, in order to be taught by him. Gen taught her how to fight better than before and in time, her moves became as lightning; fast, suddenly, and destructive. But in addition to this, he revealed to her the role of the immortals. About how one could only die when they lose their head, how they must battle until only one remains, their sanctuary on holy ground (to which Gen never uses), and finally their goal to the Gathering and the prize. With this, Chun-Li studied and learned more than what she ever thought possible. But her thirst for vengeance still wasn't quenched and after 3 years, she wanted to leave.

"Sifu. I must leave now on my own."

"Still seeking you vengeance?"

"...Yes."

Gen sighed, "Then I have nothing further to teach you. Go on your way."

Chun-Li bowed deeply, "I will not forget what you have taught me, sifu."

"Just keep your head, Chun-Li. And I mean that more than literally."

"I will."

Her eyes never strayed from her blade as she recapped these long memories. They had been her only driving force. After she left Gen, she had continued her hunt for the dark Shadowloo organization. And first, she thought that her immortality and her new skills would give her the advantage, but the organization was as elusive as ever. She always seemed one step behind it and never getting closer.

Even worse, every now and again, she would be confronted by immortals who wanted her head. At least her skills for that part kept her alive. But then she would have to back track and start over. It seemed strange to her that this organization continued to exist after all these years. It was like a vendetta that never let her go. But she would continue, no matter how long it took.

-Riiinnngggg!-

Chun-Li blinked and moved over to the phone.

"Yes?"

"Detective Xiang. There's an emergency meeting and you've been called to attend."

Chun-Li frowned, "What about?"

"Shadowloo."

That was enough to break through her irritation. She took a glance at the sword on the wall and answered.

"I'm on my way."