In her youth, new to the ways of the world, Lian was told about her inescapable fate; that when her clan, the Yún began its new era, she alone would be the key to its tomorrow.
The clan was dying off, a has-been of the past. It could not survive another century of change in a world that had no use for it or its teachings. There was no way to preserve them. To keep its lineage from fading into history, the Yún family had no choice but to unite with another clan.
This was where Lian would come in.
When the time was right, she would be wedded to a clan head, and her clan, its strongest and most capable fighters, would merge with them, starting anew. However, this foretold life did not sit well with her. It was not fair. Not when she was meant to be an heiress.
For years, she trained with a Grandmaster of martial arts, and then with her father's consent Lian was given the Amulet of Damashi, an ancient heirloom passed down through her clan; one capable of substantial magic, enough so that she hoped to call off the merger. Yet, her longings and sacrifices were not enough.
Her fate was set in stone. But still, Lian did all she could to draw attention to her clan, and for another year, all was well.
Until one autumn afternoon.
Sitting on a balcony at the far end of the main house, Lian occupied her time with a humorously erotic book brought from the city; it was cliche but she could not seem to put it down.
As she was lost in the plot, a retainer wearing the clan's insignia, a small seal script engraved on a metal disk, suddenly approached her from the doorway and bowed in respect.
"Forgive my intrusion, honorable–"
Lian raised her hand and interrupted him; his immediate silence made her hum in thanks. Whatever he had to say did not interest her, but she knew that he was simply doing as someone ordered him to. Even so, Lian disliked being called away from her alone time. She continued to read in silence until she reached the end of the page, then she averted her light brown eyes to him.
"It's unsettling when stories are left on cliffhangers," she stated. Resting the book on her lap, Lian motioned for him to continue.
The man, Fei bowed again.
"Master Guan sent me to retrieve you."
Lian hummed.
"What reason does he need me for?"
If it was not urgent then he could wait until she had her lesson with her master for the day.
Fei rested his arms at his sides and leaned up.
"To greet the honored guest who is waiting within the front courtyard. He came from Arctika to see you."
Honored guest. From the tundra region.
Lian widened her eyes in realization. It could not be.
Father brought him here.
With a frustrated groan, Lian stood and rushed past Fei and through the main house to the inner courtyard.
I should have known.
The servants had cleaned and prepared the main house the night before but Lian ignored the action, thinking that her mother was just being choosy again. She had no idea that her parents were keeping secrets from her.
Lian managed to squeeze through the throng of clansmen in the inner courtyard until she was at the front, then she rushed to stand beside her father, giving him a heated look.
"It is nice of you to join us," Guan said with a serious tone. Taking the book from Lian's hand, he grimaced at the title and handed it to his wife, who was beside him.
"You gave me no other option," the former heiress retorted.
Her mother, a beautiful woman with straight black hair, sighed.
"Had we, you would have found a way to vanish before your fiance arrived. It was the lesser of two evils, dear. Understand this."
She did, but it does not make it right.
I've never even seen him before.
"Send him away," Lian implored. "We do not need to–"
"Your opinion is unneeded," Guan sneered. He gave his daughter a look that warned her to keep her mouth shut.
An air of gloom and disappointment surrounded her. After what Lian had done, he and Lan, her mother did not seem to appreciate it. She took an uneasy breath and clutched the white and gold amulet attached to her side. Did achieving it mean nothing?
It certainly felt so. Even after making an effort to master it, they pushed the merge in secret.
Who was he? Lian's parents certainly trusted in him. She wanted to know.
Under Guan's orders, the guards opened the doors to the southeastern entrance and inside walked a group of what appeared to Lian to be assassins dressed in similar attire, sporting a color scheme of blue and black. Some of them wore hoods over their heads, while all of them had their mouths covered, as well as the man in the lead.
He must have been their clan head.
My fiance.
He was certainly handsome, with defined well-built curves and muscles that strained against the thin fabric of his twilight blue tabard. Even so, there was an air of bitterness that surrounded him as he measured the Yún clan.
Lian shared his sentiments.
Watching Guan, she quickly did the same.
"It is an honor to have you grace us with your presence, Bi-Han of the Lin Kuei," Guan stated.
Bi-Han followed suit.
"It was the former Grandmaster - my father - who had hoped to see this merge." He paused to stand. "If your clan is as strong as promised, then I too share his sentiments."
His tone was deep and high-handed, not promising in Lian's opinion. While a part of her was thankful to him for taking in the clan, the other part was irritated that this was a recruitment visit.
I am merely the weight that comes with the contract, nothing more.
"I too have been eager for this day. It is a shame, however, that your father passed on before his time. He was a respected man."
Bi-Han knitted his brows.
"The Lin Kuei are in capable hands."
No one said otherwise.
Lian sighed in dread.
"Yes…well, allow me to introduce my family," Guan awkwardly stated. He motioned to Lan first, then to Lian. "My wife and my daughter, your bride-to-be."
Lian visibly frowned. Must he refer to her as such? Like it was a title. So as not to enrage or embarrass him, she smiled at the stranger.
"My name is Lian. It is…an honor to meet you."
Bi-Han remained silent. He looked her over and then turned his attention back to Guan.
"The terms of the marital contract come after."
The Yún clan head hummed in agreement.
"Of course. A demonstration of might is of high priority. But should we not wait for your brothers? I was informed that they would be journeying with you."
"Their presence here is nonessential," Bi-Han stated.
Lian wondered why. If they were anything like him, she was thankful for their absence.
Hearing Guan order the servants to prepare the blocks for the test, she along with her mother stood back as her father gathered the six best fighters and had them line up in the center of the courtyard.
In the meantime, Bi-Han stood at a distance in front of them with the Lin Kuei on his right.
Once the six were ready, standing over seventeen 1-inch thick reinforced concrete pavers, Guan joined Bi-Han and gave the word for them to begin. One by one, the fighters struck the blocks dead center, breaking them with ease.
Lian grinned with pride. Yes, they could break more, but there was no need to push them, so long as Bi-Han was baited. In the end, it would be his guidance that shaped them to their full potential.
With his mask on, it was frankly hard to tell. Lian leaned just a bit to see his expression but she could not. He did however cross his arms and hum.
"Are they competent fighters?"
Guan laughed. Of course, they were. He called on a man with deep-set eyes - a good choice. The fighter stepped forward and bowed.
"This is one of our strongest. If you wish to test–"
"Let us not be hasty, Leader," a familiar raspy voice interrupted.
Bai, Lian's master, an elderly woman with sunken features, sauntered out from the throng and approached Guan.
"Excuse my interruption, but your daughter is a competent fighter. Should she not be tested instead?"
Lian frowned. What was she doing? Proving herself was no issue, but must she do it for her fiance? It was the fighters he came to test. Though Lian supposed she was not against showing off her techniques.
"If it's what you wish, Father, I will fight," she stated in confidence.
"Is this acceptable, Bi-Han?" Guan asked.
The man in question knitted his brows in thought and then nodded. He snapped his fingers and a member of the Lin Kuei without a hood stepped forward and bowed.
"Do not pull your punches," Bi-Han ordered. His keen brown eyes turned to Lian, as though he wanted to measure her expression.
She remained stoic. If he was eager to see her strength, then that was fine. With confidence, Lian sauntered to the center of the courtyard. Soon, the young man chosen to be her challenger joined her, striking a fighting pose. She did the same.
A deathly silence consumed the stage.
She was not certain who called the fight, but the moment it began, the assassin rushed at her, attempting to strike her with a series of fast kicks. Lian stepped back, avoiding them, and managed to catch his leg against her side. Using his momentum to pivot him the opposite way, she struck him in the back with a front kick.
The assassin staggered forward but caught himself. When he faced her direction, Lian could see the aggravation in his eyes. He rushed at her with a shout, throwing punch after punch. She could hardly match his speed, blocking what she could with her arms and hands. But then his stance changed and with a hard-hitting mountain punch simultaneously to the chest and face, Lian staggered back.
For fuck's sake.
An intense pain lit her up, but she pushed through it and rushed at him. Lian did not want to continue this spar; she wanted to end it quickly before he put her on her ass. Springing off her foot, she pulled off a flying scissor kick, wrapping her legs around his head. Using her momentum against him, she tossed the assassin off his feet and onto his back. Then with a shout of irritation, she raised her leg straight into the air and slammed her heel into his face, breaking his nose with a wet crunch. Lian quickly rolled back onto her feet and stepped away from him.
The Lin Kuei were no joke.
She had hoped that he would not stand, but he did. The thin cloth over his face was stained in red as he bled profusely. All this seemed to do was annoy him further. He came at Lian a third time in anger, aiming at her with a straight punch. His mistake. She dodged it with ease and grabbed his wrist, yanking him forward and off balance. Turning in quickly, she elbowed him in the stomach, then tossed him over her back and onto the ground with a sharp smack.
Lian's slip-up, however, was assuming that he was ready to submit. As she advanced, the assassin flipped back onto his feet and punched her in the face.
Instantly she tasted blood in her teeth. Running her tongue on the inside of her lip, Lian winced in pain. He busted it.
Her blood boiled.
Pointing her hand behind the assassin, she drew a circle with her finger, and then a swirling black portal materialized. One of the techniques of the amulet was portal creation via space and time magic. She did not want to use it in such a spar, but it was necessary.
Connecting it to one at her feet, she leaped into the portal and appeared behind the assassin, catching him off guard. He turned, but Lian pivoted, and Roundhouse kicked him in the face. Her foot connected with his chin and he went down like a rock, motionless.
Lian did not even realize it was over until she heard a round of applause. She won. Stepping over the body, she bowed, peeking up at Bi-Han. He seemed almost surprised.
"I was not aware that she was capable of magic," he stated, turning his wide eyes to the man beside him.
Lian raised a bow. They did not tell him.
Guan hummed.
"Let us discuss it over some tea."
He spared no words of gratitude and motioned for Bi-Han to follow him. While hesitant, the high-handed man gave Lian one last look before he followed Guan into the main house.
The former heiress sighed and sauntered toward her elated mother.
"Incredible work. I believe that you have impressed him."
"I should hope so," Lian stated with a snap, a bit annoyed that she was kicked around like a ball by his fighter.
All it took was a few bruises and a busted lip.
Lan sighed and offered Lian back the book she had taken.
"Tame your anger. Go and rest. Tomorrow is a new day."
Lian gave her a look of irritation before she sauntered to the main house. Bai looked on at her with pride as she passed, but she was in too much of a foul mood to share her appreciation with her. The fight took too long, in her opinion.
At least Lian was at last excused from this fiasco. A part of her, however, was curious about what Bi-Han had to say about her now.
It stayed on her mind well into the night.