"And another one goes down!"
A man lay on the ground, unable to get up after taking the finishing blow to his chest.
A total knockout.
The loser rubbed his head and groaned in pain as he was carried away on a stretcher.
"And that concludes this match! Once again, The Valiant is the victor!"
An uproar of cheering burst from the crowd.
The Valiant stood proudly, basking in the crowd's praise.
"Anyone else feels like taking a chance for glory against The Valiant?" The announcer gestured to the audience. "Anyone?"
Members of the audience shook their heads at each other.
"Nope."
"No way."
"I want to leave here with my dignity intact, thanks."
Only an idiot would want to go up against The Valiant after witnessing the smackdown his opponents received.
No one wanted to get their ass handed to them in public.
"Any contenders? Going once. Going twice-!"
The Valiant scoffed. "Please. No one else would dare challenge-"
"Excuse me!"
Everyone's heads turned in astonishment.
A somewhat small and scrawny boy had his hand raised in the air. "I'll challenge you."
The crowd murmured in disbelief.
"Is this guy serious?"
"Look at him! He's so small!"
"The Valiant's probably going to crush the poor guy like an ant!"
The announcer laughed. "Oho! What a twist! What's your name, brave young man?"
"Pan Wukun."
The announcer nodded and then shouted to the crowd, "All right, everyone! A new match is about to start! Prepare to make your bets!"
"Here, we have the undefeated champion, The Valiant!"
Loud cheers erupted from the crowd.
"And over here, his opponent in the opposing corner! Pan Wukun!"
Cheers came from the crowd, but they were much fainter than the cheers for The Valiant.
The Valiant sneered at Pan Wukun. "You're either incredibly brave or foolish, pipsqueak."
Pan Wukun tightened the straps on her bracers. "If you let your guard down because I'm small, you're going to get hurt."
The Valiant laughed boisterously. "Does everyone hear this pipsqueak? What a funny joke!"
A referee stepped near the arena.
"Ready…?"
The Valiant gestured politely to Pan Wukun, "Out of courtesy, pipsqueak, I'll let you make the first move."
Pan Wukun smiled sweetly. "I thank you for your kindness."
"FIGHT!"
Next thing The Valiant knew, he was flat on the ground with a throbbing chest.
The Valiant blinked up at the sky several times in disbelief. - What was with this kid's punch? Felt like he was pelted with a rock!
The audience uttered sounds of awe.
"So-so fast!"
"Whoa damn! I couldn't even see the little guy's punch!"
The Valiant leaped to his feet, enraged. "You had your first move! Now it's my turn!"
No matter how many punches and kicks The Valiant threw at Pan Wukun, he could never manage a single hit.
"You little-! Stay still!"
Pan Wukun did not stay still, continuing to weave in and out of the Valiant's attacks and striking him without a hitch.
"Hey! What's that?!" An alarmed cry came from the crowd.
Pan Wukun's head whipped around to look in the direction of the voice.
Taking advantage of Pan Wukun's distraction, The Valiant kicked her hard in the middle, between the legs.
Stunned by the hit, Pan Wukun stumbled to the ground.
Pan Wukun gritted her teeth in annoyance. - Welp. That spot was going to be sore later.
Pan Wukun stood back up, ready to make her counterattack.
The Valiant stared at her, wide-eyed. He made no further moves.
This confused Pan Wukun. - Huh? Why was The Valiant just standing there? Why wasn't he attacking?
The Valiant didn't say a word. In fact, no words were coming out of the audience either.
Complete silence.
Pan Wukun looked around, clueless. Was there something on her face?
Murmurs started up amongst the crowd.
"He just got kicked there! Isn't that painful?"
"How is he even standing?"
"Are his balls made of steel?"
It was then that Pan Wukun understood. - Oh yeah. They think I'm a man.
Pan Wukun doubled over in pain, screaming in agony as she clutched her crotch.
Some members of the audience shouted in anger.
"A kick to that spot?! Foul!"
"A most dishonorable move!"
"Come on! There has to be a penalty for that!"
The Valiant looked down upon Pan Wukun, taking glee in her suffering.
Fucking asshole. Pan Wukun wasn't going to let him enjoy this for long.
Pan Wukun pushed herself back up on her knees. "A man's…" She stood back on her feet and clenched her fist. "-got to finish a challenge he took on himself!"
The crowd went wild.
"Whoa! The little guy's gotten up already?!"
"Thatta boy! He's got the fighting spirit, all right!"
Pan Wukun sighed with relief. - Nice! Her acting wasn't too shabby!
"Are you sure you don't want to forfeit, Pan Wukun?" the referee asked with concern. "You must've sustained a serious injury. We'll ensure you won't take any losses if you forfeit."
Pan Wukun panted. "No. I gotta pay back The Valiant for what he did to me! I can't give up now!"
The referee nodded. "Very well, Pan Wukun."
The referee scowled at The Valiant. "A hit to that spot is strictly prohibited. We shall have to give you a penalty. Your monetary gains will be deducted."
The Valiant gritted his teeth. "Fine."
The referee stepped out of the arena, shouting, "The battle continues!"
The Valiant scoffed at Pan Wukun. "So taking a hit to your pride wasn't enough for you, pipsqueak?"
Pan Wukun glared at The Valiant. "Since you damaged my pride, I'm going to pay you back tenfold!"
Pan Wukun cracked her knuckles. "You think you can handle my Fist of the Rock, Scissors, Paper?"
"Fist of the What? Now you're just making shit up!" The Valiant spat.
The Valiant cracked his knuckles. "You won't be talking shit anymore after you take my fist to your face!"
Pan Wukun posed in a combat stance. "Go ahead and try."
"Don't get so cocky!" The Valiant threw a kick at Pan Wukun.
Pan Wukun dodged the kick and quickly lunged at The Valiant.
"Rock!"
Pan Wukun punched The Valiant in the gut.
"Scissors!"
Pan Wukun jabbed two fingers into The Valiant's throat.
"Paper!"
Pan Wukun thrust her palm out, striking The Valiant square in the chest.
The Valiant was sent crashing to the ground.
The referee entered the arena and started the countdown.
"10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4…"
The Valiant wasn't getting up.
"...3, 2, 1!"
The referee held Pan Wukun's arm up in the air. "End match! Pan Wukun is the victor!"
The people who betted in favor of The Valiant grumbled at their losses while those who vied for Pan Wukun cheered.
The announcer entered the arena and placed a big bag of money into Pan Wukun's hands. "So, Pan Wukun, feel like taking on more battles today?"
Pan Wukun sighed and wiped her forehead. "No thanks."
The announcer blinked. "Eh? But you were so cool! - *ahem* - But you just had a glorious victory. You don't want to continue fighting, Pan Wukun?"
"I've had enough fun for today." Pan Wukun handed the bag of money to the announcer. "Since I'm in a good mood, I'd like to share some of my winnings with the audience here. Please help me calculate how to distribute the amount fairly. I'm not the best at math."
That made the crowd jubilant.
"How generous!"
"Nice! A small guy with a big heart!"
"So why did that guy yell out inanimate objects while hitting The Valiant?"
"Whew. I'm beat."
Pan Wukun plopped down onto the inn bed.
Meng Yao followed after Pan Wukun. "That was a splendid match, Wukun-ge."
Pan Wukun smushed her cheek against the pillow with a sigh. Way more comfortable than a bedroll. "Thanks, Meng Yao. All in a day's work for some extra funds."
Two years had passed since Pan Wukun and Meng Yao left Yunping.
Since Meng Yao had not formed his golden core yet, he stayed behind at inns and did cultivation training. Meanwhile, Pan Wukun handled cultivation cases and climbed every mountain she came across to search for the illustrious Baoshan Sanren.
One day, Meng Yao had asked Pan Wukun, "Why would you want to seek Baoshan Sanren out if no other cultivator has ever found her?"
Pan Wukun answered, "Maybe other cultivators have found her, but were sworn to keep the location of her mountain secret. Or more likely, most cultivators are too obsessed with elevating their social status within their elite sects to even bother looking for some immortal mountain hermit like Baoshan Sanren. What reason would they have to care about someone who's long detached from the affairs of the cultivation world?" She frowned. "As for why I'm looking for her, it's a personal, private matter that I wish not to divulge."
Did Pan Wukun want to grow stronger and learn Baoshan Sanren's secrets to immortality? Perhaps Pan Wukun was more ambitious than Meng Yao thought.
Meng Yao also noticed Pan Wukun asking around about a spirit-trapping pouch with an unidentified minor sect emblem on it. No luck so far.
"Who exactly are you looking for, Wukun-ge? And why? Are you seeking a lost friend? Vengeance? Maybe I could help," Meng Yao said.
"No. It's a personal, private matter," Pan Wukun muttered as she tightly gripped the spirit-trapping pouch.
Meng Yao never asked again.
Every Lunar New Year, Pan Wukun received red envelopes from the courier. Some were even specifically for Meng Yao as well.
Some of the red envelopes were sent by someone by the name of "Pan Heng".
Pan Heng and Pan Wukun…It wasn't too hard for Meng Yao to make the connection.
Pan Wukun told Meng Yao that she was actually a foreigner, one of the Hundred Yue. Lost in this country, Pan Wukun was taken in by Pan Heng. The two of them became adoptive siblings.
Meng Yao was surprised to learn that Pan Wukun was originally from somewhere far away. But the world was a vast place. It wasn't just his fellow countrymen who practiced the cultivation arts.
Lunar New Year was the most important time for family reunions. Under normal circumstances, Pan Wukun would've visited Xuhou every Lunar New Year if she could. But she couldn't waste the travel time and expenses. She needed to optimize her time in searching for the mystery cultivator and Baoshan Sanren.
She was sure everyone understood. Pan Heng certainly helped by explaining her origins as one of the Hundred Yue. So it was urgent for her to find a way back home and reunite with her loved ones as soon as possible.
Now in their inn room, as Pan Wukun settled down into bed for the night, Meng Yao sat on his bed, silent. Too silent.
"Something's bothering you. What is it, Meng Yao?" Pan Wukun disliked beating around the bush.
With a troubled expression, Meng Yao asked, "Wukun-ge, why didn't you make sure to seal your spiritual powers before facing The Valiant so as not to cheat? You even put your sword away so no one would realize that you're a cultivator."
Pan Wukun responded, "That's because-"
Knock! Knock!
A voice called out from behind the door. "Good evening, good sirs!"
Pan Wukun and Meng Yao silently shared a look.
Pan Wukun clutched Yuyun while Meng Yao gripped his dagger.
"Come in."
The door opened.
The inn worker stood there, a dagger pressed against his throat.
A thuggish man peered from behind the inn worker. "You're coming with me or this one gets it."
The inn worker gasped in fear as the blade pressed deeper into his throat, cutting a thin line of blood into his skin.
"Leave your sword and gear behind," the thuggish man commanded.
Pan Wukun set Yuyun and her qiankun pouch aside. She walked up to the thug with her empty hands held up in the air.
"There. Happy?" Pan Wukun glared at the thug. "Now let him go."
The thug grunted and released his hostage.
The inn worker stumbled to the ground, clutching his throat.
Meng Yao took a step forward.
The thug pointed his dagger at Meng Yao. "No. He comes alone."
Meng Yao looked at Pan Wukun in distress. "Wukun-ge!"
Pan Wukun turned her head to Meng Yao with a smile. "Don't worry, Meng Yao. I'll be fine. You know I've faced much worse than this."
Meng Yao clenched his jaw, forced to stand and watch as Pan Wukun shut the door and was led to who-knows-where.
"We meet again, pipsqueak."
Pan Wukun crossed her arms. "You really had to send someone else to get me? You couldn't come yourself?"
The Valiant scoffed. "Please! My comrade offered to escort you here himself! He's still quite angry about our losses today!"
The glare Pan Wukun's "escort" sent her confirmed that this was true.
"The match was proceeding so badly that I had to discreetly signal to my comrades with a single look to distract you!" The Valiant said.
That explained the sudden cry from the audience. Pan Wukun rolled her eyes. "So that's how you managed to kick me in the balls, right?"
The Valiant and his companions sputtered. "Such a crude way of putting it!"
The Valiant glared at Pan Wukun. "It was your fault, you know! If you weren't acting so disrespectful, I would not have had to resort to such a dirty tactic!"
Pan Wukun sighed in exasperation. No point in arguing with a stubborn mule. "Whatever. So why exactly did you bring me here? What? Do you want a rematch or something?"
The Valiant huffed. " I am here to set things right! I am here to claim justice! I am-"
Pan Wukun zoned out at that point. - Wow. This guy is still talking? These ruffians really like to monologue.
"Hey! Are you even listening?!" The Valiant shouted.
Pan Wukun rubbed the back of her ear. "Hm. Sorry. What were you saying? I'm afraid I couldn't hear you too well."
The Valiant's eye twitched. "How are you, a cultivator, hard of hearing?" A sword appeared by his side. "I wouldn't play dumb and continue acting so rude if I were you. As a cultivator myself, I would know about our enhanced hearing abilities."
So Pan Wukun's hunch was right.
The Valiant was actually a cultivator all along.
"Why fight non-cultivators without sealing your spiritual energy?" Pan Wukun asked.
"I, along with the other members of my sect, stopped in this town for the day for rest from travel. We noticed the betting arena and decided to spend our time there to have some fun," The Valiant explained.
Pan Wukun scowled. "Why would you choose to harm non-cultivators and cheat them out of their dignity and money in such a way?"
The Valiant sniffed. "It's the least people owe us for protecting them from evil beings. For them to be beaten by a cultivator and lose some money is hardly harmful."
Pan Wukun barely held her anger in. "All right then. How did you even get your hands on a set of commoners' clothing, let alone be willing to wear them?"
The Valiant wiped at the commoner's coat he wore. "I requested that the commoners give myself and my companions a set of their clothes. They didn't even demand payment! Very generous of them."
Uh-huh. - Meaning that The Valiant forced people to give up some of their clothes. - Without paying! - This guy knew that they couldn't refuse a cultivator's orders.
"We're merely donning these peasants' garments to disguise ourselves for the day." The Valiant jabbed a finger into Pan Wukun's shoulder. "But look at you, a so-called esteemed cultivator! Yet you choose to wear peasants' rags!"
Pan Wukun shoved The Valiant's finger away. "So? These are the clothes of my home village. What does it matter what I choose to wear as a cultivator? I still beat you fair and square."
The Valiant fumed. "I refuse to accept defeat by some farm boy!"
The Valiant's companions snickered. "Farmers. Just a bunch of shit scoopers."
Pan Wukun clenched her fists.
The Valiant pointed at the empty spot by Pan Wukun's hip. "You have a cultivator's sword lying back at the inn, don't you?" He sneered. "You, a lowly peasant, must've stolen that sword!"
Pan Wukun clenched her fists harder. "I assure you, gentlemen. That sword is rightfully mine."
The Valiant snorted. "Yes, yes. Keep living out such a delusion of grandeur. Once we're done with you here, we're taking that sword back to its rightful owner."
Pan Wukun scoffed. "Hmph! Not only are you a cheat, but a thief as well!" She gave The Valiant an unimpressed look. "Pretty low for such a valiant cultivator, don't you think?"
"Why you!" The Valiant lunged at Pan Wukun.
Pan Wukun drove her fist into his stomach.
He hit the ground, not getting back up.
Fuck. He wasn't getting back up.
Shit! Had she overdone it?
Pan Wukun took a quick glance at her fallen opponent. His chest still rose and fell.
Oh, thank fuck. I didn't commit a murder.
He'd been knocked out cold.
All those years of punching trees paid off!
The rest of The Valiant's cronies pulled out their swords. "Get him!"
Pan Wukun managed her footwork, moving to dodge a constant flurry of sword blades.
Fighting against three armed men at once, Pan Wukun hurried to find herself a weapon.
There! - A farmer's carrying pole leaned against a wall.
Pan Wukun grabbed the carrying pole, giving it a few good twirls as she faced her attackers.
The cultivators snickered. One of them shouted, "Ha! What do you think that's going to accompli-"
Pan Wukun shut the guy up with a good whack to his stomach.
Ah good ol' dependable farmers' gear.
"Farmers aren't just a bunch of shit scoopers! Who do you think provides you with the crops that serve as food and keep your bellies full? Hell, you're getting your ass kicked by a farmer right now!" Pan Wukun didn't contain the anger in her voice as she continued hitting the cultivators and dodging their blades.
Anyone who insulted farmers also insulted Xuhou. Pan Wukun could never let that slide.
Pan Wukun sent one man crashing into a wall with a series of spinning kicks.
Then came another man with his sword!
Slash!
Oh no! He cut the farmer's pole in half!
Heh. Like that was going to stop Pan Wukun. Now she had dual-wielding weapons!
As the battle continued, one of the cultivators growled in frustration, "Are you kidding me?! Just let us cut you down and be done with it!"
"No," Pan Wukun simply responded as she continued to dodge their sword swipes.
Compared to Pan Heng, these cultivators were snails.
"Ow! Watch where you're swinging!"
"It's not my fault! The pipsqueak keeps moving around like an annoying fly!"
Even if Pan Wukun still hadn't been struck with a single sword cut, she knew she was going to get exhausted eventually.
A sword rushed past Pan Wukun's ear.
Pan Wukun narrowly avoided it. - Whoa! Almost got my head there!
Shit. She couldn't keep this up forever. She didn't have Yuyun with her. Two pieces of a farmer's carrying pole and melee attacks can only do so much for so long.
Pan Wukun's eyes flickered to and fro, searching.
Ah! The Valiant was still unconscious on the ground. And his sword was free for the taking!
Pan Wukun dove towards The Valiant and removed his sword from his sash.
Pan Wukun pulled on the sword. It did not budge.
"Come on! Come on! Look, I'm sorry I punched your wielder! But he was the one who started this whole mess!"
Cultivators' swords weren't too keen about being used by those who weren't their rightful wielders. But someone like The Valiant shouldn't be powerful enough that his sword could seal itself?!
"Watch out! Behind you!" someone cried out.
With a mighty pull, Pan Wukun tugged The Valiant's sword free from its sheath, just in time to block an incoming sword blade.
"Tch!" Pan Wukun's attacker turned around in anger. "Who dares-"
A boot promptly smashed his face in.
A purple-robed boy appeared, kicking the thug's face with a wide grin and a twinkle in his eye.
"What?!" The thuggish cultivators did not expect this kind of interference.
The boy landed on his feet by Pan Wukun's side.
"Thanks for the assist." Pan Wukun sent the newcomer a grateful smile. She noted that the boy wore purple robes and a red ribbon in his hair.
The boy laughed. "My pleasure!"
The boy got into a combat stance and stood back-to-back with Pan Wukun. "Pleasantries later. We got incoming!"
All right, introductions later. For now, Pan Wukun will just dub him Red Ribbon Boy.
Pan Wukun and Red Ribbon Boy moved in sync, successfully holding off their opponents.
Red Ribbon Boy had a sword of his own and was a very skilled fighter. Fighting two on three definitely made the fight easier.
Then another purple-robed boy appeared, punching a guy in the face.
Red Ribbon Boy grinned. "Decided to join the fight too, huh?"
This other boy had his hair tied with a purple ribbon.
Purple Ribbon Boy it is, Pan Wukun thought.
Purple Ribbon Boy snorted. "Well, someone has to accompany you in handling these kinds of messes."
Even though Red Ribbon Boy was in the middle of dodging and throwing kicks and punches, he still managed to laugh.
Without even turning around, Red Ribbon Boy casually lifted his fist, punching a guy trying to sneak attack him from behind.
Now that Pan Wukun was fighting alongside two cultivators with swords, the odds were even.
As the fight went on though, eventually Purple Ribbon Boy seemed to have had enough, stomping his foot with a huff.
"Enough of this!" Purple Ribbon Boy shouted. "We are cultivators of the YunmengJiang sect! Cease your attacks at once!"
"What?" The thuggish cultivators paused in bewilderment.
Purple Ribbon Boy crossed his arms. "As cultivators of the YunmengJiang sect, we hold the higher authority here. It's best that you surrender." He directed a hardened glare at the thuggish cultivators. "Now."
The thuggish cultivators scoffed and laughed. Were they really going to be afraid of some teenagers? This kid must be bluffing.
Purple Ribbon Boy stood unyielding but bristled with irritation.
Then the thuggish cultivators took a good long look at Purple Ribbon Boy's robes.
"Wait…Those robes! That lotus emblem!" The thuggish cultivators started quaking in fear. "They really are from the YunmengJiang sect!"
They surrendered without hesitation. "Swords down! Swords down!"
They hurriedly bowed. "Apologies, we did not realize you were from the YunmengJiang sect."
A stern expression settled onto Purple Ribbon Boy's face. "What sect are you from? I must inform your sect leader so you are properly disciplined for your disgraceful behavior."
"We are of the PingyangYao sect, Gongzi." The PingyangYao sect cultivators pointed at Pan Wukun. "But we are not at fault! That boy there! He wronged us!" They pointed at The Valiant's unconscious body on the ground. "Look at what he did to one of our comrades!"
Angered at the audacity of the PingyangYao cultivators, Pan Wukun shouted, "You're the ones who attacked me first! You took an inn worker hostage and forced me out here!"
One of the PingyangYao cultivators nearly made to lunge at Pan Wukun. "You!"
"Enough!" Purple Ribbon Boy yelled. His scowl deepened as he looked at the Pingyang Yao cultivators. "You attacked an unarmed cultivator who was forced to defend himself. You are obviously the guilty ones here."
The PingyangYao sect cultivators stood back and made no further arguments. They knew that they had better cooperate lest they feel the wrath of the YunmengJiang sect.
"Now leave. Before you make matters any worse for yourselves," Purple Ribbon Boy ordered.
Red Ribbon Boy waved his hand, making a "shoo-shoo" gesture. "Now run along. Unless you want us to pummel you even more?"
The PingyangYao cultivators bowed frantically. "No! No! Of course not!"
As Pan Wukun handed The Valiant's sword back, she said, "Now remember to return the commoners' clothing, apologize to the inn workers, and pay them all the proper compensation." A threatening gleam appeared in her eyes. "Or else."
"Yes! Yes! Of course!" The PingyangYao cultivators picked up The Valiant from the ground and hurried away.
Once the PingyangYao cultivators were gone, Purple Ribbon Boy punched Red Ribbon Boy on the arm. "Idiot! What were you thinking just running off and jumping into a fight like that!"
Red Ribbon Boy chuckled, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "Hehe. Well, I couldn't just leave that guy to fend for himself alone, could I?"
Pan Wukun watched the two boys banter.
There's more than one person in the world who wears purple robes with a lotus emblem and a red ribbon in their hair...right? - As if she didn't just hear them clearly say "YunmengJiang sect" earlier.
No way. There was just no way!
Purple Ribbon Boy rolled his eyes. "Right. We can always trust there to be trouble and chaos with you around, Mr. Hero."
Red Ribbon Boy gasped and placed a hand on his chest with a pout. "Ah! Jiang Cheng, you wound me."
And just like that, Pan Wukun's world shattered.
Red Ribbon Boy turned to Pan Wukun, beaming. "Hey there! You ok?"
Grinning at her was the fucking protagonist Wei Wuxian himself.
Character Ages as of this chapter
Nie Mingjue: 20
Pan Wukun, Jiang Yanli, Lan Xichen: 17
Meng Yao, Jin Zixuan: 16
Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng, Wen Ning, Nie Huaisang: 15
A/N: Well, look who it is, everyone. :)
We all seriously need to be cheered up after…Meng Shi. :(
Oh yeah. An additional note. When you leave a review on my fic for the first time, please let me know whether or not you are comfortable with me sending you PMs.
For those I messaged and may have accidentally made uncomfortable, I apologize. I'm still learning the social etiquette on FFN. I'm doing my best to respect people's boundaries.
I like to answer readers' questions in reviews or give my responses to readers' reviews.
My PMs are always open for questions or chatting about anything really.