A challenge was a challenge, no matter who issued it. In the past, Siu could do nothing but wave them away, knowing it was futile even to entertain the thought... It caused him to get labeled as a coward, a failure, a whimp, and anything in between. But now? He was a bit excited as Tian's challenge was something he was also looking forward to. As for actual fighting prowess... He knew he had none. He never learned a proper form or any moves, whether basic or advanced, in the art of fighting. He was strictly following his mentor's advice of keeping his mind empty and untainted. He had sworn to keep his mind clear for the time when he would start for real... It would be then that he can begin learning a form that best suits him without the hassle of having to forget prior knowledge.

  It was amongst these thoughts that he arrived at the training field, right as the morning sun rose above the horizon.

  "You're not late, surprising!" Tian said from across the field, already barefoot and only wearing pants, rolling his naked shoulders, visibly proud of his physique, "Thought maybe you'd use yesterday as an excuse to slither out of this. That you need more rest or something..."

  "No, I am recovered by now." Siu raised an eyebrow, shaking his arms loose. "Although, to be honest, I thought about it. But then I remembered how much I want to see that grin of yours punched into the dirt. I learned that attack dogs like you don't learn from words, but from affirmative actions."

  "Hah!" Tian laughed, sharp and barking-like, and Siu couldn't tell if he nailed the analogy or Tian was playing into his insult. Whichever it was, at least Tian showed that he was not someone who would get riled up by words... That was one of the greatest enemies to have in a fight. “Good. I was worried you’d gotten cold feet.”

  The sparring field was completely flat, bounded on all sides by a low fence of bamboo poles and rope charms that would activate the moment the contestants entered. Their presence was intended to discourage spectators from jumping in. If any third party decided to interfere, they would forcefully restrain the individual, alerting either the Elders or Inner Disciples, depending on who was trying to interfere with a duel. It was deeply forbidden to interrupt fights... no matter who or why. It was also why, by the time Siu arrived, a few curious outer disciples had drifted over, drawn there by the prospect of some early, free entertainment. An official duel was always a thrilling spectacle to watch, even if the participants were the newest members of the sect.

  Just as Siu was about to enter, Neya also arrived, waking up no matter how quietly Siu left their dormitory room. She stood on her toes, her eyes darting back and forth between Tian and Siu, unsure what to really think. They were... of the same group, weren't they? Why fight then? This... This boyish thing felt so stupid to her... Who cares who is the number one in their room? They are supposed to work together as brothers and sisters, no?

  “You sure about this?” she asked him in the end, just loud enough to be heard.

  “I am,” he called back with a smile, “It may be the first duel I do... but certainly not the last. It is also the best way to learn.”

  Lorean arrived a few moments later, her arms crossed, watching the two boys with an unreadable expression. However, by observing the movement in her eyes, it was clear that she was mainly focused on Siu, not Tian. For Siu, it was clear as day that she wanted to confirm something, and he didn’t blame her for it. And he wouldn't hold back at all, because his advancement wasn't a secret in the first place. He never intended it to be.

  "Come on, let's get to it!" Tian stepped forward, settling into a common fighting stance in the mortal armies, right foot forward, knees slightly bent, turning his body in a way to give the least targets to aim for. His movements were tight and economic, practiced until they became muscle memory, which was already evident.

  "Sure, sure," Siu bounced lightly on his toes, testing the speed and flexibility of his body for a little before stopping. There was a sharp jolt through his soles that reminded him that not all the bruises were gone yet, but gauging the pain, it was way below his natural threshold so that he could ignore it... If it came down to that.

  “Have you ever fought someone before?” Tian asked, cracking his knuckles one by one, noticing that Siu's stance didn't reference any known martial skills... at least none that he was familiar with.

  “No,” Siu replied honestly, “But I’ve watched a lot of people mess it up.”

  "Is that so?" Tian grinned, feeling even more confident, "Then you're already familiar with what losing looks like."

  "Come on!" An older disciple, lazily lounging nearby, shouted at them, “Just start hitting each other already! Let's see some blood and broken noses, you twerps!”

  As if on command, Tian exploded forward like a snapping rubber band. He was surprisingly fast, so much so that Siu barely dodged, causing the first exchange to be like rapid lightning strikes. Tian closed the distance in three long strides and lashed out with a high kick aimed at Siu’s ribs. As a reaction, Siu twisted his torso just enough to avoid the first, but Tian was like a dancer, using his landing feet to keep up the momentum and get into a roundhouse kick, aiming a full force second kick with his other leg at the same spot.

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  Which did land. With a thud, Siu staggered back, blinking his eyes as he kept watching, without grimacing. The only sign was his breath catching a little, but he showed no signs of actual pain.

  "He is fast..." Siu thought, moving his muscles, checking the state of his torso, but besides a slight discomfort, he didn't feel much, "Faster than me... He does have talent..."

  Tian didn’t give him time to think for long, though. The following to his opening sequence was a tighter, more measured attack containing two quick jabs to test Siu’s guard, followed by a low sweep. Siu ducked, stumbled, and then hopped over the sweep, acting purely by instinct. Seeing this, Tian furrowed his brows, noting that Siu was like... a village idiot, knowing nothing about fighting... Pressing, he tried to land a quick, jumping knockout with his elbow, wanting to lay Siu out. In response, Siu's arms went up to block, his forearm meeting Tian’s elbow with a loud crack.

  But it wasn't Siu's arm that suffered from it as pain shot up Tian's arm, causing the kid to recoil and hiss in pain.

  “What the hell?!” Tian barked, shaking his arm. “You feel like a goddamn boulder!”

  "Well... kinda?" Siu grinned through the throb in his bones, which was still there but slowly receding, “For your sake... You are at a disadvantage, even though I am an amateur when it comes to fighting. Better make it count, Tian... or you will feel the same thing again.”

  Amongst the spectators, probably the one who knew exactly why and what was happening... was Lorean, her eyes narrowing significantly, biting her lower lip in a flash of jealousy.

  Even if she didn't want to acknowledge what she was seeing, the next clash between the two told the story plainly. Tian had technique; every movement was drilled into him, trained to be efficient and calculated. Siu had none of that... He flinched too early... When trying to throw a punch, he over-committed his body... He didn’t counter properly. But it didn’t matter at all, because his body was something else entirely. When in the next moment Tian landed a clean strike to Siu’s shin, the blow thudded like a strike against a hardwood training dummy, without Siu buckling. Yes, his breath hitched again a bit, but he didn’t fall at all. The only one who had to skip backwards and shake his leg to ease the pain was Tian...

  "That bastard..." Lorean cursed under her breath, "Did he go with it? Who are you to try it...? Without a guide, it can be deadly..."

  "What do you mean?" Neya asked, suddenly appearing next to Lorean, watching the fight, being less and less worried for Siu.

  "I mean that Siu went with a risky method to break the first barrier, one that if screwed up, could have crippled him..."

  "..." Neya's eyes widened, listening to her, looking back and forth between Siu and Lorean... but she believed her.

  Siu’s lack of training was apparent, but so was the truth that his bones had undergone a transformation. Exactly how it is written down in the instructions she read. The strength of his skeleton, the thickness of his joints, the sheer density of his frame... it was the result that came after the first marrow-deep tempering and cleansing. From all the other newly joined Outer Disciples, none of them were even close to it.

  By then, in the field, frustration began to show on Tian’s face.

  “Hold still!” he growled, launching a punch aimed at Siu’s nose.

  "Look, I am not going to be a punching bag," Siu ducked awkwardly, his balance off, so when he retaliated, swinging a fist in return, Tian caught it… and grimaced.

  “Shit! Are your fingers made of bricks, too?!” Tian growled again, his whole arm hurting.

  “Nope,” Siu chuckled again, “I’m just built differently.”

  "Fuck you!" Tian shoved him back, gasping for air, “This isn’t a fair fight!”

  “Wasn’t supposed to be,” Siu shot back, planting his feet, furrowing his brows, “Or are you... retarded? This is cultivation. It’s not about fairness... What? It is only fair if you think you are on top? Or if any enemy you face is as strong as you? Because if you believe that, you are indeed an idiot.”

  It was clear that Siu suddenly became annoyed with Tian... And it was why the next clash between them ended it.

  Tian moved in, locked Siu’s arm, twisted, and swept his legs out in a clean maneuver. Siu didn’t resist the fall; he couldn’t, knowing Tian was more experienced, but he rolled with it, landing with a grunt on his back... and his elbow in Tian's stomach. The boy held his grip for a moment, breathing hard, then loosened his grip, letting Siu go. The moment he was off him, Tian couldn't help but grunt and spit some blood out, feeling as if some of his inner organs just ruptured... which was indeed the case.

  "You can't win." Siu said, already standing, looking down at him, "I am ahead of you already... Let this be your lesson, Tian. The world is unfair..."

  "Yeah... I know that..." Tian grasped, wincing, “I heard that a sect is just the world on a smaller scale... I never believed it... tsk... Same bullshit everywhere...”

  “Yeah, you are not wrong,” Siu muttered, closing his eyes, remembering his own experience, “But... You’re good." He smiled as he reopened one eye, looking at him, "You’ve got control, timing… discipline. For now, I’ve got... bones. If we had been on the same level, you would have won easily.”

  “Yeah, but we are not the same, aren't we?” Tian nodded, wincing,

  "No. We aren't." Siu repeated slowly.

  "Fuck..." Tian coughed again, trying to get up, wobbling, and when Siu offered a hand, he accepted it after a moment of thought, groaning while being pulled to his feet. “Medicine bath...?”

  "Yeah," Siu nodded, looking over him, “And do not skimp out on it... Internal bleeding and injuries like yours can kill the moment you decide to sleep.”

  “I am not dying at the hands of a complete amateur...” Tian scowled, slowly letting his hands go, “I don't know how you broke through already... but the moment I do, I am coming for you again.”

  "Sure, sure," That got a dry laugh out of Siu, "But don't think I will also just lean back and stop improving."

  "Fuck you, I know that..." Tian muttered, coughing up blood again, wobbling away, feeling that he indeed needed that medicinal bath before he passed out...

  Watching his back, Siu couldn't help but smile before his eyes moved to the spot where the older disciple, the one who shouted them, was. To no surprise... he was gone. Although it was Siu's first time seeing him, he had seen those eyes and stance before... He realized a plot in the brewing, and he already knew who was behind it all.

  "Better learn some proper fighting..." He mumbled, thinking of Nue from whom he had 'swindled' the first payment of his. All these little schemes... were so similar and predictable…

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