Jun Li was seated on her bed, reading the Glass Cloud Manual with one hand, trying to figure out how to refine its Cultivation Method, with the other hand she repeatedly activated and deactivated her new Martial Technique, trying to get used to the qualitive changes that her Qi had undergone during her breakthrough to the Middle step of Qi Condensation.

  Closing the book, Jun Li decided to put off rewriting the Cultivation Method until she had restocked the food in her house.

  There wasn’t much to begin with, and she had gone through all of it in the week she had spent at the Sect, during which she hadn’t left her new home, other than to draw water from the Outer Sect’s well once a day.

  Grabbing her patchwork hat, Jun Li set out for the Repository at the opposite side of the plaza she had visited during her first day, hoping they would be able to supply some victuals.

  ‘Oh, this is a good opportunity…’ Jun Li didn’t have much space to work with in her yard, so she had been putting off actively practicing the Movement Technique described in the Glass Cloud Manual.

  The technique had interested her for a while, as when she read its description, Jun Li learned that the Movement Technique, known as the ‘Glass Cloud Art,’ was created by the very founder of the Glass Cloud Sect during their travels in foreign lands.

  According to its description, it was the foundation for several other Techniques, including the Billowing Glass Palm she had been studying.

  As Jun Li walked out from her home and through the austere streets of the Outer Sect, she attempted to use the Movement Technique at its simplest level.

  As with the Martial Technique she had grown accustomed to using, the basic form of the Technique projected Qi outwards in a sort of cloud, this time from the feet rather than the hands.

  The moment the Qi bulged out beneath her feet, a sudden lack of friction caused Jun Li's feet to slip out from underneath her.

  Quickly catching herself, Jun Li glanced about to make sure nobody had seen her fumble, and tried again, this time slowing her stride to focus.

  Trying and failing to keep her balance multiple times, Jun Li fumbled about with a number of methods of staying upright with the technique active.

  Instead of trying to walk with the cloud like a second pair of soles, Jun Li activated the technique with just one foot, and pressed off the ground with the other, giving herself momentum and sliding forward on the churning cloud of Qi.

  Once she had begun to move, she could theoretically activate the technique with the other foot, yet there was no point.

  Whether she had one or two feet on the ground, she still didn’t know how to change the direction of her movement, and instead glided across the ground with little control.

  Veering off the path of paved dirt leading from the Outer Sect to the Plaza, Jun Li deactivated the Technique, considering it near worthless in its current state.

  ‘How could I change my direction without touching the ground? If I could change the rotation of the clouds, I could guide my movement as though they were wheels, but I can’t control Qi very well when it’s outside of my body…’

  Pondering how to resolve her issues with the Movement Technique, Jun Li finally found her way to the Plaza, the Repository now within sight at the opposite end.

  As Jun Li walked through the plaza, an Outer Sect disciple noticed her from out of earshot and tapped his friend on the shoulder. “Hey, who is that?”

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  The disciple was surprised and a bit confused. “I feel like I would have heard something if a beauty like that suddenly showed up in the Sect. What gives?”

  Having had his attention drawn to Jun Li, the disciple’s friend felt his face grow stiff. “Ugh, don’t even think about it, look closer, see the hat she’s holding in her hand?” The friend pointed in Jun Li’s general direction.

  “She’s that commoner the Sect let slip through the entrance test.” Hearing this, the disciple’s eyebrows shot up. “Damn, I almost slipped up… I don’t think I would have been able to live it down if I tried to pursue a commoner and people found out.” He winced at the thought.

  As Jun Li continued to walk through the Plaza, her eyes focused on her footing as she considered how to resolve her problems with the Movement Technique.

  As Jun Li was looking down, something’s shadow flew directly past the front of her body, startling her and causing her to look up and stumble backwards.

  Looking around to find what it was, Jun Li saw a disciple lying on the stones of the Plaza to her left, completely unconscious. Looking to where the disciple had flown from, Jun Li saw a much taller disciple looking down on her from atop one of the Plaza’s many stages. “Ah, sorry about- “

  When the disciple suddenly stopped talking, Jun Li looked closer at who was speaking, and as soon as she realized who it was, she sucked in a breath of cold air and put her hat over her head in discomfort.

  On the other hand, as Ren Liwei realized just who he had almost apologized to, his face distorted in disgust.

  Just as Jun Li was trying to slip away to the Repository, Ren Liwei’s voice rang out. “You, wait.” Unable to convince herself to ignore him, Jun Li turned to face his direction, though she could not meet his eyes, in fear of seeing the loathing in them too clearly.

  “Y-yeah?” As Jun Li spoke, Ren Liwei made his way down from the stage he had previously been sparring on.

  Ren Liwei stood imperiously over Jun Li. “How about we have a match on one of the dueling platforms?” He spoke in a way that made it seem more like an order than a request.

  Jun Li looked more closely in Ren Liwei’s direction, though still quite unable to meet his gaze. “Uh, why would I do that?”

  Ren Liwei looked confused at her words. “…Huh?” He furrowed his eyebrow in disdain. “Because I asked you to. That’s why.”

  Jun Li was stunned for a moment by how unreasonable his logic sounded, and slowly shifted away. “I uh, really can’t, I have some things to take care of today.”

  Jun Li bowed slightly before turning away. “If you’ll excuse me…” Ren Liwei clicked his tongue at Jun Li’s response. “Stop.” He ordered, again stopping Jun Li in her tracks. “It seems I had forgotten the sort of… thing I’m talking to.”

  Rifling through his robe, Ren Liwei produced a small string lined with coins. “Here, if you win the duel, you get to take this.” The string coins he had were large and had a bright, brassy finish that denoted their worth. “The whole lot, of course.” He added after a moment.

  Seeing the coins, Jun Li froze. That kind of money could, on its own, vastly improve life at the orphanage.

  For a moment, Jun Li opened her mouth to speak, but she was unable to articulate any answer. ‘I can’t seriously back down now… If I have even the slightest chance of winning, I have to take it!’

  Suddenly realizing something, Jun Li spoke up. “And what about you? What if you win?” Ren Liwei paused a moment upon hearing this, a smile blooming on his face in a way that sent a chill down Jun Li’s spine.

  “Nothing!” He beamed. “I won’t ask you for anything.” Hearing this somehow made Jun Li feel even worse. If he had asked for something, even something absurd, she wouldn’t have felt as much dread as she did at that answer.

  Hesitating, Jun Li finally realized she didn't have a choice; confidence simply wasn't a factor here. If there was any chance of getting that money, she had to take it. “Okay, I’ll do it. Let's have a match…”

  Jun Li took a breath to calm herself and continued before Ren Liwei could interrupt her. “But please wait for a while, I need to take care of something. I’ll be finished and back within the hour.”

  Ren Liwei seemed to be in a brighter mood and spoke happily. “Not a problem, I need to request an Elder to oversee the duel and enforce our terms, so we would have needed to wait anyway.”

  Jun Li nodded, halfheartedly acknowledging what he had said as she turned and made her way to the Repository.

  On her way to the Repository and even back to her house, her mind sped unceasingly, trying to find some advantage that could sway the duel in her favor. In the end, Jun Li could do nothing but pray and have faith in her own training, brief though it was.