Chương 27: "The World Is Abundant in Two Things, Suffering and Fools”

Ch 27 "The World Is Abundant in Two Things, Suffering and Fools"" Wood?" Amber let the name loose from her lips in surprise. She realized it was no coincidence seeing him in Blue Cloud City, he must have decided to journey to the Clan Trials after all. Didn't I tell him I'd break his legs? she clenched her fist under the table.

"Oh? Somebody you know?" Ember asked from behind her fan.

"Hmmph. Nobody worth knowing," Amber said, suppressing the well of anger inside her. She wanted to keep the people in her old life far away from the new ones. The girl didn't want any demonic rumors going around again!

"Good evening swans, dragons, and toads!" A man in all black clothes and a white outer robe stood in the center of the Octagon. His voice boomed as he spoke through a tube that was much smaller on one side than the other end, which ended in the head of a dragon. It seemed to make his voice much louder. The crowd vigorously cheered and applauded.

"Introducing the fighters in tonight's first event," he yelled into the dragon tube.

"In the Gold corner, the warrior on an 11 fight win streak, the brutal berserker, the maleficent madman, Boooooone Eaaaateeerrrr!" A man came running into the arena. He only wore black pants, black boots, and an iron mask. His muscular body flexed as protruding veins bulged from his flesh. The man was screaming as he ran and held his arms wide.

"Show me! Show me who I'm reuniting with his ancestors!" The crowd went absolutely nuts. Amber was almost deafened by Wing cheering next to her as well. She was glad the tiger had only shared its smell and not its hearing tonight!

"In the black corner, a newcomer from Green Wood Village! Give it up for Wooood!" the man with the dragon tube yelled into the atmosphere. The crowd exploded with boos. The boy from Green Wood stood there stoically with crossed arms. Amber's brows furrowed together. She was still upset that he had ignored her warning. Perhaps she had let him off too easy last time.

"Looks like they want to see a bloodbath." Ember laughed, pouring another drink. Her face had not even begun to change colors yet.

"Cabbage! Do you think your friend can do it?" Wing asked, his words running together a bit as he poured another cup of rice wine.

"He's not my friend." Amber crossed her arms.

"And I think he might get his bones eaten and followed with wine."

"Ohhh, that sucks! I was hoping we had insider information," Wing laughed.

"Look at his odds! We could have made a lot of money, it looks like everyone else expects him to lose too." The boy gestured down to her stone tablet.

"Wow," she said as she looked at the lights that flashed across the smooth stone surface. The names of fighters appeared on her tablet as well as some glowing numbers.

"So these are the odds?" she asked, looking at the stone.

"Yep. This one's not even worth betting on, since everyone thinks Bone Eater will win. The odds are too high to earn much," Wing said, before raising his plate to his face to shovel noodles more effectively.

"Now introducing our Sword & Wine Bar owners and judges! The Three Dragons of Blue Cloud City!" the man with the dragon tube said. He gestured open handedly towards 3 high wooden chairs that were in the deepest ring seating level, yet raised above the stone octagon.

"They're shot callers in Blue Cloud City," Wing told the girls over the crowd.

"The beautiful and dangerous Azure Dragon Melina!" The first judge was an elegant woman with blue hair who wore a large black fur garment. She had a cold smile on her face.

"Also known as the Vice City Lord of Blue Cloud City!"

"Next we have the Axe Dragon Mr. Bloodwind!" An old man who seemed full of life despite his age grinned widely and waved at the crowd. He had a silken black robe on, tied loosely enough to reveal a large golden necklace underneath.

"The head of the oldest and most deeply rooted family in Blue Cloud City!"

"Finally, we have the Gold Dragon of Blue Cloud City! Mr. Tusk! He is responsible for nearly 30% of the Commerce in the city!" The last judge was a round man with an expensive black pinstriped robe, adorned with gold accents. Two skull pendants with jewels in the eyes held a short cape over his shoulders. He had a wry smile, puffing a fat cigar as a waitress served him a large plate of pork, not daring to look up from her bow the entire time. The crowd went wild at each introduction.

Amber briefly wondered what it was like to be that important to your hometown.

"This event is a Critical Hit match!" the announcer bellowed on.

"The first to land a critical hit is the winner! When all three judges raise their flag, a critical hit is determined!"

"The rules are as follows! Training weapons only, no killing, and no external Qi skills! In addition to a critical hit ending, a surrender, injury, or ring out may also end the match!" the announcer shouted into the dragon tube.

"Please place your bets now, the action is starting soon!" Amber tapped her finger against the stone tablet in her lap, watching the odds shift slightly as bets poured in. Wood's chances sat at a dismal twenty-to-one against him. Almost no one believed the newcomer from Green Wood Village stood a chance. Good. She hoped Bone Eater lived up to his name and swallowed up every last piece of Wood.

"Hmm, I'll wait for a more interesting wager," Ember said, sipping her plum wine filled cup.

"I'll do the same! They're just starting with a show to get the crowd excited. That poor guy, he doesn't know what he's in for. Tons of people fall for the trap of a big prize. My father used to say the world is abundant in two things, suffering and fools!" Wing declared, already reaching for another pour. He seemed to get louder every time he took a drink. Ember nodded and drank her wine. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Amber said nothing, her eyes were fixed on Wood as he stood in the black corner. He hadn't moved from his position, arms still crossed, face expressionless despite the cascade of boos raining down on him. There was something different about his posture, a stillness that hadn't been there before in Green Wood Village. Had he been training? Or was this just the mask you showed an opponent? He definitely hadn't been able to hide his feelings just a few moons ago.

The announcer retreated to the edge of the octagon as attendants entered with racks of practice weapons. Bone Eater grabbed a wooden staff that was as thick as a man's forearm and broke it over his head. The mad screamed under his metal mask as he raised his hands up to the roaring crowd. He was definitely a performer, and the crowd loved him. Wood paid no attention as he hovered over the weapons, his eyes examining them all as if looking for something.

He pulled out a wooden sword and turned it back and forth, examining the weapon.

"Fuck it! I'm betting. 1 silver he lasts at least 1 minute!" Wing said, slamming his empty cup down and picking up his tablet.

"My dear guard, is it wise to bet wildly when you're so, impassioned by alcohol?" Ember smiled at Wing as she poured another cup of aged plum wine.

"Ha! Nonsense." Wing snorted, pouring another cup of his rice wine. It flowed out a bit sloppily.

"If this little lady has been keeping up with me, how could I be drunk?" A loud gong reverberated throughout the building and the crowd started to cheer.

"Attention! The first gong has rung!" the announcer yelled into the dragon tube.

"When 5 gongs have rung, the match starts! Fighters, at the ready!" GONG The roaring crowd began to die down as the two fighters stepped onto opposing sides of the Octagon. GONG Wood stood calmly, holding his sword out in front of him with one hand. Bone Eater had put on a show smashing weapons, but in the end he brought none into the octagonal platform. GONG The crowd completely died down as the fighters went still. The tension rose and the moment before the last gong stretched into eternity.

Bone Eater cracked his knuckles, breaking through the silence like a firework. GONG The crowd roared back to life as Bone Eater rushed in like a cannonball. Much to Amber's surprise, Wood charged in as well. Bone Eater took a savage swing, his muscles tensing as if they were stone. Wood didn't even look worried as he stepped to the side, the air of Bone Eater's strike washing over his body.

"Hmm, he won't die immediately at least." Ember smiled as she fanned herself. Amber watched carefully. Something about Wood had definitely changed. Sure, he had been able to enter the Flowing Qi Realm the last time she had seen him. But he had no technique and no teacher. Yet the boy in front of her was definitely moving from side to side in a careful and controlled manner as the much bigger man took vicious swipes at him.

"Good! Good! Keep it up! Don't let me down!" Bone Eater shouted as he threw a strong lariat at the boy, who quickly ducked under it without breaking his footwork. He definitely has a movement technique! Amber thought to herself. What in the world did he go through since I last saw him? Her grip tightened around her cup.

"Let's see who's letting who down!" Wood finally shouted, his face shadowed with anger. His sword moved with snake like motion, the wood leaving blurred impacts all across the masked man's exposed side. Bone Eater simply flexed and laughed as the wooden sword came down fiercely. The blows left the larger fighter's flesh unmarked.

"HaHAhaHAha!" Bone Eater laughed out manically as the crowd roared.

"Struggle some more!"

"Hmmph, I hate arrogant people like you the most!" Wood shouted, pulling his sword hand close to his face as he prepared a skill.

"Take this sword strike if you're not a coward!" His sword began to glow a green color as his stance lowered. Did this count as an external Qi skill? Amber looked to the judges, none of which seemed to care.

"Leave here with your bones intact before calling me arrogant!" Bone Eater called out, laughing. The audience exploded, hanging on his every word. He was clearly a crowd favorite.

"Get him!" Wing shouted, his cup sloshing in his hand.

"Wait, you said the kid's not your friend, right?" he asked Amber.

"No. I told him I'd break his legs if I saw him again," Amber said firmly, not taking her golden eyes off of the match.

"He's an enemy then, good! Get him! Kill this asshole, Bone Eater! KILL him!" Wing shouted before guzzling his cup. He took a deep breath after, and side eyed Ember who was sitting pleasantly with a smile, pouring another cup of her plum wine. Wing grimaced, pouring another cup of his rice wine. How had the other girl had so many drinks already without showing any sign of drunkenness? Wood lurched forward, yelling as his glowing sword thrust forward towards the huge man's chest.

Bone Eater simply flexed and screamed, letting the boy attack him. The tip of the sword collided with the masked man's solar plexus, and the wood of the training sword instantly splintered apart.

"HaHaHaHaHa!" the man in the metal mask laughed manically. The crowd went insane at the domineering display of strength.

"That's nothing!" Wing slurred his words.

"Our mighty Cabbage could do that easily!" Amber didn't acknowledge the comment as her eyes locked onto the fight before her.

"Yes, our dear Little Cabbage is a fierce little thing!" Ember laughed as she sipped her drink.

"Right! Thasssssh what I'm saying!" Wing laughed so joyously that his whole body swayed as he raised his cup.

"Just like she embarrassed that Jadehand trash!"

"Server! Come here." Wing called a nearby server and said something with a big grin that Amber couldn't hear over the roar of the crowd. The server bowed lightly and left. Wood's eyes went wide at the sight of his sword breaking apart on his opponent's flesh. Bone Eater stepped in quickly, delivering a sharp hook to his upper torso then lower torso, sending the boy wincing back in pain. The blue haired judge alone raised a Gold Flag.

"Press in! Kill him Bone Eater!" Wing shouted drunkenly as Wood stumbledbackwards.

"I don't think he's going to finish him anytime soon," Ember spoke from behind her fan. Indeed, Bone Eater showed a large amount of martial prowess, easily circling and cornering the boy, peppering him with blows that hurt deeply but didn't do enough damage for the judges to raise a flag. He could have finished the fight any number of times.

"Fight back!" one patron yelled.

"Kill him!" another shouted.

"The challenger Wood is crumbling! His dream of winning the prize is fading before his very eyes!" the announcer shouted into his dragon tube. The crowd was livid and showing its thirst for blood. While Amber didn't mind that asshole Wood paying his karmic debt, this Bone Eater guy didn't know Wood was an asshole, he just liked being a bully. It gave her a foul feeling. The crowd eating it up didn't sit quite right with her either. A brutal elbow caught Wood across the temple, snapping his head to the side.

Two judges raised gold flags. The crowd roared, but the remaining judge kept their flag down. Not a critical hit. The judge who hadn't raised his, the round Mr. Tusk, was watching while stuffing his grease smeared cheeks with pork. Wood staggered but recovered as blood trickled from a red split above his eyebrow. He pressed forward with a yell and a series of palm strikes that showed surprising coordination. Bone Eater deflected them easily, numbing the boy's hands with every interaction.

Amber watched intently as she dropped another chicken leg into the shadowed void underneath the table without looking. A happy purr and a sensation of happiness rang back at her through their link. As the challenger began to grow sluggish under his increasing injuries, Bone Eater started unleashing a series of kicks onto his opponent's knees that left the boy staggering backwards and screaming in pain. The crowd seemed energized by the brutal display.

The Azure Dragon Melina kept her flag up as the huge man assaulted the boy's knees, before his entire stance crumbled. The boy's legs sank down till he was on his knees, looking defeated.

"The challenger appears to have trouble standing! Is this the end of the match?" the announcer shouted into his dragon tube.

"What do you mean?" Bone Eater roared. He grabbed Wood by his collar and lifted him up to his feet.

"Look at 'em! He's standing up just fine!" The crowd cheered as Bone Eater laughed. Amber clenched her fist. She hated Wood. The boy was always hurling insults and trying to fight her during her childhood in Green Wood Village. But, what she hated more, was someone who took pleasure in torturing someone weaker than them!