Druidic Cultivation | Forty-One

Considering changing Wang Jing's name to Wang Ren/Rin. Feels weird to keep saying Jing even though I know it is Chinese. It's funny sounding because I speak english, thoughts?

 https://www.strawpoll.me/18291573 

* *  *

By the time the boy’s bracket ended, the moon had progressed a large portion of the way through the night sky. Jiao’s victory was accompanied by a cacophony of applause and shouting. Apparently, a large portion of the audience had decided to bet on the underdog that fight and had made out like bandits. 

Ma Heise, disgruntled about losing, pushed himself off the dirt floor from where he'd been signed and glared in the direction of Feng Jiao. Although he was unwilling to accept his loss, he’d lost either which way. Unless one won the bottom bracket they had no chance to challenge anyone else to another fight. Regardless of whether or not Feng Jiao won his battle the next morning, the best Ma Heise could hope for was third place in the tournament. 

As unwilling as he was to accept the outcome of the battle, Ma Heise forced himself to approach Feng Jiao in the arena and bow. He may had lost and his ‘face’ may have been injured, but he still had his pride.

“Congratulations, Feng Jiao. You defeated me fair and square today, I should not have underestimated you just because I won our first battle. I wish you luck in defeating Bai Fu. Only by suppressing that talent can you win me back some face. I know I wasn’t exactly polite to you this time, but I hope that, for your own sake, you do your best in beating Bai Fu.” After saying what he needed to say, Ma Heise left the stage and limped back towards the bleachers. Feng Jiao didn’t promise him his victory or even that he’d try, he had already planned to owin anyways, and only watched the older boy leave. 

“Nephew! You’ve done us a great honor today and won tons of face for the Feng Family! Hahaha, just in my bets alone I’ve won years worth of income. Ha! Just wait until First Brother Aoman hears about this! After all these years of-” Jiao’s uncle trailed off and gained a thoughtful look on his face, one that was very out of place considering how inebriated he was, “Nevermind! Tell me, are you confident in beating the little Bai tomorrow?” With an arm around Jiao’s shoulder, his uncle’s alcohol infested breath invaded Jiao’s nostrils. 

“Uncle, I will do my utmost to beat Bai Fu tomorrow but I cannot guarantee a victory. At most, if I were you, I’d place half my winnings on my victory.” Jiao peeled his uncle’s arm from around his shoulder, uncomfortable from the sudden onset of physical affection from a man who almost ignored his existence in the past. “I’ve not battled this Bai Fu before and who knows if he went all out against Ma Heise last time they fought. Don’t put your life savings on my victory again, uncle. I’d hate to see you poor and defeated.”

Jiao slipped the bonds of his uncle and greeted his father, gaining himself an appreciate headnod and a pat on his back. Although he and his father had never been close, Jiao knew that Feng Zhipei was proud of his efforts and accomplishments. Even if Elder Nufang hadn’t told him to win the competition for Cao and Jing’s sake, Jiao would have done his best just to make his father smile.

After returning to the caravan grounds, where the rest of his village was camped out, Feng Jiao climbed into the female carriage and located his two friends, Duan Cao and Wang Jing. Seeing the two of them sharing a bedding and holding each other, Jiao couldn’t help but smile a little bit. Although he hadn’t known them for very long, the two of them could be considered some of his best friends in any of his three lives. Seeing his short haired Cao being spooned by his athletic Jing, Jiao couldn’t help but feel moved. Regardless of whether or not he won the next day, he was sure that the two of them would take care of each other.

Jiao, naturally, squeezed in beside the two of them and put his arms around them. It wasn’t the first time they’d shared a bed roll, that had been when they all three went through their awakening, but he felt as warm and safe every time as the first. With his arms around his two closest friends in the world, with the exception of Aideen of course, Jiao slowly fell asleep.

* * * * *

In his dream, Jiao soared above an unfamiliar continent. Below him, countless humans battled, blood and steel were visible from miles above. Screams sounded out and bounced around the endless plains creating a hellish orchestra that only warriors could appreciate.

Below Jiao, steel warriors danced in and out of crowds with their steel longblades swinging, singing in the air as they sliced open chests and necks. Blood spurted with each movement and the shining berserkers were painted red. Screaming was joining by laughing, menaical and malicious. 

Jiao watched as yet another village was invaded by the shining warriors, this one made of twigs and leaves. An ongoing party was crashed and women and children pled for their lives. They were cut down, one by one, by the warriors who fought for their gods. The grass was stained red even as a few pockets of resistance held out. Jiao’s eyes focused in on one such pocket, a woman who covered a young boy with her body. Large roots and vines spread from the earth and batted away at the iron warriors, refusing to yield even as she slowly bled to death. A knight, this one wearing gilded armor rather than steel, chopped through the arm-thick roots and through the back of the woman. 

Jiao screamed out in terror and rage, unsure why he was so angry for a woman he’d never met. A shrill bird’s cry sounded out from his mouth, extremely inhuman and loud, as the man kicked the woman’s body away from the child who was cowering. Covered in blood, the knight did not stab the boy and, instead, grabbed him by the hair and dragged him toward the center of the village. He was tossed onto a bed of wood and sticks before being covered with the corpses of his family and friends. The golden knight laughed before setting flame to the corpses. He mounted his horse alongside the other steel warriors and rode away into the horizon, Jiao circled the bonfire of human corpses and waited. For what, he didn’t know. 

* * * * * 

Feng Jiao awoke with a start, covered in a cold sweat with dilated pupils. He couldn’t quiet remember what his dream was but he knew that it was nothing good. Flashes of steel and red filled his vision when he tried to remember what he’d seen the night before. Next to him, his two friends stirred where they slept.

“Jiao… Good morning. Mmm, did you win?” A sleepy Cao asked with her eyes still closed. Obviously she wasn’t ready to awake, mentally or physically, but was still happy to sense the presence of her newest friend, Feng Jiao. Jiao looked down at her messy hair and smiled while flattening a few of the cowlicks she had present.

“Of course I won, what do you take me for Cao’er, a weakling? Go back to sleep, I’ll treat you and Jing to breakfast when the sun rises.” “Mmm” Cao re-snuggled Wang Jing, digging her face into the taller girl’s shoulder as she went back to sleep. Jiao, however, was awake and pushed himself from the bedroll.  After carefully stepping over all the other girls sleeping in the cabin, Jiao slowly pushed open the doors leading outside.

The sky above was still dark but the distant horizon showed signs of red and pink, the sun would soon peek over the lands to warm up the occupants. Jiao pushed Qi through his legs and hopped up, climbing up onto the roof of the parked carriage and meditating until the sun rose. Only after the sun had been up for almost an hour did Jiao finally open his eyes. The competition would start again around ten so he had three hours to kill. As the sun finally rose, Jiao’s friends stretched and exited the carriage. Truthfully, Jing fully intended to sleep in until Cao told her that Jiao promised them breakfast, his treat.

“Good morning, little brother Jiao! How’d I know you’d be up there cultivating? Leave it to you to keep training while everybody else sleeps!” Jing’s loud and boulstrous voice told Jiao that she knew he’d promised breakfast, she really wasn’t a morning person on any other occasion. The three of them set off toward the center of town, intent on finding a restaurant to purchase food. Although Jiao didn’t have a lot of wealth, he’d made more than enough from selling his kill during the Feng Family Competition to purchase a few meals. 

“How was it, Jiao? Did you beat down every one easily or was it close? Man, I wish I was allowed to stay in the arena after the awakenings! I couldn’t afford a ticket though and only people who awakened yesterday or participated in the tourney were allowed to stay for free.” Cao puffed her cheeks out and pouted, genuinely upset she wasn’t allowed to watch Jiao’s matches the day prior. 

“Don’t be upset, little Cao. I didn’t win but I came in second and today, I’ll get the chance to challenge the first place winner for victory. It will be easy, don’t worry about it. When we finish breakfast, I’ll have my uncle pay for you and Jing to spectate today.” Jing gave Jiao a thumbs up between mouthfuls of egg and fried beast of some sort, even as Cao pushed around her vegetables with a spoon. 

From the bruising visible around Jiao’s clothes as well as his slightly-limping gait that morning, Cao was able to tell that he’d been pushed harder than he was letting on. Combined with all the free restaurant meals and the tickets, Cao was starting to feel a bit pressured in their relationship. Jiao told her that the three of them were nothing more than friends but every now and then, he behaved as if that were not the case. She couldn’t help but feel worried for him.

“Jiao, you shouldn’t push yourself too hard. If you might get injured today, you should just accept second place. It’s only a silly competition, after all. There isn’t any need to get beat up by people who are years older than you for no reason other than pride.” Cao had asked around previously and knew that, apart from winning face for one’s family and sect, there wasn’t actually a prize for winning the competition there. The city lord hosted the battle for no other reason than to profit off tickets and betting, as well as encourage sales for beer and food.

“Not a chance, Cao. Thanks for being worried about me but there is no way I will give up now. I told the entire crowd last night that I’d definitely challenge for first place, what face would I have if I quit now?” Jiao hadn’t told the two girls that their early admission into the sect was riding on his victory previously and, even now, choose to keep it from the two of them. He knew how guilty Cao would feel if she saw the lengths he went to in order to allow his friends to stay by his side. 

The three of them finished up their breakfast of scrambled eggs and mystery meat before leaving the restaurant and headed back toward the caravan. On the way back, Jiao stopped by a street vendor and purchased four breakfast sandwiches as well, much to the astonishment of Cao and amusement of Jing. Both girls were astonished by the amount of food Jiao could pack away when he was hungry.

After stepping back into their caravan grounds, Jiao decided to seek out his newly-wealthy uncle to ask for a few tickets for his friends. Although they hadn’t gotten along in the past, Jiao was sure that Uncle Yaobei would consent to a few tickets. Jiao even brought one and a half breakfast sandwiches for trade.