Tournament Day

Light streamed through the open window of the courthouse room onto the young man's face. Though it would be enough to wake most, he slept soundly through. It had been weeks since Hong Zhao had slept in an actual bed. The soft fabric felt like heaven after sleeping on the ground during his training. His head rose and fell with the rhythmic breathing of Shadow who had decided to be the young boy's pillow. Though, when footsteps were heard approaching the room he was staying in, his eyes slowly crept open.

"Young Master, it's time to-" A young woman turned the corner into his room and noticed Hong Zhao putting on an undershirt. "Oh, you are already awake." She smiled in relief. "Master Li Wen and his children are expecting you for breakfast. Shall I tell them you will join shortly?" Her eyes went to the shadow panther which laid on the bed. The large beast yawned a large cat yawn while lazily looking at her.

"I shall just join you on the way back to the estate." Hong Zhao said, sleep coating his voice as he put on his gold lined black robe. "That should save us both some time, don't you think?" He smiled kindly to the servant as he put his boots on, using his bed as a seat to do so. Within the minute, Hong Zhao followed the servant girl out of his courtyard home and into the Li Family Estate.

Walking through the familiar path through the home, Hong Zhao could pick up the faint voices of the Li siblings. The voices slowly raised in volume the closer they got to the dining room. Before the servant opened the door, Hong Zhao heard the name of Li Xiao mentioned. He figured he may have struck a chord with Li Wen after hinting after some of the knowledge he had.

As the door opened to the dining room, the voices of the children died out, instead, they looked at Hong Zhao as he entered the threshold. Though they said nothing, their eyes spoke volumes. It was clear to Hong Zhao that Li Wen must have told his children at least a little of the conversation that transpired between them. "Good morning." Hong Zhao said sleepily as he pulled up a chair to the table. "Did everyone else sleep as well as I did?" He yawned and poured himself a cup of water.

"I slept like a baby." Li Wei admitted as she looked down at the table, clearly not knowing how to speak to him anymore.

"Guys," Hong Zhao said frankly. "No matter what your father has told you about me and why I'm here, I'm still the same person you have trained with for a little more than two years now." He took a drink of his water to clear the sleep from his throat. "I'd still like to count myself as a friend to the Li family."

"I don't understand that." Li Wuhan spoke hesitantly. His hand clenched a cup tightly as he figured how he was going to continue. "We have grown knowing the shame of what our family has done to Li Xiao. We have received lessons to ensure we do not repeat the mistakes of our ancestors. We are taught to be humble and to accept our master when he comes to collect us. Yet here you are preaching freedom and giving us more." His eyes met Hong Zhao's accusingly. "Would you bring Obopin here only to start a war? What would we gain from that besides death?"

"What would you gain from going to Obopin with the soldiers they bring?" Hong Zhao asked in a level tone. "Do you think these soldiers will only come to collect you? Has no one remembered what happened the last time Li Xiao visited this continent?" He took another drink from his water while waiting for someone to talk. When they didn't, he continued. "Did he not wipe most experts out within each continent? Did he not just leave the students to be the teachers as he burned down the academies?" His eyebrow raised as he considered how to continue. "If you survive Obopin, you will be a slave. A slave with the Li family name. A name that shares no love with your ancestor. What do you think will happen? Will he accept you with open arms and welcome you into his home like you have welcomed me?"

They sat in silence for a long moment, Hong Zhao slowly nursing his water. "I would rather see you two grow strong." He said finally as the minutes rolled past. "I would see you rise to the top power within this world, only because I know you can."

"If we so much as break through into the disciple rank, when Obopin comes, they will bring men to kill us!" Li Wuhan yelled from across the table. "You have already given such a fate to our father! He will likely only live these last ten years!" A tear escaped his eye as he confronted his friend. "This world isn't fair, Hong Zhao," he shook his head slowly. "But at least it's a world we all can still live in."

"So you would accept your lot in life." Hong Zhao detested the weakness he was seeing within his friend. "You would live like cattle. You would be herded here and there waiting for the slaughter. You would have a master." He spat the word master as if it were disgusting. "You would die a death within the next few hundred years while a man who left this continent thousands of years ago rules the children you leave behind?" Hong Zhao couldn't understand how someone could be okay with such a life. "A life of servitude instead of a life of freedom? I refuse." He spat on the floor. "I refuse for this to be my life. I would rather strike and end such a rule, so that my friends and family can live the lives they were meant to, not the lives and edict of an insane ruler has placed upon them."

Hong Zhao looked at his friends with an iron gaze. The look was somewhat alien to the two and they gazed down at the table instead of meeting Hong Zhao's eyes. They would rather go back to the two bandits from the forest instead of looking into the eyes of a boy who would only accept freedom. His determination made them feel ashamed of how they lived. Did they want to be servants to their ancestor? Did they want to die early deaths?

Hong Zhao decided to use the silence to pour more water from a pitcher which rested on the table. As he refilled his water, Li Wen entered the room and sat at the head of the table. His eyes rested kindly on the young boy as he took another long drink from his cup. "I agree with Hong Zhao." Li Wen said with a smile. "I do not wish to be a servant to a master who betrayed his own family. I do not want to be a slave to a man who only feels scorn for his own blood. Instead, I wish to get stronger, even if it is a death sentence. I would rather die than to be cattle." His hand clenched into a fist. Hong Zhao saw the man's knuckles go white with emotion. This was the kind of reaction he was hoping for, not subservience.

Hong Zhao cleared his throat and gave Li Wen a smile. "I promise that I am not here to cause trouble. I only wish to live my life in peace. But in order for me to do that, I must help foster a change within this continent, and help such change spread to the others." He looked at Li Wen, then his children. "I intend to change this world, one way or another."

"We will see." Li Wuhan said skeptically. "I can't believe only one man can foster such change in a world that has been the same for thousands of years."

"Change has to start somewhere." Hong Zhao said simply. "Why can it not start with me?"

The house servants started bringing in large piles of food and placing them on the long table. Hong Zhao saw a large tray of omelets and grabbed one to put on his plate. He also grabbed some sausages which smelled like they might be pork, or at least this world's equivalent to pork. He had noticed that this world mirrored his own in many respects, including the wildlife. The only difference was that some of the animals cultivated within this world while in his world others cultivated them. He smiled at the thought as he bit into his omelet.

"The tournament is going to be within four hours." Li Wen said as he set his cup of water down. "It will be in the training grounds in the Village Elder's estate. If you need to get anything before the tournament, just make sure you are there before the crowd overtakes the entrance."

"Does it really get so busy?" Hong Zhao asked between mouthfuls of his breakfast.

"These tournaments are rare." Li Wen said with a slight smile. "The last tournament was when I was your age. I even fought in it." He stared off into the distance, as if remembering what the fight must have been like. The flinch that Hong Zhao noticed next must have meant it didn't end well for the man. He smiled as he continued eating.

Hong Zhao still had at least five health recovery pills within his ring, so he knew he was prepared enough for the tournament. He couldn't believe that there was someone who could match his strength in a civilization which was not allowed to go past a certain level. Though he was only a sixth star student ranked cultivator, he had enough confidence in his own abilities. Even if he were not able to defeat another cultivator with shattering palm or hurricane kick, he still had his devouring qi claws he could fall back on in nothing else worked.

Hong Zhao excused himself from the meal table and stretched his limbs. The breakfast had made him content, now he had a few hours to cultivate before the tournament began.

As he walked to the exit of the Li family estate, he heard footsteps approaching him quickly. He turned to see Li Wei racing after him. She stopped just a few feet before him. "If you intend to take down the system this world runs on, I will help you." Hong Zhao saw a look of determination on her face as she said this. "I will not live my life as a slave." She vowed before turning back to the hall she had come from.

Even though she was just six years old, Hong Zhao admired the determination he had noticed in her eyes. "This one will not lead a simple life." He said silently as he watched her walk away. If nothing else, he was glad she was going to walk the same path as he was. Though he said to the contrary, he was going to need all the help he could get if he was going to change this world. It was something one person could start, only by inspiring others to join him. But he would not be able to do everything himself. Even he knew this.

Hong Zhao's thoughts went back to his friend Michael in the world he came from. Even though the man ended up putting a bullet in his head, he was still one of his closest supporters of that time. The man had been with Hong Zhao for years, acting as his real body so the shadow could roam free. If he were to change this world, he would need to unleash his shadow once more. He would need all the support he could find. Such a feat as changing a world was never easy. He couldn't bet on it being any different this time. He just hoped for one less bullet.