Month 6 Week 5 Traveling Around for Artifacts Part 8 Fight Hard

"I have important matters to attend to, this needs to be solved now." Leroy removed his outer robe. His vest is the only thing covering his top half. "No rules about multiple people fighting at once."

He turned towards Jing Lin making direct eye contact.

"I do not care about the way things are currently set up but you are needed for certain matters even more so now." He gave her a simple fist salute as an apology. Jing Lin was confused but would understand soon enough like the rest of them. "I will remove the problem for the ownership of this town and then we will talk it over in private. They.." A scowl at the Chu Family and Jing Family members in the audience. "... after all dragged me into this."

"What's happening here?" A cultivator had no idea what was going on. He looked around for an answer for anyone discussing it. The faces of the crowd not helping his lack of information. "Anyone mind telling me?"

"You must have just got back in town." A local breadmaker said. "The Clear Jing-fire Family made a bet with the Clear Light Lion-ice Family over the ownership of the town and surrounding resources. Inspector Leroy was.. convinced to join for some reason or another to help balance it all out from my understanding."

"I do not have time for this... foolishness with the state of the Empire getting worse." Leroy released his cultivation at the Foundation Establishment Realm unfettered. This caused Jing Van Yan and Chu Xue's knees to buckle. The depth and strength of his display caused quite a few elders to pay attention to him. "I must remind you who stands on top in the younger group!"

With everything going on with the Dark Tang Family and Rebel activity, high-up forces had arrived at the Festival. They were not late but timed the situation at this type to hurry up and coordinate with those in power here.

Chu Xue caught sight of Victoria dressed in fine clothing and froze up. The excitement in his heart caused him to break free of the pressure subconsciously. Simple infatuation was the friend of a Life Martial Artist Cultivator who gained power at times when they experienced certain joys.

The rumor that she was growing and groomed under her family actively now had made it's way around a few places. Chu Xue found it odd and hoped against hope that it was just her positioning herself in a good position for when she breaks away.

But in case she was not...

'I can't let her think I haven't improved! Need to show her she can count on me and that I am a worthy of her affection!' Chu Xue circulates his QI and charges to fight. If he proved his Family was worth it, the gap between him and Victoria would close just that much more. "If you insist, let's do this!"

The Cold Trident appeared with a powerful force of Cold Qi.

"Raaahhh!" Jing Van broke through to the Foundation Establishment Rank II due to pure humiliation and pressure inflicted upon him. Having been underestimated, he charged out with the family's weapon. "I will make you pay for that!"

The Jing Family was part of the many families that followed the Light Lion-ice Family a long time ago. The weapon they actually used was a Trident as well but the inscriptions on it made it produce a powerful Killing Qi in each swing.

*Woosh!* Chu Xue sent a wave of frost energy forward that rampaged like wild dragons.

*Fwoosh!* Jing Van launched a concentrated fireball from his free hand that exploded to corner a person towards the path of his trident's killing energy.

Pushed to one side then the other, the crowd thought the worse of the situation. Leroy rode the Frost Qi wave and wrapped it around his palms. With a turn, he directed it toward the fireballs to cancel them out.

The rampaging dragons circled around Leroy who stopped to allow them to connect. They curled and started to shrink while causing the air around him to mist up. The moisture was swallowed inside and so intense that Jing Van had to jump away to give himself some room.

*Voom!* With the Metal Seed, Soundwaves of overlapping force shattered the Frost dragons into shards. The ringing continued and caused the shards to turn into dust before nothing else could be seen.

"Pathetic." Leroy said unbothered. He clenched his fists distorting the air to everyone's eyes but was actually grabbing hold of the remnant Qi. "You can't just hide on the outskirts..."

"Tch!" Jing Van twirled his Flame Trident to build up power and direct the power of the weapon safely. "I am in plain sight! You will not beat this move as easily as his!"

Flames appeared around his opponents. Mimicking his opponent's movements and gestures. Modifying the technique in real time with his own insights and learned moveset, even improving it further by compressing the flames.

Jing Van sneered at him for trying to copy his family's move in the heat of battle. It was a foolish thing in his mind to do this without a weapon to balance it out.

"Not even worth the hassle really to learn." Leroy kept an eye on Chu Xue who looked on waiting for his chance. 'Looking for an opening, what good thought but I won't drop as much Qi as he possibly thinks.'

Ready, Jing Van created a protection of Qi Fire and several Flame Tridents in the air. Having made the move to big buy burning up a lot of the air, he had no choice but to do it. Wanting to fight fire with fire and prove he is the better cultivator.

"Trident Firestorm!" Shouting to give himself a pat on the back and show case his strength, Jing van let lose everything into the strike. "When you get to hell, tell them this young lord sent you!"

Covering the majority of the arena, the Qi form of the weapon burned the air and scorched the tile. So strong was the power it had jumped way pass the threshold of the Foundation Establishment Realm and touched into that of the Nascent Soul Realm.

"Parry!" Leroy took a step into the launched attack. The small flame tridents clashed against small sword strikes in the air that appeared. An echoing hum from his chest each time along with it.

The blinding light of the flame caused several to shield their eyes. More than half thought the match would be over as this was a powerful display of power.

Chu Xue was barely able to keep himself safe as he hid behind his trident and pushed his Cold Qi out as a shield. As more clashes could be heard from within, he knew that Leroy was not done yet.

'I won't lose to those weaker than myself!' Jing Van moved away quickly as possible when felt a small change. Remembering that Leroy had some really weird defenses under his belt, he got ready to take this on with martial skills next. "Hmm!?"

Shocked as a blue-white hand came out and grabbed at him, Jing Van swung out with the trident. The weapon went straight through the hands as it was just an afterimage.

The fire turned completely blue and white as Leroy used the attack to feed his own. The quality of his Qi and understanding of fire were just that better than his opponent. The fire now engulfed the arena completely from top to bottom.

Those few who could see past the blinding light could no longer see anything in terms of body figures. Those of the Light Lion-ice Family were aghast as they lost a member at first glance.

'I can use the escape method of fire to get away!' He manages to slip out of the "Swirling Fire" that is enclosed in front and around of him. 'Just have to get away from the core of the fire!'

There was silence then a deafening sound.

*Boom! Boom!* A dual explosion pushed both out of the ring into the dirt. The same thing did not happen equally on both sides to the fighters. Chu Xue was scorched from head to toe but Jing Van's body was covered in burn marks that penetrated the bone.

In the center of the arena, Leroy took a small breath that exuded Fire and Cold Qi. During the brief exchange and blinding of everyone, he stuck them both a few times and devoured their Qi.

"Chu Xue!" Victoria's calm demeanor broke when she saw him like this. yelled out worried. She wanted to check on him but was held back by an elder. "Tch!" Angered, she was reminded once more of her strength and place in the family. 'I need even more power to do what I want even at this level!'

"This is not the place." The elder warned as he could see she was ready to cause trouble. It was bad enough that they were even here thinking about investing in the little Town. "Bad enough Rebels are about so openly."

The leaders' words were a slight warning to her. Chu Xue was still not cleared by them and her accomplishments did not offset the situation just yet.

"I do not have time for this.. like I said." Leroy addressed the crowd. Provoking those martial artists that wanted to challenge for the rest of the Festival's Martial part. His eyes stopped on the girls' father warningly then on the other families. "..Jing Lin is my friend and you all are not worthy of her and what she has done to protect this little town. If you are disapproving.."

*Fwish!* A pillar of fire appeared with a lift of his palm. Spreading his fingers it arced out with lighting that smashed into a few Rebels that were undercover in the crowd. He made sure to strike one next to Victoria and the elder with her.

"..get your ass in here and beat me!" A few will be insulted and give him all the justification he needed for afterward attacks. As well as creating some issues in the Noble families. "Oh?"

"I .. am .. not yet .. defeated!" Jing Yan jumped back into the ring. Or to be precise the remainder of that was no more than scorched earth. Almost frothing at the mouth but it was mostly blood and saliva. "That.. brat Chu Xue was.. in the.. way earlier!"

As the crowd watched with apt attention, a small group followed an unusual ally to safety. Unaware that they were in for something strange altogether.

.

The Akademy-

.

Tang Xuan had reported everything that happened at the Dark Tang Family estate. She literally did not care what happened to those bastards who killed her father. The servants that were with her and herself were checked over very thoroughly to see if they were infected or if anything else was wrong with them before being given the clear.

Since one of the Vice Deans was involved the Akademy launched an actual assault to go into the territory. With the Principal actually going as well to get involved!

The strange woman that led them to the Akademy safely was currently talking to Saiori very heatedly. Asking when Leroy would come back and everything she knew about him.

"Look, I have no idea who you are but you can stay until he come back. However, a the first sign of trouble you are out of here!" Hands gripped on her swords, the technical head of the Family, when Leroy was not available, was nervous. 'Why does she give the same feeling as Leroy so deeply?'

"And like I said, I want you to tell me everything about him!" The woman was frustrated as she stared at Saiori almost jealously. "Those stupid tigers won't tell me anything more!"

One of the other groups that helped get them back to the Akademy in record-breaking speed was the Blacktiger survivors. The beasts had used everything they could to get the group far from the location and even dealt serious damage to their cultivation futures in the process.

The Old Tiger Bihan stood by his decision in making sure they came here to Leroy. He believed only he could save them from their trouble and risked convincing the Streak to do so.

Considering how all the promising members were killed in ambushed by strange cultivators, Rebels, Dark Tigerfire traitors, and the Dark Tang Family it was the best of a terrible situation.

"I don't know what to tell you as I have no idea who you are. Talk to her if you want to know anything." Saiori pointed at Tang Xui who just entered the courtyard before going back to her training. "She is all yours!"

Frustrated she really wanted to get stronger since the situation had turned so bad.

"I will tell you what you want to know if you tell me who you are." Tang Xui moved to the gathered Blacktigers and passed over the little medicine she was able to obtain. "This should help for the pain but this is the best I can do. The akademy will send a doctor as soon as they can to help."

"Grr, thanks human." A young black tiger growled in anger but thanked her all the same. "I do not know why that old Bihan thanks it is such a good idea to come here." Angry, Bija the new leader of a Streak was starting to have doubts about coming here. 'If our leader was not swallowed up by that damn plant it wouldn't be like this!'

As if sensing the thoughts of the young one, the Old Tiger Bihan raised his head up and looked at her before growling.

"Rawwr! Control your anger! It is not good for your wounds!" His voice was powerful and almost the same as one half his age. "You have to grow up, the same as the others if you are to survive this bloodshed!"

Not wanting to cause trouble for now, the other restless Blacktigers settled down. The other reason they were agitated was that the strange woman gave the same feeling as the Sucking Plant and themselves.

Old Bihan kept the secret of what she really was to herself. If not his secret to tell and the situation would only be made worse by it. That didn't mean the Sucking Plant birthed from Leroy would not cause trouble her own way.

"If you want answers you will have to spill. They are letting you stay here right now." Tang Xui took a sip from the tea provided by Kaitori. "Ah, this feels so much better. Thank you!"

"Of course happy to serve." Kaitori gave a smile as she looked at the strange woman and couldn't help but notice she favored Leroy a little. "Yah know, you look a little like him."

"I would hope so considering he is the reason I was born." Still having trouble with words and meaning since those she ate were used mostly for survival, the Sucking Plant Hybrid just said whatever fits. "A formal talk is in order."

"Pfftt!" Tang Xui spat out her tea as she looked on with a wide-eyed expression.

Kaitori who was fixing tea for the guest just froze as she held up the tea pot. Luckily she hadn't started to pour just yet.

"I am sorry, but how is he the reason you are born?" Saitori asked from a few feet away. She was not that deep into starting her training again. "Are you some family's noble daughter tied to through a bad debt?"

"I don't know what that is but I know I came from him." The strange woman just stared at them like they were the weird one's. "What do you not understand about the situation? I came from him. He is the reason I was born."

Lost and just confused, the situation turned even more complicated as the doctor they found to help with the situation was none other than Proctor Constance and Alchemist Oda to help asses.