The Spoils of Battle

Cang Rong coughed up a mouth full of blood, half due to anger, half due to her injuries. Without the energy to carry on, Cang Rong fainted face first into the ground, breaking her nose. The crowd exploded in a furor. Battles between cultivators with different levels of cultivation bases often ended with the person with the higher cultivation base winning. There was something to be said for those with more experience and skill in battle, but this was not a battle between experts. Cultivators with cultivation bases as low as these two girls suggested neither had the time to hone their skills enough to jump the gap between levels. A third layer Qi Condensation cultivator defeating a fourth layer Qi Condensation cultivator was almost unheard of. Some wrote Hong Wu's victory off, saying it was an easy win battling against an untrained fighter like one of Gu Fei's flowers. Others were quick to point out to these people that Hong Wu, despite her horrid appearance, was one of these flowers too. The aftermath of this battle would have disciples arguing the strength of Gu Fei's Flower Garden for quite some time.

Two other girls from the Drifting Clouds Quarters emerged from the crowd to carry Cang Rong away for recovery. Hong Wu moved in their way to stop them. One of the girls shrilly chastised Hong Wu, "What are you doing!? Cang Rong will die without medical treatment. Are you trying to condemn her to death!?"

The atmosphere tensed up once again. Even if most in the audience did not care much for Cang Rong, leaving a fellow sect member to die was taking things too far. Hong Wu had won the duel, many believed actively endangering Cang Rong's life further was brutish and unbecoming. Hong Wu flatly replied, "We made a bet right? I won, so I get her merit points no?"

This stunned the two girls speechless. She was right, of course, but was this the time to be seeking payment? Cang Rong was severely injured and needed immediate medical attention. Of course, Hong Wu cared little for Cang Rong's well-being. She would not die, not immediately anyways. Fishing through Cang Rong's robes, Hong Wu pulled out her sect token. Staring at it intently Hong Wu had a sudden epiphany. "Hey, how do I take her merit points anyways?"

A collective facepalm slapped throughout the crowd, as people watching the farce just remembered how new these girls were to the sect.

It was at this point a familiar voice emerged from the sea of spectators. "Allow me to help Sister Hong."

Hu Huan came out from his hiding spot in the crowd and quickly made his way to the girls in the ring. "If she was conscious she could simply forfeit the merit points herself, but scenarios like this are not uncommon. The sect realized this and created methods to obtain what is owed. A bit of her blood and a fingerprint is all that is needed to unlock the token."

Grabbing Cang Rong's wrist, Hu Huan dabbed her finger in a pool of blood that was slowly collecting by her body and touched it to the wooden slip. "Now give me yours."

Reluctantly handing over her token, Hong Wu watched as the two tokens revealed a faint glow before dimming down back to normal. Hu Huan then handed Cang Rong's sect token to one of the other girls. The two female cultivators in gray robes shot dirty looks back at Hong Wu before shouldering Cang Rong by the arms and laboriously carrying her away.

With the fight over, the crowd started to slowly disperse. Hong Wu, vindicated by the day's events, merrily walked out of the ring and back towards the forest. Her mood was quickly soured however, when she noticed Hu Huan was following her.

"I must say I am very impressed with you talent Sister Hong. It is amazing that after such a short time of cultivation you have already reached such a level of skill with the Frozen Blade spell."

Hong Wu scoffed at Hu Huan's flowery words and increased her walking pace. "Sister Hong, please do not be angry with me. Cang Rong approached me, I can hardly be held responsible for that. She wanted information on you, but I refused to sell to her. You can trust your Brother Hu, I would never betray you like that."

Hong Wu halted her movement and turned to Hu Huan who was taken aback by the sudden stop and almost ran into her. Hong Wu's glare told him his words were having the opposite effect he wanted. "Honest Sister Hong, I am in your corner. I even have some information you might find useful, free of charge of course," Hu Huan smiled warmly.

"Don't need it."

Unperturbed by Hong Wu's callus treatment of him, Hu Huan continued, "Have you ever heard of the Young Dragons Competition?"