Lin's Decision

The crowd roared as the two sect favorites will now face each other.

Now, the two women faced each other at a standstill. Their eyes judging the one in front. Were they measuring the other's strength as an opponent, or perhaps measuring the other's worth to Xiao?

The first one to speak was Lin.

"Just because you're Xiao's new flame, don't expect me to hold back." From Lin's spirit ring, she pulled out her massive bladed whip with a dagger-like tip. "Your weapon, where is it?"

"I fight bare handed."

Lin chuckled at the answer.

Yanmei tilted her head as she asked, "Is there something amusing about my answer?"

"No. You and Xiao have the same preference when it comes to fighting."

Even when they were fighting, the woman's thoughts were of Xiao. The constraints chaining Lin must be worrisome, preventing her from being true to herself and jumping into Xiao's embrace.

"Before we begin, let me just ask, what's stopping you from being with Xiao? Was it her having multiple lovers?"

It wasn't that uncommon for cultivators to possess a harem, especially powerful ones who wanted to spread their lineage all over. But Xiao was a fellow woman, granted Xiao had a taste for dual cultivation with other women, Xiao was still the last person Lin expected to have one. If you asked Lin it should be fair for women to have the same privilege and not be scorned as immoral. If only…

"What we are can already be considered taboo enough, but that doesn't mean I want to share Xiao with anyone, of course I am against her having a harem, but if it would make Xiao happy then I can learn to adjust." A morose grin appeared on Yanmei. "It doesn't matter, I'm not going to be part of her harem anyway."

"Because society says so? Then go be with Xiao and damn society together, as long as you two are not hurting anyone then why shouldn't you be?"

But Lin WILL be hurting those close to her, mainly, her family. They expect a prim and proper young mistress who shall continue the An bloodline. Not a woman who loves other women.

Lin cracked her whip. Ah, how cruel, must Lin be reminded that she can't be with Xiao? Must this Yanmei emotionally torment her before their fight?

"Enough talk, if you can defeat me then I shall tell you my answer." With her whip at the ready, Lin declared.

Lin opened their fight by waving her whip into the air and forward to her target, her mastery over it made it look like the whip had sentience, a snake about to snap its jaws at Yanmei's face.

A single blast of gale from Yanmei's palm was all it took to veer the whip off its course and head up.

Lin raised her brow, it would appear she can't fight in mid-range. Then she would have to bring the fight up close and personal.

Lin tried to impale Yanmei with her whip that Yanmei deflected again. Only this time, it was a feint as Lin dashed, gracefully raising her leg up straight before stepping down on her whip. With a loud swish, the blade of Lin's whip came crashing down on Yanmei, leaving her with only two choices. Deflect it or get sliced.

Now that Yanmei had chosen the former, it left Yanmei open for an attack. Lin electrified her upper body and transitioned from her whip kung-fu into a Baji Quan shoulder slam.

The weighty blow made it sound like Lin hit a wall, ultimately sending Yanmei close to the ring's edge.

Yanmei stood, wiping the dust from her uniform.

They even practice the same martial art. Yanmei grinned. Lin should be more honest about herself, or would Yanmei need to beat honesty into Lin?

Yanmei teetered her cultivation over the edge, just enough so it won't expose her spirit beast form to the thousands of people. A gust of wind swirled around Yanmei. There is no excuse for being defeated even in her current state. Above all, she didn't want to lose to Xiao's old flame.

Yanmei kicked the ground towards Lin, assaulting Lin with a flurry of palm strikes.

Although Lin was able to defend with her whip, Yanmei's speed was gaining every second, throwing Lin for a loop until a single palm slipped and delivered a solid strike into Lin's chest.

A gale palm so mighty that winds ejected from Lin's back.

Lin vomited blood, flashing a smirk right after. Yanmei was exactly where she wanted her to be.

Lin grabbed Yanmei's wrist, and before Yanmei could break free from her grip, she pooled all of her qi into one shocking attack.

The crisp sound of electricity crackled in the arena.

Yanmei screamed in agony as electricity lethal enough to kill an average cultivator courses through her body.

As smoke rose from Yanmei's skin, Lin waited for the woman to fall…

…Only for Lin to receive a devastating reverse roundhouse kick into her stomach.

Yanmei approached Lin with caution. That attack nearly knocked her out, if her real cultivation wasn't so much higher than Lin's, she would have been electrocuted unconscious. Lin earned Yanmei's respect.

Lin got up, her qi almost drained from her last attack, she will not go down without giving it her all.

+++

"Who are you rooting for?"

In the middle row of the seats, Luqing asked the woman next to her.

Xiao was slightly favoring Yanmei, but the memories she had shared with Lin played on rewind, tipping the scales even.

"I…I don't know."

Naturally, Luqing argued that Xiao should answer Lin but even with her mask on Luqing could see the shift of her facial expression beneath.

Xiao was torn.

Torn enough that Xiao wanted the fight to be a draw.

But with how the situation devolved below, it was now clear who would soon be the victor.

+++

Lin no longer had the strength to resist Yanmei's furious barrage of palm strikes and kicks, her arms struggling to defend herself the same way she was struggling holding for her feelings for Xiao.

With how happy Xiao is right now with Yanmei, was Lin even needed by Xiao's side?

Yanmei's final kick into Lin's stomach made Lin fall on her back.

Lin closed her eyes as she listened for the cheering of the crowd.

"AAAAND THE WINNER, YANMEI FROM THE TRANSIENT BLADES SECT!"

Yanmei closed in to help Lin get up, only for Lin to pour her heart out to the woman.

"I am planning on leaving Xiao's side. I can't say goodbye to her because I don't have the heart to. Take care of Xiao from now on. Please, make Xiao happy."