Chapter 23 - Fanning the Flames

Signaling to one of his young apprentices in the back room, Qing Chen gave instructions to have the boy clear a space in the central plaza for their sparring session. In a hushed voice he gave clear instructions to the boy that he was to tell people that Fairy Ao had agreed to a sparring match to experience the might of one of his prized Named spirit blades for herself. Given the recent stir surrounding the newly awakened Fairy he was sure that it would draw the attention of many onlookers.

"Has Brawler Ao selected a blade?" he asked politely, wanting to give more time for his young apprentice to gather a crowd. "If not, might I recommend the second one you tried? As you yourself observed, it's more suitable to fighting the kinds of beasts that you'll encounter in the Thundercloud Forest than other blades you've used in the past," he concluded, still not believing that she'd fought other beasts at all, much less with a Named Blade like his Thunder King.

"I'll bring them both," Ao Wen said, refusing to make a decision until she'd actually tried fighting with each of them. Practice swings in a shop could only tell her so much. "Do either of them have names?"

"Names?" Qing Chen actually let loose a loud belly laugh at the idea. "Brawler Ao, these are ordinary blades, unlike the Thunder King. There's no reason to bestow a name on such an ordinary weapon. While I guarantee their quality, they don't rise to the level of a Named Blade."

"I see," she said, tracing a finger over each of the blades. "But you're wrong," she said flatly, picking up both weapons and walking out the door with Feng Xi at her heels.

Seeing the gathering crowd around the central plaza, Feng Xi's face darkened. "He's doing this deliberately," she said softly. "He wants more public attention here."

"Then we can use that too," Ao Wen said calmly. "Can you help me manage the audience?"

"Of course I can. Would you like me to play during your match?"

"Please, and if you don't mind playing the role, if you could explain to the crowd what the stakes are, I think it would help," she said, starting to thread her way through the still-growing crowd. Moments later, she and Qing Chen stood opposite each other in the plaza while Feng Xi took a position to the side between them, pulling out her zither and strumming lightly to gather the attention of the crowd.

"Everyone gathered here," Feng Xi called, her voice rich, musical, and resonating with a trace of her own power. "Today, Brawler Ao and Aesthete Qing have come to this plaza to settle a dispute!" The crowd murmured in surprise. Wasn't this just an exhibition? When did this become a match to settle a grudge? What kind of enmity existed between these two? Qing Chen also frowned. This wasn't the script he wanted!

"Aesthete Qing believes that the power of his craft is greater than the skill of a Brawler. He has challenged that his Thunder King possesses overwhelming enough power that even in his untrained hands, he will be able to defeat a Brawler with a lesser weapon!" Qing Chen's scowl deepened. This was close to what he had asserted but it had become twisted. In the crowd, a few of the early and middle stage brawlers of Turning Leaf town began to mutter. Did their skills count for nothing in the eyes of this arrogant Artist?

One voice in the crowd, however, rose up in support of Aesthete Qing. "I think there's some merit to the esteemed Aesthete's words," Tang Jin said, showing off his own resplendent blade. "Aesthete Qing forged my Blinding Light and the weapon gives me the power to defeat middle stage Brawlers even as a newly awakened Brawler," he declared. "If Aesthete Qing would prefer, I'm happy to stand in his place to demonstrate the power of his craft!" Truthfully, he wasn't sure that he could beat a real middle stage Brawler, but if it was Ao Wen who awakened at the same time as him, he felt that he had a chance. Besides, this would allow him to recover some of the face he'd lost to her and Feng Xi last night in addition to earning the favor of Aesthete Qing. How could he hold his tongue?

"Brawler Tang Jin is welcome to step forward," Feng Xi said with a smile, "but he'll need to wait until after Aesthete Qing has met the terms of his wager."

"Wager?" many in the crowd asked. Just what had Aesthete wagered here?

"It's true!" Feng Xi called to the crowd, strumming lightly on her zither and drawing the crowd into her tempo. "Brawler Ao believes that a blade is a cultivator's trusted partner, worthy of respect! However, she believes that a blade should match its wielder and that the harmony between blade and wielder along with the skill of the wielder matter more than the power of the blade. Should Aesthete Qing win in today's bouts, she has agreed to purchase the Thunder King from him at the price of twenty spirit crystals," she said loudly, announcing his shameless price gouging to the gathered townsfolk. "Should he lose, Aesthete Qing has agreed to allow Brawler Ao to choose one of the lesser blades of her choice, a prize worth a full three taels of gold!" She announced it as though it were exceptional and fair but it only highlighted the disparity of the wager.

"Brawler Tang," Ao Wen called, gesturing for the crowd to make a path for him to come forward. "I do not mind accepting your challenge, but I would like to know what you'll stake as a wager?"

Pushed to the edge of the crowd, Tang Jin hesitated. He'd been sharply scolded last night for drawing the name of his family business into his confrontation with Ao Wen and Feng Xi yesterday, though it had actually been Mo Yan's fault for mentioning it in the first place. His parents hadn't cared and they'd taken his pocket money from him for the remainder of the year leaving him little to wager with. There was little he could gamble with outside of further involving his family business. But what else could he ask for when he had nothing? Wait! Nothing! Ao Wen had returned from the hunt that brought her fame with nothing! She didn't have anything great to wager either.

"Brawler Ao is famed for slaying two Blood Rage Cougars and protecting Fairy Feng during her breakthrough," Tang Jin said confidently. "I wonder if Brawler Ao would join me on a hunting expedition to recover the hearts and beast cores of two Blood Rage Cougars? Should you win, you are entitled to the hearts and cores that I harvest, but should I win, I will be entitled to your spoils. After all, as Brawlers, the hearts are useful in nurturing the explosive power of our bloodlines, and the beast cores have a number of medicinal uses that would benefit either of us. That should be reasonable and fair shouldn't it?"

"Brawler Tang is most fair," Ao Wen said, deciding to meet his fairness with an offering of her own. "I said last night that you reminded me of my martial brother Jun Ben. While it's true that Jun Ben is something of an idiot in matters relating to women, it is equally true that he and I charged side by side into battle together, two against six! Without him pulling away half the enemies, I'd surely have been devoured that day. No matter the outcome today, I'll be happy to charge into battle with Brawler Tang," she finished with a smile.

Tang Jin stood stunned for a moment before cupping his hands towards Ao Wen. "Fairy Ao is most considerate. I hope to prove worthy of your compliment." Perhaps, he thought, he had been wrong from the start about Ao Wen. Strangely, he found himself looking forward to experiencing her saber skills first hand, but more, he wondered if following the crowd pursuing Fairy Feng had blinded him to the strong beauty beside her.

"Now," Feng Xi said, returning the crowd's attention to the center of the plaza. The back and forth between Ao Wen and Tang Jin had allowed the crowd to swell further in size and she reached out again with her soft white energy as she strummed her zither, gathering the gazes of everyone gathered. "There is no need to cause grave injury for either party to prove their position with their own strength, each bout will continue until the other party yields or cannot continue. Both parties agree however that fists and feet have no eyes and some injuries may be unavoidable. Neither will pursue the other for any wounds suffered here today. All are agreed?" Receiving nods from both people, she smiled broadly.

"Ready? Begin!" she called.