Pathway To Eternity

Ju Feng's opponent immediately charged forward, leaping from his platform to the one floating adjacent. He swung his whip and snapped it above the water.

Shouts and wild applause erupted from the crowd.

"He's a peac.o.c.k," Chang Chang said. "Strutting around like that's a waste of energy." She switched her attention to Ju Feng, but the boy still hadn't moved. He stood, his arms at his sides, watching Zao Fei with a bored expression. "Oh, that's perfect," she murmured.

"What? The guard said. Chang Chang noticed he was gripping the rail as hard as she. "What's he doing?"

"Baiting him," Chang Chang said, "drawing him in. But he can't keep it up for long. The whip has reach. The barbs will tear him open."

Zao Fei jumped again, and this time when the whip cracked, the edge of Ju Feng's platform splintered.

"That's done it. He'll have to move now," The guard said. "What's he waiting for?"

"I don't know. Oh, gods, he wouldn't go that far, would he?"

"What?"

"Move. Move!" Chang Chang shouted, but the crowd drowned out her voice.

Crack.

"Zao Fei takes the first bite!" One of the onlookers yelled gleefully from next to her.

Chang Chang gripped his hand and cusred. A dark stain soaked through Ju Feng's sleeve. The barbs tangled in cloth and flesh.

Ju Feng staggered back, clutching his injured arm. He slid to his knees amid thunderous applause from the crowd. They might as well have been foaming at the mouth, Chang Chang thought.

Zao Fei grinned at Ju Feng. He let the whip sway in his hands, swinging it back and forth like a skipping rope. The force was not enough to dislodge the barbs, but the whip pulled and tore new gashes in Ju Feng's skin.

He's waiting for Ju Feng to make a move so he can pull the whip out, Chang Chang thought. No matter what Ju Feng did, the wound would tear open when the barbs came out. Why had he let himself be hit? Chang Chang had seen Ju Feng fight. He could have dodged the blow easily.

She saw Zao Fei take a step forward, then another, and suddenly Chang Chang wasn't paying attention to Ju Feng anymore. She was focused on Zao Fei's shuffling steps, and remembering the way Ju Feng had dodged Cerest's attacks in the warehouse. Zao Fei was far less graceful than the elf. His body was painfully readable.

"It can't be that easy," Chang Chang said.

"What?" The guard repeated, with a look of anxious annoyance. "If you're going to map out the battle, lass, at least let me in on the outcome."

"Watch," Chang Chang commanded.

Zao Fei shuffled another step and jerked the whip. Ju Feng howled in pain. Chang Chang couldn't hear the sound, but she saw his face twist in agony. The whip hadn't come out of his wound. He pivoted toward her, and Chang Chang saw what she'd been hoping to see. She grabbed Sull and pointed.

Ju Feng glanced at his small wound nonchalantly. Slowly, it continued to heal. He was clutching the slack end of the whip. Zao Fei couldn't see it. He gave in to the cheering crowd and turned his face up, smiling in smug satisfaction. As soon as his attention left Ju Feng, the boy yanked the slack end of the whip with enough of his strength.

Zao Fei's body teetered, his eyes bulging as the whip left his hands. He stumbled to the edge of the platform, but instead of pitching into the water, he jumped, using his forward motion to get him across the water.

He landed on Ju Feng's platform. The monk had already steadied himself in anticipation of the extra weight. Ju Feng tore the barbs out of his arm and threw the whip across the Haven. Blood dripped copiously from his wound, but he ignored it and turned his attention completely to Zao Fei.

Now he's within striking distance, Chang Chang thought. No more reach weapons to deal with. For Ju Feng, the match had not truly begun until now.

Zao Fei, for his part, looked furious. Ju Feng had humiliated him in front of the mob, and now he was down to one weapon.

Raising his hands so Ju Feng could not help but see the white gloves, Zao Fei came in low, aiming for a quick jab to Ju Feng's ribs.

Ju Feng dodged, grabbed the man's wrist and twisted it away from his body. The crowd collectively winced and sat back in their seats. Their reaction might have been comical had Zao Fei's arm not been dangling at an odd angle to his side. He staggered back but kept his other fist raised to defend himself.

Ju Feng kept his distance and spoke to Zao Fei. They couldn't hear the words, but Chang Chang could see the guard at the base of the stairs preparing to draw his sword.

"He's offering him the chance to give it up," One guard said. He'd been subdued ever since Ju Feng turned the fight around. "Crowd won't like that."

He was right. Jeers and booing came down from the crowd. People on the rope bridges stamped their feet, spitting at Ju Feng and sending dust and debris raining over the crowd.

Egged on by the violence of the outburst, Zao Fei shook his head and spat at Ju Feng's feet. He charged, swinging his functioning fist for Ju Feng's head.

Twisting, Ju Feng caught Zao Fei around the mid-section in a series of quick punches Chang Chang had trouble following with her eyes. When he ceased, Zao Fei folded, collapsing to the platform. He was unconscious before his head hit the wood.

And just like that, it was over. The guard drew his blade and pointed at Ju Feng. The crowd cheered the newcomer's victory.

So it went throughout the night. Chang Chang stood at the rail, watching combatant after combatant enter the ring. Ju Feng fought three more times, and each time he took no weapon, but managed to disarm his opponent and end the fight with his hands. Sometimes it took longer, and he collected wounds over various parts of his body. He never showed it in his face, but Chang Chang could tell the injuries were taking their toll on him. Ju Feng wasn't moving as fast, and his punches were easier to track. He was certainly holding back. 

Although most of the cultivation world ideals never worked in this world, Ju Feng was still much more stronger than any here. Chang Chang knew that.

"He's going to be worn out for the final match," Chang Chang said to the guard. "How many damn fighters are left? It must be almost dawn."

"They're down to it now," the guard replied.

"Hmm...ok. Your boy's got where he needs to be. I heard that the the winner's purse is a big one, on account of how long Zuo Ruo's been champion." He leaned heavily against the rail, looking as anxious as she felt. "She won't give it up easy. Still, he's got this far. If he can hold out, he'll get healin' at the end of the match."

Chang Chang wondered what this Zuo Ruo would look like. As reigning champion, she was only required to defend her title against the winner of the tournament, which meant she would be rested and, more importantly, she'd probably been watching the entire tournament to get a measure of her opponent.

Chang Chang saw Ju Feng climb back to the platform. He was still moving slowly, but his muscles were loose. He looked as relaxed as he had during the first match.

At the other end of the Haven, the guards parted to admit a stout figure with a wild mane of strawberry blonde hair.

Zuo Ruo was a heavyset dwarven woman with ruddy skin and large blue eyes. She wore plain brown breeches and a white vest cross-stitched with leather cord. Her face was as devoid of expression as Ju Feng's when she ventured out to her platform. She nodded to Ju Feng, and he returned the gesture.

Instead of cheering Zuo Ruo, the spectators stamped their feet, and several of them produced small hand bells, waving them furiously above their heads. The din was shrill and loud enough to drown out Waterdeep's own great bells.

The guard raised his sword for quiet and approached the combatants. He spoke to each of them in turn. Zuo Ruo answered his query regarding weapons with a shake of her head.

"Hand combat," The guard said when anothrt left the platform without distributing weapons.

This did not reassure Chang Chang. As soon as the guard was down the stairs, Zuo Ruo darted forward, jumping nimbly from her platform to Ju Feng's, landing as far from him as she possibly could in the small space. The dwarf looked up, meeting Ju Feng's gaze and smiling.