Tao Zhong wasn't a hard man to find if you knew what you what to look for or smell for. 

Tao Zhong was the local boss of the small corner of the slums that Jin Chenxi called home and he was an avid smoker. 

All you had to do is follow the smell and a few moments later, there he is.

Tao Zhong wasn't an impressive man. You wouldn't be able to pick him from a crowd; his short black hair and plain brown eyes are as ordinary as can be. 

He's neither tall nor muscular truly an ordinary-looking man. An ordinary man who could crush Jin Chenxi like a bug. 

Tao Zhong was sat on a bench at the front of one of his taverns Surrounded by four men that were significantly less ordinary looking, all of the men were large and covered in tattoos made visible threw their open robes. Tao Zhong's enforcers.

Jin Chenxi walked up to the seated group a disarming smile plastering his face. 

"Boss Tao, may I ask a question?" Jin Chenxi says stopping just before the group his head inclines slightly in respect.

Tao Zhong takes a puff of his pipe blowing the smoke in Jin Chenxi's face.

"Go ahead little cripple, it better be good though"

Tao Zhong slurs out inebriated from the cloud root that he loves to smoke.

"Thank you, Boss Tao, for honoring me with your time," Jin Chenxi says with all the flattery of a merchant "I was just wondering if I could perhaps take part in the underground fight," Jin Chenxi says innocently with a child-like smile.

Not for lack of effort Tao Zhong couldn't keep his pipe in his mouth as he burst out with laughter. 

"you finally want to die eh boy," Tao Zhong laughed out "can't blame ya really" he finished standing up to look Jin Chenxi in the eyes.

"oh, I get it, ya think cause you finally broke through your hot shit huh" Jin Chenxi stayed silent meeting Tao Zhong's discerning eyes with a smile.

"Shan give the kid his death certificate and the two silver"

Jin Chenxi watched as one of the four large men pulls out a piece of parchment and two dull silver coins.

"da fights tonight, location on the pass, if ya don't turn up will slowly kill you and all that" Tao Zhong says as the large man pass the parchment and coin over. 

"Thank you for this honor," Jin Chenxi says with a bow to the men.

"Remember if you're about to die, make it entertaining, people pay good money after all"

Jin Chenxi just nods and turns around as Tao Zhong picks up his pipe and sits back down.

The fights being tonight was unexpected, but it was more than enough time to break through to the fourth step and find a weapon.

               

       -----------------------------------------

 By the time the sun slowly began to set Jin Chenxi is ready to set off.

There was going to two outcomes tonight either he succeeds and proves himself as more than just a little cripple to the local gangs or he dies.

Life can be sometimes so complicated, but also so very simple.

Jin Chenxi picks up the weapon that he spent all his two silver on, a dull short sword, it was a significant sum, much more than the market price for a sword of its low quality. He thinks, Placing it in a sash around his waist. 

No one wanted to sell a weapon to a random beggar child after all, at least not for a pittance, but it would be worth it. If he lived.

Arrows Rest is the tavern where the fights were being held, an unseemingly place whose clientele are those you would expect to watch and bet on an illegal fighting ring. 

It didn't take long to arrive at the tavern, it was just outside the slums, after all. Easily identified by the roars of drunken men.

Standing at the entrance was a Monmouth of a man, his bulging muscles making him more impressive than he was, with the Qi of the second step of the core formation realm was blasting out boldly. He would still be able to crush a majority of the population, but Jin Chenxi just can't be frightened of such a low level of cultivation, even if it is higher than his own. 

"Kids ain't allowed boy, piss off" the bouncer boomed out as Jin Chenxi moved closer to the tavern's entrance Jin Chenxi just smiled and pulled out the parchment that Tao Zhong had given him.

The bouncer only glanced at the parchment for a second before recognition flashed through his eyes. 

"Walk straight to the bar and give 'em the note, don't look at anyone, for your own sake," the giant of a man said in a much softer voice an attempt to whisper. Though it was still louder Jin Chenxi speaking voice.

"of course," came Jin Chenxi's reply, as he took the parchment back from the bouncer and entered the tavern. 

The first thing he notices as he steps through the doors into the warm glow of the tavern is the density of the Qi, causing the Air to ripple like a mirage. Drunken men letting loose, freely showing their power as they collectively; drink, gamble, and argue away.

 As individuals, most of the

men are only in the Internal realm but as a collective, the density of their Qi almost making it hard to breathe.

Jin Chenxi although almost overwhelmed by the pressure, kept his composer, and follows the advice given by the bouncer. Walking straight to the bar, careful not to look at anyone.

 It was only a few long steps to reach the bar but it felt much longer, as he tried to ignore the shouting of drunk patrons, and dodge the bottles that were thrown from one end of the tavern to the other.

At his destination stood a man that he recognized one of Tao Zhong's enforcers.

"looks like the little cripples, not a coward huh," the man mockingly said as Jin Chenxi placed the parchment onto the bar.

"looks like it" replied Jin Chenxi as the man took the parchment and stamped and putting it underneath the bar.

"Zhou Li you're in charge of the bar," the man said to a woman carrying drinks to a nearby table, as he motioned Jin Chenxi to follow.

He didn't hear how the woman replied. He was already in motion, following the man though a door behind the bar.

"you'll be the opening act, so try to make it exciting, yes," the man said, as he led us down some dimly light stairs to the cellar below the tavern.

He didn't bestow the man a respond this was the time to be focused.

The arena was larger than he expected it wasn't just a retrofitted cellar it was an enormous room with around 300 people surrounding a large circular pit that had two sets of stairs leading down into its deaths. 

That must be the ring Jin Chenxi thought. 

"Down ya go then, your opponent should already be there" the man sated sounding bored. 

Jin Chenxi listed to the man and begin to descend the stairs down into the pit. 

This would either be his grave or the beginning of a new life.

His entrance and subsequent descent into the Pit seemed to rouse the crowd from their conversions seeing that the fights were about to begin.

The crowd seemed very excited as they hurled mocking jeers at him.

Understandable, it's not often after all that you see a one-armed cripple willing to fight in places like this. 

when he had almost made to the bottom of the stairs the crowd seemed to pick up cheering as the voice of a voice that he knew reverberated out.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I Tao Zhong welcome you to my esteemed establishment" Tao Zhong voice was as clear as day unlike his voice this morning "our first fight, to slowly ease you into tonights more exciting events will be a duel between two inner realm juniors" Tao Zhong announced as Jin Chenxi finally made his way into the ring.

He couldn't help but let his eyes drift up at the crowed expectantly watching from above. Jin Chenxi isn't too proud to admit that he was if only a little bit, intimidated. 

"On my right is a poor little one-armed Cripple, of only the fourth step, Jin Chenxi" Tao Zhong's introduction snapped his eyes back to the ring and to his opponent a tall, older boy with long black hair and bright blue eyes.

"And on my right is the young debtor of the sixth step, Lai Cong"

Jin Chenxi's golden eyes met Lai Cong's blue ones, Both of them knew that one of them had to die and that the other was going to do whatever necessary to make sure it wasn't them to be that one.  

Jin Chenxi drew his dull sword and got into his stance, one foot in front of the other knees bent, body facing the side.  

Lai Cong did the same bringing his fists up.

"On the count of three let the blood flow!" Tao Zhong shouted. 

His heart began pumping, his Qi began flowing, his eyes

Focusing on his opponent blocking out everything else but Tao Zhong's loud voice.

"ONE" 

The fight won't last long, only a few moves.

"TWO"

Lai Cong is in the sixth step. A Surprise is my only way to win.

His blood pumped like a war drum, His Qi demanding to be used Demanding that he kill. 

"THREE"

Lai Cong was quick; in one leap, he had already reached Jin Chenxi. 

He was prepared though, using the Qi that had pumped to his back leg he lunged forward, hoping to use his speed and Lai Congs momentum to catch his opponent off guard and impale him.

Jin Chenxi watched in slow motion as Lai Cong drifted to his right side his blade missing Lai's face by millimeters.

Jin Chenxi watched, his eyes straining, as Lai Cong bent his knees and swung his body striking out in a textbook punch, his tendons cracking like thunder. 

He watched as the fist flew towards his open side, he knew there was no way to stop it. 

But he could still win.

Using his front foot as an anchor to the earth Jin Chenxi contorted his body and swung at Lai Congs Exposed neck just hoping his sword was long enough.

There were no thoughts in Jin Chenxi's head as Lau Cong's fist struck his side like a sledgehammer.

There were no regrets in his heart as he was flung into the air.

There was no pain when he struck the hard ground again.

And there was no joy when Tao Shong announced the victor.