When word got out that the Flaming Red Rose was going to beat up someone, all the breakables were removed from the vicinity but everyone decided to stay back. It had been ages since she had had a serious fight. True there were troublemakers now and then who thought that they could take over Yellow Wind Valley Town; but they were usually beaten into submission and tossed out of the town without so much as a glance. But a proper fight, that had been rare and it was even rarer for Madam Huo to be the one to initiate it.

‘This is like a peanut gallery…’ George couldn’t help thinking it. Indeed while everyone kept a safe distance away from the edge of the training ring, there were hawkers selling peanuts, melon seed and the like. Even the old man that sold them the steamed buns was there, peddling his wares. Standing from the top of the stage, George could see some servants carrying chairs and a table to the front for Hong Yang and Ciel. The captain was also invited to sit but he had declined, preferring to stand behind the seated Hong Yang. Once the preparations were done, a flaming faced Ciel had been coerced to sit with Hong Yang. He had declined, refusing to be a side show to George’s main event but his uncle would not let him, coaxing and pulling him to sit in the chair next to him. The table that divided them had a beautiful tea set with plum blossoms painted on them and a dish of shelled peanuts. For someone who had been worried about the damage his mother would cause, lord Hong was very relaxed now.

“Are you ready?” Madam Huo asked, removing a sword from her spatial ring.

“Do I get a weapon?”

“If you want.” At least she was trying to be fair. George had been prepared for a one sided beat-down but he supposed that would not have been well received by the audience. Thinking about it, George too removed a sword from his ring. In consideration to where they were, he had opted to use an oriental soft sword as well. The sword was lighter and more flexible and less likely to cause too much damage… on a person, that is. George couldn’t guarantee anything about sword qi or energy attacks of those kinds.  

They stood facing each other, neither one moving. There was no referee or arbiter, just two martial artists planning to spar and test each other. Even the rowdy crowd that had gathered to watch the match had grown silent as they paid their focus on the pair staring each other down. The whole area had grown silent, as if the mounting tension was oppressing everything, even the sounds of day to day activities. The only constant was the whistling of the wind from the valley, bringing with it the yellow dust synonymous with the town and valley. But even then, the winds did not touch the grounds as if too afraid to intrude upon the two combatants who were ready to face off.

Seeing that he was not moving, Madam Huo struck first. Her sword swung down ruthlessly, aiming for his head. George, like a leaf blown in the wind, evaded that strike. Undeterred, she swung again, again aiming for his vitals. George neatly sidestepped, avoiding the attack once more. Madam Huo swung her blade again and again; and George evaded her movements with the minimum of effort, as if it was nothing more than an attack from a straw dummy.

"Stand and fight properly."

"No."

"Coward."

"If you say so." 

George moved like a blade of grass in the wind, bending and twisting in all directions. Not once did he raise the jian in his hand, preferring to get out of the way of Madam Huo's attacks to responding to them. He had a feeling that if he were to retaliate even the slightest, she would redouble her attacks, making it more troublesome. He remembered her as a hot-headed woman who would not accept even a single bit of provocation. The watching spectators had long been silenced by the fluid movements of the two combatants on stage, each wondering if they could avoid the Flaming Red Rose's vicious moves as effortlessly as the black-haired rogue with the eye-patch was doing now. While he had not attacked once, the respect these battle hardened warriors had for George was rising with every lightning fast slash he dodged. It was obvious to them that the man on stage was not interested in fighting and was only doing his best to defend himself.

"You!"

Madam Huo appeared to have lost her patience with this game of cat and mouse as none of her attacks even landed. All her provocations meanwhile had led to nothing. George simply refused to be baited in any way. Seeing as none of her attacks were effective, Madam Huo tried a different tactic. She unleashed a flurry of sword lights, trapping George in a pincer attack. He could not jump out of the way as the attacks would continue off the stage and hurt the watching audience behind him. Left with no choice, George finally used his sword to counter the attack; parrying some, avoiding those that he could and smashing the rest of the sharp lights to pieces. Madam Huo's lips couldn't help but twitch when she saw his moves; the footwork, that fluid movement of his body, that sword movement... They were techniques that he had 'stolen' from her while following and watching her. Even though they were by no means perfect, one could see that there were many similarities in them. He really deserved to be called a disciple of hers. Off the stage, Hong Yang gave a whistle.

"Your man is impressive. He managed to copy at least 60% of my mother's moves."

George could not hear what Ciel had replied but he managed to sneak a peek and saw a red faced Ciel with pride in his eyes. He gave a smirk and winked at Ciel when he caught his eye. Ciel blushed even more and turned his eyes away. George didn't mind; he knew that Ciel would turn around and continue to watch him once he turned his focus back to the battle between himself and his grandmother. His smug attitude and Hong Yang's comment only served to aggravate Madam Huo more. She released more sword lights but this time there was a tinge of red and carried immense heat with it. Feeling a little threatened, George leapt into the air as the cluster of sword attacks narrowly missed him and hit the ground behind him. Turning around, George sucked a breath when he saw that the collection of sword attacks had actually scorched the stone, leaving a rose-like pattern branded into the stage.

“No wonder they call you the Flaming Red Rose.” He muttered.

“That’s not the only trick I know.” She smiled a beautiful, terrifying smile. That teasing look was exactly like Scarlet’s; but while Scarlet’s smile held a warmth that put guests at ease, this one would scare the daylights out of lesser men. With another wave of her hands, she conjured fireballs that floated about her. Following the quick succession of hand movements, the fireballs compressed and turned into delicate looking roses, the size of her fist. George had a feeling that those roses were deadlier than any fireball he had ever seen or experienced and immediately had his guard up. He was right; the first fireball that missed him landed on the stage and melted the stone. George hissed at the lethality of the attack. He raised his sword, covering it with a layer of his qi. There was no point if the sword were to melt before he could use it.

“This is why I’m the Flaming Red Rose.” Madam Huo maintained her frightening smile as the roses started to rapidly spin behind her, soon turning into a fiery red vortex that threatened to consume everything in its vicinity. The wind that was whipped by this tiny tornado was becoming sharper and faster, the sand that was being sucked in heating up until it was no more than superheated shrapnel; whether it was the wind, the flames or the sand, any element within this attack could kill a normal human. Even cultivators below a certain level would not be able to withstand this attack without grievous injuries.

“You really shouldn’t have made me angry… I might have spared you less pain.”

Meaning she was intending to put him through some pain either way. George flashed her another smirk. “I’m immortal, remember? Do you really think you’re better than some of the dragons I’ve killed?”

“Impudent whelp. I’ll make you pay for your words.”

The twisting cyclone of flames and melting sand shot at George, who raised his jian to parry. The heat that suffused through the air was searing and George could feel his skin burning even as he used his qi to protect himself. But half learned theories and techniques learned from a distance were no match for the terrible heat and slicing winds that came at him. He and the stage were slowly being worn down by the deadly tornado. He released a few sword lights to slow the oncoming twister and did his best to contain it within the stage. No matter what, Ciel was still sitting nearby and he didn’t want to risk injuring him by accident.

His attacks seemed to be effective as the tornado lost some of its momentum; this was especially so when his attacks hit the beautiful and deadly roses powering the vortex. Taking a deep breath, George launched another series of sword lights, aiming specifically for the flaming flowers. Each flower he knocked out caused the tornado to lose more speed but the superheated sand was now scattered and raining down on the stage without the winds to keep them aloft. He hissed in pain as the sand scorched everything it touched.

Several more attacks and most of the roses were soon extinguished. While the sands were still burning, they were no longer as deadly as when they had the wind’s momentum. So the two of them stood on the stage facing one another again as the sands seemed to float about, before landing and sizzled on the ground. While a little injured, it was nothing compared to his many battles with huge evil-eyed dragons and he could see that Madam Huo was seething, her pride far more battered than George.

“You’re good, I’ll give you that. But do you think you can beat me with that insufficient level?” her hands sped up and she conjured up three times the number of fireballs. With more hand movements, the fireballs turned into roses that shot forward to attack him. This time, there was no fancy moves, just homing fireballs that did not give him a moment’s pause. Crude but effective. Weaving and dodging, he countered and destroyed as many of the fireballs as he could, but they were relentless, coming after him like hounds after the fox. He was beginning to look worse for wear as his clothes were burned by the flames, their enchantment unable to withstand the sheer heat of the blaze.

“Just give up now. Not many people can beat me.”

“If I give up, what do you intend to do?”

“Let those fireballs burn you up. You can’t die anyway.”

“I’m not so stupid as to stand there and get hurt.”

“Have it your way then.” Another set of hand movements and the fireballs started to move in an erratic pattern, throwing George’s rhythm. He narrowly avoided one of the flaming orbs as it seared his cheek and flew into the audience behind him. There was a commotion as the spectators scrambled to get out of the way and Captain Chen’s soldiers came forward to put out the fire. He used his jian with more ease now as he sliced the flames. But one more twist of the hand and all the remaining fireballs homed in on him, converging onto him like a beacon. Left with no choice, George raised his inner qi to the maximum and released it, treating his internal energy like a shield to deflect all the attacks. His technique worked but it worked a little too well as the fireballs bounced off his qi and moved full speed at the crowds outside the stage, Ciel included.