Jinx

Hello hello! On to chapter three we go!

Redwood Bridge. Situated on the main route between the borders of the Xie clan and the Jin clan the bridge is often used by trade caravans and travelers alike. For the last few weeks however the bridge has been plagued by a new threat. A single warrior challenging all who seek passage to a duel, forcing them to hand over part of their belongings when they lose. The local lords have put out a bounty on the warrior’s head, yet that is not what brought Song Suwan here.

No, Song Suwan is here for an interesting fight, plain and simple. Leisurely tapping her jagged blade against her shoulder she yawns as she approaches, pretending not to notice the figure crouched upon the bridge’s arch.

The would-be amusher jumps down onto the bridge, landing on one knee and fist with a loud thud.

“Halt! To ross this bridge you must first best me in single combat, leave now if you do not dare!” The warrior shouts as she stands up. Standing at only five feet tall the woman has her hair tied into two side buns and wears an orange and black martial artist outfit. She stands up with one leg whilst the other is raised knee high in front of her, both arms held out to the side with the tips of her fingers towards the ground.

“I accept your challenge, my name is Suwan. Please advise.”

The martial artist’s legs slam together as she clasps one fist in the other and bows her head.

“This one is known as Gao Mu. Please advise.”

Their greetings finished they jump back. Each lands on one end of the bridge and takes a stance. As if on an invisible cue both jump forward at the exact same moment. 

Gao strikes out with her clenched fist. Song parries the first blow with her left hand and catches the next strike in the palm of the same hand, kicking at her opponent who dodges backwards before dashing back in. Mu lashes out with a palm strike towards Song’s torso who simply leans out of the way and counters with a horizontal sword swing. Gao somersaults below the blade just in time, a single strand of  her hair getting cut by its jagged edge. Suwan doesn’t give her time to recover and immediately follows up with a punch. Mu crosses her arms to block, her eyes widening as the force of the blow sends her flying backwards. She rolls to diffuse the momentum before jumping back up with a handstand and lashing out part way through with a roundhouse kick to halt her opponent's advance. Suwan catches her leg with a smirk and tosses her to the other end of the bridge.

“Hoh? Is this all the famed tiger of the Redwood Bridge is capable of?”

“It appears I took you too lightly, Lady Suwan. My most sincere apologies, please allow me to go all out.”

Song nods and gestures for the pugilist to come at her. With a deep breath Gao takes a stance with her legs parallel to her shoulders and her arms bent at her sides, fists forward. She closes her eyes and exhales. When her eyes snap open a fire seems to have been lit in them and she vanishes. Afterimages form as she dashes all around her opponent. A leg flies at Suwan’s back only to be blocked by the hilt of her sword. A fist flies in from the front, promptly met with a palm strike. Gao's fingers point like a spear, another strike coming at Song's left. She parries it with her elbow. Almost instantly after another kick comes from her right. She meets it with a kick of her own.

On and on the two trade blows, little more than flashes visible to any mortals. Gao’s eyes dart all over looking for a flaw in Suwan’s defence, she lashes out with increasing desperation as she begins to tire. Exhaustion setting in, she completely fails to dodge a kick to the gut. Bouncing several times before she crashes to a stop she lets out a loud groan, utterly bested.

Suwan sheaths her sword and leisurely walks towards her opponent.

“Looks like you lost huh.”

“Indeed, senior. I was thoroughly outmatched.”

“Well, you didn’t do too badly for being at the 7th stage of Qi Gathering.”

Gao Mu’s eyes widen when she realizes her cultivation was seen through by her opponent. Such a thing is rumored to only be possible once one attains the legendary Nascent Soul. She takes a deep breath as she gathers her determination. Promptly she kowtows before Suwan.

“Please accept me as your disciple!”

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?!?!”

-----------

A soft wind rustled through the underbrush sending a fresh breeze past two figures travelling down the road. Suwan takes in the fresh scent of grass, envious of its quietude as she sighs.

“Please, Senior. I swear I'll be eternally loyal.”

“No.”

“I beg of you, please accept me as your disciple.”

“Go away!”

“I have nowhere to go, Venerable Senior. This Gao Mu is willing to follow you to the end of the world!”

Song’s eyebrow twitches as she endures the assault. Three hours! The persistent brat has kept bothering her for three hours now! Ignoring her didn’t work, shutting her down didn’t work, berating her didn’t work, Suwan is at her wit’s end.

“Ah to hell with it! You wanna be my disciple, fine! Let’s see if you can pass my test.”

Mu’s eyes sparkle as she clenches her fists in determination.

“Yes teacher, i’ll endure any trial!”

They walk off the road, trudging through the forest for over an hour until they come upon a simple clearing. Gao gasps when she notices how serene it is, even the Qi in the air seeming to be affected.

“Now strip.”

“Huh?”

“To follow in my footsteps is to let go of mortal needs,” Suwan lies as easily as she breathes. “Do not let yourself be dragged down by the material.”

“Yes, teacher!” Gao eagerly replies as she tosses her clothes off.

“Good, now take a horse stance and start punching, don’t stop until I say so.”

“Yes, master! I swear I will persevere!” 

Gao draws back her arm as she inhales and strikes while exhaling. Over and over she repeats the maneuver while Suwan circles her.

“Wrong. Turn your ankle like this.” Suwan critiques her while nudging the girl’s leg with the side of her blade.

“Wrong. Your back twitches when you begin to strike, hold steady.”

“Wrong. Your breathing is turning erratic, don’t falter.”

“Wrong. Keep your knees bent at this angle, no less, no further.”

For hours, nothing but the sound of whooshing air and Suwan’s corrections resound, albeit after a while even the second falls still. Gao smiles even as her legs begin to tremble in exhaustion. 

Although she’s beginning to near her physical limit the sheer amount of improvement she’s made feels intoxicating. Every slight correction has guided her closer to perfection and Gao Mu is determined to absorb every teaching like a sponge. Her cheeks begin to hurt from how wide her smile stretches, if she’s learned this much from but a single lesson how much can she obtain from becoming Venerable Suwan’s apprentice.

Slap! 

“Ma- master?!” Gao cries out as a red Qi-infused handprint is left on her buttocks.

“Don’t lose focus.” Suwan replies while she moves to stand in front of her, swaying out of the way of each punch with ease. She tilts her head and looks down at Gao condescendingly before flicking the girl’s nipple. “You haven’t passed yet.”

Blushing fiercely Gao Mu tries to get her breathing under control once more and fall back into the rhythm. Just as she is about to succeed a finger brushes against her arm causing her to lose concentration once more.

“Focus.” 

The word is repeated over and over as each touch interrupts her rhythm. Starting to panic Gao decides to focus inwards on the flow of her Qi, attempting to ignore the hand groping her butt. 

She directs her attention to the ethereal stream flowing into her lungs as she breathes in, filtering through her dantian before finally running through her spiritual veins as she punches. Eyes pressed shut she repeats the process, every bit of her focus devoted to observing the flow of Qi. She feels a finger run down her outstretched arm sending foreign Qi into her, obstructing the flow once more. Her eyebrows scrunch together as she adjusts the flow of her Qi to burst through the obstruction, noting that even with her full focus a tiny bit of Suwan’s Qi is dragged along instead of being dissipated. Sweat drips down her brow as she completed the cycle again and again, her Qi moving faster and faster through her spiritual veins, attempting to cleanse the foreign Qi for her own use before the parts she can’t control clog up her pores.

Mu tenses as she keenly feels a finger slide down her slit. Her eyes burst open and she looks up to see Suwan bring a wet finger to her lips.

“My my, it appears you’re enjoying this.” She says while she licks her finger clean.

Gao almost drops from shame, unsteady legs nearly collapsing now that she once more feels the exhaustion her introspection had let her ignore. She devotes every scrap of energy she has left to the sole purpose of remaining on her feet as her breath comes out in pants. Two soft weights press down on her shoulders followed by Suwan folding an arm atop Mu’s head and resting her chin on it. 

“Perhaps this test is a bit too easy for you, shall I increase the difficulty, Xiao¹little Mu?”

Gao’s jaw clench as she hisses out a reply. “I am not a little girl. I can take whatever you can throw at me!” 

Suwan smirks, clearly she was correct in assuming the woman’s small stature was a sore point. Anger sends a second wind through the girl as she continues to punch and punch and punch.

“Kya!”

Gao squeals when a finger slips inside her and only narrowly manages to catch herself before she falls.

“Hmm, let’s see. If you manage to stay standing until the end I'll accept you as my disciple.” Suwan teases while further exploring Mu’s insides.

Gao shouts with every punch, trembling all over as she continues. She feels Suwan’s Qi invade her dantian as her fingers invade her womanhood. She clenches and pushes, trying to force the Qi out of her dantian into her spiritual veins and out through her pores. Her muscles spasm as she sluggishly lifts her arm again and again. Heat builds within her abdomen until it feels she is about to burst. She takes another deep breath, filling her lungs to the brim while she continues to guide the flow with unshaking determination. A moan leaves her mouth unbidden as the Qi flows through her dantian. Her lips quiver when she forces the Qi into her spiritual veins. She shakes while she drives the Qi through her body and finally, as liquid bursts from her flower Qi bursts from her fist.

Suwan’s eyes widen watching a tree explode at the edge of the clearing. 

“Holy shit, you did that?”

Gao’s voice trembles as she comes down from her high.

“I… I did it?” She laughs exhaustedly before collapsing abruptly like a puppet with its strings cut. “I did it! Hahaha, I did it!” 

With the last of her strength she kowtows in front of Suwan before fainting.

“Disciple Gao Mu greets Teacher Suwan.”

Suwan twitches and rubs her brow when she realises her mistake.

“Ah fuck.”

Jinx

Whew, this one took a bit more effort to edit. I used the same kind of sentence so many times in a row here. By the time this editing run will be over I don't think i'll be able to see the word 'as' anymore without cringing.