Chapter 24: A Meeting Before Tournament

February 4, 2023

"He… who is he?"

After five heavy breaths, Sizhu's psychological state suddenly cleared, as if the recent incident was instantly forgotten.

Jianying glanced between Sizhu and the holographic tablet in his hand.

Does he know? Is he unwilling to say? Or simply can't say it?

Speculating silently, Jianying decided to ask once more.

"Do you know about the inverted cross?"

Sizhu looked at Jianying with a puzzled expression, a question mark seemingly appearing over his head.

"Inverted cross?"

Hearing Sizhu's question, Jianying exhaled softly.

"It seems you don't know. Nor about the man behind that cursed symbol."

Sizhu shook his head to confirm Jianying's words.

"No… but the other man… I once dreamed of seeing him…"

Sizhu's psychological state on the holographic tablet turned red and black again. Jianying carefully observed Sizhu. His hands and eyes started to tremble as he tried to speak about the man he knew.

W-why… do I feel so scared and angry?

Sizhu was confused by his own mental state. He clenched his trembling fists and closed his eyes as the memory of a man from the Stag Head witch dream—flashed before him.

A white-haired man.

"I… can't say it… something… in my memory… makes me so afraid, and anger…"

Jianying suddenly slapped Sizhu's trembling face.

Slap!

Immediately, the fear and anger Sizhu felt vanished. He was surprised the man beside him dared to do that.

He took a slow, calm breath.

"Feeling better?" Jianying asked, standing up straight again. He didn't even feel need to apologize.

But Sizhu didn't need an apology from the one who helped calm him.

He nodded once.

"If you can't say it, then don't. From your frightened reaction alone, I already know who the man is that you mean."

Sizhu raised an eyebrow, staring at Jianying.

"Who?"

Jianying sighed deeply. "There is only one person in this world who can make someone tremble just by hearing his title. He is the Grand Witch."

Sizhu froze. The symptoms returned but he resisted. He gripped the blanket tightly.

"Grand… Witch…?" Sizhu asked with a trembling mouth.

"I've never met or seen that legendary figure. So I don't feel anything just by hearing the title. But seeing your reaction, I can tell you've met the man who carries that name."

Jianying bowed slightly, then patted Sizhu's shoulder.

"That's all for our conversation. That's all I wanted to know. Thank you for cooperating with my questions, Sizhu."

Straightening his back, Jianying was about to turn and leave Sizhu's room.

But his movement stopped when Sizhu grabbed his sleeve.

His serious gaze made Jianying pause, waiting for what the young man wanted to say.

"You… that night, you were the one who saved me and killed the wasp Witch, weren't you?"

"Yes."

"Teach me."

Jianying shifted his feet to face Sizhu, who was still holding his sleeve tightly.

"Teach you what?"

"Teach me to be stronger! So I can keep my word. So I can save people faster. So I can stop the slaughter by those cursed creatures!!"

Sizhu's face was serious and determined. His brows furrowed, jaw clenched. But his eyes looked regretful, filled with sadness, his green pupils trembling.

That face… just like mine used to be…

Jianying smirked slightly. A thin smile on his right lip as he saw the reflection of his old self. Although who he was then and now remained the same.

He pulled his hand back, releasing Sizhu's grip.

"If you want to grow stronger, you're in the right place, kid."

Jianying walked to the window and opened it wide. The cool morning breeze rushed in.

The view from the mountain showed many houses and buildings below, following the flow of a large river that looked like a lifeline. The wind carried spring leaves fluttering about.

"Tonight there will be a Lantern Festival tournament lasting three days and nights, closing the Lunar New Year celebration this year. The last ten who survive will be chosen as the academy's elite students. There is no rule forbidding outsiders from participating."

Jianying then walked toward the door.

"Welcome to Qincheng, Sizhu. Welcome to the heart of the magic academy across all of China."

The door closed. Sizhu stared at Jianying's back as he disappeared with a thousand questions.

"Qincheng?"

***

Inside a large, covered hall on the highest floor of the pagoda atop the mountain—the headquarters of the Chinese Hunter Agency.

A woman, beautiful with snow-white skin and equally white hair. Even her eyebrows and eyelashes shared the same color.

She was called the Goddess of Beauty, the Snow Princess, the Healing Goddess.

Her name is Luxia. Sitting at a circular table, a round table for meetings of the Shengxiao (Chinese zodiac) leaders with their emperor.

There were thirteen chairs, with one extra.

On the back of each chair was a symbol representing the shengxiao title of each branch leader.

Behind Luxia's polished teak wood chair was the symbol of the Taurus zodiac. She was the leader of the entire Chinese division.

The Taurus Constellation, Luxia.

One extra chair opposite her was occupied by the former Taurus Constellation elder, now retired.

Lang Zen.

From the Zen clan, blue fire magic users.

He looked old, his thick white beard covering most of his jaw. His similarly graying mustache, mixed with his natural dark pink hair, thick and connected to his beard, framed his mouth.

The Zen clan had a unique colour hair, dark pink hair color. Their hair color changed when using their blue fire techniques.

The old man's physical vigor, resembling a general of war despite being over a century and a half old, made people suspect he used death-delaying magic.

He had survived the blood moon incident, with just lost his left leg, that now replaced with a prosthetic leg.

Still, his fiery gaze did not fade. His face remained stern and authoritative like a man in his fifties, despite the wrinkles.

"Where is the Shengxiao Dragon?" Lang Zen asked. His voice deep and echoing for a man of his age.

"He's visiting the child from the Forbidden Forest to ask some questions," answered a man sitting at the Shengxiao Pig chair. He had long straight black hair and wore a swordsman's robe. Some of his hair tied at the back, some left loose. One of his magic swords hung at his waist.

"So late~ I thought he was a man who valued time. Seems that rumor was wrong."

A slanted-eyed man sitting at the Shengxiao Snake chair yawned sleepily. He had just arrived five minutes ago, compared to the other branch leaders who had arrived earlier.

"It's unusual for the Shengxiao Dragon not to be punctual. Especially for an important meeting held by the emperor."

A woman with a ponytail sitting at the Rat zodiac chair commented. Some of her hair was streaked with white; even her pupils were black and white.

Just as she finished speaking, footsteps echoed rhythmically.

"Sorry for being late and making you all wait."

The Shengxiao Dragon, Jianying Ren, took his seat at the round table.

"What important matter kept you that we had to wait at this year's important meeting, Shengxiao Dragon?"

A man sitting at the Shengxiao Monkey chair, in his forties, glared sharply at the man who had just sat. He looked like a grumpy uncle, clean-shaven but stern.

Jianying returned a brief sharp glance before placing his holographic tablet on the table.

"The number of participants in this year's Zhan Dou tournament has doubled from last year. Many newcomers from abroad are also joining. One of them is linked to an organization I'm investigating."

The round table lit up brightly, a dense floating light above showing investigative data Jianying had gathered.

It displayed information about an illegal drug trafficking group, including their income and expenses.

"What is this, Shengxiao Dragon?" The youngest branch leader at the Shengxiao Rabbit chair asked confusedly. She was an expert in medicine but not in criminal cases.

"You're off-topic from today's meeting, Shengxiao Dragon. Are you deaf or didn't hear the emperor's words about today's important meeting? Zhan Dou, we're here to discuss that important matter, idiot!"

The Shengxiao Dog, a man with pointing haircut, with his feet on the table without shame, interrupted Jianying.

Jianying adjusted his slightly lowered square glasses and stared at the rough man with a scornful look. The other man looked back with disdain.

"Shengxiao Dog, you've crossed the line."

The man next to the Shengxiao Dog, the Shengxiao Goat, with a military-style square haircut, closed his eyes and rebuked his friend for speaking without thinking.

"As usual, Shengxiao Dog, your mind is as short as your zodiac's penis."

Thud!

"What did you say?!"

The Shengxiao Dog lowered his feet and slammed the table while standing, looking at Jianying challengingly with a sullen face.

"Zhang, sit."

Two gentle words from Luxia immediately calmed the man's anger. He sat down as ordered by the empress.

"Ara~ This does seem off-topic from today's meeting, Manager Jianying. But you must have a reason for giving us your personal investigation report, right?"

Luxia smiled at Jianying, who nodded in return.

"Yes, I'm investigating the inverted cross organization. A group of Witches who had sane consciousness, even though not same like Arch Witches. But they still having a mind like us and thinking like normally human. They spread cursed fruits and use many cursed humans as experiments. Those who succeed from that experiment will become Witches without losing their minds or human form. Different rather than normal witch we used to hunt."

"Yes, we heard this at our last meeting. Just get to the point, Shengxiao Dragon."

The Shengxiao Bull, a man whose had muscular body and bald head, impatiently awaited Jianying's report. He had read some of the floating data on the boards and felt a bit offended to found his own martial arts school's name on the illegal drug buyers' list.

"It seems this year's Zhan Dou tournament must be canceled."

Every man in the room hardened their expressions hearing Jianying's suggestion. It was like saying 'we don't need to honor tradition this year.'

An insulting sentence to those raised with such beliefs.

***