Severing Time & Space

The Three Clans Competition, Part I

“Ming Han. Juishi Feng. I see you two have become good friends,” Father greeted them.

Ming Han grinned as he slapped Juishi Feng on the back. “Of course, we are! My son is marrying his daughter, after all. You seem jealous. Gya ha ha! Don’t worry. If you let Wu Meiying wed my son, we’ll be this close too!”

“I’ll pass.”

While it seemed almost like the words had been thrown out callously, Wu Jian knew enough now to understand that Ming Han was a lot more cunning than he let on. He easily dropped the subject of marriage and instead engaged the other two clan leaders in talk of the tournament.

Ming Shen stepped up to Wu Jian, Wu Meiying, and Hou Jingshu while the clan heads were talking. Standing on either side of him were two people. One of them was Juishi Meirin, the beautiful daughter of Juishi Feng. The other was a boy on the cusp of adulthood, with long hair tied into a ponytail, sword-like eyebrows, and sharp features. He was taller than everyone else, and his hanfu was decorated with a sword on the left breast. He also had a sword strapped to his waist.

That’s Juishi Son. He’s the heir of the Juishi Clan, if I’m not mistaken. Juishi Meirin’s older brother.

“I hope you’re ready to lose again this year,” Ming Shen said with a vicious smile.

“Hey, Jian. If I win, will you give me a kiss?” asked Wu Meiying.

“I’d give you a kiss even if you lost,” Wu Jian said.

“Will you two please stop talking about kissing?!” Hou Jingshu snapped with an embarrassed blush.

“Hey! Stop ignoring me!” Ming Shen shouted, his face red.

“Huh? Oh. Ming Shen. I’m sorry. We were so busy trying to ignore the sounds of a barking dog that we didn’t hear you,” Wu Jian said with a smile so cheerful it could only be sarcastic.

A vein throbbed on Ming Shen’s forehead, bright and red, but he quashed his anger with a deep breath, then put his condescending smile back on.

“That you would dare to insult me like this is a credit to your arrogance, but don’t forget who won the tournament last time. I’ll be sure to put you in your place again this year. Perhaps then Wu Meiying and Hou Jingshu will see that I am a much better match for them.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Wu Meiying declared.

Hou Jingshu nodded. “Even if you won, I would never marry you.”

Ming Shen drew his lips into a thin line. Wu Jian didn’t pay him much attention, but instead focused on Juishi Meirin, who glared at Wu Meiying with clear hatred in her eyes. His attention shifted back to Ming Shen when the boy took a step forward, but he was stopped by Juishi Son.

“Do not bother sullying your honor by arguing with them. Prove your strength in the tournament instead,” he said.

Ming Shen sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You’re right. I have no need to degrade myself like this.” He glanced at Wu Jian, then scoffed. “See you in the tournament.”

The three turned as one and walked away. Hou Jingshu glared at them as they did. So did Wu Meiying, but Hou Jingshu’s glare was particularly loathsome, like she was staring at a couple of cockroaches.

“I truly hate that boy. Just how anyone can be so condescending is beyond me,” she exclaimed.

“He has always been like that, to the best of my knowledge. Try not to let it bother you,” Wu Jian said.

The clan leaders finished talking and everyone moved toward the viewing booths. This arena featured four special viewing booths, one for each clan, which were located above the stands where all the common folks sat. As they made it onto a veranda that overlooked the arena floor, Wu Jian glanced at the viewing booth meant for the Zhou Clan.

There was already a group of people standing inside, each one dressed in elaborate robes and gowns that put anything the other three clans could buy to shame. The woman were decked to the nines in intricate outfits that dazzled the eyes. The men wore austere clothing that seemed understated at first, until Wu Jian realized that their outfits magnified their presence several fold.

It was an obvious display of wealth. They were telling the three clans of Zahn City not to get too confident in themselves.

One person among that group stood out to Wu Jian. A young girl stood by the Zhou Clan leader. She looked to be several years older than him. At a guess, he would have said she was maybe sixteen or seventeen, but it was hard to tell. Her hair was a unique shade of sandy blond that bordered on brown and her eyes reminded him of the cerulean sky. She wore a veil that covered most of her face, so all he could see was her eyes and the snow white skin around them.

Perhaps she felt his eyes on her, for she looked his way and their eyes locked. Wu Jian was tempted to look away, to pretend he hadn’t been studying her, but that would have been tantamount to admitting he had done something wrong, and he didn’t think he had. He kept his eyes on her. Eventually, her eyes crinkled as if she was smiling and she raised her hand to wave at him. He waved back.

Hou Jingshu elbowed him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Nothing. Just being friendly.”

“Friendly with another girl. Just how many wives do you intend to have?”

“I’m happy with just you and Mei.”

Hou Jingshu’s cheeks turned pink. “I hope you remember those words.”

The arena stands were soon filled up. Father left the viewing booth and headed down to the arena floor. The other clan heads, including the head of the Zhou Clan, also stepped onto the arena.

While this was called the Three Clan’s Competition because it was being sponsored by the clans of Zahn City, the Zhou Clan also played host because they were more powerful and influential than all three clans combined. They also provided the venue. The members living in Zahn City might have been nothing more than Zhou Clan branch members, but that meant little. They could easily call upon the power of the Zhou Clan to remove all three clans if they wanted and everyone knew it.

Standing amid the three clan heads was the leader of the Zhou Clan’s Zahn City branch. He looked surprisingly young for a branch leader, but that meant he was probably a powerful cultivator. His black hair was long and trailed down to the middle of his back. He had skin like fresh snow, blue eyes like the young girl who Wu Jian guessed was his daughter, and wore elaborate white robes.