"Are you sure our pieces are in position?" A voice asked.
"Yes master they are, everything is ready and the plans can proceed." A hooded man could be see answering as he sat conspicuously in the middle of other spectators. However it was almost as if these other people couldn't notice the man speaking on the phone, or rather they were choosing to ignore in favor of paying attention to the tournament.
"There should be no mistakes, rather even if there are mistakes you must make sure the blood of what's important to these Invaders are spilled. Do you understand Mathias? I'm counting on you to deliver true justice to these people."
"I understand master, no matter what, the Wudang sect would be bathed in blood for the sin they've committed. There would be no mercy or reprieve for them."
"That's a good boy, I'll await news of your success. 'What Is True Is Just'."
"And 'What Is Just Is True.' Good bye father."
<<<<<<∆>>>>>>>
THREE DAYS LATER
When Alex finally woke up, the first thing he noticed was Yun Fao sitting on a chair opposite him, his hands holding a whetstone as they glided across the opposite edge of this Autumn sabre. It was then that Alex realized that while it's main edge was serrated and curved, and very sharp too, the inward edge of the sabre was also sharp. He just never got the chance to notice it during their fight.
"Urgh! Why are you here?" Alex asked Yun Fao as he struggled to sit up. Yun Fao dropped the sabre and moved to his side, pouring a jug of liquid that had a heavy medicinal scent into a small cup for him to drink.
Alex looked at the green pungent liquid with a suspicious gaze as he pulled his head backwards and gave Yun Fao as suspicious look. However all the boy said to him was. "Drink, it will help clear your head and give you strength." Seeing as he had no other arguments to present Alex downed the entire thing one go, and had to resist the urge to curse as coughed at the heavy taste whilst forcing himself to keep the liquid in his stomach.
"What the hell was that? It tasted awful." Alex asked as he sat up, feeling a lot more clear headed than before. After all with how that tasted and the burn he felt down his throat when drinking it, even a dead man would wake up.
"My mother's hangover cure." Yun Fao answered as he gave a cup of water to Alex to wash the taste away. Alex felt sorry so he apologized. "I'm sorry for calling it awful." Just because his own mother was bad doesn't mean other's were.
"There's no harm done, besides I don't think she would even mind anyway as the man she kept making those hangover cures for decided that one morning he's had enough of her care...…then he beat her over the head with the same pestle she used in grinding the herbs for the recipe, over and over aging until her head was bloody mess and she was all but dead. With her children standing as witnesses to the scene."
"...…." There was an awkward silence after that, how do you even respond to such a thing Alex wondered to himself. He thought his life was messed up, especially when it came to his parents. But he never thought....damn!
"I'm sorry about your mom, and your dad. Is there anything I can do?" Alex asked as he squeezed the quilt placed on his body in nervousness.
"Not unless you can turn back the hands of time, plus he wasn't my father. Just the man my mother left my father behind for, and took her children along too...….I'm sorry for saddling such a thing on you. I believe you'll have some questions, please ask away." Yun Fao said as he took a seat back opposite Alex and continued sharpening his sabre.
"This is my room right? So what are you doing here? And what happened after our fight, I sort of passed out. Also where's Laozi." Alex asked in rapid fire as he looked straight at Yun Fao, every trace of nervousness gone.
"Yes this is your room, I'm here because it's my duty to protect you. Within the past 48 hours alone six people from the top ten of the open Dantian and true essence realm have been murdered. As for what happened after the competition, there was a sort of argument between the leaders about how to place us since our fight ended up in a draw.
But we seem to have gotten quite a few fans, so the sect master had no choice but to let us both share the 10th rank.
Your first rank position within the open meridian rank was given to that girl, her name eludes me right now, and you fully joined the ranks of the open Dantian cultivators. However lots of elders, your grandfather, and surprisingly enough your step father included wanted to reward you for the talent you showed. So both the reward for the top ten open meridian realm and open Dantian realm cultivators was given to you. Which is 600 contribution points, I'm sure you can do quite a lot with that.
The Dragon blood Qi pool would be opening by midnight tonight and closing at the same time tomorrow. We can go there to temper our bodies, blood and organs improving our physiques. I'm too bring you and Louis there by midnight, it would be my second time there."
While Yun Fao answered a lot of questions he also created some in the process. However Alex was smart(or at least he thinks he is.) He was able to piece some few things together based on what he's heard his grandfather say before and what Yun Fao said when they were fighting.
"You're a part of the bodyguards that are supposed to protect me. But that's not fair to you guys, you don't look like someone who would want to be someone else's bodyguard." Alex said to him.
"Don't get me wrong young master Feng! Me, Louis and the other three were not forced into this, especially in Louis's case considering he's not a commoner like the rest of us. We were chosen from amongst a lot of other talented people and given a choice to serve and protect, we agreed to do so. True enough the rewards and the resources we would receive would be heaps better than what other common disciples would get if they're not chosen as personal disciples of some elders. Not to mention we would be trained and have been trained so far by your grandfather, the most respected person in the sect. Looking after a sniveling spoilt rich brat in return for power and resources seemed like a good trade off, even if there might be some danger involved.
People like us, no matter how talented we might be, if we're not as insanely talented as you are, it would take a few decades to achieve anything substantial, especially with how different the Wudang sect is now, as opposed to when you grandfather was in charge. Louis is an anomaly though, he suddenly decided to come along for the ride, and it's well known he's the son of a Duke. So he's rich and protected, yet he wants to be the one protecting. The rest of us are commoners, coming from different parts of the world, our origins are not that different from yours. Coming from remote villages and joining the triennial disciples selection competition. We're champions who got to the end against all odds and won, you got a pass, but we all know you worked hard too.
Being right besides you in battle, in rain, in sunshine, in fire and in ice might not be a bad thing. Plus it gives me the strength I really need to be able to change my family's fortune. So I think you should just accept it, I don't think your mother or grandfather would accept anything other than yes."
"Fuck!" Alex cursed as he laid back on his bed, Yun Fao looked at him with a smile and replied "Indeed."