A shadow could be seen flying, breaking through the wall of the small wooden dojo.
A girl with black hair reaching her shoulder wearing a gi, climbed out of the wreckage.
Her face was twisted into a deep frown. With traces of blood leaking from her lips.
A man with pinkish white hair, walked over.
He crouched down close and said, "Little one, don't blame your big brother. This is your training."
Of course these two were Won and Lulu.
Currently Won was training Lulu in martial arts.
Lulu said, "Big brother you cheated. I'm pretty sure I saw three hands flying towards me."
Won shrugged, "If you can't handle something simple like that maybe I should quit?"
Lulu said, "No! But it's hard..."
Won sighed as he pat her head and said, "I understand. It's hard and painful, but I can assure with this you I won't need to worry about your safety. If push comes to shove and I can't protect you, you need strength. Neither God nor man will be lenient on the weak. You need strength so you can control your destiny."
Lulu nodded as she picked herself up from the rubble and got into place.
Won smirked, "Good! That's the spirit! Let's practice until we die!"
Won sped towards Lulu.
His hands snaking forth to grab her throat.
Lulu waved her hands up, and Won's hands were pushed up.
Yet his heavy body slammed into Lulu and she was knocked back, yet she persisted as her feet tightened and she dragged across the floor.
She used the momentum from being pushed to return a heavy push.
Won sent his hands as well to meet the push.
The two were knocked back simultaneously.
Won sent a kick, and Lulu bent backwards the kick kissing her chin slightly.
Lulu, shook from the shock of the foot hitting her chin.
Won sped towards her and sent a punch towards her gut shooting her up.
Won kept doing so, and then grabbed her limp leg and threw her.
Lulu spat out some blood.
Won's brow's creased and he sped towards Lulu.
He frowned, "What a time to advance in Cultivation."
Won held his hands on to her back and exclaimed loudly.
"Lulu focus! Allow your the Qi within your body to expand and cleanse your body. Don't try to hold back."
Lulu nodded faintly and immersed herself within.
Won aided in circulating her Qi, and eventually the Qi bellowed out of her pores like steam.
Floods of Impurities fell out of her.
Won said, "Ozaris come inside. Lulu has advanced successfully, when she completes the remainder of her Cultivation make sure she gets some rest for a month. Guard her, I'll go get some things to help her."
Ozaris walked in and nodded.
Lulu slowly opened her eyes and saw Ozaris, "Uncle? Ah, I advanced didn't I? But it dosent make sense. Didn't you say it would take some time to advance?"
Ozaris said, "Everytime master hit you, he sent in Qi to heal and protect your body. Instead of injuring you, you were tempered. Some of the Qi entered your Qi stream and excited it forcing it to advance. It was very dangerous and you're lucky you survived."
Lulu nodded and said, "Big brother acts mean and tough, but he's really sweet inside. He's a really good actor."
...
A shadow knelt before Won who was reclining in with a book in hand.
"Master the princess is going on another walk today."
Won stood up and said, "Is that so? Alright. Shadow 932 tell me what looks nicest."
As Won said that he look out three Hanfus. One was dark green with a peacock pattern spread across it, another was a milk white lined with light blue. The last was red and gold with tigers running down the collar.
The Shadow tilted it's head.
Won said, "Come on."
It said, "The first one shows you are not some random fellow but a someone it has that style, but comes off too prideful. The second shows your elegance, noiselessly demonstrating your handsomeness and gentlemeness. The third gives you a mighty and trust worthy feel as if a large wall to lean on. "
Won nodded, "I see. Let's see how am I trying to court the princess? Let's be an elegant heartthrob. The creamy white Hanfu is thus the best."
...
Walking left and right alongside a similar road with few orange leaves hanging from the naked trees, the sound of a river passing through ringing gently in one's ears. Won's hand's were behind his back with a lonesome and weary expression on his face, he at times gazed to the sky and sighed.
Continuously doing so, with a bouquet behind him swinging lightly.
Suddenly Won stopped and gazed at a Jade like beauty, with long black hair. Wearing a simple purple Hanfu, with pink leaves falling from outstretched branches.
Her eyes were scattered as her gaze wandered left and right, witnessing the awe inspiring sights of nature a slight smile was made on her face.
She felt a gaze upon her and turned her head, she saw a handsome with long pinkish white hair.
Their eyes locked as she stopped in place.
The wind blew hard as it dragged the orange leaves up, they fell like rain from the sky covering the two. Yet their eyes remained locked.
Won breathed out, a bright and uncanny smile replacing the slight unease and depression on his face.
He walked with a excitement, each step long and quick.
He quickly came in front of the Jade like beauty.
Won smirked, "You are quite a hard one to find miss. I have spent nights and mornings waiting here for you."
The girl asked, "Why would you wait for me?"
Won said, "Why? Hm. Because I need you."
The girl looked stunned, her eyes spinning in place in thought.
Won asked, "May I know the fair maidens name?"
The girl thought it over and said, "Yuna."
Won said, "A beautiful name, fit for a fairy."
Yuna asked, "Why have you been looking for me. I assumed our business was finished that day. You shouldn't have any interest in some nobody like me, my lord."
Won said, "Of course I'm interested. If someone can steal nights and days from me I would obviously be interested. If someone can invade my mind and fill it with her presence alone, I would say I'm interested. I'm not humble, and I'm not a gentleman. Miss Yuna, if you have not a promised may I ask..."
Won pulled out the bouquet and said, "May I ask for your hand. If may seem rushed and presumptuous on my part, but is that not the most pure nature of humans. To rush and decide without reason, even if it goes against common sense? I may not be much, but I am a passionate man. I am not a good man, but I am a man who will love you if you choose me."
Yuna looked at the pink flowers shaped like stars, and then at Won.
She giggled charmingly like wind chimes.
She walked past Won and said, "Although I am unpromised to another, that does not mean I need to be. Furthermore my lord such a thing is wasted on me, I am a simple woman, neither a heartstruck maiden nor a expectant girl."
Won looked stiffly, his eyes twitching slightly.
Won said, "To me even a million diamonds could not be as clear and dazzling as you, even if God plucked the stars and handed them to me I would drop them for you. But very well I understand well what you say. A single pretty flower is ten thousands of times more special than ten thousand pretty flowers."
Won took a single flower from the bouquet and threw it away.
He walked in front of Yuna and handed the flower to her, tilting his head.
'You told me you're unpromising because you want me to chase you? Fine. I'm naturally a stubborn man this will be easy.'
Yuna internally thought, 'You thought words were enough to fool me. You think too little of me Scholar Won.'
Yuna said, "Should we drop the act Scholar Won. I've heard about you plenty, your a intelligent and cunning fellow, you are similarly selfish and not so naive as to fall in love so simply. I do not doubt you are an emotional person, I'm sure you are one who is quick to love and hate. Yet I know what you look at me with is not care, but desire. Yet I do not understand why you would court the Princess when you're future is in front of you."
Won's eyes widened, "Wow. You're quite scary aren't you?"
Yuna snickered, "You're frankly too naive. A woman in the royal court has to be cunning and sneaky like one of those old foxes. Don't you know?"
Won said, "Hm. Perhaps. The Royal court is a tricky place and unless one works with poisonous words and actions, no one could live."
Yuna asked, "So why are you approaching me?"
Won rubbed his chin as he turned around, "Why? Well that's because I need you girl. I need your love. So how about we do this.",
Won turned around.
He smirked and said, "Let's make a bet?"
Yuna tilted her head, "A bet? What kind of bet?"
Won clicked his tongue, "A bet where we stake our lives on the line. An explosive and dramatic bet that's full of color and surprise?"
A warm wind blew, it was a strange warmth as it pervaded all of nature. Time seemed to still, and space seemed to distort. The buzzing river and scrapping of leaves silenced.
Won said, "Whoever makes the other fall in love first wins?"
Yuna snorted, "Why would I need to participate in such a bet? What would I get?"
Won explained, "You're fishing around. Don't worry it's simple if you win I'll marry you and you can take control of Sweet Night and then I'll help you become the master of this world. The Ito Empire will rise to the skies in one leap."
Yuna said, "Mindless boasting."
Won stared deadeye into her eyes, "I swear by my soul. If you win all of the glory in the world will belong to you."
Yuna felt an unnatural acceptance in her heart as she looked into those powerful and indifferent eyes.
Yuna asked, "And you?"
Won smirked, "If I make you fall in love with me first... You'll marry me, we will live for each other. Our happiness and sadness will be shared. We will never betray each other, you will be my strength and I will be your strength."
The warm wind dragged Won's hair.
Yuna said, "What if neither of us falls in love or if we love but lie."
Won said, "If it's the first case we will be nothing, indifferent to each others intentions and life and death. And if it's the second I doubt we would need to lie."
Yuna thought it through for a few minutes and looked up.
Her black eyes sparkling, "Very well! Let us bet."
Won smirked, "You shall be mine."
Yuna said, "You will be mine."
...
Won said, "Farewell Princess. Let's have a long and happy life together. If we have children let us have a proud Son and Beautiful daughter!"
Yuna simply waved her, her eyes brought together in slight annoyance.
As Won walked a bit away a voice carried by the wind said, "Master Prince Roku and Kenji the son of the Minister of War were present. Although they listened they didn't come out. Yet they both exerted malice and hate towards you. Especially Kenji, he had dense killing intent. It's likely he will interfere with you."
Won stroked his hair that leaned on his shoulder, "That was to be expected. Loving is after all harder than hating. It's fine, I've prepared adequately for even Prince Suzaku and the rest of the royal family, never mind a simple Minister of War. Even if it's Heaven, even if it's some omniscient being who knows my every move, I'll defeat all of them. Why because I am a Cruel God. Of course I also have my Master who basically knows everything. Even if some mysterious being dared interfere with me Willy nilly I'm sure master would smack them around. Wow having a cool master really makes you cool as well. I'm too cool, ai, I feel so sad Heaven was cheated of me."