"So, let me get this straight. You went for a walk by yourself, were almost robbed and beaten by ten men until a woman saved you?" Xan said, with his eyebrows raised. Xan was a handsome man who had thick, dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. A fighter by trade, he was well-toned and did not suffer fools gladly. A few years back, Kurt and Xan were enemies because they both wanted Grace. However, time moved on and they became good friends.
"So, who is this woman?" Denug asked.
Denug was Xan's second in command and was married to Xan's sister, Chynna. Chynna was currently looking after Grace's and Xan's twins. The four of them were all sitting in the Penthouse Suite on two large sofas, sipping tea.
"Was it the woman on the moped? Grace asked.
"Yes, her name is Alannah," Kurt stated cautiously.
"Please tell me it is not Alannah Seaswell," Denug said.
"Yes, why?" Kurt said.
"Alannah is one of the deadliest fighters in the underground scene. Even I would have to be careful if I fought her!" Xan said.
"Really?" Grace said, shocked. Xan was well known for being one of the best fighters in China.
"Yes, Fire Sprite!" Xan with a smile.
"But, she looked so nice when she dropped Kurt off!" Grace said.
"She might be, but she is a Zǔzhòu, or cursed!" Xan said sadly.
"Zǔzhòu?" Kurt asked.
"Yes, most underground fighters are Zǔzhòu. That is, they fight to pay off some debt or other. What happens is someone borrows a large amount of money from a gang leader and can't pay it back. That person either gives themselves or a family member up to work off the debt.
That family member then goes to a gang market, either to be sold as a fighter or a sex worker. The gang that buys that person buys the debt, so to speak. The person then works over several years to pay off that debt. Unless... "Xan explained.
"Unless what?" Kurt said.
"Well, unless they die, then it is written off! " Xan said with a shrug.
"Xan! How come I did not know about this? That is awful! " Grace shouted.
"Because my little Phoenix, I am trying to phase it out and you shouting at the Syndicate won't help!" Xan stated truthfully.
"I only did that once! Once! "Grace said, pouting.
"And they are still talking about it now!" Xan said with a chuckle. Grace Anderson's temper was world-famous.
"So, Alannah got into debt?" Kurt was surprised. She did not seem the type.
"No, it was her brother..the cunt sold his 14-year-old sister to a gang in London to cover his gambling debt. The previous Triad leader saw her at the gang market and thought she might be useful in the brothels. However, Tao, the fighting family head of the Nine-Tails, spotted her fighting potential and moved her. She has been fighting ever since. " Xan said sadly.
"Her own fucking brother sold her?" Kurt became enraged. Grace and Xan gave each other a knowing smile."What?" Kurt snapped.
"You like her, don't you, Kurt?" Grace said with a smile. Grace's suspicions were confirmed when Kurt did not respond.
"You need to think carefully about pursuing this, Kurt. She has been a Zǔzhòu since she was 14, and that can make anyone as hard as stone. Plus, on a completely selfish note, she is one of our group's best fighters and I can't afford her to be distracted by a broken heart! " Xan said seriously.
"Can't I just buy her out of it?" Kurt said.
" Man, you got it bad!" Denug said. He received a glare from Xan and was quiet again.
"It is not that simple. She has to agree to it, and the Nine-Tails have a special arrangement—they share all their winnings equally, so they pay off their debt together," Xan said.
"Well, how much is all their debt combined?" Kurt said.
"Denug?" Xan asked.
Well, with the matches tomorrow night, about 15 million US dollars," Denug said.
"That's all? I can transfer you that now! " Kurt said adamantly.
"I have no doubt you can, but as I said, it is not that simple. For a start, they won't take the money. " Xan said.
"What?" Kurt said.
"The Nine Tails is her only family; she's not going to give that up easily!" Grace said, knowing how difficult it was to be without a family.
"So, what do I do?" Kurt asked.
"Think about it carefully, and if you still want to go for it, we will all help! Won't we Xan and Denug? " Grace said cheerfully.
"Thanks so much!" Kurt said. Knowing full well that he was not going to need any time to think about it.
"Wouldn't thank us yet!" grumbled Denug, earning him a piercing stare from both Xan and Grace.
========================================================
"This is bad, really bad!" Ethan said as they sat around the table eating dinner. They were there, well, all except Alannah, who never missed a family meal.
"Well, at least she's stopped wailing like a banshee!" Aiden said, earning a smack on the back of the head from his twin brother.
"Show her some respect! You would not be here if it were not for her! You do well to remember that Aiden. " Tao growled, and Aiden looked down at his food.
It was true, the Nine-Tails doesn't accept new members as a rule. The Twins were a major concession, especially when they came with a bad reputation. They were off to some low ranking fighting group, who would have abused them. It was Alannah who had spotted them and persuaded Tao to take them on. From that day, she always had their backs like a big sister.
"I am sorry Tao, I am just worried about her. I have never seen her like this! " Aiden said honestly.
"She needs to snap out of it. The Silver Wolves are snapping at our heels and are not to be underestimated. " Adam said.
"I believe she is aware of that, Adam," Bruce said.
"Why is it that everyone looks like they are attending a funeral?" Alannah said as she walked over to the table. "Room for a small one?"
"Always, "Tao said with a smile. It was obvious she had been crying, but no one was going to mention it.
"You can sit here!" The Twins said in unison as they moved apart, creating space between them.
Thank you! " Alannah said with a smile, and she sat at the table. Maya gave her a plate of food; peas, rice, and crispy chicken.
"So, what is the plan for tomorrow?"She asked before tucking in. Planning matches was crucial in order not to get disqualified or injured. The rules were simple:
1)Each team took turns choosing their opponent,
2) The team could only use each type of weapon once. There was always one fewer weapon than the number of matches. This meant that there was one match that was hand-to-hand combat.
3) The fighter who knocked out the other fighter won the match. This could either be done by knocking them out, causing serious injury or, in some cases, death. Fighters could also tap out, but this was rare.
4) The team with the most points was victorious. Three points were awarded to the outright winner, two points for a draw, and no points for a loss. If a team won all the matches, then the winnings would be doubled.
5) Any form of deception or cheating would be capital punishment.
If there was not a proper plan, one fighter could have a sword and the other could be unarmed. "Well, we thought we would give you the choice as you are probably going to face the giant!" Matt said. If it were true, the Silver Wolves would almost certainly pick her first, thinking they'd get a point right away.
"I have picked Andromeda's chains." Alannah said. Andromeda's Chains are two long silver linked chains with a weight at the end. They can be attached or unattached to the fighter, and there were also different weight and length options. They are notoriously difficult to master, which is why they were always in the weapons pool. That and the fact that the syndicate likes to see traditional weapons be used.
"Andromeda's Chains? Are you sure? They are not your strongest weapon!" Bruce pointed out.
"They are no one's favourite weapons. I am most likely to lose the fight, so I might as well take the hardest weapon out of the pot. Plus, they are the best weapon to use to keep people at a distance," Alannah said with a shrug.
"Pretty good logic there," Adam said.
"Everyone clear the table, Alannah, let's practise with the chains, as you have not used them for a while!" Tao said, and Alannah nodded.
Alannah finished eating and walked over to the fighting cage. Tao already had her Andromeda's chains ready. "So what's up? You always make us wait half an hour before training, otherwise, we get cramps, "Alannah said.
"I wanted to apologise for what happened earlier," Tao said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"It's fine," Alannah said, folding her arms and sighing.
"Is it?" Tao asked.1
"Why wouldn't it be?" Alannah said.
"Well, you have been crying all day, Alannah. You have cried less over a broken leg, " Tao said.
"Don't worry, Tao, you were right. He was a complete scum bag and had another woman at the hotel. " Alannah said.
"Really?" Tao said, surprised. He was normally a good judge of character, and Kurt did not seem the type.
"Yeap! So trust me when I say it is no longer an issue. I don't want to see him ever again. So shall we start a practice or what? " Alannah said.