"Well, we won and I got a new jacket!" Noriko said happily while wearing said expensive looking jacket.
"And more money!" Toya cheered with her.
The twins, Cai Kang, Kurai, Ryosuke and Fukuna are all at a restaurant for dinner where they are celebrating Noriko winning first place in an art competition she won. However, that wasn't the reason why the twins are happy. It also came with prize money. Unsurprisingly, everyone else isn't as happy.
"You two are the biggest drama queens ever to react to even win the prize that isn't rightfully yours." Cai Kang said looking bored.
"Hey, I won that contest fair and square with my own piece of art." Noriko bragged.
"I'm more surprised that no one found out about you guys stealing the second and third place prizes too." Fukuna said.
"Hey, it's a competition. It is to be expected if we have to play dirty. Well I feel much better now that I won." Noriko said.
"Someone's coming." Kurai perked up then sniffed the air. "And he smells pissed." He noted.
Then the door opened with a crash and a visibly power hungry, bloodthirsty, armed boy walked in. His outfit shows he is Chinese but despite his slim muscular figure, he has a smooth handsome face. The customers are very scared and already running for their lives. Despite walking through the door, he broke the hinges. Is he that impatient and eager that he wouldn't try pulling the door open?
"Cai Kang!" He yelled.
Recognizing who it is, Cai Kang freaked out. "Xianliang?! Not you again! How do you keep finding me?!" She panicked.
"Sha!" He yelled but Cai Kang quickly escaped after throwing something at his face.
"She went that way." Fukuna said, pointing to the door he broke earlier.
"Gai si." He cursed and left.
Ryosuke then grabbed a wooden talisman from his pocket and used chi to fix the door. The twins managed to persuade everyone that they didn't see anything.
"What did he say?" Noriko said.
"He wants to kill Shell for brains." Kurai said.
"Why?!" Toya exclaimed.
Then Cai Kang came out of hiding. She was shaken up a bit but quickly calmed down.
"Okay, we've been in China before but I didn't know you had someone who came all this way to kill you. What the hell was that about?" Kurai said.
"Quite handsome if you ask me. What happened? Boy can't handle rejection?" Maiko jokes.
"Are you nuts? He's out to kill me." Cai Kang said.
"So what's the story?" Ryosuke said.
Cai Kang went back to her seat.
"It was back a year ago in the Qinghai province." She said.
"Why are we heading back to the tribe, old man?" Cai Kang said.
"At the time, I haven't been home for months and my training hasn't been finished. Even though we are not a famous or influential tribe, we are as big as a large settlement and despite the fact that we are aware of our affiliation with the tribe, we do not actually know each other as a family."
The entire forest is covered in bamboo but as they go deeper into the forest, it turns black. After getting out, they saw a large valley filled with many creatures and after going on a bit further, there was a village. They went to a small hut where their community greets them warmly.
"Unlike the chinese traditions that you know of, ours adopts a bit of northern traditions. We prefer wearing fur and wool. Our tribe also worships our founder who is considered a hermaphrodite god. That day, we went to visit one of our seers."
Then they went inside a yurt. Then his old man then walks up to an old woman.
"I do not know the whole purpose of his visit to the seer. My old man told me to leave the tent and I went to the river. That was when I met him."
A bunch of boys appeared in front of him. The leader is dressed in fine brightly colored garbs and a long intricate braid at his back covered in small metal tubes. Judging from that, he must be from a high ranking member of the tribe.
"Outsider, what are you doing in the village?" A boy said. He looked at Cai Kang with a hostile look.
"I am not an outsider. I am waiting for my old man. I'm just staying here until he's done." He said.
"Are you a fighter?" The young Xianliang said noticing his physique.
"Sorta."
"Then fight me."
"Sure"
"I had a bad feeling on accepting his challenge. The tribe shouldn't randomly pick fights like that. I didn't know who Xianliang is at the time. But if I had known, I would have just walked away. I mean, I always accept a challenge, no matter how small."
"Then what happened?" Fukuna asked curiously.
Everyone is attentive to his story.
"Well I kicked his ass. But I paid the price for it." Cai Kang said.
The boys looked as if their leader had been defeated.
"You beat Xianliang." Another boy said.
His old man who saw what happened suddenly appeared and grabbed his son by the arm. Then a group of adults started to surround Xianliang. He looks horrified as Xianliang opened his shirt and noticed a tattoo on the back of his shoulder disappearing.
Suddenly, his old man opened his shirt to see a black tattoo shaped like a dragon suddenly appear on his shoulder.
"Cai Kang, what have you done?" Changming said horrified.
"Old man, what did I do?" Cai Kang said, repeating the question back to him annoying Changming.
"You defeated the dragon of the Mountain." He said.
"I beat the Dragon?!" Cai Kang exclaimed.
Cai Kang then pull down his collar to show the small dragon tattoo on his back shoulder to show the others. It appeared when he showed it. "I have been away from home for so long that I lost track of who the next dragon should be." Cai Kang said softly.
"Care to explain, metal braid?" Kurai asked.
"The Dragon of the Mountain is a title that goes to the most worthy or with the most potential in the tribe and is the next generation's successor and it comes in the form of a tattoo. In this case, it was Xianliang. He is from the main family so it is natural that he has it but me?" Cai Kang then swiped her hand and scoffed. "Nah. I am the recipient of the Yin-Yang trait. It may define our tribe's status but it isn't as respected or renowned. The tribe values strength and youth above all else so that title usually goes to the strongest but all the curse users are exceptions. Xianliang wasn't the dragon prior to my arrival so I didn't know that I accidentally beat the Dragon. I beat him so that title technically goes to me now." Cai Kang said.
"So he's chasing you around to have a rematch to regain his lost title?" Noriko said. "Also, you check out everything they want, right? Why do you sound disappointed?"
"Xianliang cares for regaining his lost honor. For nearly a year, that guy has been hunting me down picking fights with me. It took a while but he finally found me." She groaned.
"Jeez, so he wants to beat you for a power struggle? You have it hard." Ryosuke said.
"Have you tried to make amends?" Maiko asked.
Cai Kang shook her head. "It didn't even occur in our minds. Unless he beats me in battle, then it is impossible." She said. "Xianliang may try to get his honor back but he might do it in a way that is dishonorable so keep steady."
"We all might need to be careful from now on. Unless we can get that guy to give up then we cannot pick a fight with him." Ryosuke said.
After leaving the restaurant, they went their separate ways with Fukuna and the twins following Cai Kang and were shocked to see Xianliang waiting by the gate. When he saw Cai Kang, he got his bo staff and proceeded to attack her. But Fukuna got in the way to dodge his attack.
"Listen, if you want to get to him then you'll have to get through me." She said bringing her needles.
"Did you already forget what I just said?" Cai Kang said in disbelief.
Xianliang smirked at the challenge and he dodged Fukuna's attack and with a finger, he hit her shoulder and she screamed in pain. He dislocated her shoulder and does it with a sadistic look on his face.
"Just because you're a girl, doesn't mean that I will go easy on you." He said it in fluent japanese. He leaned on her back so that she stays put and keeps the others at bay.
Watching from the sidelines, there is a bystander who saw the entire thing. He dislocated her entire shoulder with one poke. Kazuha thought. It isn't just her shoulder he dislocated. Her arm, muscles are all affected.
"Xianliang!" Cai Kang joined in the fight but Kazuha stopped her. It seems like she wants to fight too. She is also holding a bo staff.
"That is enough. I don't know what you're doing here but you are trespassing and attacking in my home." Kazuha says menacingly to Xianliang who seems taken aback by Kazuha's glowing eyes.
"Stop! Xianliang is much stronger than you'd think!" Noticing their killing intent, Cai Kang stepped out of the way.
"Stop" Kazuha says firmly.
Xianliang stopped. His body is trembling and Fukuna quickly ran away from him and towards Cai Kang. Everyone watched the whole thing unfold until Kazuha says something silently which got Xianliang to collapse.
Amazing. I never saw her fight seriously before. Cai Kang thought as she watched.
Cai Kang in the meantime, relocated Fukuna's arm which led her to faint along with other injuries. Cai Kang almost frowned. Fukuna may learn martial arts but it seems she needs more training. Xianliang was injured and was kneeling on the ground in pain holding his bleeding arm.
What is he doing? Cai Kang then noticed a hidden smirk.
"Wait Kazuha! It's a trap!"
She was about to walk back but Xianliang grabbed onto the back of her head.
"Oh no. He's going to attack her!" Cai Kang said.
Then the unexpected happened, he kissed her or at least tried to but she unamusingly pushed him back with a sonic scream which made him let go in order to cover his ears. She got away from him in fear he would attempt to plant a kiss again. Cai Kang had to hold back his laughter and hopes that she permanently damaged his hearing. But the young man stopped as he recovered from the sensory overload and sat back with a smile. His demeanor changed from a rampaging psychopath to an innocent puppy.
"What the hell was that about?" Toya said in confusion. "Is he trying to kill you or flirt with you?"
"No clue." Kazuha said shaking her head.
"I'm calling the old man." Cai Kang said and opened her locket. "Show me my old man." She spoke in chinese.
The three of them got close to the locket as it glows which rippled and showed Changming's face in the frame.
"Cai Kang, why are you calling at this time?" Changming said.
"Xianliang's back and Kazuha beat him." Cai Kang said, getting straight to the point.
"He did? That's not good." Changming said and paused. "How did he react?"
"He tried to kiss her, now what's not good?" Ryosuke said, expressing curiosity and straightforwardness.
Changming expressed his surprise and looked at them from the bowl. "You see, in the Black Mountain tribe where he came from, strength is valuable. If an outsider beats someone in the tribe, there are rules and exceptions. If it is of someone of the same gender then they have a choice to restore their honor or get them to marry into the tribe but if it was someone of the opposite gender, then they make that person their spouse if they desire it. In the tribe, they find strength more attractive than beauty so he must've found Kazuha attractive enough to want to marry her." He said.
"Are you serious?" Noriko said.
"This rule is far too stupid for my liking and it is one of the few in the tribe that I broke when I married your mother and divorced her." he noted.
"I really dug deep in this one." Kazuha sighed putting a palm to her face. "As if I didn't have enough problems as it is." she mumbled.
She got the first aid kit and is bandaging Xianliang's wounds while keeping her guard up with another sonic scream if he attempts something. Cai Kang meanwhile is tending to Fukuna.
"Shouldn't the engagement ceremony commence for the engagement to be legitimate? It isn't exactly sealed with a kiss or broken lack there of." Toya said.
"I am from that tribe, too. Didn't the tribe already acknowledge me since I have the tribe's curse? If we go from that logic, doesn't that mean that I am to be with Kazuha since I am stronger than her?" Cai Kang said.
"Didn't he also say that you have a choice? Since you haven't actually claimed her as your fiancee, that technically means he does have a claim."
"The Black Mountain tribe doesn't follow the same rules as the central government in Luminescent but they are limited to consent unless they want to risk angering the other tribes and clans. He is legally not allowed to force it. But even though the tribe is not as well known, it is still quite powerful. No one dares cross anyone from the Black Mountain tribe for this reason, especially the former Dragon of the Mountain. I'll tell him to go back to the tribe and have an explanation there. Bridenapping is actually a more common occurrence in the tribe than you'd think. However, even if he acknowledges you, you are not a full man and until that happens, he will change his priorities." Changming said.
"Aren't you glad? You are no longer targeted." Ryosuke said sarcastically.
"You've got to be kidding me." She said.
Xianliang ended up talking to Changming using the locket all night and was kicked out of the Shiratori residence for his rudeness. He still refuses to stop chasing after Cai Kang though.
The next morning Cai Kang started his morning exercise and training. He stopped only to hear Kazuha speaking chinese much to his shock.
That's right. She mentioned that she had a teacher from China. Cai Kang thought and headed towards the sound which led to the garden. Kazuha is removing the bandages on Xianliang's arm. For some reason, he refuses to go to the clinic and prefers to stay by Kazuha's side as much as possible. Cai Kang knows for a fact that in the Black Mountain tribe, the men are especially clingy to their wives.
"Listen, your village rules are not legal in Japan." Toya and Ren then appeared behind Cai Kang.
"It's already impressive that she can speak chinese so fluently." Cai Kang said.
"You wouldn't believe it. That hidden potential continues to grow fast. She can even speak languages fluently in a short amount of time." Toya said.
Seriously?
"Do you understand now?" Kazuha finished speaking calmly as she noticed his wound healed quickly.
"It healed. I guess no more bandages." She said and put the supplies away.
"Wo ai ni." He said and grabbed both her hands looking at her in bliss. Kazuha pulled her hands back, dismissing his words entirely while putting the medical supplies away.
"That means I love you." Ren read from a chinese-japanese dictionary. Cai Kang felt even more irritated at his sudden change in character. He was trying to kill him and now he acts flirty.
"Listen I'm not going to marry you." She said firmly. "I'd rather die than leave my home."
Xianliang grew upset. He is like a kid, impatient, crude, and open-minded. Cai Kang snickered at his reaction to the rejection.
"I heard the story from Cai Kang. He is the one with the tattoo right now. Focus on your original goal." She said before leaving.
Xianliang growled and decided to leave. Cai Kang noticed that she was using the charm then went up to the roof to think where he was then slapped on the head.
"Ow! What the hell Ryosuke?" He said.
"That's for giving Kazuha-san a sadistic creep as an admirer you transvestite." Ryosuke said angrily.
"Who the hell are you calling a transvestite? And for the record, How is this my fault?" He said.
"You still deny it?" Ryosuke said.
Cai Kang couldn't deny it. It was because she and Fukuna tried to protect him that got them in this situation in the first place. Even if Xianliang acknowledges Cai Kang as the Dragon, he wouldn't stop courting her since he himself isn't even a complete man so the marriage rule is technically not in full effect until he turns out to be a full guy. "Anyway, why are you mad? Shouldn't you be happy one of the girls who I might be engaged to later has another man?" Cai Kang said.
"I should be. Yes. But Kazuha-san is my friend and I don't want her to end up with a person like that." He said. "We- wait, where's Xianliang going?" Ryosuke said and looked around.
Both siblings look at each other.
"Uh oh"
Kazuha was about to go to bed, she felt a presence looking over her. She looked up to see Xianliang.
When did he? Seeing his expression, she was already on guard. Before she could command him to stop, she is quickly struck by something which made her limp. The ruckus in her room got the shikigami's and eveyone else's attention.
"Kazuha!" They came in to see that she was knocked cold.
"Xianliang! What the hell did you do to her?" Cai Kang said.
"It's been fun but I'm taking her back home." He said and carried her out the window.
"Get back here!" Cai Kang said.
In the distance he saw Ryosuke who took the other way out and tried to kick him but he missed. Cai Kang found an opening and knocked Xianliang off and Ryosuke grabbed Kazuha from his arms.
"You're not taking her to China you piece of shit." She growled.
They notice Yae and she is armed.
"Let go of her." She said.
Seeing as he is outnumbered, he raised his arms up in surrender but kept the same condescending attitude.
"Fine, you win for now. But I'll make her love me one way or another." Xianliang said.
"Go back to China. Discuss this with the chief. She'll tell you that you can't try to kill me anymore. Also Kazuha is with me so you can't touch her." She said.
Xianliang looked at Cai Kang's female form. "You are not even a full man. Homosexual relationships are not allowed in the tribe. You may be engaged for now but once the time comes then we'll see if your engagement is still intact." He said and then looked down on him.
"See you later faggot." then he left. Yae took Kazuha back to her room.
"What did you just call me?!" Cai Kang yelled angrily but resisted the urge to chase him. After he was gone, she is close to snapping. "I'm gonna kill him." he silently says.
"Wait in line because by the time she wakes up, she's gonna to want to kill Xianliang first." Ryosuke said. "You think he bought that?"
"It's just a slip of the tongue at the moment. He's a hypocrite. I wonder if he's in the closet." Cai Kang murmured. "We'll tell her nothing happened and that we chased him away back to China."
"Agreed. Whatever happened here stays here."
__________________________________________________________________________
It has been a few days since the kidnapping attempt. Kazuha woke up but is clearly unhappy with what Xianliang tried to do. It was rumored that he was spotted at Nerima high after stalking her but Toya, who had managed to find out about the incident, hinted that his sister had a stalker to Karasuma and he picked a fight with Xianliang. The end result was unknown but it chased him away. Karasuma has noted that he has put him to justice but it is not reliable while Xianliang's side of the story was unknown.
Kurai was walking in the city at noon and noticed someone familiar. Realizing who it is, he took a picture of the boy and forwarded it.
Sometime after, cCai Kang was in her female form and walked to the address she had been informed of. There is a reason why she is female in the middle of the day. It's because she is heading to a gay bar. She received a message from Kurai through Kazuha's phone, since Cai Kang doesn't own one, that Xianliang is spotted going inside said bar. Due to her gynesexual identity, she is afraid of the thought of being hit on by a guy so by keeping her Yin form and even wearing women's clothes after raiding Noriko's closet just to avoid it. Kurai absolutely doesn't wish to come. Kazuha knew the area and brought him here while she heads off somewhere else.
Xianliang ordered a drink. He has a fake ID and visa so he was thought to be at drinking age. Despite his Chinese appearance, no one bat an eye to it as the other tenants thought he was a cosplayer from a nearby event with a bad day. The bar is also empty. There are at least two to three customers in there. Xianliang is sitting at the corner of the bar wanting to be alone.
"So it's true. I didn't believe it at first but I had to see it for myself." Xianliang turned around to see Cai Kang and was visibly surprised but looked away in response.
"What was that you said about homosexuality being forbidden in the tribe?" Cai Kang said.
"Go away faggot." He said flatly.
Cai Kang tries not to look offended. "You're one to talk." She sat at the seat across from him.
"How did you find me?" Xianliang said.
"I have my ways." Cai Kang replied. "Care to explain?" he finished in japanese.
Xianliang drank his drink. "Don't think too far into it. Yes, I like guys. Happy now?" Xianliang looked at Cai Kang.
"Then were you just playing with Kazuha?"
"Does it matter?" Xianliang said.
"After that move you pulled... I have more than a good reason to beat you up with little consequence. Her family wants your head on a silver platter."
After seeing that Cai Kang is serious, Xianliang looked back to his drink. "Okay, I like girls too." he confessed.
"I can see that. You are breaking the rules that you so stated less than a week ago. There is nothing wrong with liking those of the same sex. Homosexual relationships are not forbidden or spurned in Luminescent"
"True." he admits. "But not marriages. I used you Cai Kang. It wasn't my intention at first but I used you." He said while finishing his drink.
"You think I don't know that?" Cai Kang says indifferently.
"What do you want?"
"How do you keep finding me?" Cai Kang asked.
Xianliang is silent. Cai Kang has been suspicious as of late about Xianliang's activities. Since his stalking incident, he refused to come back. But that isn't what she was suspicious of. He seems to constantly find him once every few weeks to a few months. His motives are also questionable than just take back his title.
"Listen here. If you want this to continue being a secret then stop pursuing Kazuha and stop trying to fight me at every turn especially the way you are doing it. You can live in Japan as much as you want and we can lie to everyone that you beat me and no one will stop you. Or I tell the tribe that one of their members tried to kidnap the heiress of a high ranking family.
Xianliang looks horrified. "Wait! She's what?!"
"Clearly, you didn't do your homework. They don't know who you are yet and I barely got her family's mouth shut. In addition to buying my silence, you also don't want me of all people to keep title of dragon forever now, do you?" She knows that she came into dangerous territory but is prepared for it.
Xianliang growled under his breath. "It's the tattoo." Cai Kang frowned as she touched it. "It has a magical signature that we can track." he says.
"You mean to tell me that the tattoo can be tracked?" She says in disbelief.
"It has its limits." He admitted. "But it isn't just proof for being the next clan head nor a badge of honor, you should've have seen what it could do."
Cai Kang is undoubtedly confused. "What kind of things?"
Xianliang smirked. "Nothing that you need to know. After all, I am the dragon of the mountain and the next head of the tribe. I know the secrets behind that tattoo."
She frowned at this turn of events. Cai Kang didn't even get to enjoy that title when she had it. Not convinced, she is desperate to know more but knows when to stop.
"What else do you want?" Xianliang said. "By the time, I get the tattoo, you should be able to feel the connection with the tattoo even if the time is brief. You've had it for a few years after all."
"Other than what I said before, stop going into bars, stop drinking, stop picking fights and getting into trouble and stop pulling those tricks on us."
Xianliang shrugged and picked up his drink, downing it in one gulp. "That's easy." He swirled the empty cup in front of her face. "This is non alcoholic." He smirked. "Cinderella"
Realizing she has been tricked, she looks feral but is tolerant. "Do we have a deal?" Cai Kang said grimacing his face to look a bit more friendly but failed miserably.
"Deal. Now you should leave before you get a bunch of girls hitting on you." He said.
Cai Kang looked around, noticing the attention the two of them were getting as more customers came in.
She laughed loudly. "Jokes on you, I actually like women. Why did you think I came here as a girl in the first place? But you're right. This place smells."
Both of them quickly head out of the bar.
__________________________________________________________________________
The next day, both Kazuha and Cai Kang are on the roofop of the school. He gave Kazuha an explanation and the deal he made with Xianliang.
"So that's it. He will stop pursuing me just like that?" Kazuha says incredulously.
"Yeah. He promised to stop trying to kidnap you but he does want a duel for the title." Cai Kang said.
"Are you planning on losing? You don't seem like the type to willingly give up without a fight."
"Oh, I intend to fight back with all I got in the first round before letting him win in the second one. I've been wanting to punch him in the face for his sass." he assured her. "He has been trying ten years to get back at me for the tattoo. He's definitely training hard."
"Where on earth is he now?" She asked and looked at him with doubt.
"No clue." He shrugged.
Then out of nowhere Xianliang popped out and cuddled around Kazuha much to her annoyance.
Cai Kang was horrified. "Xianliang! What did I-"
"Uh uh uh." He said wagging his finger at Cai Kang.
"I said I wouldn't kidnap her. You didn't say anything about not courting her or annoying you to death." Cai Kang is frustrated.
"So the deal is not entirely fixed. But where did you come from?" Kazuha said.
"Oh you see. I just walk in. I can hide my presence but my powers didn't work on that mystic proof barrier at your house." He said.
That makes sense. She thought as she pushed him away.
"Oi, they sold all the bread. I got all the good ones though." Kurai wandered in and noticed Xianliang.
Xianliang stared at Kurai for a bit. "Well, would you look like that? You're the snitch who ratted me out to Cai Kang, aren't you?" He said darkly.
"So what? What are you gonna do about it?" Kurai is openly aggressive with him.
Xianliang went to Kurai's direction and stared into his eyes.
"Your attitude is like a dog. You even look like one. I might even have to start calling you one." He taunts, then grabs a piece of bread from Kurai's bundle and walks off eating it.
Kurai is absolutely fuming. Cai Kang and Ryosuke have to hold him back. "Not bad for Cai Kang's slave boy." He said before he was out of view.
Kurai snapped. "That's it! I don't even care about the damn rules, I'm gonna kill him!" Everyone has to hold him back while Xianliang leaves the rooftop laughing.