Return of the 13th Zodiac

2: Calm as the Forest, Fierce as the Fire (1)

Xiao Ran fell into step beside Shu Yue as they left the Sparring Ground. He politely took her bamboo stick and then pulled out a silk handkerchief from his sleeve. Shu Yue smiled behind her mask as Xiao Ran wiped the remains of Dishan's blood from her weapon.

"Congratulations, Young Mistress, you did very well in that match," Xiao Ran said as he handed her the bamboo stick back.

"Thank you, Xiao Ran," Shu Yue said softly.

"He was a skilled fighter, that Dishan," Xiao Ran noted. "But he relies solely on brute force, which is why Young Mistress is a hundred times better warrior than him."

Shu Yue giggled softly. "You flatter me too much, Xiao Ran."

Xiao Ran smiled, his golden slanted eyes gleaming like antique jewelry. Then, as if recalling something unpleasant, his face wrinkled in a scowl.

"That impudent human, he even said you're fragile! Has he no shame? You picked the right part of him to injure; his eyes were clearly in need of repair."

"But it wasn't entirely his fault; he simply fell into my trap, which is a good thing, so you don't have to be upset."

Xiao Ran just shrugged.

Xiao Ran had been Shu Yue's assigned bodyguard since she was six years old. He was five years older than she was. He was a hybrid of a fox spirit and a human.

Shu Yue looked at the bamboo stick. It was long and light, and had been crafted with fine elegance. Gently wrapping her fingers around it, she sent chi to the weapon. In a fraction of a second, a gap appeared between the handle and what now seemed to be a sheath. Though it looked like an ordinary bamboo, it was anything but. It wouldn't be easily damaged, broken, or even scratched. And with just the right amount of chi, the wielder of this weapon could unveil the sharp secret it hid.

Slowly, she removed the cover and revealed a slightly curved, single-edged sword. Sunlight glinted on the naked blade. She ran her fingers over the smooth surface of the sword. The feeling of the cold metal against her skin ignited her spirit. She sheathed the sword and rested her hand on the upper edge of the bamboo scabbard where Dishan's blood had once been.

She never unsheathed her sword during the match because she promised her father and late mother that she would only draw the sword if her opponent deserved it. Because once she unsheathed her sword, she would ensure that no life was spared.

This sword was their weapon of vengeance. She knew it was made specifically for that because her mother, a genius blacksmith, was the one who crafted it. Shu Liang, her father, said that she gave it to him before she died. However, Shu Liang handed the sword over to Shu Yue on her fourth birthday, the same day he gave up his swordsmanship for an unknown reason. So that responsibility had been passed down to her, which she gladly accepted and turned into her ultimate goal in life.

She would be the Ophiuchus Clan's sharpest blade, the one who would restore honor to their name.

"How much did we win today?" Shu Yue questioned as they passed through an arch. They walked down the bustling street lined with taverns, shops, and teahouses. Carts squeaked along the road. Vendors and buyers shouted in the markets.

Xiao Ran heaved a sigh, and Shu Yue heard a chink of coins as he pulled out a sack of silver taels from his chest under his white robe.

"Sixty taels of silver," Xiao Ran answered, looking at the bag of silver taels on his palm. "Strangely, I wasn't the only one who bet on you."

"What?" Shu Yue blurted out, surprised. Strange, she thought. She never expected anyone else to bet on her besides Xiao Ran.

Since Dishan began participating at the Sparring Ground last week, he always won. He became the public's favorite, and every spectator would always place their bet on him. So since last week, no one left empty-handed. That's why Shu Yue assumed no one would bet on her because her opponent was the undefeated Dishan.