"I think killing things can relieve stress." lin si, 8, yes, she did get a thorough beating by her father for this
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And for a moment Junlong stopped, staring at her in shock. Did someone just completely neutralize his strongest attack? How? Was not his martial arts the most domineering in the world? To rule over all, bring everyone to their knees?
He heard a plop and he saw her threatening to drop to her knees holding herself up by her sword, her eyes swam for a moment, and then focused, she stood back up straight, readying her blade again, as if he hadn't just seen the moment of weakness. He himself glanced down, his own hand was trembling profusely, no, his entire body was trembling, his heart was slamming into his chest repeatedly and he was gasping for breath so hard he couldn't even stand straight anymore. His perfectly tight pony tail and strands of hair flying everywhere.
Lin Si strode over, as she walked, she got the qi in her body in order again, even she hadn't realized just how powerful his martial arts really were. Where did he find such a powerful art to practice?
They both stood across from one another, breathing hard, but his hand was trembling so hard it was difficult to raise his blade again, she gazed at him, arrogantly, lifting her blade.
"So, will you marry me?" Blood dribbled from her lips as she spoke, but her voice came out as lively and steady as if she hadn't just finished a battle, her hand was also steady, and if not for her chin trembling vaguely, one wouldn't know she had almost been overwhelmed and killed by his previous move.
Li Junlong, forced into somewhat of a retreat, didn't lower his blade, and glared back at her, his pride and arrogance hadn't been severed by a thread. He spat blood her way, to fall to her feet. "Never, I will never marry scum like you from a greedy family of cowards!"
She sighed, apparently beating him in battle didn't change anything. Shucks, he still wouldn't marry her. Should she just go back to her father with the bad news?
"Lin Si, I'm giving you this, because, unlike your sister, I believe this is the perfect future for you, perhaps, you can gain a happiness you never could have while you lived here. A happiness you wish to return to." Her father's voice echoed in her ears again. Right, he probably didn't want her to return. Her, the prodigal daughter, running away from home, forcing her family into innumerable bad situations, defiling their reputation with her actions…Who would want a daughter like her? And who would even want to marry her either then? If she couldn't get someone to love her, then she might as well force the one who was obligated to do it into it!
She took back her blade, sheathing it, turning around to face the one who had been standing directly behind her before Li Junlong's blow fell, who she'd had to negate the complete force of it from so that he suffered no harm. Who had been hiding behind the pillar and tall bush for several minutes during their fight, but who hadn't been noticed because of how still and quiet he was.
"You, I saw you last night, didn't I?" she commented lightly. He pushed himself out his hands fumbling with the wheels, but barely managing.
He had a look on his face, as if he wasn't sure what to do. "You…don't kill him please." He requested, glancing over worriedly.
She shook her head, flinging her blade over her shoulder, "don't worry, I won't kill him, I'm just trying to get him to marry me."
Li Junli stared pitifully at the current state of his brother. "I don't think this is really making him want to agree to your proposal tho…"
She agreed, self assuredly. "Yeah, it's not working at all, do you have any suggestions?"
"I'm still here," Li Junlong growled, stumbling his way over, Lin Si attempted to help, but all she got was a fist to the face, she backed off. He thrust himself between her and his brother, brushing off the dust from his brother's wheel chair.
Li Junli instantly worried. "Gege, I'm fine, but you…are your wounds bad?"
Li Junlong shook his head despite still dripping blood from his nose. "I'm fine."
Li Junli didn't believe him, but couldn't compete with his brother's stubbornness. "Gege, actually, i really like this elder sister, why not take her as your wife…?" suggested Li Junli, attempting to be helpful.
Li Junlong frowned. "No, don't be fooled, she is a vile woman from a disgusting family, we, of all people, shouldn't associate with them."
Lin Si glared at him, a little miffed. "Would you please stop insulting my family? What did we ever do to you?"
He glared at her. "The problem isn't that you did something, but that you did nothing. You are this strong, and yet your family, never once those years ago, thought to stand up for mine, never lent a hand when we needed you most? Our grandfathers were brothers? Would a brothers' children really treat each other like this?"
Oh, right, she didn't know a lot about the situation, but… "My father did mention something about this, I don't remember all of what he said, but he told me to tell you that he is very sorry, and doesn't dare show his face here because of his guilt."
Li Junlong wasn't impressed. "He's sorry? He wants to apologize for fleeing like a dog with its tail between its legs the moment things turned against our favor? Does he only befriend the Li family when they are doing well? Ha, tell him I've taken his apology, and thrown it to the dogs, where it belongs."
"Um…" but before she could say anything he had grabbed his brother and rolled him away. She was abandoned in the yard. If she wanted to stay there or leave, it was up to her, but a servant nearby kept glancing at her nervously, making it somewhat uncomfortable. She sighed and decided she might as well exit and go make some more money placing bets for a while, while she tried to come up with a good plan for what to do.
+++
It was late morning already, Long Wen had attempted to persuade Xu Tianwen to stay and work, but had been refused, the man not speaking a word or even looking at him, it seemed he really was destitute about losing, only…um, why would he be? Doesn't everyone lose? I mean, he literally lost to the number 47th place earlier…
After rubbing his ear for a moment to try to understand, he eventually gave up, leaning down on his desk, bored. Afterall, at least before he had to keep people in line while they waited, now, all he had to do was sit around and wait for people to come up and register for challenging Jingsheng, but people who were coming to challenge Jingsheng during the day were becoming rarer, and those that just wanted to compete at night were becoming more prevalent, but he was making so much money, that he couldn't help but allow small prizes for the top 10 to keep them engaged, lest they purposefully throw a match. Time passed slowly, when he finally saw Lin Si leaving, he waved at her, not bothering to try to hire her…She was probably on to her own business now. He figured even if he wanted to, he couldn't hold her down. Plus, he wasn't paying her for announcing anyway…
"Say," she had approached him anyway, leaning back against his booth after pushing the papers away, and grabbing some of his yellow strips to begin cutting them. She looked destitute as well. "Life really throws you under the rug, doesn't it?"
"It's alright," Long Wen comforted. "You're not the only one to lose, if he is no. 1, would he lose easily?"
She glanced over at him, her eyes trying to express something, before she finally just sighed in defeat and went back to work. "Yeah, yeah, he's a little strong, not bad." Actually, if he had been at full strength that morning and unburdened by rage, the match may have ended differently. It made her curious, and brought up the fighting spirit in her. "...It was a good fight." Only, it seemed as if he took very negatively to being beaten. Should she have thrown the match? Would he have listened to her more then? No, no, he would have just kicked her out. At least at this point he'd probably try to find her again for revenge…and until then, she needed to come up with a plan to win him over, or, at least make him agreeable enough to sign marriage papers.
"Say, Long Wen, are you married?"
Long Wen instantly dropped his brush, before getting hold of himself, and speaking softly, with caring in his eyes. "Look, Lin Si, you are quite the brilliant girl, and you have many talents, but, you are quite young compared to me and a little TOO brilliant, I don't feel I dare to say we are really compatible…"
"Shut up!" Lin Si cut him off, dropping off her half finished work, and stomping away. "I don't want to hear how even you-" the receptionist "-rejects me!" All she wanted was advice about how to romance someone….cry. "Am I so unlovable!" She gave him a tearful face.
He instantly felt guilty. "Well, no, I didn't mean it like that," always weak to tears, he quickly folded. "I, I supposed I can try to court you if you-"
"Never mind." She stomped away with her things, how was she even to reason at this point? Plus, she felt bad for almost getting in tears in front of him. She just couldn't stand getting rejected by her father, her marriage partner, and now, even the receptionist…geez, her life.
"I'll see you this evening," she called behind her.
Long Wen, on the other hand, was left feeling terribly awful for rejecting a young girl's first love.
'Ah, but it really wouldn't work..' he imagined his family, ah yes, she was quite good at fighting they'd probably like her but still! He'd prefer someone closer to his own age… and more into the literary arts as well if possible…and, she was much too clever, yes, much too clever. That would be an evil life, with a wife like that watching over him…
+++
"You.." Now that they were alone, Li Junlong finally confronted his brother. "How did you already know her?"
"Brother," Li Junli worried. "Your injuries.."
"Answer me." He whirled the cart around, so it was backed to a wall, placing his hands on each handle. Li Junli shrunk back a bit, dodging his eyes away so they didn't make eye contact. "Li Junli."
Ugh, sometimes he acted like he was his dad… "I didn't really know her, that was our first meeting…"
"Dont lie to me!" Li Junlong spoke softly. He always spoke softly to his brother, he never yelled, he never got angry. Same as now, just demanding the truth.
Li Junli still didn't dare look at him. He was always terrible at lying. "I, I'd rather not say…"
"Hmph," Li Junlong left him alone, getting behind the wheelchair again, to bring him back to his room. He usually read books in the morning, until the cool wind stopped blowing, when he'd go out in the shade of the afternoon-his weak skin could barely handle direct sunlight.
However, as they went, Li Junli insisted. "Gege, there's really no reason to push me there, Sun'er is right there, ah, no need, no need you have injuries you know!" His brother ignored him. "No, gege, actually I don't want to go to my room this morning, it's a great day, very clear, I want to go out the yard!" But today the spoiled kid couldn't get his way.
"What are you talking about?" Junlong worried. "It's too cold this morning still, wait a couple more hours."
He tried to catch Sun'er's eye to go ahead, but Li Junlong immediately caught it. "Sun'er, I need you to go tell madam Wang to change the lunch to the deer I caught, I don't want the pheasant today."
"Yes! My lord!"
You idiot, Sun'er! It's a lie! It's a trap!
Li Junli eventually just gave up, sitting in his chair, head bowed in defeat.
They finally arrived at his room, he called out one last time. "Actually, I got it from here, gege, no need to enter in as well, I've been getting stronger you know!"
Li Junlong glanced at the young man's shaking hands, his eyes that often dilated in and out, unfocused. He was always getting worse, there was no 'getting better' for his illness, it had only ever gotten worse over the years. Soon he would probably lose all sight, feeling, movement, and maybe even memories.
"No." Li Junlong spoke, stubborn, lifting his chair over the mantle and into the room, however, the moment he entered, a certain scent immediately assailed his nostrils.
"My lord, I sent her the message, is there anything else?" Sun'er had just arrived back at their side, to see the door open, Li Junlong's back stiff and straight in the doorway, unmoving, suddenly it dawned on him. Ah shoot. They were done for.