Upon his arrival at the palace, almost a miniature city in and of itself, Zhou Zhu found the vast outer courts of the royal residence undisturbed. After notifying the patrolling disciples of the imminent danger, he had deigned to join them in the patrols as he waited for the other two elders to make their appearance.


    However, he had found himself waiting a long time, far longer than it should have taken for them to make their way from just about any point in the city. Evidently, he thought, his orders had not been adhered to. As he rued the incompetence of his subordinates, a loud bang erupted in the direction of one of the entry gates, almost like an explosion. Before he managed to arrive at the scene, the sound had occurred once more, this time closer to the inner areas of the palace.


    The entrance to one of the grand halls leading into the inner courtyards had been smashed to bits. The double doors were reduced to nothing but splinters, and the bronze studs adorning them were turned into deadly projectiles to slay the disciples guarding within.


    The other end of the hall had been similarly destroyed. It looked like a cannonball had gone right through.


    Some of the incapacitated warriors, those few lucky enough to have survived, began to rise upon noticing Zhou Zhu''s presence. They affirmed the elder''s fears: Tao Geming had come through this place. More palace guards poured into the hall. Those who had overheard the report dashed eagerly after the Invincible Blood Sea.


    "Halt!" Zhou Zhu ordered, and the disciples stopped in confusion. Swallowing heavily, the elder continued. "We wait for the other two elders."


    Put bluntly, Zhou Zhu was unwilling to rise to the challenge with so few fighters at his side. To make matters even worse, none of the palace guards held a rank above three, and even those made up only a scant few.


    "But elder Zhou, what about his highness...?" One of the disciples asked.


    Zhou Zhu scoffed. "You dare to imply that some vagabond could best our king in battle?"


    The disciple in question bowed profusely. "No, sir, no! You are right, the thug would surely be vanquished by his highness!"


    The elder turned away from the offending youngster. However, his obstinate frown had been instantly shattered by surprise as he spotted an intruder by the entrance.


    Meekly peering into the busted entrance was a golden haired, white robed woman, her features concealed beneath a fox mask. As she made her way into the hall, her head turned here and there to inspect the scene.


    "The Yellow Fox!" Zhou Zhu exclaimed, drawing her attention. His expression hardened as he barked out more orders. "Take off your mask, woman! Identify yourself immediately!"


    But instead of complying, the Yellow Fox broke out into a rapid dash, intent on making her way past the Royal School members. Though her speed was prodigious, Zhou Zhu still overtook her in an instant, barring her path. The woman jerked back, startled by his sudden reappearance.


    The other disciples were quick to react. "Kill her!" They exclaimed, brandishing their spears.


    Two spearmen flanked her from the left and right, striking in perfect synchronicity. The sleeves of the Yellow Fox fluttered, her arms darting to the sides as she gripped the shafts of both spears just below the sharp heads. Suddenly, the two disciples found themselves carrying out their charge with far more vigor than they had intended. They had little choice than to barrel forward clumsily as they struggled to maintain their footing and the grips on their weapons.


    As the Yellow Fox crossed her arms in front of her, she loosened her grasp and allowed the spears to slide past her palms, ferried forth by the uncontrolled momentum of the two disciples. They both inadvertently injured the other, suffering grievous wounds to the chest and crumbling to the ground.


    The next disciple came up behind her, thrusting out from a fancy stance, a maneuver that Zhou Zhu recognized as a rudimentary skill from their school''s curriculum. The Yellow Fox twirled out of the way and struck the spearwoman on the head with a palm, sending her flying across the hall.


    Zhou Zhu sprang into action the instant she turned away, jabbing at her back with an identical strike. The Yellow Fox stomped her foot, her heel seesawing a discarded spear into path of the elder''s lunge. His eyes widened as he was forced to make a hasty adjustment to his attack. His feet drifted across the wooden floor as he careened to the side. He felt fingertips below his wrist as the woman made to grab him.


    Zhou Zhu used the firmness of her grip to flip himself over, performing an impromptu swinging kick towards her head. His inventive strike had forced her to renege on the grapple, and the two drifted apart. A bead of sweat dripped down Zhou Zhu''s brow; the woman had missed a vital pressure point on his wrist by just a hair. As they stared each other down, the masked woman picked up a spear.


    "Stand back!" Zhou Zhu commanded the disciples. His masked foe seemed to have eyes on the back of her head. The others were not useful even as a distraction.


    Suddenly, the Yellow Fox lifted her leg, mimicking a stance that she, by all rights, should have never even had the chance to see.


    Then, the skill was performed for the third time in a row.


    Zhou Zhu was flabbergasted by this development. The opportunity to properly counter the technique had already slipped him by. It was all he could do to put the pole of his weapon into the path of the attack.


    The internal energy Zhou Zhu had channeled into his weapon proved to be no impediment to the lightning-quick strike. His spear was cleaved in twain. Steel penetrated his chest.


    "The Crane Plucks the Pearl!" The Royal School members immediately recognized the technique. "How could this be? She''s from the Royal School?!"


    Zhou Zhu''s life was swiftly draining from his body. Their confused voices were the last thing he heard; the crude mask - the last thing he beheld.


    The Yellow Fox released the spear, letting the man fall with the weapon still sticking out of him. As she turned to gaze at the remaining disciples, their fighting spirit had finally wavered. They scattered in all directions.


    Following Tao Geming''s trail, she ventured deeper into the palace. In the chaos caused by the Royal School''s massed raids, she had lost track of her quarry multiple times, feeling his internal energy darting in and out just beyond the border of her preternatural sense. She was unable to commit to the chase in earnest because of the disciples swarming around her like locusts.


    The affair had taken up most of the night. The earliest rays of morning were already peeking over the horizon.


    After wandering for a time, she was able to pick up the presence of several people. Though none of them turned out to be her target, something gave her pause. She turned her head up to a lone decorative tree and ran her hands across its bark. With a sudden leap, she plucked out an exceptionally long, straight branch. She stripped it of leaves, and sharpened one end with a rock. Then, with another leap over the walls, she landed in a vast, vibrant garden.


    One last jump had her settle on the branch of a plum tree. She observed a small group sipping wine on the porch of a little cottage down below, five women surrounding a lone man. All six were dressed in light robes. The Fox''s nose twitched as it picked up the stench of sweat seeping past their perfumed bodies.


    She seemed content to eavesdrop on their muted conversation as they joked and flirted.


    At last, one of the women had spotted her. She dropped her wine cup with a gasp, drawing the attention of the others.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    "My..." The man scratched the thin stubble on his flushed face, lighting up with a smile. "You are not at all what I expected. But you really are a yellow fox..."


    "Are you the king?" She asked.


    "The one and only! Qin Yan, at the service of the people." He exclaimed.


    "I came here to challenge you," She declared, "But maybe you''re too drunk to fight."


    "Alcohol has no power over me." Qin Yan slurred. "Hasn''t for years! But you know this too, right? You had to be quite skilled yourself to make it here. Those like you and I, we have to practically force the alcohol to settle in our bodies, and then we can just flush it all out with a flick of the wrist!"


    "I wouldn''t know. I don''t drink." The Yellow Fox replied.


    "You don''t drink?! To deprive yourself of one of life''s greatest pleasures is..." He seemed to have forgotten what he was going to say. "Well, I couldn''t do that..."


    "The flavor is unpleasant."


    The king laughed. "The point isn''t the flavor. But even when it comes to flavor, well, in this place, you''d find so many varieties that it would be impossible to hate them all..."


    He rose his cup before her as if to toast, downed it, then poured himself another one.


    He suddenly asked a grim question. "How many of my subordinates have you killed on your way here?"


    "At least five."


    Qin Yan bitterly stared at his cup. "What a shame. If you hadn''t killed anyone, we might have talked about having you join us." As the king took another sip from his cup, his companions exchanged baffled glances.


    Sitting atop the plum branch, the Yellow Fox playfully kicked her feet. "I wouldn''t be interested anyways."


    Qin Yan chuckled. Though he hadn''t been able to see her face, he could tell that she was in a good mood.


    "Your highness," One of the women suddenly spoke up. "What are you saying? Why are you chatting with her like this? She is an intruder, a murderer! If someone else saw you treating an enemy this way, what would they say? Just what would happen to the Royal School''s name? You are giving her far more face than she deserves. Let me and my martial sisters avenge our fellow disciples."


    Qin Yan hadn''t even looked her way, his face scrunched up in something resembling derision. He instead spoke to the Yellow Fox. "Miss, what was the highest rank of the person you''ve slain on your way here?"


    "How would I know that?" She asked.


    Qin Yan chuckled again; the question seemed ridiculous in these circumstances. "Well, what was the highest number you''ve seen on their shoulders?"


    "Six."


    Qin Yan''s female companions paled at her words. He himself had furrowed a brow as he turned to them. "Would you still like to give it a go? Perhaps one of you has been training in secret?"


    As they meekly lowered their heads, the Yellow Fox asked, "How many ranks are there?"


    Qin Yan looked back up at her, a small smile on his lips. "It adds up to seven all in all, but the seventh rank has only one holder. Me!" He finished another cup. "Xiaoli, be a dear and fetch me my spear."


    Xiaoli, the young woman that had previously admonished the king, bowed before rising, and soon brought back a remarkably long wooden spear hooped with gold rings at both ends of the shaft, with a triangle-shaped head at the top. Xiaoli kneeled before Qin Yan as she presented it, and the king placed it across his knees.


    With his hand, he made a gesture. The others began to leave. Xiaoli remained, whispering something. Qin Yan tenderly brushed his hand through her dark hair and whispered something in return.


    Despite their hushed tones, the Yellow Fox had made out every word. Her legs stopped moving, her ears perked up as she listened more to their sickly sweet exchange. Xiaoli muttered of love, of fear, of self-sacrifice. Qin Yan murmured reassurances with gentle confidence.


    Finally, Xiaoli went on her way with the others.


    After they left, Qin Yan brushed back his long dark hair as he spoke to the Fox. "You know, despite the circumstances, there might still be a place for you here at my side."


    The playfulness instantly drained out of her voice. "Unbelievable. You waited until they were all gone to say that."


    Qin Yan smiled. "I''m quite serious. I could give you the rank of a sixth rank elder from the very start. The sixth rank is handpicked by me, and it''s rare indeed for us to train up an expert to that level. You would be the first woman in the Royal School''s history to obtain it."


    "Those girls weren''t sixth rank elders?" The Fox asked, sarcasm in her voice. "They certainly looked handpicked."


    Qin Yan chuckled. "Well, they do have some potential..." The king''s light smile faded. "But your place here doesn''t have to be anything like theirs. If the affections of a king are not to your taste, then consider the status, the prestige, the wealth that await you. The Qin Royal Dynasty Sword School has thousands of strong, loyal members. As a sixth rank elder, hundreds of them could become your direct subordinates overnight. Your duties would be few, and if you would like a few special privileges that the other elders do not get, privileges that would be unique to you, well, I am also willing to arrange that. For example, I am building myself a new palace, but I could bestow it upon you when it''s complete..."


    The Yellow Fox hopped down. "Sorry." Her apology was not completely bereft of sincerity, and even tinged ever so slightly with regret. She held her branch behind her as she approached. Her voice was firm as she continued. "But my only desire is to have nothing stand above me but the heavens themselves."


    Qin Yan conceded. "That''s a privilege that is indeed beyond even the king''s ability to grant. But, my, what a profoundly arrogant thing to say." As he watched her approach, he lightly whistled. "My, aren''t you a tall one. But I can''t say I dislike that at all..." He smiled again. "And though I may not be able to see past that mask of yours, but I can tell just by your voice that there''s a pretty face behind it."


    She scoffed. "You can''t tell that by someone''s voice."


    But Qin Yan continued his ramblings with a sigh. "It''s why it doesn''t surprise me to know that you must already have someone else."


    "...You really know how to spin a yarn. But your jokes won''t make me feel bad over what I''m about to do to you. And after I''m done, you might feel regretful, having fed me so much honey."


    Qin Yan sighed. "At least tell me it''s not that Tao Geming who captured your heart!"


    Suddenly, the Yellow Fox stopped. Not a word came from underneath the fox''s mask.


    His eyes widened. "It really is him?!"


    "No," She denied, "Of course not. Why would you even think that? Perhaps you''ve never met him before, that you would think so?"


    "Just the once, and it was not a fortuitous encounter by any means," Qin Yan explained, "But you two did emerge at nearly the same time, so it makes one think..."


    The Yellow Fox pointed her sharpened stick at the king. "Stand up."


    "Well, if it''s inevitable..." Qin Yan began, "Then how about we make it a little more interesting? What say you to fighting, hmmm, over there?"


    He innocuously nodded his head in the direction of a bamboo grove growing over a steep artificial hill. The emerald green stems had been stripped of leaves, their bare, thin poles quivering in the wind.


    "You''ve been doing such a lovely job of stalling so far," The Yellow Fox answered, "But this is your worst effort yet. Stand up."


    He shook his head as he stood. "Since you''ve proven to be such a lovely guest yourself, I just thought I''d give you a chance to save some face. But I guess you don''t know - in my Qin Royal Dynasty Sword School, the spear is above all. You might guess, then, that if the sword isn''t first, it must be second. That isn''t so. The true power of the spear can only be brought out with one''s legs. What this means is that, in all the world..."


    In that moment, Qin Yan had disappeared. The golden eyes of the Yellow Fox next witnessed something gray blurring towards her neck. While half a heartbeat ago they were both standing well outside the reach of each other''s blades, now the king was well within range to lop her head off with the swing of his spear.


    The Yellow Fox bent her waist backwards and the strike narrowly missed her. Now, Qin Yan had overreached, and it should have been a prime opportunity to readjust one''s position and counterattack as the king had to draw back and straighten out his long polearm.


    However, no such opening presented itself. Instead of controlling the spear with his arms, he used his legs. He stepped back, set his spear straight, and thrust it back into his foe, his footwork alone granting the tip profound killing power. His feet seemed glued to the earth, his steps so quick that they were completely invisible, as if he was gliding along the ground.


    The Yellow Fox leaped back, buying herself precious moments that could not even be measured in seconds. She swung her branch and just barely managed to swat the deadly steel off its path.


    "...Our lightness techniques are second to none."


    Qin Yan began to move backwards. Though his feet never rose from the grass, there was no word that could be used to describe his movement other than flight. The Yellow Fox gave chase, but her sprint could barely keep pace.


    They reached the distant grove in seconds. Qin Yan took off, bouncing back and forth between the bamboo stalks as though they were sturdy stone walls, making his way ever higher.


    The Yellow Fox pursued without hesitation. Her ascent bent the pole she was scaling, and she improvised by climbing up in a swift circle to balance out the stress. She had found Qin Yan patiently sitting with his legs crossed atop the blunt tips of the bamboo, waiting for her.


    "Do you see now? The king fights where he pleases." He smugly declared as he watched her try to balance herself on the stalks, which bent and tilted under her feet. "Welcome to my personal training ground."


    The Yellow Fox had soon found some scarce comfort of stability in an incredibly awkward posture, with one leg bent at the knee and the other straightened into the side of a pole.


    Qin Yan''s smile turned into one of pity. "I''d like to let you know that I''ll accept your surrender at any time, however, I must warn you, as soon as we begin, you will find it very difficult to find another opportunity."


    The Yellow Fox, in her strange position, spoke with wavering confidence. "You are, perhaps, discounting me too soon."


    Qin Yan sighed as he lifted himself to a single foot. The bamboo he was standing on hadn''t budged at all. "That you survived my first two stances so easily means I can''t discount you at all. That''s what makes this so regrettable."


    Though his face still bore the hints of a smile, his eyes grew cold. The icy tip of his spear briefly glinted in the morning sun before it had been brought to bear against the foe once more.


    ...