Sparring Partner

Early the next morning, Gu Shenwei hurried to the schoolhouse gate. He now had a companion's waist token, so he no longer needed Xue Niang to show him the way. He didn't go pay his respects to the young lady, figuring Xue Niang would explain for him.

Gu Shenwei was the first to arrive. When Qing Nu showed up, he nodded at him in approval.

Qing Nu and the others were all outside companions; they couldn't enter the inner residence. Their main duty was to hold all kinds of little things and bring them inside whenever their masters called for them. When the masters had no requests, they had nothing to do. The Twins had several book boys of their own to wait on them.

The Twins arrived with Shangguan Yushi, surrounded by attendants. Gu Shenwei was squeezed to the back and couldn't see them.

The two "young masters" had come much earlier than usual, which surprised Qing Nu. Before he could ask why, a voice came from inside the schoolhouse: "Bring that boy from yesterday in!"

Qing Nu shook his head, pulled Huan Nu out of the crowd, and shoved him through the gate. "You brought this on yourself."

A number of pupils had already gathered in the courtyard. Just like the day before, they formed a circle, leaving a gap for "the boy from yesterday" to enter.

The Twins stood side by side, ignoring each other. Shangguan Yushi spoke for them. She was so tall that the boy's clothes she wore seemed a little ill-fitting. "Boy, either admit defeat to the Ninth Young Master or fight again. You choose."

Shangguan Fei was just about to speak when his sister covered his mouth with one hand.

More and more pupils gathered, but none went into the schoolhouse. They stayed in the courtyard to watch the excitement.

"I won't admit defeat," Gu Shenwei said.

The pupils who had been pointing at him all fell silent. They stared at the new servant in disbelief. Hadn't he seen the young sparring partners outside, their bodies covered with bruises, trembling with fear?

"You won't admit defeat? You want to fight again? You..." Shangguan Yushi was so astonished that she fired off a string of questions, then forgot what she was supposed to say next.

Shangguan Fei pushed his sister's hand away and shouted happily, "What a good servant!"

Shangguan Ru raised her head proudly. "Then we'll fight again. Ten moves, just like before. I'll make sure you can't get back up."

Gu Shenwei decided he would no longer grovel before the Twins or use the usual tricks of a servant. He would do the opposite: win their respect and trust by standing his ground.

He understood the minds of rich young masters all too well. When he had been the young master of the Gu Family, one of his favorite games had been sparring. Which of the estate guards who fought him had pleased him most? Not the one who fell at the slightest touch and kowtowed in surrender, but the one who looked as if he were giving it his all, making each move in earnest.

He'd also had several Little Book Boys, but in the end he'd kept only Mingxiang, the most ill-tempered one, who loved to talk back to her young master. When you had a whole flock of servants, what you really wanted was a companion who could stand as your equal.

Even if that "equality" was an illusion.

The young master of the Gu Family's old way of thinking was now the weakness of the Shangguan Twins.

Gu Shenwei raised his guard and said, "Please show me your skill, Young Master."

Yesterday, he had only defended. Today, he would have to show some of his true ability.

A little servant had actually addressed Shangguan Ru in the manner of a martial artist. The pupils burst into an uproar; they knew there would be a good show. Qing Nu heard every word outside the gate and knew trouble was coming. Unfortunately, he couldn't drag the ignorant servant out and beat him. Shangguan Yushi was more and more confused, not even knowing how to react. Shangguan Fei, however, stood tall with a smile on his face. His new servant was bringing him honor.

Shangguan Ru's face reddened slightly, then she lifted her chin even higher. "Stop talking tough. We'll settle this in the ring."

The two fought again, trading more than a hundred moves. Shouts from the two sides rang across nearly half of Golden Peng Fortress. No one mentioned "within ten moves" anymore. All they wanted to know was who was stronger: Shangguan Ru, who was arrogant and had never lost, or the bold, unconventional little servant.

And unlike those half-hearted bouts of the past, this fight was real. Shangguan Ru struck viciously, and the little servant didn't hold back either. His Tiger Subduing Fist roared with power, and the pupils standing nearby had to keep out of its reach.

Qing Nu gaped through a crack in the gate, unable to understand what Huan Nu was doing. Wasn't he afraid of bringing trouble down on himself—and dragging a whole lot of other people into it? In the end, Qing Nu reached a conclusion: people brought by the bandit's daughter simply refused to be disciplined.

Gu Shenwei really did put all his strength into his punches and kicks. He even used the Eight Trigram Palm he had learned at home. But he still held back, using less than half of his Hehe Jin. Even "equality" had its limits; he couldn't injure this neither-boy-nor-girl "young master."

But Shangguan Ru was no ordinary opponent. Though she was a girl and three or four years younger, her skill was formidable. She knew even more martial arts than Gu Shenwei, and over the course of a hundred moves she had used at least five different styles. By the end, Gu Shenwei had no choice but to switch from offense to defense and struggle to hold on. Now, even if he wanted to use all his Hehe Jin, he no longer had the strength.

The stern old teacher was the one who finally called a halt, rescuing Gu Shenwei from his predicament.

The two fighters had been so engrossed, and the spectators so caught up in the spectacle, that no one responded to the old teacher's repeated calls. His face flushed red. He swung his ruler and rapped several boys on the backs of their necks before the nearly frenzied youths came back to their senses. They stuck out their tongues and hurried back into the schoolhouse.

Gu Shenwei was truly exhausted. Even carrying dead bodies every day hadn't tired him this much.

Shangguan Ru was just as tired. Sweat beaded her face, and her hair had come loose. She wanted to say something in the language of the martial world, but she could only gasp for breath and couldn't get the words out.

Shangguan Yushi spoke for her cousin instead. "Just you wait." Then she helped Shangguan Ru into the schoolhouse.

Shangguan Fei was much more timid than his sister. Seeing the old teacher in a rage, he forgot all about the new servant who had just brought him honor and ran off.

Gu Shenwei leaned on his knees and gasped for breath. Sweat dripped onto the thin snow, punching little holes in it. Then, for no apparent reason, he was struck on the back of the neck.

"Get out!"

The old teacher's face was full of anger. This was his domain. In Golden Peng Fortress, where assassins were everywhere, this was the one place that still preserved a little civility. Yet some nameless, lowly slave had thrown it into chaos.

Outside the gate, Qing Nu was even more furious. He spent a full hour explaining the rules of the fortress, making it clear that Huan Nu had committed an unforgivable offense. He had not only caused trouble for himself, but would also get many others punished in his place.

"If the young lady loses even one hair, not even tearing you to pieces will make up for it."

In his panic, Qing Nu had called Shangguan Ru "young lady." That was what she truly was in everyone's eyes.

Apart from saying "yes," Gu Shenwei hardly said a word. Shangguan Ru had probably lost plenty of hair during the fight, but he had been careful not to hurt her at all. She, on the other hand, had shown him no mercy. His face was covered in bruises, and there were more on his body.

Qing Nu resolved to send Huan Nu back, even if it meant offending the Eighth Young Master.

But when the schoolhouse let out at noon, he wavered—and was greatly surprised.

As usual, the Twins and Shangguan Yushi came out first, with Shangguan Ru in the middle. Her breathing was steady, and her hair had been tidied up. She stopped and pointed at Huan Nu, who stood at the very edge. "From now on, this boy will be my companion."

Qing Nu was so surprised he didn't know what to say. Shangguan Fei looked just as baffled. "Huh? This boy was given to me by Eighth Brother."

"Yes. I want him, so now he belongs to me."

With that, Shangguan Ru took the snickering Shangguan Yushi by the hand and left with her head held high. Shangguan Fei followed behind, grumbling and trying to get an explanation. Everyone could guess how it would end: the elder brother never won arguments with his younger sister.

Though he didn't know what to say, Qing Nu had to say something. He warned Huan Nu that this turn of events was unexpected, and that the Ninth Young Master had taken him for no good reason. Huan Nu had better find a chance to admit defeat soon, or things would end even worse for him, and so on.

By the time Gu Shenwei got away from Qing Nu, the Shangguan Twins were already far ahead.

The plan hadn't gone as he first intended. Gu Shenwei had wanted to "curry favor" with the young master Shangguan Fei, but Shangguan Ru had taken him instead.

What made him uneasy was Xue Niang. She had clearly instructed him to win the young master's favor, but when he reported what had happened that evening, she only gave a cold laugh and said nothing.

Gu Shenwei soon discovered that following the Ninth Young Master was no easy life. Shangguan Ru treated him as an equal rival and fought him at least once almost every day—at the schoolhouse, on the road, outside the martial arts courtyard. Whenever the mood struck her, she picked a fight. Shangguan Yushi and Shangguan Fei occasionally practiced with him too.

Shangguan Ru was the daughter of the Unrivaled King, and naturally had many famous masters to instruct her. She was competitive and clever, and within a few days Gu Shenwei had to use all his skill just to keep up with her progress.

Shangguan Yushi was a girl with a deep and calculating mind. Whenever she fought, she seemed no match for Shangguan Ru, but after sparring with her several times, Gu Shenwei became certain that she was actually more skilled. She simply hid it well.

Shangguan Fei was a boy, but his kung fu was mediocre and his temper a little hot. Gu Shenwei could only deal with him patiently, doing his best to avoid fighting him.

That was all, though. Gu Shenwei found no chance to curry further favor with the Twins. In their eyes, he was just a servant who could take a beating and wasn't afraid to fight. There could be no "equality" between them.

Gu Shenwei knew only two sets of boxing techniques, and no matter how hard he practiced, his improvement was limited. He wanted to get better but didn't want to beg. Xue Niang wasn't one to be won over by sweet talk, either. So every day, Gu Shenwei reported to her, telling her about Shangguan Ru's rapid progress and how much she loved fighting. Nearly a month later, Xue Niang was finally won over by his quiet persistence and taught him another set of techniques: the Ruyi Palm.

Xue Niang had said that fist and foot techniques were the foundation, while blades and swords were an assassin's true trade. But Huan Nu's opponent was the daughter of the Unrivaled King, so she only strengthened his foundation. She taught him no more blade techniques and used no external means to improve his internal force.

The Ruyi Palm was both offensive and defensive, with intricate moves that were a little more profound than the Tiger Subduing Fist. Gu Shenwei took ten days to learn it, then went on to study a grappling technique and a leg technique. He and Xue Niang were, in practice, master and pupil, but their relationship remained as cold as ever. She never let the slightest hint of her true purpose slip.

Gu Shenwei's kung fu improved, and Shangguan Ru kept pace. They chased each other from early winter into deep winter. With the New Year approaching, the Twins stopped coming to the schoolhouse so often, giving him a little time to rest.

Gu Shenwei had thought he would go on like this, slowly gaining control over the Twins and using them to penetrate the heart of Golden Peng Fortress. But something happened in the twelfth lunar month that rekindled his desire to become an assassin.

In recent days, even Golden Peng Fortress, whose sole business was killing, had hung lanterns and decorations, preparing to celebrate the New Year just like ordinary households. No one could have imagined that someone would be so brazen as to openly cross Jade City, walk up the mountain, cross Stone Bridge spanning the chasm, raise a banner, array swords and spears, and openly challenge the Unrivaled King.