Solstice Souls

Proving His Worth

Wei Ying POV

"Ridiculous." the young jade mumbled.

Wei Ying could not stop the amused laughter trickling through his full lips. He unsheathed his sword and admired the glint of the bright sun off it's unblemished blade.

"Why do you say ridiculous, Young Master Lan?" he asked, still giggling to himself. But the man in white just turned away from him without another word. Like snowflakes landing on a warm hand, Wei Ying's laughter melted away.

He grasped his sword tightly and swung it in circles on either side of him a few times before walking away and bowing to his first competitor. The man was a few years his senior but that did not deter Wei Ying in the slightest. Nothing and no one was going to prevent him from duelling with that jade in white.

Wei Ying looked up at the annoyingly stoic younger man who now stood silently on the stage. He tried to get the Second Jade's attention by swinging his sword harder and faster in more elaborate moves. But Lan Wangji would not even cast him a side glance which made Wei Ying's hackles raise.

How dare he ignore me?

A devilish smirk crossed his lips.  His tenaciousness smoldering in his silver eyes. 

Now he was even more determined. He knew he had to do whatever it took to meet the golden-eyed man face to face on the field. Just so he could knock him off that imaginary high pedestal he was standing on.

"Cocky bastard." he mumbled.  "You're about to meet your match, Hanguang-jun."

Even though the initial count had only been ten challengers, after the announcement of the Second Jade's acceptance to fight the winner, dozens of participants entered the competition. Wei Ying had watched the line grow longer and longer until he could no longer see the end of it.

In the end, a total of 120 hopeful swordsmen and women had their names written on the challengers list. Because his name was first on that list, Wei Ying was the first of two to fight. The winner between them would face all others down the list until he was defeated and so on.

When the competition rules were announced, no one had imagined that there would be so many competing. The organizers were now regretting their layout of the exhibition. To ask one man to fight so many opponents was insane! However, they could not change the rules now and their hearts went out to the feisty young man in green.

"Only 119 to beat, huh?" Wei Ying said to himself. "No problem."

His bright silver eyes could not help but keep wandering over to the young jade standing next to his older brother. He needed his angel in white to look at him. To see him. 

By the third glance, Wei Ying caught the stubborn Hanguang-jun watching his every move from the corners of his pale amber eyes. Being the playful soul he was, he decided to take full advantage of the secret look.

"I'd fight a thousand men as long as my sword gets to feel the metal of your blade caress it, Hanguang-jun!" he yelled out. He waved excitedly and was rewarded with a faint blush atop the jade's perfect ears.

How adorable! Wei Ying thought.

Throughout the afternoon, Wei Ying fought his way through many adversaries, none of which gave him much trouble. He took out his opponents quickly and efficiently.

Effortlessly.

His moves were agile and quick like a cat. The precision of his strikes was powerful and merciless. As swords slashed at him, Wei Ying dodged with liquid grace. His body was like a tall grass in the wind, bending and swaying with each attack in ways a human body should not be able to move. The onlooking crowd gasped and applauded the stranger who remained unbeatable.