Return of the 13th Zodiac

1: The Masked Swordsman

"Oh, you think so?" Shu Yue asked, her voice light and gentle, forcing innocence into it. "Are you implying that Magus are weak?"

Though he wasn't entirely wrong about something.

Dishan laughed. "That isn't what I meant. What I'm trying to say is that most magic users are physically weak. But that doesn't necessarily mean they're hopeless in battle, they just have frail bodies compared to warriors. That's all." He faced the crowd and clasped his hand over his right fist in front of his chest. "I'm sorry if I offended any magi here."

"I see what you mean," Shu Yue said as she twirled the bamboo stick in her hand.

She swept her gaze around the hall, looking at the spectators, and wondered if anyone would bet on her. Of course, no one. They would all bet on someone like Dishan, someone who looked strong and fierce and had actually won numerous times.

Do I really look that weak?

Behind her mask, a smile crept across her face.

Her gaze then landed on a tall young man with distinct features, his fox-like ears, almost the same color as his waist-length silver-white hair, distinguishing him from everyone else, not to mention those golden eyes of his. He tilted his head, as if to acknowledge her.

Xiao Ran.

Of course, someone would bet on her.

"But don't worry," said Dishan, and Shu Yue brought her attention back to him. "Since I'm a nice gentleman, I will go easy on you."

"Why, thank you," Shu Yue responded, grateful how the man just unconsciously lowered his guard.

"Alright!" Lu Baiyu bellowed. "Let the fight begin!"

With a roar, Dishan lunged forward, his massive sword slicing through the air.

Sunbeam Rampage, Shu Yue thought as she watched her opponent approach her. She already knew what technique Dishan would use before he even attacked based on the position of his body and sword.

Shu Yue remained calm as Dishan delivered strikes at different angles in quick succession, elegantly twisting her body to avoid the rage of his huge blade. Every stroke of his sword was like a piercing ray of light. This move was known as Sunbeam Rampage, one of the stances of Solarburst Sword.

A collective gasp filled the air as the spectators watched the entertaining battle unfold in front of them; a huge man wielding a huge sword, who kept attacking like a wild beast, and a demure young lady who kept countering his every move, gliding around the stage as gracefully as a swan. She didn't once initiate any attacks of her own.

When Dishan's sword slashed at Shu Yue's side, she effortlessly stepped aside, then leaped backward before her opponent could deliver another strike. One thing about the Solarburst Sword was that it wasn't hard to defend against, so Shu Yue had no trouble evading and blocking his attacks. This sword art was comprised of twelve forms. All stances contained the power of the Sun. It was practiced by all warriors of the Ophiuchus Clan, and it was one of the few techniques left to them after their fall.

All of their martial art manuals were stolen by the other Zodiac Clans.

Shu Yue could see why the other Great Clans didn't bother stealing this one. Solarburst Sword wasn't as powerful as their other techniques.

Dishan glared at her, a glint of annoyance and impatience in his eyes. "Aren't you being too comfortable just because I was being gentle with you?" He cracked his knuckles, then grinned. "Well, I'm now taking back what I said about me going easy on you." Dishan roared and pounced forward, his sword poised for a powerful thrust, unleashing the last formation of the Solarburst Sword.

Too late for that.

If her opponent was superior in terms of strength, then she would beat him through speed. However, speed alone wasn't enough.

As Dishan thrust his sword toward her, she jumped lightly onto the massive blade, then used the momentum to close the distance between them, her long sleeves and hair fluttering in the wind. With a flick of her wrist, she stabbed his left eye with the bamboo stick. The stab was so quick that no one seemed to realize what had happened until Dishan screamed in pain and fell to his knees. His sword clattered to the ground. He was clutching his face, blood dripping from his wounded eye and staining the ground.

Shu Yue landed gracefully on the floor. Groaning, Dishan slowly rose to his feet, still clutching his face. But before he could fully stand, Shu Yue moved in a blur, charging forward, then threw him off the sparring ring with a spinning kick.

Silence reigned as she took slow, deliberate steps towards the edge of the platform. That radiant confidence and regal air she exuded from the start bloomed brightly as she walked. She halted, brushed an invisible fleck of dust off her robe, and looked down at her opponent with her head held high. Dishan was curled up on the floor, wincing in pain.

She won.

Speed and strength--those weren't as important as skills and timing.

Her gaze shifted to the crowd, who were all staring at the scene before them, dumbfounded. Their eyes darted back and forth between her and Dishan. None of them expected this to happen. None of them expected Dishan to lose, even more so to someone like Shu Yue. She had knocked down her opponent with just one blow and a bamboo stick.

When Lu Baiyu finally regained his wits, he cleared his throat and motioned to Shu Yue. "And the winner of today's match is Chen Yue!"

There was silence after that, as if the spectators were still stunned, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Xiao Ran then began applauding, his fluffy white tail wagging back and forth. His handsome face was adorned with a proud smile. As if his claps had served as an alarm bell, the spectators recovered from their shock, and the next thing Shu Yue knew, the place was in an uproar.

Of course, they would be devastated. After all, they had all lost the bet.

Except for one person--no, a demihuman.

Shu Yue smiled as she looked at Xiao Ran. She gave a palm and fist salute before exiting the stage and taking the bamboo tube from Lu Baiyu. Her reward.

The soul-binding scroll.

Her heart thudded with excitement as she stroked the bamboo tube. Finally, she could acquire a spirit beast and move one step closer to her ultimate goal.