Severing Time & Space

Killing Intent, Part I

"Haaah... haaah... haaah..."

Wu Jian's breathing was labored as he finished up the last of the four men he fought against. Fear and disgust welled up inside of him, but he was able to push it aside, just like he had been taught by Wu Taohua. Lurching forward, he pulled the dagger from the man's throat. He ignored the blood gushing from the wound and cleaned the blade on the man's clothes. Then he turned to the other two battles.

Hou Jingshu was finishing up her fight. Her opponent had become unhinged and was thrusting his spear forward with no rhyme or reason now. He screamed loudly like a battlecry, though it was shrill and full of fear, and thrust his spear forward. Hou Jingshu leaned to the side, knocked away his spear, took one step forward, and drew her dagger across his chest. It wasn't a shallow wound, though it normally wouldn't be fatal either. However, it wasn't long before the poison took affect. The man attacked her several more times, his movements growing sluggish, and then he pitched forward.

He twitched before going still.

While Hou Jingshu's fight had gone well, Wu Meiying's fight was going anything but. Blood ran down her arms, legs, and torso. She had a split lip and a black eye. Despite that, she was still fighting with everything she had. Even as he watched her, Wu Meiying leapt backward and ducked at the same time, avoiding a swing from Wu Ming's axe as though she had known it would be coming. She then pressed her hand flat against the ground and kicked out her left leg. Her attack had been launched at such an angle that Juishi Meirin's incoming fist was knocked away, though it seemed to damage Wu Meiying even more than it did her opponent.

While it looked like she might get away without injury, Ming Shen launched an energy attack at her that struck Wu Meiying in the side. She screamed as she was blasted off her feet, struck the hard stone, and rolled across it.

"You're a lot tougher than I thought you'd be," Ming Shen said as he moved out of his stance. His attack had been a chi blast, which was chi condensed into a ball and fired from the hands. It was a basic attack, so he must not have known many of them, but that was more than enough to deal with someone not even at the Hunger Realm. "However, this is where your futile struggle ends. Wu Meiying, I will give you one last chance. Become mine."

"Haaaah. In your dreams," Wu Meiying said, spitting blood at his feet as she climbed onto her hands and knees.

Ming Shen's expression hardened. "So be it. Meirin, you can do the honors."

"With pleasure," Juishi Meirin grinned sadistically as she walked forward.

The two didn't seem to have realized Wu Jian and Hou Jingshu had eliminated their enemies. Nor would they give the pair a chance to realize that. This was their chance to attack before the pair noticed them.

Ming Shen and Juishi Meiren rushed forward to attack. As Juishi Meirin dashed toward Wu Meiying, Wu Jian tossed one of his daggers, striking her in the lower back. An attack like this would have never hit someone with more experience. It was clear that Juishi Meirin had never fought in real combat before. She cried out and stumbled forward. Wu Jian used that moment, rushed in, grabbed the dagger buried to the hilt in her back, and yanked it out while plunging the other dagger through her neck.

Wu Jian ripped out the weapon as the woman gurgled and fell to the ground. He didn't look at her as she lay dying, instead looking at Wu Meiying.

"You did great, Mei. Better than I could have done. Stay there while Hou Jingshu and I deal with these two."

"No way. You're going to need my help."

Wu Jian would have said something, but he noticed the look in her eyes as she rose to her feet. She had clearly seen something.

He decided not to argue as they didn't have the time, turned to Ming Shen, and launched himself at the man as he stood there, gawking. Despite his obvious shock, Ming Shen was still able to bring up his sword in time to block Wu Jian's daggers.

"You... how did you defeat all the fighters we brought with us?!" Ming Shen's face was set in a snarl as he glared at Wu Jian.

"I don't have to answer you," Wu Jian said, sneering. "You hurt Mei. I'm going to kill you for that."

"You can try! But you won't succeed! You'll be calling me your honored grandfather and begging me to kill you by the time I'm done with you!"

The two backed away from each other and glared. Wu Meiying had joined Hou Jingshu against Wu Ming. The other boy was swinging his axe around with reckless abandon. His attacks generated incredible gusts of wind, but the two girls were smart enough to maneuver themselves away from every attack with plenty of time to spare.

Ming Shen adopted a horse stance with his feet spread apart and knees bent, then fired off several chi blasts. Each one looked like an orange fireball, though Wu Jian felt no heat as one passed overhead. He wove back and forth as he raced forward, closing the distance between them. Just as Ming Shen fired another chi blast at point blank, Wu Jian leapt into the air, high over Ming Shen's head, and threw one of his daggers. Ming Shen avoided it, but then Wu Jian came back down and swung his other dagger. It was dodged as well. However, a thin line of blood was drawn from a small cut on the man's chest.

Ming Shen placed a hand against his chest and stared at the blood dripping down his skin. He grimaced, then glared at the one who had given him the wound.

"You really are talented. I'm at the Hunger Realm, but despite that, you're able to fight against me. I hate that about you. I've always hated how Father compared me to you," Ming Shen said with a growl.

Wu Jian shrugged. "Blame your father for that. Not me."

"Shut up! I am going to kill you and prove to my father once and for all that I'm better than you are! I'll prove him wrong when he called me useless!"

Wu Jian gripped his daggers tightly as he spread his feet apart. The poison would take longer to affect Ming Shen than it would the others since he was at the Hunger Realm. Wu Jian wondered if he could hold out long enough for the poison to take affect.