Tournament Quarterfinals: Guo Fu
By the time you make your way back to the tournament area, Qilin’s match is over.
“Feeling alright?” you ask.
“Oh, you are being concerned about me?” Qilin flutters her eyelashes, though the effect is much lessened in her plain disguise. “Amazing. The stupid boy has a heart after all. This is a day to be remembered!” She had lost her match rather quickly, whatever plan she had failing to work out.
“It’s not like I feel bad about it or anything. I didn’t beg you to help. You could have turned me down,” you say quickly. “I only want to make sure I won’t get hit by whatever it is that beat you.” Qilin chuckles softly, before telling you what you came here to find out. “Well, she was beyond my ability to fight in a proper duel, after my initial trap failed. I underestimated her agility and she was cunning enough not to fall for most of my tricks. That, and the tournament frowns on using snakes in a fight. The girl is good, though if you give me a week to prepare I could probably plan a proper plot to drug her and leave her nicely bound up in your bed. In terms of technical ability, I would put her close to Yifang’s level. What is more problematic, however, is her neigong.”
She scratches her chest, where she had apparently been hit. Qilin had been downed with one good strike a few minutes into the match. “I said her style was Persian, but now I can be a bit more specific. Her martial arts hail from a particular group… a Zoroastrian fire cult. They have been making inroads into the Central Plains for a while, but the Eight Sects probably don’t know about them just yet. My uncle has had dealings with this particular cult in the past. That’s all I can tell you about. The rest are family secrets,” she winks. “At any rate, in a contest of neigong she could possibly beat most people here except for that big dumb ox. I doubt any of the young pugilists around have enough skill to neutralize her particular technique. Her qi is fiery and burns. In fact, I’m still feeling a bit hot.” As if to illustrate her point, she loosens the front of her vest and flaps it modestly enough not to reveal anything, yet open just enough to allow you a good view of her low neckline. Her eyes are daring you to look.
“You are just a perverted exhibitionist, aren’t you,” you say.
“You’re the one that was going around shirtless last night,” she replies sweetly.
“Should I empty this gourd of water over your head?” you reply.
“I prefer to fight fire with fire. When I feel hot, I want something to hug to warm me up and comfort me.”
“Get your snakes and toads to do that.”
“They’re cold-blooded, stupid boy.”
“I’m leaving the water here. Cao’er mixed some cooling powder into it,” you say as you put down the gourd by her bed and leave the grinning girl hurriedly before she can taunt you further.
***
Yifang’s match with Xuzhan had ended in a rather anticlimatic way. The young monk had found himself utterly unable to strike a girl, let alone a very beautiful one. He had frozen up in the opening seconds of the fight and found himself sitting outside the ring before he could say anything. You suppose that Abbot Fangzhang does have a point in monks needing to train to fight off temptation instead of avoiding it. On the other hand, you think that if Xuzhan was anything like the Abbot, Emei would be feuding with Shaolin over this match before the week was out.
Murong Yandi and Guo Fu had arrived during your talk with Qilin. As it turned out, Guo Fu had been attacked. Thankfully the Sword Saint’s disciple was there and fended them off with ease while Guo concentrated on protecting his wife. Between the two, and the Emei nuns that arrived in search of them, they made it to the tournament area without any further problems. Things may have gone a lot worse if Murong Yandi had not been there. He was extremely embarrassed when you thanked him for his help, but stated that you still shouldn’t let your guard down. They may still attack after this. You would probably have to get more help from the heads of the sects to protect Guo Fu – but you can discuss that after today’s matches. The conspirators don’t seem to have tried anything within the tournament area so far.
Right before your match, Qi Liuwu appears. The head of the Beggars’ Sect walks up to you with a serious face. He places his hands on your shoulders firmly, his eyes gazing at you sombrely.
“The Abbot and I just made a bet for a lot of money. Do not fail me.”
“You are a beggar, and he is a monk. What money are you talking about?”
“Money is where you find it,” replies Qi, “Thus goes one of the Beggar Sect’s creeds... I think. Now, remember, don’t lose.” He gives you a very urgent look before walking off.
***
Finally, it is time to face off against Guo Fu. Entering the ring with your customary pig’s mask to the cheers of the crowd, you wave at them. There are a few more hecklers asking you to strip Guo Fu down to his bare butt. You turn to your opponent, the hulking lad who looks like he could rip you with the barest effort. He gives you a kind smile, bowing. You return the favour.
As the match begins, you carefully keep your distance. Guo Fu squares off into a stable stance, awaiting you to attack. You have not had the opportunity to analyze any of his matches, but you know that he has high stamina and defensive ability, and that his strength likely rivals – if not surpasses – yours. Getting caught would be a problem.
Guo Fu continues to wait for you, steady as a mountain. Tapping your foot twice, you shake your doubts away and spring into action. He blocks your first blow easily, raising his arm to block your punch. The counterblow comes quickly – a kick. Leaping aside, you continue to press your attack. Guo is faster than you expected, but it is nothing you can’t handle. Your strikes, however, do nothing. He takes your hits straight on without even flinching. You are not fighting at full strength yet, of course.
After a few exchanges, you draw back. Guo Fu still has not budged a step from his position, all through your flurry of attacks. You decide to put a bit more power behind your blows. Closing the distance again, you slide under his punch and strike him in the belly. His muscular abdomen flexes as it absorbs your blow, and Guo Fu’s torso jerks back just slightly. He felt that one. Ducking an elbow, you strike again, but this time it does nothing. However, Guo Fu visibly concentrated and clenched his body right before you hit. Another direct hit confirms your suspicions. It seems that his Jinzhongzhao needs longer periods of preparation to summon the inner strength required to take greater hits. If you strike fast enough, hard enough…
You throw your entire body behind your next blow, sending a punch slamming straight into his abdomen. You feel Guo’s body lift slightly into the air. He stumbles back. The crowd roars, seeing the immovable mountain budge for the first time. Your opponent is still unharmed, however. He looks at you with a smile. “You’re really powerful, Man Tiger Pig. I am glad to be able to fight you.” Raising himself up to his full height, he stretches his muscular arms and takes a different stance. It looks like he will be going all out now.
“You’re a real monster, Guo Fu,” you mutter, smiling under your mask. He goes on the offense for the first time, rushing towards you. His attacks are slightly quicker this time, and more coordinated. Your first impression of his clumsiness seems to have been sorely mistaken. His fist techniques don’t seem to be self-taught or anything basic, but you cannot identify the school that it is from. The punches are straight and powerful, yet his footwork travels in a circular, sliding motion.
As you continue to exchange blows to no avail, your concentration begins to waver. You could do this dance all day and tire yourself out without hurting Guo Fu. Is there a way around it? You try to focus and think of a plan.
Your foot slips, unluckily.
Your distraction costs you.
A massive fist is hurtling towards you when you snap your eyes back to Guo Fu. Unable to evade, you raise one arm to block. With your other, you lash out with your Chuzhan Fist. You’ll only make it in time if you use your neigong. There’s no other choice. An agonizing pain radiates from your left forearm as the punch hits home. At the same time, your right fist smashes into Guo Fu’s chest with all your strength, both inner and outer. The both of you are thrown away from each other. You come to a halt nearly ten paces away from where you were, while Guo Fu is knocked off his feet – again, something that has happened for the first time in the competition. The crowd begins to cheer even more loudly.
As Guo Fu stands back up, you lower your left arm. It twinges in pain – from the sensation, the bones in your forearm are probably cracked from that hit – they may even be broken. Guo Fu gets up and resumes his stance, though his breathing is slightly more disordered now. He definitely felt that blow. He still seems rather happy to be fighting you, however. You think you can understand the attraction behind going all out, without the need to hold back.
Still…
The tournament official is holding his flag up, calling a pause to the match. Looking at you, he shouts, “Are you alright, Man Tiger Pig?” He is probably referring to the blow you took – it looks like he has rather sharp eyes.
***
A. You claim to be alright. It’s time to take this seriously. This is a good chance to go all out in a fight for once, in a fight against an opponent that can bring you down with a single blow. Guo Fu can take anything you can throw at him, and you should be able to improve your fighting skills if you do so. You can beat him. Besides, Cao’er can treat you. Probably. (Sword +1, Unarmed +1)
B. You claim victory by disqualifying Guo Fu for breaking your arm. You would like to advance to the finals and battle Nameless, the Persian fighter. It would be hard for you to do that if you lost now. It is unfortunate, but rules are rules and he just broke it. It would teach him the importance of holding back too.
C. You hide the injury and surrender the match to Guo Fu. This is as far as you go, sadly.