February 5, 2023
"All the Shengxiao are ready. We can start the emergency meeting this afternoon, Empress." The Rat Shengxiao, a woman with black and white hair in a ponytail, said.
"Huh, we just had a meeting yesterday at the same time. Now we're doing it again." The Dog Shengxiao, a man with spiky black-orange hair, crossed his arms in annoyance.
Luxia smiled, looking at each of the shengxiaos' faces. Everyone who sit on shengxiao seat is five-star Hunter. Some were even close to becoming special-star Hunters.
On the top floor of the largest pagoda building, the main headquarters of the Chinese Hunter Agency. A room with a round table in the center, surrounded by red pillars with gold carvings. Thirteen people sat in chairs, each chair symbolized by a shengxiao (Chinese zodiac) representing its occupant. Except for one person's chair, that is the former head of the Chinese division, Lang Zen.
"Last night, I just received some bad news. But first, I want to ask about your positions last night."
Luxia placed both hands on the table. Her gaze was fixed on the Goat, Cow, Monkey, and Pig Shengxiao, whom she suspected the most.
"I was in the city last night." said the Goat Shengxiao, a man with military-style hair.
"I was waiting for students I entrusted to win the first round of Zhan Dou at the headquarters." said the Cow Shengxiao, a burly bald man.
The Pig Shengxiao, a distinctive man wearing a swordsman's robe. Different from the usual Hunter uniform, also nodded at the Cow Shengxiao's words, as both of them were waiting for their trained students last night, despite being from different schools and martial arts techniques. One is a bare-handed master, and the other is a sword master.
"Why are you asking this, Miss Luxia? Do you suspect us? Tell us the real problem. I don't have time to talk about trivial matters." The Monkey Shengxiao, an angry-faced uncle, looked at Luxia with an annoyed gaze.
Of course, he's annoyed. Because he had an urgent problem in his city, and this morning someone picked him up in a flying car to immediately back to the central headquarters.
"Ara. So impatient. The Monkey Shengxiao is right. Right now, among us, someone has betrayed."
Luxia then took something from a basket she prepared under round table and threw it into the center of round table.
Its head of Arch Witch that Jianying captured last night.
"Arch Witch, Dragon Shengxiao and Snake Shengxiao managed to capture this last night. Someone cursed should have been impossible to enter the Qincheng area because it is protected by a giant anti-dark magic dome. Someone seems to have torn a small membrane of the dome and allowed this cursed creature to enter and kill some of participants of the sacred Zhan Dou tournament."
All the faces there showed surprise, some opening their mouths slightly or furrowing their brows and foreheads.
Only Jianying, An Haocun, the Horse Shengxiao, the Tiger Shengxiao, Lang Zen, and Luxia had normal expressions. Even Luxia, who usually smiled slightly, now had an expression that made the occupants of the round table shiver. Although there were no wrinkles of expression on her face at all. Luxia's gaze seemed serious and anger.
"Someone has dared to defile our sacred tradition. But the question is, who dared to defile the sanctity of our centuries-old tournament?" Luxia asked seriously, glancing at Monkey Shengxiao, who was furrowing his brow in confusion more than the others.
"A-arch Witch? A Witch who can think like human and master high-level magic with high regeneration ability infiltrated here?" The Rabbit Shengxiao, a girl who worked in medical division, covered her mouth, seeing the fresh Arch Witch's head lying in the middle of the table.
"If someone managed to infiltrate an Arch Witch here, it can only mean one thing. At least twenty four-star Hunters or one five-star Hunter would be needed to bring an Arch Witch into a place guarded by a giant dome and thousands of Hunters here." The Rooster speculated. The beautiful martial artist touched her chin, narrowing her eyes.
"That's right. There's no way the Arch Witch came here alone. Someone among Hunters planned this. And that Hunter must be as strong as us here." The Pig agreed with the Rooster's statement, filling the room with a tense atmosphere. This meant there was a traitor among the round table. And that traitor could be anyone. Acting. Pretending. Listening.
"Huh, even if there is a traitor. I'm sure they're either desperate enough or too smart to disrupt the Zhan Dou tournament by only sneaking in one Arch Witch." The Dog Shengxiao commented with a grin. He felt that sneaking an Arch Witch into the headquarters of all Chinese Hunters was a futile effort.
After all, the number of deceased tournament participants is only four times higher than usual. If they were serious about targeting participants, they should have infiltrated more Arch Witches last night. He thought.
"Still, this means someone has dared to defile the sanctity of this year's Zhan Dou tournament, Dog Shengxiao. Even if their goal is just to insult us, we still cannot allow it." The Tiger Shengxiao shook his head, disagreeing with the Dog's statement. His firm voice represented his high self-esteem.
Lang Zen nodded in agreement. "Whatever the enemy's objective, even if it's to kill one of our participants with personal intent, we still cannot let the perpetrator escape. We must catch them and punish them for daring to defile our sacred tradition."
The Dog scoffed, sighing. Several Shengxiaos nodded in agreement.
"Snake. You and Dragon caught this Arch Witch. Do you think, besides disturbing the tournament participants, this Arch Witch acted on orders?" The Horse Shengxiao tried to think critically. It felt too strange to let a monster in without a clear purpose.
Jianying shook his head. "I don't know. However, it seems this Arch Witch only stayed in one place, at one of the flags in the mountain forest, without moving elsewhere. I don't know if that's his strategy to hunt humans, or if someone ordered him to wait for someone to arrive at that place." Adjusting his square glasses, An, the Snake Shengxiao, nodded in agreement.
"There were many corpses killed there. It's difficult to confirm the Arch Witch's purpose. Ah, coincidentally, the child from the forbidden forest also fell into this Arch Witch's trap. What unfortunate luck. He almost died if Dragon hadn't arrived in time."
"Coincidence?" Several Shengxiaos uttered the same word upon hearing An's additional explanation, accompanied by his characteristic smile.
Making everyone wonder, was it because of the child from the forbidden forest? If so, who sent him? Who exactly is child from the forbidden forest?
Among those thinking, one person with the most confused expression was the Monkey. For some reason, he close his jaw hard until his jaw muscles were visible.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Luxia clapped her hands three times. All attention immediately shifted to her.
"Ara~ Let's put aside today's problems for now. For the time being, let's focus our attention on the Zhan Dou tournament. We have two more nights. Sooner or later, the traitor will show their true intentions."
Luxia smiled, a strange smile.
***
"Who is he? He's been eating since morning, then swinging his axe again, and eating again."
A big bearded man with dozens of empty wooden lunch boxes beside him. After twenty axe swings, he would stop to eat one lunch box.
"Nine hundred ninety! Nine hundred ninety-one! Nine hundred ninety-two!"
Each swing contained immense power. Sizhu and the two small children beside his feet watched the man, who was almost two meters tall. Not only Sizhu, but almost everyone, including academy students, watched the big man training while eating near a stall in the city.
"Every swing looks dangerous. I'm sure he could cut down a large tree with one swing of his axe." One of the visitors said.
"Who is he? Judging by his clothes, he seems to come from the far North." Another person judged his unfamiliar clothes, even for Westerners.
"Look closely at his axe. It has runes. Rune users are famous in the Northern region. He seems to be Nordic." A student commented, expressing his opinion.
Yaoyao, whose attention was diverted, was carried away and pushed forward by visitors who accidentally wanted to watch the big man train more closely.
Her body was pushed until she was in the middle of the path of the big man who was swinging his axe. The axe swung quickly, almost hitting Yaoyao's head as she walked in confusion.
"Nine hundred ninety-nine—huh?"
Before the axe touched Yaoyao's head, its swinging motion was stopped by Sizhu's hand. The visitors were shocked by the small child who was almost split in half by the big man's axe swing. But fortunately, someone stopped the man's movement.
Seeing someone stop his hand movement, the big man smiled broadly.
"That was close, little one. You'd better stay away from a man who swinging his axe." The bearded man laughed loudly as he rested his axe on his shoulder. Yaoyao shivered hearing his loud laughter; she clung to Sizhu's leg.
"A man swinging his axe should choose a safe training spot, not a crowded one. His axe could accidentally injure someone." Sizhu calmly said to the big man who was still smiling broadly. He seemed like a friendly person.
"You're right! I'm having lunch here. My people digest food by training to be strong. That's why I'm swinging my axe while enjoying delicious food here."
Sizhu didn't answer him and was about to leave. He was reluctant to deal with someone stubborn.
"What's your name, young man! You're quite impressive for stopping my axe!" The big man shouted loudly, asking Sizhu.
Sizhu turned and said, "My name is Sizhu."
"Baldur. Baldur Eivorson. It won't be long until we meet again, Sizhu! Until then! I want to fight you!" The big man named Baldur laughed loudly as he waved his axe in the air. Sizhu didn't wave back and walked away from the place.
"Sizhu?" A woman in a Japanese miko robe with autumn red-brown hair felt familiar. But she was more familiar with Sizhu's appearance and his green eyes.
Just like the bald man who almost had no presence. He snorted coldly at Sizhu's face.
They instantly realized, tonight's second round of the tournament, they would be fighting the green-eyed youth.
***