Chapter 123: Over Enthusiastic Fans of Xue Shaonu

Zen knocked on the door and waited.

“Enter!”

Zen entered.

“Young Master Wang Zen, I thought my last training rgime would have gotten rid of you until next autumn.” Lu Daomeng said in dissapointmenet. “So, I am guessing that you have made some impressive progress with your training, otherwise you would not be here.”

“No, Shifu Lu, I have not made any significant progress.” Zen said. “I actually came here on a different matter.”

“Go ahead,” Daomeng sighed.

“Shifu, have you heard about the assassination attempt on Xue Shaonu.”

“Ah, yes. Your friend right?” Daomeng said. “First the poisoning and then the assassination attempt by the black cloaked person.”

“Yes, the suspect for this crime is my friend, Chu Jiahai.”

“Well, that is unfortunate for you.” Lu Daomeng said. “What can I say, no relationship lasts forever.”

“He didn’t do it.”

Daomeng looked at him in confusion. “And you know that for a fact?”

Zen nodded. “I needa way to prove his innocents.”

“The only way to do that is to figure out who the Black Cloaked Assasin is, if your friend is indeed talking the truth about not being the assassin.”

“I figured that.” Zen said. “But I don’t know how.”

“You need to gather up all the evidence available. Profile the assassin and match that profile to someone.” Lu Daomeng said. “So far, we can guess that the assassin has a grudge against your friend, Xue Shaonu. Has access to a powerful poison, which means they are a skilled herbalist or have good connections in the black market. And whoever the assassin is, could get close enough to your friend to poison her. Anything else?”

“They have 3 beasts contracted to them and a Tamer’s Staff.” Zen said. “And… And…” Zen’s eyes widened, “Whoever the assassin is has access to the academy.”

“Only students and staff have access to the academy.” Lu Daomeng said. “Do you know the assasin’s power level?”

“No, but he never used any elemental techniques when we fought him.”

“Then most likely,they are a student.” Lu Daomeng said. “Most of the students, other then the really senior ones, aren’t strong enough to use elemental attacks as of yet.”

Zen bowed. “Thank you, Shifu. I’ll go sare this information with Xue Shaonu.” Zen ran out of the office. “I’m going to find out who this assassin is!”

“Wang Zen!”

Zen stopped at hearing his name. He turned to see Geyi Kun waving him down.

“Kun Kun.”

“Hey! Where are you going?”

“I’m going to the medical facility to see Xue Shaonu.”

Kun tilted her head in confusion. “Haven’t you heard? She has been discharged. She’s back at her room. What did you want to tell her?”

“I’m tring to find the identity of the Black Cloaked Assasin.” He said.

“But everyone already knows who it is.” She said. “Chu Jiahai.”

“That’s not true. He is being framed.”

“How do you know that?”

“For one thing, I’m well aware of Chu Jiahai’s fighting style,” Zen said. “The Black loaked Assasin does not fight like him.”

“I might not be a great fighter like you boys, but even I know that sparring with someone is not the same as being in a life or death with them.”

Zen looked down sadly, “Yes, I’ve fought with him in a life and death battle too. Trust me, its not him.”

“Zen, I feeli like your hoping…”

“Hey, that’s him!”

Zen and Kun looked to the source of the voice. Three elderboys were walking towards them.

“That’s him,” one of the boys said. “He is friends with that scumball who tried to kill Xue Shaonu.”

Zen grumbled before taking Kun’s hand.

“W-Wang Zen?” Geyi Kun said, her cheeks growing pink… not from the cold air. “What are you doing?”

“These guys look like bad news.” He said before pulling her along. “Let’s get out of here.”

They did not get far until one of the boys appeared in his path. “Hey, where are you going?” he shoved Zen back. “You running away, you coward.”

“Leave us alone!” Kun said.

“Hey, shut up, Chubby.” Another boy said as all three surrounded them.

“We don’t want any trouble.” Zen said before trying to take a gap, only to have his way barred again. The boy this time grabbed at Zen’s neck.

“You should have thought about that before you became friends with that scum.”

Zen shoved the boy’s hand away. This earnd him an angry glare and he knew what was oming before it even did.

“Down!” he commanded as he shoved Geyi Kun down and out of the way of the older boy’s ki glowing hand.

“Stone Fist!”the older boy shouted as his hardened fist met the air above Zen’s head.

With gritted teeth, Zen stepped forward, around the fist and activated his own ki technique. “Blitz Fist!”

Over 80 punches made contact with boy, sending him stumbling back. With the new opening, Zen ran, pulling Geyi Kun along.

“Come on!” he said as he extended the gap between them and the boys.

“Speed Sprint!” One of the boys said before he ran in Zen’s path again, forcing Zen and Kun to a stop.

“Kid, you are going to so regret doing that.” The boy shook his head.

Zen lowered into a fighting stance, pulling his hand behind his back where he made signals for Kun to run. He leapt forward, his leg sweeping out. The older boy blocked with his forearm. Zen quickly shifted his stance and snapped his leg back before thrusting it out again where it made contact with the boy’s chin. As the boy stubled back, he stomped his leg down and pushed off the ground, raising his knee to slam into the boy. The boy was able to block his knee but as soon as he landed he put ll his power into a punch into the boy’s abdomen and as he stumbled back, he activated his Blitz Fist, sending the boy rolling back along the ground.

Zen was about to run until the third boy came up from behind him, his leg shining in ki. “Scythe Sweeping Kick!” He shouted as he delivered a round house kick which sent out a semi-circle of ki out, along its path. Zen leapt over the attack, barely dodging it. He prepared to counter as he began to fall back down again but the first boy had already recovered from his earlier attack and was flying towards him.

“Stone Punch!” The boy said.

Zen roiled his ki to harden his forearms as he blocked. Although the damaged was dramatically decreased, the attack still had enough momentum to send him flying back but before he could land…

“Sprinting Kick!”

The third boy, moving very fast, leapt up and kicked Zen , sending him sliding along the ground before he landed. He cough and grabbed his stomach as he shakily got back to his feet.

“You should have run away like your ugly girlfriend.” One of them said. “She is obviously the smarter one in this relationship of the ugliest man and woman in the world.”

The three boys laughed together.

“I’m surprised that three guys who look like the bottom of a toilet would call anyone ugly.” Zen said.

They all stopped at this and the one ahead began running for Zen. “Sprinting!” he began running fast.

Zen stood in place, allowing his ki to roil in his meridians.

“Sprinting Punch!” the older boy punched Zen with the momentum of his speed and made contact.

As soon as Zen felt the boy’s knuckles make contact with his forehead, he activateded his ki technique. “Blits Fist!” Punches throttled into the boy before his fist even detached from Zen and he got the full attack of his Blitz Fist.

At the end of the exchange, both Zen and the boy fell back. Zen made sure to roll onto his feet as the second boy came in. “Scythe Sweeping Kick!”

Zen leapt into the air, dodging the kick.

The older boy smirked as he looked at Zen. Zen flipped around in the air on his way down as the other boy came flying for him.

“Stone Punch!” The third boy shouted.

Zen twisted his body, allowing the punch to shoot past him. He brough his other leg down and it made contact with the boys face, sending him falling down. In a show of more impressive acrobatics, Zen twisted in the air again, bringing himself face to face with the falling boy, although their bodies were inverted.

“Blitz Fist!” Zen throttled multiple punches into the boy in a single second, sending him crashing into the second boy who was standing below him. Zen landed on his feet, ensuring his landing was as hard as possible, for he had two bodies beneath him that would soften his landing.

He leapt off the two, immediately starting to run away. Although he had the upper hand now, even he knew it would be completely stupid to try and defeat three older boys who were much stronger than him individually, let alone together.

The first boy came back, easily running beside him. He was forced to stop and deal with his attacks as they fought. Zen was able to kick him off balance before thrusting his elbow into the boy’s centre, sending him stumbling back onto a knee before he scrambled back away from Zen.

Zen was at least confident he could take them on in close combat. No amount of ki made one a better hand to hand fighter.

“Alright,” the boy said, rubbing his abdomen. “We’re no longer playing with you, boy.” He gathered ki in his hand and then ran for Zen.

Zen took a fighting stance, unsure what would happen. The boy stopped short of him and punched into the ground. Ki began gathering beneath Zen’s feet. He tried to jump out of the way but it was too late and was caught in the violent upward movement of ki that swept him off his feet and into the air. He sailed over the older boy at great speed and in a panic, realised he would crsh onto the ground, most likely breaking his neck. Instinctively, he tried to get his hands up to cushion the coming crash but he could not move! At the last moment, he could move his arms but as he tried to bring his hands up but it did not matter as the older boy slammed his knee into his face.

The attack sent him hurtling away. He landed on the ground and as he struggled to his feet, there were twin trails of blood seeping fro his crooked nose.

“Scythe Sweeping Kick!” The second boy shouted as he rushed for Zen.

He scrambled to leap up, dodging the kick but now he was at an awkward position in the air but he still had confidence that he could dodge and counter the Stone Punch that he expected would come next.

“Dancing Scythe Sweeping Kick!” the boy continued as he leapt up, spinning as he did so. All he could do was watch in horror as he could not dodge the attack that made contact with him. He was sent flipping back in the air.

The third boy raced for him and positioned hismefl where Zen would land. “My turn!” he said in excitement as he got into position. Ki gathered in his fists before he thrust them out, bedning his body over to the side. “Boulder Strike!”

Zen hardened his forearma and tried to block once again but he might as well have not bothered for the attack broke through his defence and sent him shooting in the snowy ground where he skipped back like a stone thrown in water. And that is where Zen stayed while the boys laughed cruelly.

Wang Zen got up. It was almost all based on instinct, even though he had taken a lot of damage and it would have been best if he had stayed down, something told him to rise to his feet.

One of the boys laughed. “Amazing, you forced us to use stronger techniques and you still are getting up.”

“This punk is really insulting us.” The other said.

“One more round should do it.” The third said.

Zen reached for his storage stone. During the battle, he did not summon his Zen Blade out of fear of escalating the battle but if the three older boys were still going to attack him after having so thoroughly thrashed him, he would need his weapon to survive.

“I’ll start the party off!” One of the boys said as his ki roiled. He sprinted forward. “Ki Sprinting!”

He moved fast and all Zen could do was watch while waiting for the right time to summon his short sword. Before the boy could reach him, another teenager appeared out of nowhere, planting his knee into the face of the fast moving boy.

Zen collapsed to his knees in relief as he lokoed at hs saviour. “Hue Yi!”

“Wang Zen,” Hue Yi smirked as he withdrew his twin short swords. “Can’t seem to stay out of troule, can’t you?”