Chapter 372: The Turning Point

Zhao stepped forward and threw a quick combination toward her head and torso. His hands moved through a series of abbreviated seals, the green light flashing at each fingertip before gathering into his palms.

"Falling Leaf Barrage."

Lin Mei raised her arms to guard against the first strike, twisted out of the way of the second, and moved to her right as he tried to cut off her retreat. He followed right up, his right shoulder turning.

Lin Mei saw it.

Instead of moving away from the space where he would strike, she stepped inside the attack. It placed her perilously close to his body, but it carried her past the center of his strike. Zhao’s arm swept behind her shoulder, his balance shifting forward.

Lin Mei shot out her palm to strike his chest. She did not have a named technique for it, but she gathered the spiritual energy she had and pushed it toward him.

The blow was not strong enough to knock him off the platform, but it forced him to take a step back to recover his balance.

The reaction from the crowd shifted. The laughter had died down, replaced by murmurs and the occasional argument from people who had barely paid attention at the beginning. A few of them had found themselves engrossed in the fight and did not want it to end so soon.

Lin Mei retreated before Zhao could retaliate, her chest rising and falling with each breath. Her shoulder ached, her ribs hurt, and her legs were beginning to feel numb, but she had found a way to upset his timing. It did not solve the larger issue. She still needed to avoid getting hit, and she knew she did not have the stamina to keep avoiding his attacks for long.

Zhao rolled his shoulders and his expression became more serious. There was still the hint of amusement in his eyes, but it was tempered with a new sort of respect.

He stopped trying to drive her toward the edge of the platform. Instead, he advanced carefully, keeping his guard up and his weight balanced. He was not giving her the openings he had before, and she knew the next move she made would not be as easy to follow as the last.

She forced herself to breathe steadily. She did not have to win the fight outright with one well-timed move. She only had to keep thinking, keep watching, and not let the pressure bear down on her so much that she panicked.

Zhao suddenly accelerated.

He brought his hands together in front of his chest, using a more complicated set of seals this time. His fingers interlaced as he pressed his thumbs together.

"Ironwood Falling Mountain."

He feinted toward her injured shoulder, then drove a low blow toward her side. Lin Mei realized her mistake too late to avoid the attack cleanly. She turned her body to receive the impact on her forearm, but it still forced her sideways.

Zhao followed up with a sweeping strike, but Lin Mei ducked beneath it. She almost turned to face him, but instead she crossed his path and forced him to change direction. His next attack came from the other side, leaving her little room to avoid it. She blocked with both her arms, the force sending her down onto one knee.

For a moment it seemed as though the entire crowd was holding its breath. One of the visiting youths leaned over toward his companion, apparently convinced that the exchange was over and Lin Mei had lost the fight.

Lin Mei used her palm to press against the platform and lever her body up. Her injured arm trembled as it struggled to support her weight, and she had to shift her balance to keep her legs beneath her.

She could hear Lin Yue’s breathing from the sidelines, but she did not look at her sister. If she did, she would start thinking about how worried Lin Yue sounded, how many people were watching, and how badly she would embarrass herself if she lost. None of those things would help her move.

She lifted her head to fix her gaze on Zhao Kai.

He approached more cautiously this time, having seen her recover from several seemingly hopeless situations already. He would not risk giving her another opening so easily.

Lin Mei waited until he was close enough that it would be hard to retreat.

Then she moved.

Rather than meeting his advance, she crossed his path and struck toward the arm he had extended to keep his guard up. Her palm only glanced off his forearm, but it was enough to throw him off his expected angle. She turned past him and he had to turn as well to keep facing her.

Zhao reacted quickly, pivoting to face her properly. Lin Mei had anticipated that. She lowered her center of gravity as she turned, using the momentum to drive a short strike toward his abdomen.

He caught her wrist before she could strike cleanly.

They were both still for a moment, Zhao’s fingers wrapped around her wrist while Lin Mei struggled against his grip. His strength was beginning to push her forward, and she knew she would not be able to win a simple contest of strength.

She stopped pulling.

Instead, she stepped toward him, loosening the tension between them, then turned her captured wrist along the space he had allowed. It did not free her completely, but it was enough to let her twist out of his grip.

Zhao tried to recover immediately, but Lin Mei was ready.

She struck at his shoulder as she moved away, forcing him to turn to protect his balance. The blow landed and he took two quick steps back before resuming his stance.

Neither cultivator said anything.

Lin Mei stood several paces back, breathing heavily, her arms aching and her legs growing numb. Zhao’s expression was entirely focused now. Gone was the confidence of the first few moments of the fight, replaced with the understanding that his opponent could punish him for mistakes.

The festival raged on in the background. The lanterns hovered over the lake, their blue lights flickering on the water, but the onlookers had mostly turned their attention to the two young cultivators in the center of the platform.

Elder Gu watched with quiet interest while Lin Yue kept her hands clasped tightly in front of her. She did not look ready to intervene, but she was clearly paying close attention to the fight. Beside her, Ao remained silent, his eyes fixed on Lin Mei as she adjusted her stance.

She was hurt. She was tired. But more importantly, she was still learning.

Lin Mei shifted her footing and moved toward Zhao. He did not wait for her to get close before launching another attack. His hands moved through a series of quick seals, the green light curling around his fingers.

Lin Mei watched his shoulders and hands, her focus not on the pressure of the fight bearing down on her.

When he committed to another attack, she moved to meet him.

This time, neither of them gave ground right away.