Can You Conquer The World With Martial Arts?

Deep within the earth's bowels, in a chamber lit by the flickering lights of dim lanterns, a man cradled a newborn babe. The father's arms were naught but bone and dark, discolored skin, and in his grasp the child appeared vibrant like a miniature sun.

A golden haired, golden eyed girl.

Though she had just been born, already she resembled a toddler a year or so old. She didn't cry. Her strange eyes danced about, hungrily taking it all in. Her strong little hands gripped and grabbed anything they could.

There was no way to deliver such a child safely. After carrying her for a full year, the mother had perished.

Huang Chao paid the poor woman no heed.

His milky white eyes were captivated by the girl in his arms.

Countless years of experiments finally brought about a living child. From jade she was born, and as jade she appeared.

A long time ago, he had found himself reborn within these same halls, when he stumbled upon the secret arts that elevated him above all others. Then, at his lowest point, these caverns preserved him from his innumerable foes.

Now, this same place, those same secrets, had given life once more.

The results were better than he could have ever imagined. The babe grew at a rate that was simply inconceivable. Two months after her birth, she could stand upright. Soon after, she learned to walk on her own. When she was just a year old, she could speak almost fluently, and was eager to learn how to read and write.

Huang Chao could scarcely believe what was unfolding before his eyes. But whenever he would grasp the child, each time he brushed his bony hand through her golden hair, he could feel that it wasn't just an illusion.

One day she grew disobedient, so he struck her. She struck him back. The girl was strong as a bull. He punished her harshly, and would never allow her to hit him again.

And thus began her grueling training. Huang Chao made for a teacher both ruthless and cruel.

Her progress remained unreasonable.

While she learned the basics from him, Huang Chao, in turn, learned many things about her.

He had merely grown accustomed to the dark over his many years spent dwelling within it; the child could see in it freely, no matter how far she strayed from the light of lanterns.

Even more than that, her senses perceived things the old man never thought possible. She possessed an innate understanding of qi, not just of her own energies, but also of those that flowed through the meridians of others, and even those that lingered in the air. Controlling it was as natural to her as breathing.

Huang Chao made an effort to train not only the girl's body, but her mind. He taught her the ways of the world above. She had a mind blessed by the heavens, a gifted erudite that picked up on many things with ease. But Huang Chao knew that his dusty tomes could not compare to real experience. He alone could never socialize her properly. In his exile he was powerless to amend this flaw.

But he did not seek to remedy this weakness at all. He realized that it suited his goals perfectly. An individual so maladjusted would inevitably face mistreatment in the world above. Her peculiar appearance and flawed character would make it impossible to find a place to belong. She would be left with no choice but to follow his design.

"I have imparted upon you the Constellation of the Nine and Five. This internal energy method has allowed me to bring down an entire empire. But the impetuousness of youth pushed me to haste, blinded me to the truth - that it alone was not enough to become unrivaled. I will teach you how to handle each of the eighteen weapons. But true mastery of arms you must seek out in the world beyond. The internal must supplement the external; two halves in perfect harmony. Do not reveal yourself until you have achieved such a state."

The girl grew and grew, and in just a scant few years already towered over his old and withered form. Soon their training had Huang Chao's body pushed to its limits. Her elongated limbs made her a menace in close combat, next to impossible to approach. No amount of force seemed able to staunch her or push her back. In this way, the earth had blessed her with a body that was perfect for martial arts. Huang Chao remained her superior and teacher only because of the many years of experience he held over her.

But one day, not even a full decade into their training, a heavy strike sent him tumbling back.

In his utter disbelief, he grabbed one of the lanterns and dispelled the darkness surrounding his daughter. There stood the tall girl, her golden eyes glinting in the dim light, staring at his collapsed form with indescribable joy.

But when she caught the terror on her father's face, her smile faded. He lunged at her, lashing out with all his might. His heavy hand smashed her face completely unopposed. She fell and didn't dare to rise until her father had calmed.

Her meek reaction allowed Huang Chao to write the incident off as a fluke.

A fluke that would never happen again.

As the years went by, Huang Chao began to grow content with his work. His daughter's progress set him at ease. His desperate will to survive gradually weakened. With his legacy secured, he began to question the necessity in persisting any further with his torturous existence.

The desperate flame of his life had soon dwindled down to flickering embers.

In his last moments, the golden haired girl remained obediently by his side.

Huang Chao watched her, delight mingling in his faded eyes. He was endlessly pleased with the calamity he was about to unleash upon the world.

But as he observed those golden eyes, he discovered that there was neither fear nor hatred to be found within them. How could it be that after all the abuse she had suffered at his hands, in his last and weakest moments, she looked upon him with such pity?

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And how long had she been looking at him like that, without him knowing?

Could it be... ever since that day...?

In his final moments, his fury came flooding back. She had been hiding it from him. He needed her to hate, to despise, to retaliate and subjugate for all the wrongs he had inflicted upon her.

But it turned out that nothing took hold. It was as if all along he had been little more than a jester.

And to think that just mere moments ago, he was certain that the task he gave her would have been fulfilled.

But Huang Chao was far too feeble now to give voice to his rage.

As his ancient body turned to dust, it was all he could do to whisper his daughter's name.

...

"Huang Huoyu."

"Yellow Living Jade." Wu Rong repeated it in a whisper.

Though she had been smiling all along, once she heard her name from the lips of another, Huang Huoyu's mouth twisted with malignant glee.

Wu Rong found herself deeply unsettled.

She pushed back her anxiety. "Huang Huoyu, from what I've heard, your true passion lies in martial arts. Straddling yourself with governance could only serve to inhibit your ability to indulge in your favorite pursuit. I understand that you are carrying out your father's will, but I think we could come to a compromise here that will satisfy the spirit of his demands for you. We can find a way to etch your names into history without making it necessary for you to get bogged down in the affairs of state. That way, you can dedicate yourself to what you enjoy instead of..."

Huang Huoyu waved her hand.

"There's no need for that. To be honest, at first I thought the same way as you. I dreaded the continuation of my father's plan, wondered if there was a way for me to shirk my duty. But I came to realize that, as a matter of fact, my desires and his go hand in hand. You see, the depths of this discipline, of martial arts, are immeasurable. If there even exists an end, there is no telling how long it might take for me to reach it. And even if there is no end, I intend to commit my life to making sure of that. And for that I need time. I need stability. And through rule, I will ensure stability. And with stability, I can dedicate myself to martial arts."

"Do you even understand what that entails? Ensuring stability."

"I know exactly what it entails. And I know that, in this day and age, I'm the only one who can make it happen. I know it will take time to put down all dissent, but it will pay off."

Wu Rong swallowed heavily. "That's not how you... That is to say, violence is not necessarily the best approach towards that. Moreover, it is not something you just do once and never worry about again. It is a constant process. You won't have any time for frivolities."

"I studied enough history to know that every great dynasty has been heralded in on the back of slaughter. I will unify the Central Plains, and then you will ensure that they remain that way, just like you kept things together here on behalf of your dynasty. I don't quite understand why you're so hesitant to accept my offer. Don't you think that it's a highly convenient arrangement for you? You will be ruling over more than just this city. Your talent will get to shine like jade. Of course, you will be doing so in my name, but does it really matter to you? Even you agreed that your dynasty is just an empty name now. Do you really have any cause to reject my offer?"

Wu Rong's glare suddenly grew fierce. Her patience crumbled, her temper flared.

"That callousness of yours... It's just so typical of your ilk! You think you're the first to think up such a ludicrous ploy? You aren't even the first to strut through these halls, thinking that sitting in my husband's throne will lend some kind of credibility to your sick cause! Why do you think all those others have failed? Why do you think the world remains in constant turmoil? It's because killing isn't all there is, you animal!"

As her words reverberated throughout the throne room, Wu Rong wrangled back a semblance of calm.

"The Tang name won't end with me." She continued. "And I won't indulge you in your childish fantasies. Someone like you, with no regard for human life, cannot be entrusted with the fates of the common people. Intimidate me all you please, it won't change my answer."

The hall plunged into silence. Cao Lai subtly shifted in his seat, preparing for battle.

But then Huang Huoyu laughed.

"That's good! Very good! My disciple hasn't praised you in vain. That show of virtue, that display of righteousness! That's exactly what I'm missing, isn't it? It's exactly what I need. If you won't cave in to my demands so easily, then I'll just have to try harder. Consider this a formal declaration of war. I will show you what sets me apart from all those others who harbored my father's ambitions. I shall go now, to rally my forces. I suggest you do the same. If you have any others of the Sword Sage's caliber, or perhaps even better, summon them. I look forward to it. Once we are both at our strongest, we shall see. It will be a battle no less grandiose than those described in history books. I'm sure of it."

Huang Huoyu stood from her seat. Cao Lai rose with her, his weapon at the ready.

Those golden eyes finally deigned to grace the trusty bodyguard with some attention.

"I look forward to it." She repeated.

Her gaze lingered on him for a while longer, after which she twirled and stepped out of the hall with the utmost leisure.

Even long after she was gone, the others remained rooted in place. Wu Rong stared at her untouched cup of tea. Cao Lai seemed frozen in his battle stance.

Bai Guo was the first to break out of his stupor. He leaped to his feet and ran after his master.

...