(Something I do while I re-order my notes for the other fics. Don't worry, I will actually continue them, in time.)

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The creation of a harmonious country is a great undertaking, and great undertakings require great men.

Before the days of the Emperor, the Middle Country was plgued by the petty ambitions of the lords of the warring states, and bandits thrived, and even encouraged by the myriad of schemes that the masters of the land undertook to dominate their rivals. To anyone you would care to ask, it had always been that way, and would always be that way. However, the fortunes of Heaven and Earth are ever-shifting, and the world of men is never at eternal rest, much like the rolling sea.

The ones called the masters of the sacred arts- righteous warriors with unmatchable skill, used their own might to overturn the warlords, one after the other, crushing the bonds of the people and the borders of the states alike. However, the people remained without direction, and so these Masters chose from among the most virtuous of the defeated lords to create a sovereignty that could give the Middle Country direction and peace, defeat the raging bandits, and keep out the enemies of the people. The Emperor owed much to these people, and so the masters were allowed to set up great schools to attract students, and teach them the ways of combat and philosophy. The descendants of these men became powerful in the new Empire, and were accorded the respect and privileges equal to the greatest scholars and highest nobles, allowed to do almost all that they pleased due to the trust of the Emperor.

However, the fortunes of Heaven and Earth are always in flux, and the fate of men can change at the turn of a hand.

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Master Flying Phoenix- The current master of any of the Great Schools took the name of its style once he reached the top- quickly drank the last of his tea from its porcelain cup. He set it aside though he was getting into his autumn years, he still had the vigor of his youth, and his red, phoenix-patterned surcoat hung off of his broad shoulders. He had already heard the crashing below, and knew that his students wouldn't be able to hold back a guest such as the one who has entered the ground floor less than an hour ago. He stood up and did his stretches. After all, those were the key to preparing for a good workout, one which he knew he was likely to receive.

There was no one in the Empire who dared challenge one of the Masters of the Great Schools if they didn't know they stood a chance of winning. He took one deep breath. "You may let our guest in."

The guards were quite happy to make way. The Nekomimi that entered was of the tigress variety- Well, to be more precise, it would be her bust that entered first. The huge orbs, while being held snugly in her red fighting clothes, still jiggled for all they were worth. The folded top was forced to show a good amount of the inordinate cleavage that she possessed, while blow the orange, tigerstriped sash was a manner of loincloth arrangement, two wide rectangles of fabric over the front and back of her legs and wide hips. Her similarly colored, light orange and black ears wiggled a bit, and she pointed at Master Phoenix. "You know, for a guy with such a big school, you sure don't want to be seen. It told them this was important business and everything!"

The master of the school took off his surcoat. "There is also a 'no pets' sign up front. Of course, the fact that you even made it in here when my followers aimed at keeping you out, means that you might even be worthy of facing me just on your own merits. Now, what is it that you want from me? It's certainly not to chat."

The tiger-girl grumbled. "You know very well what I want. I've been shouting it around ever since I got to this city in the first place!"

The master nodded. "Well, I'm afraid that our schools will never consent to teach animals such as yourself. As for your other claim..." Master Phoenix rose from his seat. "You have shown an ability to beat trainees, but you are likely still nothing compared to me. Let me teach you a lesson from one of the Great Schools. Blink and you'll miss it." The first rush didn't go as planned. All hit hit with his first set of blows was the air, the woman weaving her way through his attacks. He saw her tail unprotected, though, and made a grab for it. All that got him was a kick to the chest, causing him to cough before stepping back. He smiled. "Well, it seems you have some basic skill, but not enough to back your claim."

She nodded. "Ah, don't you want to know my name?"

He smiled, and shook his head. "Why bother? You'll just run off back to the wilderness after I'm done." He straightened, and spread his arms. "Go on."

While the Tiger's punch might have hit anyone else, she has to look up to see where her opponent had gone. He certainly had the height advantage thanks to his sudden leap, and she got a kick to the cranium for her efforts, causing her to stumble backwards. She was quick enough to recover, but not enough to find an opening in the next flurry, dodging and blocking as she was able. Her own kick went wide, though, and smashed the head of one of the phoenix statues in the room, much to the dismay of her opponent.

He was, however, more concerned with the statue than himself, as he flung himself back into the fight. While blows ere successfully exchanged, and he seemed to be getting in more strikes, something was nagging at the back of his mind- She didn't seem worse off than him besides, and there was something wrong. He noticed too late. His back hitting the wall proved to be the dread distraction that the tiger lady required in order to smash him through it, and he wasn't able to recover quickly enough to avoid her leaping one-foot stomp. he was thankful that the floor had enough give to let him crash through to the first floor of the building. He did recover quickly enough to get out of the way when she leaped down through the hole, and soon stood on opposite sides of the entry hall. She took a deep breath, but was a tad surprised by his next move.

She had noticed the protective charms around his hands, and soon divined their purpose when his hands caught fire. He clapped them together, and breathed between them, sending a blast of flame across the room. She narrowly escaped, and ducked again- The smell of smoldering fabric and fur told her it was far too close for comfort, and even if it didn't hit her the smoke would eventually take her breath away, leaving her at even more of a disadvantage. The didging gave her precious few seconds with which to think.

Her instinct took over. She rolled and dashed in between bursts of flame, coughing all the while, and tackled right into him , carrying him on her shoulder as she rammed him through the wall and into the courtyard, tossing him before getting on all fours to cough and recover.

As the trainees looked on, neither of the pair seemed to be in especially good shape. While Master Phoenix landed on his feed, blood trickled from the side of his mouth, and his breathing was a tad irregular, and she hd caused some painful inconveniences that he couldn't shrug off. The tigergirl wore a more revealing outfit, so a cursory glance might call her worse for well, what with the scuffs and cuts and other m,arks of combat, but her breathing was even, if somewhat fast. the little wisps of smoke coming off the edges of her ears, tail, and clothes were not promising, however. She nodded. "It his been a good fight, but we don't need to go on. Can't you acknowledge my claim, and we can both go?"

Master Phoenix stood up straight, and smiled. "Amazing. For all your sound and fury, you've been able to prove nothing. My only mistake has been in failing to admit that some savage like you could hurt me. I could have ended this in one blow if I so chose." His body was soon surrounded by a powerful flame, and the gigress could easily feel the heat and wind from where she stood. "Be grateful, for I am showing you one of the greatest techniques of this school, and your body will soon become a warning to others who would challenge me so lightly!"

The tigergirl's mind raced. There's no way I can even touch him if he's like that- But that fire is a manifestation of his chi, so maybe... She took a deep breath, and readied herself, holding her palms towards her opponent, with her thumbs touching each other. Master Phoenix executed an incredible leap, and deemed to defy motion as he began to dive towards her, arms outstretched like the namesake of his school. However, the girl was not defenseless at all against such an attack, and put her plan into action.

the trainees looked on shocked, as the girl let out a great, sustained shout, the power of her breath whisking the flames away from his body like so many autumn leaves, and, helpless to stop himself, the girl's powerful kick met him on the way down. He went far, his body skipping once across the tiled surface of the training ground, and he smashed full on into the great gong at the other end of the courtyard with a great, deep, booming crash. She dropped to a knee, the incredible effort of countering that technique and making such a powerful blow catching up to her, but the result was worth it.

Master Phoenix got up on his hands and knees, but his body refused to obey his urge to fight on, unwilling to destroy itself for his pride. He looked up as the woman made her way over to him, and she smiled. "Well, now do do you give up to me, Hu Xia?"

He grumbled. "I haven't, but my body has, and will not fight for me. I would say it has made a fool of me, but foolishness comes from the spirit, not the form." He sighed. "Just because I am going to respect your skill, doesn't mean that I will respect you."

She smiled. "Well, that's all I need. See you!" She could hear him ask his trainees to carry him back to his room. She groaned softly as she had a stretch after passing through the outer gate of the Flying Phoenix school, and oohed softly as a little transformation took place- Her already huge breasts plumped up a bit further, her hips swelling a bit as well. "Ahhh~ Well, I was going to need new clothes anyway... But first, a bath would work wonders."

A raven flew West from the gate.

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It would eventually reach its destination on the frontier, where it would perch on the armored shoulder of a general, an old but strong veteran of the Emperor's army. The general turned his good eye towards it, stroking his gray beard as he listened to it 'speak'. One of his bodyguards turned to him. Once the raven had finished making its noises, the general nodded. The bodyguard spoke. "Master Silver Wolf, may I ask our honored general what has happened?"

The general nodded, putting his helmet of the topknot that held is long, gray hair, tugging the cord of his eyepatch to keep it in place as he did so. "Master Flying Phoenix has been defeated, without room for doubt or speculation by some manner of tiger woman who possesses incredible amount of skill channeled through a powerful art. Ravens are smart birds- they can tell diamonds from beach pebbles."

The bodyguard nodded. "How could he have lost such a fight?"

Master Silver Wolf nodded. "There is nothing he believed more highly in than his own excellence. Such arrogance is a mistake. Even if he only took one second to correct it, a mistake of once second is enough to cost a battle. However, she must have had the skill to exploit such an opening. She has made things complicated for the rest of us."

The bodyguard nodded. "Master, what shall we do?"

He nodded. "In time, we will have to return to the capital. Make sure that it is known far and wide. She will come to challenge men, and we will fight. The rest is up to the heavens."

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Hu Xia, the tiger woman, rested comfortably in her bath, inhaling the steam as she soothed her naked body in the hot waters. The presence of the water and the clear, helpful air helped her body quickly mend the injuries she took in the fight, slowly restoring her body back to almost exactly the way it was before the fight- not including the increased proportions, if course. She would stay here a while while her neew clothes were being made and her old ones were mended. She sighed softly. "Ah... That was hard! Lets see..."

She opened up her scroll, looking down the list. she gently marked an X by Flying Phoenix, and gulped a bit-

X Flying Phoenix
Raging Ox
Wild Boar
Jade Monkey
Silver Wolf
Vaulting Horse
Dashing Hare
Lunging Serpent
Snaking Rat
Golden Ram
Cloud Dragon

She groaned- "Ohhh... Am I going to have to fight all of them? That'll take forever!" She hmmed. "But! It's a small price to pay. I don't want to be the only one of my people who knows these sorts of things. We've lived in the Empire at least as long as they have, so I'll fight them all so show them that we can be taught the deeper secrets of the wise." she winced a bit at a sudden backache. "Mmph. But for now, bath." She sank more deeply into the water, and sighed, purring a bit.

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Far away, however, Master Cloud Dragon was dying. The inner circle of the school elders gathered about him, but a curious eighyt guest rushed in, and kneeled by the bedside. Kushai's short, blue hair was press by a green headband wrapped around his forehead, and was wearing the formal dress of the school- a blue-green buff coat done to look like robes. "Master, you called for me, and I am here. Let me know what must be done."

The old master nodded. "Every man has an allotted span of years in his life, and I was fortunate to have so many, but that has all passed. I have gathered you all here to make my last request- Kushai is to be the new master of the school." He weakly waved away the shocked gasps. "He is the one who is most worthy- he has displayed wisdom and skill far beyond his years, and I see him doing what must be done for the sake of our school. There is nothing that exists that can deflect him from that purpose." The elders nod in agreement, and placed the dragon surcoat over his shoulders.

Kushai nodded. "But what of the other masters? They won't stand for it?" A letter was handed to him.

"I had already provided for such things." The dying master nodded. "Show this to them, and they will likely listen. It's a shame that my reputation must decide such things, but it is so." He took one, last breath. "Goodbye, Kushai." He then closed his eyes, and died. Kushai put the letter in his coat, and nodded to the others in the room.

"Is there anyone else who knows of this?" No headshaking. "We must keep this a secret until the others acknowledge my authority. Once that is done, we can make this public. Without the support of the others, I am nothing. I must do this in person as well, so tell the others that I have been sent on an errand by the Master."

One of the elders spoke up. "We shall continue the regular instruction. No one is yet ready to learn the deeper secrets from the master himself, as you did. We'll be able to keep things under wraps while you're away- It's not like many know the truth of our method of instruction, so we can just make up some things while you're away."

Kushai smiled. He knew that he had to go through some seemingly unrelated drudgery during his training. He dropped the smile, and nodded. "I shall see Raging Ox first- out of the others, no one respected the late master more than he."

With that, the new Master Cloud Dragon left under the cover of darkness, with none else the wiser.
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(All profile thingies will be in this thread, and added in-between installments.)

I would have enjoyed more a Raging cowgirl with the respective boob development, but i guess an ox wuold be fine. BTW R-9 is nice to see you've diversified into fantasy (i thought you were only into Sci-Fi or military suspense a la Tom clancy)

"I don't have an axe big enough for this one..."

Do you like chounyuu? [g.chounyuu.com]

Well, a few things.

I chose a Tiger-girl (Hu Xia) as the protagonist for 1.) Very specific story reasons and 2.) Catgirls are rarely main protagonists.

There will be more on Hu Xia's sudden boobular development once I get the character stuffs up.

The eleven great schools are based on the Chinese Zodiac, with a few of substitutions. Ram replacing goat (it's common enough anyway), Phoenix in place of Rooster- I'm no longer juvenile enough to name a Kung Fu fighter "Master Thrusting Cock", (tee hee), and wolf in place of dog (they're both canine, anyway).

Also, I'm a big fan of Mil-SF, but I like fantasy because it allows for simpler story structures that I can add things to as needed.

Stuff.

The Middle Country (Lit- Land between Heaven and Earth, meaning the domain of man that lies between nature and the gods).

The Middle Country is a single nation born form the strife of the days of warring states. The fickle nature of the warring lords was put down by the original masters of the Greater Arts, which turned into the Great Schools after the first emperor was placed on his throne in thanks to those fighters who suppressed the constant warring of the ancient states with their superhuman skills and ingenuity. The Emperor himself holds the greatest authority, backed by his cadre of ministers and governors, many of whom were descendants of the lords who threw in their lot with the original Great Masters and their cause to unite the land.

The Lesser schools.

While the eleven great schools are all well known, the discipline and strength that such arts offered their practitioners was soon synthesized into lesser arts for use by those other than the ones who had dedicated their life to plumbing the meaning of physical and enlightened excellence. The Defenders of the Celestial Throne school, for example, was developed for the soldiers of the Emperor, focusing not on specific techniques but disciplining one's inner self, and pushing one's body past its normal limits. Other schools were developed specifically for scholars, in order to sharpen the mind, and so on.

The beastpeoples.

The beastmen are combinations of man and beast- people which appear to be human, save for some lingering features. They have lived in the Middle Country as long as men have, but an agreement between the original masters made it so that no beastmen would be admitted as students, as it was though that they lacked the discipline and skill to truly master the deeper teachings of the Great Arts. However, the Emperor's control over them is loose at best, and are basically left alone, as they tend to keep to themselves ad leave the empire undisturbed. Even nobles show respect to the elders of the greatest beast clan, those descended from the great tigers that have always served as a symbol of strength and cunning.

Characters thus far:

Hu Xia.

Hu Xia is an extra-voluptuous, powerful tiger woman who comes from the settlements of beastmen close to the southern frontier of the Middle Country. She is young, as shown mainly by her vigor- like with any cats, the only really way to tell a young cat from an old one is by their laziness. Whatever the case, she has the strength and speed of her kin, and wields a powerful an mysterious style in combat that is at on par with the Great Schools. She has made it her quest to show the other great masters what her people are capable of if the Masters would only consent to teach, and the huge-bosomed, curvy tiger girl has obviously put herself through punishing training- Tiger women tend to spontaneously "develop" after periods of intense physical, mental, and even spiritual exertion... And she has a hard-fought road ahead of her too. Off the battleground, she is friendly enough, and is usually up for a bit o' fun with someone cute and willing.

Master Rising Phoenix (Feng Shouping)

Feng Shouping practically inherited his position, being the blood-related son of the previous Master. While he mastered the letter of all of the school had to give, his pride over his lineage and his accomplishments left him as the greatest believer in his own excellence. As such, his school has a rigid ranking system, with trainees only allowed to associate with those below or only one rank above, and even refused to allows lesser nobles of the realm into his presence, reserving it only for other Masters or messengers of the Emperor. The greatests doubts about him are not in his technique, but the pride with which he carries himself, as it keeps him from reaching the true lofty heights of his art.

Master Silver Wolf (Yi Zhangde)

Yi Zhangde is one of the Emperor's most loyal and successful generals, serving with distinction both within and without for decades. There is no dispute over the mastery of his art, and the sheer depth of his understanding of the cycles of Heaven and Earth means that he can communicate meaningfully with all things that live. His physical school is in the capital, but while he is on campaign, he selects his most promising students to accompany him, using the field of war itself as a training ground for his Art. Many of his students are also veteran soldiers who served with him in his many campaigns. Even with his single eye and advanced age, he still wears the general's armor and is still known to be an invincibly terrifying warrior.

Master Cloud Dragon (Kushai)

Kushai was adopted by the previous Master of the school. Without any ties to family, to friends, or any other worldly attachments, Kushai had an unbreakable attachment to fully encompassing the teachings of the Cloud Dragon school. He is a consummate fighter, absorbing all of the wisdom and enduring all of the training both with ease and without complaint. However, the sudden elevation of elevation of status means that the future of his school may be in doubt unless he can establish that he his worthy of the title conferred to him by also visiting the other Great Masters. He has to rely on his wisdom to carry him through the great wide world which he has never experienced before now.

Well now we have the profiles for some charas. That's always welcome!

"I don't have an axe big enough for this one..."

Do you like chounyuu? [g.chounyuu.com]

Cool stuff! Hope to see more!

The roadside inn was one of many that could be found in numerous places along the well-traveled routes of the realm. This particular one now had the benefits of Hu Xia's patronage, mostly in her spending and eating habits. She had something of an active lifestyle, and her more direct methods of travel took her though parts generally referred to as "bandit-infested" among more sensible people. Being a kitty on a mission, however, caused her to sacrifice some sense in favor of focus.

She didn't care too much about the comings and going of others as she ate, her tail swishing safely out of tripping or stepping danger from the other patrons. Her mind was on other things, like the fact that this was the last stop before the territory of Master Raging Ox. She had heard vague rumors that it would be a bad idea to travel there, too, but nothing too concrete. For now, though, she was a hungry kitty, ears swiveling this way and that to listen for anything interesting, or at least having to do with her travels.

After finishing off her dinner, and paying her tab with some of the reward money for thrashing the bandits along the way, she heard something of a commotion outside, so she walked out to take a peek at what was happening. A young man with short, blue hair seems to had gotten himself surrounded by a local gang who had come down the road to harass travelers, and perhaps the innkeeper. The young man made every protest possible, soon ending with- "Look, it's not worth your while to harass one traveler. I'm just heading to see Master Raging Ox."

The leader of the gang laughed. "You hear that? We might as well just off him now, just to speed things up!"

While the young man looked confused, Hu Xia casually pushed one of the less alert members of the gang aside, and smiled. "Hey now! What are you bothering my good buddy here for?" She leaned in and whispered to him "Just nod and go along with it." She then looked back up with her carefree smile.

The gang leader chuckled. "He just thought he could get by without paying a bit of a toll. His fine coat told us that he probably had some csh he could spare for the public good- We're the public, and money is good."

Hu Xia smiled even more widely, and nodded to the huge, rough man. "Well, if it's a public service you need done, I'd be happy to." She kicked one of knees out from under him, causing his leg to buckle under him, struck him in the chest on the way down, and delivered a spin kick to his head, taking him down, each heavy blow causing even her huge breasts to jiggle and bounce. While their leader groaned, the rest of the gang decided to hightail it back to the hideout.

The blue-haired young man looked on in astonishment, and Hu Xia smiled at him. "You ought to be careful, but it sounds like you're heading the same place as me- lets go in and talk about it."

The gang leader sat up, and managed to cough out a laugh. "Heh- you probably should've just let us smack him around. What we'd do is nothing compared to what's going to happen if you try to go down that road, that's for sure." The huge man got up, and staggered off.

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Back in the inn, Hu Xia smiled at the young man she met so recently. "So, what's your name, anyway?"

He looked up from his bowl for a moment, and swallowed before speaking. "Ah. My name is Kushai, actually. I was heading this way to see Master Raging Ox- my master wished me to travel the realm. I have to ask though, what business would you have with him? Beast people are forbidden to learn the Greater Arts, as far as I remember, and though he is a strong warrior, he did have some rather... strong ideas, last I met him"

Hu Xia chuckled, and leaned over the table, giving Kushai more than an eyeful of her deep cleavage. "Well, I want to see if I can change his mind anyway. I'm 100 percent sure that there are at least some of us worthy of those ancient teachings. Our people have lived in this world at least as long as humans have."

Kushai nodded. "Well, that is likely the case, but, something about what that man said does seem a bit off- bandits infest anywhere there is no force to oppose them and where there are easy pickings to be had- if Master Raging Ox's land repels even bandits, either there is nothing easy to be gained, or he and his men inspire such terror that no one dares go there willingly."

Hu Xia blinked. "Well, the last Master I met was a jerk, but he wasn't that vicious, but he did have this arrogance... I don't know how, but Raging Ox may have gotten worse than when you last met him."

Kushai finished eating. "Well! We'll worry about that when we get there. I hope your journey goes well."

Hu Xia chuckled softly, and nabbed his wrist. Try as he might, Kushai couldn't excuse himself from her grip. "You know what? We'll go together! We're both looking for the same guy, we both have pressing business with him, so why not!" Kushai tried to protest, but she cut him off, with that big smile. "I'll get us a room~."

Kushai sighed. At least she had excellent fighting skills, and wait... as in, one room?

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Kushai sighed as they made their way through the valley, down into the county governed by Raging Ox. He had managed to wake up with a faceful of breast, compounded with her instinct to hold onto him while she slept. At least she had the decency to pay for breakfast, though he did wonder where all that money came from. He merely shrugged, and followed along behind her as she walked along.

Like most cities in the realm, the one that sat square in the center of the valley was guarded by fairly high walls, and surrounded by farmland. What made it odd, however, were the inordinate number of overseers harassing the farmers to work harder and faster, and the whips that they carried did little to ease Kushai's nerves. While he was looking around, however, Hu Xia had already marched on up to the gate, and was browbeating the guards into letting her in. Kushai hurried down the road to make sure she didn't get into a fight this early on, but the guards opened up the gates before he had to intervene. Hu Xia strolled through the gates, with Kushai not far behind.

This city was far more somber than others in the Empire. If it weren't for the hushed whispers coming from the paint-stripped buildings, it would almost seem as though no one at all lived there. Even the main square seemed mostly deserted. While the markets of even the smallest towns were decorated with streamers and lanterns, whereas this place was just bare. This sight even gave Hu Xia pause, and she blinked as she looked around. "Something's wrong... Master Phoenix did his utmost to make his city the best in the Empire, but here..."

Kushai nodded. "Master Raging Ox rules over this place- his emblem was on the gate as we passed through, and his men were in the fields. Things are this way because it is his will. I must go see him at once to find out the meaning of this- there must be some explanation, however distasteful it might be." His eyes turned- one family was actually out in the streets trying their best to discreetly load a wagon- or, rather, they were, as they were now accosted by a few of the guards, who were apparently waiting for their commander. Kushai saw their commander walk into the square, a man with the size and strength commonly associated with practitioners of the Raging Ox style, as well as the black and white fighting uniform, complete with bracers. He even carried himself with the air of a disciplined fighter, rather than the loutish brutes they encountered at the inn.

The father of the household looked up, and bowed nervously, but the commander waved his horse-whip dismissively. He spoke. "Now, where are you going?"

The man nodded. "Ah, commander Dai Sheng- we were instructed to move to the Master's capital, nothing more."

Dai Sheng nodded. "If that is the case, then why the secrecy? And more to the point, how did I not know about it? You were planning to flee, weren't you?" The man shook nervously while his family looked on, scared. Dai Sheng nodded. "No one is to leave the realm of Master Raging Ox!" he raised the thick horsewhip and began to beat the man with it, who uselessly covered his head against the heavy strokes that were laid across his shoulders and back. When the commander's arm came down for the sixth blow, his arm was halted in mid-air by some force he couldn't quite shake. Hu Xia was there, glaring at him, and squeezed his wrist until it was too painful for Dai Sheng to hold the horse whip, which soon fell to the cobblestone pavement. The father of the family was helped up and away, while the other guards ran to get help.

Dai Sheng looked at the feline interloper. "Now, what's this? Interfering with the Master's orders?" He aimed a blow at Hu Xia. It missed, but she did have to relinquish her grip on his arm.

Kushai kept focused. Well, she has certainly done it now. Skilled as she is, can a beast-person really stand up to one of the Greater Styles? He didn't have to wait long for an answer. She was an elusive opponent, and every attempt to strike Hu Xia was costly- despite the size of her breasts, Hu Xia was able to not only evade the strong blows, but made Dai Sheng pay for each miss with a ferocious counterattack of her own, striking home hard enough for even Dai Sheng's body to reel under her powerful attacks Kushai was left to marvel- that combination of leaping and counter-striking in single, smooth motions was unlike anything he had seen outside of adventure stories.

Kushai heard troops call for their commander, and turned to face the band of guards who had come into the square. He held up his hand to halt them, and said. "I cannot allow you to intervene." He waited for a moment, and as the guards looked ready to give another go, he placed his hands together and concentrated. an apparition formed of white mist grew from his back, taking on the shape of a dragon's head with glowing, pitiless eyes. With a deep breath, the dragon let out a great, terrifying roar that could only be heard in the head of the guards- some of which dropped their weapons, some of which rand, and others got on their hands and knees and cowered in the face of such an awesome display of spiritual power. No one who could manifest such a divine display was an ordinary man.

Kushai turned back to look on. A normal fighter would have been pulverized into dust by those terrible blows, but Dai Sheng had gotten the bad end of the fight, his underestimation of his opponent had cost him dearly, and Hu Xia had kicked his legs out from under him and brought him, unwillingly, to his knees. She nodded at him. "Now, look. I'm letting you go, first because you're no threat to me, second because I want you to tell Master Raging Ox that he's in for the fight of his life once I get there."

Kushai stepped up, and handed the man a small note. "Also, do deliver this while you're there, and I offer apologies on behalf of my friend's behavior in the realm of your Master." Dai Sheng stood up quickly, and ran off as best as he was able. Kushai turned to the guards. "And I trust that you will let this family leave the city?" The guards nodded meekly, and hurried off, unwilling to defy this... person."

The head of the family nodded to both. "Well, thanks to both of you, but Raging Ox does not take well to such slights- you have put yourselves in great danger, both of you. Even the man he was grooming to be his successor left because of the beast his master had become."

Hu Xia once again returned to that wonderful smile. "Well, that's all right, I was planning to fight him anyway!"

Kushai's jaw dropped, and his eyes widened. "Miss, that was a mere lackey, who underestimated you. I admit your technique is good, but do you really want to take on one of the Masters of the Great Styles?"

Hu Xia only smiled wider. "Well, it looks like somebody has to, at any rate, and I have the advantage of being in the neighborhood."

---------------

Sometime later, Dai Sheng looked up as Master Raging Ox finished reading the note. "Thank you for bringing me this letter. It was, indeed, of great importance, but could you tell me again who did this to you?"

Dai Sheng nodded. "It was a beast-woman, a tiger lady with huge breasts, and strong as anything. I couldn't recognize the style she used, but I couldn't stand up to her attacks at all."

Master Raging Ox nodded slowly. "And did I not tell you, if you saw a woman like that, to stop whatever you were doing and come directly to me, no matter what? That you were not to fight her under any circumstances?"

Dai Sheng piped up. "But she was a savage! She-"

He was cut off by his master. "She's the one who defeated Master Flying Phoenix. You never stood a chance against her, and you disobeyed me, worst of all. Now you are humiliated, and it appears I cannot control my students. Guards! Take this man from the city, and ensure, through one way or another, that I never see him again!"

Dai Sheng was dragged from the room. Raging Ox sighed. Cloud Dragon is dead, but has chosen a most worthy successor- Kushai has earned his strength, but who is this other?

Nice to see you back in action R-9

"I don't have an axe big enough for this one..."

Do you like chounyuu? [g.chounyuu.com]

The building that served as both school and palace of Master Raging Ox was both impressive and dour in equal measure. It was about as far removed from the styling of Master Phoenix's school as the ground was removed from the sky. It was imposing, solid, and devoid of any decoration, with not even the lighted bit of paint to cover the bare stone. That wasn't what surprised Hu Xia most of all, however, as she wasn't especially focused on the features of how people decided to house themselves.

What surprised her most was that her and Kushai were let in without resistance.

The tiger girl was sure she'd have to fight her way, in, especially after what she did to his lieutenant, but anything that allowed her to save herself for her inevitable confrontation with the master of the school was something to be treasured rather than discarded. She had to fight him anyway, but after everything she had seen since they first came into his county, she came to want to fight him out of some manner of duty, rather than just her usual eagerness.

She looked over to Kushai, who remained calm and inscrutable as ever. Her ears twitched a bit, and she shrugged. ~Just what is this guy so calm about? It's not like we're going to get out of here without at least one fight.~

The two of them were ushered into the main chamber of the school. The inside seemed to be no different than the outside, stark and gray and rough. the only pretense towards comfort was that the place was, at least, well-lit. The two of them were made to wait for some time, during which neither of them had words to say. Hu Xia could only speculate on what Kushai was thinking, but couldn't ask- she was too busy focusing on the task at hand.

Eventually, Master Raging Ox came to greet them, dressed in black fighting clothes, with a stylized ox-head embroidered on each of the shoulders of his shirt in silver thread. He was a huge, strong man, and Hu Xia could feel that he bore the history of numerous conflicts. There was something unbalanced in the older, brown-haired master, but the tiger girl had a hard time singling out what it was. She did follow suit in bowing to him when Kushai did. She would have her chance for words soon enough.

The Master nodded to the two. "Well, greetings to both of you- however, if you had business with me, I thought you would find better ways to get my attention than beating up my men."

Kushai took the lead. "Well, she is certainly new to your county, and didn't know what your laws were. She believed that your lieutenant was going beyond the bounds of his authority, so decided to put him in the proper place of his office. Anyway, I don't know if you managed to receive my letter."

The Master nodded. "Indeed I did, and I am pleased by the result. However, I shall have to discuss things with you some other time. I'm afraid that governing this part of the empire keeps my busy in many ways. Unless there is some more pressing business at hand that you would like to put to me, I think i shall retire for the time being."

Hu Xia got up and pointed it at him. "Now hold on a minute! You know we've seen a whole lot of things passing through your county. What do you have to say for yourself about all that?"

Raging Ox had already started to leave, but did stop to turn back and smile at Hu Xia. "It's a very simple answer. I am always looking for new students, but to master my style requires strength of will and body. Such iron determination comes only through struggle, so, for the sake of my school, why not remain all those who live here that life is a constant struggle for survival? By making them fight for their lives every day, I can produce the kinds of men who are not only worthy of my style, but are strong enough to drop all things and be able to save the Empire at a single moment's notice."

Hu Xia was not pleased. "You're full of it! Life is already hard enough for the commoners of this land without you imposing your wicked philosophy on every farm and hamlet in this county! The original master Raging Ox cannot lie quiet in his grave so long as one such as you claims the title of master of his school. Your thoughts are so shallow that you could never understand the true depths of his own struggle to build the Empire!"

Raging Ox began to take on the demeanor of his namesake. "You mongrel wretch! By what authority do you think that you can say such words to me in my own house and leave alive?"

Hu Xia's tail twitched, and Kushai backed off, letting the tiger girl continue. "By the authority granted to my fists by none other than the original Master Pouncing Tiger!"

Kushai was shocked. ~That is the lost heavenly school of fighting! How could she have come to learn it, when its first master was also its last, vanished near the founding of the Empire?~

Raging Ox had himself a good laugh. "You could claim to be the God of War himself and I would still be able to teach you a lesson you won't life to profit from. If you think you are so strong, then fight me and learn how feeble you truly are!"

The fight did begin in earnest, and Kushai couldn't believe his eyes. She seemed, at least for now, to be able to back up her boast, even when facing the ferocious assault of Master Raging Ox. He could see what they were doing quite clearly, it was just difficult for even him to believe. Raging Ox's ceaseless parade of attacks would certainly have overwhelmed most fighters, but Hu Xia would actually take small, glancing hits when necessary if it would help her find an opening- and find one she did. She swatted away one beefy arm, and planted a hard kick directly into his solar plexus once she saw the barest window to do so. The force of the blow sent him reeling and coughing, buying surprise from Kushai, and breathing room for herself as she assumed a more stable stance.

Master Ox recovered his breath quickly, despite sustaining such a potentially deadly blow. He took a deep breath. "Hmph. Seems your not just full of empty boasts, beast. But there's still no way a mongrel like you could ever master one of the twelve ways of Heaven!" He charged in again, but tried to be a bit smarter this time. He wasn't going to leave himself so stupidly open again, actually reserving himself as he rained down blows against Hu Xia. The tiger girl couldn't afford to take those measured blows, but simply defended herself, but parrying such immense strength turned out to be only a bit better than simply taking them full on. She couldn't continue like this- but she didn't have to.

A wall or a corner of a room was merely another tool for such high-level fighters, not an obstacle. When she felt her tailtip touch the wall, she quickly leaped back, and jumped off of the smooth, gray barrier, striking well above her normal height with a powerful kick across Raging Ox's jaw. She hopped away from the wall, ready to defend herself, and even began huffing a bit.

Raging Ox turned back to her, and was not at all interested in wasting words any longer, considering that his pride was at stake. One of those forbidden from learning the Ways of Heaven was beating him at his own game. He took a deep breath to try to compose himself, but Hu Xia offended him too greatly, even if his fighting sense knew that he had been adept at wearing her down in that last attack. She had to pay for this humiliation. He lashed at her with such power that she ended up having to dodge and react or have a handful of bones crushed, even if she blocked. What he threw around so casually, she had to concentrate to do, to even make him feel her blows. She hopped off of his ankle during one of his lower kicks, and slammed a foot into his neck, followed by an elbow into his stomach. She took deep breaths to try to recover herself, her massive breasts heaving and straining against her clothes.

Raging Ox recovered. "It seems you have skill enough to back your words, but I did promise you that you would not leave here alive!" He closed his eyes and concentrated. The room shook and shuddered, and a faint, silver aura surrounded his fists. "There will be no grave for you in this world!"

Kushi closed his eyes, and shook his head. ~All is lost. The Twelve ways of Heaven have two aspects. The "honor" aspect and the "killer" aspect. Only true masters know of and can use both, and Raging Ox now has declared his fullest intent to take her life using the aspect of the style that was able to forge an empire.~ He was forced to change his mind soon, though.

Hu Xia closed her own eyes, and a yellow aura surrounded her own hands. She uncurled her fingers, letting them stand out straight. "Raging Ox. I had hoped to only have to defeat you so that you might acknowledge me as your peer. But you have resolved to fight to the death, so that is what it shall be!"

Kushai got a rare treat- so see the 'killer' aspects of the Ways of Heaven in action. Even attacks of Master Ox's that missed bruised Hu Xia, or smashed huge craters in the walls and floor of the room, causing the ground to quake and shudder beneath Kushai's feet. Raging Ox himself barely escaped with his life, as Hu Xia's deadly strikes, though they never truly touched him, slashed rents into his clothes and opened up shallow, but bleeding wounds into his body. Kushai's eyes widened, and he looked down at his own hands for a mere second before turning back to watch the deadly fight.

The two of them hammered and slashed at each other, respectively, until both were exhausted and hat to retreat to catch their breath. Raging Ox pointed at Hu Xia. "Insidious devil-woman! What trickery is this! you have no right to use such moves, especially not against me. the gods will thank my for slaying a creature such as you."

Hu Xia actually smiled in response. "In this realm, the gods favor those who act with righteousness. The fact that such things were placed into my hands mean that the heavens mean for me to defeat you. Fate has made its decree- do you accept it, or will you fight in vain and be destroyed by it?"

Raging Ox growled and snarled, even. "Never! So long as I live, I will never accept even a hint of the idea that the heavens have favored you!"

Hu Xia prepared herself, and actually rushed towards Master Raging Ox. He rushed forward as well, and the two met, unleashing the full fury of their technique. It all appeared to happen in slow motion for him. Raging Ox lashed out with his arm, the force of his blow tearing up the floor all the way to the far wall which crumbled under his attack... Which meant that he had missed, only wounding one of Hu Xia's arms and shredding the sleeve over it. Hu Xia's retort ended the battle. She thrust both of her deadly hands up and into Raging Ox's body, stabbing deep into his vitals. She removed her bloodstained hands, and Raging ox staggered, slumped, and fell to his knees.

Blood trickling from his mouth, he looked over at her. "H... How? How could you have killed me..."

Hu Xia nodded. "I only asked that you respect me as a peer, and that you bow to justice, not the altar of maintaining your school. You refused both, and demanded a fight to the death. You lost sight of the Way of Heaven, and for that you have been sent to hell for your crimes."

Raging Ox nodded. "Erf... It seems my pride has claimed more than my life... Master Pouncing Tiger." He then collapsed, slain by Hu Xia's powerful technique. Hu Xia and Kushai then left, unopposed.

-----------

Hu Xia poked at her expanded bust and hips once the pair got back to the roadside inn. "Man, I hope I'm not too bit to fight before the end..."

Kushai looked at her across the table. "Well, there are other things to think of. Killing one of the great masters is sure to shake things up, and not necessarily in your favor. They are all confidants of the Emperor. However, once his former subjects testify about his governorship, I'm sutre that will be the end of any official action. You just need to convince the others it was necessary to take his life."

Hu Xia smiled. "Well, it'll work out, I'm sure. After all, even if they didn't say anything, I'm sure at least some of the others disapproved of what he was doing. I doubt I'll have to fight all of the other great masters."

Fantastic! Wonderful to see you update!

I agree with Josh2405, R-9, it's great to read you.