Fine, I'll be the Second Best

"I'm not gonna give you my 2 coppers"

"Yeah you will."

"No I won't."

"What if I gave you 3 coppers for them?"

"Are you crazy, sure!"

- Lin Huamei, 10, Lin Si, 6, when two sisters got arguing with the little allowance they made

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"You what???" Lin Si confronted the man who had once held her place in line.

"Look, I'm sorry, even I didn't think I'd be defeated…"

She had gone away for half an incense stick to take a meal, and in that time someone had challenged him, and taken his spot.

Well, to really understand the dilemma, one must go back a couple days.

The week before, she finally brought forth her proposition, to her surprise, long wen didn't need much persuading, and with some advice, the arena she'd built in a day was immediately put to use. A large sign stood outside the arena. The booth had been moved lower down the path, stand beside it, and this new sign, built up beside it, gave out the new rules. First, everyone who wanted to stand in line to fight, would still have to buy a plaque, however, the plaque's would be numbered, and if one wanted to give up the challenge, they must surrender the plaque back to the booth to do so. These numbers would be from 1 to infinite length, 1 being the one standing before the gate when it finally opened. The importance of this then, was the arena she had set up. The arena was there so that people could challenge those with a smaller number, and, if won, swap numbers, if lost, they would lose 5 places in line, unless they reached the end. Their pride as martial artists could never allow this. 

However, one's plaque would expire after three months, without a victory. And if one reached the front of the line, but didn't show up for the fight with sovereign Jingsheng, then they would be a forfeit match, and have to buy a new plaque, rejoining the line from the last spot if they still wanted to fight Jingsheng.

Another rule was that each person could only challenge one other person a day, and each person could also be challenged once each day. As for who would challenge first, whoever came first to the booth in the morning would get it. If it was about to start fights, there were also sticks in a bowl outside the booth, and each stick would have a number, determining who could ask first. As for the matches after the first match, you could line up to submit a fighting request.

Now, where did Long Wen make money in all this? Easy, he took fees for everyone entering to watch, place bets and sell wares to the viewers. The exact same slips as earlier, the battles happening in the hours after sundown, (his other job shift ended, his new business begins) but now there were also yellow slips to be bought. These slips would carry their names, and would be signed throughout the night by the female clerk that Long Wen had found and hired (the cheapest one to hire was a homely young woman from a scholar family who couldn't find a job anywhere else) to keep data and were used to keep track of money depositing in the gambles. 

Afterall, Lin Si had set up gambling stands. For each contestant, anyone could make bets, and win it big, the money could be taken out right after the fight until the end of the night, each man submitting his yellow slip with their bet and deposit, to receive compensation, dependent on the odds. Meanwhile, the clerk also had accounts of everyone with their names in deposits as well, and also had lists of all the names of the people in line, their numbered plaque, and would keep track of who challenged who throughout the night.

This would go on for 6 hours until midnight, and whoever had yet to challenge, would have to try their luck the next night. It was incredibly lively, and the quantity of red and yellow slips were plentiful. Long wen was getting richer by the day, and what did she do? She was also getting richer, just placing bets.

She also took on the job of the announcer, quickly getting people riled up, coaxing them to join in the fights for the first time and hooking them to continue to place bets or join the line. She'd even encouraged people to mail their friends over to compete, afterall, it was rare you could place your strength against others of your time, and here was the perfect chance to do so! Time to win honor and glory! People were coming in by the dozens everyday, and they had already begun constructing a second arena.

But….it had been over a week since founding it, the second weekend here was coming upon them, Jingsheng was taking in very few people to compete everyday that week, however, luckily she had finally reached the second spot in line, so the last day of the weekdays(friday), the days the sovereign would accept challenges, was directly where she would land on for her meeting only…she had miscalculated in one area. 

When they were originally reorganizing the plaques and numbering them, Long Wen had pointed out that she had stood out of the line far too frequently, and for far too long of times, it was hard to allow her to keep her place. So she, following the backup plan, mentioned how she was of the same group as the man behind her, and Long Wen suggested if that were so, they should just share a plaque. He also suggested this, since it would allow her more freedom to do whatever she wanted to do, without others feeling it was unfair, or following in her footsteps, she agreed, and after asking the older man and getting his affirmative response, she had agreed without much thinking only…

"...I lost, I'm sorry." he lost a challenge battle and was pushed all the way to 47th place. Her journey to see this stupid, shy, faceless Li Junlong, was getting harder and harder.

"How did you even lose!" She smacked her forehead in disbelief. "Wait, don't tell me you aren't strong!!!" she glanced him up and down, realizing for the first ime…he really wasn't all that impressive-looking, only, she'd forgotten since they got along so well, and he gave her a strange feeling that he was really strong. It was rare that this instinct was wrong, but, well, she'd had it happen before a couple years ago. He scratched his head, an apologetic smile on his face.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Lin Si was quick to forgive, since it wasn't even his fault to lose, and she had also miscalculated here. "Did you at least make any buck?"

He shook his head. Holding his fist defiantly. "I only ever bet on myself!"

"What a complete loss for us," she sighed, in sadness, before walking back to her stage, it was time to go back to announcing for the night. At first she hadn't minded having no plaque, but now there was a slight difficulty. She supposed, she could just challenge someone the next night, since there wasn't time for her to add a match to this one, and try to get back up in the ranks. Closing time of the arena approached, after finishing off the last fight of the night, she said her good nights to people leaving to their respective locations, wherever they were camping out that night and a goodbye to Long Wen and his clerks, they wouldn't return until the next week, the night before Monday to once again help shuffle up the population. Everyone would probably disperse over the weekend, since there was no reason to sit around since they had their numbers anyway, and if one went in, they would hand it to the booth, who would later reassign them when everyone gathered again for the arena battles. After tomorrow's fights against the no. 1 strongest, the line of people, except the first 10, waiting to duel him, would just go to town for two days and a night, and head back up for the next tournament. If they lost their plaque on accident while staying in town, they'd lose their spot, and have to start again from the lowest current spot.

+++

King Wulong, Xu Tianwen, was famous. Well, he had been, 20 years ago. Now, people would often overlook him, and not recognize him. This wasn't surprising, he used to be cloaked completely in black, hair down to his ankles, going around parading himself as the greatest martial artist, back in his 20s, so that everyone could see just how strong, how powerful he was. However, eventually it had gotten boring, and he had gotten married, retired from the jianghu and gone to live in the mountains. 

The only fighting by then was the beasts that came his way or bandits that attacked their home. He was now nearing 50, his son was grown up and had left home years ago to join the clan he was an honorary elder for, and his wife had come down with influenza and passed away three winters ago. He had gotten tired of being in the mountains, completely alone with his goats, even his own clan had basically forgotten him, and after tending to the small temple he ran for the millionth time, he finally decided enough was enough and wanted to know just how strong he was in the current jianghu after 20 years. 

Even after retiring to the mountains, he still practiced martial arts regularly. He had also discussed martial arts with other sages, and had come to new conclusions and epiphanies. Thus, when he left the mountain, he asked around for who were the strongest, to pit himself in some duels with some of the growing talents of the time, only for only one name came up: Jingsheng. In fact, no one even knew who the second or third strongest were, nor were there the 5 heavenly kings, like back in his time. There was just one man: Sovereign Jingsheng. And what was more, everyone knew where he lived! Xu Tianwen couldn't even imagine letting people know where he lived back in his twenties, with his strength being so high, his jealous enemies were innumerable, and he wouldn't have even thought that he could beat them all, or protect his family from them. But this man…Jingsheng, he was really something else, he considered. How many assassins did he face everyday, not even hiding himself, and yet, he still stood? What was more, he'd heard rumors of a crippled brother, as if Jingsheng was able to protect both his family and himself in such a world! Had the jianghu gotten more peaceful since he'd retired? Xu Tianwen instantly set out for Qing'an town. To his surprise, even the town was bustling with energy and business, and although it was just off the main road from the east to the west, it wasn't busy to be packed, but to be enjoyed.

Then, while in town, he found out he could only meet the sovereign through a match..which he had to pay for. He was rich, after all, he got an elder's pay from his clan every year, but he'd left it all at his home, barely carrying enough to buy himself food and clothing, yet he purchased his place, hoping for a quick wait and then battle. Unfortunately, things were not so lucky. After four days, his thirst was unbearable, even with his marital arts, they would only delay the inevitable, and so, he'd had to descend the mountain again to get water, and a little food that he could afford and an extra mat for padding when he slept, before heading back up. But when he returned, to his disappointment, the line was even longer. However, he found no reason to head back down the mountain and make his wait to meet this man even longer and so, dropped into the line again. 

This time a young girl was standing in front of him. This was a rare sight, most martial artists were men, and most waiting in the line were also older men. However, she still carried a sword on her back, so he didn't doubt her intent. Besides, one of his buddies of the 5 heavenly kings had once chased after a woman who had been quite the powerhouse. It was just rare for women martial artists, even if they were good, to take part in any competition for strongest. 

She was younger than his son by several years, but after getting to know her cleverness, he found that she might make a great bride for him only…After being with her longer, as she turned the line into a business venture, turned that business venture into a convenience for herself and the others in line, and then turned that convenience into a full-blown incredibly more efficient method of how the line ran and began a new business, he began to be a little frightened. Only he could really see the significance this small venture might bring. Before, the strongest of the central plains would always fight Jingsheng, but now, the rest could also gain recognition by beating other peers. 

It was quite genius, and he thought it would be good if the arena were to be incredibly well known, even getting one of the peddlers to send out a message from himself to his own clan to spread the news of it. However, it would still probably take a week to fully come to fruition. And he recognized her as the kind of person that when they came, would sprout change, but when they left, they would never look back. So he lost. He found a decent opponent who was rather far back in the line, got him angry, and lost, to hold her back, so that chances were she would stick around longer and make the arena into something even bigger. 

What he didn't expect was that she didn't even get angry at him for losing. 

He had also, selfishly done it to test her character. Afterall, even if she were a martial artist, and very clever, if she wasn't upright, he could hardly desire for her to join his family. But what he didn't predict was, after voicing her disappointment, she just dropped it, as if she didn't hold him accountable to it at all. It was a little disturbing in a way, how easily she took it.

So that night, since they knew they wouldn't be able to battle Jingsheng that Friday, he requested if she wouldn't like to share an inn room. Afterall, he still couldn't really afford one with his current finances. As usual, she accepted. She had always had a kind heart. But. the more he got to know her, the more she was beginning to become scary. 

He was considering if she might be too smart for his son, which might also be good since his son was rather naughty, liked to trick others, steal, plunder and seek blood. So maybe she could control him? She was a commoner, but she could make money easily, as for her name, he'd half-heartedly tried to get it, but she hadn't exactly answered. Only, would she like him? It depended on how much she cared about face to character, really. Having lost his wife, his son was the only family he had left, of course he was on his mind continuously. And although he was rather good looking, his character…left a little to be desired.

In fact, not only did she get a double room for the two of them, she even bought him his favorite dinner, with lots of shrimp. Shrimp and goat had always been his favorite dishes, but since he was down from the mountain, he figured he'd have as many shrimps as available currently. At least, the days it was shipped up from the southern sea.