Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3391: Preparing For The Tournaments And A Casual Xiangqi Competition

"There," she pointed proudly. "Cattaleya of the Duskthorn Clan, provisional entry. Lin Mu of... hmm... what do we put here? Oh, the clerk wrote ’Independent.’ That works."

Lin Mu simply gave a small nod. He had been called many things over the years. Independent was as accurate as any other.

The schedule indicated that preliminary matches, qualifiers, and the early elimination rounds would all take place six months from now. That gave them plenty of time. Plenty for Cattaleya to train though it was more like play for her.

Plenty for Meng Bai to prepare. Plenty for Lin Mu to observe the martial culture of the world.

The smaller tournaments, however, began far earlier.

Cattaleya flicked her finger over another projection, bringing up her own personal list. "Alright. Ten tournaments total. Three of them are happening this very month. First one is in four days. Next two are twelve and eighteen days from now."

Lin Mu leaned slightly closer. "You signed up for three tournaments in one month?"

"Of course," she answered proudly. "They are only warm up events. I plan to finish them quickly."

Meng Bai stared at her as if she had grown an extra head. "You plan to finish all opponents quickly?"

Cattaleya gave him a very matter of fact nod. "Naturally."

Lin Mu chuckled. "It is possible. She tends to break things very fast."

Little Shrubby purred and the twins hissed in agreement from inside Lin Mu’s sleeves.

Cattaleya continued reading. "Then two tournaments in the next month. Those are also warm up tournaments but slightly higher level so they will take longer. After that they are spaced apart. One after another. That should give me time to recover if needed. And finally the main event in six months."

Lin Mu nodded slowly. "That is good planning."

Meng Bai looked relieved at his own schedule. "Mine is in three weeks. Thank the heavens. I get time to train."

Lin Mu smiled faintly. "You will do well."

Meng Bai nodded nervously. "I hope so."

With all the schedules memorized and noted down, they headed back to the inn.

The walk back through the bustling streets was lively. Martial Fist King World had an atmosphere unlike any world Lin Mu had visited recently. Every corner echoed with sounds of sparring, clashing qi, shouts of training formations, and merchants selling martial gear.

By the time they returned to the Coiling Horn Inn, the sun was dipping in the sky.

Daoist Chu and Elyon were in the main room, sitting across a carved wooden table with a Chess board between them. Daoist Chu had a teacup in hand. Elyon had his usual calm and unreadable expression, though his ears flicked with competitive energy.

Cattaleya immediately pointed at the wolfkin. "Hey Elyon. You going to join any tournaments or not?"

Elyon rested his chin on his hand. "Absolutely not. I prefer to keep my abilities hidden."

Catt scoffed loudly. "That is just fear."

Elyon did not even bother to respond. He placed a Chess piece with steady precision and calmly declared, "Check."

Daoist Chu made a strangled sound. "Again? I was distracted that time."

Lin Mu raised a brow. "Again?"

Cattaleya leaned in to whisper. "He has lost five matches in a row."

Daoist Chu glared at Elyon. "Your wolf instincts tell you what piece I want to move."

Elyon shrugged without guilt. "Probably."

Cattaleya laughed. "Daoist Chu forgets that Elyon’s entire fighting style is based on reading movements and predicting the next."

Daoist Chu huffed. "Never mind that. I found a tournament I like better anyway."

Lin Mu sat down beside him. "What kind?"

Daoist Chu grinned widely. "A Xiangqi tournament."

Cattaleya looked stunned. "On a world that loves punching things?"

Daoist Chu nodded. "Turns out the elders who accompany participants for the big tournaments get bored. They sit around waiting for their disciples to finish matches. So the organizers decided to provide entertainment for them. A casual Xiangqi tournament for strategists and bored old men. Perfect for me."

Lin Mu laughed. "That makes sense."

Elyon nodded. "You will do well. Although next time you should stop thinking so loudly when you play."

Daoist Chu groaned. "I knew you were cheating somehow."

Elyon shrugged. "I am gifted, besides how do you even cheat in Chess?."

The group settled comfortably. They ate together, talked about their plans, and in general enjoyed the respite before the chaos of tournament season began.

The next few days passed in a relaxed but lively rhythm. Martial Fist King World was full of attractions. There were many dojos and training halls. There were martial sculpture gardens where statues depicted legendary fights.

There were plazas where public sparring rings let challengers fight for small rewards. There were gourmet stalls selling qi infused snacks meant to help body cultivators recover faster. There were even traveling performers showing martial dances.

Lin Mu, Cattaleya, Meng Bai, Daoist Chu, Elyon, Little Shrubby, and the twins explored many of these places.

Meng Bai practiced footwork drills in open sparring rings and quickly realized how far the world’s martial culture extended.

Cattaleya challenged anyone who even looked in her direction with confidence, though Lin Mu made sure she did not fight too much and bore herself before her first tournament. Daoist Chu visited bookstores to compare Xiangqi theories. Elyon scouted rumor boards and mercenary networks for information.

Lin Mu meanwhile explored merchant stalls again, this time looking at the new stock of rare materials that had arrived. The stocks changed nearly every day so there was always things to brow.

Though he did not buy much this time, he still observed everything carefully. After all, one never knew when something valuable would appear.

On the final night before Cattaleya’s first tournament, the group gathered again in the inn.

Catt stretched her arms with excitement. "Four days passed fast. Tomorrow is the start of the first tournament. I am ready."

Meng Bai gulped. "I hope your opponents survive."

"They will be fine," she said cheerfully. "Probably."

Lin Mu smiled and leaned back. "Then let us rest early. Tomorrow will be interesting."

The first tournament season was about to begin, and Martial Fist King World was waking up with electric excitement.