Striking Snake Maiden

"So that's it, you want me to beat up on a bunch of thugs is that it?" Jingfei asked her martial sister Mei Xiang.

"You have been wandering far too long sister" Mei Xiang replied. "The Rock Hound Gang aren't just any bunch of local thugs as you say. They are professional killers, thieves and in a large group are not exactly easy to take on."

"I've wandered more times in my life than you have sister" Jingfei sneered. "City folk like you are too soft and have a habit of always saying that. "I've met their breed of scum many times in the countryside and smaller cities like this one. All it takes is for people like us who know how to fight back to teach these vermin a lesson, and in time the people who are tired of their necks being stepped on will fight alongside you."

"I already have people who are willing to fight alongside me already" Mei Xiang replied "I just need you as a back-up. There's a jug of wine in it for you."

Jingfei didn't know whether she should believe her or not. She didn't speak out against her when she was accused of killing Master Bao nor did she speak in her defense. Either was she had to regain trust with her martial sisters at some point. Now was as good a time as any.

"When do we start?" Jingfei answered.

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"You look more like a snake than you do a woman" a fur clad, rough looking man with a curved sword said coldly

A group of armed men dressed in wolf furs surrounded, Jingfei with a combination spears, swords and long knives. They had been waiting just near the pleasure quarter for where they were awaiting orders from Chu to surround the brothel and cutoff off the White Crane Mistress from escaping. They thought Jingfei was just a passerby until she reached under cloak and pulled out her Snake Fang whip and flung it to the nearest shadow, pulling out one of their own towards her, to which she proceeded to stomp on his skull, instantly killing him.

Arn the White Wolf of the Rock Hound Gang wasn't going to let this go, even though he had to obey his alpha's request from Chu, he also couldn't let the reputation of the Rock Hound Gang be tarnished by one woman.

"Killing one of us is the same as insulting us and the penalty is simple: you die" Arn smiled coldly as his sword shined in the moonlight's reflection.

Another fur clad member charged at Jingfei with his spear pointed at her howling. Jingfei's whip movement split his skull open, causing a fountain of blood to spew out.

The rest of the fur clad thugs howled for the blood of yet another one of their own being slain by the snake woman, that they all charged at her without even waiting for their boss to tell them.

Try as they might, not one of them got even close to her. Her striking whip slew them quickly if not removing their limbs. A few made an attempt to flee but were cut down by Arn.

"Cowards, the lot of you" he snarled as he cut down the last one of the living bandits.

"Says the man who sends his own men to die" Jingefei replied back as she slew the last of the thugs with her whip. She rolled up her weapon, holstered it in her belt, and then began to take the stance of the Striking Snake.

"Should have kept your weapon" Arn smiled coldly as he raised his sword in the moonlight.

"Against scum like you? that would be overkill" Jingfei replied.

The two walked around in circles, gauging each waiting for the other to strike. Seconds felt like hours and before Arn could blink, Jingfei came at him with a combination of flat hands two fingers hooked, while his sword at her as best as he could, getting a few blows in.

The two faced each other again, only this time Arn was sweating while Jingfei breathed only slightly.

"My sword strikes should be killing you right about now. For they are laced with poison and only I have the antidote on me. You lose" Arn replied with an evil smile.

"Who says I am poisoned? or that I have even lost?" Jingfei replied.

Arn's face fell into a frown as suddenly as he started to seize up and his body began to shake then came the pain. Unbearable pain that caused him to fall to his knees and he could barely utter a sound.

"While I don't blame you for not seeing my strikes. Those were a combination of Snake Fang and Tail strikes" Jingfei walked up to the shaking Arn casually.

"Under certain circumstances, they could wound you enough to bruise you for a time being, cripple for a short period or even make you more tired faster than most. Except in your case, I did something I was hoping never to use again" she kneeled down in front of him

"It's called Snake Constricts Prey. A technique designed to seal off certain points of the body that allows the blood to flow. Your blood flow is sealed off at many points and goes to only one place" she tapped his forehead with her forefinger indicting where it was going.

"In doing so, all that blood going to your head will obviously kill you" she continued. "Say hello to all your victims, you'll be meeting them shortly" she concluded coldly and she raised herself upwards and turned her back to him.

With that being having been said, Arn's visions turned red and before he could utter a sound, his head exploded.

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Jingfei continued onward towards the pleasure district when a familiar person dressed in white approached her. It was Mei Xiang and she was carrying a pair of wine jars.

"I see you have had your fun with those degenerates" she answered as she threw one of the jugs of wine at Jingfei, which she easy caught with one finger from her left hand and then bounced it to her other hand catching it

"That doesn't even begin to describe the swine that I killed" she replied taking off the seal. Mei Xiang did the same too and when she did they both knocked each other's wine jugs in salute before consuming the beverage.

"So, dear sister, where does this leave us?" Jingfei asked wiping her mouth before taking another sip.

"The villagers have their daughters and wives back, so I say it's a job well" she answered back while smacking her lips. "When word gets around about how you helped out, people will without a doubt begin to forget about the whole Bao affair" she concluded before taking another sip of wine.

"But will it be enough to regain the trust of my martial brothers and sisters?" Jingfei asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

"I can't tell you that for now" Mei Xiang answered back. "But one thing I can tell you is this: I always trusted you and I never doubted you for a moment sister" she concluded with a smile as she raised her wine jug

Jingfei was somewhat shocked, but that was quickly replaced with a smile as she raised her wine jug to clink it with her martial sister once more.