Striking Snake Maiden

Jingfei had been away from the big cities for a long time and missed them dearly. Not because she had gotten bored with city life, but because she was finally given the opportunity to redeem herself in the martial world.

She didn't believe she would get a second chance.

But her martial sisters did.

____________________________________________________

"Why should I believe you?" Jingfei said to a mature looking woman and a younger looking one that was almost childlike.

"Because we believe that you really didn't make good on your threat to the late Master Bao" the young lady replied.

"The other masters didn't seem to agree" Jingfei replied in disgust.

"We know. We were there that day too" the mature looking woman answered back.

"Then you know Master Bao had no reason to kill his own son" Jingfei replied with contempt her voice. "The boy had no idea he was helping out the enemy in exchange for a shiny dagger. If he had known that already he could have been killed and there would have been no need for me to threaten the life of Master Bao and fight him."

The incident Jingfei described to her martial sisters was when Jingfei, along with her martial sisters and other masters approached Master Bao of the White Fang Clan concerning a wounded soldier with a compliant about Minister Kao and his refusal to send troops to the border.

It turned out that the clan did have such a soldier, but was taken by those loyal to Minister Kao, thanks to Master Bao's son telling the soldier in exchange for a fancy dagger.

When the truth came out Master Bao was furious at his son, so much so that he murdered him in front of the martial masters, Jingfei and her martial sisters as well.

____________________________________________________

"He was my son, it was my decision to punish him, he betrayed the country" the fierce looking old man replied.

"That's your justification for killing him? Because of a mistake he made. You're not fit to be called a martial master. You're a murderous pig and you should die as well" Jingfei shouted in anger as she took out her whip and flung at the old man. He dodged the strike, but a piece of clothing was torn, he looked at the torn segment before turning his face towards Jingfei with a mask of contempt.

Although the other martial masters including Jingfei's martial sisters were shocked over the killing of Master Bao's son, only the martial masters were just as shocked at Jingfei lashing out at master Bao. Whereas her martial sisters White Crane Mei Xiang face-palmed herself and Dragon Mistress Zhenting looked on with disappointment. Tigress Fang and Mantis Beihe looked like they were about to cheer her on.

"How dare you treat a martial master this way. Maybe I should teach you a lesson" Master Bao growled as he came at Jingfei with his left hand upwards and his right downwards, his fingers curled. He clearly was coming at her with his clan's trademark Wolf Fang technique.

"If that's the way you want it you old dotard, then so be it" Jingfei threw aside her Snake Fang whip and took up a low front stance with her hands flattened, indicting that she was going to fight him with her Jade Snake style of Kung Fu.

They both struck at the same time with a fury of blows.

____________________________________________________

The fight against Master Bao was something Jingfei would have preferred to have forgotten. Not because neither side win or lost, but nothing was gained from it aside from sweat, blood, torn clothing and a mutual disdain for each other.

After exposing Minister Kao and his betrayal while defeating the Jinchu forces, the martial masters and her sisters each went their separate ways.

It was a few days after their parting that Master Bao was found dead in his study from being strangled to death by what was believed to be a whip, similar to that of Jingfei's Cobra Fang Whip.

Accusations were flung, criticisms were made, tempers flared, people on both sides argued, even to the point where Tigress Fang threatened to pull out her Tiger Claw Gauntlets for making such unwarranted accusations towards her martial sister.

Finally, Jingfei was fed up to the teeth with the matter and decided to leave the more civilized parts of the Middle Kingdom until the matter died down.

No one really objected except Beihe, but she was young and was only defending Jingfei out of loyalty to her martial sister.

It wasn't until many months later when Jingfei received a note from her martial sister Beihe that Elder Sister Zhenting was willing to talk to her and give her a second chance.

With that being said, Jingfei left the Steppes of the Rouran people, who shunned civilization just as much as she had and headed towards her destination in mind.