"I understand. Forgive me for speaking out of turn." Captain Wu Chen quickly apologised with a bow.
He swiftly left to relay the orders.
On the other side, Mulan quickly received the orders.
"I understand." She nodded in understanding.
She didn't come with the blade Aladdin had gifted her. She carried an ordinary sword strapped to her side.
"Take it easy on them. It seems my father simply wants us to give the soldiers a show," Li Shang gently patted Mulan's shoulder and said.
"I will," Mulan responded with a nod.
She turned to Aladdin and nodded at him before walking toward the centre of the training ground.
High above the clouds,
Abu, Mushu, and Cri-Kee all sat on Carpet, with a telescope placed in front of them.
"Woohooo!!! We won!! We won!!" Mushu grabbed Cri-Kee and spun around on the Carpet.
Abu clapped nonchalantly. It would have been disappointing and a waste of their resources if Li Shang hadn't emerged victorious.
Moments later, they returned to their seats.
"Wooohooo!! I'm ready for the next battle!! It's my baby's turn. They better send out someone worthy, or they're gonna get crushed!" Mushu smashed his palms together.
"WHAT'S HER NAME? M.U.L.A.N… MULANN…!!" Mushu cheered as he looked through the telescope with Cri-Kee and saw Mulan step into the centre of the training ground.
Cri-Kee raised his legs excitedly.
Abu covered his ears. He kicked Mushu off the Carpet.
Cri-Kee ducked just in time by rolling across the Carpet, but Mushu fell into the sky with the telescope.
"MONNKEEYYY!!!" Mushu screamed as he fell through the clouds.
"Wait a second! I can fly." He halted mid-air, spun around in the clouds, and flew back to the Carpet instantly.
"When we get back to Aladdin, I'm going to report you for attempted assassination." He pointed his finger accusingly at Abu.
Abu made a mouth with his hand and moved his lips mockingly.
"YOUU!!" Mushu pointed an accusing finger at Abu with an aggrieved expression.
Abu clicked his ears with his pinky finger and flicked it at Mushu.
Mushu fumed angrily as he stared at Abu. "I am starting to get annoyed at this disrespect from you, Abu," he said, landing on the Carpet and stepping toward Abu.
He halted before Abu and lowered his gaze.
"Apologise this instant."
He folded his arms.
"Or what?" Abu looked at him and grinned.
Cri-Kee stealthily moved back to the edge of the Carpet.
Carpet curved its edge around Cri-Kee to prevent him from falling off.
Mushu cranked his neck. Then—
Swoossh!!
He grabbed Abu and flew off the Carpet.
"Or this?"
"What are you going to do now?"
He held onto Abu by the collar with both hands.
"Let me go," Abu struggled to free himself from Mushu's grip. He managed to remove only one of Mushu's hands.
"Oh… You better be careful there. I don't want to drop you… by mistake."
Mushu said with a grin, holding Abu up with a shaking hand. He continued to soar high into the sky.
Abu, who was about to transform, suddenly stopped and narrowed his eyes at Mushu.
"You wouldn't dare?"
"Try me." Mushu's grin widened.
Abu glanced at the clouds below and trembled. For the first time, he looked at Mushu warily.
"What do you want?"
"An apology," Mushu replied. "Say this. I, Abu, apologise for all the wrongs and threats I have made to the great, flying, and majestic dragon Mushu and Cri-Kee."
"Where is Cri-Kee?" Mushu looked at his shoulders and around him but found no one.
He looked down and found him on Carpet.
"Let's forget about him. He's not here."
Mushu refocused his attention on the raging Abu.
"So what's your decision?"
"I… I…" Abu hesitated, unable to complete his words.
"Come on. Go on… You can do it. It's not that hard."
"I am sorry," Abu spat.
"Pardon me! I didn't hear you clearly," Mushu said, cleaning his ear with his pinky.
"I… am… sorry."
"You see, was it that hard?" Mushu asked with a wide smile. "You know, you and I could become the best of buddies if we decide to team up together. Of course, this will only work if you decide to work under me…"
"I might not be able to compete with Aladdin's royalty, but now that I'm aware of the bigger world, I do plan on building a royalty of my own in the future. One that will surpass China, with me as the great protector. Not even the Huns will dare to invade it."
"It's only a matter of time before I surpass Aladdin with my superior potential. So, what do you say? Are you in?" He added.
"What a dream," Abu snorted. "I have apologised."
"Now put me down… on the carpet."
"Okay. Let's go." Mushu soared back down to Carpet and dropped him onto it.
Abu quickly lay back down on the Carpet and gripped its sides. He brought the telescope beside him and took out a banana to snack on as he gazed below.
Realising what Abu was currently thinking, Mushu snorted.
Cri-Kee wiped the non-existent beads of sweat from his forehead and sighed in relief. Rather than approaching them, he kept his distance and enjoyed the view of the clear, sunny sky.
He pondered that he might be the first grasshopper and the first in his bloodline to reach such heights. Perhaps he was truly a lucky grasshopper.
Mushu arranged his telescope at the other edge of the Carpet and gazed down at the training ground below.
Soon, Mulan's opponent stepped forward as well. Unlike the previous bulky challenger, he was short and lanky. He didn't wear full-body armour. A sword was strapped to his side.
The soldiers slowly quieted down.
"I am Fa Ping, Lieutenant of the Second Cavalry Division." Mulan bowed toward the man with her fist cupped.
"I am Wang Yusheng, Lieutenant of the First Cavalry Division." Wang Yusheng greeted Mulan with a bow, his fist cupped as well.
They straightened their backs and stepped back.
They stood thirty paces apart.
Mulan drew her sword and entered her combat stance.
Her sword was raised high, horizontally beside her face.
Wang Yusheng drew his sword as well and entered a combat-ready stance. Having watched the previous battle, he didn't underestimate Mulan.
"Are you going to attack?" Wang Yusheng asked, seeing that neither of them had moved yet.
"You can go first. I'm afraid I might end this quickly if I strike first," Mulan replied.
"Are you looking down on me?" Wang Yusheng frowned.
"Your Captain might be strong, but he was already stronger compared to the average soldier. Even if you gained some improvements from your training, it shouldn't have reached the level of being comparable to him or standing toe-to-toe with him."
Mulan didn't respond.
Wang Yusheng's expression hardened.
"Fine. Let me test how strong you are with my blade," he spat.
He shot forward, closing the distance in an instant. His rear foot drove through the dirt, his hips rotated to the side, and he thrust his blade forward.
CLANGG!!
Mulan had lowered her blade in time to halt the attack.
Wang Yusheng twisted his wrist, trying to overpower her, but Mulan didn't budge. It felt as though he was pushing against a mountain.
Mulan sidestepped, using Wang Yusheng's strength to carry him past her.
The blade slid forward.
Mulan cut toward his ribs.
Wang Yusheng instantly released the pressure and pulled back. But Mulan chased after him, refusing to let go of such an opportunity. Her sword cut straight toward his neck.
'He's fast!' Wang Yusheng narrowed his gaze.
CLANG!!
The strike was caught inches from his body.
Before the crowd could realise what had transpired, Mulan and Wang Yusheng had already traded two strikes.
Within an instant, the soldiers erupted in cheers.
Mulan and Wang Yusheng walked around the training ground, measuring each other for an opening.
Realising that he had almost underestimated Mulan, Wang Yusheng quickly regained his composure and entered his combat stance.
Mulan prepared to meet him again.
They closed the distance.
CLANGG!!!
CLANGG!!
CLANGG!!
Mulan struck her blade high.
Wang Yusheng parried. He slashed below.
Mulan deflected it away without glancing at the incoming strike.
Their blades turned into flashes of silver as they showcased remarkable footwork and swordsmanship.
The ordinary soldiers could only watch with mesmerised gazes filled with disbelief and anticipation.
They could hardly believe that they had such soldiers among their ranks.
This was a battle to remember!
Those with more experience narrowed their eyes at the unfolding battle. While Wang Yusheng's performance was expected, Ping's shocked them.
How long had he trained?
Wasn't he just a newbie who joined the army a few months ago?
To the ordinary eye, it appeared that Mulan and Wang Yusheng were on equal footing. However, those who were well-versed in combat could tell that Mulan had the upper hand from the way she easily deflected his blade and redirected the force of her strikes away.
It was then that they all came to a realisation.
Mulan was toying with Wang Yusheng.
Most importantly, those who were aware of the details of the match realised that she could have ended this battle long ago, but had decided to obey the General's plan of giving the soldiers a good show of their combat abilities.
Monster!!
That was the only classification they could give Mulan.
Soon, Wang Yusheng felt his wrist grow sore, causing his strikes to lose their momentum.
Mulan deflected his blade away. Her sword flashed toward Wang Yusheng's throat.
Wang Yusheng's eyes widened. He snapped his head sideways.
The blade passed across his cheek.
A thin red line appeared on his cheek.
A drop of blood slid down his cheek.
Both of them stopped, but it was only for a heartbeat.
Wang Yusheng attempted to retreat, but Mulan matched his pace step for step.
CLANGG!! CLANGG!!
Every strike was met with a counter, but the force behind each one drove him further backwards.
Wang Yusheng blinked, his eyes widening in astonishment as Mulan stepped into his guard and slammed her shoulder into his chest.
Wang Yusheng shot backwards, rolling sideways on the ground. He used one hand to halt his momentum, sliding across the ground before coming to a sudden stop.
His sword had landed a few meters away from him.
Just as Wang Yusheng was about to shoot forward to grab it…
A flash of a blade appeared beside him, stopping him in his tracks.
"Concede," Mulan spoke, hovering her blade above his neck.
Wang Yusheng was silent.
The cold blade pressed against his skin.
Wang Yusheng gulped.
"I concede."
Fine beads of sweat trickled down his face.
Mulan pulled back her blade and sheathed it. She stretched out her hand toward him.
Wang Yusheng hesitated before grabbing it.
Mulan pulled him up and patted him on the shoulder. "Your swordsmanship is amazing. If I were a little slower, I would have lost. It's good to have someone like you in the force," she said, pulling away and sheathing her blade.
Wang Yusheng looked down at his fist. It was trembling. Even his leg refused to take a step forward, afraid that he might collapse. His breathing grew rough as he desperately tried to regain his composure.
Mulan faced the crowd and raised her fist.
A deafening roar of excitement thundered across the training ground.
None of them had expected such a thrilling battle. For a moment, the soldiers forgot that they were at war and chanted with even louder, boisterous cheers.
"Fa Ping!! Fa Pingg!!"
"Fa Pingg!! Fa Pingg!!"
Mulan shyly bowed and attempted to return to her position. But before she could, a figure stepped into the training ground.
General Li advanced toward Mulan with the other Captains behind him.
He halted before Mulan. He scrutinised her from head to toe, then nodded in approval. "That was one of the most impressive sword battles that I have ever witnessed."
He glanced at Li Shang and Aladdin outside the ring. "I know now that Captain Li Shang didn't make a mistake in selecting you as his Lieutenant."