Chapter 360: Duty Versus Heart
Jin LiJuan’s life had certainly changed. Outwardly, anyway. Inwardly, she was confused and conflicted by all the differences. For one thing, she was no longer practically invisible. Back at the sect, very few of her sect mates had noticed her existence.
Since she’d started fighting in the tournament, everyone not only knew who she was, but they went out of their way to talk to her. It was … weird. She didn’t think of herself as anyone special.
The feeling was made even worse because her newfound fame arose from her winning matches, but none of that was her doing. Ganzou, Leizhenzi, and Oogway did all the work. She just watched.
Which made her feel kind of bad.
On the other hand, Pan Jiang had taught her about fighting in a team. Most cultivators fought solo, and even when they grouped up, it was just that—a group of solo cultivators. To truly make a team work, each person had to know their role and do it to the best of their ability.
If there was one lesson she’d learned from the mistake that had almost cost her life, it was the importance of following orders. Once the team told her what she needed to do, doing that task well became her only goal.
Her job was to protect herself.
If she was forced unconscious or surrendered, the team lost. Thus, the absolute best thing she could do for her team was to keep herself safe. Most of the time that meant simply standing and allowing her shield to take hits. Which at first seemed like a really bad idea given how small her qi pool was. Sparring and much practice, however, had proved to her that Master’s technique was really efficient.
Standing still felt a little stupid to her, but she’d asked if she should try to move around and dodge. Oogway said he could protect her easier if she stayed in one place. So she stood and let herself be hit.
Pan Jiang had told her that, even if she didn’t feel like she was doing anything, really she was. He’d said that he was proud of her. So even when she felt like an imposter for taking credit for winning, she knew she was actually doing her best for the team even if she wasn’t taking an active role.
That day, though, would be her very last match. Win or lose, it would be over. And she was looking forward to it. Everyone, including Master, had told her she’d done the sect proud. Senior Brother and Senior Sister had even rushed back from whatever important mission they had to see her last fight.
Leizhenzi, of course, really wanted to win, but that was his personality. He’d be sad for about five minutes if they lost before he got over it. Oogway truly didn’t care either way. Or he said he didn’t. Jin LiJuan thought that he actually had a lot of fun during the matches even if he wouldn’t admit it.