Rui pressed her palms against the counter, leaning toward the innkeeper.
"So, tell me what this contest is about?"
The innkeeper dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief.
"Well, it's our annual Blossom Beauty Modeling Competition, the festival's highlight."
"Perfect!" Rui clapped her hands.
"I can win this easily with my good looks and impeccable fashion sense."
"Where do I sign up?"
The innkeeper's eyebrows shot up.
"Ah, my apologies for the confusion. This year's contest is for male contestants only. The town council decided to... broaden our cultural horizons."
Rui's face fell. "What? Male only?"
"That's so unfair!"
Jin placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. "Perhaps it's for the best."
"Wait...Jin!" Rui spun around, eyes bright with renewed determination.
"This means you have to enter!"
Jin backed away, hands raised defensively.
"Ya, that's not happening."
"But Jin—"
"No." His voice was firm, but his stance faltered as he looked at Rui's pleading eyes.
"You know what, why don't you ask Zou instead? He'd probably enjoy the attention."
"Ask me what?"
As if summoned by the mention of his name, Zou glided through the inn's entrance, arms carrying colorful shopping bags.
"Speak of the devil. Where have you been?" Jin asked.
"Gathering essential supplies," Zou replied, gesturing elegantly to his bags.
Rui bounced over to him.
"Zou! You're just in time!"
"There's a male modeling contest tonight, and the winner gets the finest suite in the inn!"
"A modeling contest?" Zou's eyes widened with delight.
"With an audience to admire my divine form? Consider me entered!"
He dropped his bags and glided to the innkeeper, producing a silken fan from his sleeve.
"Where does one register for such an event?"
"Right here, sir," the innkeeper pushed forward a scroll.
Kee Kee snickered from atop Zou's shopping bags.
"Don't tell me monk boy is competing too, I'm still traumatised from monk flesh."
"Don't worry, I'm not competing," said Jin
Zou signed the registration with a dramatic flair.
"Such a shame. I was hoping for a hint of competition."
"It's understandable," Zou interrupted, fanning himself.
"Not everyone can handle being compared to perfection."
Despite the lack of wind, he struck a pose that made his robes billow.
Zou's golden eyes gleamed with mischief as he leaned closer to Jin.
"And if I win this contest, I can spend the night alone with our precious princess."
"Just imagine me comforting her in that luxurious suite while you sleep in the dirt outside."
Jin's prayer beads glowed faintly red as his fists clenched at his sides.
"You wouldn't dare."
"Oh, but I would." Zou's fan snapped open, partially hiding his smirk.
"Unless, of course, you wish to compete against me?"
Jin grabbed the registration scroll from the innkeeper, his brush strokes sharp and decisive.
"Fine, I'm in."
"Then, I'll see you on stage," said Zou.
-----------------------
Backstage, beneath a canopy of bright silk and hanging blossom garlands, the air buzzed with nervous energy.
Contestants paced and preened—young cultivators in polished robes, sons of wealthy merchants, even a minor noble or two adjusting jeweled hairpins and ceremonial sashes.
Makeup brushes darted like dragonflies. The scent of powdered incense and floral perfume clung thick in the air.
Zou basked in the attention as three attendants worked on him.
One smoothed his collar, another dabbed shimmer onto his cheekbones, and the third debated whether moonlight or stardust better suited his "aura."
Zou spun once, arms wide, grinning like a god on parade.
"Ladies, ladies. There's no need to compete. I'm already perfection—you're just here to frame it."
Meanwhile, Jin stood ramrod straight as an elderly seamstress pulled at his robes, muttering about "tragic modesty."
"Young man, we need to show a bit more... something," she said, tugging his collar lower.
"The judges want to see what the heavens blessed you with."
Jin's face burned. "Sorry, I'm not used to... being displayed."
Kee Kee hopped onto a bench beside. "Wow, you look like a guilty radish."
"I feel like a guilty radish," Jin muttered.
Kee Kee snorted. "At least the fox knows how to sell it. Look at him—he's practically glowing."
Jin glanced over at Zou, who was now practicing a series of elegant poses, each more dramatic than the last.
"Relax, monk boy," Zou called out.
"When I win, I'll be sure to describe every luxurious detail of the suite to"
Jin's prayer beads pulsed faintly as he struggled to maintain his composure.
A soft touch on his arm broke his concentration. Rui had somehow slipped past the attendants guarding the entrance.
"You're not supposed to be back here," Jin whispered, but couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips.
Rui snuck in with a plum blossom pin.
"Here, this is for you. Good luck." She tucked it into his sleeve.
Jin blinked, his expression softening. "...Thank you."
Then she smirked, "And try not to trip onstage. Unless it's cute."
"How exactly does one trip cutely?" Jin asked, his anxiety momentarily forgotten.
"I don't know, but if anyone could manage it, it's you," Rui replied, her eyes twinkling.
"I'll be cheering for you out there."
"Not for Zou?" Jin raised an eyebrow.'
"I don't think Zou needs the encouragement. His ego is already the size of the Demon King's palace."
"Besides, I've seen what's under those monk robes." Rui leaned in and gave a flirtatious wink.
Jin's face flamed red again. "Rui!"
A festival attendant clapped her hands.
"Five minutes until showtime, gentlemen! Find your positions!"
Rui squeezed Jin's hand.
"Show them what you got!"
As she slipped away, Jin touched the plum blossom pin, drawing strength from it. I can do this for her.
Across the room, Zou narrowed his eyes at their interaction, a flicker of genuine jealousy crossing his perfect features before he masked it with another dazzling smile.
A large crowd had packed into the plaza, their excited chatter rising like the floating lanterns that danced above them.
Strings of blossoms and paper charms rustled in the breeze as drums thundered through the square.
Rui weaved through the sea of bodies, Kee Kee perched atop her head like a grumpy crown jewel. His tiny claws gripped her hair as he scowled at the spectacle.
The announcer stepped forward, voice amplified by a charm scroll.
"Round One: The Catwalk of Petals! Contestants, dazzle us!"
A hush fell.
Then, Zou strutted onto the stage.
A shimmering golden aura trailed behind him. His golden eyes gleamed under the lantern light.
He tossed his fan open with a graceful turn, casting fluttering illusions of cherry blossoms in his wake.
He winked at the audience.
Screams erupted, flowers were tossed in the air, and a noblewoman swooned into her friend's arms.
Then came Jin.
He walked slowly with stiff movements, his expression awkward.
The crowd was still.
Then, a gust of wind tugged at the hem of his robe, widening the collar just enough to reveal his chest.
His hair shifted just enough to reveal the soft lines of his jaw and the glint of resolve in his brown eyes.
Like a ripple, the cheers rose like thunder.
Zou muttered from the sidelines, "How is that getting applause?"
Rui beamed with pride, standing on tiptoes to keep Jin in view.
"That's my Jin," she whispered to herself.
"He looks like he's walking to his execution," Kee Kee grumbled
atop her head.
"At least the fox knows how to strut."
"Jin doesn't need to strut. He has... authenticity."
"Is that what we're calling awkwardness now?"
On stage, Jin fought an internal battle with every step.
Don't trip. Don't fidget. Don't look at Rui or you'll blush and everyone will know.
Meanwhile, Zou was living his best life. Each pivot and turn was calculated for maximum flair.
His gaze swept the crowd, seeking Rui's reaction, but when he spotted her, her gaze was fixed entirely on Jin.
No matter, he thought, executing a theatrical turn that sent his hair flowing like liquid sunset.
I'll just have to try harder.
"Round Two!" the announcer cried, his voice echoing over the lantern-lit plaza.
"The Strength of Spring!"
A fresh cheer rippled through the crowd as contestants lined up again.
This round was different. No strutting or posturing—this was where they proved substance beneath the charm.
One brawny contestant hoisted a carved stone lion over his head, veins bulging with effort.
Another spun into a series of fluid martial stances, his robe fluttering like wings.
Zou stepped forward with his usual theatrical grace.
With a flick of his jeweled fan, a ring of golden fire bloomed around him.
The flames spun outward, transforming into galloping horses, then soaring phoenixes that circled the stage in a dazzling spiral.
The crowd gasped in collective awe.
Zou gave a modest bow, shooting a victorious glance at Jin.
Jin's hands tightened around his prayer beads as he could feel the competition.
His plan had been simple: demonstrate a series of protective barrier techniques—something grounded, humble, effective.
No illusions. No flair.
But as he stepped into the center of the plaza, the pressure of a thousand expectant eyes bore down on him.
The prayer beads in his hand suddenly grew hot.
Snap.
A single bead cracked, releasing a pulse that thudded through the air like distant thunder.
Jin's eyes flashed red for a heartbeat.
Without thinking, he channeled the surge, directing it upward.
A column of pure energy shot skyward, splitting into a thousand glowing petals that rained down on the crowd.
They drifted gently down over the plaza, illuminating faces upturned in wonder.
The audience fell silent, then erupted in thunderous applause.
In the crowd, Rui's eyes widened. "Did he just—"
"Use the Behemoth's power as a party trick? Yep." Kee Kee's ears twitched.
"Clever monk. Dangerous, but clever."
Zou's perfect smile faltered for just a moment.
Well played, monk. This competition may be interesting after all.