C12 Rivalry with the Warrior Women

The next morning, Ethan woke up long before dawn. He had slept almost nothing, spending the entire night circulating his inner energy and refining the skills Dragon Five had taught him. When he felt fully awake and focused, he walked into the quiet mansion garden and began training. Within moments, his movements turned into a storm of blurred shadows; his speed had become so great that he barely seemed to touch the ground. Ethan could not help feeling satisfied with how much he had improved over the past two years. Every muscle, every breath, every strike felt more controlled than ever before.

On a sudden impulse, he slipped a playing card from his pocket. With a sharp, clean flick of his wrist, the card shot forward like a bullet of lightning. It struck a small flowering tree at the far end of the garden, splitting the wood cleanly in half. Then, as if guided by an invisible hand, the card spun in a perfect circle and returned directly to his waiting fingers.

Ethan let out a quiet breath of relief. At last, he had mastered full control over his projectile attacks. He no longer lost control of his cards the way he had during early training. He still carried four full decks of cards with him, and none had been damaged or ruined by water during his strange journey. In that moment, he missed his old world, his former life, and his comrades deeply. He knew deep in his heart that he could never truly belong in this female-dominated, matriarchal land. He began to fear that he might be trapped in the Moon Rabbit Kingdom forever, lost with no way home.

“Excellent. Truly extraordinary skill.”

Ethan turned. Leng Bing stood silently behind him, her eyes bright with shock and admiration. She had never imagined a man could possess such refined, powerful martial arts.

“It is only a minor trick, milady. Nothing worth praising,” Ethan said politely, hiding his surprise. “I did not expect to see you awake so early.”

“I train every morning without fail. But I see you were up long before me… and you are far more skilled than I ever expected. It seems I did not rescue you so much as I simply crossed paths with a true warrior.” Leng Bing looked at him with completely new respect. The peasant boy she had rescued was clearly anything but ordinary.

Ethan offered gentle praise, then quickly changed the subject to avoid feeling uncomfortable about her four husbands. “You mentioned war earlier. Who is fighting, and why?”

Leng Bing explained softly that the Moon Rabbit Kingdom had been locked in a terrible, endless war with the Turtle Kingdom for thousands of years. The Turtle Kingdom mastered a brutal, destructive style called the Turtle Wave Art—extremely powerful, but painfully slow. The Moon Rabbit Kingdom, by contrast, ruled with Lightning Flash, the fastest movement technique in the world. For centuries, the Turtle Kingdom had desperately wanted to steal the Lightning Flash technique to become unstoppable.

Many years ago, the Turtle King had tricked the ancient Moon Rabbit Queen into a fateful race. The prize would be the secret techniques of both kingdoms. The Turtle Kingdom cheated, using four identical twin brothers to run against the Moon Rabbits’ greatest speedster, who ran for three days and nights straight, only to lose by a single step. She died of exhaustion and heartbreak on the spot. The Moon Rabbits handed over the Lightning Flash as promised—but secretly kept the final, most critical part of the technique.

Ethan immediately realized this was the real-life version of the ancient fable The Tortoise and the Hare.

Amazed by his quick understanding, Leng Bing decided at once to take Ethan to the royal palace and present him to Queen Fei’e. She believed gifting such an extraordinary, handsome man to the queen would earn her a promotion to high military command, allowing her to finally fulfill her lifelong ambition of leading the army into battle. Ethan felt disgusted—men in this strange world were treated like property, gifts, or pets—but his curiosity about the female-led empire won out. He agreed to go.

The Moon Rabbit Palace stood in the heart of the capital, magnificent and golden, modeled after ancient imperial architecture. The outer gate was carved with the legendary goddess Chang’e and her sacred jade rabbit, linking the kingdom to ancient myths Ethan knew from his own world. Every guard was a woman, and they bowed deeply and respectfully as Leng Bing passed. Ethan watched in amazement; in his old life, female leaders were often seen as petty or jealous, but here, women ruled with strength, grace, and authority.

Leng Bing told Ethan to wait outside the Hall of Heavenly Harmony while she went inside to inform the queen.

Ethan wandered casually, observing the court. Inside the palace walls, he finally saw more men—servants, attendants, and even a small number of male guards. For the first time since arriving, he felt a faint glimmer of male dignity. The uniforms of the Rabbit warriors were stunning: tight-fitting, practical, and designed to highlight their figures without limiting movement. Ethan secretly thought that if these female soldiers ever fought against men from his own world, most male soldiers would probably surrender immediately and hand over their weapons as gifts.

Before long, a loud, commanding female voice echoed through the halls:

“Ethan! Present yourself before Her Majesty!”

Ethan straightened his clothes and stepped into the throne hall. Every official, noble, and advisor was a woman—young and old, fierce and gentle, even an elderly toothless woman near the front. On the high golden throne sat Queen Fei’e: middle-aged, but still beautiful, with sharp, intelligent eyes and pale, smooth skin. Her presence was powerful and commanding.

“Greetings, Your Majesty,” Ethan said, bowing slightly. He had no idea how formal royal etiquette was in this strange kingdom.

“Rise. I am Queen Fei’e. You are the extraordinary man Leng Bing has told me about,” the queen said. “Look at me. Let me see what makes you so different from other men.”

Ethan lifted his head calmly and met her gaze directly.

“You are indeed handsome. Leng Bing has gifted you to me. You will serve me in my palace,” Queen Fei’e declared, clearly pleased.

Ethan’s face turned cold. “Your Majesty… I refuse.”

A shocked silence exploded throughout the hall. No man had ever dared reject the queen directly.

Fei’e’s voice turned icy and dangerous. “You dare refuse me? Do you understand what that means? I can have you executed at once. I can wipe out your entire village.”

Ethan’s mind raced. He could not show fear. “Your Majesty, I was raised deep in the northern mountains, alone with wild beasts. I am rough, untamed, and unfit for palace life. I did not leave my home to serve in a harem—I left to become strong. In a time of war, a man should fight for his kingdom, earn honor, and make his name known. I do not wish to hide in comfort.”

The queen was surprised, then amused. “A man who wants to fight? How bold. But men are too clumsy, too slow, and too foolish for war. You cannot compare to women.”

“With all respect, Your Majesty—men are equal to women in every way except childbirth. And in many ways, we are stronger,” Ethan replied firmly. “How many of these women could defeat me in combat?”

“Insolence!” Leng Bing gasped, terrified Ethan would get them both killed.

“Let him speak,” Queen Fei’e said, her eyes flashing with anger and thrill. “I will give you three contests, Ethan. If you lose, you will enter the Duck Palace—where you will serve the noble women of this kingdom as a royal consort. If you win, you may leave the palace and fight on the battlefield.”

Ethan did not understand what “Duck Palace” meant. He thought it was some kind of dining hall or inn. “I accept. A royal promise is binding.”

Only on the way to the training grounds did Leng Bing lean over and whisper the truth: the Duck Palace was not for eating ducks—it was where men became male prostitutes, forced to serve women for entertainment.

Ethan’s blood turned to ice.

He, Ethan—once a self-made CEO, a respected leader, a warrior of the Dragon Clan—reduced to being a sex servant?

The women of this kingdom were cruel, arrogant, and shameless. He swore then and there that he would defeat every challenge, humiliate their pride, and defend the honor of all men.

Filled with quiet rage, Ethan followed the royal procession into the training grounds.

First Match: Archery

One hundred meters from the shooting line, a copper coin hung from a thin silk thread. The square hole in the middle was barely wide enough for an arrow to pass through. Directly behind the coin hung a delicate jade vase. The challenge was to shoot an arrow cleanly through the coin’s hole and shatter the vase.

The entire court had gathered to watch: female nobles, military officers, ladies-in-waiting, and even the queen’s male concubines. A man openly challenging the greatest female warriors of the Moon Rabbit Kingdom was unheard of—a scandal that shook the entire matriarchal system.

Queen Fei’e announced the three official contests:

Archery

Speed & Agility

Hand-to-Hand Combat

Strict rules: No hidden weapons. Only the bow and arrow provided could be used.

Ethan frowned quietly. He could not use his playing cards. His archery skill was decent, but nothing compared to the trained female warriors of the Lightning Flash kingdom. He would almost certainly lose the first round. That meant he had to win both remaining matches—but the Moon Rabbits were famous for their inhuman speed.

The queen’s chosen champion was Leng Xue, younger sister of Leng Bing and the second-most powerful warrior in the entire kingdom.

She stepped onto the field, dressed in tight, elegant warrior armor. She was young, beautiful, and deadly. Ethan sighed inwardly. A grown man, forced to compete against women for basic dignity. If his old friends saw him now, they would never stop laughing.

The elderly female referee shouted the order. The match began.

Leng Xue lifted the bow with effortless grace. She nocked an arrow, took only a moment to aim, and released. The arrow sliced through the air like a beam of light, passed perfectly through the coin’s tiny hole, and exploded the jade vase behind it.

The crowd erupted in cheers. Every woman in the stands stared at Ethan with arrogant triumph. The men watching looked down at the ground, too ashamed to meet his eyes. Queen Fei’e smiled coldly, waiting for Ethan to fail.

Ethan stepped forward slowly. He knew if he lost this round, his confidence would break completely. Even matching Leng Xue’s shot would only be a draw. He had to do something impossible.

He took the bow, closed his eyes for a breath, and focused every ounce of his Dragon Clan energy. He did not aim for the hole—he aimed for the two thin threads holding the coin and vase.

With a sharp, controlled motion, he released the arrow.

The entire grounds fell completely silent.

The arrow did not go through the coin’s hole.

Ethan’s heart sank. He had failed.

—SNAP! —SNAP!

Two clean, sharp sounds cut through the air.

The coin and the vase both fell to the ground at the same time.

The crowd gasped in disbelief.

Ethan froze for half a second… then understood.

He had not missed. He had severed both threads at the exact same moment.

It was a shot no normal archer could ever perform. It required perfect vision, perfect timing, and perfect control of inner energy.

Ethan kept his face calm and spoke loudly, so everyone could hear.

“Your Majesty, shooting through the coin was too simple. I decided instead to cut both threads. Does this demonstrate the skill of men?”

Queen Fei’e stared in absolute shock. Severing two thin threads at 100 meters was beyond human ability. This man was not just confident—he was supernaturally gifted.

The elderly referee immediately stepped forward, biased and angry. “Your Majesty! Ethan ignored the rules! He did not shoot through the coin! He must lose!”

The queen hesitated, her pride warring with her fairness.

Ethan laughed openly, unafraid. “Judge as you wish, Your Majesty. There are still two matches left.”

“Very well. This round goes to Ethan,” Queen Fei’e declared, loud enough for all to hear. “We women do not run from defeat. We accept it with honor.”

Ethan’s legs nearly gave out. He could never repeat that shot if he tried.

Second Match: Speed & Agility

The rule was simple: race from the training grounds to the outer city moat, then run back. The first to return won.

Leng Xue was burning with shame and determination. She would not lose again.

At the signal, she shot forward like a storm, moving so fast she became a blur. In just a few seconds, she was gone, leaving Ethan far behind.

But Ethan did not move.

He turned calmly, walked back to the queen’s platform, and bowed respectfully.

“Your Majesty, I concede this match. I won the first contest by luck and unusual technique. It is only fair that I surrender this round to maintain honor.”

In truth, Ethan knew he could never outrun a Lightning Flash warrior. He chose to lose on purpose, conserving all his energy for the final fight while Leng Xue exhausted herself completely. Even the tortoise beat the hare—he would be smarter than the hare.

Queen Fei’e sighed inwardly. This man was clever, manipulative, and impossible to predict. Poor Leng Xue had no idea she had been played.

Half an hour later, Leng Xue staggered back to the training grounds, gasping for breath, her legs shaking.

When she saw Ethan standing relaxed and untouched, she nearly collapsed.

“I lost again? He passed me without me seeing?”

She bowed her head, tears in her eyes. “Your Majesty, I have failed you.”

The entire training ground burst into laughter.

Leng Xue looked up, confused and humiliated. “What… what is so funny?”

“You foolish girl,” Queen Fei’e said, exasperated. “You won. He never ran. He surrendered before you even left the field.”

Leng Xue’s face turned white. A bitter, metallic taste filled her mouth. She had pushed her body to the limit… for nothing.

“You liar! You coward! I will kill you!” she screamed, losing all self-control.

Queen Fei’e watched with quiet disappointment. Leng Xue was too emotional, too hot-tempered, and too weak-minded to win a real fight. But it was too late to change competitors. To replace her now would shame all women in the kingdom.

The final match was set.

Final Match: Hand-to-Hand Combat

The entire crowd fell silent.

On one side stood Ethan: tired, but calm, his eyes sharp with resolve. He was not just fighting for himself—he was fighting for every man humiliated and oppressed in this female-ruled world.

On the other side stood Leng Xue: furious, humiliated, and desperate to restore her honor and the pride of her gender.

No weapons.

No tricks.

No second chances.

Pure, direct combat.

Queen Fei’e raised her hand.

“The final match… begin!”

Leng Xue did not wait. She exploded forward like a bolt of lightning, her fist aimed directly at Ethan’s face.

Ethan stood his ground.

This was not just a fight.

It was a war for dignity.

And he would not lose.