Well, Dear Traveler. Would it be a surprise to you if I told you that Ham Song wasn't the only spirit who cried during that performance?

Everybody was moved. Even over-modernized spirits like Sun Xiao Dan who didn't know half the things they were looking at. What Blue Force created with his staff was considered living art. And of course, everything seems more spectacular the bigger it is. If you can imagine, three Immortal beings the size of buildings – shrieking and baying at the sky.

As you've probably surmised by now, the artificial dragon was the most majestic of them all. Unlike its divine companions, it gazed out at the audience with a deep, terrifying serenity. Its fleshy whiskers snapped gently on the breeze. Its goatee draped low and ghostlike over the lawn. A powerful mist created a halo around the dragon's fuzzy antlers.

This was no cheap imitation, Dear Traveler. No matter how much our dear old Ham Song wished it to be so.

In the end, Blue Force received the highest of marks for his work. Don't think low of me when I say that he truly deserved them. Even the Old Master was moved to tears by what transpired. He made sure to say a few words of approval towards Blue Force's decision to go this route. Not many staff wielders could recreate the wondrous spiritual aura of Immortals with this level of caliber and passion.

It was a near flawless presentation.

Does this scare you, Dear Traveler? Are you wondering how our exhausted hero can stand a chance up against these powerhouses?

To be honest, you should be scared. In fact, there is one spirit in this tale who lets the possibility of utter, humiliating public failure absolutely consume them.

I'm sure you can guess who.

The monk didn't let it show, but they were relieved that they had managed to keep Ham Song from breaking down.

The last thing we need is this sensitive hog melting into a puddle of sweet immortal peaches.

Bodhi wasn't entirely sure what Ham Song's triggers were when it came to his little barfing episodes, but they didn't want to draw any attention to themselves at the moment. Peaches were practically banned in the stadium and Bodhi wasn't really in a position to test their Luck otherwise.

Ham Song's reaction to the performance was so strong, it made Bodhi wonder how Anari was coping through all of this. There was no way for them to check on her. Not without them risking her neck and their own. The monk figured that if the spider wanted to schedule another meeting, she would seek them out. Not the other way around.

Everything about this tournament was throwing spirits off.

Especially what happened next.

"It seems that we have our first forfeiture of the day, ladies and gentlemen. Sun Yong Kid is saying his farewells to the competition."

Sun Seven snickered and crossed his arms. "Well would'ja look at that, Sifu."

Bodhi got to their feet and braced the edge of the aisle.

"You have got to be kidding me!" They hissed, wishing now more than ever that they could have one – just one shot of warm liquor to calm these nerves.

And if that wasn't bad enough, that overly empathetic monkey king of theirs was actually chasing after Sun Yong Kid after he walked off the field.

"Oh," Seven followed Sun Ritsu's path with his finger, "Take a look at that. What do you think Ritsu's going to say to the little guy?"

Bodhi spoke through a tense jaw. "I don't know, but if he gets him to come back to the competition, great. On the other hand, if his dumb ass gets penalized for leaving his seat, I'm going to let him have it."

Even though Bodhi was prepared for one of Ham Song's shrill eruptions, they still found it aggravating when it actually happened.

"Come back??? Why in the world would we want that insufferable child to come back to the competition?"

Bodhi refused to answer the pig, choosing to smush their face in the center of their palm and moan quietly into it.

Thankfully, Seven saved the monk from having to explain.

"Come on, Hambro." The monkey snapped his fingers. "The more contestants that go ahead of our champion, the more he has time to charge up his qi. Yeesh. It's like you've got paternal blinders on when it comes to Sun Ritsu."

Ham Song grumbled something about having more contestants regardless was worse, but Bodhi wasn't in the mood to argue with him.

The monk was simply relieved to see Ritsu jogging back to the roped off section. No one flagged him. Probably because they were too preoccupied with the sudden forfeiture. Unfortunately, it looked as though Ritsu wasn't able to get Sun Yong Kid to return with him.

According to Sun Surina's joyful voice booming through the speakers, Sun Terra the Earthbound Sage was up next.

After Sun Yong Kid finished bowing before the judges and the audience, Ritsu simply couldn't stay put. He had to say something to the poor kid. During Sun Tie Quan's performance, Yong Kid's nerves seemed to send him over the edge.

The words that the young sun clone spoke to the judges echoed in Ritsu's head as he caught up to him.

You see, I don't deserve to be standing here with these other champions. Their abilities far surpass my own, and I see that now. I cannot lie to myself any longer. Thank you for the opportunity, but I have to go now.

"Yong Kid! Yong Kid!" Ritsu shouted over and over as he got closer, but the young contender pretended like he couldn't hear him.

Finally, Ritsu stopped to catch his breath. Yong Kid kept calmly walking away down the concrete corridor.

"Hey." Ritsu tried one more time. "...Little Genius."

Sun Yong Kid stopped. He turned slowly, his dome-cut hair rippling over skeptical eyebrows.

"What do you want, old man?"

Ritsu didn't know why he felt so confident about what he said next.

"You shouldn't give up. Not without showing them what you're made of first."

Yong Kid handed off his staff over to his red prehensile tail.

"Oh. Like you plan to?" He placed his hand on his hips, his staff doing rotations in the background. "You went really hard yesterday, you know. Was it all an accident or did you actually mean to embarrass me?"

Despite his defiant pose, there was some kind of battle playing out in Yong Kid's expression. His unsettlement was clashing against his curiosity.

"Honestly," Ritsu shrugged, "it just sort of slipped out."

Our hero meant for that to ease Yong Kid's insecurities, but it only seemed to annoy him further.

The young champion rolled his eyes. "Great. Well, I have nothing that can slip out of me so nice and easy, no matter how much I may want it to or how hard I've trained. I'm just not there yet."

But then! Then — Dear Traveler — the Little Genius shot Sun Ritsu another defiant glare. This one was different from the ones before. The look in Yong Kid's eyes told Ritsu that he had not lost his strength of will.

Checkmarks of light followed the swerve of the monkey's eyes as he passed his staff over his shoulders with fresh zeal.

"And for the record..."

Somewhere in the background Ritsu heard the sound of sharp knives coming together with a clang.

"I am not giving up." Sun Yong Kid was smiling now. "I'll be back to fight all of you someday. When I'm ready."

Ritsu, who was smiling as well, nodded. "Okay. One last thing?"

The Little Genius had already started walking away again. He called back over his shoulder, "What is it, old man?"

"My name is Sun Ritsu."

Sunlight broke through the gaps in the hallway, using the monkey's jade earring to cast fine lasers against the shadows. Somehow the lemon lime streaks on his jacket seemed more vibrant, more cool than when Yong Kid first took notice.

The young sun clone asked, "Where did you learn to make food like that, Sun Ritsu?"

Ritsu blinked. "You? You tried one of my burgers?"

"Yeah." The younger monkey king's gaze was far away and peacefully resigned. He whispered, "I wish I hadn't."

{{Otherwise he wouldn't be walking away from the tournament, Ri-kun.}}

Ritsu didn't need the Golden-Hooped Rod to clarify this. He got the gist of Yong Kid's sense of defeat on his own.

Answering the boy's initial question, Ritsu said, "I learned this past season at a place called the Lunch Hero."

Yong Kid seemed satisfied with this. "Sun Ritsu of the Lunch Hero. Okay. See ya around."

And that was the end of the Little Genius's time at Sevenfold Peach. For now.