“It went on forever. I didn’t understand! We weren’t actually going in circles, were we?”
“Isn’t he a Wild Cultivator? Don’t they commune with trees or something?”
Alex just smiled at the mutters of his fellow students, eyes on their master alone.
Bang Jiao gazed at Alex for long, quiet moments before abruptly chuckling. “A ward of that caliber, given away by a couple jostling branches and the sensitive ears of a Ruidian. Ah, the Fox is having his jests with us today. Clearly!”
This pronouncement earned Zhu Bi more than a few hard stares, more than one young cultivator wondering aloud why it had been Alex and not Zhu Bi that had picked up on the dancing of the leaves.
Her eyes widened, and she seemed to burrow into Yingpei’s arms. His gaze turned hard, the playful banter of a well-to-do young scion replaced by the cold-eyed glare of a cultivator trained for battle, however luxurious his trappings had been. “If you have a problem with Zhu Bi, you have a problem with me.” He unsheathed his jian with the speed and grace of a skilled Bronze, revealing his bright silver talisman as well. “Do any of you wish to give challenge?”
“That will not be necessary, Yingpei,” castigated Bang Jiao. “And none of you children will be accepting duels with live steel in hot blood within my quarter!”
Yingpei paled, quickly lowering his head and sheathing his blade. “It will be as you say, Master Bang Jiao.”
“Of course it will,” the man scoffed, hard eyes now focused upon a frightened Zhu Bi. “Tell me, girl, where did you grow up?”
“In the city, master.” Her voice was little more than a whisper.
Bang Jiao nodded understandingly. “Your father owns several pieces of property and one of the nicer inns in the city below. He married your mother after your eldest brother was born, and the pair have doted on you and your siblings all your lives; is that not so?”
She flushed in acute embarrassment. “How did you… yes, master. Our life was sweeter than anyone has a right to expect; it’s just that…”
“You and your sisters had to hide your true natures, at least when helping to run the inn. Your brothers could live as they pleased, for kitsune blood only manifests in female offspring, save for your ultimate sire. Is that not so?”
She swallowed and nodded.
“And never would your father or mother allow you or your sisters to leave the block you grew up on without your brothers serving as escort, let alone ever daring the wilds beyond. Because until just a handful of years ago…”
“It was not safe for us to do so.”
Bang Jiao regarded her kindly. “And thus life and circumstances has gifted you with ears acutely attuned to the needs of inn and tavern. I have no doubt that you could sense an irate customer by the way he clangs his fork, let alone hear a cry for ale, even asleep in your private quarters in the busiest hours of the night.”
Zhu Bi’s flush deepened. Then she smiled, bowing low. “Forgive me for not recalling before, my lord. My father now only uses finest silver with our upper room guests, and pewter for our patrons below.”
This earned her a snort. “That’s neither here nor there, child, and I’m surprised you recall even that much. You were only five at the time, and your hearing impressed me even then.”
“The fork didn’t sound right, Master Bang Jiao.”
He positively beamed at that, before turning his focus on the rest of the class. “You see? Brilliant, capable, with a sharp memory, who could run her future husband’s household, inn, or growing mercantile empire with aplomb and acumen.”
The young merchant cultivator holding Zhu Bi so tightly blushed at those words.
Bang Jiao’s gaze then hardened. “And if you fools think to blame her, as city-bred as any of you, for not spotting details no one has before, then you will have failed far more grievously than you could possibly have otherwise!”
“But how was the Ruidian able to sense the trees? Is he part kitsune too?” asked one of the younger students, still catching her breath, her gaze more curious than anything else.
“He’s a wild Ruidian,” spat Dineng, gently putting down the injured student he had picked up, despite his harsh glare. “More feral than not. No doubt pure animal cunning let him slip through the trees.”
Zhang chuckled darkly. “He probably is. But that didn’t stop him or you from playing the heroes, picking up our three weakest aspirants before the wolves could feast.”
For some reason, Dineng flushed at that. “I’m no hero,” he said. Then his cheeks reddened all the more when the girl he had rescued went up on her tippy toes and pecked his cheek before dashing off for a group of girls in the back of the group. The cluster began exchanging whispers and squeals that, for a moment, reminded Alex so much of high school, despite the fact that each of those young, mostly college-age girls were already strong and skilled enough to take on pretty much any HEMA fencer back on Earth. Or at least the Earth he remembered.
Bang Jiao grinned. “However he did it, the Ruidian broke through. And out of all of you, only a handful stopped to rescue your own. The rest of you were so filled with terror for a couple smiling fools beyond these borders that you ran like panicked sheep, bleating helplessly before the slaughter.”
His smile faded. Cold, hard eyes locked with their own. “How does it feel to know that you’re cowards? How does it feel to know that all you can do is run?”
Alex let the admonishment wash over him, noting the way some aspirants’ faces mottled with suppressed frustration, resentment, or deep-seated shame.
“What choice do we have? If we had stopped… those monsters, those wolves… could have destroyed us,” said Jing Le.
The elder regarded her soberly. “Yes, in all probability they could have forced submission matches and shattered multiple bones before you had a chance to even cry yield.” He gave a slow nod. “But running like panicked cowards for a sanctuary, especially one that will only be yours for a time, assures that the battle is already lost. Were this war, and not the lessons of a cultivation academy, most of you would already be dead.”
“So what are we supposed to do?” the trembling girl sobbed, somehow with Alex’s arm now wrapped around her. “If my hero hadn’t saved me…” she paled and swallowed. “I don’t even want to think about what they might have done to me.”
The elder’s gaze hardened. “Some attacks are not permitted under any circumstances. None of you are fools. You know exactly what I mean.” He gave a sad shake of his head. “But anything is possible during war, when enemies come for your family, or yourself.”
Bang Jiao turned toward five men approaching, wearing attire much like his own, yet with no insignia. Their hair was done in topknots, their light grey half-robes rustling in the breeze. They had the bearing of soldiers, stopping and half-bowing before him as one.
Bang Jiao nodded in return, then turned back to his students. “You all know the taste of fear and shame that comes with helplessness. Of knowing that you are and will always be at your enemies’ mercy. Having to fear incurring their slightest displeasure.”
“But master, we already…”
He raised his hand before Zhang could speak further.
“You knew it in your head. But now you feel it with your soul. When you wake up in a cold sweat just before dawn, knowing your enemies are eager to feast upon your pain and fear, only then you will begin to understand those terrible truths in a way that demands to be acknowledged.”
His eyes blazed. “Demands to be vindicated! Each of you has already received your first elemental treatise. I expect you to read through them until the moon is at its ascension tonight. Study them carefully. Look closely at the diagrams. Do your utmost to grasp the patterns of spiritual energy described within.”
Fierce eyes met their own. “And should your attention ever flag or wane, you need merely recall the hungry smiles of the hunters who took such delight in your fear, so like wolves in truth, so eager to feast upon all your efforts a
nd hard work. Remember that they desire nothing more than to break you so many times that you are forced to surrender yourselves, body and soul, baring their neck before them as if you were nothing more than their servants by the time you are finally kicked out of this school as worthless trash, having failed Risen Phoenix, and yourselves, so utterly.”
This declaration was met by angry hisses and whispers, their mentor flashing a satisfied smile when their outrage finally transcended their fear.
“Starting tomorrow, my assistants will be teaching you what you are most eager to learn. What all of you secretly yearn for, now, more than ever, after coming so close to enduring the loving ministrations of the predators all around.”
“And what would that be, master?” asked one of the girls.
Bang Jiao’s smile widened. “How to strike with killing intent, of course, as you strive to master the most basic of all Cultivation attacks. Summoning the essence of your element and using it to smash your enemies to dust!”
Bang Jiao turned to the five men waiting patiently before him, hands behind their backs. Alex then noted the five mannequins of wood, covered in bronze lamellar and helms, that had been placed just behind the gray-robed men.
“But first, I think a demonstration is in order, so you can appreciate the results that diligence and hard work can bring to each and every one of you.” Bang Jiao nodded at the closest disciple. “Cao. First with fist, then with fire.”
The keen-eyed man of average build, who nonetheless radiated a potent, fiery vitality, solemnly nodded before pivoting around and unleashing a simultaneous spinning back fist and shout as he struck his target.
The bronze lamellar clanged, and the wooden mannequin rocked back on what looked to be a steel spring mounted on the metal plate at its base. Alex frowned, having no doubt that the test mannequins were both heavy and bulky, and had to have been brought over by a storage device of some kind.
Perception check made!
The punch, though powerful, wasn’t anything extraordinary, and was at about the level of a Rank 1 Bronze, or 20 Strength and Quickness. Certainly more than enough to win any Earthly martial arts competitions, but not so superhuman that it could punch through metal. And the smirks and cynical whispers all around Alex made it clear he wasn’t the only one who had come to that conclusion.
“Now, Cao.”
Qi Perception check made!
Alex blinked, suddenly sensing the buildup of Fire Qi within the man’s shimmering fist, as well as a shield of swirling flame about a foot and a half in diameter forming in his offhand.
When the cultivator lashed out a second time, the mannequin’s armor exploded in fire and shattered lamellae plates.
This earned a number of whistles, even some applause, though the cultivator remained stone-faced, and Alex couldn’t help but note how at least a couple tiles had bounced back toward him, though they had been deflected by the spinning shield of flame.
As to how strong the shield was, and whether it could deflect anything more than an off-angle tile, that was no doubt secondary to the fierce burns any unarmored cultivator would receive, daring to test the shield’s limits.
Qi Discipline Flame Fist witnessed. 5% Comprehension achieved.
Qi Discipline Fire Shield witnessed. 3% Comprehension achieved.
Alex was filled with a frisson of awe and delight upon receiving those messages, only then realizing how long it had been since he had been able to benefit from any instruction, save what his own personal insights earned him while mastering the few skills he knew, or surviving one perilous encounter after another. But here, just like with his old friends Liu Li and Liu Jian, he was finally being taught the basic fundamentals in a proper fashion!
Even if it was just a single careful demonstration by one disciple after another, going through all five of the most basic of all elemental Qi attacks and defenses, it was still a boon he hadn’t received in quite some time, and he was beyond grateful to receive it. Each of the demonstrators struck their mannequins with powerful blows before striking at each other, though it was closer to randori performed for the class’s benefit than it was any true contest.
But still, in terms of showing the wide-eyed aspirants what it actually meant to use those techniques in battle, even if relegated to the most basic of strikes and parries, the displays were of such profound value that no one dared do more than take the shallowest of breaths, lest the spell of the performance end too abruptly.
The brilliant flashes of Qi when various elements encountered those that bore creative or destructive cycles with their counterparts added another dimension of complexity and excitement to the performance, though Alex couldn’t help but wonder if it was his enhanced Qi Perception alone that allowed him to spot the flows of spiritual energy so well.
Whatever the case, by the time the performance was done, he had achieved a full 20% or higher comprehension of each of the ten basic attacks and counters they had shown, and he silently appreciated the opportunity to study how elements interacted with each other as well.
And just as quickly as it had begun it ended, all five disciples bowing to their master before turning an about-face and exiting the aspirant’s corner entirely, though leaving the self-repairing mannequins behind.
“So, what did we learn today, class?”
“That trained disciples hit with killing force?” said Jing Le.
“That we’d best train with absolute diligence, so we might one day wield similar power,” said Yingpei, the merchant squeezing Zhu Bi’s hand as he spoke up.
“That we have before us the chance to learn skills that will one day allow us to defend ourselves and those we love. Skills which are just the first steps in understanding what it truly means to be cultivators able to master the elements and ourselves,” declared Zhu Bi, squeezing Yingpei’s hand in turn.
Alex grinned when the pair exchanged smiles, both completely ignoring the snickers and sighs that even their modest display of affection earned them.
“There was more than that,” Zhang noted. “For all that fire looked deadly as hell, Disciple Cao’s fist completely fizzled out when it came into contact with a Water Shield.”
Dineng snorted. “That’s because Water triumphs against flame.”
“But only sometimes,” Jing Le said. “Because I watched that fight very closely too. And even though Water should be able to drill right through Fire’s defenses, the Cao didn’t look any worse than if had been splashed by hot water when his opponent tried to punch through his shield.”
Bang Jiao gave an impressed nod. “Well spotted, Jing Le. You are indeed right. There is a natural flow to the elements, Metal poisoning Wood just as Water will best Fire. But the currents of the natural order can be bent and manipulated by those with the knack, and the rules of the natural world need not always hold sway over the results of a single match.
“Whether it’s using Fire to cleave the Qi strands holding a Water Drill in focus, or using Wood Resin to gum up a sharp steel blade, even the most disadvantaged element can successfully counter that which it is weakest toward, assuming you are savvy, smart, and can perfectly read your opponent.”
This earned a number of thoughtful nods.
Their mentor chuckled good-naturedly. “Of course, in nine out of ten situations, crushing an enemy’s elemental focus with its counterpart to is the absolute best way to go. But in actual battle, no one gets to choose their strengths or a potential enemy’s weaknesses, only how best to use their strengths and even their own weaknesses to best advantage.”
“But when it comes to challenges…” said Dineng, glaring at Alex.
Bang Jiao nodded. “Correct. You will profit and prosper by challenging those with a weakness to your own strengths and avoiding those particularly strong against Earth.”
23
Alex felt the weight of Dineng’s glare throughout the dinner they all shared back in the mess hall but refused to let it phase him, mentally reviewing each of the martial technique
s he had witnessed during the demonstration. He grew eager for the lessons that would soon allow him to control shields of all five basic elements, and punch with the same hot fury that had once allowed his enemy Lai Wei to do so much damage. Best of all, these were techniques that he could openly use and seek to master without revealing a single one of his trump cards, and he had no doubt that mastery of each of those basic elemental techniques, and whatever else he could learn, would only help him advance as a cultivator.
“So, what did you think of those demonstrations?” asked a perky-looking Zhu Bi, devouring her food beside a smiling Yingpei.
“I think those attacks looked pretty damned effective, even against armor-covered targets. They’ll definitely be useful skills to have,” the young merchant noted, plucking a savory piece of whitefish from the shared plate between the three of them with his chopsticks and grinning at Zhu Bi’s pout.
“I wanted that piece!” she huffed.
Yingpei grinned. “I’ll make it up to you later. Promise.”
Her eyes widened. She blushed slightly, then flashed a wicked smile. “Oh, I know you will, merchant boy,” she purred, laughing at his flummoxed expression.
Yingpei Lin looked desperate for a change of conversation. “So, what did you think of the display, Alex?”
“Impressive. Particularly those shields. Being able to summon a disk of defensive Qi at will, whatever the element, might come in very useful if attacked unexpectedly, or when dealing with a flight of arrows.” Alex shook his head with a rueful chuckle. “But from what our master was saying, all of you received martial treatises already, whereas I managed to get hoodwinked by a librarian who hates my kind and lost an hour or two, somehow; I’m betting to an hourglass designed to run slow.” He gave a frustrated shake of his head, hating to admit that he had been doubly played by that smirking bastard, for all that the librarian’s code required he give honest advice if pressed.
Yingpei gave a sympathetic nod when Alex filled them in on what exactly had happened. “It never feels good to lose coin or opportunity, but if nothing else, you are far wiser now than you were a few hours ago.”
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior’s Path Page 34