“That’s entirely your choice,” Alex agreed, reflexively raising his hand. “And I won’t hear a word beyond that. Because if it’s not your choice, then it’s more a loan than a gift, and a loan, that most certainly is not. After all, I don’t even know what’s in there.”
Zhu Bi grinned. “Well, we will certainly be gifting you with delicious wild boar stew at the very least. See you soon, Alex.”
With final waves they were off and Alex smiled fondly at their backs, grateful that at least he didn’t have to worry about enemies striking at him through them, thanks to their silver talismans and Zhu Bi’s shadowy gifts. Which meant that he could focus on bettering himself without distraction, already painfully aware that one bad stumble might be all it took to end his stay at this school.
If not his life.
32
Alex had thought he was on the cusp of some ephemeral flash of insight just beyond his grasp. The concept continued teasing him with hints of transcendent possibilities… a clue in how to manipulate his deadliest attacks that he had heretofore kept so close to his chest, like never before.
Yet all that changed when he picked up the treatise delving into the element of Metal. He dared to glimpse the author’s understanding of Steel Fist, trapped in fierce, tight bands of metal that squeezed him in terrible, painful ways, before finally breaking free.
Incompatible Striking Technique detected!
Spiritual Student skill check failed!
You are temporarily stunned.
You have suffered mild meridian strain!
Lower Dantian suffers no significant Damage.
You have embraced Eternal Fox Unified Cultivation Technique!
Meridian strain fully repaired.
Lower Dantian remains in Pristine Condition.
Alex lurched back with a cry, an immediate blinding headache almost incapacitating, though not as terrifying as the sudden sharp pain he felt in his Lower Dantian. Dreading what it could mean, he immediately sank into a meditative pose, embracing the restoration technique that was at the heart of the discipline he had forged. He was relieved to feel seared peripheral channels healing themselves surprisingly quickly, and the strain to his Lower Dantian, thankfully mild, was rapidly easing and fading to nothing.
He took a deep, shuddering breath, frowning down at the thin tome he had tossed aside, realizing what a fool he had been. He had been achieving breakthroughs at such breakneck speeds because he had been doing the equivalent of riding a metaphoric bike downhill, reveling in ever-greater velocity. Because he didn’t just read the treatises and ponder their lessons, slowly seeking to master them over a period of weeks or months. Instead, For a few brief hours, he would become one with those masters. Their ideas, their insights, and all the revelations they had tried so hard to convey in their writings, Alex immediately comprehended as if they had been his own. All thanks to his Spiritual Student skill, working very much like Spiritual Teacher had when he had taught Hao Chan and Hao Yin so much, so quickly, during a mystic carriage ride that had seemed to stretch weeks into years, their bodies not aging a single day.
Of course he knew he was taking a risk, and he might have hit a tiny bump in the road once before, but this had been the equivalent of a near head-on collision.
Only now did he appreciate how truly perilous this path he dared was. Like racing full speed in a fog. A glorious rush, until he crashed and burned.
And his greatest peril was clearly made of Metal. A freight train of steel that could so easily have destroyed him. Alex winced, viscerally recalling the sharp pain in his Lower Dantian of just minutes before, akin to the last time he and Hao Chan had kissed just a bit too deeply for far too long, signaling the first steps to the most wondrous of dances which Silver Swan made impossible to embrace without peril, until they had both reached Silver in truth.
For until their foundations were wrapped tightly in cords of Silver, they would always be in peril, with Lower Dantians shifted to allow for the deadliest of sweeping kicks, channeling a fusion of Water and liquid Steel Qi to such devastating effect that any defense below Silver would instantly shatter when used with Alex’s penultimate attack. He knew even Silver wards would buckle beneath his blows when he finally ascended that far himself, and there was potentially no limit to what he could cleave through, dare he channel the ultimate expression of Water and Death, the River of Souls itself.
But daring to embrace that forbidden path had come at a steep cost.
There were some techniques he could now never safely learn.
All Alex had to do was close his eyes and remember the agony he had felt, to sense that truth. The sheer incompatibility of having temporarily melded with the memories of a man who had used Metal Qi with such direct, rigid force. It was a paradigm in direct opposition to the way in which Metal Qi now flowed for Alex, perpetually joined with Water Qi in a way that embraced lethal sharpness only as it struck. This was a truth that resonated through his meridian channels and most especially through his Lower Dantian.
Now Alex hesitated to open either Metal Treatise. He had grown so used to sensing the spiritual imprint and hidden meaning behind the words that he now feared he couldn’t just read the words if he tried.
He shook his head with a rueful chuckle, knowing this was something he would have to overcome.
Just then, he heard a quiet knock on his door. Qi Perception’s ping, or lack thereof, made it obvious who was just beyond, and Alex quickly opened it to find a grinning Zhu Bi, carefully cloaked in Shadow.
“Here you are, Alex. A pot of chicken and rice, and a bowl of whitefish stew.”
Alex blinked, confused. “Really? I thought…”
“Someone made it for you special.”
Alex grinned at that, earning a smile in return from the sleek young kitsune gazing at him with gentle eyes which had begun to fill with concern.
“Alex, are you alright? You smell… I mean, you look stressed.” She gave his arm a reassuring squeeze as soon as she had put the dishes full of delicious-smelling food upon the finely crafted hardwood table which Alex had moved, along with the chairs, against the far wall to assure himself plenty of space to practice basic striking techniques in.
“Are you worried about Qiang? Don’t be. Liqin herself is escorting him down to the servant’s quarters after dropping off Master Bang Jiao’s shark fin soup, and you wouldn’t believe the way that girl laughed when she found out who had put Qiang in his place!” Zhu Bi flashed an arch grin. “You should have seen the way her eyes shone when I mentioned your name. I think Liqin just might have a thing for you, Alex.”
Alex forced a smile. “I consider Liqin a good friend, just as I do you and Yingpei. And I’m glad to know that idiot Qiang will make a full recovery. I just hope Liqin keeps him away from the kitchens!”
Zhu Bi and he shared a chuckle at that.
“She’s the one who made you the chicken and rice.” She gave an astonished shake of her head. “And I thought I was fast. It seemed that within minutes of my turning around to train with Yingpei, Liqin was by my side with that same silly grin to hand me that clay pot and bowl, asking me to please make sure you got it. And don’t worry. It smells fine. I already checked.”
Alex blinked, then grinned when his friend blushed. But he said only, “Thank you, Zhu Bi. I’m sure it will hit the spot.”
She nodded. “How are your studies going?”
Alex chuckled ruefully as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I think I might have hit a roadblock.”
“Really? You?”
“Yes, really. Me. I’m hoping that some good food and a chance to meditate and sleep will help it all click tomorrow.”
Zhu Bi nodded. “I hope so as well.” She looked thoughtful, on the verge of saying something, then shook her head. “Enjoy your evening, Alex,” was all she dared before darting out the door, seemingly gone between one moment and the next.
Alex shook his head with a smile, then took full advantage of Liqin’s culinary ma
stery as he savored every bite of the delicious fare before getting back to work.
After enjoying such rapid growth with multiple elemental striking techniques, he was determined to find a way forward with Metal Qi, so long as he could do so without risking his foundation.
33
“Is this the best you can do, Alex? I had expected better from you.”
Alex groaned, feeling the weight of Bang Jiao’s heavy gaze as several fellow aspirants snickered, Cao gazing coolly at him from above.
“This one apologizes, Master,” Alex said, stumbling back to his feet, too weary to do more than summon a lesser Shield of Thorns. “But my Qi is drained.”
He wouldn’t dare quit, of course. Bang Jiao was very like Master Panheu in his absolute intolerance for weakness or failure, especially in those originally thought to hold some sort of potential.
“I know your Qi is drained. A true warrior learns to conserve his Qi, and work around his obstacles. And in real battle, there are no rest breaks. You either fight, flee, or die.”
Alex grimaced but said nothing as a critical-eyed Cao continued to circle him. He turned to keep the man in sight, more wary than ever after a good half-glass of doing his best to ward his opponent’s blows and strike in turn. He’d been sticking to Wood technique. His sense of the latest pair of Elements was still strained after hours upon hours of trying to find his way forward with Metal the night before. He had finally gotten to the point where he could read aloud the words in the treatise and at least look at the diagrams without getting pulled in while trying desperately to understand and even take notes on the underlying concepts without imprinting those concepts directly.
Because he knew that somewhere within them lay the key to adapting Steel Fist and making it his own. Somehow.
Mental Fatigue penalty in effect.
Perception check failed!
Unified martial arts skill check failed!
Your opponent has slipped past your defenses. Your opponent has yanked your shield off-line!
Your opponent has critically struck your solar plexus! Qi Absorption successfully absorbs partial damage.
You have taken one Medium Wound and twenty points of Fire damage.
You are stunned.
“Pay attention, Alex!” roared an irritated Bang Jiao.
Cao, having favored Alex with a nod of respect yesterday, if not one of equals, was now eyeing him with cold disdain, no doubt because Bang Jiao had made it clear that Alex's victory over the Adepts wouldn't just grant him a chance to attend the trials and the wondrous prizes awaiting the victors, which he had so eagerly sought, but would penalize the Adepts as well. Which was the last thing Alex had intended. That twist which Bang Jiao had added now assured that all five hard-eyed men would view Alex as just one more obstacle in their way, as opposed to a newly-risen student by which they would accrue honor from helping to nurture and guide to greatness.
And somehow, Alex could sense all that flashing across Cao's gaze. The former stiff smile that Cao had granted him, as if approving of a student whose rise would grant the Fire Adept an instructor's glory, had transformed to emotionless disdain. For he now saw Alex as direct competition, a threat to be neutralized in whatever way his honor would allow. But of course, he said nothing to that effect aloud, merely sneering and shaking his head before turning away.
“This one is done, Master Bang Jiao. Neither he nor the class will gain any further benefit from his instruction.”
Those words burned Alex almost as badly as the smoking mark on his chest, shirt completely burned through, for all that it was repairing itself before his eyes.
“Leave, Alex,” Bang Jiao said, pointing to the handful of picturesque Silver-ranked pagodas. “Rest, and don’t return until you’re focused and healed enough not to embarrass yourself or this school.”
Alex winced, lowering his gaze as his fellow cultivators snickered.
Of course it was unfair. Everyone knew that. No one, save himself, Dineng, and perhaps a few others, had even mastered one striking technique yet. And no other aspirant was expected to face the Adepts at their full strength and speed. Worse, Bang Jiao had made it clear that Wood alone would be permitted to him when he sparred with Cao.
But the truth remained that yesterday he had managed to hold his own for an extended length of time, despite that handicap.
And today? Even knowing that Bang Jiao had set the Adepts up to seek his defeat more than his education, everything had just felt completely off.
He gave a rueful chuckle. Every athlete had off-days, especially when their body was tired from trying to learn something new, or incorporating an added element to their skillset. It had been true when playing baseball, and it was perhaps even more true now.
“I’m just glad I’m not having to fight for my life today,” he thought to himself once he had entered his sanctuary, glaring daggers at the treatises he had been studying and taking notes on all night. He couldn’t help wondering if he had just compounded his folly in being so determined to transcend his own limitations that he had hardly slept a wink the night before.
Which just pounded home another truth.
If he was going to dare to take on opponents as strong as he or stronger, he needed to be well rested, utterly focused, and sure of himself and his abilities and how best to use them. Because until he achieved that…
Then he smiled.
Understanding dawned at last, in what his teacher’s words had, intentionally or unintentionally, allowed.
He could stay here, rest, train, and avoid class until he had finally balanced the puzzle of Metal.
He was almost positive that, until he felt at least a certain degree of harmony between all his elements, he would lack the focus he needed to take on Cao and acquit himself properly.
With that thought firmly in mind, he frowned at his manuals, determined only to open its covers and puzzle through the notes he had taken so far, after he finally got some rest.
You have successfully summoned Basic Water Shield! Basic Water Shield is now Rank 4!
Water Strike has successfully pierced lamellar armor! (Find Weakness skill check in play. Leather neck strap ruptured)
You have successfully summoned Shield of the Grove!
Oak Strike has successfully struck lamellar armor. Four bronze tiles rupture free of cordage!
You have successfully summoned Earthern Shield!
Stone Fist has successfully struck lamellar armor. Two bronze tiles burst!
You have successfully summoned Fire Shield!
Flame Fist has struck lamellar armor. Cloth padding bursts into flame!
Congratulations! Flame Fist is now Rank 4.
Fire Shield is now Rank 4.
An exhausted Alex took deep, panting breaths, wiping the sweat off his brow as he allowed his scraped, cracked, and bruised knuckles a chance to heal while his Qi Pool replenished itself. He gazed up into the brilliant starry night sky with a grin of fierce satisfaction.
It was the dead of night, a cool breeze caressing his sweat-covered form and wicking the heat away, for all that Eternal Fox could have easily taken care of it. For the moment, it was nice to feel like he once had, a lifetime ago: a tired varsity athlete taking fierce pride in his progress, invoking halcyon memories almost as sweet as the sheer joy of luxuriating in Olympian strength that bordered on the superhuman.
At least for this brief moment in time, in the calm, peaceful dead of night, he could glory in his growth, his Qi Perception making it clear that not even the forever-lurking Duo Ku, who really should have better things to do with his time as a Silver, was skulking around.
All was peaceful and quiet.
The perfect time for him to focus all his efforts and intensity into improving his skills.
It was only now, when no one was present, watching him, judging him, measuring him, that he felt comfortable truly pushing himself, truly testing what he was capable of. He had decided, after a supremely frustrating day and night, to use
Master Bang Jiao’s admonition to avoid classes for at least a few days to focus simply on himself, seeking to better understand the roadblock before him, and do whatever he could to overcome it. And even should mastering Metal Qi at this point be beyond him for whatever reason, nothing said he couldn’t push his mastery over the other elements to the utmost.
He turned to the Silver-ranked mannequin, seemingly made of the very element that was mocking him, reminding him of his other failing as he recalled bringing his Silver-ranked Shield of the Grove and Avalanche skills to bear.
He grimaced at the memory of the night before, when he had been struck with the impulse to wield both at the same time, thinking it would be a snap, with his shield having given him cover in a real fight, maybe even long enough to actually bring that discipline to bear.
Yet a good half-glass had earned him only frustration and a headache, though thankfully no Dantian strain at all. But that small blessing aside, it seemed that using opposing elements simultaneously was also beyond his reach, at least with this handful of disciplines, no matter what his interface said.
He glared down at his fists, determined to try it again.
So long as he didn’t get that frightful warning twinge, he was free to push himself as hard as he liked, as far as he was concerned.
He closed his eyes and concentrated, focusing on summoning the swirling power of the ancient grove that had seemed to befriend him, while still holding on to the faint, trembling whisper of an avalanche both a thousand leagues distant and yet just a memory away.
Before both elements slipped from his grasp.
They caused him no pain or discord with their parting, no Qi loss at all. It was just as if they were both sand slipping free of his fingers, and he was unable to hold on.
He cursed softly under his breath. It was undeniably hard, balancing the two opposing elements, which made no sense at all, since as far as he was concerned, Earth and Wood belonged together like nothing else.
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior’s Path Page 47