Piercing Strike successfully penetrates Flame Shield!
Qi Deflection fails to counter Flame Shield. Your back is on fire! Medium Wound suffered.
Power Healing engaged!
Cao snarled and cursed, his white-hot, fiery shield blazing with his ire as he flooded his ward while stumbling up to a crouch.
“You’ll pay for that, you damned—”
Find Weakness skill check made!
Piercing Strike successfully penetrates Flame Shield!
You have caught your opponent flatfooted. You have critically struck your opponent!
The crack of shattered bone rang through the suddenly breathless training ring. Cao’s voice was abruptly cut off by the spinning heel kick that slammed into the base of his jaw, sending the man crumpling to the dark green grass, now speckled with his blood.
It hadn’t been Black Swan, but the roaring surge of Water and Steel Qi that had whipped right through Alex had been a devastating echo of that very attack, slamming through the man’s meridians and rupturing any remaining wards that Alex’s Piercing Strike hadn’t already cleaved through, as his heel shattered bone and sent Cao flopping to the ground. And perhaps Alex's greatly improved Finesse, Quickness, and Strength meant that he had hit far harder than he had originally intended.
“Match is over!” Zha Shi roared. “Alex, step back now!”
But Alex had already taken three steps back before giving a respectful bow to his fallen opponent. “This one thanks his instructor for helping him to better master his techniques.”
The respectful tribute earned no response at all from the groaning Cao, who lay clutching a shattered jaw. The other aspirants’ hushed, animated whispers washed over Alex as he stifled a sudden groan, only now registering the pain he felt. His back was a throbbing mass of agony as he stumbled forward, belatedly realizing that his flashy kick had nearly fried his leather boot to a crisp.
"How the hell did he move so fast!? He wasn't that fast before, was he?"
“Did you see that footwork? I’ve never seen a student whip his leg around like that before.”
“I’m surprise Cao’s ward didn’t burn that fool’s foot to ash.”
“It almost did; look at his boot!”
“That idiot’s hair is on fire. Why doesn’t he do something?”
“I can’t believe he flipped Instructor Cao on his back like that. That Flame Ward should have killed him!”
“It almost did. Look at his back! The Ruidian already ruined himself for pride. The minute he collapses, I doubt he’ll be able to move without pain for weeks.”
“But look at his fists. He punched and grabbed Cao barehanded before flipping him over. His hands don’t have a scratch!”
Alex forced a pain-filled smile onto his features while his classmates debated between themselves as to whether the fight marked him as a genius or a fool. Most decided on the latter, and with the way Alex’s back was screaming at him, he was halfway inclined to agree.
“With your permission, Master Zha Shi?”
The man looked up from where he had bent to inspect Cao, harsh eyes widening as he took in the extent of Alex’s injuries. “Your hair’s still on fire, boy.”
“So I gathered.”
The man snorted, glaring at a snickering Dineng, and Alex tried not to flinch at the barrel of cold water being poured over his head.
“Just helping out my singed kung fu brother,” Dineng said with a half-mocking laugh.
Alex grimaced. “Thanks. I think.”
Zha Shi gave a soft chuckle. “I think we just filled our front-line fighter quota. But even the savviest warriors will fall before their time if they insist on playing the fool. Dineng, escort our young halfwit here to the Blue Pagoda. And make it clear that any challenge offered before he is back to full health will be answered in kind by me. Cao will be joining him momentarily.”
“Of course, Master,” agreed a suddenly deferential Dineng.
Alex’s heart lurched, practically tasting the peril beyond this sanctuary. He wasn't quite sure what was meant by ‘quota,’ but he was certain that the backhanded kindness might just spell his doom. “This lowly aspirant thanks you for concern that I am clearly less than worthy to receive, for having so adroitly played the fool in my search for enlightenment, as you yourself said. But I think I’ll be fine with a quick change of clothes and a hair ring.”
Alex couldn’t help wincing and stepping back under the man’s penetrating stare.
“You were foolish to use unproven techniques against an Adept of flame, Alex. Right now, you’re paying a price in burns for whatever flickers of illumination you might have achieved. Don’t compound your folly by turning this humble lesson into a lifetime’s regret. Scarred flesh too long gone without healing will then be inured to healers, and will gift you in turn with nothing, aside from unending stiffness and pain. You’ll also be worth considerably less in the eyes of any officer seeking elite candidates for his units. Believe me, that's not something you want to pass up on, should such an opportunity come your way. You'd be surprised at just how far a talented cultivator who proves himself to his betters can go in the military, boy. Rank, prestige, privilege, and an absolute fortune to your name, once you've completed your fifty."
Zha Shi crossed his imposing arms, flashing a grim smile. “I’ll say this, at least. The madness you embraced would have saved your life, had you truly been fighting for it. But to put yourself in added peril of permanent injury, now that the bout is over, is idiocy free of any redeeming virtue at all. It does nothing but lower your value in the eyes of the world.”
Alex bowed his head, nerves blazing with a mixture of fiery pain and profound relief, which he did his best to hide. “This lowly aspirant promises that if he does not feel better on the morrow, he will head to the Blue Pagoda first thing in the morning.”
Zha Shi’s expression made it clear that he still thought Alex was being a fool, but all he said was, “So be it, boy. You obviously like to gamble with your life as much as the Fox, and you’ve been damned lucky so far. But I’m sure you know what happens to cultivators who depend upon luck to see them through constant folly.”
Alex cracked a bleak smile. “I can imagine.”
He wasted no words after that, plodding back to his sanctuary as fast as his feet could take him. He’d slipped off his boots, so his walking was even, anxious to get out of sight for reasons other than those his classmates might suspect, no matter that their pitying gazes made their own thoughts clear.
“Damn fool overextended. I’ll bet those burns will never heal on their own.”
“If he’s just had a breakthrough, he certainly doesn't look it. It’s only a matter of time before someone challenges him for everything he’s worth, after this.”
He didn’t even bother miming looking around when he got to his pagoda, Qi Perception making it clear that no cultivator was hiding in the trees nearby, looking to force a challenge on him. Only then did he slip inside and shuck off his attire with an audible sigh, savoring the fierce tingling joy of Power Healing too long held off. Finally, he was allowed to restore the ugly, charred third degree burns all over his back, the agony all but a painful memory just a double handful of seconds later.
And how he smiled at the sight of his once-more spotless changshan tunic, folded neatly upon his bed, with absolutely no trace of damage, as if it had just been freshly washed and mended. And if he hadn’t known it had been his right boot that had been charred to ash, there would be no way he could tell now, both leather boots in pristine condition once more.
Only after his physical needs had been addressed did he bother looking at the messages in his interface, both frustrated by his complete inability to access one skill, and exulting in his increasing mastery of the other.
Piercing Strike has successfully been used multiple times in martial combat against a hostile opponent! You now sense the flow of Qi, and how to rupture it, better than ever!
Congratulations, Pierc
ing Strike is now Rank 4!
Qi Deflection fails to counter Flame Fist.
Qi Deflection fails to counter Fire Shield.
He gave a rueful chuckle, pleased with how fast he was growing, and yet humbled both by how perilous the path he had chosen truly was, and by how much he still had to learn.
Closing his eyes and knowing better than to leave his pagoda that day, he spent the remainder of the afternoon meditating upon his fight and all the lessons he had learned in the White Crane manuals he had studied, hoping that by the time he finally surrendered to slumber, his understanding of Qi Deflection might finally achieve a breakthrough.
It proved to be a forlorn hope, as he lost consciousness before he was able to rejoin his thoughts to the brilliant flashes of insight that had so inspired the author of the White Crane tome he had favored. Profound revelations that, for the too-brief time he had held the manual, had been his own.
41
“Alex? Are you awake?”
Soft, tentative knocking was more than enough to snap Alex out of slumber, Qi Perception that never did completely turn off and the paranoia that comes from fighting for his life too many times having conditioned him to jolt to wakefulness upon sensing anyone deliberately closing in on him. Even the presence of a friend, barred by a door which Alex suspected no mere Silver could force open, in spite of the fact that so many considered his own Sigil weaker than even a struggling servant’s Copper.
“Zhu Bi?” murmured a groggy Alex, perking up to full coherence only after a few cycles of Eternal Fox brought him awake like a cup of his mother’s pre-test day coffee and cacao, from a lifetime ago.
He didn’t need an answer; his Qi Perception—and perhaps something else—was now so acute that he could taste her presence just as well as he could recognize her voice or her quirky smile that Yingpei so adored. The pair of them greeted him with a hot bowl of chicken and rice stew and looks of relief when he quickly opened the door to his pagoda and ushered them in, purposely not looking at the oddly-clustered shadows cloaking the pagoda walls so thoroughly as he shut the door.
“Alex, it’s good to see you on your feet and looking surprisingly hale and healthy, all things considered,” Yingpei said, still giving Alex a careful once-over, furrowing his brow when he saw no trace of even reddened or blistered skin, let alone third-degree burns underneath Alex’s fully restored changshan shirt.
“Alex, I could have sworn that… wow, you must have gained at least a dozen pounds in the week you were gone. And all of it muscle!” exclaimed a clearly approving Yingpei.
The merchant’s eyes widened as Zhu Bi placed a gentle fingertip across his lips, slowly shaking her head before turning to face Alex. “I’m glad that hot-headed Cao’s flames didn’t singe your shirt or your hair nearly as badly as we had thought.”
Alex couldn’t help grinning at that. “Good thing I have a wonderful tailor. This shirt was made so well that with a quick wash, pretty much everything comes right out.”
Zhu Bi shared his grin. “Somehow, I’m not surprised.” Her gaze softened. “Alex, are sure you’re alright?”
He nodded. “More than alright, now that my friends are here.”
“But Alex, how is it that you—“
Yingpgei wilted under his girl’s glare, but Alex just waved his hand.
“It’s alright. If it helps, I managed to procure a handful of ridiculously potent healing potions from players who have no business associating with this school. Those red potions can heal almost anything, but you’ll scream for the pain the forced healing causes you. But considering the alternative…” He shrugged.
Yingpei squeezed his lover’s hand, but his serious gaze didn’t waver. “And is that how you recovered? That's the secret to your remarkable, well... transformation?”
Alex stared calmly back. “I think you already know the answer to that.”
His friend peered intently at Alex for long moments, and for the first time that Alex could recall, he refused to take an increasingly anxious Zhu Bi’s hints, alarmed and strangely apologetic eyes now darting Alex’s way.
As if she feared Alex’s ire.
As if she might actually fear him.
“Alex?”
“Yes, Yingpei?”
“Will you teach me?”
Zhu Bi stiffened, eyes widening even further.
Alex met his friend’s intent gaze, finally acknowledging the fierce intensity beneath the gentle bonhomie that marked their friendship, already knowing what his answer would be.
"I'm afraid I can't teach you my Dual Path. Not unless you possess affinities matching my own." He smiled to take the sting out of his words. "But if you're looking for the secrets to recover from almost any injury imaginable? That, I would be more than happy to teach you both."
The surprised look of relief and gratitude that Zhu Bi gave Alex warmed him almost as much as Yingpei’s grateful smile, his friend bowing low and deep.
“Is that something you two would be interested in learning?”
Zhu Bi's cheeks flushed. “I… yes, by the Fox’s silver tails, I would love nothing more!” She gulped as soon as the words left her mouth, gazing down almost guiltily at her lover. “I mean…”
Alex turned a sad smile her way. “Sadly, WiFu has no tails at the moment, but I think he would appreciate the sentiment. He did give them up for you and your sisters, after all.”
And now it was Alex flushing as his friends blanched, gazing at him so strangely. “I mean… let’s begin. Now, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Are you both versed in Golden Realms Meridian Restoration Techniques?”
He was almost surprised by the pair of mutual nods. “Excellent! Okay, Eternal Fox Unified Cultivation Technique is actually rooted in that discipline, among many others. Now, I want you to visualize the flow of breath and spiritual energy flowing deep, deep into your lungs, slowly percolating through your blood into the tiniest capillaries, and from there into the smallest parts of your body, called cells, in my language. And from there… yes, Zhu Bi?”
Surprised eyes gazed into Alex’s own. “Wait! Your technique is called Eternal Fox Unified Cultivation Technique? As in…”
He grinned and nodded. “Exactly.”
“But a unified technique? Alex, who taught you this? Who would dare name a technique after the god of mischief?” Her eyes widened. “No lesser cultivator would dare be so presumptuous as to claim Unification of anything. And any Gold capable of the feat would be so staunchly aligned to one of the patron lords of disciplined order that…” she paled. “Alex, you’re not saying…”
Alex shook his head. “Nope, WiFu didn’t forge this discipline, though he did give a few pointers.”
Once again, he winced into the sudden dead silence. “Guys, the title isn’t really that important. What’s important are the breakthroughs in healing that the system incorporates.”
“Alex?”
“Yes, Zhu Bi?”
“Who the hell wrote it?”
“Does it matter?”
The young kitsune looked a bit flummoxed.
Yingpei furrowed his brow. “Alex, do you even know who wrote it?”
Alex sighed, gazing intently at his friends. “You’re a merchant, Yingpei. You tell me what matters more: the pedigree of your goods, or the quality of their manufacture?”
His friend blinked. “That’s hardly the same thing, Alex; I think…”
Alex held out his hand, “If you wouldn’t mind?”
Yingpei looked down at where Alex was pointing, brow furrowing, but didn’t hesitate to unsheathe his jian. “Alex… Alex, what are you doing?!”
The merchant’s shout of alarm might have been enough to jolt the entire Aspirant’s Quarter awake, if Zhu Bi’s shadows hadn’t muffled sound as well as sight. Even so, the look of astonished horror upon her delicate features made it clear that she had been caught off-guard as well when Alex slashed open his wrist.
“Now that I think of it, perhaps the best way to tea
ch you guys the basics is a hands-on demonstration. Since I don’t have my tome on me at the moment, I think the best way to use Spiritual Teacher would be communing as a group. Please accept my invites?”
“Alex, you’re bleeding all over!” cried an aghast Yingpei.
Zhu Bi was actually trembling, immediately falling into dogeza before Alex but not saying a word.
Alex frowned. “Well? Accept the invites! Power Healing aside, spurting blood like this isn’t really good for me, if I don’t staunch the flow.”
And just a second later, he got the messages he had been waiting for.
Target saves versus confusion. Spiritual link established. Communication inferred as emotional impulse. Yingpei Lin has now joined your party. Cognitive link established!
Zhu Bi has accepted Party Invite! Zhu Bi is now a part of your party!
skill check bio-markers detected. Jordian bio-markers detected. Terran bio-markers detected.
Telepathic neuroclusters interpreted as Spirit Qi affinity detected! Target’s neuro-network meshes perfectly with interface link! Target’s neuro-network meshes perfectly with your own! Nucleic imprint analyzed.
Congratulations, you have found a direct descendant of a previous incarnation! Experience earned! You have unlocked a hidden quest: Discover Your Roots! How many other direct descendants of your previous incarnations can you find? (Note: It is advised that your form a party with any prospective future mates before awkwardness ensues!)
For a heartbeat, Alex was as stunned as Zhu Bi and Yingpei, as the snarky voice of his interface washed over them all, a voice that could only be WiFu’s, although it sounded nothing like the deity of mischief and change.
Then he firmly pushed away thoughts which he really didn’t want to deal with at that moment, realizing he was still losing an awful lot of blood.
“Alright, now I want you both to focus on the flow of blood spurting from my arm. Looks pretty gruesome, doesn’t it? But it’s a clean cut, thanks to Yingpei’s razor-sharp and expertly maintained masterwork blade, and the damaged vasculature requires nothing more than some extremely fine-tuned cellular sewing to see me good as new.”
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior’s Path Page 58