“But I couldn’t tell!”
“Of course not! Did you expect to learn how to do it immediately? Learning is a matter of repeated attempts. The more you pay attention, the faster you learn. If you are not interested in learning, I have no use for you.”
“My apologies, Elder.” Wu Ying bowed, wincing as he chided himself for taking the easy way out. He knew better too. It was not as if what Ji Ang was saying was any different from what his father had taught him before.
“You will come back in three days and join the class. You will work the bellows alone. If you fail to work the bellows the entire day by yourself while the class is learning, you fail. If you cultivate or lose focus, you fail. Do you understand?” Ji Ang said, leaning forward and glaring at Wu Ying.
“Yes, Elder. Thank you, Elder.”
“Good.” Ji Ang stalked off.
Once the Elder left, the pair of waiting blacksmiths moved toward the now-abandoned forge, shooting Wu Ying semi-pitying and semi-disgusted looks. With a grimace, Wu Ying scurried away, his face burning with shame at having the pair overhear his dressing down.
Still, at least he had not been barred. He only needed to do better.
He would do better, Wu Ying vowed, as he hurried away to wash off his shame. And sweat.
Chapter 4
“Thanks for showing me around,” Wu Ying said as the pair walked along the stone paths. This morning, Wu Ying and Tou He were headed to the training grounds reserved for inner sect members. In particular, the second largest training grounds—the one unofficially reserved for the martial specialists. “And sorry again for leaving you.”
“No need for the apology,” Tou He said. “I was forced to complete a lot of paperwork anyway. But I’m surprised you’re interested in martial specialization.”
“Why?” Wu Ying said with a frown. “It seems like a good fit with my family training.”
“Oh, you have the training,” Tou He said, nodding. “But you’re not like… well, you’ll see.”
“Not useful.” When Tou He refused to elaborate on his cryptic statement, Wu Ying added, “How about you? How did you end up with the martial specialists?”
“My sponsor sent them to find me,” Tou He said with a roll of his eyes. “Seems like he felt I would fit in.”
“And do you?”
“It’s been fun sparring.”
Wu Ying shook his head at his friend’s statement. “Are you going to take this as your supporting occupation?”
Tou He shook his head. “Too much trouble. I was thinking of specializing in tea ceremonies.”
Wu Ying stumbled, turning to stare at Tou He. Wu Ying’s jaw worked, words failing to come before he sighed and slapped his friend on the back. “Then I’ll expect to be invited to more tea parties.”
“We’ll have to find a third then,” Tou He said.[5]
Wu Ying spotted a quartet of nobles, each of them clad as gaudily as they could manage in sect robes, sauntering along the paths. In particular, Wu Ying’s gaze flicked to a noble’s jian, sheathed at his side. Bedecked in jewels and gold on both sheath and hilt, the weapon looked useless in combat to Wu Ying’s experienced eyes. His lips curled at the sight.
“What are you looking at?” the noble in question snarled.
“Nothing,” Wu Ying said reflexively, before remembering and straightening himself. He was no longer a peasant or an outer sect member. While they might have a higher status, it was only by degrees. “Nothing at all.”
“Are you calling me a liar?” The noble stepped closer before his friend blocked him with his fan. The jian-wielding noble’s gaze flicked to Tou He, and recognition appeared in his eyes before he inclined his head to his friend and erstwhile leader.
“You pair are the new Body Cleansers from the latest intake, yes?” the leader of the opposing cultivators said.
“Yes, Senior,” Tou He replied.
“Leave them,” the leader said. “There’s nothing to be gained from dealing with Body Cleansers.”
The bejewelled-jian-user sneered at his friend’s words, but still, the group walked off. Wu Ying compressed his lips, his hand clenching and releasing by his side before he shook his head. The damn nobles thought they were so much better…
“Let’s go, Tou He,” Wu Ying said.
His friend smiled wryly and led the way, bringing Wu Ying to the training grounds without further incident. When Wu Ying arrived, he found his attention taken by the impressive view. The training complex was made up of a trio of double-story buildings which ringed the grounds. Toward the northern portion of the grounds, the archery range abutted the slope of the mountain. In the center of the training grounds, a series of raised combat stages were situated in the traditional hexagram pattern. Those farthest from the entrance glimmered in the morning sunlight as the chi barriers broke up the rays. The chi barriers were erected to mitigate attacks delivered from within. Closer to the entrance, the stages were bare of such extravagances, meant for those looking to practice mundane techniques or who could not project their chi as yet.
Already, in the early morning, numerous bodies crowded the training floors. Some trained in the bare ground in the west working a variety of wooden dummies,[6] while others walked, skipped, jumped, and otherwise moved from painted footprint to painted footprint. In another portion of the floor, various kettle bells and iron jars were being used to build strength; a few of the more enthusiastic individuals being beaten upon by sticks while carrying those jars.
Overall, the entirety of the training grounds was filled with muscular, enthusiastic, and focused individuals. While the majority of those were men, there were a significant number of women moving through the routines, most of them wielding weapons of one form or the other.
“Brother Tou He!” a cheerful voice called from within the grounds as the pair made their way down. The speaker had the longest hair Wu Ying had ever seen on a man, flowing all the way down to the bottom of his buttocks and carefully braided. Outside of his outstanding hair, the man was quite plain, with brown eyes and a flat nose. “I see you brought a guest.”
“Senior Ge,” Tou He greeted the other with a smile. “This is my friend Wu Ying. Wu Ying, this is Senior Ge Chao Kun. Senior Ge is a Sect Core member.”
“And quite advanced in his energy cultivation,” Wu Ying said with admiration. Even now, he felt the push from Chao Kun’s aura. It was evident Chao Kun was close, if not ready, to begin the process of assimilating a Core. “Thank you for having me here, Senior.”
“No need to stand on ceremony. Here, we only care if you can fight,” Chao Kun said. “Are you ready to do so?”
“Yes, Senior,” Wu Ying said.
“Good. We will take stage three,” Chao Kun said before he strode over to it.
When the pair who occupied the stage noticed Chao Kun coming over, they paused before smiles broke upon their faces and they stepped away from each other respectfully. They did not leave the stage though, the pair whispering to one another.
In moments, Chao Kun had led Wu Ying to the stage, where he pointed upward. “There you go.”
“Uhh… Senior?” Wu Ying said hesitantly.
“You said you were ready to fight. Well, go on then,” Chao Kun said, crossing his arms.
Tou He smiled at Wu Ying’s bewildered look, taking hold of Wu Ying’s arm and guiding him to the stairs. “It’s fine. Just don’t kill anyone.”
“But I don’t have my practice sword!” Wu Ying said, touching the sword he carried on his waist. Ever since he entered the inner sect, he had traded out his cheap weapon for one of the better ones gifted to him by the merchants. This jian was the plainest of the lot, yet it still was styled too extravagantly for Wu Ying’s personal taste. But a gift was a gift.