A New World: Middle Kingdom Book 1

by Mike Han

  Chapter Six

  Elder Hao was at the gathering hall when I made my way there after dinner. Giving me a smile, he passed me a broom and beckoned me to follow. From the archway of Crane Hall, we began to sweep down to the foot of the mountain. After sweeping, we had to clear the debris gathered and it was deep into the night by the time we completed the chores. Elder Hao had then dismissed me and told me to get a good rest for my training the next day.

  The next day, after our Silky Palm training, instructor Will informed the class that an hour after dinner, the class will gather back at the hall as we will be starting the Demon Banishing Sword technique lesson. The Demon Banishing Sword technique was the first sword technique to be taught to Balance Sect students. This sword skill was thought to be invented by Founding Master Tao, and was used during his wandering days in the martial world. The name was given to the sword set skill after he used it to defeat the villain Wandering Demon, who was terrorizing the martial world during that time.

  However, after our dinner, while the rest of the class went for the sword lesson, I had instead went back to Crane Hall to help Elder Hao with his cleaning chores. By the time I finished the chores and returned back to our bunk, the rest of the class had also returned from their class and were already getting ready for their sleep. Although they offered to teach me what they had learnt, I declined while thanking them for their offers and told them that instructor Will did not give me permission to learn from them and it would be better if I join the next class instead. Although I was envious of their newly learned technique, helping Elder Hao with his chores was comforting in its way. It was tedious and hard clearing the stairs from foot to top but the repetitive chores bring about a meditative calmness, and the night air was cool and relaxing.

  The days passed by very fast and it was into our second month in Balance Sect as formal disciples. This night as we were sweeping down the stairs, Elder Hao suddenly said “Jun, we will take a break now.”

  Immediately I was concerned and asked “Elder Hao, are you not feeling well? The night air is turning cool and it is easy to catch a cold. Why don’t you rest early tonight and I will complete the chores myself.”

  Elder Hao gave a laugh “Jun, you are such a nice boy. I am feeling alright. I am feeling bad that I had made you miss out on your lessons. Why don’t I teach you the sword skills so that you can catch up with your class?”

  “Not a problem, Elder Hao. I will be taking the lesson with the next class after we completed the Silky Palm technique. I wouldn’t be missing out much.” I replied.

  “Good, good. You are not greedy. But still I would like to teach you. Actually it would be helpful to me as well, since you can complete the chores faster too. This skill is called Ghost Steps.” Elder Hao then instructed me on my breathing techniques and followed with a demonstration on a unique movement technique.

  Ding! You have comprehend the movement technique Ghost Steps, unique martial world skill. Movement technique encompasses more than speed and agility. An expert uses the movement technique to confound opponents in offense and defense. Trained with inner technique, it can offer greater explosive power or greater endurance.

  “This technique is unique as it is not an inner or skill technique, but it’s used to improve on your movement and evasion. Followed the steps that I teach and it will be of used to you. However I must ask that you keep my teaching a secret and any new skills that I teach, you must swear that you will not impart to anyone, without my permission.” I had then swore to him that I would not betray his trust and he had motioned for me to begin practicing the technique that he taught for the next two hours, before I was dismissed for the night. This continued for the next few nights, where I would help out for an hour with the chores before Elder Hao would guide me on the Ghost Steps technique. He would also ask about my daily lessons and gave me pointers on my inner and palm techniques and these visibly improved my abilities, as Will complimented on my improvement and frequently used me as a sparring partner during lesson to teach the rest of the class on the finer points in the techniques.

  Character Name: Jun

  School: Balance

  Strength: Breath of Fresh Air

  Ability:

  Comprehension (8%). Give a chance to comprehend a deeper meaning to your inner or skill learnt and evolved them into a different level. As your mastery of this ability improved, you will be able to learn skills faster.

  Inner:

  Calmness of the Lake (14%), Balance beginner Inner Technique. Gaining mastery in this inner, will strengthen your body and enhance your movement.

  Skills:

  Silky Palm (6%), Balance palm technique. A soft palm technique that scale with the inner technique used.

  Ghost Steps (3%), a movement technique. This technique improves the speed and evasion of the user. It was rumored to be the requisite for learning Chasing Shadow Sword, the legendary sword skill that had since been lost to the martial world.

  Chasing Shadow Sword? That’s interesting. Is this sword skill related to Balance Sect sword skill? However when I queried Elder Hao on this, he had just given me a mysterious smile and continued his lessons. My classmates were all amazed at my improvement in skills and kept bugging me for pointers or my secret to improving. I kept with my promises and breathe not a word on the Ghost Steps, but I did mention that Elder Hao had given me pointers on the other techniques and the rest gave me moon-eyes expression for having such privileges given. I reminded them that these privileges were earned each night with hard labors and we all had a good laugh over it.

  Over the next few weeks, we trained hard in our techniques. As my techniques in Ghost Steps improved, it had strengthened my ability in Silky Palm. Coupled with this unique movement ability, my Silky Palm’s strikes became faster and stronger. This could also be a result of my Comprehension ability as I seemed to easily grasp the pointers given by Elder Hao and Will with my improved mastery. This had spread across the campus and on several occasions, I was loan out to other instructors to provide pointers or be sparring partner to some of the senior classes. Though I was offered to start training for the Demon Banishing sword skill, I refused and decided to stick with helping Elder Hao, seeing the obvious advantage in receiving personal tutelage.

  On a particular night, after an hour of chores, I had expected Elder Hao to give me pointers as per our usual schedule, when he beckoned to me to follow him, passing along to me a bundle of mats and a lit torch to carry and hold. An hour down the stairs towards the foot of the mountain, we had instead break from the main trail and followed a barely discerned trail that lead to the back of the mountain. We walked passed a grove of bamboo forest and eventually led to a wide clearing, where Elder Hao instructed me to setup the mats and placed the lit torch on the ground. “Jun, I had observed you and am glad that you have not reveal a single breath regarding me teaching you the Ghost Steps. Though you did not gain much from helping me, you had continued to do so without complaint and yet did not falter in your training. Instead your instructors had complimented to me that you had indeed improved much, to the extent to exceeding some of your seniors’ progress.” Elder Hao said after we took our seats on the mats.

  “Elder Hao, forgive me my impudence but I disagreed. I am fortunate to be given the chance to pick up pointers from you. These have benefited me greatly and helped to improve my abilities.” I replied him.

  Elder Hao gave a laugh, “Jun, you are indeed a very unique and valuable disciple. Rarely had I seen someone as humble as you, and yet with such potential. If you do not mind, I would like to take you as my personal student.”

  Shocked, I quickly kneel before Elder Hao and bowed low, “Sir, it would be my honor if you would accept me as your personal student.”

  Elder Hao gave a joyful laugh and stood up, and holding my elbows, lift me up to my feet. “Good, good, you are now my personal student. Technically since you are now my student, you are rank higher in sect hierarchy from the rest of the disciples, less t
he deacons, who are all personal students of Grandmaster Tao and Elder Ming. But I would wish that you keep this a secret and remain humble.”

  In the Hierarchy of Balance Sect, the Grandmaster is the leader and head of the sect, followed by both Elders Hao and Ming. These are followed by the deacons that are the personal students from both Grandmaster and Elders, who are also the only members of Hall of Sages. Currently the deacons are made up of one personal student of Grandmaster and three other students from Elder Ming. Elder Hao had yet to take a personal student, which was the reason I was shocked that he would choose to take me.

  “Another reason why I would like you to be anonymous is because the other deacons are all established skilled martial heroes before entering Hall of Sages. You are still too inexperienced to enter the Hall of Sages, furthermore, if it was known that you are now my personal student, it might bring unfair comparison or a worse scenario, which outsiders might want to challenge you to win renown to themselves, seeing you as easy prey. I would therefore prefer that you take your time and established your foundation, and be more carefree.” Elder Hao explained to me gently. My heart was filled my gratitude and joy, as my master was so kind and thoughtful to me. I gave an understanding nod.

  “Good, good. But it is unfitting that as your teacher, I do not give you a welcome gift. I will now teach you the Chasing Shadow Sword skill. I created this skill when I was younger.” He noticed my awestruck eyes, smiled and continued, “With the help from my master, the previous grandmaster Tao. This skill is not of Balance Sect, so again, you will not teach anyone, without my express permission. The Chasing Shadow Sword is used in conjunction with the Ghost Steps, or to be more exact, you will need to learn the Ghost Steps as the foundation in order to learn the Chasing Shadow Sword. The essence of Chasing Shadow Sword is that your opponent can see no form to defend, no structure to defeat; all he will see is a shadow, a ghost of you, and by the time he could react, you would have suppress him. Thus the name Chasing Shadow Sword.”

  Elder Hao produced a practice sword and motioning to me to stand beside him, went through each motion and form slowly, explaining in details.

  Each night he would go through with me the lessons I learnt in class, then we would practice the Ghost Steps and lastly the sword lesson. Now the time spent with him last well into the night, and often when I returned back to the bunk, all would be in deep sleep and I would soon join them. My additional night lessons with Elder Hao gave me new insights into my lessons, and together with my practice in the usual lessons, my skills and understandings had improved in leaps and bounds. During sparring, Will had to be serious to defeat me, however instead of being sore, he would smile and compliment me.

  Ding! You have comprehend the sword technique Chasing Shadow Sword, a unique martial world skill. The sword technique is one of many weapon types, but is arguably the most popular, due to lightness of weight and ease of use. Known as the Gentleman of Weapons, an expert proponent of the sword can easily win any other weapon user.

  Ding! You have reached Journeyman rank for your Comprehension Ability.

  Ding! You have reached Journeyman rank for your Silky Palm Technique.

  Ding! You have reached Journeyman rank for your Ghost Steps Movement Technique.

  Ding! You have reached Journeyman rank for your Chasing Shadow Sword Technique.

  Chapter Seven

  Character Name: Jun

  School: Balance

  Strength: Breath of Fresh Air

  Ability:

  Comprehension (15%). Give a chance to comprehend a deeper meaning to your inner or skill learnt and evolved them into a different level. As your mastery of this ability improved, you will be able to learn skills faster.

  Inner:

  Calmness of the Lake (20%), Balance beginner Inner Technique. Gaining mastery in this inner, will strengthen your body and enhance your movement.

  Skills:

  Silky Palm (17%), Balance palm technique. A soft palm technique that scale with the inner technique used.

  Ghost Steps (15%), a movement technique. This technique improves the speed and evasion of the user. It was rumored to be the requisite for learning Chasing Shadow Sword, the legendary sword skill that had since been lost to the martial world.

  Chasing Shadow Sword (13%), a sword technique. A legendary skill that appeared in the martial world twenty years ago welded by Elder Hao from Balance Sect. Considered one of the top ten sword skills, it had been considered lost after he retired from the martial world.

  By this time, according to my calculation, I had spent seven months in-game and left about another five months. Upon reflection, I would think that this virtual world would have only appeal to a niche market. There appeared to have no monsters to kill and no discernable quests to be obtained, so progression seem to be difficult to measure, other than obtaining skills or inners. It was too realistic and worked like real life, and you had to literally work your ass to gain any reputable skills, based on my experience so far. Trying to level the skills and inners took really efforts, like real works. Not that it did not have its crafty appeals. Though its hard work, but honestly the time spent in Balance Sect was carefree and enjoyable. Learning the inners and skills gave me a satisfying achievement, as the amount of work and training invested make me appreciate them, rather than some sudden appeared ability. The realistic interaction between fellow classmates, instructors and my master created some real bonds between us and allowed me to achieve an immersion which I thought would be impossible without the type of effort and time that I was placed into. Surprisingly, I was no longer filled with anxiety about feeling trapped in this virtual world, rather, I began to dread the day when the alpha test would be completed and I would no longer be of this world.

  “Jun! Jun! Don’t daydream!’ Will admonished me.

  Startled, I apologized to instructor Will and made an excuse, “Sorry Sir. I was thinking of the last sparring session.”

  Recently, Will had started to ask me to go around and provided pointers to my fellow classmates, recognizing that my time during the training can be better spent helping others. This filled me with pride since it meant that he had deemed me skilled enough to offer assistance. “Never mind, gathered with your classmates. Today lesson is cancelled and Elder Ming and Hao are addressing the class today.” With that he walked out of the hall, leaving me to gather the rest together to wait for the Elders. Not long after, Will came back leading both Elders with him and another male senior disciple in tow.

  Once they reached where we were gathered, Will had stepped to the side and Elder Ming addressed us, “Afternoon students. It is good to see all of you in good health and training hard. Instructor Will had updated us that you were all progressing well in your lessons. That is good to know. However, instructor Will had been tasked with a mission and would be departing from the sect soon. Normally, the instructor attached to the class will stay till the class had graduate for the martial world. Nevertheless this mission is of upmost importance, therefore we had no choice but to ask him.” Gesturing for the other male disciple to come forward, he continued, “Instructor Ken will be taking over till Will come back from his mission. I hope that you will all do your best under him as well.”

  Turning, Elder Ming was about to dismiss and depart when Elder Hao stepped forward. “Brother Ming, I would like to ask that Jun accompanied Will on his mission.” We were all shocked to silence at the initial announcement that instructor Will was leaving us, but now with Elder Hao’s request, everyone started in excitement.

  Elder Ming looked at Elder Hao contemplatively, then he turned eyes searchingly till they settled upon me. “Don’t tell me that you have accepted him…” Elder Ming’s voice trailed off as Elder Hao nodded to him. Elder Ming gave a smile and said, “It shall be as you wish. Jun, you will accompany Will on his mission. He will provide you with more details. Ken, please take over the class. Dismissed!” With that both Elders walked away. Instructor Ken, after a quick conference with Wil
l, shouted for the class to gather around him, while Will beckoned to me to follow him out of the hall.

  “Jun, any idea why you will be following me?” he asked, which I shook my head, still too shocked for words at the first quest that I had unexpectedly landed, without any prompt. Strange. “Well, looks like we will be having more time together. I suggested you start packing. We will be leaving early tomorrow. Ken and I had agreed that it would be better for you to have a good rest for the rest of the day. Wait for me at the archway at dawn tomorrow…”

  Elder Hao was waiting for us at the corridor, “Will, sorry to put this surprise to you. I am sure you have lots of questions as to why I had asked for Jun to follow you. Firstly, I had accepted Jun as my personal student.” Will was startled and was about to turn and bow to me, when Elder Hao stopped him. “This is the reason why we had kept this a secret. Although he is my personal student, he is still young and inexperienced. Jun would agree that he did not wish to be treated with such honor, while not earning them yet.” I was furiously nodding my head. “I would wish that he experience more of the martial world and what better ways then to go with you on this mission. Secondly, I am sure you agree that his skills are now better than the rest and he is ready for graduation to enter the martial world. Therefore I would like to ask you to bring him with you to teach him what the sect cannot.”

  “Of course, Elder Hao. I would be honored to guide Jun.” Will replied. With that Elder Hao gave a smile and left us. Will turned back to look at me with new eyes and said, “Wow Jun, you are really fortunate. But enough said. You better go for your dinner and have a good rest. See you at the archway tomorrow.”