Hao Yin and Lin, having paused in their own practice, were nodding excitedly.
“Exactly!” Hao Lin said. “Those bastards will learn to fear my cousin’s crescent kicks if they stay at far range, and the minute they close to fist range, Hao Chan will punish them with her knee bombs and knock the breath out of them, or cripple their legs with shin kicks!”
“And if they try to rush her or she knocks them off balance, that’s when she surprises them with all the hip tosses Alex taught her before smashing their grounded forms with those axe heel kicks!” Hao Yin added.
Hao Chan winced at those words and Alex sympathized, having gazed into reddened eyes holding back tears every night he gently applied his liniment-infused bandages upon her raw and sometimes bloody shins, and occasionally her elbows, knuckles, and the heels of her feet. He was grateful that the inherent Qi within the poultice allowed Hao Chan to recover at twenty times the normal rate, so that her shins and other strike points were effectively toughening at an insane pace that would do any serious Muay Thai practitioner proud, so long as she was willing to continue eating the bitter and enduring the pain.
Of course, Alex knew there was another cause for her evening discomfort that he pretended not to notice, knowing she was using the physical pain to mask a deeper ache as well. But whenever she’d flash a hopeful glance his way, he’d solemnly shake his head, and she’d flush and chuckle ruefully.
“I guess you’re right, Alex. This is one damned burden I don’t want plaguing me once we’re at the temple.”
Alex just nodded, flashing his most understanding smile, not saying a word.
“Alex?”
“Yes?”
“Will it get better?”
Alex nodded. “You told me you had only been drinking it for a week before I met you. It only has a light hold on you, Hao Chan. I think it should pass pretty soon.”
She sighed. “It’s not really a big deal, you know? Just sort of a tickle in the back of my throat. An itch I can’t quite scratch. It’s just so much harder to fall asleep.”
Alex nodded. “I understand.”
Hao Chan sighed. “But I’m not stupid. A cultivator would be a fool to embrace a rich merchant’s vices. What father had intended to help me get through scary, lonely nights can only hurt my fragile foundation.”
Alex nodded. “Long ago, when I first got my diagnosis, I had to give up sugar, completely. It seemed such a small thing, really, but I swear I missed sweet foods more than I ever had drinking beer with my friends.” He smiled at Hao Chan’s curious expression. “Sorry. The point is, I know what it’s like to be irritated by nagging cravings. The embarrassment of having to face a weakness you didn’t even realize was a weakness. But here’s the great thing. You’re wise enough to face it and strong enough to overcome it, and that can only make you a better cultivator in the end. Just think of it as another form of training,” he quipped with a smile. “And I think you’re doing a fantastic job, by the way.”
She flashed a rueful smile. “Thanks, Alex. Between you and me? I can’t wait until this part of the training is over. Father actually seemed angry when I turned down the flask last night, but at least now he knows I’m serious.”
Alex gave a sympathetic nod. It was always toughest when family refused to understand. Of course, the evening tincture he gave her eased the transition for her, and though Alex knew the poultices and tinctures he was using up would be worth a pretty penny if he ever sold them, if it helped this girl he had grown so protective of, who had somehow become both his student and his friend, for all that he absolutely despised her father, it was more than worth it.
He was just grateful he had been able to scrounge up several pairs of serviceable jackets with high collars, long sleeves, and bone buttons along one side, that Hao Chan referred to as hee fu, along with loose flowing linen trousers that cinched tight at the waist. Alex did his best not to wear the clothing Silver Fox had given him without something over it, lest the greedy merchant unduly note how his attire never wrinkled, stained, or took on any odor. And for reasons he hoped to put in effect this very night, he had done his best to avoid antagonizing the merchant any more than the necessities of training Hao Chan twice a day demanded.
And he had been at least partially successful; the looks of almost homicidal fury aimed Alex’s way for the first day after he had gotten the better of the man with his daughter’s training had faded, Hao Zei’s hate-filled glares transforming once more into cleverly barbed insults coached in oily compliments with that mocking smile only a blind fool would mistake for obsequiousness.
And Alex had gushed enthusiastically regarding Hao Chan’s training, playing his role perfectly, a hopeful guard and trainer who might have had a single spat with an otherwise upstanding employer and now everything was as it should be.
As if Alex was too stupid to sense how much the man detested him.
Which had been setting alarm bells ringing in his soul all week. He knew he wasn’t in any danger, at least not yet. The man needed him, as attested to by Sun Sun’s quiet reports of spirit beast spore nearby and the hot glares Alex sometimes sensed in the dark before their owners scurried off under Alex’s return gaze.
But what Alex just couldn’t wrap his head around was why did the man seem so infuriated that Alex was giving his daughter a fighting chance at actually surviving the Dragon Academy tournament? And perhaps he wasn’t even, at that. He had no idea how talented those warriors might be. All he could do was take comfort that at least his student wouldn’t be quite so easy a mark as she had been just a week before.
“Alex?” Hao Chan’s worried voice asked, breaking him out of his momentary distraction.
Alex chuckled softly. “Sorry about that. I guess that last toss took it out of me.”
The beautiful young woman furrowed her brow. “You’re being too kind, elder brother. You and I both know I have a long way to go.”
Alex nodded. “That you do. But with your incredible balance and the power you can generate with your hips? Your cousins are right. Your hip tosses are already something to be feared, and once your opponent is on the ground, unless he flips grips on you, the fight is yours.” He winced. “Honestly, my greatest regret is that I don’t know many more throws to teach you. There are so many sweeps and reaping throw variants an expert would know, but my master just had me focus on a few throws that played to my strength, along with a handful of punches and shin kicks, and master them all as well as I could. Besides that, most of my focus was on spear, fangtian ji, and gladius.”
Hao Chan whistled. “You were trained as a soldier! I knew it! You’re teaching us Golden Realms Kung Fu, right? Was your former master in the Royal Army?”
Alex chuckled at that, before flashing a regretful smile. “Actually, he was. And if my master had Hao Chan before him now, I’m sure he could teach her a dozen different ways to hook her opponents’ legs and sweep them to the ground. But all I can teach my student is what I know. I’m only sorry I don’t know more.”
Alex blinked when Hao Chan’s now callus-hardened hand went up to softly stroke his chin. “Don’t say that, Alex. You’re teaching me exactly what I need to know. If I’m going to have even a shot of surviving the competition, it’s only because you shored up my weak points, and are willing to spend so much of your time and suffer so many bruises hammering me into a blade worthy of being wielded.”
Alex chuckled softly, gazing pointedly at her trousers, noting the shins covered in bruises, liniment, and constant throbbing pain that they hid. “You’re the one enduring the hammering, I’m just the one holding you to the fire. Any time you want to slow down...”
Her eyes crackled with sudden intensity. “Hardly! Alright, we’ve rested long enough, and Li’s just started preparing our dinner. I want to go over all those throws at least a dozen more times before we stop. And make me fight for them, just like before.”
Hiding his wince beneath a smile, Alex did just that, gladder than ever for his natural
regeneration and newly discovered body cultivation technique, knowing that, without them, he’d be nothing more than a mass of bruises and pain.
When a wincing Alex made his way over to Li to strike up conversation while the man prepared dinner, he made sure to have his flask of spirits ready. Even if not exactly friendly, the young man’s earlier hostility had faded into an almost good-natured condescension, now almost seeming to take pity on an unfazed Alex after he had bargained for the right to teach Hao Chan.
“Best thing you can do is just wander off when we get to the city, Ruidian,” Li whispered, not for the first time, as Alex passed the man what ingredients he needed, having earned that much trust at least.
Alex flashed an innocent smile. “Surely the master can’t still be mad after our one disagreement, can he? I did do my best to help him, after all, and all this training is for the sake of his kin.”
Li sighed, flashing a look of genuine pity before looking up at the brilliant moon, taking a deep sip from the flask Alex handed him.
Finesse check made!
“I guess you still don’t understand. Hao Zei is a merchant. No, he’s the epitome of what defines a merchant. Hell, I think the man somehow cultivates the essence of being a merchant.”
Alex’s eyes widened in polite curiosity, formerly darting hands now resting sedately once more in his lap as the guard’s eyes met his own.
“What that means, boy, if you haven’t already figured it out, is getting the best of any situation.” He frowned, looking thoughtful. “Let me put it this way. Imagine the worst possible situation. Your house is burning down, your door is locked, and your children are in a panic, trapped inside. If a complete stranger manages to break down the door and save your children, what would your response be?”
Alex swallowed, surprised by the lump in his throat. “I’d call him brother, be forever grateful, and make sure he forever knew that no matter how bad his circumstances, he was not alone in this world. If he needed me, I would be there for him.”
Li chuckled softly. “Spoken like a bloody saint. A normal man would pay the man a reward in silver or gold. A few truly good men would treat that man as kin.” His lips puckered in a sour frown. “A merchant would charge the man for breaking down his door. And a merchant like Hao Zei...”
“Would then take him to court, declaring that his unasked-for interference made it impossible for him to save his home, and he was responsible for all damages.”
Li blinked at that, before chuckling softly, handing back the flask. “Not quite as stupid as you look, I see.”
Alex winced, taking a sip himself to cover his reaction, actually feeling very stupid indeed. He had not meant to reveal himself to Li like that. “Why are you working for this man again?”
Li’s gaze hardened.
Alex immediately bowed his head. “I apologize. Please forget the question.”
“No. It’s alright. Hao Zei bought out my contract from my former master. Something I was unaware merchants were allowed to do in Yidushi. But apparently, they are.” He flashed a mirthless smile. “At least my master pitied me enough to give me a copy of the original. And I was wise enough to refuse all Master Zei’s attempts to renegotiate the terms of my contract, as he put it.” The youth gave an angry shake of his head. “And I’ll stop playing the fool.”
“Sorry?”
Li sighed. “After what he did to you, I can only imagine what he would do to me if he got the chance. The minute we hit Yidushi, I’m running for the mercenary exchange with contract in hand. I got it stamped in Erdushi, proving I was there. The guard’s stamp will prove we all entered Yidushi together, and I won’t stay for one minute longer than I have to, closing out my contract before any edited versions can hit the merchant’s court.”
The man blinked and paled, as if only at that moment realizing how much he had revealed of himself.
Alex flashed a placating smile, passing back the drink. “It’s okay. We’re friends now, I think. What’s said between us stays between us. But if you fear the brandy’s loosened your tongue? Just excuse yourself to your tents the moment you’ve served Master Zei his food.”
The young man blinked, jerking a nod. “That’s sound advice. You’re hardly the backstabbing bastard I thought you’d be.”
Alex smirked. “Thanks.” He gazed thoughtfully Sun Sun’s way. “What’s his story, anyway? He’s refused to say a single word to me since our first meeting.”
Li nodded. “That’s because Hao Zei ordered him not to. He tricked Sun Sun somehow, but the man was too bitter to reveal the details. Now Master Zei effectively has a cultivating slave. Which should never happen, but somehow it did.”
Li paled, shocked by his own words. “Ancestor’s mercy.”
Alex frowned sympathetically. “Here. Let me take that. You’ve clearly had enough to drink. Look, the stew’s bubbling away. Everyone can fill their own bowls, and I’ll bring Master Zei’s personally. Don’t worry, I’ll tell him you’re not feeling well, and I’m just doing my job.”
Li swallowed, giving a quick nod. “Thank you,” he said.
Alex nodded, quickly ladling a double portion of stew with just a touch of something extra, before tentatively knocking on the wagon the merchant jealously guarded such that he was even willing to forgo sleeping in the carriage, which his relatives interpreted as an act of kindness, though Alex thought the merchant just didn’t want to risk theft, trusting absolutely no one.
“What is it?” snapped an irate-looking Hao Zei as he lifted the flap of his wagon and glared down at Alex, the annoyance in his gaze cooling somewhat as he saw the silver tray.
“About time,” he said, grabbing the tray and sniffing the stew once before giving a satisfied nod. He turned back and glared at Alex. “You’re dismissed!”
Alex blinked, his excuse on Li’s behalf dying on his lips as completely unnecessary. Hao Zei was so self-involved, so contemptuous, that he neither noted nor cared that his regular server was unavailable.
Which made sense, Alex supposed. It wasn’t like the man had shed any tears for all the men that had died trying to protect him, at least not that Alex ever saw.
Alex quickly flowed into a bow. “I will leave you to your fare, master merchant,” he said before turning around, pretending incognizance of the cold, predatory smile the man flashed his way.
Waiting until he was covered in darkness, between wagons and campfire, when he flashed a smile of his own.
Everything had gone perfectly.
Now it was time for the second stage of his plan.
15
He took a deep breath of blossom-scented air, delighting in being in his garden once more, admiring the young trees that had grown so tall in the time he had desperately processed all the locked potential of every kill, beast core, and spirit pearl he had access to in a desperate bid to save his own life.
The prizes he had accrued with his latest adventure were far more modest, but he was all too happy to embrace his favorite cultivation technique once more, a flood of Dark Qi pouring directly from his person into a fresh spinning sphere of midnight potential as he claimed the potential of all the spirit wolves he had killed.
Dual Path Purification Technique has reached 95.7% efficiency.
Alex smiled in satisfaction a good hour or so later after processing all of his kills, knowing he had benefited from the equivalent of a thousand hours’ worth of cultivating in that time. His body was brimming with energy, and he once more had a respectable store of Dark Qi he would keep in his visualized apothecary and experiment with as he saw fit. And should he actually manage to track down another Silverbell blossom, he could use it to accelerate the growth of his garden a thousand-fold, earning a year’s worth of growth in a single night, at the price of a full night’s sleep and a considerable amount of Dark Qi stores.
And though he knew he should be guarding the caravan at that time, knew, in fact, that no one would be guarding anything at all, his conscience was clear.
He had sensed absolutely no trace of spirit beast or hostile party anywhere near the camp, and hadn’t sensed trouble for days. And his traveling companions had never been quieter, as if sleeping the sleep of the dead.
He opened his eyes, smiling in satisfaction, noting the many herbs and blossoms that looked just a bit taller than they had an hour before. But as for the pearlescent blockage obstructing his final meridian gate, the flood of Qi he had processed had barely scratched the surface, despite the flood of benevolent new Qi circulating through his body, the barest flicker of all the Dark and Light Qi he now had safely stored away.
He took advantage of his seemingly unlimited reserves of energy, knowing most nights he would need to sleep, when he wasn’t compressing a thousand hours of intense cultivation into one. But this night, more than any other, he felt it the perfect opportunity to find answers to troubling questions lingering in the back of his head.
Bullrush!
Alex felt a curious thrill, having reveled in the sensation of falling for a single heartbeat before blinking himself to the top of Hao Zei’s wagon, his Lightness perk truly showing itself to astounding effect when the frame didn’t rattle in the slightest when he leaped from treetop to wagon, and Alex truly felt like he had teleported as much as dashed through the air to his target.
He couldn’t help grinning with exhilaration, for all that he did his utmost to keep utterly still, as if balancing on eternal Qi as much as the flimsiest of surfaces in those moments, using his Qi Perception and Artificer skills in concert, feeling a cold thrill of satisfaction as objects of power seemed to glow in his mind’s eye even through the wagon’s frame.
Finesse check successful!
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior Reforged: A LitRPG/Wuxia Novel - Book 2 Page 21
