Alex found himself pondering his new skill after their final sparring session that night. He was still awed by how fast Hao Chan was picking up what he had to teach, how skillfully she had weaved about the clearing, twisting about, striking with her powerful crane kicks, reverse roundhouse kicks, and sweeping blows, doing her best to put him on the defensive before darting in for close range knee bombs under his ribs and elbow slashes to his temple before attempting a takedown. Ruthless, powerful blows. Just as he had taught her. After all, save for deliberately gouging eyes or twisting and snapping fingers, everything else was fair game during the competitions, from what his former mentor had said.
Granted, they were not necessarily embracing the ideal tactics for her size and fighting style, but their deliberately-aggressive sparring had her mastering ranges and how to counter powerful close-in melee fighters with hip tosses, body drops, and other throws. A favorite routine was rolling completely on her back and launching him in the air when he attempted to charge her, before springing to her feet and unleashing a powerful axe kick that sent her heel smashing into the soft loamy forest floor just inches from his head once he had crashed on his back, totally winded if he failed his heavily-penalized Finesse check. After repeating the routine until it was second nature, she had put it to glorious effect when he abruptly charged her during their free-sparring, just as he had hoped she would, and how she had beamed with such fierce pride at having triumphed in their mock battle. And Alex had to admit it was an excellent tactic for countering a charging foe, and not one she could practice on the wagon top.
He couldn’t help chuckling ruefully, knowing the time would soon come when he would be serving as her punching bag no longer. When he could best train her by sparring with her in earnest.
“Well done,” he said, allowing her to help him up, though a frown marred her otherwise exquisite features.
“You’re holding back, Alex. A lot. I can tell.”
He nodded. “I am. Right now, we’re going over what amounts to drills, making sure your form is as close to perfect as I can get you. And your incredible skills as a dancer,” he flushed, “I mean Silver Swan martial artist, really stand you in good stead. Your kicks are downright deadly.” His gentle smile hardened. “But we still need to work on your upper body strength. Your punches and elbow slashes and your ability to block and redirect your opponent’s blows, or disrupt their attacks with a powerful jab, can only improve with practice. And your grip needs to be stronger. Strong enough to aid your powerful legs and torso in sending your opponents flying to their backs.”
He handed her a pair of leather balls. “Something I made the other night. Normally, there’s a hard limit to how fast a person can gain in strength. But you know what we both are.” He gazed pointedly at the quiet carriage, a muttering Hao Zei calling them both fools and a silent Sun Sun already turned in. But Alex was taking no chances.
“You already know my secret, and now it’s yours too.”
Her eyes lit with a joyous inner fire. She gave him an impulsive hug. He swallowed, caught off guard by her scent. Sweet and musky. “Thank you, Alex. With all my heart, what you showed me today? Priceless. Absolutely priceless!”
A shaken Alex forced himself to smile, quickly stepping back. “You’re welcome, Hao Chan. I hope that with time, your cousin will get the knack of it too.”
She lowered her head. “Umm… Alex? Please don’t get too mad if it doesn’t click for her. Ever. I get the feeling what you showed us isn’t something easily learned. It’s only because I felt so strange, so connected, so at one with, well, my inner Dao, that it all came to me so quickly. I think. At least, that’s what my old mentor would say.” She chuckled ruefully. “He’d always teach me the most exotic and wonderful spin kicks and, well, yeah, I admit it, wonderful dances the two times I broke through in his presence.” She sighed sadly. “I know he wasn’t perfect, but I do miss those days, sometimes.”
Alex smiled. “I understand. And if you ever want to take the performer’s path, it’s always open to you. But if your dream is to ascend to the summit of the cultivator’s path, you’re going to have to be strong. Beyond strong, with a resolve of steel. We both will.”
She paled and swallowed. “I know, Alex. Believe me, I know.”
Alex dipped his head. “Then it’s up to you to make use of every tool at your disposal, take advantage of every opportunity before you.”
She smirked. “Like the balls in my hand?”
Alex nodded. “Tonight, I want you to squeeze them as hard as you can, with all your might. Once your hands are so cramped they’re nothing but claws of pain? Relax. Cycle your Qi through your limbs with the technique I showed you. Then do it again. And again. And a dozen times more.”
He smiled at her wide-eyed look of disbelief. “Don’t worry. I’m going to put my movements where my mouth is, starting tonight. You’re not the only one who should be bettering themselves, and if I’m going to put you through that, the least I can do is endure the same until my shift is over.”
“But, Alex, that’s not for another couple hours!”
Alex forced a chuckle. “Honestly, I’ve almost been slacking off these past couple weeks. It’s high time I practiced what I preached.” He winked. “And as long as you want to stay up, nothing says we can’t train together. Now close your eyes for just a minute? Thank you.”
And very soon the sound of birds and crickets was supplanted by the sound of fists, elbows, and shins smacking against a customized version of the training pells once so popular with HEMA practitioners and full contact martial artists back on Earth, made of wood, thick spirit beast hide, and reclaimed wagon parts that Alex had pulled out of his ring, a short distance from the wagon so as to disturb no one while keeping their camp in sight. He lashed out with a barrage of shin kicks, knee strikes, elbows and punches, striking fluidly, methodically, far more concerned with power generation and perfect form than a blitzkrieg series of blows.
He bit back his own whimpers after the first half hour, consenting only to collapse to the ground and embrace the body cultivation technique he himself had somehow forged. And the tingle of relief when his skill gently purged the toxins away, gentle Qi bathing his cells, was heavenly. Dark and Light Qi working in odd concert to speed his healing to such a frenetic degree his injuries, mild as they were, healed within minutes. He couldn’t help sighing with what was damned close to ecstasy.
He took a deep breath after waving an exhausted and somewhat awed-looking Hao Chan goodbye, before focusing himself and repeating his training regimen, his goal to strengthen and toughen his body as much as he could, wondering if he really could get the benefit of rapid conditioning with intense practice used in conjunction with his body cultivation technique.
At least it helped to pass the time, he thought, before placing the training pell back inside his ring and slinking up the wagon and oh so gently waking up Hao Yin before letting himself sink down to sleep with Hao Lin between him and Hao Chan. Normally, he’d just use his divine artifact, but with all the children effectively exposed while the merchant slept inside his steel-lined shell, he knew who’d pay the price if he didn’t hear trouble coming.
A faint cry jolted him out of his sleep.
Tapping, that was what he had heard.
Then a cut-off gasp, words low and guttural piercing the night.
Alex wasted no time freezing in shock or desperately trying to puzzle out a deeper meaning. Excuse it all away.
He already knew.
Finesse check made. Quickness check made. Your foe is caught off guard.
Strike at will.
Flowing through the ropes of their squared-off training and sleeping ring of a carriage top, Alex cartwheeled effortlessly to the soft loamy ground of the clearing, fangtian ji summoned between one heartbeat and the next, slicing through the air so fast moonlight itself parted before its touch.
Alex smiled coldly at the surprised gasp and furious hiss of the bloated man bulging out of t
he narrow carriage doorway, one meaty hand having grasped a terrified-looking Hao Yin by the front of her garment.
Gazing at the desperately pleading girl with eyes filled with avarice and hunger.
The words Alex had heard still echoing in his mind.
“You broke my sleep again, girl. And there is a price to be paid for that!”
“But Uncle, you told me to knock. You told me I have to wake up Sun Sun!”
“He’s already awake, silly git. Grab her!”
Hao Zei’s beady eyes abruptly widened as the large, powerfully-built guard who had effortlessly clasped one powerful hand about the girl’s wrists, the other over her mouth, froze.
Feeling Alex’s killing blade caressing his neck.
Alex felt Sun Sun freeze as ji-tip caressed his spine, drawing but a single drop of blood, glowing crimson in the pale, silvery midnight.
For long moments they were frozen in that awful tableau, only broken by Hao Yin’s whimpers.
Then Sun Sun slowly let go of the girl, leaning away from the tip of Alex’s weapon as he did so, not even looking Alex’s way as he went back to his patrol, as if nothing whatsoever had happened.
Alex did not strike him from behind.
“You’re dismissed, Ruidian. And you understand nothing. If you ever dare say aloud the scurrilous thoughts on the tip of your tongue, I’ll sue you to the bloody bone for slander,” said the merchant, now glaring at the still-whimpering girl. “Your backside will be spared the caning you so rightfully deserve. See you never disturb me with your asinine dribble again.”
With a final glare, he slammed shut the door to the wagon.
Alex didn’t hesitate to gather the shaking girl in his arms.
“Are you alright?” he asked softly.
She jerked a quick nod, bonnet lost, graceful fox ears quivering in the moonlight.
There was so much Alex wanted to ask her, but first thing’s first.
“Come on, back up to the rooftop. We’re safest there,” Alex said. For all that Sun Sun had worn the most indifferent of expressions, Alex wasn’t stupid. There was no way in hell he was going to turn his back to the man ever again, if he could help it.
And within seconds the pair of them were sitting side by side, gazing up at the silver moon overhead.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Hao Yin shuddered, seeming so like a young frightened animal. Ears quivering, her soft, doe-brown eyes gazing into his own. “Now you know my secret,” she whispered, a sad tear trickling from the corner of her eye.
Alex’s gentle smile belied his tightly clenched fist. “What, that you’re a kitsune? I’ve always known that, Hao Yin.”
Her eyes widened with surprise. “Really? But I thought that...”
“A certain sleek gracefulness to your features that you all have in common. The way you move.” He flashed a teasing smile. “The way you’re always wearing a beret, mutton cap, or bonnet. To be honest, I’ve never even seen some of those hats outside Renaissance Fairs, but nothing says eastern cultures can’t have accouterments just like the ones I used to think of as European. After all, this isn’t precisely the East, and it sure as hell isn’t Earth.”
Hao Yin tilted her head. “You’ve met other girls like me? And what’s a Renaissance Fair?”
Alex nodded, crossing his arms behind his head. “My sensei. The girl who taught me everything I know about spear, sword, ji, and Golden Realms kung fu was a kitsune, like you. And Renaissance Fairs were festivals very popular in my homeland among a certain class of people, myself included,” he said with a smile.
She grinned, gazing curiously down at him. “So where exactly do Ruidians like you come from?”
Alex chuckled softly. “I come from a place called Earth. And I’m no Ruidian at all, for all that I may look like one.”
Her eyes filled with wonder, ears quivering with curiosity, earlier terror forgotten.
“Earth, I’ve never heard about this Earth before, and I love hearing about new lands. Will you tell me about it?”
Alex smiled and nodded, telling her tales of a wondrous, futuristic world filled with tall buildings of glass and steel, self-propelled vehicles that could drive for hundreds of miles in a single day, and massive air ships that had once soared the skies. He found himself lost in memory’s reverie, finding pleasure in bittersweet recollection as much as he did entertaining his rapt audience of three now very awake companions, who seemed almost as fascinated by the wonder of semi-sentient computers for which they had no real reference for, save as extremely intelligent summoned ghosts, as they did hearing about weapons that could destroy entire nations.
After a full turn of the hourglass, his young friends were still listening, Hao Yin gazing raptly at him though her eyes were slowly shutting, gently rocked to sleep in Hao Chan’s gentle arms.
And when Alex finished his final tale of a boy who knew his own death was coming, determined to escape forever more in digital worlds of wonder, beating death at its own game, Hao Chan was peering at him so intently he shivered under her measuring gaze.
“Hao Chan? What’s wrong?”
She smiled and shook her head. “I… nothing, Alex. Just, thank you for the wonderful tale you shared.”
Alex forced himself to smile back. “You’re welcome.” He caught her gaze. “Hao Chan?”
She flushed and looked away. “Please, Alex. Don’t say anything, alright? Just… don’t say anything.”
Alex held her gaze. “You know your father’s not a good man, right?”
She flushed, glaring, then looked away. “Yes.” Her soft word was little more than a whisper. “I know.”
“Hao Chan?” Heart racing, knowing what he was risking, he asked the question. “Has he hurt you?”
She winced, quickly shaking her head, her soft amber eyes gazing at him now far more worldly than the innocent persona she normally embraced. “No, Alex. He hasn’t done… that, to either of us.” She flashed a weary smile. “He goes no farther than caning our legs when we displease him. Though that completely stopped, after you came to our rescue.”
“Except for tonight.”
She swallowed, nodding. “Except for tonight. I think he’s getting kind of...”
“Hungry.”
She lowered her head, refusing to sob, though tears streamed freely down her cheeks. “I don’t know why I’m crying. I don’t know why he’s like that. I just… I just...”
“Don’t blame yourself, Hao Chan. Please don’t blame yourself.”
She gave an angry shake of her head. “I know, Alex. It’s just… I know my father’s a hard man. But he means well. I know he does. I mean, he’s going to all this trouble just for my and my cousin’s sakes. And yes, he has a bit of an edge to him, but when things are going well… he’s everything I could want in a father. I promise you. It’s just that now, with this trip, constant disaster, and no, well, relief for him until we get to Yidushi….” She sighed, shaking her head. “The pressure got to be too much. I’m… I’m just sorry, Alex. So sorry you had to see that.”
Alex furrowed his brow. “I wasn’t the one about to get caned.”
She lowered her head in shame. “I know, Alex. It’s just… I know.” She turned to Hao Lin who had so enjoyed the Earthly tales, now snoring softly once more, oblivious to the darker currents that had infected their trip. “I’m just grateful that for all his flaws, Father’s still doing his best for them, still trying to give them a chance of a good life. A very good life. Hopefully they can forget his flaws and just remember his kindness at the end.
Alex flashed a hard smile. “Tomorrow we’re training, Hao Chan. Training for real.”
She blinked and paled. “You mean we weren’t already?”
He sighed. “Your Silver Swan form is beyond beautiful, and you’re finally learning how to mesh that with Golden Realms so you can strike at all ranges and take your opponent to the ground. But it’s not enough. Not nearly enough for the challenge before you. If noth
ing else, this night reminded me of just how hard, how cold, and how ruthless life in this world can be. And the only people who can truly achieve freedom and happiness are those strong enough to choose their fate, not have their fates controlled by others.”
She swallowed, jerking her head. “You’re right, Alex. Above all else, it pays to be strong.”
He nodded. “I’ve already taught you my greatest secret. Tomorrow, we’re going to embrace the bitter like never before. You’re going to train harder than you ever have in your life, and only when you’re as strong with Golden Realms kung fu as you are with your Heartbreaker dance, only when the two systems become one, will you be ready for the trial before you.”
Her eyes widened, her features visibly paling, before she jerked a nod. Then she dared to flash a smile. “That goes two ways, Alex.”
Alex blinked. “What do you mean?”
She grinned. “You’re everything I could hope for. A friend who genuinely cares, who wants to turn my weaknesses into strengths. Let me be the same for you. As much as I think you knock it, my form is powerful.” Her eyes all but flashed. “Far more powerful than you know. You might excel at close range fighting, Alex, but, forgive me, save for that single fearsome shin kick, you have no powerful leg strikes at all. Not that I’ve seen, anyway. And your form… deadly as it is, it has no grace...” She furrowed her brow, as if searching for the right word. “It has no flow.”
Alex blinked. “Flow?”
She smiled. “Flow of Qi. Qi does not flow through you as you strike.”
Alex furrowed his brow, realizing she was right. Then his eyes widened. “Your Silver Swan technique does?”
She grinned. “I’m just a basic cultivator. But when I ascend… I will finally be growing into my technique’s true potential.”
Alex shook his head. “I don’t get that sense with my style at all.” Of course, he did have other cards at his disposal, he thought, and perhaps his Adderstrike didn’t play well with other Qi flows. Truth was, he didn’t know.
Hao Chan flashed a pleased smile as her now-calloused hands gently stroked the furry tips of her cousin’s ears. “Good. Then it’s settled. Just as you’re teaching me how to fight at all ranges with my entire body, I’ll teach you as much as I can about my own techniques.” She flashed a rueful smile. “My master’s techniques, I mean, for all that I know you don’t respect him.”
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior Reforged: A LitRPG/Wuxia Novel - Book 2 Page 28
