“Sorry. Bad memory.” Wu Ying shuddered and shook the thought aside.
“Elder Hsu again?” Chao Kun said.
Wu Ying offered a wan smile while offering his greetings to the senior cultivator.
“Har. I never knew someone who was willing to subject himself to so much pain,” Chao Kun said. “At least, not one who wasn’t angling to be a disciple.” Chao Kun trailed off, leaving the question unasked.
“I am not,” Wu Ying said firmly. He could understand the attraction, but it was not for him.
Elder Hsu was supposed to be one of the main contenders for the post of Sect Protector when the next slot opened up. Of course, that might be in a few hundred years. Sect Protectors were all at least late Core Stage cultivators and had the extended lifespans of said individuals. Still, to be a disciple of someone that respected would offer Wu Ying significant benefits.
“Wu Ying likes his vinegar sour,” Tou He said, eyes twinkling.
“Har. And you, bitter[14],” Wu Ying replied.
“Enough. Both of you,” Chao Kun said, rolling his eyes. “We are here to train.”
“Sweet!” the pair chorused with a laugh before they took off running for the nearest dueling circle, Chao Kun following closely with a raised fist.
“I’ll show you how sweet my fists are!”
Trap, pull close, shift weight lower down to increase connection to opponent. Angle forward and move with opponent when they shift, crumpling their stability. Wu Ying shifted, watching as Chao Kun struggled to keep his balance, then Wu Ying finished the attack by dropping even lower as he kicked forward and sideways at Chao Kun’s foot. Stability already compromised, the new force threw Chao Kun completely off balance and sent him crashing to the ground. At the last moment, Wu Ying released Chao Kun’s arm rather than keep hold of it, knowing that if he did so, he would tear tendons and ligaments as his opponent’s arm hyperextended.
Tou He laughed, clapping. He stretched, his fast-flowing fists having created the opening in Chao Kun’s defenses that allowed Wu Ying to close in.
“And that’s five falls,” Tou He crowed. “That’s dinner.”
“Fine,” Chao Kun grumbled lightly as he rolled to his feet. “Facing you two is not possible anymore.”
“That’s because we’ve gotten much better,” Tou He said.
“At working together,” Wu Ying clarified as he stood, flashing his friend a grin.
They really had. Ever since they had started sparring with Energy Storage cultivators, the pair’s coordination had grown significantly stronger. Whether with weapons or fists, they understood and “felt” the openings that the other would go for, ensuring they rarely hampered each other.
“Not just that,” Chao Kun said. “You have integrated the Northern Shen form into your martial form, have you not?”
Wu Ying nodded, trying and failing to hide his smile. It had happened last night, while practicing the form for the umpteenth time, when everything seemed to slide into place. Oh, Wu Ying had touched the threshold before and even, for a few moments, managed to achieve that rarified air of competence, but only last night did he finally manage to sustain it.
“Good. Then you are done for today,” Chao Kun said.
“Done?”
“Of course!” Chao Kun pointed at the exit. “Go. Get a better style. It’s hurting my eyes watching you struggle.”
“What?” Wu Ying said.
“Quickly now, go.”
“But… why?”
Tou He and Chao Kun traded glances before Chao Kun sighed and placed a hand on Wu Ying’s shoulder. “Wu Ying, you picked up the kicking style while an outer sect member, correct?”
“Yes.”
“And you know we stock the most basic styles at that level, yes?’
“Yes.”
“Then why are you still using it? Don’t you want a better, more efficient style?”
“Of course I do. But you told me not to get one!” Wu Ying protested.
“Until you achieved an intermediate level.”
“Yes…”
“When you achieve that level, you integrate the style into your own. You understand it, grasp the basics of it, and it stops feeling like you need to think about each movement, each action, correct?”
“Yes,” Wu Ying said. With his jian, it had been when he stopped feeling the hilt in his hand, stopped worrying if he had the sword at the right angle, if the edge was lined correctly. When the sword started being part of him. With the Northern Shen style, an intermediate understanding meant that the stretches and motions, the locks and throws were no longer something he had to consciously consider before he used them. They were but another tool in his fighting style.
“If you had started learning a new style, do you think you would accidentally misremember each motion? Mix them up? Especially if they were both kicking or grappling styles?” Chao Kun said.
“Oh…” Wu Ying scratched his head. Well, that made sense. Too much sense. Wu Ying ducked his head in embarrassment as his pair of friends chuckled.
“Do not worry about it. It’s because you’ve only studied a few styles, correct?” Tou He said. When Wu Ying grunted in acknowledgement, Tou He continued. “That’s why they never talked to you about it before. Only in sects and monasteries, where we are taught multiple styles, is it a concern. That’s why we know it, and it’s our job to teach our juniors.”
“Of course… wait. When did I become your junior?” Wu Ying said, glaring at Tou He.
The monk smiled serenely.
“Well, are you going?” Chao Kun said, bringing the conversation back to the topic on hand.
“Fine, fine. We’ll finish that talk later,” Wu Ying said.
“Of course. Junior.”
Wu Ying threw his hands in the air and stalked off, though a slight smile still graced his lips. Tou He might be annoying, but Wu Ying could not help but think of the many styles he could study. What could he study next? A grappling skill to not suck down as much water? Perhaps a qinggong skill? What cultivator did not want to fly across the snow or water?
“Forget it,” Elder Ko said. The deep-voiced head of the library was present at the inner sect library today, allowing Wu Ying to trade his cultivation points for another session with the knowledgable Elder.
“Elder?”
“Qinggong is both a physical skill and a chi skill. While there are many skills you can learn to mimic some of the aspects of qinggong—and those, I would only barely recommend looking into—you are not even at Energy Storage stage. Why would you be willing to waste much-needed chi on a frivolous skill?” Elder Ko said, his voice filled with disapproval. “Just to show off and avoid walking the cleared paths?”
Wu Ying winced as the Elder honed in on his ego-driven desires. “Yes, Elder Ko. What would you suggest then?”
“Well, tell me what you want to learn,” Elder Ko said. “Or have you forgotten how this works?”
“No, Elder. My apologies.” Wu Ying took a moment to consider his needs. What did he want to learn?
The Long family jian style was sufficient for Wu Ying in terms of weapon styles. While there were arguments for learning something with more reach, like a polearm or even a bow, Wu Ying felt that focusing on his jian would bring more benefit in the long term than the short-term benefits of learning a new weapon. Gaining mastery, the Heart of the jian, would increase his combat prowess well above learning a new weapon. In time, perhaps. But not now.
In close combat, the Northern Shen Kicking Style gave him throws and locks when an attacker passed through the extended long range of his sword. Of course there was a gap there between the upsets, grapples, and throws the kicking style emphasized and the end of his sword. It was a gap that that could benefit from a style that focused purely on kicking or punching.
And of course, from his experience with Elder Hsu, Wu Ying knew he lacked any significant knowledge about ground grappling. The grappling style emphasized by the Northern Shen Kicking Style was one meant for the battlefield and keeping on one’s feet, not slowly suffocating a single opponent to death. On top of all that, Wu Ying could not help but consider Elder Hsu’s comments on increasing his strength as a Body Cleanser. Skill was important, but at a certain point, raw strength and power beat skill.