Luo Si did not log off right away like yesterday. This time her state of mind was excellent as she finally able to release Wu Ji Quan in its purest form. With a hightened spirit the other three techniques' proficiency increased by a large margin, before she logging out.
Wu Ji Quan was an excellent technique.
It would weaken though, if it was no longer a straight form of contact. The strength of her foundation technique would lose much potential when the range of attack would go beyond the physical border.
If an attack created a shockwave or qi explosion, it would leave her grasp of control. It was a soft technique that needed contact, Afterall. And since it was a foundation technique, practitioners would only use it at the martial learner stage.
Strength beyond the body's limit was only summoned by fighting techniques outside the foundation range. Min Mei Bing's furious fist for example went further than just the limit of 250 kg. Boosted by the heat emitting energy.
The uncle and his nephew stood in front of the tent. Both had a positive vibe and Wuying excitingly clenched his fists. Luo Si casually walked her hinds behind her back as she was greeted by the joyful elderly.
"Your teaching upholds true wonders. This little brat could not sit still after you left and spend the whole night reading. He talks about nothing else than becoming the strongest king this world had to offer.
"But I don't see any reason in holding another session since the goal of motivating him to learn the book has already taken effect."
"Hmph, with the book in my hands, I surely will exceed the king." Wuying was confident.
"Indeed, the task has been completed, but the goal of my teaching hasn't. Can you give me the needle?" Hantian flung his wrist and a needle spun in the air at Luo Si's reasoning.
"What are we doing today? Are we going to the martial camp again? Will you show me how to fight with a needle?"
His teacher did not talk, but pulled a bucket from behind her back. It was picked up along the way. The bucket was sent flying in the air as well. The needle vanished the next second when Luo Si swiped her hand and reappeared following the bucket's trajectory.
Crack*
The needle graced the side of the bucket, in a tangent-like manner. Both objects fell back in her hand. There was an incense stick long slice in the wooden object.
"Wow, how did you do that?"
Luo Si swung the bucket to the tomboy, the needle back to Hantian and put on her gifted veil. "Put that on your head, take off your vest and follow me."
"Are we going to the martial camp again? Are we going to fight in incognito?" Wuying did as commanded, but received no answer.
After following Luo Si for a while, he realized something. "Umm, are we not going to the camp?"
He received a simple 'No.' The 3rd and final day had been planned differently. "Today we will not fight. We are making a tour to the village."
"The village? What are we going to do there, steal?" As both teacher and student were in disguise, that was the only idea that came up inside his mind.
Luo Si shock her head, which could only be hardly seen in her fizzy state. "Don't ask. Just follow me." There was no meaning if every of her actions was explained.
They arrived at the city gates. Wuying would normally be flooded by the rushing villager. However, the villagers just took a glance and could do nothing but ogle when seeing the funny looking duo.
"It feels weird, right?" Luo Si started talking without warning. "You, a descendent of a noble family not to be paid the respect you expect."
"Um, it does feel cold." Wuying replied puzzled. "But that is because they don't recognize me. If I lift my disguise, they will surely run towards me to beg for their rudeness."
"Certainly, but keep the helmet on." Luo Si knew just how attentive the villagers were towards the nobles. Anyhow, it was not her intention of coming down here to cause an uproar by dragging Wuying through the town. No, this guidance served another meaning.
The duo walked down the streets till the teacher paused in her steps. They had nearly reached the other end of the city, ending up in the lower attractive parts.
Sniff* She took in a deep breath through the nose, confirming that they had reached today's destination.
"Ugh, what is this disgusting smell?" Wuying tried to protect his nose. Although, it deemed an impossible task with the bucket on his head. As a brat of noble blood he had never come across such foul stenches. If there ever was one the servants would give their all to get rid of it.
"This my young padawan is the smell of truth and regret in the morning." His teacher responded after entering into the lions' den going by the name 'Smelting pot.'
"The truth is unbearable."
"Always has been."
The floor creaked up when stepped on. A man behind the bar, supposedly the bartender, was toweling down the last glass unperturbed by the new costumers. Instead, he turned elsewhere and roared. "Hey you drunkard! Do I need to kick you out myself?"
Groaning noises echoed out from a shadowed table standing in a corner. The source of the lingering alcohol smell opened his eyes. The drunkard clutched his head, embracing the consequences of his late-night actions. "C'mon man, bring me another bottle of sake-he."
Only after replying with a cuss did the sober one turn around. "And you. Did you not hear me, we are closed-!"
Cling*
"We will take a cup of tea… and a glass of milk." Luo Si was even less touched by the gloomy atmosphere inside the bar and flickered something out of her sleeve.
A tiny piece of metal fell onto the piece of cloth in his hand. Taking a peek at the extra weight in his hands made him change his mind. "A cup of tea and milk."
Serving drinks at a low price made it hard to come by a piece of silver which nearly made a third of his weekly income.
The fuzzy figure planted herself across the occupied table. Her actions spoke words of their own.
"I won't say nothin'!" Her target of conversation absent-mindedly shouted. It was not the drunkards first time to be confronted this way.
Tock*
"Ask right away!" The poor were no different from the rich when it came to the sound of money. Seeing the silver coin hit the table the drunkard, just like the bar man, instantly changed his behavior towards the young masked ones.
"I just want to know what you think about the king." She plainly said.
"The king-he?" He hickuped while checking if the silver coin was real or not. "You mean the strongest of them all. The most popular and talked about figure grown in this holy land?
"If it's that son of a beach you wanna hear about then you have truly come to the right place to listen about what no one else dares to."
"Oh, now that surprises me! So far I have only heard nothing but praises about him." She asked in an overexaggerating tone.
"Hmph, all the talk about his strength and how he shapes mountains and rivers just to improve his citizens life's. The others might be blinded by his lies, but I, uncle Tao, can see through them all.
"Whenever he does something it's either to oppress those with rebellious thoughts or to distract the public from his scheming.
"Heck even the past event, the war, was actually initiated by him. All because he felt threatened. He, the strongest, threatened, what a joke. You sound pretty young so you might not know but when-."
"Tsing Tao, that's enough."'Smelting pot's owner called the drunkard by his name to shut him up. it was a taboo enforced by the king to talk about the tragedy.
"What? Are you scared that he will come here, so far away from his harem? Don't sh** yerself'. His grasp does not even reach beyond the kingdoms' walls." The bartender looked away in annoyance hearing his patrons' barking.
"Exactly… All hail to the ~king." Tsing Tao raised a toast but realized he had no glass when he reached out to take a sip.
"Then what about the nobility?" Luo Si asked.
"The nobility?" The drunkard spat on the ground anew in exchange for an angered look from the bartender. Wuying clenched his fists underneath the table in reaction. He remained silent though as his mentor spared him a glance as well.
"Ah yes the nobility-hi! Those who have risen from the administrative positions and took a stance for the commoners." Wuying's' fist opened up hearing a positive feedback about his faction. Only to be tightened even harder when he was listening to the second half. "At first that's what I thought. But in my 'humble' opinion they are just his dogs. Used to appease the mass in order to gain his favor."
"Thank you for your honest answer." She stood up, having gotten what she came for, and so did Wuying. The tea and milk had been untouched through the whole conversation.
The tea cup had been grabbed once. But was put down immediately when Luo Si saw some oily bubbles lying on top. Having drunk heavenly tea with her master on some occasions made this tea look like a literal disaster.
As for Wuying, he had not only touched it because he was preoccupied with a ride on the emotional roller-coaster. He did not even like milk in the first place.
"Uh, my pleasure." Tsing Tao fiddled the silver piece in-between his fingers.