Beneath the mulberry tree a small figure staggered around with footsteps and movements which resembled someone off balance and drunk.
She would stagger when moving appearing loose and relaxed when suddenly her body would suddenly fall forwards or back and roll her body so she was on her feet again, she would then adjust her steps and continue her staggering steps like a drunk person.
The sword in her hand would dance in her hand along with her movements, sometimes she would make a movement that looked like a block or parry with her sword while other times her steps and body changed direction suddenly and performed a thrust or a slash with her sword.
The other hand was occupied with a flask which was filled with water rather than wine, she would make movements between her staggering movements and sword forms to bring the flask towards her mouth to quickly take a drink.
"Although I have begun practicing the intermediate 16 sword forms I am only able to perform 12 forms right now with the current state of my body. I have slowly been developing them and integrating them into my own style." Ki then sat beneath the tree while sighing. "Humans have a rational side and a wild side. The aim of my sword forms is to be able to control oneself. The sword combines the yin and yang. Yin corresponds to gentle and mild movements as if in a state of bewilderment. Yang means to be steadfast. I will come across as off balance while in fact I am looking for the right moment to attack in a flash. The more I practice this the more I feel closer to the state of being tipsy even when I am perfectly sober. In this state of stupor, I believe that the sword has merged with my body and that I have finally reached the point where man and nature are one."
During her time of practice Ki had moved onto practicing the 16 intermediate forms for sword and palm techniques.
She constantly developed her own style and wrote an official version of her martial 8 basic forms for both the standard movements of the Mulberry Sword Forms and Drunken Mulberry Sword Forms.
The Mulberry Sword forms were inspired from the basics and adapted to suit a wood based style of martial arts because of her inspiration from practicing under the mulberry tree.
She used her flexibility and control within this art while including a set of standard footwork to be paired with it.
The Drunken Mulberry sword forms were her further development of the mulberry sword art in a more relaxed state which uses the foot movements which she developed called Staggering Steps.
While the Mulberry sword art was focussed more for battle, the drunken mulberry sword art could be used as a sword dance but also in sword arts by those who had mastered the state of being tipsy while being sober.
If performed in a drunken state the risk of injury would be higher and this art only seemed to suit Ki's use because she had enough experience in battle to be able to avoid an accidents.
She had begun to practice the intermediate sword forms but during her sparring with Marilyn she began to find a way to improve both forms up to 12 forms out of 16 which is her current limit of use.
Ki had adjusted both styles within her palm arts which had also reached a similar level.
Ki passed on some martial arts books of the Mulberry sword and palm arts basic forms to close aids who were truly loyal to the family like the blood shadow group and her disciple Evie.
She also made several copies of her martial arts booklets along with anything else in her memory for her later plans if her largest dream ever comes true, she stored everything in the family inheritance underground and continued to hone her current skills.
If her future dream was to come true then she would need a lot of martial arts books, weapons and a collection of insight on different other weapons and styles.
She would also need to establish a name for herself to become an influential figure, one influential enough that she would be able to recruit many people from all walks of life.
Ki sat beneath the tree deep in thought. 'Mulberry Sect… or Mulberry Sword sect? Hmm… or should it be named after its core ideology and beliefs?'
A sect is a place where martial artists gather and everyone must follow the sects ideology, lifestyle and rules while they begin their lives of training.
Some sects take part in many events in the world which are mainly part of the martial alliance while there do exist many righteous sects who are not part of the martial alliance who are categorised as aesthetics or secluded sects who only appear during their periods of their journey throughout the world to gain experience or in times when the people of the land are facing a crisis.
The Buddhist sects and others sects like the Divine Ice Sect tend to stay away from worldly desires because of their heart sutra which suppresses or removes their desires or emotions.
If they do not need anything then they just need to focus on matters of their sect, their martial arts teachings and only step outside for their sects duties.
Ki's believed in protecting what belonged to her and her family the most, if she could establish a sect she could openly train people in martial arts without seeming like a threat to most people.
Sects actively recruit people from the outside world and recruit those with enough potential whether they are from a poor background or a rich one.
They are a source of power which is formed in one place but not completely used for to attack others and establish power over others.
Most righteous sects are a beacon for heroes to be born and they usually treat those villages or cities well that are within the range of their sects grounds.
Some even protect the people within the range of the sect and send their disciples to capture criminals or subdue bandits in the area.
There are sects who do use their power to influence their surroundings but most of them are considered to be classed as evil or unorthodox sects because of their deeds of harassing people or even committing crimes which result in being persecuted by the Martial Alliance.
Ki wished to stay on the good side of the Martial Alliance so she had plans in mind to rely on the families good image as merchants and her own public image to help establish the sect and recruit people.
When Ki establishes the sect she can begin to make use of her books that she had stored away and begin to recruit suitable disciples to teach them to.
Many others she had already taught or given a martial arts booklet could become teachers within the sect once it is eventually opened to the public.