The first part of her training wasn't that hard. Long Ju spent the next few days locked up in her room, experimenting with variations of her grandfather's explanation. The first method didn't work and the Aura, instead of circulating evenly through her body, accumulated in her head, causing her severe headaches. After that, she decided the top-to-bottom method was effective but too dangerous. Switching her Aura concentration from the left side to the right side and back was more straightforward and intuitive, also her head didn't hurt as much. But as soon as she felt confident in her proficiency she realized that for the next step, she needed to master both forms anyway, to achieve a full circulation, clockwise and counterclockwise. She constantly felt her muscles burning, stimulated by the Aura coursing erratically within her. It was exhausting, but exhilarating at the same time. It was the perfect way to train both her Aura and her physical abilities at the same time. In the past week, servants and family members looked at her strangely as she hung upside down from tree branches, or immersed herself to the waist, in her garden pond among the koi carp. Her brother Hao was the one more perplexed by his sister's behaviour. He pestered her to tell him what she was doing and was so envious once he learned their grandfather was teaching her Aura.
"It's not fair. Soon I'll start sparring with grandpa too. Maybe he'll teach me about Aura too"
She exhaled and inhaled. A fish jumped on her head. She was at peace.
"Hey, what's your gift for my birthday?"
The fish slapped her face with its tail and went back into the water. Long Ju sighed. It seemed training for today was over.
"Hao don't be impatient, you'll be taught when you'll be ready. As for your birthday, big sis is preparing a nice surprise," she smiled as she ruffled his hair. Hao laughed and ran around happily in the pond, chasing the fish.
Long Ju looked at Hao, her smile widening when she saw the joy emanating from his young face. She thought it wouldn't hurt too much to show him a few things.
"Hey Hao, come over here!" He looked at his sister and then ran to her, out of the water.
"I need your help, please close your eyes. I'll show you something you haven't seen before."
He obeyed, closing his eyes. She approached him from behind and placed her fingers on his shoulders. Slowly, she started infusing a bit of Aura inside him, just enough to create a few ripples in his Aura reserves. She was trying to create resonance so as to let him experience sensing Aura for the first time.
"I wonder if you can feel it. The surrounding Aura. It connects you to everything. The water, the fish, the wind, every living being and even the earth, the rocks"
"How does it feel?"
Hao felt shivers down his spine. He was amazed and couldn't believe what he was feeling, but Long Ju knew it was the power of his Aura, just like feeling the warmth of the sun on the skin after the coldest of winters.
Hao stood there, speechless and completely still, overwhelmed by the newfound connection with everything around him. His sister waited, silently observing her younger brother, a glimmer of pride in her eyes. He was a natural, like her. She had no doubt he would become a great Aura master one day, if not as good as their grandfather.
"Open your eyes now," she said warmly, "See what you feel."
Hao blinked and looked in the air, his face lighting up with wonder. "I feel it, it's amazing! It's like... like a part of me, but not really. It's like I can sense everything around me, just like you said, I can feel the water, the fish, the wind. It's incredible. I can see the Flow"
"Yes," Long Ju said, smiling, "That's Aura, it's a part of you that links you to the world. The better you learn to control it, the stronger it will become."
He nodded, eyes shining with excitement, "I can't believe I'm going to be taught by Grandpa. I don't want to wait. Are you sure he won't teach me before my birthday?"
Long Ju shook her head, "No, not yet. You need to be patient. The next step in your training is very important, and you need to work hard before you can learn from Grandpa. Trust me, Hao, it's better to wait than to rush into things too quickly. Your time will come, but for now, you still have much to learn. And keep this little lesson from your big sis a secret, okay?"
Hao pouted, but he knew his sister was right and nodded agreeably.
"You're the best. I have to go now, or the maids will nag at me again for skipping the history lessons. Thank you so much." Hao smiled and hugged her, before darting off to class.
Calm and silence reigned once again in her garden. She felt all the tension leave her. Water was dripping from her clothes as the wind messed up her hair. But she felt at ease. She didn't know it, but what she was experiencing was Harmonization. It was a rare state of being, where Aura was allowed to flow freely through one's body, without resistance. Once again, Long Ju tried the breathing technique, and she found that concentrating on breathing helped to regulate her Aura flow, which in turn regulated her emotions. She could control her breathing, and her Aura was becoming as steady as a river.
Within this state, she could feel a light, warm energy spreading across her body. She felt stronger and more alert. The Aura was circulating evenly through her body, and she could feel it flowing from the top of her head, down her spine, and then out through her arms and legs. She felt empowered and eager to learn more. A full Aura Circulation.
"This is it! I feel... incredible!" she said with excitement.
Long Ju smiled. The Aura in her body was circulating as it should, flowing from top to bottom. It was a sign that she was fully in tune with her Aura, that she was in complete harmony with herself. She stretched her arms, enjoying the sensation of her Aura coursing through her body. It was like a drug, addictive and exhilarating.
She walked over to the pond, feeling more powerful than ever. She wanted to express herself, to show the world how far she had come. The flow of the water around her, as if echoing her own movements. She knew she was skipping some steps, but she felt the abnormality of her situation and knew chances like these don't come often. She focused all the Aura she had at one point, trying to compress it to the maximum. She felt it moving, like fire, from all over her body. First, to her right half, then only her torso. It continued its path, like a flood, collecting all the Aura remaining in her. Her whole arm and shoulder were pulsating, but she kept going. It was painful, but she could sense the Aura compressing more and more, reaching the elbow. Now her right forearm was bulging, she felt all the veins wriggling under her skin. With the last push, all her Aura was concentrated in her hand. Distending her palm, Long Ju drew a line on the water. She felt like electricity was coiling around her fingers. One moment later, like a spring, all the Aura recoiled all over her insides, and she was catapulted to the ground. Even while covered in mud and algae, Long Ju laughed. She looked at her hand, amazed at what she had just done. The Aura had bounced back like a boomerang, flowing back to her core. It was as if her body had absorbed everything and was ready to use it. She breathed deeply, calming her mind and reflecting on her experience. As she did, her eyes fell on her muddy hand. She smiled and then burst into laughter again. She was exhilarated and didn't care if she got dirty.
She laid there on the ground, breathless, her heart pounding like a jackhammer. At that moment, everything felt surreal. The muddy grass under her back, the sound of the birds tweeting above her and the cool sensation of the earth on her skin. She knew she had overtaxed her Aura, but she was too elated and tired to care. She laid there, letting the sun shine on her face, her Aura still coursing through her, feeling her body fill with energy and excitement.
And then she fell asleep.