It has been almost a month since Shun had been living with the Eru family. He had become accustomed to the city and his status as Eru Tara's new student helped him get acquainted with much of the people. However, his background as a village boy from the south also drew the attention of less than likable characters with unflattering views. Luckily, Shun had Kira and Zen, as well as the Juwan family and Eru Tara, to help him feel safe and sound.
While staying with the Eru family, Shun also studied under Tara's tutelage alongside Kira and Zen. Though his studies began at a lower level than his friends due to his village upbringing and elementary education level, he quickly progressed to be on the same level as them within two weeks. Tara was quite impressed with how quickly the boy was capable of understanding new concepts and integrating them into his mind. Shun had also began training in the martial arts. Although Kira and Zen were already practicing stances and fighting techniques, Shun had to start at the very beginning. And the first stage that he had to undergo was breath training.
When Tara first introduced the concept of breath training to Shun, the boy honestly felt less than a little enthusiastic about it. But the teacher explained its significance and made Shun understand its importance in the practice of Chidao. "What is the greatest power that permeates throughout our universe?" he asked the boy.
Shun thought about the question for a quick moment before answering confidently, "Chi."
"Correct," confirmed Tara. "Chi is the energy that is responsible for the flow of the universe and is shared by all entities, including gods, humans, animals, and plants. Even nonliving things have Chi, too. Chi is present in everywhere and everything. The Chi of nonliving things is known as dormant Chi and can still be cultivated and used by living beings. The Chi of living things such as humans and animals is called active Chi. It is present in our blood, our heart, our bones, our muscles, our eyes, our hair, our skin, our brain; our entire being is a composite of nonliving materials animated by Chi."
"If we are made up of nonliving things, too, then why don't rocks and mountains move if they also have Chi coursing through them?" Shun asked curiously.
"Because living things possess one thing that nonliving things do not," Tara told him. "It is because of this difference that living things are able to cultivate Chi. Inside of our bodies, whether we be animals or plants or humans, are internal gates called chaka. There are seven integral chaka and one spiritual chaka. Understanding chaka will allow you to understand your body and its Chi flow. Once you gain this knowledge, you will be able to regulate Chi within your body and cultivate it to higher levels. But like the construction of a bridge, we must first begin with the foundation before we can begin to build up. The first principle that you must learn is cultivation," stated Tara. "Shun, how do living things cultivate Chi?"
"Eating?" answered Shun uncertainly.
Tara laughed at Shun's answer, confusing the young boy. "Good answer," said the teacher jollily. "It is true that you can attain Chi through eating, but that was not what I was looking for. There is a more simpler way to cultivate Chi. In fact, we are doing it right now as we speak." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He exhaled and opened his eyes. "Breathing is the most simple and best way for one to cultivate Chi. Everyday, we are cultivating Chi through this simple practice. However, to train in the martial arts, we must learn complex methods of cultivation so that we can maximize its presence in our body for the purpose of executing our techniques. But these methods are all rooted in the same general concept: breathing. By breathing, we are drawing in the Chi that is already presently around us. This concept is simple and easy, but it's importance for learning Qidao cannot be stressed enough. And so, that will be your first training."
Shun's breath training was split into three stages. The first stage of training required him to blow up a pack of twenty-five rubber balloons. Shun was familiar with balloons and had seen them before during the festivals held at his village, but he was not at all familiar with the concept of blowing them up. It was new to him and he found it hard to do. But little by little, he began to discover a working method and it became easier for him to complete the task. After one week, he finally passed the stage. Tara told him then that the first stage was for training the proper way of breathing: breathe in deeply through the nose to completely fill up the lungs and breathe out through the mouth. Upon completing the first stage, Shun's breathing pattern had changed and this new method of breathing became a part of him.
For the second stage, Tara gave Shun one leather balloon to blow up. At first, Shun was only capable of inflating the balloon halfway; he found it difficult to blow it up completely without losing his own breath. But with a little hint from Kira and Zen during a short break to the river right near the bottom of the hill behind the Eru family's residence, Shun gained new insight into the processes behind breathing. Surely enough, knowing now to use his diaphragm and hips to expand the space in his body for his lungs helped him to successfully fill up the balloon with air. Tara then gave him a thin metallic balloon and asked him to do the same thing. Using the new method, he could only blow up fifty percent of the balloon. However, he knew that the method was correct and that he just needed to practice it more. Soon, he learned how push his diaphragm lower to create even more space for his lungs. The metallic balloon was successfully filled up and Tara presented to Shun the last step for completing the second stage. This time, the balloon was made of a flexible glassy material. Once again, Shun used the new method he learned and saw that the balloon was only able to inflate a little less than thirty percent. This was the hardest of the balloons for him to inflate; no matter what he tried nor what method he could think of to vary his diaphragms and hips, it didn't work. It seemed that he had reached the limit of how much his body could expand. It took a him a while before he remembered another thing he had learned from his friends' that day by the river. He was finally able to fill up the balloon by filling up his lungs and blowing air into it continuously at a steady rhythm. He took it to Tara and the teacher revealed to him the purpose of the second stage: training his breathing power and endurance. This training took up two and a half weeks.
For the third and last stage, Tara presented to Shun five balloons made from animal viscera. He told Shun that he would pass the boy if he could blow up at least one of these balloons. On his first attempt, Shun popped the balloon after blowing into it for no more than three seconds. He tried again with the second balloon and popped it in two seconds. When he reached out for the third balloon, he stopped himself. At the rate he's going, he's going to pop all five balloons. For the next two days, Shun mulled over the best way to blow up the balloons without popping them. He really wanted to complete this training so that he can move on to learn actual techniques. When he finally decided to attempt the third balloon, he chose to inflate it slowly. At first, it was going great and the balloon was rising up with no difficulty. But just when he thought that he had finally done it, the balloon popped. The next day, he tried another method with the fourth balloon and blew it up in little bursts. That, too, failed despite initially working very well in the beginning. On the last day before the end of the week, as Shun was trying to work out how to successfully blow up the last balloon, Tara gave him a little hint: breathe in as much air as you expect to expel out. Using his teacher's hint, Shun imagined how much air he would actually need to fill up the balloon and breathed in the same amount into his lungs. Upon breathing out, he saw the balloon perfectly rise up. By the time he was out of breath, the balloon was filled up completely and remained whole! He had done it! Tara took the balloon and told Shun the purpose of this training: training his breathe control.
Now that Shun had completing the most basic of Chidao training, he was ready to move forward.
"I finally did it," said Shun with a relieved sigh. He was out in the city with Kira and Zen. Walking alongside them and behind Zen was the latter's personal maid: Mura Sumin. She was a short girl the same age as them and had long black hair and stormy grey eyes. She was a quiet girl and always kept her eyes to the ground. But more than anything, she was extremely obedient to Zen. In fact, Shun sometimes wonder if there was anything she wouldn't do for the Juwan heir.
"Now you can practice with us!" said Zen excitedly.
"Why can't you be this excited about academics, too?" said Kira with a disappointed shake of her head.
"Hey, you're not better than me either!" challenged Zen.
"I may not care much for academics, but at least I never failed any of the classes!" declared Kira haughtily.
"That's because you're the teacher's daughter!" argued Zen.
"So? You're the duke's son but I'm still smarter than you! Ha ha!" laughed Kira.
Zen couldn't take anymore of this embarrassment and turned to Shun. "Hey, Shun, you're smarter than both of us! I know that we can't compete much with you. But between Kira and I, who's smarter?"
"U-Um, I wouldn't say that I'm the smartest," said Shun.
"Test us! Test us!" demanded Zen with hungry eyes,
"U-Um…," stuttered Shun.
"Why not? It's not like he's going to beat me," said Kira. "Just quiz us over the things we've learned," she told Shun.
Shun really didn't like having all of this pressure on him, but he also didn't know how to say no to their enthusiasm. "Name one of the three Primordial Ones," he asked them.
"Atha, the All Encompassing," answered Kira.
"What are the five common metals?" asked Shun.
"Black iron, desert iron, prismatic gold, sea-foam pearl, volcanic foil," answered Kira.
"In medicine, what is sea-foam pearl used for?" asked Shun.
"To relieve blockages of the airways and to heal burn injuries!" quickly answered Zen. "When used to relieve blockages, it is crushed into a fine powder and mixed with water. For burn injuries, it is crushed into a powder and rubbed onto the necessary areas."
"Name the two sides who fought in the Uzuila Enobugi (Shameful Skirmish)," asked Shun.
"Long and Rei!" quickly answered Zen.
"Idiot," insulted Kira. "It's Long and Hia. It was after the Battle of Homtiaigui' (Red Heaven Valley). The Long Kingdom had raised an army of 800 men and attacked Homtiaigui'. The valley was close to the border of the Hia Kingdom. The Hia Kingdom at that time was very small and could only send an army of 500 men to fight back. Long quickly won the battle and incorporated Homtiaigui' into their territory. The victory greatly boosted their morale and Long got greedy. They decided to push forward and conquer the Hia Kingdom. Luckily, Hia managed to recruit Jiu Kavei, an ex-general of the Chirokai Imperial Army, and raised an army of 650 men. However, Long had also managed to boost their ranks by recruiting two famous generals, Han Guhal and Yuizo Hamka. At first, Long had the upper hand and it seemed that victory was in their sights. But Jiu Kavei was a general known for his ability to use his surroundings to his advantage. By applying a method known as "Poking the Bear", he managed to reduce the enemy army's number until both armies were about even. Finally, he sent out a group of soldiers at night to infiltrate the enemy camp. The soldiers assassinated Han Guhal and Yuizo Hamka then and there. In the morning, the heads of both generals were sent to the enemy camp. The remaining troops retreated back and Long suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Hia. This is why it is known as the Shameful Skirmish."
"Uwah! It's like I'm listening to Eru-senzo's lecture again," said Zen.
Kira let out a sigh and slumped her shoulders. "My father made me read the "Epic of the Eight Great Generals" every night when I was six years old. Unlike you, I don't have time to goof off because my teacher is practically there with me all day and all night."
"Alright, I concede," said Zen in pity.
"That doesn't make me feel better at all!" complained Kira after realizing that winning this argument meant nothing anymore.
As they walked through the street, Shun noticed something that caught his eyes. Outside of a shop was a small table with a black cloth over it. An elderly woman sat behind the table with a warm smile on her face. On top of the table were a variety of materials, some he had never seen before: a cup holding a bunch of wooden sticks, a chart of some kind, stones of different sizes and colors grouped in a corner, dice, coins, needles, ink and brushes, and paper. 'I wonder what they're all for?' wondered Shun. When the group passed the table, the old woman called out to them.
The kids greeted the elderly woman respectfully with the Jiap. The woman replied back with one of her own. "What is this table for?" Shun whispered to Kira.
"This woman is a furaen (fortune-teller or diviner)," she told him. "She uses the objects on the table to tell fortunes."
Shun knew of the term and remembered back to his village. "The furaen back in my village used animals bones to tell fortunes," he told her.
"Animal bones had been used to divine since ancient times," Kira explained. "However, here in the city, there are more modern and advanced methods of divination that have been developed." She then walked up to the woman and pointed to the wooden sticks in the cup. "May I please have my fortune told?" she asked the woman.
"Of course, dear," replied the kind old woman.
Kira took one of the sticks at random and placed it on the table with half of it sticking out of the edge. Casually, she pushed down on the end sticking out of the table with her thumb. The stick immediately broke into two pieces. The old woman took the piece that was still on the table and read it.
"This is called a fortune stick. On one side of the stick are characters. The stick is placed on the table with that side facing down. In the middle of the stick is a tiny dot. When placing the stick on the table, you have to make sure that the dot is right on the edge of the table. Then you give the stick a slight push with your thumb. The stick has many tiny ridges on the back that allows for it to break in different lengths. The remaining part of the stick is then read. Your fortune is divined using the remaining characters on the back along with calculations based on the date and astrological movements."
"Why is it that divination is the only thing that you always seem genuinely excited about?" asked Zen.
"That's not true. I'm always genuinely excited to be with Shun-wan, too!" added Kira with a big smile.
"My girl, you have quite a journey ahead of you," came the elderly woman. "There will be many obstacles for you to overcome in the future. But do not despair, for it is revealed to me that you will find happiness in the end."
"If I may," Kira asked the elderly woman. The woman handed Kira the stick and she analyzed it for herself. "Today's the 16th Day of the Rabbit Month…. Obstacles, happiness…. The Fire Star is in the northeast…." She handed the stick back to the elderly woman and thanked her with a bow of her head. "Want to try one?" she asked Shun.
Shun took one of the sticks and did as Kira told him. After it had broke, the woman picked up the piece still on the table. As she read it, her brows furrowed. She put down the stick and told them her divination. "My boy, you have a treacherous journey ahead of you. I see darkness and despair and anger in your future. You will come face-to-face with the man responsible for your misfortune." The atmosphere around them became very quiet and serious. "However," continued the woman, "there will also be light in your life. But it is your choice whether you choose the way of light or the way of darkness."
"May I?" requested Kira. The woman hesitated at first, but then relented and gave her the stick. Kira analyzed the stick and muttered to herself. She handed the stick back to the woman and turned to Shun with a smile. "It's alright! Fortunes are just predictions after all!" she told him with a reassuring smile. She grabbed Shun by the hand and quickly pulled him behind her as she ran down the street. Zen and Mira followed after them with the former hollering for his friends to wait up.
The group came to a giant building of some sort and walked in. Inside, people were walking around and admiring objects and statues. Some of the objects were placed in glass cases while others were laid on cushioned pedestals. There statues were of people whom Shun didn't recognize at all, save for a few historical figures that he remembered seeing in his schoolbooks back in the village. He had never seen a place like this before.
"This is a museum," Zen told him. "I almost forgot that you came from a village. I'm guessing that they didn't have museums back where you're from."
"I've always wondered something," Shun blurted out. "This city is called Squire Village, but it's not a village at all. Why is that?" he asked.
"Back then, a lot of the major cities and towns were real villages. That was how they got their start. Through the years, they expanded their land and more people moved in. They became major producers of resources and materials and grew even more in power and wealth. Some of them eventually discarded the word "village" from their names. Others received a new name automatically, with a famous few known to have gone through multiple name changes before settling on the one they have now. Still, some of them kept the word "village" in their name. But there are still a lot of actual villages out there, so I know how it can be kind of confusing."
"Yeah," agreed Shun. Zen saw sadness in Shun's eyes for a few seconds.
"Hey guys! Look at this!" Kira called them from the center of the museum.
They all gathered where Kira was and Shun couldn't believe his eyes. Standing majestically in the center of the museum and glittering like glorious stars was five life-sized golden statues. They stood atop a wooden base that also had the names of each of the figures written on gold plaques underneath their statue.
If Shun had a chance to see these statues years ago, he wouldn't be able to make out the names on the plaques at all. But now, after being educated more by Tara, he was able to read the names perfectly. The first statue, starting from the far right, was of a young man with clean features and dressed in the robes of a scholar. The name underneath read: "Toki Chukai – Eastern Enigma". The next statue was of an old man with a shiny bald head and a braided beard, clad in the traditional robes of an Usiddi monk. The name underneath read: "Gen Oroji – Southern Savior". Next to that was the statue of a middle-aged man with slight wrinkles around his forehead and wearing the robes of a Taido'chi priest. The name underneath read: "Dama Tujin – Central Paragon". Continuing next was the statue of a short and plump old man with a wild beard and dressed in patchy clothing. The name underneath read: "Wuchi Kong – Northern Wanderer". The final statue, on the far left side, was the most unpleasant. It depicted a very tall man with a scowl and dressed in long robes with a snake around his neck. The name underneath read: "Hayashi Aro – Western Terror".
"This is a statue of the Five Emperors of Chirokai," explained Kira.
"Five Emperors?" wondered Shun.
"Ah, they're not real emperors!" Kira told him. "It's just a title. Although they may not be actual kings, they could be considered the emperors of Chidao. In fact, their titles were given to them by the people and the martial arts community for their achievements. Each of them come from a different corner of the land and they possess some of the most powerful and coveted techniques in all of Chidao."
"They're basically the best of the best!" summarized Zen. He then frowned in the direction of the Hayashi Aro statue and said, "Well, most of them."
"Is he not a hero, too?" asked Shun.
"To some people," said Zen casually. "But everywhere else, he's a villain. He hurts innocent people and is ruthless and cruel against people weaker than him."
"I remember my father telling me that he's a man you do not want to meet," said Kira. "My father had fought him a few times back in his youth and remembered the Western Terror to be well-deserving of his title."
"No one likes him," concluded Zen with his arms crossed over his chest.
Shun took another look at the statue and noticed that, unlike the others, it had dust and cobwebs collecting atop its shoulders and head and deep in its creases. The people's spite against the figure was reflected in the statue's state of negligence and loss of golden shine compared to the ones it stood beside. 'So this is what it means to become a villain,' he thought to himself.
After checking out some of the exhibits, the kids exited the museum just as the sun was beginning to move towards the west. They bought some snacks along the way and stopped at a bench in the public park area.
"Man, did you see those weapons?" exclaimed Zen. "They had Sai Dakiro's Thunder Cloud Sword, Kon Renji's Divine Tortoise-Shell Shield, and Yu Yenjil's Steel Flute Blade!" Zen's eyes were full of brilliant sparkles and his uncontrollable excitement made his body shake. "But the coolest collection they had were the treasures of the Eight Dragons."
"Oh, you mean those trinkets on display?" asked Shun innocently.
"Trinkets?! How could you?!" exclaimed Zen offendedly. "Those were objects collected from each of the Eight Dragons to serve as their symbols while on display to the public! Every city and town have some kind of Eight Dragons collection in their museums!"
"S-Sorry, I didn't know they were that important," apologized Shun.
Kira smacked Zen on the head. "You're creeping him out with your fanboying," she told him.
"Who are the Eight Dragons?" Shun asked them.
"The Eight Dragons are another group of strong Duelists," explained Kira. "They are each masters of one of the eight elements."
"It's my goal to defeat them one day and become the strongest Duelist in the world!" announced Zen.
"Wow! Amazing!" praised Shun.
The sound of ridiculing laughter caught the kids' attention and they saw a group of boys approaching them. The boys were all older than them by at least two years and had big bodies. The one leading the group was perhaps the biggest of the group and he was laughing the loudest of them all. He was dressed in a dark green Zao with matching Goam and a pair of white Ün. "Hah! You, becoming the strongest Duelist in the world?" insulted the large boy.
"What's wrong with that?" shot back Zen.
"You're nothing but a little squirt," said the boy. "How can someone like you possibly become the strongest Duelist in the world? That's hilarious!"
"I may be small now, but I'm going to get bigger and taller and stronger!" argued Zen defiantly.
"Like I said, hilarious!" laughed the boy. The other boys laughed along with him.
"Who do you think you are?" Zen snapped at them.
"Whoa there, little boy," came one of the other boys. "Are you saying that you don't recognize who this is? You better show respect to Zai Jikaro, son of Squire Village's merchant guild master, and future hero of Squire Village!"
"So you're the son of Zai Umon," said Zen, visibly unimpressed.
"Are you looking down on me?!" accused Jikaro. "Who do you think you are to do that to me?!" There was noticeable venom to his words.
This time, Sumin stepped forward and placed herself in front of her young master. "You pig," she insulted him bluntly, "you dare to slander my master before my very presence? He is the young master Juwan Zen, son of Duke Juwan Daochi. To not even know the face of the young master of this city is disgraceful and ignorant. You should curse your own tiny brains for not understanding this simple little fact." Despite the obvious spite in her words as she spat them out, Sumin didn't show any clear emotions on her face at all. This actually made her all the more cruel and scary and Jikaro couldn't help but wince every time she spoke.
"Hey, hey, Sumin, that's enough," said Zen, tugging her at the elbow.
Sumin turned to her master and bowed. "I apologize for my unduly behavior."
Shun had rarely heard Sumin spoke before, but her words immediately sent chills down his spine. He could tell by her words and the emotion she had poured into them despite her own absence of visible emotion that she was someone who he wouldn't want as an enemy.
The boys murmured amongst themselves with clear fear in their eyes after learning of Zen's identity. Jikaro didn't like the whispers one bit and refused to be pushed around. "Who cares?!" he cried out. "You may be the duke's son, but that doesn't make you a great Duelist! If you really think that you can be number one, then how about we have a battle? Then we can see who's the real number one!"
This time, Kira stepped in. She couldn't allow any more of this foolishness to continue. "Wait a minute," she interjected. "That is a crazy idea! We're still kids! We're still inexperienced!"
"Fine by me!" announced Zen.
"Zen!" shouted Kira.
"I'll have you know that I'm one set away from completing Little Dragon Fist!" boasted Jikaro. "I'm pretty sure you haven't even mastered more than four sets!"
"I'll have you know that my Little Dragon Fist is more complete and powerful than yours!" shot back Zen. "He doesn't even know that my teacher is the real deal and I've been practicing the legit and unabridged version for two years now," he added quietly to himself with a chuckle.
"Can we please just call this off?" Kira asked the boys.
"This doesn't concern you, little duckling," spat Jikaro.
"L-L-L-Little duckling?!" shrieked Kira. The term 'little duckling' is a very insulting term used to call someone useless and ineffective without someone else to lead or guide them, specifically a parent or a teacher.
"Why don't we make this interesting?" offered Zen. "How about we have a three on three match? My friends and I against you and two of yours friends. It'll be three rounds with a different matchup each round. How does that sound?"
"Fine!" accepted Jikaro. He and the boys turned and left without a word.
"How boorish," said Kira once they were out of earshot. She then turned to Zen and smacked him on the head again. "Why did you go and do that for?" she yelled at him.
"So what? He started it," grumbled Zen.
"And what did you mean by three on three?" she asked him furiously.
Zen smiled and pulled Shun close to him. "Why, what else could I mean by that?"
"You're gonna make Shun-wan fight? He had only just mastered breathing yesterday! How do you think he'll fare against people with actual skills?" said Kira.
"Shun is a fast learner," reassured Zen. "He'll pick up the moves and techniques very easily."
"He still hasn't opened his chaka gates yet or learned how to manipulate the elements," Kira angrily told him through gritted teeth.
"Oh," uttered Zen as those words processed in his mind. He finally realized his mistake and turned to Kira with tearful eyes. "What did I just do? We're going to lose!" he wailed.
"What were you thinking?" said Tara, shaking his head with his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. Zen, Shun, and Kira all hung their heads in shame. "Zen, just what was going on in your head when all of this was happening?" he asked the boy.
"I didn't like how he was all smug about his skills," Zen told his teacher.
"I tried to stop him!" Kira said.
"I don't want to involve myself in a squabble between children, but there is no guarantee that they won't ask their teacher to issue a formal challenge," said Tara with a sigh. "If a formal challenge is issued, we cannot turn them down. It doesn't matter how good or bad we are compared to them."
"Why?" asked Shun.
"Turning them down will be a huge demerit for us," explained Kira.
"I'm sure that you are familiar with the teachings of Kantai," said Tara. Shun nodded his head in answer. "Honor does not affect only one person or party but all members of the situation. But how the honors of the people are affected is different."
"I'm not sure I understand," said Shun. He was familiar enough with the basic tenets and teachings of Kantai, the major philosophical school of Chirokai and one of the empire's Three Schools, including the concept of honor. But back in the village, he, like the rest of his villagers, were only schooled in the most basic aspects of Kantai's concepts.
"Say for example, if you were to agree to play a game of Yunchi (chess) against me with the declaration that whoever wins will receive a candy from the other, and you beat me but I refuses to give you the candy, that would be an insult to your honor," explained Tara. "Though you have been slighted, I would've also suffered a demerit to my honor for the dishonorable action I have done. And the opposite is also true."
"So you're saying that if they decide to formally invite use to a challenge and we decline it, we would be insulting them," understood Shun. "But at the same time, we would also suffer a demerit to our honor for the damage we have caused unto theirs."
"The only way we can reject their invitation without any demerit to either of our honors is if we have a reason that takes precedence," said Tara. "For example, if one of us is injured and cannot take part."
"I'll do it! I'll injure myself so that we don't have to fight!" shouted Zen frantically.
"Fool!" reproached Tara. "Lying will only be a greater demerit! If you plan on following your father's footsteps and become the next Duke of Iaro Province, then you must gain as much merit as you can!"
"Sorry," apologized Zen with a bow of his head.
"I would not have any grievances if it's just you and Kira," began Tara, "but Shun is not ready to partake in such competitions yet. However, you have already settled on a three against three match.
Kira suddenly lit up. "Father! How about we try that method?" she suggested.
"What method?" asked Zen.
Tara didn't say anything and rubbed his chin. "That method is too advanced," he decided.
"What method?!" repeated Zen.
"Van Chori's Dream Method," explained Kira. "Van Chori was a Duelist during the late Jira Dynasty. He's best remembered as "The Magnificent Advanced Prodigy". He was called advanced not for his skills but for the age at which he became a Duelist, which was in his late forties. It is said that when he was a child, he trained in a martial arts school, but he was boneheaded and simple and had no talent for Chidao at all. Still, he trained and trained until he reached the maximum age for a student of his school and was cast out. After having failed to become a Duelist, he found work as a baker. However, he was even bad at that that the head baker threatened to cut him with a blade. One night, as he slept, he dreamed about baking bread and imagined himself doing it the way he watched the head baker did it. The next day, he became a natural at baking bread! His fellow bakers were flabbergasted to see him gain such skill after showing no talent for it at all! Van Chori then thought to apply this method to Chidao. As he slept, he dreamed and remembered the lessons from his days as a martial arts student. Slowly, he gained those skills in real life! And in just a month, he had successfully completed the entire training of his martial arts school from his childhood! He found fame as a Duelist and became one of the most celebrated Duelists in history for his heroic feats!"
"Van Chori's Dream Method is said to allow one to focus their senses to receive outside information and to focus their body to translate that information and store it," detailed Tara. "It consists of watching a sequence of moves or a set of techniques from beginning to end for a total of three times. After that, the learner must close their eyes and visualize what they've seen. They must replay the same sequence in their head while committing it to memory. At the same time, the presenter who performed the sequence must perform the same moves or techniques for a total of three hours a day. While this is happening, the learner must tune their senses, with the exceptions of their sight, to absorb the information from the presenter. The smell, the feeling, the taste, the sounds of each move must be dissected and understood by the body. This allows for the body to build intuition for the execution of the moves or techniques. The visualization and the sensory perceptions are combined to ingrain the techniques into the very bones and muscles and brain of the learner. This is the Dream Method."
"Father, Shun isn't a dolt like Van Chori! He understands things very fast and is very smart, too! He can do it!" said Kira.
"Hey, be respectful of your elders," said Tara. "It's Van Chori-ren." (Ren = an honorific reserved for heroes and legendary figures). He thought about his daughter's suggestion for a bit before coming to a decision. "We'll try it," he decided. Amidst the cheers from Kira and Zen, Tara added, "But first, Shun must unlock all of his chaka gates." He turned to the boy and said, "Shun, starting your tomorrow, your next training begins."
"Argh! I can't believe I got us into this mess!" groaned Zen as he slumped down in his chair. He lazily picked up a pastry from the plate on top of his desk and slid it into his mouth.
"Master Zen, please don't be hard on yourself. It was that dirty pig's fault for forcing your hand," reassured Sumin from the side of his desk.
"Now, Sumin, you can't go talking bad about the city's merchant guild master," chided Zen. "Even if he is a dirty pig," he added in a quiet voice. "Ah-ah! I can't sit here like this! I'm going to do some night practice!" He got up and left his room for the courtyard with Sumin following closely behind.
The courtyard was made of glistening stone and had a wall with a carved entryway that connected it to the East Wing, which was where Zen's room was located in. It was big and spacious and had beautiful flowers and plants neatly growing along its sides. Near the back of the courtyard was a small pavilion with a bench inside. Behind the pavilion to the east was another wall with a carved entryway that connected to the South Wing. Up above, the clear night sky with its millions of sparkling stars provided a magnificent backdrop.
Zen would often come here to practice Chidao in the evenings after dinner. It also provided the best place for him to just get lost in his training whenever he needed to get away from something, especially at night. He loved training under the brilliant moon. It was his source of illumination, just like the sun for farmers or the stars for navigators, and it was his alone.
He immediately began his training and decided to focus on the most recent techniques and sets he had learned. The first was Rising Tail Whip, a diagonal backflip kick with the leg completely extended. To master this technique, one had to first master flipping backwards and landing with the feet firmly on the ground. With each consecutive flip, one had jump higher and higher until they reach the height of an Oxwood tree branch. One would then progress to extend their attacking leg with each high flip until they can extend it completely and land back on their feet firmly on the ground. This marks the completion of the first stage. The second stage consists of repeating the same training, but this time angling your body. First comes practicing to backflip diagonally, then comes increasing one's height, then comes extending the leg until it can be completely extended without trouble. Zen had by now mastered this technique, but it had only been two days since then. He knew that if he wanted to become a master, he would need to train this technique until it becomes a part of his body.
After completing about forty or so revolutions, Zen decided to move on. He proceeded to practice the forty-second set of Little Dragon Fist: Rising Dragon Over Sea. The set follows Rising Tail Whip and contains sequences that incorporate the technique. In total, there are seven sequences with each sequence consisting of three moves. He went through each sequence five times and repeated the entire set throughout the night.
From the corner of the courtyard, Sumin watched her master in awe. The sweat that glistened as it fell down his face, the emphatic grunts that accompanied each perfectly executed move, the way his body brilliantly moved beneath the moon's glow, all of this amazed Sumin greatly. She had always watched her master practice and every time, she felt more and more drawn to his person. But it wasn't just his strength that she was drawn to, there was also his kindness.
"Hey, Sumin!" called Zen. "I know that you've been watching me practice for a while now. But it's more fun to actually do it. Do you want me to teach you a few tricks?" He wore a very bright smile that almost made the maid melt.
Sumin couldn't believe what her master was saying. She was already content with watching him practice his art, but for sure she couldn't pass up this opportunity. 'No, what am I doing? He is my master. I cannot act familiar with him, it would be dishonorable!' she warned herself. As she was about to decline the offer, despite the aches that now peppered her heart, she saw Zen reaching out a hand to her. That night, both master and servant, young and free like a pair of fawns, practiced Chidao until the moon reached the western skies.
When Zen went to the Eru residence the next day, he saw the postman deliver a letter to his teacher. The first thing that came to mind was a letter of challenge from the school which Zai Jikaro belonged to. The thought made his stomach turn and his body shake with anxiety. After the postman left, Zen casually walked up to his teacher and greeted him. He then casually walked inside the home.
"It's here," said Tara. Those words made Zen jump and he turned around with eyes wider than a fish's. Kira and Shun had also gathered around by now to hear Tara speak. "Zai Jikaro, the son of Zai Umon and the boy with which you issued the challenge, is a student of Chun' Giong Hiayin Se-nyan (Thousand Lights Hero School)."
"Thousand Lights Hero School?! That's one of the best schools in Squire Village!" exclaimed Kira.
"Well, he is the son of the city's merchant guild master," reasoned Zen.
"And you had to pick a fight with him?!" yelled Kira angrily.
"I'm sorry, okay! How many times do I have to apologize? I regretted picking a fight with him so much that I had a nightmare last night about losing to him and having to act as his slave for a year while my parents looked on with anguish!"
"That's probably not good for your health," said Shun.
"Anyway," continued Tara, "this letter is written by his teacher, Gulshi-senzo, and he is inviting us to a formal competition between our students. The competition will be held before spectators in the town square. According to him, the school will make the necessary preparations. As for the date and time, it will be two months from now on the 16th Day of the Monkey Month in the afternoon."
"Two months, will that be enough time?" asked Kira.
"It is possible," said Tara. "Yuitia uyui tia, shatia urai fu! Ji maje shana giao!" quoted Tara. ("Winter cools the ground, spring warms the air! Time makes flowers grow!").
"Are you saying that anything is possible with time?" asked Zen after grasping the meaning of the poem.
"Exactly," said Tara with a nod. "This poem by Ku Hanaji expresses exactly that." He then turned to Shun with a serious glint in his eyes. "Shun, for the next two months, I will be training you and I tell you now that it will be intense. Although I would've preferred to spend my time teaching you, our circumstances have changed. Are you prepared for what comes next?"
Shun looked back at his teacher with an equally serious face and answered confidently, "Yes, I am."