All rights to Inuyasha reserved by Rumiko Takahashi

Kagome's head buzzed like a swarm of bees. The images of Sesshomaru and his father darkened. The young priestess fought for consciousness. "What's happening?" Kagome fell to the ground grasping her head. The world faded to black.

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Kagome pulled herself off the ground only to find herself in the most amazing room she had ever seen. A long hallway filled with rooms spread out in front of her while behind her a room of dressers and a large futon decorated her path.

'Wait, what happened?' Kagome looked around for any sign of Sesshomaru or his father. As her mind slowly grasped what happened she stomped her foot in anger. "What the hell! I may not like it when people fight but…GAHHH!"

After relieving her frustration she noticed the sound of footsteps getting closer.

Sesshomaru burst through the door with Miki trailing behind him; obviously she was trying to keep him from falling down. The demon lord was injured and his clothes torn to shreds. There was a gaping wound in his left shoulder and quite a few gashes on his limbs. He was sweating heavily but at least he was breathing.

The demon lord sat on his futon and clutched his shoulder. "I want those fifty men separated into two groups, which will be referred to as squads from now on. Make sure they know that this training is optional for now but remind them of the benefits if they refuse." Sesshomaru felt his shoulder. "Oh and tell them that we will begin the training tomorrow."

Miki took in Sesshomaru's orders stoically.

"Is something wrong?"

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

Miki took a step forward. "Tell him to kill me? What the fuck is your problem?!"

"My problem is that my father thinks he can control me no matter the circumstances. I simply wanted him to realize how vulnerable he is. When enemies amass against him it would not be in the western lands best interests to have a ruler who is incapable of taking control of a situation."

"If I had done what you said he would have killed you."

"It was within his right to kill me yet he gives me a chance for life. If he had just done it he wouldn't have to deal with a potential traitor. It was foolish."

"Your father is a good man! Obviously you do not understand mercy when you see it!"

"If you want to live ask Miki to save you? That was not an act of a good man. I do not deny that he was once kind but now he is so much more. He is a leader. And he will relearn what it takes to keep his lands alive. If killing me will give him strength then so be it."

"…why? Why did you ask me to tell him that?"

"It's the same reason I asked for you to be my second in command. It's the same reason my father ordered you to send me to away when I was born. It's the same reason my father ordered you to leave me in that quarry when I was thirteen. And it's the same reason my father ordered you to leave me for dead in Dimear! Because you're just so good at following orders."

Miki's jaw snapped shut. Not caring to listen to Sesshomaru any more she turned and opened her door.

"General!"

Miki's hand stopped on the door's handle. "Sir."

"I want the names and ranks of the recruits you've chosen as soon as possible."

"Yes sir. Oh and sir, just be glad that no one else saw the end of the fight. If the others had been watching I might have chosen to act differently." And with that she left.

Sesshomaru sat in silence for a few moments before his guest showed herself. A familiar figure walked into the room. Clad in her usual black garments Sakura moved into his field of vision. "That was a little harsh if you ask me."

"She's a big girl, she can take it."

"You look a little tired. The old man give you a run for your money?"

Sesshomaru didn't answer.

Sakura took the hint and dropped it. "The humans are in another war."

"Is that so surprising?"

"You used to care about them."

"That's when they were paying me."

Sakura laughed. "Your father supports Emperor Go-Daigo."

"I'm sure he does."

"I take it you support Ashikaga then."

"He will win and Ashikaga Takauji will become the new shogun when he controls Kyoto."

"You must be joking. Emperor Go-Daigo controls the imperial regalia, without them Takauji will never garner the support he needs."

"They are no more than trinkets. And they will not save him from the destruction to come."

"Well if you say so. Hell, I've never known you to be wrong about these things before."

"Save for the time I convinced a certain king to leave his lands in control of Counts around 800."

"How did that turn out?"

Sesshomaru's gaze seemed to drift upward. "They kicked me out of France and hinted heavily that I should never return."

"Oh." Sakura began to move around the room. "Nice place you've got here."

Sesshomaru stood and followed her. "Too big."

"You would think that someone who hates you would give you a crappier room."

"Makes sense."

Sakura moved to a small table against the wall and picked up a small glass ornament. "Is this expensive?"

Sesshomaru could not have looked more bored.

Sakura let go of the ornament. Taken by surprise Sesshomaru caught it with his right hand. Sakura smiled. "That's a yes."

Sesshomaru placed the ornament back on the table exactly like it was.

"So what are you going to do about your father?"

"I'll make him see reason."

"How?"

"I have my plans. None of which you need to know."

Sakura walked across the room and out onto the balcony. "Well it was worth a shot."

Sesshomaru moved out to the balcony as well. "Going somewhere?"

"Oh yes. Imagine you introducing me to your new friends. I believe it would be somewhat of an awkward conversation."

The smallest hint of a smile appeared on Sesshomaru's lips. "Yes, I wonder what comes after psychopath?"

Sakura looked into Sesshomaru's eyes. "I'll want to talk to you when you have more time. See you later, lover." And with that she flipped herself over the balcony rails and plummeted down.

Sesshomaru didn't check to see if she had made it all the way down. Instead he found himself looking up to find several of the balconies above him missing. He couldn't see the gaping hole in the side of the castle from where he was standing but he knew it was there. Hell, he had been the one to through his father through it.

A knock at his door snapped Sesshomaru back to reality.

Sesshomaru made his way across the room and opened the door.

Miki stood angrily holding a small scroll. "Here, I organized them by rank."

Sesshomaru took the small scroll and opened it. "How did you do that so quickly?"

"I was already reviewing the army's files in my free time. It only took a few seconds to pick out a file on potential candidates."

Sesshomaru reviewed the list and handed it back to her. "Impressive."

Miki looked more surprised than angry now. "You're not going to check them?"

"I trust your judgment."

Miki looked startled at the complement. "Thank you sir."

"What, does my father not complement his subordinates on their performance?"

Miki cleared her throat. "No, he spends most of his time with the lords. The words he gives us are few and far between."

Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow. "Well, we'll just have to change that."

Before Sesshomaru could dismiss her Miki interrupted. "Sir, I may have some questions about this…program of yours."

"Of course, if you have any questions just stop by regardless of the time. I don't sleep much anyway. Well, if that is all-"

"Yes sir."

"Fine, dismissed."

Miki bowed and then marched down the hall to her room, their argument from earlier at least partially forgotten.

Sesshomaru closed the door and then inspected his left shoulder. If his father had stabbed him a little lower it would have pierced his heart.

Deciding that he should clean the wound he made his way around his room, which in his opinion was more like a small house. Sesshomaru had been relieved to find that his room was not traditional in that most of the walls were wood instead of fusuma. Sesshomaru had found long ago that fusama walls did not muffle sound and made intruders easier to hear; Sesshomaru always did like for his enemies to feel at ease right before they died. Kel had always called it sportsmanship.

Only three of the sections in his room were secured with fusama doors. One was his previous bedroom, which he had made into somewhat of an arsenal, his bathroom that had to be refilled with water every day, and a small empty room that he used for meditation. The other parts of his room housed his personal effects that consisted mostly of scrolls and a few books.

Sesshomaru checked each trap he had set in his room. He had rarely stayed in one place for more than a season for most of his life but when he did stay put he liked to be prepared.

A small desk in the hallway contained a throwing knife that would pop out when a button was pressed. His arsenal contained all the equipment required to make any weapon he needed but the room itself contained no real weapons, he had never found time to make many. The bathroom had a small flash grenade that he had made himself stuck by the entrance.

Most of this was useless since Sesshomaru tended to keep a sword by his side any time he wasn't meeting any form of lordship. He made a mental note to make another sword. The last one had been broken a few seasons ago when he foiled an assassination attempt on his life.

Most of his little traps were noisemakers that alerted him to anyone in the room, many of which consisted of certain places that if stepped on made a loud cracking noise. Sesshomaru had made certain that even a human could hear the noise through the wooden walls.

Even when dealing with lordship Sesshomaru always kept at least a knife on him so he had never really found a reason for placing too many weapons throughout the room. Besides any weapon he had placed for himself could easily be used against him. It was this same reason that Sesshomaru had always liked hand-to-hand combat.

Making his way into the bathroom Sesshomaru took a cloth dipped it in the water he had collected that morning. Then he began to clean out his shoulder along with several of the other gashes in his arms and legs.

Just as he finished he heard Miki knocking again. Sighing Sesshomaru finally noticed the state of his person. His clothes were shredded and he smelled like he'd spent the entire day running. Then again he had spent a hellish amount of energy fighting his father so she could hardly blame him. He quickly decided that he would take a bath after he answered all of Miki's questions.

He rarely used the hot springs, primarily because he had found the defensive capabilities of the room inadequate. There were precisely seventeen points in the room that could be used by an assassin to kill any one in the springs. Not to mention that two of these points offered complete defilade from the springs themselves…plus he didn't feel like walking down all those stairs.

Sesshomaru tore some of the dangling strands off his kimono and tossed them on the ground. As he made his way back to the entrance he looked at his dresser in his new 'bedroom.' On top of the dresser were his old clothes that he had brought to him in a wooden chest. He hadn't once opened the chest in the two years he had spent in the castle.

Before he reached the door he realized that the knife he always kept with him was still strapped to his arm and could be seen through one of the holes in his kimono. He didn't use it in his fight with his father because he didn't want it to get broken; it had always been his favorite. He took the knife off and placed it on his table next to the small glass ornament Sakura had nearly broken.

'Trust is gained by small acts. And it is her trust I shall be needing in the days to come.'

Sesshomaru opened the door only to find a middle-aged man standing against the wall behind him with his arms crossed. The red kimono he wore looked decent on him in Sesshomaru's opinion; then again Sesshomaru had only ever seen the man in battle armor. Somehow the fact that the man wasn't clad in steel and fur did not alter his appearance. He sill looked like he could tear a man's arm clean off.

The man regarded Sesshomaru calmly and then spoke in his usual charismatic tone. "Someone got their ass kicked."

Sesshomaru almost managed a smile. "I thought I gave him a decent fight."

"So, are you just going to let an old friend stand outside your room or are you going to invite him in?"

Sesshomaru stepped aside and let the man pass.

The man looked around the room and whistled. "Nice, little big for my taste but nice none the less."

"Is there something you wanted?"

"Pourrions-nous parler dans le francais s'ill vous plait? Je prefererais ne pas etre entendu par hasard. (Could we speak in French please? I would prefer not to be overheard.)"

"(Isaac, if this is just you being paranoid please tell me.)"

"(I just prefer not to speak of certain things in open places…and being paranoid is the reason I'm alive today.) Isaac picked up Sesshomaru's knife. "(You still have this old thing?)"

Sesshomaru snatched the knife from Isaac's hand. "(Yes.)"

Isaac sat next to Sesshomaru's futon. "(You know you still have friends in Europe.)"

Sesshomaru sat facing Isaac. "(Your presence is evidence enough of that. Now why don't you tell me why you are here.)"

Isaac sighed. "(The council is tied at the moment. An…unforeseen death has evened the ranks and we need a decider. Technically you are still part of the council and able to vote.)"

"(You traveled halfway around the world to ask me a question?)"

"(Actually I came to see your father about a treaty but since you're here I will not have to hunt you down like the dog that you are.)"

"…"

"(Right, so I was wondering if you could tell me what you think?)"

"(About what?)"

"(The council wants to know if we should tell others about Vinland.)"

"(Yes.)"

"(…Any particular reason you answered so quickly?)"

"(The other countries will find it eventually, and it never hurts to have exclusivity. But lets not tell them about the skraelingjar.)"

Isaac laughed. "(Oh, now that's just mean.)"

"(What's the worst that could happen?)"

"(Fine, fine. You know we miss you over there.)"

"(How is everyone doing anyway?)"

Isaac's frowned and began to avert his gaze. A unnatural pause put and end to the rooms happy mood. "(Look, Sesshomaru, a lot has happened since you left.)"

Sesshomaru's face dropped. "(What happened?)"

"(There is a…plague in Europe. It's killing everyone, mostly its just humans but with enough exposure even immortals are being infected. We've lost almost all of our men to it.)"

Sesshomaru sat in silence for a moment and digested this information. When he finally spoke his voice was barely audible. "(How many are left?)"

"(A few greenhorns, Nolan, Pura, and myself.)"

"(That's it?)"

"(Three hundred years is a long time Sesshomaru.)" Sesshomaru stood and moved to the balcony. Isaac stood and followed. "(They both think about you. Nolan keeps the recruits in line by constantly saying something along the lines of 'ye think I'm tough, ye should ha seen when Sesshomaru trained th new lads. He would ha set ye on fire fer just mentioning th word break.')"

Sesshomaru couldn't help but feel sad as he smiled. "(What about Pura?)"

Isaac moved to the railing. "(Oh, she thinks about you too. Mind you not in the same way.)" Isaac sighed. "(I think she wishes that things could have worked out between you two.)" There was a quiet pause before Isaac's tone became more accusing. "(You never did give her a good reason.)"

"(I didn't have a good reason, just a feeling. I knew that if I stayed I would never see Japan again. Unfortunately I made the correct decision.)"

"(You seem to choose duty over love every time…good for us, bad for you. Wait, what do you mean by correct decision?)"

Sesshomaru closed the door to the balcony for good measure. "(It is fortunate you came when you did. I…was having a difficult time trying to figure out a particular problem I've been having but now I think I have a solution.)"

"(Don't play games with me Sesshomaru.)"

"(I need some help. Certain events were sent into motion when I came back; suffice to say I'm the only one who knows about them now.)"

"(You are speaking of destiny? Sesshomaru, you have never been one to believe in such things.)"

"(And you were obviously never listening when I was speaking.)"

"(Fine, go on.)"

"(There is a reason why I am the only one to know of these events. It is because the knowledge of them could be potentially destructive.)"

Isaac leaned against the railing. "(Well that's new. Sesshomaru gets involved in something potentially destructive. Why don't you tell me how bad it is so I can judge for myself.)"

"(On a scale of one to ten?)"

"(Sure.)"

"(Ten.)"

Isaac stared at Sesshomaru for a moment to let everything sink in.

"(Is something wrong.)"

"(I just remembered that you don't exaggerate. So, this is something that could potentially destroy the annex world?)"

"(Isaac, when I say ten, I mean ten.)"

"(More than the annex world?)"

"(Much more.)"

Isaac loosened his hakama; suddenly he was a little hard of breath. "(What do you need?)"

"(A guardian named Nobuyuki is investigating what happened to me before my stay at the castle. Needless to say, aside from his interrogation technique, he is very good at his job. If certain events were to be discovered things may spiral out of control. I need you to make him disappear so that he can be replaced with someone a little more…inept.)"

"(Sesshomaru, I may not know much about Japan but I'm pretty sure that killing a royal guard in any country can't be done without a little suspicion. In this case I'm afraid that doing so without fingers pointing to you would be very difficult. Not to mention that you are in fact speaking of treason.)"

"(I have my own priorities and all you need to know is that empowering my father is third while empowering the western land is second. If my father stands in my way then I will deal with him myself. Now, if it's equipment you need I can get just about anything. You would be surprised what I can afford these days.)"

"(Would you really destroy your father just to accomplish this goal of yours? I mean how do you know that Nobuyuki will use this knowledge once he finds it. Plus there's always the chance that he won't even find out.)"

"(I can not afford to take that chance. A preemptive strike is the only option. Now, you have two choices Isaac. You can side with me or with my father.)"

"(…I would need a distraction…a big one, plus something like this would take time.)"

"(Distractions I can do, as for time I can give you two seasons.)"

"(That will be plenty.)

"(By the way, how well are the clients paying back west?)"

"(Not so well these days, why?)"

"(How would you and the group like a steady paying job at your old salary?)"

"(Lets just say I would be very interested.)"

"(I am in need of spies. You would have to map a few uncharted portal gates and provide regular information on the city of Esley.)"

"(Any particular reason?)"

"(My reasons are my own.)"

Isaac laughed. (I never noticed how much of a cunning bastard you were until now.)"

"(Life's similarities to chess are uncanny are they not?)"

Isaac stopped laughing and moved right in front of Sesshomaru. "(So, am I just a pawn in your little game? Because that might just put a bit of a strain on our friendship.)"

Sesshomaru closed the rest of the distance between them until he was at arm's length with Isaac. "(A pawn? No, more of a knight really.)"

"(A knight…I can live with that.)" Isaac extended his hand towards Sesshomaru. "(Deal?)"

Sesshomaru grabbed Isaac by the wrist and Isaac did likewise. "(Always a pleasure.)"

With one sudden move Isaac pulled Sesshomaru closer and whispered into his ear. "(By the way, you smell horrible.)"

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Kagome's eyes focused on the roof above her. She made no move to sit up or to flip over. Instead she lied on her bed and tried to make sense of her newest vision. Only one thought plagued her mind.

'He's so different. It's like his personality changes in every vision.'

"He's got quite the temper hasn't he."

Kagome shot out of bed only to come face to face with someone that was just a little familiar.

Sakura was sitting on her desk.

As Kagome stared wide-eyed at the obvious figment of her imagination, Sakura took off the black cloak she had been wearing.

"You're…you're not…real…are you?"

"Other than the fact that I'm very good at hiding and disappearing I would suppose that I'm as real as you are." Sakura pulled out Kagome's desk chair and sat down. "So I guess the question you should be asking yourself is 'how real am I?'"

Kagome warily adjusted her posture on the bed. "I don't understand."

Sakura smiled. "Of course you don't. I'm being vague and talking about differences in perception. If you hang around with Sesshomaru long enough you kind of pick it up." Sakura looked over Kagome. "So you're the one that found the scroll. I always kind of figured it would be Rin but hell I never was one for luck. Nice place you got here though. Kind of hoped the future would be a little more aesthetically pleasing but at least everything's shiny."

"O…ok, wait, you know about the scroll?"

"…Well considering that I just mentioned it in conversation-"

"Sorry, I'm just a little rattled."

Sakura smiled. "Sure, I mean its not every day that you get to come face to face with a woman of my staggering beauty."

Kagome laughed weakly at Sakura's obvious sarcasm. "Right. How exactly did you get here?"

"Through the well, just like you."

"But that's impossible!"

"Oh, no its not. In fact you're lucky that Naraku hasn't discovered your little secret because it would be no stretch for him to come through with an army of demons."

Kagome sat in stunned silence. Such a thought was horrifying.

"Don't worry he hasn't figured it out…yet. Any other questions?"

"A few, mostly about Sesshomaru."

"Like what?"

"First would be the fact that you called him your lover. Did you and he…?"

"Yes, but those were better times and were not destined to last. I suppose a more accurate representation of our current relationship would be more of roommates than bunkmates. Of course the irony of that statement is…well let's just say it's ironic and leave it at that."

"So, what happened?"

"Afraid I can't tell you much. There are rules you know."

"Rules?"

"Yup. One of which is that I can't tell you about important events in Sesshomaru's past, you just have to wait for the scroll to show you."

"Fine, does Sesshomaru know about the scroll?"

"Yes."

"How do you know about it? Did Sesshomaru tell you?"

"No he didn't. And it was my idea to make the scroll in the first place."

Kagome sat on the edge of the bed. "You made the scroll?"

"No, it was just my idea." Sakura began to examine Kagome's desk. Noticing a pink notebook on the desk she began to read.

Kagome notice Sakura's eyes widen.

"Don't tell me you wrote this down!"

"Yeah, why?"

Sakura tore out every written page and threw them onto the bed.

"What are you doing?!"

"I want you to burn these as soon as possible and never write down your visions again."

Kagome gathered the papers in her hands. "Why?"

"Call it a precaution, also never tell anyone that you're having these visions."

Putting the crumpled papers in one pile Kagome turned to face Sakura. "You-"

Kagome's voice was cut short by a yell from across the house. "Kagome are you okay?"

Kagome ran to the door. "Yeah, I'm fine mom."

"Is Inuyasha in there with you?"

"No mom, I was just talking to myself."

Kagome waited for a few seconds half expecting a response but receiving none. 'Sure tell your mom that your talking to yourself. Its not like that's weird or anything.'

"Your mother sounds nice."

Kagome stepped away from the door and began to speak in a hushed tone. "Look, I've thought about this for a couple of days now and I want to tell Inuyasha."

Sakura looked a little peeved to say the least but in the end sighed. "Fine, I guess you can trust him but you'll want to decide what you'll say to Sesshomaru if you're going to be telling his brother about the past."

"I'm thinking that's going to be a very life threatening conversation."

"Unfortunately I agree with you. He's still a little angry the scroll was made in the first place and having you of all people find it is going to be a little stressful for him."

"Now there's another question. Why me?"

"I've got no idea. The thing was designed to appeal to the person it deemed appropriate for the job."

"Job? What in the world could you or anyone else possibly want me to do with knowledge about Sesshomaru's past?"

"That is a question that I'm not allowed to answer. You'll just have to find out yourself." Sakura watched as Kagome's face got even redder. "But what I can tell you is that the actions that you take could have a very significant impact on the past. Things are going to change and most will not be for the better. I might suggest that you enjoy these happy times while you can. Because there will be a day when you must steel yourself for harsh decisions or risk being consumed by them."

The weight of Sakura's words sank in to Kagome's mind. "Could my actions affect my own time?"

"If I were to hazard a guess, they already have."

"Do you know this for a fact or is it just speculation?"

"Take the advice of someone who has lived in many ages. History repeats itself. All that changes are dates and names." Sakura moved to the window gathering her cloak along the way. No doubt she was about to make her escape.

"What was he like?"

"Who?"

"Sesshomaru, you know, before I knew him."

Sakura opened the window and smiled. In it Kagome could see a sadness that had gathered over centuries. "He was once a good man. But like you he had decisions to make. For what he has become there is no excuse. Do not fool yourself, he is as manipulative as the one you call Naraku." Sakura looked longingly out the window towards the lights of the city. "But there is still a trace of what he once was in what he fights for. His soul is not yet beyond repair. Though I fear his time in this world grows short." Kagome took a step forward at these words. "When you do see him, and you will see him, do not judge his actions solely on their appearance. All you must know is that a burden with a weight that you cannot possibly imagine weighs heavy upon his shoulders. I would pray that you do not suffer the same fate as him, a pure spirit such as yours should not be darkened as his was." Sakura jumped on to the window seal just Inuyasha had done a hundred times before. "I have a strong feeling that we will see each other again but until then, goodbye Kagome.

As Sakura jumped out into the night Kagome stood and wondered what was to come.

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Author's notes:

Holy crap I'm back!

I am so sorry for my absence as of late but the first two weeks back at school were nothing short of sheer hell. I was working on essay papers every God damn day for two weeks. When I finally finished I tried to write a chapter but I was just so damn tired. In the end I wrote three different chapter 13's because the first two were so horrible that I simply couldn't imagine posting them. This chapter is the third of the bunch.

I'm also sorry about my tone for the last few chapters. If you've been reading my journal entries on deviantart you already know I've been dealing with some personal shit as of late. I've been a little stressed but I'm finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

As usual, reviews are welcomed.

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Story related:

I know that there has not been a lot of interaction between Kagome and Sesshomaru but you'll just have to hang in there for a little while longer. Trust me, it's coming up.

By the way I'm sorry I built up the fight between Sesshomaru and his father so much. Don't worry I fully intend to make space for their first fight.

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Answer:

I commend Laina on her answer and I really don't mind if you look them up. I probably could have been clearer on foundations so don't worry about it.

Hsing-Yi Chuan is an internal Chinese style that has its origins in the Hunan province. The secrecy among the users of Hsing-Yi (the art was outlawed many times) has placed the style in obscurity for many centuries. After the Chinese revolution, the style was taught to several students, it was exported to the United States.

Hsing-Yi espouses several principles common to internal styles like T'ai Chi and Pakua. Unlike both styles, however, Hsing-Yi is a militant, aggressive martial art with the goal of incapacitating opponents as quickly as possible. It develops Chi, but channels it in destructive ways; practitioners of other internal styles tend to take a dim view of Hsing-Yi's goals, which led to several rivalries and blood feuds between the competing styles.

The art uses several different animal movements for grappling, striking and throwing. The style combines solid stances with sudden changes of direction and devastating one-attack kills. Body conditioning is achieved by having students strike each other repeatedly, and by hardening fists, elbows, knees, and feet (much like in Muay Thai). Beginning students are usually taught several external techniques, which makes them efficient fighters very quickly. As they advance Chi-enhancing techniques are taught as well.

The style teaches mostly empty-hand techniques, but some weapons, including the nunchaku and spear, are sometimes taught as well.

If any one reading this takes Hsing-Yi Chuan and disagrees with my explanation please tell me. I do not mind being corrected. In fact I would greatly appreciate it.