Chapter 18: The Tale of Shi Jin- A Timely Rain
Lord Chai's Estate
Cangzhou, Third Age 1934
Shi Jin awakened from a slumber involving a reoccurring dream of him being shot down by an archer, this time a shadowy figure with a shining helm that gleamed like fire. He first heard birds tweeting outside, feeling the chill of mountain wind entering the room. He yawned, blinking, opening his eyes, and finding someone in front of his bed.
A fell monster greeted him.
"AAAH!" he cried.
The monster spoke: "morning brat; my mask that scary?"
Odd. It sounded like...
"Is... is that you, Master Wang?"
Now that he thought about it, the monster looked humanoid in shape, dressed in the same conservative tunic as his master would, and had unbound black hair that reached below the well-rounded shoulders. Besides her muffled voice due to the mask, the only major difference was the metallic horrifying face reminiscent of the brain-eating demons that his mother often told him about as a child to get him to sleep. Looking closer, he could see that the skin surrounding one eye was much darker than the other, the result of her broken orbital bone.
"Yes, and now Tingyu owes me money because of your scream. Hah! Like I wouldn't know my apprentice," she said amusingly(?). He couldn't honestly tell because her face was mostly covered, only one eye fully open and the other...
"Your eye, Master, how is it?"
"Broken. But it'll heal," she grunted, "didn't want you to be scared for me yesterday night, I... didn't look all that pretty. Really shouldn't have fought that woman. They got much stronger since they were 15, probably from eating all that leftover tavern meat cause who'd ever eat at that place? Ugh, student, know that when you get older you can't just get into random fistfights with anyone anymore. I'm still sore all over. Stupid obese cicada."
"Why did you fight them, to begin with? Especially with your... condition," Shi Jin asked, choosing his words carefully.
Wang Jin paused, scratched her head, and responded, "you heard most of our conversation. We were at each other's throats the whole time. So, when I said in private that maybe, just maybe, if they didn't ambush me all those years ago, I wouldn't be stuck here, they got quite angry about that. That idiot insulted me one too many times and I punched them in the face... but I couldn't knock them out because of my condition. Or they're too used to getting punched in the face because who'd eat that cicada's cooking willingly?
"These are the days I envy you, Shi Jin. You don't have to deal with things like monthly water when half your body is rebelling against you. The medicine I have only works when cramping begins... Oh come now, don't look so embarrassed!"
"... I- I can't help it. I just never heard anyone bring such a topic up so-"
"Anyways, there's a reason why I couldn't punch as hard, yesterday. Do you know where the source of power for all punches actually begins in the body?"
"Uhh, the chest?" he responded. To be honest he never really thought about it, only executed the techniques but not really asking why they were all that important. None of his past teachers ever told him.
"Ha! And this is why me and Tingyu outfought most of our villagers," she mirthfully said, "because they realized too late what we found out as children."
Wang Jin then hopped off the chair and assumed a basic stance with one leg and fist in front of the other as she leaned back and forth, "look carefully at my whole body, student, while I punch the air."
He watched as she performed her punch. Focusing on her arms and shoulders, he noticed how she took a step and moved her entire upper body, lowering her head a little before she lunged her arm through the air with a fist, twisting her wrist just before her fist stopped.
While it was tempting to guess that her upper body generated the movement, what really controlled the movement was...
"The hips," he responded, "to move your shoulders that much, you need strong hips."
Wang Jin turned her head and stared at him. He was unsure what that meant.
"Better answer, but I said whole body. Look at my entire body this time, student!" Wang Jin responded with a hint of annoyance.
She then moved her other leg, the one nearest to his eyes as she began her punching movement again with her other fist. This time though, Shi Jin saw something interesting...
"You planted your feet right before you did your punch... Is that it? The feet?" he asked in disbelief. But the feet were so far away from the hands! How come his past instructors did not explain this?
"That's right," she nodded, "Power starts from the feet, increases through the legs and with hip rotation, then is extended through your shoulder and arm. Finally, a quick wrist rotation adds a bit more oomph, but it all starts from the ground up. Tingyu and I were sparring partners. One day, I had an issue with one of my feet, and Tingyu noticed, of course. Couldn't hit as hard. We talked with Ma, and Ma confirmed it. From then on, we trained our feet and legs, using ankle weights for exercises, mastering our technique with a specific focus on our footwork. As our feet and legs grew strong, our punches and kicks became all the more impactful.
"So of course, Gu got the upper hand in the beginning. I simply had no strength to my strikes. After you got knocked out, though, I used their power against them. If only you had been awake to see it..."
"But why has no instructor told me about the foot's importance? And why did your mother not tell you this from the beginning?"
Instead of responding immediately, Wang Jin moved back to her chair, sat on it, and paused as if contemplating her answer. Shi Jin, for a moment, wished she was unmasked so he could better detect what she was thinking.
"As for you, that is something you should think more about. I know not your circumstances, but I doubt the Empire needs soldiers who leap into battle with only their fists and feet. Maybe they sensed you wanted to master many weapons, and your form was good enough for that? But for me, Ma wanted us to figure it out for ourselves first, just like how the One above wants us to figure things out on our own. That would show we truly understood our fighting technique," she said.
"Maybe..." Shi Jin conceded. Looking back he was very impatient, wanting to learn how to wield polearms and the other cool weapons, "yet should this knowledge not be shared with everyone in the Empire? Would it not benefit both nobility and commoners?"
"... Another thing I want you to think about. Not everyone is cut out for fighting and time is precious. Would it really benefit every-?" Wang Jin began to ask, then suddenly her blackened eye twitched. She immediately cursed, placing her hand on the mask covering it, "agh!"
"Master!"
"No, no need to worry," she painfully gasped, "c-can't even raise an eyebrow, eh? Ugh, I'll break that cicada's leg next time I see them!"
Shi Jin grunted, "I should have fought that one with you, I would have-"
"Gotten in the way,"
"What? No! I would have-"
"Gotten... in the way," repeated Wang Jin, slowly folding her arms across her chest, her injured eye twitching, "why'd you think you got your concussion? Heck, why did I nearly get my jaw broken? You got in the way. I told you not to identify yourself to that woman. If you'd just pretended a little better-"
"They insulted me! They called me... a sex slave! So I said I was your student and I'm proud of it!"
Wang Jin did not respond. He only saw a silent human with a monstrous mask just staring at him.
"... Proud of being apprenticed by a criminal?"
"I- is that true then?" he stammered, "what did you do?"
"Have bad handwriting. The Grand Marshal hates me as you may know."
"Of all the!" he sputtered in disbelief at the absurdity of the charges.
She then interrupted him, changing the subject, "Luan Tingyu talked with you for a long time yesterday night, and that only happens if they see potential in you. Because I'm technically an outlaw, I'm thinking of transferring our contract over to Instructor Luan. Yes, they have a few apprentices around your age, and I'm sure you would learn more underneath-"
"No! Absolutely not!"
Wang Jin moved her chair slowly closer, and Shi Jin wondered if she was trying to scare him or whether she didn't hear him.
"... You do realize that I can't leave this manor, right? Lord Chai's iron certificate only protects me in his estate. That's how I could have a fistfight with Gu, with us breaking each other's faces without getting arrested. But, how will you apply your learning in the real world? You think a troll will just randomly get through Cangzhou and say hello to Lord Chai? Tingyu lives in the frontier and you'll thrive there; I know it. Plenty of opportunities for bravery, chivalry, and whatnot.
"... Or are you saying they'd be a bad instructor? Choose your next words carefully, student," she said in a low tone, "insult Instructor Luan and you insult me."
"No! I," Shi Jin hurriedly said, "I meant... I know Instructor Luan is quite capable. Were they not your equal in your village? But back in my home when we first met, I... I meant what I said: you are the right teacher for me, I know it this time."
Wang Jin's mask made her look stone-like.
"Instructor Luan is better in unarmed fighting and certain weapons, particularly chained and roped weapons, while I am better at others," she responded bemusedly, "but we are not equal. Tingyu is better than me at teaching, and that's what you should value above all else. Not just a good teacher, though! Don't let their kindness fool you: they aren't called the 'Invincible Iron Staff' for nothing.
"Perhaps I'm biased, but think of all the heroes you've heard of: legends like Xiang Yu, Black Sword, Elai, Fu Hao, Golden Flower, Princess Pingyang, Homeless, Bai Qi, and my own ancestor, Wang Jian. My friend, Luan Tingyu, deserves to be on this list. I know this from personal experience and because I approved their application to be a Frontier Instructor."
This was surprising to Shi Jin. He had thought it was an exaggeration when his master praised her abilities before. He heard of many of these heroes, but to hear the former Head Arms Instructor of Dongjing's 80,000, a peerless warrior and legend in her own right, say such laudatory words for Instructor Luan... it was simply unbelievable.
Wang Jin continued speaking, "so... amuse me then, student. Why am I 'the one'?"
Unfortunately, he could not form words that could answer the question eloquently. Truth be told, it was something he pondered last night. In bed, he tossed and turned, reflecting on what Luan told him about his master's past, his first impressions of Wang Jin during his beginning apprenticeship, and what she became following the incident a few weeks ago. He had a strong feeling that his master was a good person... but expressing it verbally was a different matter, and one he really needed to think about.
"If I may ask, I would like to think on this more... but I think you're a good person," he replied.
"Oh really? 'I think you're a good person,'" she mocked, spitting on the floor, "way to make me feel special. I've heard better flattery from mosquitoes."
"It's hard, Master!" he responded, raising his voice in annoyance, "you've been treating me like utter garbage these last few weeks, yet Instructor Luan said that you're still a good person. Can I not just take their word for it?!"
"You could... But you'd fall into the habit of just blindly listening to others," she pointed out, "what if they were just biased? Maybe I'm rotten to the core and will continue treating you like crap."
"You're not! I don't believe-"
"Then prove it!" she yelled, wincing again as she tried narrowing her eyes, "tell me why Gu was wrong about me and prove it, dumbass!"
"Fine!" said Shi Jin, "but I need to ask some things first. What did you and Gu talk about in private and why did you attack first?"
"... I answered this before. Pay attention!" she growled and spoke hastily, "I blamed them for everything, they got pissed, I got pissed, and we beat the crap out of each other. I underestimated them. They took advantage. Still would've trounced them if everyone didn't separate us. Next question!"
Annoyed by the first part of that answer, he wanted to ask a follow-up question but knew that his master was quite stubborn about certain matters, and getting into a morning argument was going to make his small headache turn into a migraine. So, Shi Jin continued, "if you have such high regard for Instructor Luan, then why didn't you nor your mother tell me how important they were to you and your village?"
Wang Jin chose not to answer the question, instead immediately asking, "why didn't you tell me had sex before? Who's that special someone? Why are they not with you right now? Drove them away with your dragons?"
"That- that's not relevant! What in the- did Instructor Luan tell you this?" Shi Jin asked in a higher register, blushing.
"Heh... of course. And given that you're embarrassed, you had no idea what you were doing, huh? Pleasuring someone is like fighting: it's all about using multiple weapons, having high endurance, and the technique is key you see..."
"Master, please, what does that have to do with anything?!"
Wang Jin tilted her head, "I didn't bring up Tingyu before because it wasn't relevant. Same goes for my Ma. We weren't going to visit Xining village or the frontier. I wasn't an outlaw then, and I felt confident I could be your teacher for years. I didn't see how talking about things like how me and Tingyu used to bind each other's hair, stitch each other's wounds, drink together, or just hang out by the riverside was relevant to you. I also keep some information to myself, something you need to be better at."
Disregarding the jibes, he quickly asked, "then can you tell me more about the duel you two had?" he asked, "I feel like Instructor Luan left out quite a few details and did not elaborate on it."
She was silent for a few seconds and then responded with a much softer and slower tone, "... for good reason. If Tingyu does not wish to talk about it, then neither shall I. I... regret every single insult I said, and I should never have challenged them. It was... it cost us years we'll never get back. I heard our fight was 'worthy of song.' I'd like to remove the tongues of whoever said that. Our duel was terrible, and the wounds we gave each other... I don't even remember half of it; Ma and Sun Li had to tell me what happened after one of Tingyu's blows concussed me.
"I still wonder why Ma, who saw the whole thing, didn't just stop the two of us. It was only the weather that ended it, according to them. But afterward, Tingyu and I... changed our corvée schedules so that we'd hardly even see each other. It wasn't until I was Head Arms Instructor of Dongjing that we made up, but we've seldom met since then."
"So why did Instructor Luan think you changed?"
"Hmm," she said, thinking for a few seconds, "this is where I don't agree with my old friend. I changed, yes, but not my whole personality, no. I just got better at communicating what I wanted by learning more about the world. You'll get better at it too, Shi Jin, which is why I want you to learn under Instructor Luan in the frontier- don't interrupt! When I went to the capital and passed their instructor examinations, I was sent to different villages in the Empire. These villages all had different functions, some of the people were laxer and required a gentler hand the more secure they felt. I couldn't just become their drill marshal, but I still needed to have them understand how to defend themselves.
"Xining was different. Back then, that was the frontier. Yes, we protected and did our job so well that our villagers could have a life outside work and training. But what would've happened if Tingyu and I died? Tingyu believed in uplifting the villagers to make them feel like heroes in their own world. I wanted them to prove it. Combine that with my... poor communication, and people didn't like that."
The honesty was appreciated, though this complicated Shi Jin's thoughts as to why exactly he wanted to stay with Wang Jin. He wanted to be a hero of the realm, and his master did not make it clear whether or not they were a good person.
… Did it matter if they were a good person? What did that make Shi Jin though?
But there was... something that he was pondering about. A person that Luan mentioned when she first joined the village but did not speak of again for some reason.
"What happened to your father, Master?"
"... Hmm?" she asked, her mask turning slightly.
He repeated his question. She put a hand over her ear and asked him to speak again.
He did so, and finally, she responded, "you're asking what happened to my father?"
"... yes," he said slowly, wondering why his master all of a sudden couldn't hear well.
He could not read her expression as she responded, "they were assigned to the Last Desert's Garrison when I was in my teens. Haven't heard from them since."
Shi Jin frowned, knowing full well that the assignment towards that garrison usually was a lifetime of service, where the hardiest warriors of the Empire served to protect the realm from the wereworms. Did Wang Jin's Father know that Wang Sheng was dying? He wanted to ask that but that could have been a touchy subject. Shi Jin was then reminded of his own dad, and though they weren't seeing eye-to-eye on things for quite a while now, even before he got his tattoos, he still wondered how he was doing.
"Were you close with your father?" he asked.
That was when Wang Jin stood up, turned her back on him, and said, "yes... and I miss them every day. There's something in my eye and I need to get it checked out. Goodbye!"
Then she quickly left amidst Shi Jin's protests.
He had wanted to follow his master, but as soon as she left, Lord Chai walked in bearing a goblet.
"I wish you a good morning, Nine-Dragon Tattooed Shi Jin!" the elf greeted with a smile, "I see you have-"
"Uh. Lord Chai, good morning, but my master just left and..."
Then it seemed the room felt a little colder as he saw the elf stare into his eyes. For a moment he felt his mind completely naked as his memories flew by as if a little whirlwind blew page after page of a book until it reached the very end. A plethora of colors began appearing in front of him and the elf before him seemed smaller but felt larger. It was at this point that his head pounded louder with every throb.
"I do not like being interrupted, Shi Jin," the now echoed voice of Lord Chai said as he moved closer, "for now, drink this, and your head shall clear." His hand moved forward, colliding with the goblet first with a clink. Then he remembered how to hold a beverage, shakily lifting it to his lips and drinking the liquid. It was the same invigorating substance from yesterday, and it entered his body like liquid fire through an effigy. The room felt warmer, the colors left his eyes, his head pounded less, and Lord Chai appeared in his normal size again with a smile.
"I used to be a rather horrid healer, young one," Lord Chai mentioned, "we elves, as you may know, tend to master either fighting or healing. But given enough time and practice, we could potentially learn and master both. Rare for humans though; typically, the only ones with hands for both are kings."
That was interesting to Shi Jin, but not surprising. If one lived thousands of years, surely multiple hobbies could be picked up?
"Then you know how to fight then?" Shi Jin asked.
Lord Chai chuckled, his sound like gentle water dripping from a ceiling, and for some reason, the young man's spirits rose, "I do. During the Elder Days, I wielded a sword. But now the spear is something I favor more. Enough of my martial ability though, let us talk about more current matters."
The elf then adopted a more serious expression as he continued, "I have rescheduled your master and Instructor Luan's duel for the day after tomorrow. Several important people will be attending the event. I have even invited a performer or two. For you Shi Jin, I do not want there to be any more incidents, understood? I do not care if Gu Dasao or their husband, Sun Xin, incites you. You could act against them, but then you would have to find another place to stay in Cangzhou."
"But Lord Chai..." objected Shi Jin. This was utterly confusing. Why was Gu Dasao not kicked out, then? Come to think of it, why was his master not kicked out?
"But Shi Jin..." mimicked Lord Chai, in an earnest tone that was somehow not-mocking, "you are a guest here, remember? You have neither the clout of Wang Jin nor Luan Tingyu. You have not killed a bear or a tiger, like Gu Dasao or the Xie brothers. You are not of military rank like Sun Li nor directly related to military officials or heroes like Sun Xin. These are all important figures in the Empire, and I shall respect them as such. Thus, their minor transgressions do not overshadow even a tiny fraction of their worth. Complex events are taking place throughout the realm and beyond, and they are needed.
"Meanwhile, you are distantly related to the recently promoted Frontier Instructor of the Zeng Family Fortress and you have nine dragon tattoos. The latter... I am not sure aids you all that much. You are not even a footnote in any record. Until you prove yourself, you are not worthy of my Iron Certificate's protection."
Much later, when Shi Jin recalled his response to the elf's words, he wondered why he responded the way he did. If a normal person said these words, Shi Jin would have been furious. He probably would've beaten them up and dumped his chamber pot's contents on the offender. But for some reason, whether it was the earnestness in Lord Chai's voice and face or whether the words themselves carried some higher meaning, he took the verbal undressing with merely a bowed head and multiple obedient nods.
"I understand, Lord Chai," he found himself saying, "I am unworthy of your patronage and will do my best to make myself a respectable person. I shall not fight those fools who dare besmirch my master. Your servant begs for your forgiveness."
"Servant?" Lord Chai scoffed, "servant of mine you are not! I do not have thralls; I have retainers: they have a salary and are housed by me. Regardless, though, I shall hold you to your word. Now, I will tell you of the prominent guests that will attend, as I do not want you to offend any of them..."
After Lord Chai cheerfully ended the conversation by patting him on the back, Shi Jin finally was allowed to leave. Unfortunately, he was told specifically by the elf to only work on conditioning today and not practice any weapons lest he accidentally hit his head. Part of him wanted to search for Wang Jin, but given his master's mood earlier and after thinking about it, he thought it best to let her be for a time. While he walked through the hallways some people actively avoided him; those were the ones who might've heard about his tattoos. He did not see Wu Song, not that he really wanted to. It would have been an awkward conversation considering that the large oaf was this close to killing him. Thus, Shi Jin spent part of the night grimly realizing that he needed to greatly strengthen his body to even challenge his fellow apprentice. He could, of course, drug him and beat him up, but where was the honor in that?
Shi Jin had just enough time to get a good run in before the breakfast bells sounded. But when he exited the manor, he was greeted by a group of people on the bridge across the moat.
"Shi Jin! Good to see you awake," greeted a waving Luan Tingyu dressed in full lamellar armor. Her scarred ruddy face shone in the morning sun and he could see remnants of sweat. Strapped across her back was her iron spear, but the meteor hammer was not present. Shi Jin guessed that she had just gotten done with her workouts given that his master worked out in full armor as well.
"You were not scared of your master's morning greeting, were you?" she added almost as an afterthought. He shook his head to her visible disappointment.
"Made of stern stuff, though, fellow tattoo bearer!" piped a booming voice in the back. It was... one of the Xie brothers, he still could not tell who. But perhaps Shi Jin should remember their name, given that they also had tattoos! Were they dragons as well? Perhaps tigers? He looked over Instructor Luan's shoulder and saw the brothers wearing their tiger skins with the tails attached. Attached to their backs was a bronze forked spear. Yet, no tattoos were apparent on either of their bodies.
"I'm Xie Bao, expert tiger hunter, by the way," he stated, bowing, "apologies, should've introduced myself when you were chopping wood. 'specially to someone with nine tattoos!"
"Ah, no need," Shi Jin replied, surprised at the courtesy, "I am Shi Jin. Pray, tell-"
"Must you brag about your 'ankle elves,' brother?" the other Xie brother interrupted, to Shi Jin's complete disappointment in the choice of tattoos, "I'm Xie Zhen, the smart tiger hunter."
In response, Xie Bao pushed Xie Zhen while the latter laughed. Luan Tingyu turned and put a hand next to her mouth as if suppressing a giggle.
"The Mother Tiger typically knocks people out for days. Not bad," elaborated Xie Zhen. This caused Shi Jin to scowl and he was about to make a biting retort until suddenly...
"Mother Tiger!" echoed... somebody in the distance. The group looked in the trees for only a moment, as if they were used to such interruptions. Was there someone hiding in the trees? Certainly not in the water, he had heard of no tales of talking fish in Cangzhou! Speaking of which, there was a large number of fish gathering near the group with their mouths opening and closing, anticipating food to be thrown in their direction. The ambiance distracted him long enough to remember that he was not supposed to cause any incidents. He quickly placed one of his hands on his forehead, trying to pretend that he had a migraine (to be fair, he still had a light headache.)
"Oh no!" he heard Instructor Luan cry as the clanking of armor grew louder when she rushed towards him, "are you not well? Perhaps you should rest back in the manor..."
"I-I can manage," Shi Jin responded, closing his eyes and giving out his best fake grunt, "ugh! Only running today though."
"Well take it easy. Do not sprint nor run far away from the manor, drink plenty of liquids, and come back for breakfast," she lectured, "do you not have a gourd or a water skin? I see none on you."
Another voice piped in, "That is very unwise, young warrior. You must have water for a run, particularly after a headache." He lifted his head up, recognizing the tall, pale, and heavily whiskered Sun Li who had caught up with the group. Unlike Luan Tingyu, he wore light blue attire along with a matching cloth binding his topknot. Across his back was both a steel club and a spear.
"Have my gourd, then. Consider it an apology for my sister-in-law's behavior," Sun Li said, bowing.
"My gourd!" echoed a different voice hiding in the trees. Shi Jin ignored it, focusing on the bowed garrison officer. Sun Li was a name that he remembered referenced by both Wang Jin and Luan Tingyu as an incredibly capable fighter. He distinctively recalled the garrison officer being nicknamed "Sick Yuchi," named after the great general, Yuchi Rong. Wang Jin mentioned that Sun Li not only looked like the past general, with his pale complexion and facial hair but used the same weapons the legendary general did.
He recalled Wang Jin's comments on the officer: "Unlike their piece of crap younger brother, Sun Xin, Sun Li is a forthright and moral person, somebody you do not want to anger, student. I respect 'Sick Yuchi' and so should you... Just like you should respect the form in that club, you'll bash your brains out with a technique like that! AGAIN!"
"Uh... I cannot accept this, Officer Sun," he graciously replied, immediately ending the rest of that memory, "please rise. I am merely Instructor Wang's student. No need to apologize."
"Very well then. I still advise you to prioritize your health, however," Sun Li replied, standing.
A stray thought entered Shi Jin's mind. Though he did not really care about Sun Xin or Gu Dasao, perhaps he could find a way to get on the garrison officer's good side.
"How is your sister-in-law?" Shi Jin asked Sun Li, "I hear... they were injured by my master."
"Wow, for once you were right brother," commented Xie Zhen to Xie Bao, then turned his attention to Shi Jin, "I thought for sure you'd insult our cousin for sucker punching you."
"Shi Jin is their own person," stated Instructor Luan with pride, and Shi Jin immediately felt guilty for deceiving the instructor.
"Us tattooed folk have honor, after all," Xie Bao spoke, with a different sense of pride.
"I'll remind you again, cousin-in-law, that all criminals are tattooed as well," Sun Li said without smiling, "regardless, I thank you, Shi Jin, for your concern, feigned or not. My brother is taking care of Sister Gu in Lord Chai's infirmary as we speak. It is rather unfortunate that your master wounded my relative. I would have thought that they finally grew up."
"You certainly are less of an asshole than your master," commented Xie Bao.
"Xie Bao..." warned Luan Tingyu.
"What? It's true. It's damn true!" he replied, spitting straight into one of the moat fish's mouths, causing quite a few of them to scatter away from the group, "Wang Jin struck our cousin first! You said that little hothead changed... but you're full of shit, Tingyu! We all saw it from the window."
Luan Tingyu looked very flustered as she retorted, "we didn't hear their conversation. Wang Jin has a lot on their plate, and I don't want us insulting my friend in front of their apprentice."
Shi Jin agreed with the instructor and was about to concur before Xie Zhen interrupted.
"So you don't consider our cousin a friend, huh? Maybe your 'Little King' should've... what's the word? 'Modelled' themselves better in front of their student?" sarcastically added Xie Zhen, "you're too biased towards-"
"I did NOT say... I am not biased!"
"Tingyu," calmly said Sun Li, "we know of your history with young Instructor Wang. But if this occurred in a public street, Wang Jin would be the one at fault. You cannot deny this."
"Their mother is dying! Our master is dying!"
"Yes. I know, do you not think I care? But our master's daughter is their own person, as you would say, and would still be arrested, compounding the other charge."
Luan Tingyu composed herself by taking a large breath, then glared at everyone in turn (except for Shi Jin).
"Instructor Wang is under a lot of stress right now," she slowly said, "we should give them leeway and understanding. Wang Jin has already paid the price with the broken eye. Also, couldn't Dasao just run away instead of fighting back? Are they not at fault as well?"
Xie Bao stepped closer to Instructor Luan, narrowed his eyes, and muttered something in an unfamiliar dialect.
At once, multiple things happened. Xie Zhen glared at his brother, dragging him behind and placing himself in front. Sun Li's eyebrows raised as he looked disbelievingly at Xie Bao. Finally, Instructor Luan stomped forward with one foot. Over in the trees, Shi Jin heard several birds cry and then fly off toward the manor.
"What... did you say?" Luan asked softly, but Shi Jin took a step back because he recognized that look on her face- that blank expression. It was the same look he'd seen on his master's face right before she would unleash an onslaught.
"Umm, Shi Jin will take his leave now and go for a run," Shi Jin said, clasping his arms and giving a quick bow.
"Oh... yes, of course," she said as she blinked, shaking her head quickly as if remembering that he was still there, "please do be careful. Are you sure you don't want to stay in the manor and rest? Oh, you could watch as your master and myself play Weiqi!"
"I will do so after the run, Instructor Luan. But I best be off before the breakfast bells."
"Very well then. I'll look for your master so we can catch up," she sighed, turning around, began to walk into the manor's gates, then stopped.
Without turning around, she flatly added, "Xie Zhen, Xie Bao, take a bath and bathe your tiger skins too. I could smell them throughout our run." She then walked inside the gates.
"We'll be heading towards the bathhouse, right brother?" Xie Zhen asked Xie Bao, who still looked angry.
"Yeah, sorry 'bout all that," Xie Bao conceded, doing his best to turn his scowl into a smile as he spoke to Shi Jin, "listen. You aren't your master, so don't take whatever we say about them as an insult to you, alright?"
"Yes... I know," he responded, not looking at the tiger hunter's eyes. After the two brothers left for the manor, he was about ready to go bolting away from the manor when Sun Li called his name.
Can I please run now? Shi Jin miserably thought.
"A moment of your time, young Jin, if I may call you that," Sun Li said.
After more conversation about water intake and gourds (in which Shi Jin at last relented in taking the garrison officer's container), the pale-faced military officer asked, "how much has your master talked to you about us?"
Forcing the hasty reply he wanted to make out of his head, Shi Jin told him that Wang Jin regarded them highly with the exception of Gu Dasao and Sun Xin. His master had particular praise for Instructor Luan, ranking her among the legends of old. They trained together and apparently were close friends, then had a duel that Wang Jin regretted.
"Hmm... aside from the insult to my brother and sister-in-law... I see. Well, have a good run," Sun Li replied cryptically, cracking a smile, waving him goodbye, and walking into the manor.
Shi Jin sighed, turned away, and was just about to begin a light jog until...
"Have a good run," spoke an earlier voice from a nearby tree. Annoyed, Shi Jin focused his attention on the tree, only to find a large black bird staring back at him.
The run literally became a wash. No sooner than he had run outside to the Iron Lion of Cangzhou did it suddenly begin raining.
"Oh, I shed my tears of pain
in this city filled with rain..."
Before he could listen more to that bearded, buff performer who still was sitting near the lion, the rain began pouring down like a scattered waterfall. Realizing that this was not at all a condition to have a run, he decided to head back into the city and re-enter Lord Chai's manor. He had gotten an amused look or two from the gate guards as he rushed in, sprinting, rain dripping from his hair and quickly soggy clothing to the ground. Panting, he decided to stop at the bottom of an awning to catch his breath and possibly wait for the rain to settle down.
"Quite a timely rain, is it not?" softly commented someone. Shi Jin looked to his right and saw somebody sitting on a chair in front of a table with a kind smile on his face. This fellow was swarthy-looking, short, and had a big squarish mouth. He did have a fine curly mustache and short beard though. His eyes, filled with mirth, seemed as large as a bird's. He wore a black hat signifying that he was a government official. The clothing cemented that fact as well. There were also multiple wanted posters of a variety of people, including someone who looked like a long-haired Wang Jin.
"My apologies, good sir," Shi Jin said, clasping his hands and choosing his words carefully, "I do not find this rain timely, as it interrupted my run."
"A matter of perspective. It is a welcome rain for a good harvest, but it would indeed be untimely for a runner," the government official spoke in an easygoing manner, "I invite you to stay under the awning; I will be writing a report on the guards' inspection."
Giving his thanks, Shi Jin stayed for a bit longer, not wishing to converse with anyone that could get his master arrested. Soon enough, the rain ended, and he gave a farewell to the official, who merely nodded.
Suddenly he spoke up and asked, "I beg your pardon, young runner. But should you find someone who looks like this person on the poster, could you report them to me? Their name is Wang Jin, though there are quite a few women named Wang Jin in our empire. This one though... they were the former Head Arms Instructor of Dongjing's 90,000 and are wanted for a rather minor charge. I do know not why they have not turned themselves in. Just let me know if you see anyone who fits this description."
"Okay, sir." Shi Jin replied, bowing to make sure he was not looking into the official's eyes. He then turned around and walked somewhere to prevent the official from knowing where he was going.
"Oh, you're going the wrong way," the official said.
"Huh?" Shi Jin blurted, turning around and looking at him in disbelief.
Standing now, the official smiled and gestured towards the direction where coincidentally the manor was.
"You ran by earlier from over there. That direction is where you are returning to, am I correct?"
"Uhh, thanks. I'll be off then!" Shi Jin replied feeling perturbed. He briskly walked back to the manor with thankfully no other incident.
After changing his clothes, the bells sounded and breakfast came and went. The Xining Villagers, with the notable exceptions of Sun Xin and Gu Dasao, were present and ate quite a lot. Multiple plates and bowls of soup, rice porridge, fried dough sticks, pickled vegetables, mantou, and baozi had to be brought in. Combined with both his and Wu Song's appetite, part of him wondered just how much food did Lord Chai have and just how good of a meal planner was the elf.
Wang Jin chose to eat breakfast with her mother, which made sense not only due to her mask but it seemed her mother's disease was getting worse. That was what Shi Jin inferred because in the morning his master walked out on their conversation as soon as he made mention of her father. That helped explain her worsening mood over the past few weeks. Comforting people was not his strong suit at all and he felt at a loss on how he could help his master.
Instructor Luan could though. Whenever Shi Jin noticed the pair together, his master walked with a lighter step, sounded more animated, and even giggled at times (a truly odd sound). Even their Weiqi games were somewhat entertaining, which said something because those games were boring to him. His mother was an expert and tried teaching him how to play, but the game took too long, and encircling the pieces instead of just straight up capturing them was simply not entertaining.
Wang Jin made the game interesting... by trying to violate as many rules as possible. Every time Luan was distracted, his master would switch one of her black pieces with one of the white pieces on the board. The first time she did so, she (with her mask still on) just stared at Shi Jin as if daring him to say something. Then there were times when Wang Jin would take a bit longer with her turn, her counterpart would stand and stretch, turning away from the board, and then Wang Jin would place two black pieces on different locations or she would remove a black piece from the board. Shi Jin disapproved of this each time, shaking his head, and was about to hint towards Instructor Luan on his master's cheating until Luan winked at him when Wang Jin sneezed to the side. Then, the next time his master wasn't looking, Luan undid some of the cheating by moving some of the pieces back to their original place.
Despite the attempted cheating, Wang Jin usually ended up sighing and reluctantly conceding victory to her counterpart. Served her right.
Because the two were going to duel in a few days, Wang Jin ordered him to work with Wu Song in conditioning.
… The less said about that the better. Even when Wu Song was clearly drunk, or at least pretending, he still had much more endurance than him and outran him. What kind of freak was he? How was he not related to a troll?
Soon enough, the day of the duel between his master and Instructor Luan approached. He woke up that morning with his head clear, but even if he were half-conscious, he'd still find a way to watch the bout.
It would not be a day he would forget, which shall be detailed more in the next chapter.