Chapter 2: Physical, Mental and swordplay

"Today, you shall start your training," the master told Dan "Kian Yee will teach you physical fighting in wushu". He pointed to a chubby teenager. The weather was cold but Dan had gotten used to it.

"Ok! Let's start you training," Kian Yee said, "Let's start off with the palm thrust". He pushed his arm forward. Dan followed it exactly." Then there's the block" he moved his arm bent upwards then downwards. "This depends on where your enemy is attacking, you should know that right? That's common sense. Then when blocking, you can counter the attack. This is just the basics, you will learn more in the test right now."

Dan was shocked after hearing about the sudden test but he calmed down and prepared himself by taking a defensive stance. A split second later, the chubby teenager barged at Dan with a powerful arm thrust. Dan blocked it and pushed Kian Yee's arm upwards leaving him vulnerable. But using his other hand Kian Yee poked his elbow straight at Dan when he was about to counter attack. Dan using the arm he was blocking pushed Kian Yee to stop Kian Yee's counterattack. "You're good!" said Dan huffing air because of the cold conditions as it was snowing. "But it's my turn now!"

Dan thrust his palm, but as usual, Kian Yee blocked it. Dan swung his other arm sideways towards Kian Yee and Kian Yee blocked it. As Dan knew this, Dan grabbed Kian Yee's arm and spun him around. With Kian Yee's back facing Dan, Dan thrust his palm to it.

"Ack! Good counterattack!" said Kian Yee while rubbing his back.

Kian Yee thrust his elbow towards Dan but he did not get to block it. The attack hit his stomach. In return, Dan elbow punched Kian Yee but it was blocked. Just when it was blocked, Dan unfolded his bent arm and used his knuckle attacking to attack Kian Yee at the head.

"Ok, you've passed the test!"

"What? That's it?"

"Let me regain my senses first" Kian Yee was feeling dizzy during the last attack as it hit his head. After a few minutes Kian Yee continued." Ok, yes, you passed. The test was just to teach you how to learn moves while in a battle and manipulate it back to the opponent. This also proves that you are always ready anytime as wushu fighters are ready all the time. That's the basics for physical lesson today. I'll pass this to Kah Chun to teach you on internal power."

Another young boy, the same age as Dan came up to the arena. Kian Yee left the place as he had other duties to do.

"Now I'll teach you about internal power or most us will call it chi. This is totally different than physical attacks where you can master by mimicking their actions. Chi is the internal power contained in every living being, it can only be unleashed with calm thinking and focus. With chi, great strengths can be released. Chi can be released from the body and can flow outside of the body." Kah Chun thrust his palm lightly to a wall next to him; the force was enough to break the wall. Dan was amazed by the help of Kah Chun's chi applied on his palm was enough to achieve such strengths.

"Chi can be focussed into an energy ball, but this depends on your own element; everyone has a personal chi element. You can only find your own by focusing it at a point, the element will be collected at that point" Kah Chun opened his palm and a ball of light formed on his palm as his palm flashed. "Doing so takes the element from the environment and focuses it in a point."

"It looks like your element is light, right?" Dan asked Kah Chun. Kah Chun just replied with a nod.

"Now it's your turn to unleash it. Remember, you must have a calm and focussed mind."

Meanwhile, in the other arena, Kian Yee is teaching other wushu members.

"HYYAAA! YAAAHH! HRAAH!" the members yelled as they train.

Dan tried to calm down and focussednhis mind but the noise in the next arena posed a problem in calming down. Dan opened his palms, thinking something might happen, but because he cannot focus, nothing happened.

"Looks like I have to bring you to some place quiet then."

Kah Chun took Dan to a forest nearby the temple. "Here's a good place."

Dan continued his training. Dan focussed, trying to clear his mind but doing so makes him unable to focus.

"Focus on something small like a leaf or twig."

Dan aimed his palm to a leaf about 10 meters away and focussed to the target. His palm flashed a blue light and a water droplet formed and flew to the target. The droplet froze as it flew to the target because of the cold weather.

"Looks like yours is water!"

"That explains a lot about why I perform better in the rain and places with water!"

Kah Chun just ignored what Dan said and instructed him to create a ball of water.

Dan's palm flashed and water start to collect above his palm and the ball spun as more water collected. The air became a bit dry for some reason.

"It looks like you can use chi now". A temple disciple came to the forest where the two were training bearing news that the Master had summoned Dan into the Dueling Arena. Dan rushed to the Arena upon hearing the news.

The time was nearly evening, Master Yao Zhong called Dan into the Arena of Warriors at the temple. There stood Way Peng with a Chimbian sword in his hand.

"Now I want you to duel with Way Peng. You can have the choice of weapon which is provided in this room. Disarm Way Peng and you will pass the wushu weapon usage test," said the Master. "And I know scouts handle knives and weapons, so this should not be a problem for you," he continued.

With nothing but the skills he just learnt, Dan could only dodged the slashes from Way Peng's sword. He was chased to the wall, but Dan was lucky, he got hold onto a spear. With the spear, Dan blocked Way Peng's attacks and counter attacked with thrusts of his spear, but usually blocked by Way Peng. Way Peng swung his sword upwards to disarm Dan and sent his spear into the air. Way Peng jumped to follow Dan's spear and splitted it into two.

The spear head fall towards Dan and he grabbed it. He ran to the weapon stacks. He got hold on a wave-like sword and threw the spear head to distract Way Peng. The swordfight continued with both of them hitting and blocking each other.

After some time, both swords became hot as the friction between both swords has caused the sword to collect heat. With sparks flying all over the place as both swords hit each other although the arena was freezing cold. Dan can't find a way to end this battle until suddenly he got an idea. He ran to get another sword, holding it with his left hand. Using two swords, Dan blocked Way Peng's fast attacks and threw him to the wall using his second sword. He then threw his second sword towards Way Peng, but Way Peng was able to grab it with his left hand.

" That was a foolish move!" Way Peng said.

Without Way Peng noticing, Dan concentrated his chi on his remaining sword causing water to collect around it. The water didn't freeze because his sword was hot enough to sustain the water in a liquid state.. Dan slashed his sword from afar, the water flew towards Way Peng and hit his face. It froze on Way Peng's face, causing him unable to see. Way Peng frantically tried to break the ice with the back of his sword.

"Aiyaaa! I can't see!" Way Peng yelled as he tried to break the ice.

With this chance, Dan ran to Way Peng and used this opportunity disarm Way Peng's two swords.

"Heh…heh.., that was a good fight" Dan said while puffing vapor from his mouth.

"Good work! Excellent application of chi!" the Master exclaimed from the balcony of the arena. "Now we shall have dinner and you must rest well for tomorrow's event!"

Everyone went to the Feasting Hall for their dinner...


Author's space: today 's topic is about the job class called Scouts. Scout is a job class who uses knives, axes, ropes and sometimes spears. They are skill in survival skills in the woods but they still do well in urban areas. Some scouts who have a radio license are allowed to use radio to comunicate. some scouts collect merit badges to learn other skills and rise up the ranks. T he highest a scout can go is to be a King Scout or some regions call it Eagle Scout. There are three types of scouts; Land Scout, Sea Scout and Air Scout.

Author's last words: wow! That was too much to type! I hope you like this chapter. I know there are a lot of grammar errors here. I'll be pleased and grateful for you all to point out these errors. I know I just started and there's bound to have mistakes. But anyway I feel happy finished typing this lot. Thanks for reviewing my last chapter. Your help is much needed here in this story.