Part 15

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***

-The first thing you have to understand is that this style is different from the Fire Nation school. I'm not good at philosophy, but your father - God rest his soul - explained the difference to me on his fingers.

With his eyes closed, Ping breathed slowly and measuredly, his entire body seemingly frozen like a stone statue.

-There's this thing called Jing. There are many of them, but there are three main ones.

Waving his hands, the elder made several lightning-fast lunges, twisting the weapon into unimaginable pirouettes. The predatory blade flashed so fast that it blurred in his eyes, only the glare of the sun showing the guan dao changing its position.

-First Jing is positive. The Fire Nation adheres to it in everything. Be it magic, swordsmanship, politics, or ordinary life. It's all about fierce attack, full force attacks where you try to crush your opponent before he has a chance to retaliate. It is inherent in our nature. Of course, there are always exceptions, but the majority of the Fire Nation prefers to live by the rules of positive Jing.

Alternating blows, the man led the story without even faltering in his breathing. Finished with his demonstration, he exhaled smoothly and adopted a new stance. Intercepting the shaft with his right hand, he put the weapon behind his back, putting his free limb forward.

-Now I will demonstrate negative Jing. Attack.

Nodding, Yuu rushed forward to attack as ordered. Using all his strength, he tried to attack the elder, striking him from all sides while the serene Ping deftly dodged. A blade lunge straight at the guardian's head pierced through the void. The teacher's head deflected by mere centimetres, missing the deadly blow nearby. The boy spun round on his axis and grabbed the shaft by the edge, delivering a swinging blow. The halberd whistled around his knees and inertia drove the child sideways, exposing him to his opponent, but standing in a single stance, Ping took no action.

Thoughtfully examining the elder's stance, Yu carefully approached him closely, making a series of quick lunges at short range. Bouncing around like a kangukrol, Ping easily dodged most of the blows, blocking only the last two.

-Phew, I'm still having a hard time with this one, it's too new to me. As you saw, I didn't do anything. Just dodging and ducking. I take it that's the whole point. You use negative Jing to defend yourself, ignoring direct confrontation. Colonel Liu Biao said that the Air Nomads were famous for such tactics,' the man shrugged his shoulders and crunched his stiff neck, 'Now there's no one to ask.

-You were like a leaf of a tree, Uncle. When I hit you, your body seemed to flow around the weapon. Mmm...

Pensive, the boy clenched his chin harder, trying to form the thought that arose. He looked into his mentor's eyes for help, but saw only patient waiting there. Waving his weapon in annoyance, Yuu turned his attention to the whistling of the wind as the weapon cleaved the air.

-Air, it felt like you were being pushed by the air from the weapon.

-Haha. Well done, you're a lot quicker than me, and quicker than your dad.

-Thank you. Are you going to teach me negative Jing?

The man hesitated and ran his hand over the top of his head in embarrassment. Resting the shaft on the ground, Ping made a funny face, trying to sound more confident.

-I'm not that good at this yet. No offence, but I don't need much skill to dodge your blows. I'm just stronger, more experienced and faster. If we had our own airbender, then yeah....

Muttering dreamily, Ping looked around cautiously. Hoping that no one had heard his last sentence. Nodding his head in agreement, the boy glanced at his mentor's face caustically.

-Then what are we going to study?

-Neutral Jing! That, my young friend, is exactly what you need and what I'm really good at.

Holding the halberd upright, for the third time that day, the elder smiled ominously, inviting Yu to attack. The child's first lunge ended up falling to the ground. Twisting the guan dao, the man met his weapon with a straight block, pushing the blade aside, he hooked the boy's leg, toppling the child who was not expecting such a thing to happen to the ground. Further attempts ended the same way, with Guan Yu either falling to the roof or receiving token blows to the chest and head. With every second of the fight, the child felt like he was being sucked into a swamp. The stingy movements of his uncle, standing like a rock, exhausted the orphan. After a hard block, the petty officer always drew his weapon to the side to bring down a strong blow on an unprotected body.

Without even moving, Ping had exhausted his charge so much that the boy collapsed without strength. After dropping the shaft from his weary hands, Yu lay on his back, breathing heavily. Sprawled out in a star pose, he gulped air and couldn't get enough. Sitting down beside him, Ping smoothed his dishevelled hair, smirking good-naturedly.

-Do you understand the essence of neutral Jing?

-Not really. Uncle, I feel like I'm fighting a granite wall. My arms are sore, from the punches and your blocks....

-That's the way it should be Neutral Jing is the key to earth magic. They all fight like that, steadfastly facing any danger and attacking when they see an opportunity. Earthbenders don't dodge, they stand firmly on their feet, relying on their element. Taking all blows so that they can impale you on an earth stake at the appropriate moment.

With each word, the elder's voice grew quieter and sadder. Images of fellow soldiers and friends who had died because of these tactics flashed through my mind. Confident in their power, fire mages and ordinary soldiers pounced on the conquerors of the earth, pelting them with blows and dying from one precise movement. Whether it was a rock, thorns, or a pit that would swallow you up to your neck and squeeze you as hard as it could.

Shifting his gaze to his friend's son, the man decided to beat down the boy's unpleasant science at all costs. By persuasion or force, he would make him learn all the habits of shrews. And who knows, maybe one day he'll want to develop his gift again.

-Get up, I'll show you the basic stances. We're gonna try to work through them all today. You can repeat them in your spare time, just take a stick or something.

Listening to his uncle's advice, Guan Yu devoted every spare minute to learning a new style. Practising the stances with a stick or a mop, he would get a new batch of laughs from his idle classmates. His zeal for the martial arts was shared only by a few. One of these enthusiasts was Wen Chou, despite all his teasing, the boy spent a lot of time on exercises, giving two hundred per cent in training.

The calm and measured life in Liping went on as usual. Sluggish skirmishes on the border with the warriors of the Earth Kingdom passed the attention of the future soldiers. Prince Airo, who had returned from the metropolis, began to cleanse the northern province of the abundance of brigands and savage tribes.

Showing wonders in strategy and tactics, the young heir to the throne waged a successful campaign to clear the lands. Each day he travelled further north-west, pursuing the brutal gangs ready to plunder and kill.

Jing's stance of neutrality was seared into Guan Yu's subcortex. While the others delved into gossip about the prince and his exploits, the boy devoted himself to training. One day, he was called out by the voice of a classmate. Standing in the aisle of the classroom, Wen Chou watched the orphan's movements carefully. Noting to himself that he had never seen something like this before.

-Hello, Yu.

Without being distracted by the extraneous voice, the child diligently continued to practice.

-"Hello, Chou. What are you doing here?

Sitting down at the teacher's desk, the classmate sceptically observed the strange movements.

-I don't remember that style, where did you get it from?

-Uncle taught me,' Yu put his feet shoulder width apart and bent his knees, assuming a rider's pose, 'this is the basics, I don't know what's next.

-Wow... Listen, I've been looking at you for a while now, you've been training a lot. Surely, unlike the others, you understand what's next for us.

Nodding affirmatively, Guan Yu raised an eyebrow questioningly. Sweat dripping down from his forehead began to soak the red bandage, making him feel uncomfortable.

-How about we practice together? I could use a sparring partner.

Without hesitation, the petty officer's ward gave out an affirmative answer. Straightening up and pulling off his shirt, he enjoyed the flow of cool air that cooled his tense body.

-I'm all for it, but I need the halberd. I can't do my best without it.

-My great-uncle runs a warehouse, we'll find you something.

-Where will you train? In the classroom?

-You're a village,' Chou stood up from the table with a contemptuous grimace, 'let's go, I'll show you.

Ignoring the insults, the boy enthusiastically followed.

''If the pompous turkey shows me a good place to train, he can blabber all he wants. If not, I'm pretty good with a mop too.' Satisfied with his own thoughts, Yu obediently followed his classmate. Looping between the school buildings, they came to the buildings for the other courses, where the children of aristocrats and adult students studied. After sneaking past a group of small feudal lords, the pair of saboteurs snuck into a small building. It was spacious inside, a small layer of sand covered the floor, and weapon racks stood along the walls.

-This is the training room, my uncle said we'd start training here from the third year, but he let me come here sometimes.

The boy rattled a bunch of keys he'd pulled out of thin air. With his nose turned up and his arms folded across his chest, he waited for the praise that came immediately.

-A beautiful place, Chow. -Lucky you have relatives. You're lucky to have relatives. When do we start?

Walking past the clasped boy, Yu surveyed the hall with a satisfied face. Kicking a handful of sand with the toe of his boot, he smiled happily.

'Training will be much more productive now.'

-So you've made a friend after all. Good for you, Chou, and I was afraid that no one wanted to hang out with you.

Biting his lower lip, Guan Yu could hardly contain his laughter, hoping that the pain would help him not to laugh. In front of his eyes, the perpetually snide and arrogant Wen Chou sat obediently at the table and drank tea while his chubby uncle stroked the boy's head. The smile spreading across the man's face would have been more suited to a loving old lady rather than a stern Fire Warrior. It had been an hour since they had arrived at the warehouse and were drinking tea here. If Yu had known about this place earlier, he would have befriended Chou long ago. Such a scene was pleasantly cheering, showing that his classmate could be a normal person, at least in the presence of his family. Chou steadfastly endured all the questions and hugs from his loving relative that he almost forcefully stuffed pastries and sweets into the boy's mouth.

The petty officer's ward was not ignored either. With a kind smile, exotic sweets from the metropolis were shoved under his nose. Without showing off, Yu immediately pounced on the treat, chewing diligently and trying to taste every bite.

-That's what I mean! The appetite of a future warrior!

The satisfied storekeeper jumped up from his seat, walking away into the depths of his domain. Singing a song about a soldier who has a girl waiting for him at home, the uncle danced a little, threatening to blow up the whole warehouse with his huge figure. After seeing the funny man with a glance, Yu looked at his classmate and almost choked. Punching himself in the chest, the man tried to cough. His rapid chest punches became slower and slower until he froze.

In Chou's place sat a natural demon, changing his complexion. He looked at the orphan with wild eyes, clutching the tabletop with such force that it seemed just a little more and the wood would lose. Hovering over the table, he approached the chewing child.

-If you say one word about Uncle Padu-.

Rapidly shaking his head and scattering crumbs from sweets and pastries, Guan Yu mumbled assurances of his reticence with his mouth full. Gesticulating vigorously, he put on quite a show, but the only spectator only frowned sceptically.

-I don't understand anything, but I hope you can be trusted. Otherwise, you can forget about the training room!

Miming a pantomime of hanging a lock on his mouth, Yu indignantly stared into his classmate's eyes, which was regaining a decent appearance with every passing second. As if waiting for the final change, the warehouse owner came out from around the corner. Carrying new sweets in his hands, he looked at his nephew and his friend with a kind smile.

The further conversation took place in the same manner. Wen Chou endured, Wen Chou suffered, Wen Chou amused the other sitters at the table. When most of the treats had been consumed by the starving orphan, Padou took his guests to a small armoury.

-These are mostly old ones that have been converted for training purposes. I think you'll find them just right for you.

Abruptly, for his size, Padu spun round on the spot, pointing a finger in front of the boys' faces. His full figure blocked the view, and the long sleeves and hem of his robe made him look even larger.

-If you get caught, tell them you brought it from home. I suggest you think about how you're going to get them in. Don't give me away, I'll cover for you, but then I won't be able to help you.

Nodding their heads like dummies, the children happily rushed to the blunt weapons. The wooden specimens were overlooked, but the old blades captured the attention of the pupils completely. Wandering between the narrow rows, Yu was more interested in how Uncle Chou was squeezing in such a tight space. Padou was a very obese looking man. With his weight, he could be compared to a young duck bear. Putting his foolish theories aside, the boy stroked the shafts of several halberds, trying to get a feel for which one would fit best. Unable to come to a definite choice, Yu decided to go with the simplest and sturdiest one. He disliked unnecessary ornaments on his weapon, although his uncle's and father's guan dao were a real work of art.

-Fellas, you'd better hurry up. We're about to go out, and you're still fiddling around.

Running out of the armoury, the two boys looked at the setting sun with surprise. There was no way they would have time to try out their new toys today. With regret, each of the future warriors looked at their weapons. Sticking their eyes on every little detail on the blades, the boys could hardly let them out of their hands.

-You'd better leave them with me, and when you decide to visit the hall, you can take them.

Agreeing with Padou's logic, the students decided not to take any chances. If Chou's one-handed blade could still be hidden in the building, then what to do with the almost one and a half metre halberd - no one had any idea. After accepting the blades from the small hands, Padou went outside with the children. The departing sun was shining scarlet, colouring the clouds. Far to the south, black clouds could be seen approaching the city.

Stepping out into the fresh air, Yu gladly breathed in the cool river breeze. Filling his lungs with fresh smells, it left a moist taste in his mouth from the presence of a large amount of water nearby. With the edge of his eye, he could see the silhouette of Wen Chou, who was also enjoying the open sky and fresh air after the dusty and stuffy warehouse room.

''So you're no stranger to worldly things either?

Without giving it a second thought, Yuu bowed respectfully to Padou, thanking the kind man for the food and help. Taking a few steps aside, he slowly walked towards the barracks, listening with the edge of his ear to the indignant grumbling of Wen Chou clenching in his uncle's arms.