30 The Reliable Teacher #30
The Shaolin Dojo
'What the fuck am I doing...?' Barely holding back a sigh, I put down the box full of weapons and bullets and sat on my bed. 'All that time on Torino Island has made me soft...' I mused, shaking my head.
I was within my rights to kill Hill right then and there, but I still went out of my way to give him a chance to fuck off the island. Though Karate Island was a World Government-affiliate country, it was a society of martial artists and warriors with unique rules and regulations.
While murder and random brawls were strictly forbidden in most cases, fighting and even killing to defend your honor, that of your teacher, or dojo were not only allowed but also mandatory unless you wanted everyone to think you were a pussy, for the lack of a better word.
I had the right and capability to kill Hill and his goons at the docks once they started talking shit about Liu Fan, and in hindsight, I probably should have, but I decided to give him a chance to leave the island.
'Yeah... I'm definitely growing soft...' Frowning, I picked up my spear and got off the bed. 'I can't afford to be soft...' I mused, firming my resolve as I headed for the exit.
On my way out, I saw Liu Fan sitting on a lawn chair in the garden, and he immediately stopped reading and turned to me. "What's the war face, kiddo?" he asked, his tone curious.
"That Hill guy I told you about was talking shit about you in the docks..." I said without bothering to turn to my teacher. "So now I gotta go and murder him in the arena..." I added with a shrug as I continued walking.
"Oh? I didn't know you cared so much, my dear student," Liu Fan said with a grin, mockingly wiping an imaginary tear from his eye, much to my bemusement. "Anyway... that looks fun, so I'll tag along..." he added as he got off his chair.
"Suit yourself, but Hill might not show up..." I said as I watched my teacher catch up and walk beside me. "I gave the bastard a chance to run, and I already regret it..." I added with a sigh, shaking my head.
"I was wondering when you'd finally snap..." Liu Fan said, chuckling as he gave me a once-over, and I could only frown in confusion as I turned to face him. "You do a good job of hiding it, but anyone worth their salt could see you're a killer, kiddo..." he added, leisurely picking his ear with his pinky finger.
"I won't deny it... I killed my fair share of people for various reasons before I got here..." I said, awkwardly scratching my head. "But what's this about me snapping?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't understand it myself, but you're no average Joe, kiddo..." Liu Fan said, stating the obvious, to which I gave him a perplexed look. "No, I'm not talking about your strength and physique," he added, sensing my confusion.
"How do I put it...?" Liu Fan said, momentarily pausing as he calmly stroked his beard in thought. "You get off on conflict... the bloodier and the more violent, the better..." he added, causing me to roll my eyes in exasperation at his less-than-polite way of putting it.
"The drinking and whoring were keeping you in check, but the truth of the matter..." Liu Fan said in a leisurely tone. "You're a violence-loving battle maniac, kiddo..." he concluded, shrugging his shoulders.
"That wasn't very polite, though..." I said, giving Liu Fan a bemused look. "But yeah, you're not completely wrong there..." I added with a sigh as I stopped walking and turned to face my teacher.
"It's not that I like violence, but I grew up on an island where it was pretty much the only solution to every problem..." I said, looking my teacher straight in the eye. "Still, you probably knew what kind of person I was from the beginning..." I added, and he merely nodded in response to my words.
"So what made you take me in?" I asked, getting straight to the point.
"Why wouldn't I?" Liu Fan asked, seemingly confused by my words as he tilted his head. "Regular people may look down on violent psychopaths, but a bit of craziness is precisely what you need to thrive as a martial artist..." he calmly concluded with a sage nod, causing my eyes to twitch in annoyance.
"I'm not a psychopath. You perverted old fart!"
...
White Cub Town
The Central Arena
Liu Fan couldn't help but smile as he walked into the busy area alongside his student and looked at the arena, remembering his younger days as a martial artist.
"Looks like that guy didn't appreciate your kindness," the elderly martial artist said as he gestured at the man standing in the fighting ring with a scowl, mean-mugging everyone.
"It's for the best... I need to make an example of him so that others would think twice about hassling me," Cedric replied with a careless shrug. "But he sure looks calm for someone who was about to piss their pants an hour ago," he added, frowning in thought.
"I wonder what happened," Cedric muttered, and Liu Fan was about to tell him not to worry about it when a muscular older man wearing a white Karate Dogi with a dragon badge approached them.
"It's been a while, Liu Fan," the man blankly said as he stopped before the teacher and student pair. "It seems that our students have inherited our rivalry," he added, squinting his eyes.
"Who were you again?" Liu Fan said, sounding genuinely confused as he scratched his head.
"I'm Hora! We fought each other multiple times, you dementia-ridden old fool!" The man, Hora, said, a visible tick mark appearing on his head as he scowled, clearly and blatantly offended.
"Oh... you're that Hora, huh? Well, why didn't you say so," Liu Fan said with a pleasant smile. "It's been a while indeed... how have you been?" He added, causing Hora's expression to relax.
"It doesn't matter... I'm not here to mince words with you," Hora said with a snort. "Your student has caused a lot of trouble for mine... I'd advise him to forfeit the fight if I were you. Otherwise..." He concluded without bothering to elaborate before turning around and leaving.
"You have no idea who this guy is, do you?" Cedric asked with a sigh after waiting for Hora to leave, and Liu Fan merely shrugged with a clueless expression. "I'm guessing you have no idea what he's talking about either," he added, barely resisting the urge to facepalm at his teacher's carefree attitude.
"I could make an educated guess..." Liu Fan said with a grin as he walked toward the fighting ring with his hands behind his back. "That Hora guy is the head of a Dojo in Blue Tarragon Town, judging by his badge," he added, gesturing toward the white tiger badge on his chest.
"He probably wants to use his leverage to get you kicked off the island if you kill his student or something... it's no big deal," the elderly martial artist said as he stopped right in front of the ring, his tone still carefree.
"That sounds like a pretty big deal to me," Cedric said, his eyes twitching in annoyance. "Oh well... I guess there's no other way," he added, rubbing his blonde hair with a bitter smile.
"What are you talking about, brat?" Liu Fan said, giving his student a look that suggested he was an idiot. "Your teacher is no pushover... even I still have some connections from Black Leatherback Town," he added with a scoff.
"Go ahead and beat up this brat or slaughter him if you want," Liu Fan concluded in a self-assured tone.
"Huh," Cedric said as he gave Liu Fan a once-over, sounding genuinely perplexed. "Now that I look at you again, you kinda seem surprisingly reliable, teacher," he added with a shit-eating grin.
"What the hell do you mean kinda reliable, you disrespectful brat!" Liu Fan exclaimed, clearly affronted by his student's words as he threateningly shook his fist at him. "You better be ready to spar with me for two, no four hours, once we return to the dojo!" he added, causing Cedric's smile to turn into a bitter one.
"Now hurry up and get this over with so I can kick your ass!" Liu Fan said, shooing away his student, and the latter could only despondently sigh as he climbed into the ring.
"Still... Hora, huh...? The name rings a bell, but I can't quite remember..." Liu Fan mused, rubbing his chin in thought as he looked at his alleged rival on the other side of the ring.
