Chapter 27 - Great Men

The afternoon sun peeks through the clouds, blessing certain parts of the city below with its warmth. A young man stands in the middle of an empty field with his eyes shut. The field is surrounded on four sides by white walls marked with long gashes of different sizes. A single gate connects the field with the walkway on the other side of the wall. Although it was the only gate, it was not the only entryway as some parts of the walls seem to have been completely carved away by a sharp object. Aside from his long hair and clothes, flowing in the cool afternoon breeze, not a single bit of motion could be seen from the young man.

A sudden gust of wind rushes across the field, breaking the golden leaves from their stems. As the leaves float by the young man, his eyes open. With a single extended finger, the young man's left hand moves at imperceivable speeds. Time seems to freeze as his finger draws arcs in the space around him. One moment, the leaves float peacefully through the air. A split moment later, the leaves disintegrate into nothingness.

Still too much…

The young man sighs as a flurry of tiny golden particles float past him, disappearing with the wind. He gazes at the walls around him, counting the new gashes on the walls. The young man notes that there are less gashes this time around. The fact that each new mark is much smaller than the last set of marks makes him smile.

Almost there. One more time.

He closes his eyes again as he waits patiently for the next gust of wind. A short moment passes and the man opens his eyes again. He extends the same finger before moving his hand to form the first arc. However, as his finger moves to form the arc, he hears a set of footsteps approaching. He quickly retracts his finger, leaving the arc incomplete. The footsteps approach closer and closer before stopping at the gate. A young boy in a white robe stands beyond the gate, looking straight at the man with a sharp look in his eyes. As the man turns to face the boy, a single leaf splits apart down the center before floating away with the wind.

"Dan." Sun smiles upon seeing Yuyu's friend. "Shouldn't you be in class?"

Dan approaches his uncle, and instructor, one firm step at a time. His eyes remain sharp and unshaken as he takes his last step onto the training grounds. Without any hesitation, the boy plants his knees onto the ground and bows his head.

"Instructor Sun!" Dan yells as he plants his forehead onto the stone tiles. "I, student Dan of the Academy, wish to learn from you! Please accept me as a disciple!"

Sun's eyes widen slightly from the sudden request. On one hand, Sun feels grateful towards the boy for taking care of Yuyu as a good friend. He's also acutely aware that Dan is trustworthy considering the fact that Yuyu has not asked him about the lake incident. Teaching Dan wouldn't be a problem considering the young boy's immense talent. In fact, it would actually help Sun solve the problem of being an Instructor of the Academy with no students. On the other hand, taking Dan in as a disciple is a completely different story. To take him in as a disciple means to teach him the arts of the Great General- an artform from a distant era defined by violence. This tool of violence, this tool of mass destruction, is not something Sun is willing to pass on.

"I'm sorry, Dan." After a short moment, Sun rejects the boy's request. "I cannot take you in as a disciple."

"Please, I need your guidance!" Dan, undeterred by the rejection, continues to plead.

"Why me?"

"Because I'm weak!" Dan pushes his head harder against the stone tile as he yells out. "Because I'm weak… and because you're strong... Please accept me as your disciple! I need your guidance to become strong!"

"Dan, do you understand what you're asking of me?" Sun sighs as he bends his knee. He places his hand on Dan's shoulder before continuing. "You are talented. You'll become strong with or without my guidance. Stand now. Go back to class."

"Instructor Sun! Please! I-"

"I will gladly accept you as a student." Sun cuts the young boy off. "But I cannot accept you as a disciple."

"Why? You said it yourself, Instructor Sun! I'm talented! I'm diligent too! I promis-"

"Dan… it has nothing to do with you." Sun cuts the boy off again. "You are talented, and I have no doubt that you are diligent. I cannot accept you as a disciple because I will not take any disciples. Go now, return to class. Tell your teacher that you were late because I called for you."

Dan bites his lip upon hearing Sun's firm command. He picks himself off the ground and looks at the man his father calls "the pinnacle of the martial world". The sharp determined eyes that accompanied him when he first set foot onto the training field are still there. Dan, despite knowing how disrespectful it is to stare at his seniors, refuses to break eye contact with Sun. Even as the blood from his forehead trickles past his brow and onto his eyelids, Dan did not blink.

"Thank you for your time, Instructor Sun." Dan finally breaks eye contact as he bows towards Sun with cupped hands. "I'll come back tomorrow after registering properly."

"Dan..." Sun calls to the departing boy. "Not everything can be solved with strength."

Dan pauses his steps before turning around to face his instructor.

"My father tells me that great men shoulder unimaginable responsibilities. Instructor Sun, I know that not everything can be solved with strength. But how can I ever hope to be a great man–how can I shoulder those responsibilities–when I can't even protect the only people who've ever shown me kindness?"

With a final bow, Dan turns around and steps off the training field. Sun watches as the boy makes his way back to class. He sighs as he walks back to the center of the training field. Their conversation replays in Sun's mind as he enters a state of meditation. The young boy's final words remind him of a great man from a distant past…

"Boy, what's your name? No need to be afraid. This grandpa won't hurt you or your sister. Come now, tell this grandpa your name."

…

"Boy, if you're going to watch, at least tell this grandpa your name… Is that so? What a fine name you have. Come again tomorrow, boy."

…

"Show this grandpa again- that move you just did… Bahahaha! A rare talent! Boy, how would you like to become my disciple?"

As Sun relives through the shattered bits and pieces of his past, his eyes begin to water.

"Don't tell anyone this, but your master is quite famous. Bahahaha! You should be honored, boy! Hmmm? A fraud? Boy, I'm telling you! I'm probably the most famous figure in the continent!"

…

"BOY! DID YOU STEAL MY LIQUOR?! COME HERE YOU LITTLE RASCAL!"

…

"That? It's nothing. Just a present from your famous master. Bahahaha!"

…

"Don't cry, boy. Great men don't cry. Great men stand tall to instill confidence. We shoulder the weight of responsibilities so that our loved ones don't have to. We stand tall to protect their smile and their dreams. We'll meet again if the Heavens will it. Remember my teachings… Protect yourself and protect your family. Better days are coming, I promise."

As the final bit flashes past his mind, Sun opens his eyes. A single teardrop escapes. The blurry image of his master's tall and imposing figure slowly fades away as the teardrop moves down his cheek.

But master... you were crying too, weren't you?