Chapter 17
"Teacher, is it too early to teach them one of the six shaves?" asked an eager student.
Koshiro turned towards Lin Wuya, uncertain about his intentions. While most people were unaware of the Shaving of Marine Six Styles, Koshiro was familiar with its incredible power and the difficulty of mastering it. Only a select few Marines had ever been able to use it effectively. That was why he was concerned when Lin Wuya expressed his desire to teach Zoro and Kuina how to shave. They were just children and might not be able to endure the rigorous training required to learn it.
"You underestimate them, Koshiro!" replied Lin Wuya with a faint smile. "Do you know which level Zoro and your daughter Kuina have already achieved in the past six days?"
"What level?" asked Koshiro subconsciously, intrigued.
"In a flash, five times on the ground!" announced Lin Wuya with a smile.
"Five times...they managed to step on the ground five times?" gasped Koshiro. It had taken him a whole week to reach the same level of mastery when he was learning how to shave.
Zoro and Kuina had achieved it in just six days!
"Is that so?" Koshiro was amazed.
Lin Wuya nodded with a smile. "They are better students than you are a teacher and father."
"That's amazing!" Koshiro was at a loss for words, finally blurting out those three words in sheer awe.
Lin Wuya continued, "Don't underestimate Zoro and Kuina's ability to bear hardship just because they are young. Their resilience is much greater than you think. At this point, some adults would struggle to match their level of tolerance."
"Well said, Teacher!" replied Koshiro. As a Taoist teacher, he appreciated Lin Wuya's insight.
Lin Wuya picked up a glass of wine from the side and said, "As a celebratory gesture, let's drink to this momentous occasion."
Koshiro nodded in agreement.
The master and apprentice drank well into the night until 11 o'clock. Koshiro ended up getting quite drunk, while Lin Wuya remained relatively sober.
Looking at Koshiro slumped over the table, Lin Wuya smiled and shook his head. He then grabbed Koshiro's clothes and threw them into his room before retiring to his own. "This wine is still as terrible as it was when we were on the mountain," he muttered to himself.
...
The silver moon had set, leaving behind a quiet, starry sky. As the sky darkened, the morning sun eventually rose again.
Lin Wuya was deep in slumber when he was abruptly awakened by shouting. He opened his eyes to find Zoro and Kuina standing at the foot of his bed.
"Master, you overslept today!" pouted Zoro.
The two youngsters had been eagerly waiting at the back mountain, only to find that their master was nowhere to be found. After waiting for more than half an hour, they decided to check his room, only to discover he was still sound asleep.
Lin Wuya knew the reason behind his tardiness was his drinking from the previous night.
Chuckling, he lifted the quilt and got out of bed.
As soon as Lin Wuya stood up, Kuina let out a piercing scream, "Ah... Master!"
Lin Wuya turned to her, only to find her covering her face with her hands and looking away.
"What's wrong?" asked Lin Wuya, confused. He looked down at himself and realized he had forgotten to put on his shirt.
"Master, you drank too much last night!" explained Lin Wuya to the shy Kuina as he quickly put on his clothes. However, Zoro was unabashedly staring at him, which annoyed Lin Wuya.
"What are you looking at, Zoro?" he asked.
"Master, you are so strong, just like a young man!" exclaimed Zoro, voicing his surprise.
"I don't know, to be honest," replied Lin Wuya with a smile. Even he was puzzled by his own body. Despite being eighty years old, he was as strong as an ox, and even stronger than he was when he was young. Typically, as people get older, their bodies become weaker, but Lin Wuya seemed to defy this trend.
"I'll ask the system for an explanation at some point," he thought to himself. Perhaps only the system could shed light on this mystery.
After getting dressed, Lin Wuya grabbed some food and took Zoro and Kuina to the back mountain.
"Congratulations on mastering the five steps of Shaving of Marine Six Styles. Your next task is to complete ten steps in the next two weeks. If you can do that, I'll reward you!" Lin Wuya announced, beaming with pride at his talented pupils.
"What reward do we get, Master?" asked Zoro and Kuina, their eyes sparkling with excitement.
"I'll take you out to sea!" replied Lin Wuya with a smile.
Zoro and Kuina were still young, and Lin Wuya knew that they had never been to sea before. That's why this reward was so appealing to them!
As soon as Lin Wuya mentioned taking them out to sea, Zoro and Kuina's eyes lit up with excitement. They had spent their whole lives in Shimotsuki Village and had never had the chance to explore the ocean.
The only time they had ever been close to the sea was when they accompanied Master Koshiro to Sunset Village to pick up Lin Wuya. However, they were heavily monitored the whole way, and there was no time for them to enjoy themselves.
That's why Zoro and Kuina were ecstatic at the prospect of going to sea with Lin Wuya.
"Is it really true, Master?" asked Zoro eagerly, while Kuina nodded in agreement.
"Of course it's true!" confirmed Lin Wuya with a smile. "If you can complete this task, I'll take you out to sea!"
"Can we play freely when we're at sea?" asked Zoro, his excitement growing with every passing moment.
Lin Wuya smiled and nodded. "Of course you can!"
Zoro and Kuina were overjoyed and almost hugged Lin Wuya in excitement.
"However, remember that going to sea is contingent on your successful completion of the task. If you don't complete it, then there won't be any trip to the sea," Lin Wuya cautioned.
"Don't worry, Master. We will definitely complete the task, and we'll work hard to do so just to go to the sea!" said Zoro, brimming with enthusiasm.
Kuina also joined in the practice, and Lin Wuya smiled to himself, pleased with their motivation to complete the task and go on this trip to the sea.
//
Vote with your power stones :)
Read advanced chapters in my Patre on (everyday has a new chapter)
Patre on.com/howeey