Chapter 30 - Clear Mind, Calm Heart

"Mister! Dan!" Yuyu calls out excitedly as she runs into the training field.

The little girl jumps into Sun's open arms, hugging him tightly as she nudges his shoulder with her chin. Sun hugs her back with a warm smile on his face. He glances at the young girl by the entryway for a short moment before nodding slightly. Xi feels a cold sweat roll down her neck as she stares blankly at the man at the edge of the training grounds. Her mind races as she tries to calculate how heavy an object must be to make such a sound. How heavy is the boulder that it could crack the tiles of an Academy training ground. How strong would someone have to be to send such an object flying with a single finger? Xi snaps out of her daze upon seeing the man nod at her.

"Student Xihan greets Yuyu's Mister!" Xi bows deeply towards Sun.

"Instructor Sun." Dan corrects the girl as he pushes himself off the ground. "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay away."

"Dan..." Sun shakes his head as he places his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Student Xihan greets Instructor Sun!" Xi yells out as she bows once again. "I apologize for disrupting your class. I just wanted to speak with Dan."

"It's alright, student Xihan." Sun turns towards the girl, gesturing for her to be at ease. "It looks like class is over. We have to get going anyway. He's all yours."

Sun turns back towards Dan and pats him lightly on the shoulder. Dan takes a deep breath to try and slow his heart and clear his mind.

"I'm not sure what happened, but she took care of Yuyu." Sun comments quietly to the young boy. "She seems like a good girl."

"Xi is nice!" Yuyu affirms Sun's assessment of Xi with a big grin. "Xi carried Yuyu's books!"

"Thank you, Instructor Sun. Please go ahead, I will clean up the mess." Dan bows deeply with cupped hands. Afterwards, he looks at Yuyu and smiles. "Sorry Yuyu, we lost track of time."

"It's okay!" Yuyu replies. She jumps out of Sun's arms before straightening her back and puffing her chest. "Yuyu is a big girl now! Yuyu can walk by herself. Hehe."

"Yuyu is a big girl, but we're going to be late for deliveries if we walk." Sun laughs as he picks the little girl back into his arms. "Come, Yuyu. Aunty Lia and grandpa Liu need us."

Sun hugs Yuyu securely against his chest, sending his aura out to protect the little girl. He turns to look at the young girl by the entryway one last time. Xi bows to bid the instructor farewell. A gust of wind rushes past her, pushing her dark hair aside and lifting her out of her bow. Her pupils shrink into a dot as she stares at the empty space where Sun had just been.

"What do you want?" Dan asks as he unties the sleeves of his robe from his waist.

The voice snaps her attention back towards the only person left in the training field. Xi takes a deep breath to calm her heart before making her way towards Dan. As she walks, her eyes catch a glimpse of the cuts and bruises on his upper-body. Dan extends his thumb as he pokes at various points on his body to stop the light bleeding. Upon finishing, he slides his arms through the sleeves and adjusts his sash. He scans the sleeves for any damage before turning to look at the young girl standing about ten steps before him.

"Well? What do you want?"

"I'm sorry for what happened. You are right…" Xi bows slightly towards Dan. "I am a coward. I stood idly by while my… 'friends'... disrespected you and Yuyu. I stood by while they attacked you."

"And our families." Dan corrects her. "I already told you. I don't want your pity."

Dan grabs hold of the rope around the boulder and drags it behind him as he walks past the girl. He releases his grip upon reaching the center of the training field.

"I'm not pitying you!" Xi yells. "I'm not pitying you… I'm angry at myself for not being able to do mo- no… I'm angry at myself for not doing more. My family… I can't betray their wis-"

"So what? Am I supposed to feel bad for you because you were born into a prestigious family?" Dan cuts her off with a disinterested tone as yanks a pebble out of the training ground walls. "I've studied the history of your family. Every student in the Academy knows about your family. Anyone who has ever picked up a history book knows about your family. Am I supposed to feel bad for you for being born a Song? If anything, I feel bad for your ancestors. The Great General, the Fire Spear, the Rising Fist, the Jade Queen, and the Sword of Peace… I feel bad that their descendents are cowards."

Xi bites her lips as she listens to the harsh, but truthful, words come out of Dan's mouth. Every single one of his words poked at her heart like a sharp needle. She stares silently at the ground, flinching frequently at the sound of stones as they're pulled from the walls. Dan sets his fingers on another stone, but he doesn't pull it out. He sighs as the training ground falls completely silent.

"It doesn't feel good, does it?" Dan breaks the silence as he turns to look at the girl. "When people talk about your family."

Tears escape the young girl's eyes, flying off to the side as she shakes her head. Upon seeing the slouch and self-defeat in Xi's posture, Dan sigh again as he regrets his harsh choice of words. He knows that it's not her fault. If anything, she's the only decent person amongst that group. Even though he knows that she wasn't directly involved, Dan just found it difficult to overlook the fact that she's associated. He takes his hand off the stone and takes a deep breath.

"Keep your head clear and heart calm, child… How you choose to carry yourself is entirely up to you."

Dan recalls his father's teachings. With a clear mind and a calm heart, he looks around the training ground.

"There's still about three or four hundred stones and pebbles in the walls." Dan comments as he plucks another stone from the wall. "If you're sorry, come help. I want to get home before nightfall."

Upon hearing his words, Xi quickly wipes her eyes dry with her sleeves before turning to look at him.

"Hi Dan." She smiles at him. "My name is Xihan. You can call me Xi."