Chapter 4: Sparring with mother!

"Mother! I am home!" said Duan Li after coming in, "...and here are the fish..." as he handed a wrapped paper with a conflicted look to him. He wondered if he should tell his mother regarding the incident at grandma Ying's store.

"Good, I'll prepare it later on. Though, what's wrong with you?" noticing the look on her son, she knew that something was up. After all, she had taken care of him since he was but a child. So naturally, any unnatural reaction her son made would not go unnoticed by her.

"Well... it is actually like this..."

Knowing that his mother would know about the incident sooner or later, rather than getting scolded for hiding it, Duan Li decided to tell the whole story to his mother, even the bizarre phenomena of time slowing down.

...

"What? Time slowing down?"

"You stomped your foot on his sword, causing his elbows to cripple at the same time?"

At first, when his mother was listening to his story in the beginning, she couldn't help but to become agitated and infuriated by the action of that haughty young man. To think that grandma Ying was about to be slapped!

One has to know that grandma Ying was already over 70 years old! A strike from anyone would definitely injure her! At the thought of this, his mother clenched her teeth tight and hands into a fist and was about to left the house to teach that insolent young man a lesson when Duan Li stopped her, and told the rest of the story.

Her eyes couldn't be any wider and mouth agape open than now. One could even put an egg and it would fit. However, her expression was just too adorable with that baby face. Sometimes, Duan Li wondered whether his mother was truly over 40 years old.

"Duan Li my son, did you slept along the way back?" questioned his mother, seeming to not be able to believe the stories that her son had just told her and that it actually came from his dream after dozing off.

After all, the things he was saying was simply too inconceivable for such things to even happen!

Granted, that there are all sorts of mysterious magic, runes and secret techniques in the whole Tian continent, but forget even about these three advanced skills for the moment, her son hadn't even practice any form of martial arts!

How then, would he have the capabilities to slow down time? Even if such a cheating skill were to conveniently exist, surely it would cost a vast amount of spiritual Qi to use?

After all, the laws of the world are centred on true balance, a legendary skill such as slowing down time would need something inconceivable to activate as well!

When her son didn't even cultivate a single thing as far as she know, so how was that even possible?

...

Knowing that his mother wouldn't believe him, Duan Li could only try to prove it by activating that ability again. But the question is, how was he supposed to do that?

After contemplating for a while, Duan Li decided to try for a mock battle with his mother. He didn't know any sorts of martial arts and techniques at all, so when he first suggested this, his mother hesitated but went on with it after seeing that determined eyes of her son.

...

Outside their house...

Duan Li was just standing still like a scarecrow, ready for a beating anytime.

"This is why mother have told you for so many times before, to practice some martial arts and skills! Yet, you refuse and all you do nowadays was sleep, eat and read books…" sighed his mother helplessly as she took a stance. Right now, they were standing roughly about three meters away from each other.

"Look at you... there are so many openings! Guard yourself at least! Your mother here will not give you any leeway just because you are my son!" said his mother as she raised her arms alternatingly, forming a sort of a synchronous movement in a seemingly graceful way.

"C-calm down mother... this is only..."

Just as he was about to finish his sentence, his mother had already stepped forward, with a 'swoosh', she appeared instantly in front of him! With her right hand clenched into a fist, she punched out heading straight into the abdomen of Duan Li.

Seeing that punch with a reckoning force behind it, Duan Li knew that his mother was serious. If that were to hit him, he would be sent flying while spatting out blood!

Mother! This is your son! How can you be so tyrannical?!

"Let's see if you are telling me the truth... if you are lying, then this punch from your mother here would be enough to teach you a lesson..!" thought his mother as fist nearly landed.

Duan Li panicked and closed his eyes, tightening his abdomen while feeling that all hope is lost.

- Rrrringggggg!

"This sound!" said Duan Li as he quickly opened his eyes hearing the familiar sound.

The world had slowed down, even the falling leaves on the background are so slow that he could pick them up one by one in the air before they could even touch the ground. Looking at that fist that was inches apart from making contact with his abdomen to break a few of his ribs, Duan Li smiled.

"It happened!" he said excitedly to himself as he dodged to the right with a side step, and then time returned to normal again.

...

"What... Instant reaction?!" exclaimed his mother feeling surprised. "But that cannot be! He had not even practice any form of martial arts! Let alone the 'Instant reaction' skill that one could only get after being baptised with near-death situations numerous times!" she continued.

Knowing that such a thing should not be the case, she launched another attack. This time, the right punch that was dodged by Duan Li had arched upwards halfway before his mother's left foot stepped outside of Duan Li's left side and her left hand threw in a horizontal chop aiming for the neck.

- Rrringggg!

Time slowed down again.

"A horizontal hand chop? And the trajectory... My neck?!" cried Duan Li frantically. He was feeling really scared right now. His mother had become way too absorbed in this fight!

Am I not your son? Why do you use such a tyrannical attack on your own son?

Could it be that mother had been possessed by evil?

Duan Li couldn't help but wanted to cry right now. He ducked downwards immediately and time returned to normal again.

"Disappeared?! No… he ducked down! Let's see how you handle this!" exclaimed his mother.

A series of kicks, punches, and other sorts of techniques was displayed relentlessly by his mother. It seems that she had completely forgotten that this was just a mock battle to test the ability of her son as she grew more and more excited..

...

After a while…

"Huu..." exhaled his mother from her mouth as she closed her stance and her arms returned to normal position, marking the end of the spar.

"You... did you really see time slowing down?" said his mother, but this time she seemed to be more convinced than before.

"Yes mother... every time you attack me time would slow down for me to the minute detail... Thus, I was able to dodge all of your attacks.." replied Duan Li and continued, "But mother, your attacks are too…"

"Ahem!" coughed his mother dryly, stopping her son from saying anything more, "The rest doesn't matter!" she said awkwardly while trying her best to stay composed. Back then, she was too excited as it had been quite a long time since she had a sparring session with someone. Thus, she had forgotten the main objective of the spar and went on displaying her skills on her own son.

But now, she knew for sure that what her son just did to dodge all of her attacks, was thanks to this ability of his, slowing down time to see through attacks. In contrast to the skill 'Instant reaction' that was gained through countless battles, those are more of an instinct by the body to move naturally without one having to think about it at all.

"Your ability is... cheating! Humph!" said his mother, seeming a little bit jealous. But in her heart, she was actually quite happy that her son had a very unique ability! If he uses it well, then no one could possibly match someone who could slow down time!

"But tell me, how did you get this ability?" asked his mother curiously as her son didn't have such an ability before.

Thus, Duan Li retold the bizarre experience he had that morning while chopping down a tree, about the mysterious clear pearl with golden glow and mist inside it that was lodged within it firmly.

...

"Hmm.." the brows of his mother creased together as she walked forwards and backwards around the room repeatedly while cupping her chin trying to contemplate on what her son just told her.

If what her son had told was the truth, then that mysterious pearl was the cause for her son's ability to be able to slow down time! However, she couldn't help but to feel worry. After all, external ability is not of one's own potential. Thus, it might had its own complications as well after using it.

Shaking her head, she sighed helplessly knowing that worrying on something unknown would not help even a tiny bit in this kinds of situation.

"Do not tell this to others, otherwise... I fear that, you will be hunted down!" warned his mother. Duan Li nodded with a grim face for he could also imagine what would happen if others were to learn of the abilities that he possessed.

"Regardless however, if you start to feel weird, tell your mother here and I will look into it!" she said and continued, "If somehow, you gained any more new abilities, also tell me, okay?" with a stern face.

"Yes mother... I will!" replied Duan Li.

Then, seeming as if he had just remembered something important, he quickly said "Mother, I am afraid that the Jixue Knights Academy will take action on behalf of that young man..."

"Ah, Don't worry, nothing will happen to you." replied his mother casually while pouring tea into a small tea cup to drink as she felt thirsty from the spar.

Hearing this, Duan Li couldn't help but to feel confused and asked, "I don't understand... what do you mean by this mother?"

"Oh, don't think too much into it! You will understand by tonight! Now go to the kitchen and prepare some dishes for later!"

...