Three years later

"Oh, same old bitter leaves this time again," said Maung Nyo, examining the foraged leaves in his pocket. He took one of them and chewed it slowly, savoring its familiar taste. For the last three years, he had grown accustomed to their flavor, developing an acquired fancy for their bitterness.

Maung Nyo was now ten years old. He had grown stronger and more flexible due to the constant conditioning of his body. Although he wasn't as tall as the average ten-year-old due to difficulty finding protein, he had still outgrown his old clothes and had to sew new ones from the fibers he acquired from trees in the forest through tedious processes.

After finishing breakfast, Maung Nyo headed to the stream and washed himself clean, preparing for the day. As he rinsed off, he noticed a flock of birds suddenly flying away from a section of the forest. Birds don't usually fly away like that unless something is disturbing them.

Curious and wanting to investigate, he quickly dried himself and his clothes with tejo (Fire) and used vāyo (Wind) to propel himself through the forest, moving swiftly through the trees. The leaves rustled around him as he sped toward the source of the disturbance.

When he arrived, he spotted a group of people assualting three others who were fleeing. Those are from the demon sect, Maung Nyo thought. How could I forget their crimson cloak? He remembered the similar cloak that Red Dog wore. His heart raced as he recognized the assailants' outfits.

The scene was chaotic. The demon sect attackers cornered the fleeing trio against a large rock. One of the attackers swung his mace, narrowly missing one of the victims. Maung Nyo saw one of the victims, a stocky man clad in laminar armor wielding a sword as he tried to shield the other two. A young girl hid behind the middle-aged chubby man dressed in wealthy clothes, their eyes filled with terror.

Suddenly, one of the assailants slipped through the stocky man and struck the chubby man's arm. "No!" the stocky man snarled, turning back and striking the attacker with his sword and killing him instantly. However, in doing so, he left himself vulnerable and was struck on the back by another assailant. Luckily, his armor absorbed most of the impact, resulting in only a minor wound.

I can't stand by and watch this. I need to interfere, Maung Nyo decided. Using vāyo (Wind) to boost himself, he propelled himself into the fray. He kicked a powerful blow at one of the attackers, sending him sprawling to the ground. The other attackers turned in surprise, momentarily stunned by the sudden attack. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the stocky man struck swiftly, killing another assailant with his sword.

"Go! I'll hold them off!" Maung Nyo cried, positioning himself against the demon sect members.

"Let me help you!" the stocky man protested, eyes wide with concern. "I can't leave you to fight them alone."

"Trust me. I've got this!" Maung Nyo said with a confident nod. He lifted three of the assailants with vāyo (Wind), hurling them into the trees and knocking them out.

Seeing Maung Nyo's feat, the stocky man, astonished by the display of power, quickly supported the chubby man with his shoulder. "Be careful! I will return after I leave my lord in safety," he called out to Maung Nyo, before moving away from the engagement, guiding the girl and the injured man to safety.

One of the remaining attackers, realizing the gravity of the situation, shouted, " Internal arts master, quickly bring the squad leader! Formation black turtle!"

The assailants moved with military precision, surrounding Maung Nyo and forming a defensive line with their weapons drawn, leaving the heavier members with shields in the front.

Maung Nyo, unfazed by their formation, maintained the state of Samādhi and channeled vāyo (Wind) all around him, blasting it toward the front row of the formation. The heavier shield bears were almost blown away by the gust, but they were held in place by the others in the back rank, their combined weight anchoring them against the powerful wind.

"Hmph!" Maung Nyo smirked. He focused his mind on tejo (Fire) and began to melt away the shields. The assailants in the front row, feeling the heat and seeing their shields disintegrate, hastily threw them aside in panic.

"We need to break his Samādhi." shouted one of the men. The assailants began to rush towards him, some on the ground and some leaping into the air, aiming to strike Maung Nyo from all directions. Maung Nyo refocused on the vāyo (Wind) again and blasted them away all over the direction, knocking most of the assailants out. 

The remaining attackers, seeing their comrades fall, retreated from the combat.

After the fight ended, Maung Nyo followed the tracks of the fleeing trio to check on them, ensuring they were safe and unharmed. As he neared their location, he saw the young girl running towards him, tears streaming down her face. "Please help! Father and uncle are hurt," she cried.

Maung Nyo rushed towards them and found the chubby man unconscious and the stocky man lying on the ground, wincing in pain. "Sorry to meet you again in this condition boy, they poisoned their weapons." said the stocky man.

"Let me take care of the poison," said Maung Nyo, his voice steady despite the urgency of the situation. Assessing the condition of both men, he realized the chubby man's state was far more critical than the stocky man's. Without wasting a moment, Maung Nyo quickly sat beside the chubby man, channeling the state of Samādhi. I can't let them die. I have to succeed.

He examined the wound closely, his hand steady as he placed them over the injury. Using āpo (Water), he sensed the blood flow of the chubby man. Come on, I have to find the poison.

Slowly, he could feel the foreign substance within the bloodstream, a poison attacking the cells around it. There it is. Now it is time to isolate it. Using āpo (Water), he began to condense the poison, drawing it together into a fat-like concentrated form. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he concentrated.

Almost there. Just a little more. I just need to burn it away using tejo (Fire). Maung Nyo shifted his focus to tejo (Fire), preparing to burn the poison with it. 

Suddenly, he sensed a piercing pain in his right leg. A woman raised on the ground behind him and sneered "You still fall for the same old trick. I thought you died with Red Dog." 

"Black Cat!" Maung Nyo screamed.

"Squad Leader!" A group of men emerged from the woods and surrounded Maung Nyo and others. They were the men who had retreated earlier.