Master Feng Tiansheng had Wu Jian meet with him the very next day, and the first thing he did was make Wu Jian remove his mask. He said that it was a sign of respect, that no master would apprentice someone who refused to show their face, and that he would renege his promise to let Wu Jian apprentice under him if he didn’t do it.
Wu Jian had been wearing a mask ever since he first bought it way back when. It had been how he hid his identity to protect himself from being discovered by Wu Meiying’s enemies. It had been a good idea, according to Wu Meiying. She had explained how her enemies could find him. A person’s presence in time was like a ripple on the surface of a lake. Each ripple had a unique signature that was different from everyone else’s. Her enemies could discover him by finding his specific ripple within the sea of time.
The mask helped diminish that ripple. Sure, people would still notice and talk about him, but they’d be talking about that person in a mask. Since nobody knew what he looked like underneath it, they could not talk about him specifically, which made his ripple smaller and harder to track.
Of course, the necklace that Wu Jian always wore was another form of protection even stronger than the mask. Wu Meiying claimed it could completely block the ripple so long as he wore it, but it would break if the ripple he made was too big, and then her enemies would be able to see it. He took that to mean her necklace was like a box that kept the water inside, distinctly separate from the sea of time.
He had considered telling his new master to shove it, but he had ultimately decided it was fine to remove his mask if the only person who saw him was his new master. Wu Jian planned to consult with Wu Meiying about it. However, he did not want every decision he made to be one he made only because someone else told him it was okay. Wu Jian was ultimately responsible for his own destiny. He wouldn’t let anyone, not even Wu Meiying, decide what he could do.
“What in the Nine Heavens?! Why are you so handsome?!”
That had been Master Feng Tiansheng’s first comment to Wu Jian after he removed his mask.
Following the mask removal, Master Feng Tiansheng had made Wu Jian strip down to his underwear. It was… well, it was kind of humiliating to be honest, but his new master said it was important to see what kind of physique Wu Jian had, which would help determine what kind of training he should be doing.
“Hmmm. You’ve got excellent musculature. These might be even sturdier than mine. What did you do to get this kind of physique? Maybe you should be the one training me! Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!”
Some of the things Master Feng Tiansheng said made Wu Jian question his sanity. Was apprenticing under him really the right choice? Then he would remember how the man had split a mountain with a single swing of his sword and renew his determination. That was the kind of strength he craved right now.
Since his physique was already rock solid, Master Feng Tiansheng had told him to practice his stance and swings. Every morning, he woke up, headed toward his master’s hut, and practiced swinging Pale Moon until it was late afternoon. In the afternoon, he was tasked with meditating.
Cleaving the Heavens in a Single Stroke was a formidable martial skill that combined exceptional strength with precise control over chi. Mastering this technique required cultivators to undergo rigorous training encompassing a broad range of aspects; physical conditioning, chi control, stance and footwork, sword mastery, visualization, and aftershock control.
According to Master Feng Tiansheng, he already had the physical conditioning needed to use the technique, so what they were working on now was chi control and his stance.
This technique required Wu Jian to have a profound understanding of how chi flowed within his body. That was why his afternoons were spent meditating and practicing breathing exercises to cultivate greater understanding of his chi. Precision in directing and releasing his energy was crucial to harness the explosive power needed for the technique. All of his meditation and breathing exercises involved controlling the chi inside of him as it flowed through his meridians and dantian, which was something he had never done before.
His stance was another thing they were working on. He needed to be as unmovable as a mountain, so his stance was lowered to stabilize his center of gravity. The stance and powerful cleave used in this attack were based on having a solid foundation, so right now, they were having him maintain his stance for several hours. His legs were in pain by the time they were done.
The last thing he was working on was his sword mastery. Using this technique required him to be capable of forming a sword aura, which meant his understanding into the Dao of the Sword needed to be at a certain level of proficiency.
Wu Jian had never studied the sword, sword techniques, or anything of the sort. Up to now, he had just been haphazardly swinging his sword. The reason he was able to beat opponents had nothing to do with skills. He simply overpowered them with his greater physical strength and liberal usage of space manipulation.
During his sword swinging practice, Master Feng Tiansheng would often correct Wu Jian’s stance and swing, giving him advice as needed. He was a surprisingly good instructor. Given how frivolously he acted, Wu Jian expected him to be one of those masters who never taught their disciple anything useful and had them run a bunch of errands. It was an honest to goodness relief that his master wasn’t like that.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Unfortunately, several days passed, and Wu Jian was no closer to learning Cleaving the Heavens in a Single Stroke.
***
It was late in the afternoon and Wu Jian had a rare day off. Wu Meiying had come over earlier and was now sitting with him in his living room, almost like she had known he wouldn’t be doing anything that day. He hadn’t seen her in a while since he’d begun training. This was, in fact, the first time they had met.
“Sorry I haven’t been visiting much,” Wu Meiying had apologized, but he didn’t think there was anything for her to apologize about.
“There’s no need for that. I’ve been pretty busy too.”
“Right. You’ve become someone’s disciple.” Wu Meiying glanced at the armband he was wearing. It had become a habit this past month to wear it. He only took it off when he went to sleep. “Feng Tiansheng… he’s an interesting man.”
“You know him?”
Wu Meiying gave Wu Jian a look that all but said “duh,” which caused him to blush and look away. His ears were burning.
“I do. Feng Tiansheng was, at one point, a very popular elder within the sect. He was in charge of the greatsword division, which no longer exists.”
Wu Jian tilted his head. “I’m guessing something happened?”
“Mhmmm.”
Wu Meiying scooted closer so she could lean her head on his shoulder. Wu Jian slipped an arm around her waist. A low growl alerted him to the child using his left leg as a pillow. With a sigh, he smiled warily at Youmei, who was laying her head on his thigh and began rubbing her head again. The magical beast turned human smiled as she rubbed herself against him like an overgrown cat.
“Let me think… you know that greatswords are no longer considered popular among the Heavenly Sword Sect’s disciples?”
“I did not know that… but I have noticed no one aside from me and a few other disciples use them.”
“The reason for that is because Feng Tiansheng upset some people he shouldn’t have. He wielded considerable influence at the height of his power and it made him arrogant. He began belittling the other elders, claiming their sword skills were pathetic and lacked the power of greatswords. Of course, this upset the others, and they decided to put him down. One of them challenged him to a duel, and he lost within the first three moves.”
“Ouch.”
In a world like theirs, where a person’s individual strength determined their status within society, losing in three moves was the same as committing suicide. By that point, you might as well just throw yourself on your sword. Wu Jian could imagine how Feng Tiansheng lost all of the respect and status he had accumulated up to that point.
Something occurred to Wu Jian just then, which he couldn’t help but give voice too.
“I noticed you haven’t told me not to apprentice under him.”
Wu Meiying smiled and said, “Because Feng Tiansheng is strong. The reason he lost wasn’t because he’s weak. It was because the people who went after him used foul play. They challenged him to a duel, and the night before it took place, several of them attacked him and damaged the meridians in his left arm. You might not realize this, but he’s left-handed.”
Thinking back on it, Wu Jian realized that Master Feng Tiansheng had used his right hand when he released that attack. A shudder ran through him. That he had used the hand he was weak with to create an attack that powerful was a testament to his strength. Wu Jian could only imagine how powerful he had been at his prime.
“Is there no way for him to heal his meridians?” asked Wu Jian.
“There are… but the ingredients needed for the necessary pill are rare in this world. The pill needed to heal meridians is also tier 10. Only one person in the entire world right now has the talent to make it--and he won’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’s with our enemies.”
“Ah…”
Wu Jian and Wu Meiying shifted topics, but his thoughts remained locked on what she had told him about his master. It sounded like Master Feng Tiansheng had paid a severe price for his hubris. That just went to show how pride always came before the fall. It was a lesson Wu Jian needed to take to heart.
Since there wasn’t much for them to do at home, Wu Jian and Wu Meiying decided to go out. Youmei came with them, of course. They traveled into Heavenly Sword City together, which caused a huge stir among the people. Every single person present did a double take when they saw Wu Meiying with him. While she had paid him plenty of visits, they hadn’t gone into public like this, so it was likely a shock to some people.
As they wandered with no clear destination in mind, someone spoke behind them.
“Lady Wu Meiying, is that you?”
They turned around to find a striking figure whose handsome appearance was almost as noteworthy as the arrogance he exuded. Standing at an above-average height, the young man carried himself with an air of unassailable confidence. His features combined both femininity and masculinity at a single glance. He had a commanding presence that was further accentuated by his piercing, slate-gray eyes, which seemed to size up everyone around him.
His hair, a shade of midnight black, was meticulously styled, adding to his aura of self-assuredness. He had a polished appearance. His aristocratic nose and thin, perfectly arched eyebrows lend him an air of refined attractiveness. The attire he wore was a crimson robe adorned with intricate gold embroidery.
Who the heck is this?
Wu Jian could not help but question this young man who had suddenly appeared, but Wu Meiying merely smiled as she subtly drew nearer to him.
“Luo Feng, I am surprised to see you here. You don’t leave your faction’s enclave often.”
So this is Luo Feng.
Luo Feng smiled. “I felt like a change of pace.” His eyes suddenly narrowed. “I hope you don’t mind if I sound rude, but why are you with this… new disciple?”
Here it is.
Wu Jian felt like rolling his eyes. While he wouldn’t say he was used to this kind of treatment, it was something that happened relatively frequently when they were younger. It was like people somehow believed they would win points with Wu Meiying by insulting him. He wondered if he should respond, but then he saw the look on Wu Meiying’s face and decided there was no need.
Nothing he did could be as worse as whatever she cooked up.