SC1 7.1 – Slash and Parry
The hut was enough for four adults to lay next each other, so it was far from crowded when two adults and two children laid next each other inside. In summary, it was very comfortable and I had good night rest.
Then, just before the first light I slowly opened my eyes. I didn’t found Kato inside the hut, so I deployed Essence Pulse, and found her was happily taking morning bath under the shower.
I then shifted my attention to Yunno and Yui. The two were sleeping peacefully, and the way Yunno hugged Yui made me recalled some of Unfortunate Sanno’s memory. When Yunno and Yui lost their mother, Unfortunate Sanno didn’t immediately know how to console them.
When the two were at their most painful moment, it was Yunno who comforted Yui with all her might while hiding away her own sorrow. She would tightly hug Yui when the two slept at night, like how their mother usually did. While in the day, she would try to cheer Yui as the two carried their new and harsh daily labor.
It was not an exaggeration to say that at that time, Unfortunate Sanno didn’t even know what he should do regarding the two kids that had no other choice but to follow him. It was also could be said that the Unfortunate Sanno learnt the essence of parenting from Yunno.
As for me, the Unfortunate Sanno’s memory gave me precious clue about the bond between Yunno and Yui. All they wanted was just to stay together, and relied on each other to overcome whatever hurdle that came in their way. In short, separating Yunno and Yui was huge mistake I had to avoid at all cost.
After hardening my resolve to ensure Yunno and Yui would never be separated against their will, I woke up and enjoyed morning air. Then, Kato came out of the bath hut and walked straight to me.
Once again I had to admit. Informal kimono was truly fit for Kato. It enhanced her charm and beauty to the brim. I should find a chance to bang her or I would regret it later.
Then, after a smile I said, “Good morning.”
“Morning,” Kato happily replied.
“You look very beautiful.”
“Thanks.” After a smile Kato then asked me, “What is your plan today?”
“I want to introduce Yunno and Yui to martial training.”
“Do you need my help?”
“No, but it will be nice if Yunno and Yui can drink warm and sweet soy milk before their morning practice,” I said as I took out a jar of honey and a bottle of soy milk from my spatial storage.
“I will warm it,” Kato replied as she took the honey and soy milk. “What about breakfast? Do you have something in mind?”
“What ingredient do you have?”
“Rice, white button mushroom, carrot, white radish, spinach, chicken eggs, chicken breast, pork belly, pork sausage, tofu skin, white tofu, pickled-napa cabbage, sun flower oil, sesame seed oil, chili oil, miso, and other seasoning.”
“I see.”
With ease I could tell that Kato loved to cook, or she won’t have so many ingredients and seasoning in her spatial ring, and it made me wonder how good her cooking was. Therefore, I decided to check it.
“Anything that goes well with warm rice but not too heavy will be nice,” I calmly said.
“Got it.”
After wearing my scarf, bamboo hat, and traveler cloak, I woke up Yunno and Yui and asked them to wash their face.
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After drinking warm soy milk, I took Yunno and Yui to sweep the yard. Then, we started our first morning practice.
“Starting today martial training will become one of your morning routines,” I calmly explained. “Initially, I will teach you the basic of martial art only after you master breathing technique on your own, but I decide to accelerate it.
Now, I will put Soul Binding on you.”
“Is it hurt when Uncle Deitoro put Soul Binding on us?” Yui worriedly asked me using her childish tone.
“No, it’s not hurt at all,” I gently replied. “But Soul Binding is also being use as a mean to bind a slave, so people will think you two are my slaves.”
“It’s okay,” Yunno said. “We are Uncle Deitoro’s servant.”
“No, you are not.” I seriously said. “You are my servant in name only.”
“Slave in name only?” Yunno asked while tilting her head to the side.
“Yeah,” I firmly replied. “Your status as my servant will help me a lot in case I have to legally protect you from bad people like your greedy grandmother. At the same time, I can also use Soul Binding to share martial skill and some of my basic knowledge.
Other than that, I will treat you like my own blood. I will also erase your Soul Binding at your 20th birthday.”
“We understand.”
Yunno obediently replied, but her eyes clearly showed that she didn’t believe me and just went along. Unfortunately, I could do nothing other than let the time slowly showed my true intention. Without further ado I put the Soul Binding on Yunno and Yui.
It was pretty similar with Soul Binding that I put on Kato. I chose a small transparent blue cherry blossom as the binding mark and placed it on their neck. After that, I explained the existence of essence.
“Essence is omnipresent source of energy that can be used to strengthen your body or fuel a martial skill.
You can use breathing technique to harvest it, and then channel and store it in your essence sea using your essence circuit.
Do you understand?”
““We do,”” Yunno and Yui replied at the same time.
“Any question?”
Yunno raised her hand and then asked, “Do we harvest essence when we mediate and use the breathing technique Big Bro Sanno taught us?”
“Correct,” I firmly replied. “That breathing technique is Dragon Breath, one of the finest breathing techniques in martial world. Your soul mark is Rain Dragon so it’s compatible with your body.”
I then helped Yunno and Yui to fully activate their essence circuit. Yesterday event had triggered their thirst to become stronger and enabled me to activate their essence circuit earlier than my estimation. After this, they won’t need meditation to exercise Dragon Breath. They would absorb essence with every breath they took.
The Soul Binding I put on them would also masked their soul mark. Therefore, demonic beast or other warriors won’t be able to sniff their soul mark unless they directly inspected their essence sea.
“Can you feel the different?” I calmly asked as Yunno and Yui took a deep breath using Dragon Breath.
“The air is very clear, and the essence makes our body very comfortable,” Yunno happily replied.
“Yui also didn’t sleepy anymore,” Yui replied using her childish tone.
“Yeah, but you have to remember, don’t tell anyone that you have Rain Dragon as your soul mark, or bad people will try to steal it.”
“”Okay,”” Yunno and Yui obediently replied.
“Now, as you have become my disciple, I will give you a gift,” I happily said as I took a pair of 60 cm long kodachi and 27 cm long tanto from my spatial storage, and handed it over to Yunno and Yui, “This pair of weapon is yours.”
“Whooaaah… it’s very beautiful.”
Even though the kodachi and tanto were made of good material, its ornaments were pretty plain actually. However, Yui looked at it with sparkling eyes.
Meanwhile, Yunno looked at me with hesitant eyes. “Uncle Deitoro, are these beautiful weapons truly for us?”
“Yes,” I firmly replied. “This short saber is kodachi, while the long dagger is tanto. These two will become the first weapon set you have to master.”
“…”
“Right now, kodachi is still slightly too heavy for you, but you will get stronger and it won’t be a problem anymore. Got it?”
“We do.”
Yunno replied while giving me a determination eyes. As for Yui, she nodded firmly as usual. Then, I gave the two one spatial ring each and taught them how to bind and use it. Each spatial ring had capacity equivalent to a 20-feet shipping container, so Yunno and Yui could use it to store lot of items.
After that, I introduce them to Slash and Parry. I broke it down into footstep, grip, slash, stab, and parry. Generally, mortal swordsman would need six months to master the footstep or the grip alone.
However, Yunno and Yui were not ordinary mortal. I could also infuse my knowledge and experience regarding basic Slash & Parry to their mind through Soul Binding. I estimated in a week they would be able to start the slashing and stabbing practice using bamboo cane as the target.
As for the footstep, I chose to teach them only the most basic step. When moving forward, the front leg would move first, pushed by the back leg. When moving backward, the back leg would move first while dragging the front leg. When making side step to the left, the left leg would also move first, and so with the side step to the right, the right leg would move first.
It was indeed a very simple footstep, but it would make easier for Yunno and Yui when later they had to combine it Wind Step or other movement skill.
And as I expected, the first martial training for Yunno and Yui went smoothly. I didn’t have to make long explanation. After I showed them a few examples, Yunno and Yui would repeat it. Here and there I had to give them a small correction, and the kodachi was also still too heavy for them, but overall they had a very good start.
And so, after around one and a half hour I decided to stop today training. “Yunno, Yui, it’s enough for today.”
“Can we do it a little more?” Yui asked as she gave me an expectant look. It seems she really enjoyed her new morning routine.
After a smile I said, “Tomorrow, you can continue your training. As for now let me take a look on your palm.”
“Uncle Deitoro, our palms is not hurt,” Yunno firmly said.
“I know, but if I apply Healing Spell on your palm after every Slash and Parry practice, it will make your palm, finger, and wrist very strong without having callous.”
“Okay,” Yunno obediently replied.
After I applied Healing Spell on their hands, I then took Yunno and Yui to take morning bath.
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