The training begins
When Jin arrived in the room he and his grandfather was staying in, his grandfather was already waiting for him with a serious expression.
Whats wrong. Jin thought, but before he could ask, his grandfather said: Jin come sit down, there are something we must discuss before you leave tomorrow with Guan-Yin.“
Jin nodded his head, walked towards the table in the corner of the room and sat down. Looking at his grandfather he asked: “Grandpa Yi what is it?“
Grandpa Yi looked back at Jin with his serious expression and tone and answered Jin. “Jin tomorrow when you leave, i will go back to the Yi clan and meet with the elders i trust. We will discuss the book of Yi Wei Bo you found in his hiding place. I will not tell them about you, and i havent told the your new teacher the old hag either, i said your name was Dewei and your the grandson of a good friend“
Grandpa Yi gave Jin a peice of paper and said: “Jin on that paper is the address to one of my most trusted man, he is in charge of my information network and messengers. Trough him we can keep in contact. When your mother returns, i will send him a message and you just have to reply through him and we can meet.“
Jin put the piece of paper in his spatial ring, looked up to see the apologetic look on his grandfathers face and said: “Don’t worry Grandpa Yi, we will meet when mom returns. Then we can decide what to do from there.“
A half smile returned to his grandfathers face, and in a warm and caring tone Grandpa Yi said: “Jin you need to look after yourself and learn as much as you can. She will pick you up at the city gates after breakfast. I will leave tonight, you go and get some sleep.“
Jin just nodded his head, gave his grandfather a big hug and whispered “I love you grandpa Yi.“
Grandpa Yi hugged Jin back, and squezzed him tight for several breaths of time before Jin was released and replied “I love you to“
Jin walked to the bed and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
The next day when he woke up, his grandfather had already left. Jin cleaned himself up, put on a new set of clothes and left the inn walking towards the blacksmith.
On the way Jin bought some food thinking: I really need to find somewhere to exchange all this gold and silver to regular currency.
Jin arrived at the blacksmith and picked up the scabbard. It was ecxactly what he wanted, happy with the work of the blacksmith he promised if he needed something he would come to his shop first.
Finished with his errands, Jin walked towards the city gate, and on his way he saw the auction house and thought: I am sure i can exchange my gold and silver for currency here, in worst case, ill just sell it. I don’t have the time right now so ill do that when i return. Jin countinued to walk towards the city gates,
Jin thought he had arrived early when he spotted Guan-Yin.
“Teacher!“ he yelled, as he sprinted towards Guan-Yin
Guan-Yin just looked at him and said “hurry we are late“
“Late? Late for what“ Jin asked
Guan-Yin didn’t answer, she just jumped on a horse told Jin the other horse was his. Jin looked at her, but decided not to say anything and jumped on the other horse that was prepeared and followed. They rode for the entire day, just stopping to eat.
It was getting darker, Guan-Yin decided to set up camp, meaning Jin would set up camp and gather water and firewood. After the camp was set up Jin asked again “where are we going?“
Finally Guan-Yin decided to answer “We’re heading to a location that is perfect for how i want to train you, you’ll train under my guidance and we’ll see how far you’ll get“
They travelled for several days, only stopping to eat and sleep. One morning they reached their location. In front of Jin was a beatiful sight, a big massive forrest viberant green colors as far as he could see
“Lets go, we will be staying in this forrest for awhile. “ Guan-Yin said and disappeared between the trees, Jin quickly followed behind trying to keep up. After several hours later, Guan-Yin stopped, turned around and walked towards Jin.
On the way towards Jin some bells appeared in Guan-Yins hand, when she reached Jin she started to tie them around Jins body.
Confused Jin asked her. “What are you doing?“
Guan-Yin looked at Jin and answered: “I am sure the old man told you about the tower, as and elder of the tower and a assassin, i will be training you as i would train another assassin“
Jin looked a little confused, but continued to listen, “Do you see the cave? your first task will be to get to the cave without the bells ringing. Everytime i hear a bell, well you will see.“ Guan-Yin said with a smile on her face.
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
After Jin started moving, the bells started ringing, in the next second daggers were flying towards him.
Jin fell to the ground avoiding the daggers and could see Guan-Yin smiling at him.
This continued for days as he inched closer and closer towards the cave. During this time Jin had managed to reach rank 3 as a mage and a warrior.
Jin was already at the peak of rank 2 as a mage during the fight he had with the warriors in the city, and because of the amount of elemental essence he could gather, he easily broke through to rank 3 as a warrior in four nights.
One week passed as he tried to move without the bells giving of any sound, and at night he would only sleep a couple of hours to keep up with his cultivation. Finally he had reached the cave and could now move effortlessly through the shrubs and bushes without making a sound.
“One week thats amazing, to grasp how to move your body without making the bells give of any sound in such a short time. I am thouroughly impressed.“ Guan-Yin said in a impressed tone.
Guan-Yin quickly moved on to the next part of her training, saying: “Now lets start training your senses, walk into the cave and stay there until i say you can come out.“
Jin walked into the cave, and the deeper he went the darker it got, untill he couldn’t see anything.
“Stop.“ A voice said, Jin was sure it was guan-Yin, but he was so far into the cave that the voice had been warped as it reached him.
Jin stopped and thought: What is gonna happened next. When suddenly a small pepple hit him hard in the head, he felt his own blood dripping down the side of his face.
Jin screamed angerly “What the hell are you doing.“ When another pepple flew towards his head, Jin barely managed to dodge. “Temper“ The voice said. “You must feel your surrondings, always stay alert. “ The voice explained. Another pepple flew towards him, hit him straight in the temple and Jin passed out.
Jin woke up the next day all healed and refreshed, Jin couldn’t see Guan-Yin anywhere and decided to practise. Jin drew the katana out of his scabbard in one swift motion, a wind blade flew at the target he had picked, a tree no more then ten meters away. Jin continued to train with black wind and and his wind blades and was satisfied with the progress he had made.
Tommorow i need to start training my earth magic, i also need to find a new offensive earth spell. I must look through the books i havent read yet. Jin thought when Guan-Yins voice interuppted him. “Back to the cave“
Jin walked into the cave. As soon as he reached the deepest part, Jin was prepared for another pepple coming his way. but nothing happen. Jin waited for several hours before the first pepple hit him, and then nothing. Fifty minutes later a new pepple hit him. Jin got angrier and angrier, then the same voice he heard yesterday said to him. “You can’t just concentrate, you have to feel your surrondings, the slightest change in the wind, a sound, a breath, feel it and you can avoid it.“ Another pepple flew straight in the back of his head bouncing of the cave wall, knocking him unconscious.
The next day when he woke up healed and ready to go, Guan-Yin was gone again. Jin prepared breakfast as he forgot to eat yesterday. While Jin was eating, he thought back to what the voice had told him. “Feel the wind, a breath, a sound.“ Jin was sure that as a air and earth mage he should be able to feel the ground and the wind. Jin was trying to feel everything around him, from the wind, to the ground. Jin was sitting there meditating, after a short time he managed to feel what was happening around him. He felt somthing give of slight virations in the ground and got a clear picture of some ants dragging some food over the ground, Jin threw a wind blade and felt it go trough the air, but dissapeared after ten meters.
Nice i can feel everything around me up to ten meters the stronger i get the longer my range. Jin thought and opened his eyes to see Guan-Yin sitting right in front of him staring.
Guan-yin stood up and said “Time for the cave.“
Jin was suprised, and as he walked to the cave he was thinking: How could she get so close without me sensing anything. Jin remembered that she was an elder assasin, and that sneaking up to someone without them noticing her presence shouldn’t be a problem for anyone in that line of work.
Jin entered the cave, reached the deepest part and this time he was ready. Jin dodged everything and moved around the cave, Jin could sense anything appearing ten meters away and not a single pepple hit him. After a whole day of dodging everything Guan-Yin threw at him his range had extended to 13 meters.
I must be at the peak of rank three. Jin was thinking with a smile on his face.
“It only took you three days, i am very impressed. I would have thought it would take you at least two months maybe even longer. I need to get something from the city, you stay here untill i return.“ Guan-Yin said and left.
Jin looked at Guan-Yin disappearing behind the trees and thought it is time i start with my magic training.