Chapter 2, in which the hero takes a step towards his dream

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"You'll never be able to become like me, of course," came a soft, slightly mocking voice. "But these are only temporary hardships!"

When Han heard those words behind him, he almost jumped up with indignation. He hadn't seen the speaker yet, but he realized with sudden jade clarity that he wouldn't like this man. It wasn't even because Han had to hurry from the refectory to the small reception room in the other wing of the mansion. No, it was a matter of course that the youngest heir of the House of Nao could not meet a guest in the inner chambers or, ha-ha, in his bedroom. And not so much that this ignoramus used the words of two completely different characters at once. Although the insidious and ruthless villain Dariush Al-Tsap had said that Bao Xiao's Impetuous Blade could not become like him, the phrase about temporary hardships was a favorite saying of Liu Mingfei's Ice Crow, who never gave up and was not afraid of troubles. Accordingly, to use these phrases at the same time was a sign of extremely bad taste.

Han was going to make the meeting with his future mentor as dignified as possible. He stood in the reception area with his back to the entrance, his posture thoughtful and relaxed, looking at the engravings hanging on the walls with a sage's gaze, which, of course, were no match for the deep philosophical sayings that adorned the walls of his bedroom.

When the teacher arrived, and the servant announced his arrival, Han would turn around with noble restraint and give the guest an attentive glance, showing that, however illustrious he might be, the House of Nao was to be taken very seriously. And that would be the beginning of a harmonious teacher-student relationship based on dignity and mutual respect.

And that rude man who spoke first without asking instantly ruined everything!

Han turned around, noting with displeasure that his new teacher was not accompanied by servants. He was brought by not only Father Guang but also Mother Lihua as if he were the most honored guest. And against their backdrop, the guest looked like a pitiful sparrow next to the two dazzling phoenixes!

The teacher looked ridiculous. Instead of the expected silk robes, he wore some sort of leather jacket studded with rivets, wide belts, and wide leather pants. Instead of beaded silk shoes with curved toes, he wore boots like a commoner or a soldier. His clothes made him look like one of the barbarian mercenaries or shenzi of his father's troops. Even the servants in Nao's house looked better than this 'teacher'! At least they wore silk! The only ornament, the white jade plate on his belt, looked ridiculous, like a peacock feather on a crow!

His appearance was equally disappointing. Instead of his aristocratic, elegant pallor, his face was covered with a vulgar tan that he did not even try to hide with rice powder. His hair was cut short, just below his shoulders, and tied back in a ponytail with a simple cord instead of the elaborate hairdo he was supposed to wear.

His arms, peeking out from the short sleeves of his jacket, appeared to be ungracefully strong and muscular, violating all the canons of subtlety and grace expected of a noble master. Instead of a sword with a jade hilt on his belt, there was a stick sticking out from behind his back that looked suspiciously like the ones the peasants on the estate used to use in their black-footed fuss.

And the facial features... Han couldn't call him ugly. On the contrary, his face was attractive in its own barbaric way. But it was not the face of a respected wise master, but of a crude, amusing companion of the hero, who appeared only to be killed by the dastardly hirelings of a hostile house in the first third of the story, giving the protagonist an excuse to take terrible revenge for him.

"Dear..." the mother spoke, stepping forward and stopping between Han and the guest as if wanting to cover her son from all harm with her body.

Even though she knew how eagerly Han was looking forward to the teacher's arrival, she instantly sensed with her motherly heart that the new mentor was not living up to her son's expectations.

"Enough!" General Guang rumbled, raising his hand. "For two cycles, I have put up with all these excuses and tricks, tales of illness, and a weak heart. I have waited for a long time. Now it is your turn to wait, my noble wife."

"But how can I wait if you're going to hurt our child?" Lihua clasped her snow-white hands.

Pain? Is he going to be hurt? But that's not how it works. That's not how it should be! Yes, sitting in the lotus posture all day long, letting qi flow through the dantian, wasn't very fun or exciting, but no one ever said it was going to be painful!

Fearless and powerful, even if not personally as strong as the imperial Grandmasters of Qi, but still an illustrious general who had spent many years away from home, on the borders, and in wars, General Guang hesitated. He was very fond of his third wife, Han's mother, and it seemed that her defenses would work now.

"Our son was so weak and tender. He was sick so much, and you are obviously up to something bad. You want to cause him pain and suffering!" The snow-white hands soared to the ceiling again. "He has a weak heart!"

"I'm sorry, Lady Lihua," the one who had been brought in by his father suddenly stepped forward.

He bowed with his hand to his chest, and Han stared at him, grumbling angrily. If this is the villain, he is Bao Xiao, who will smite the villain with his impetuous blade!

"Pain brings not only suffering but also joy and new life. I hear your delivery of Young Master Han Nao was difficult?"

"Yes, I almost lost my dear Lihua," Guang immediately sounded like a battle gong.

"And now you're going to lose your son and me! How can I endure such suffering?! Can't you see, dear, that our son is already sick? Tomorrow, Dr. Ping will examine him, give him treatment, and after that..."

"No after!" for a moment Han felt like he was on a battlefield against hordes of Evil. "Enough! Your love has blinded you, Lihua, and it has blinded me, almost preventing the wrong from happening! I would have gone away, resigned, but Heaven has sent me a sign!"

He pointed to the "teacher" he had brought with him, and Han suddenly noticed that the maids who had come with his mother and the two guardsmen who had accompanied his father were watching the scene and exchanging eloquent glances. Along with anger came resentment. He and his mother had always been kind to the servants and lenient with their mistakes. It was his father who had always chased them away and reprimanded them. And now they were almost laughing and mocking, except they were not pointing their fingers at him!

"Believe me, Mrs. Lihua, the upbringing, and development of your honorable offspring is a noble concern. I will do my best to protect your son's graceful tree from the influence of misfortune and will not let it wither away."

Han frowned even more, sensing the mockery. He had once read the phrase about House, Tree, and Son, and he had skillfully improved it, adding the words that one should plant enough trees for a house full of sons and still have some left over. He wrote beautifully on a scroll, even planted the first tree, and hung the scroll on a branch, intending to plant a tree a day, moving towards the horizon. But the next day, it rained, then the idle servants lost the seedling, then new scrolls of The Pork-loving Battle Monk Zhu's Adventures were brought, and then the first tree began to wither for some reason, and somehow everything was forgotten.

But how would an imposter "teacher" know that?

"He's not too modest for his look," Han said, looking his father firmly in the eye.

The one squinted menacingly in response, so Han had to look away.

"One should never be ashamed of one's victories and should admit one's blunders and defeats as befits a man," replied the impostor in his father's stead, with a quotation that Han considered one of his most successful creations.

"You're kidding me!" Han flared up, losing all desire to follow etiquette. And who was there to show off to? Certainly not this commoner brigand!

His legs were weak from worry and painful disappointment. He took a few stiff steps toward the wall and collapsed into a chair, clutching at his heart. One cannot rely on others. A worthy man takes fate into his own hands. Following his own wise saying in addition to the gesture with his heart Han also groaned, showing how much he was suffering from the injustice of the cruel world.

"A-ya! A-ya!" Mother exclaimed angrily. "Look who you have brought! Some black-footed peasant who insults our son! And Haonyu's health is already very poor!"

"Shut up, woman!" Guang shouted. "This is not some quack like your Ping, this is ...."

Han tried so hard to make himself look as painful and exhausted as possible. At that moment, his heart really did feel a prick, so he listened to himself with horror, forgetting everything in the world. But the prick was not repeated, and he breathed out a sigh of relief, returning to the noisy and terrible reality.

"...of the White Jade Emblem, the youngest of the Qi Grandmasters in the whole Empire!"

Of course, Han didn't miss anything interesting!

"Youngest" bowed his head, hiding a smug grin.

"Honey, why don't you start teaching our son on your own?" asked Mrs. Lihua suddenly, ingratiatingly.

Han perked up. The idea was a great one. Father never had time anyway, and the subordinates he assigned to train his son couldn't resist Mother's direct orders.

"Because I've tried it many times before, remember?" rumbled Guang's voice again like on a battlefield.

Han took his hands away from his heart and covered his ears, feeling a prick of anxiety at the same time. Normally, things unfolded in a different scenario. Once he grabbed his heart, Mother would rush to his defense, and Father would retreat. Why was his father back now? What did that insolent man who dared not only condemn the Han Tree but also mocked Han sayings tell him?

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"...just after the first dozen years, after he was given an adult name! And what did you do?"

"You destroyed our son's potential! You've overworked him and strained him, so he'll never be able to use his qi! If I hadn't invited Dr. Suo."

"Don't mention that charlatan to me! The only thing he's accomplished is curing the infertility of a dozen maids!"

The maids who had accompanied her looked at each other meaningfully but did not dare to giggle. By now, there were half a dozen servants in the corridor behind her parents, who had suddenly had a lot of urgent business to attend to in this wing of the mansion and, for some reason, only near the Small Jasper Reception Hall.

"And you drove them all away! Dr. Nang."

"His ginseng pills turned out to be fake. It only miraculously no one was poisoned!"

"Dr. Ao..."

"Who almost killed you with his acupuncture!"

"Dr. Qinbao..."

"Who was stealing from us until he got a caning the heels!"

"You chased away all the doctors and scared our son!"

Han was getting more and more anxious - something was definitely wrong. To quarrel so loudly, in full view of strangers, guards, and servants? No, he tried to reassure himself. His father would back down. He was a renowned general, and he couldn't afford to lose face.

"And you wouldn't let me take him into the army!"

"He got sick outdoors!"

"Because he never comes out of his room!"

"He's having a hard time with the trauma he's been through! In fact, remember how hard my labor was!"

"That was two dozen years ago! Look what's grown now!"

Han shuddered. Even though his father had not received the Emperor's emblem of Grandmaster of the Empire, he was still a Master of Qi, and his intent was felt on his skin. Disgust, contempt, and the desire to beat him up, if not kill him, were not only written on his face but also enveloped his figure in a heavy purple halo.

But Mrs. Lihua was not so impressed by this - it was not for nothing that she was the third wife of the glorious general. Instead of surrendering, she counterattacked, honoring the precepts of ancient military treatises:

"You see! You despised our son, and that's why you treated him so horribly. First, you undermined his health, and now you want to kill him for good! Look, he's already convulsing! We need to get Dr. Ping right away!"

"Chop off that charlatan's head if he crosses the threshold of the hall," Guang muttered through gritted teeth.

The presence of the "youngest of the masters," what's-his-name, who seemed to be standing modestly aside but was probably mentally mocking, added to the humiliation. The servants, sensing something in their commoner's gut, began to slowly disappear so that their heads would not be chopped off in the heat of the moment.

"I loved our son and you, Lihua," Guang had stopped shouting, and his words fell like heavy drops of cold rain on his head. "I loved and retreated when I had to be firm at once. And he was cleverly taking advantage of all this and playing the victim!"

Han quietly sobbed in resentment. He wasn't pretending anything! It was the whole world that had turned against him and was giving him no peace! He was only expressing his feelings openly!

"You kept talking about charlatans, my dear," Mother Lihua attacked again, "but you? No sooner had you left the house than you met someone you didn't know and immediately dragged him inside, saying that the first person you met would make a great teacher!"

"You want to know what happened? I'll tell you! I left home, leaving behind a fat son who cares more about idleness and food than family honor and filial duty and who takes advantage of your love and weakness as you took advantage of mine!"

Han gasped at such hurtful words so much that there was a terrible ringing in his ears.

"... engaged in conversation! When I saw the Emperor's emblem, the Heavens suddenly gave me an epiphany! He's the same age as our son, but he's already become a mighty Qi Grandmaster! Isn't this a sign from Heaven?"

"Maybe that emblem is a fake! And he's not who he says he is?"

Han removed his hands and nodded finely. His mother's words were like the bow of an imperial bodyguard.

"Do you suppose I don't recognize a fake?" Father roared. "Do you think I don't recognize Emperor Qi in the tablet, may his name be glorified in the ages and moons? You think I'm a common soldier who doesn't know what's going on in the Empire?"

His ears rang again, his stomach churned, and Han groaned, unable to hear himself.

"...a master of many feats! That's what our son could have become if you hadn't let him get fat on that lazy, cunning, cowardly hog!"

Tears rolled from Han's eyes, and he clutched his stomach and heart again. The beautiful food he had been torn from had turned to slop, and he felt his stomach and heart clench again. Cruel, cruel world! Should his father have gone on to the capital as he had intended? And that damned black-footed master, still standing aside with an insolent grin, why did he come here? Couldn't he have just passed by? If he's such a hero, he should have gone and done his deeds!

A wheezing and sneezing sound burst from Han's chest, his face contorted. He even held his breath to let the blood rush to his face, making it look particularly painful and unhealthy. Alas, the tried and tested techniques didn't help this time.

"Do you know what I have done, my beloved wife?" Guang jabbed his finger at her. He was no longer shouting, but the low, husky voice seemed much more frightening.

"N-no," she answered, ignoring Han for once.

It made his heart ache and hurt. The tears rolled, stinging, dripping onto the robe, leaving wet streaks on the precious silk. And again, no one paid any attention to them. That made it even more hurtful, so the flow of tears intensified.

"I fell down and bowed to the ground before him, begging him to be our son's teacher! I was not thinking of my pride and the pride of the Nao family, of honor, status, and dignity. No, I was on my knees, touching my head to the ground and begging because I knew that I could not go any lower. We have long been laughed at behind our backs, saying that only the belly of his youngest son could match the magnitude of General Guang's feats!"

"No one's laughing at us!"

"That's now! Since almost no one even comes to visit us, only Mei Lin from the neighbors, my associate old Tsu, and... That's it! You're the one who drove them all away!"

"They were hurting our Haonyu, just like you! You want to drive him to the grave to save your honor?"

"No, I want to save him and you, as I love you both! If I cared about my honor and good name, I would have killed myself, washing away the shame with blood! But no, I kneeled and begged and..."

Killed himself?! Anxiety struck the huge gong that was Han's head. Without his father's money, without Nao's family fortune, there would be nothing - no crystals, no tasty lamb's tongues, no servants, nothing!

"...has agreed after all! Bow and thank him immediately, and while I'm gone, you must obey him in all things!"

"Out of love for your son, you want to make him suffer?" Lihua cried out as if coming out of a trance.

Han was already just whimpering quietly, holding his stomach, but his parents were so engrossed in the argument that they didn't care about his agony.

"Yes! Because things had gone too far! He could have become, if not a qi master, then someone else, also respected: a military leader, a scholar, an official! The pride of the family! Instead, he became this," Guang held his hand toward his son as if he was shaking it off shit, "this."

"It wasn't his fault! You shouldn't try to atone for your mistakes with our son's life!"

"With his life?! It's about training!"

Training? Han mentally licked his lips, glaring at the stranger. The insolent black-footed man. He's just jealous of Han of the Nao family. He's driving him to death. What would a lower-class man know about the lives of nobles? He may have managed to fool his father, but not Han Nao, with his vast experience in recognizing hidden villains and traitors in stories from scrolls and crystals!

"Listen, you what's-your-name..." Han even stood up and poked his finger at the jerk reprovingly. "I'm not going to fulfill any of your..."

He hesitated as he heard his father, mother, and servants gasp.

Remembering the lessons of etiquette, Han realized belatedly that by addressing the distinguished guest as "hey, you" and not remembering his name, he had insulted him. This was compounded by the fact that his father, the head of the family, paid the guest the highest respect, even bowing to the ground. Han recalled with horror the story of Faithful Wind, the noble outlaw Sun Yu had watched two months ago. There, under similar circumstances, Yu had slaughtered an entire clan for a much lesser insult!

It seems that his father called this... uh. what's-his-name... the strongest qi master? So now he can legally kill Han and his family?

"Please forgive my son's impertinence...'' General Guang started to kneel.

But the stranger supported him under his arm, preventing him from falling to the ground. He did it so deftly that from the outside it looked as if the courteous but equal junior was keeping the stumbling senior from collapsing to the ground, saving his face.

"No need for that, Mr. Guang Nao," he said with a predatory smile. "I haven't noticed any disrespect from you or your honorable wife. As for you..."

He looked Han in the eye, and Han swallowed a lump.

"Initially, I didn't count on your manners or sharp mind. For now, call me "Master" and nothing else. Perhaps someday you will earn the right to know and speak my name."

"So be it!" Han's father shouted. "And lest anyone should show shameful weakness, I, General Guang Nao, the oldest of our Family...."

"Darling!" Mother Lihua cried out, but it was as if she had not been heard

Han's father was enveloped in a bright scarlet halo and grew to the size of a hall. The polished floorboards cracked, and the walls and ceiling cracked from the qi waves. Vases on elegant stands exploded, spattering shards of porcelain and jade, tables tilted, sculptures fell, and scrolls of engravings burst into flames. Han couldn't take it anymore. He clenched his eyes shut and let out the heavy maelstrom that had built up in his stomach.

"...in the face of the gods and witnesses, in the face of the Ancestral Spirits of the Nao family, I swear that Master..."

The fire that had been devouring the engravings on the wall suddenly froze and shattered into icicles. From the dark cave in the middle of the room, the spirits of the ancestors appeared with a terrible howl, twisting and wriggling their long snake and dragon bodies. Their appearance, quite unexpectedly, proved to be for the greater good: a fit of vomiting was interrupted, and Han was able to move away, trying to cover his ears with his hands. Even his father's guards at the door turned pale and took a step back.

But this scoundrel, who demanded to be called "master," stood as if nothing had happened. Moreover, and even - oh gods and spirits! - smiled! How dare he?

"...may train my youngest son, Han Nao, in any way he wishes and use any means to influence him. Anything!"

Mother Lihua clasped her hands, but there was a deafening thunderclap, and the swirl of spirits confirming the oath accelerated into a smeared blur, glowing with an otherworldly light. Mom's hands fell powerless.

"No one in Nao's family will interfere with this training! If they do, they will be slaughtered on the spot. I swear it by the spirits of the ancestors!"

The ones flickered and howled again, and Han covered his ears with his hands. Why had they come now? Why not come out early, not to listen to his father's ridiculous oaths, but to help him become a hero by awakening his ancient qi or giving him an indestructible body?

"...has the right to slaughter such an insolent man on the spot! Anyone who interferes! Anyone, you hear me?"

A new burst of howling, a new wave of cold, and a new deafening clap of thunder. The whirling slowed and stopped, and the spirits froze for a fraction of an instant, looked around the room with piercing, otherworldly eyes, and disappeared into a black hole that closed without a trace. Lihua swallowed, and Han's stomach churned.

The Ancestral Spirits dwelt in the family shrine and watched over the entire family, and their vow was more than just words. Father couldn't renege on his vow now, even if he ever wanted to. And that meant... Han shifted his gaze to the damned what's-his-name and suddenly screamed, roared resentfully, and sprang out of his chair to attack him, at the same time realizing that he didn't stand a chance. If he can't defeat the grandmaster in battle, then at least he'll throw him up! After such a humiliation, the man would flee on his own, and his oath would not be broken!

"Not so fast," the bastard said in a calm, even lazy voice and suddenly disappeared.

The floor sprang up, slamming into Han's face and kicking him in the stomach, forcing him to spew out the contents. His bruised arms and legs ached unbearably, and something hard stabbed into his back. Painful and... warm? But Han couldn't just do it like that. He didn't want to touch himself, so he whimpered in humiliation again.

"Qi allows you to not only inflict suffering but also heal and strengthen your body," said the creep from above. "All pain during training is only a temporary hardship."

"It doesn't matter!" Guang said sharply. "I invoked the Spirits of the Ancestors, and they responded by accepting my oath!"

Han noticed the glow and groaned again, rubbing his forehead on the floor, feeling something sticky and stinky beneath him, yet with the smell of plum pie.

"That's enough. The oath will be fulfilled! Know, master, as long as I am the head of the Nao House, your word is my word! And any disobedience is a personal insult to me, Guang Nao, and therefore punishable by death! Enough of this. The Emperor and the troops are waiting for me. When I return, I expect results, any results! If this boar's heart is as weak as my dearest wife says, then so be it. Not having a son is better than more disgrace every day."

Han mentally howled. Now this "youngest qi scum in the Empire" could just finish him off, and no one would even say anything to him, not even dare to say anything! The slam of the door closing sounded like a funeral gong.

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