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Chapter 28: Chin Up

As Ying watched from the sidelines, he couldn’t but feel relief that now the lesson was over.

Xing cowered, as he looked at their master. Ying wanted to slap him across his head, but that would’ve started another fight, one he would’ve probably lost.

“Master,” Xing said soft, but silenced himself when Chaoxiang raised his hand. Susu on the other hand, scampered toward the child, picking her up from off the ground, then scampering away.

Her eyes didn’t meet Master Chaoxiang’s own, which only served to anger Ying. She had relinquished their Master-Disciple relation and for what, an Axsumite Child?

None of this made sense to Ying, but he knew if he said anything he’d be chastised by the master and right now, the master needed to calm, his body needed it. Especially after how he fought Susu and Xing.

Xing approached Master and knelt beside him. He cradled the master’s scraggly arms around him and lifted him up, then walked him over the cart that Ying brought.

Xing then sailed towards Bo Ying and struck the acupoints in his thigh and chest, releasing him from.

Bo Ying released a guttural gasp for air, feeling his body ease from the tension from being unable to move.

Xing turned, looking to walk away but grabbed his hand, stopping him from moving. “I’ll take care of him.” He said softly.

Ying gnashed his teeth as the aches around his body slowly alleviated. He kicked off the ground, sailing towards Master Chaoxiang, leaving Xing behind.

The dark circles around Chaoxiang’s eyes made Ying feel nauseous, but mostly angry. The sight of his eyes were a sign, a sign that all the work they’ve done for the week, was for naught. Damn it…I wish I could’ve stopped this from happening! Damn that cursed child, DAMN HER!

“Brother Ying,” Susu said calmly “Why has the Master cough up so much blood, what’s going on?” Susu asked.

“The Master’s weak, Su’er.” He answered calmly. “But tell me…why would you case, you already cut your rela—“

“Enough Ying’er!” Chaoxiang spat. Ying didn’t like that out of his martial siblings, he was reprimanded the most, unlike Susu or Xing. Its clear, they’re his favourites, He thought sourly.

“Apologies Master.” Ying replied, dabbing the sweat from under Master Chaoxiang’s brow.

As Ying sat on the cart, he pulled a pill from his pouch, crushing it in his hand without hesitation. He scooped a water pouch from off the cart, then snapped the cork free, pouring the pill powder into the water pouch, then gave it to his master.

“What’s that?” Susu asked. “Are those the things you’re giving him affecting his moods?”

“Why w—“

“YING!” Chaoxiang snapped.

He released a long reverberating sigh, feeling as though that he could never speak his mind, when he was thirty-seven years, which was beyond his comprehension at this point. “Their vitality pills, Su’er. He needs them” Ying finally answered.

“Vitality pills?” Xing asked, confused.

“Yes, vitality pills, now just give me a moment!” Ying hissed.

Ying saw Xing and Susu eye each other with puzzled looks, but that was for a mere moment. The child released a loud cry, killing the silence within the prairie, and forcing Susu nestle her closely.

As Ying slowly fed the vitality water to his master. The old man began to breath heavily. He blinked his eyes, letting Ying know that was enough.

He coughed up another mouthful of blood, spitting it out without hesitation. His eyes drifted to the child and reached out to hold the baby. A gesture that made Susu step back, hesitantly.

“Su’er,” Xing said calmly. “Let the Master hold her,” Xing said.

“No!”

“Stop being childish, let the Master Chaoxiang hold her!”

Susu gnashed her teeth, turned around and kicked off, sailing into the air, separating herself from Ying, Xing and her master.

Ying squeezed his callused hands into a fist and cursed under his breath. He inhaled deeply, tasting the wind and smelling the greenery of the prairie. He felt as though as his day would only get harder now his martial siblings have arrived.

A gentle squeeze on his left shoulder, took him out of his thoughts. He looked left, seeing his master shaking his head, but thankfully the dark circles around his eyes had dissipated, slightly. “Xing…Ying, Come lets return to my quarters, I can feel a cold draft coming on.”

“Yes Master,” The martial siblings said unison.

Susu

Susu landed on the branch of the nearest tree, embracing the shade. She flicked her hanfu back and sat in the lotus position, watching Xing, Ying and her master pack themselves into the cart.

As she sat there, she replayed the fight over and over in her mind, realising that none of her Master’s blows had any killing aura woven within them. Which made her feel foolish.

“He never wanted to hurt her, he just...” She said aloud, but stopped herself, feeling the shame of her cutting her Master-Disciple relationship as if it were nothing.

“I’m such a fool,” She said softly.

Feng Chaoxiang was the man that found her in the forest, all alone. He fed her, whilst listening to her story of how her parents were burnt alive over a vase.

Recounting the memory always pained her. She always tried to push the memory down whenever she could, but today. It couldn’t be helped, she had to relive that memory as if it happened yesterday.

Susu parents pushed her through the window, telling her to run and never come back.

She didn’t listen, of course, she stayed on the the compound wandering, scavenging and hoping to see her parents.

Stolen story; please report.

Then, on that very fateful night, a fire brewed within the quarters she and her parents lived in.

Susu went back through the very window she leapt from, trying to find her parents, as the fire blazed.

She did find them, but the sight of their smoking eyes would haunt her to this very day, forcing her to never forget her parents faces, even after so many years.

The child flailed her arms, and began to fret. She’s hungry, Susu thought. Susu began to rock her back and forth, trying to soothe her mood.

It didn’t work.

The child cried and fretted even more than usual.

‘If you’re going to be this easy to read,’ Master Chaoxiang said, voice echoing in Susu’s mind. ‘Why did I even bother to train you?’

Is my fighting style that easy to read? Susu bitterly thought. No, Master has ascended to the Qi Perception Realm.

“Is there a fundamental difference in reading Qi once you’ve ascended from Accentuation Realm? Brother Xing mentioned that he senses it slightly, but only when the person focuses on specific spot when attacking. “I need to ascend to the Accentuation Realm” She whispered, “but would protect the child once I enter seclusion?”

Susu sat there, feeling the child tug, flail and cry. She tried her best to soothe her, but she just couldn’t get her mind off of how weak she was. “If I don’t have the strength to protect you…what master showed me may come to fruition. My strength is not enough.”

Susu was within the Divination Realm. It didn’t mean she was weak, even by the standards of the Jianghu. She was an above average martial artist, but if she wanted to protect the child, someone that would be perceived as a demon, being above average wouldn’t be enough.

Susu needed to ascend to the Accentuation Realm. Expanding her Core Dantian to new the meridian would not just increase her strength drastically, but allow for better balance, when flowing her Qi throughout her meridians.

“WHY AM I SO WEAK!?” She cried out, feeling her tears flowing from her eyes.

Susu had a reputation within Jianghu, but that was easily built because she was friends with Yan Fan and Shi Qiu.

No…Shi Qiu was never a friend, he made his intentions known to me early, yet I still consider him one after he broke my heart.

“…Or maybe I’m a fool to say such things.” She said aloud.

Susu forced her tears back, and calmed herself. She slid her feet of of the lotus position and floated back down to the ground, feeling the blades of the grass graze against her clothes.

As the strong scent of greenery made her smile, even if it was only for a moment. She took a whiff of the wind, then looked at Kaihua Library compound. “I must speak with Master.”

*

Susu made her way up the hill, walking as fast as she could without waking the baby.

Two hours had passed as she sat in the tree, contemplating how she could or would increase her strength.

It was far longer than she anticipated.

She made her to the gates of the library, and pushed her way in. As she entered, she made her way through a few gardens of the Kaihua Library, admiring the flowers when could and ignoring the gawking eyes of both men and women as she walked by, child in hand.

Susu stood outside her master’s quarters for five minutes. The words she spoke, haunted her like a lion stalking its prey and she hated it.

She hated how her emotions would take control of her. ‘You must be patient and practice to not say the first thing that came to your mind,’ She reminisced, yet, at the tender age of thirty-six.

She still acted like a child, and that infuriated her.

After practicing inhaling and exhaling for ten minutes, to calm herself. She closed her eyes on more time. Looked at the wooden door and walked towards, pushing it open.

“Ying’er, let Su’er channel some of her Qi into the Master. You’re over doing it at this rate,” Xing said.

Susu stopped, stunned by Xing’s words as she felt a hole in her stomache grow. Susu looked down at Xing, Ying and Master Chaoxiang sitting in the lotus position.

Beads of sweat bubbled across their foreheads, trickling down their faces like a waterfall.

A wave of heat slapped her in the face, making her twitch, but also feel as though her martial siblings knew she was outside.

“I’m fine,” Ying grunted, hands still pressed against Master Chaoxiang’s hands.

“You don’t have as much Qi as much. Listen to your elder brother for once. Take a break, Susu and I are more more than enough to get this done.”

“I wi—“

“Ying, take the child, Su’er…have a seat,”

“Yes Master,” Susu said softly.

Ying released his master’s hand begrudgingly and approached Su’er. The portly man, held out his hands and Susu slowly placed the child in his hand.

“If you hur—“

“I’m not a monster,” Ying snapped, flustered. “Tend to master, I’ll check to ensure the child doesn’t have any infections!”

“Thank You, Brother Ying,” Xing said with a bright smile.

Susu didn’t move though, she kept her eyes on Ying, who stared back at her, unfazed by her demeanor. His eyes then drifted down to the child and shock appeared on his face. “She really is an Axsumite.” Ying said softly.

“…And If you hurt her, I’ll kill you myself,” Susu said with a smile.

Ying harrumphed and shook his head, he turned, then left the two of them to their machinations.

Susu turned, eyeing Xing’s expression which happened to be serious for once. He didn’t say anything when Susu finally sat down and held her masters callused hands. Their harder than I can remember, Susu thought.

Susu the third paragraph of the Soft Heart Sutra and began to envisioning her Qi flowing through her meridians.

She pushed the Qi from within her body into her Master’s body, feeling his meridians absorb the Qi like a well taking in water.

Chaoxiang began panting, which made Susu to regulate her Yin-Qi, as she realised that her Yin-Qi would be too much for him.

As she maintained the little Yang-Qi she had, beads of sweat began to flow from her forehead. Each fibre of her body cried because it was like her strength was waning with each passing second.

“What are you doing?” Xing whispered. “You’re forcing too much Yang-Qi into Master. Switch back to Yin you’ll burn yourself out.” He said calmly.

“But he’s breathing easier now!.”

“Su’er, please. I don’t have as much Yin-Qi as you, thats why we were waiting for your return. The master has absorbed enough Yang-Qi already…I’m only here to keep balance whilst you transfer your Qi.”

Susu grounded her teeth in frustration, as she hated that about men. They had an abundance of Yang-Qi, which was easier to control compared to Yin-Qi. Which was probably why I’m so emotional, She pondered bitterly. “Fine.” Susu grunted. “Why aren’t you here”

“Brother Ying told me I’m too rough with my Qi transference. I’ll probably burn the master’s hands”

“Are you serious Xing?! After all these years…you haven’t improved!”

“Never had a reason to.”

“Brother Xing!”

“Enough! the both of you, can’t you stop your squabbling for two minutes?!”

“Yes Master,” They said in unison, but Master Chaoxiang was for from finished.

“The both of you have always been this way, since you were children! Please, show some decorum in front of me, at least!”

“Yes Master,” They said in unison.

As Susu channeled her Qi into Master Chaoxiang’s both, she could feel the battle within his body. It was like rain, falling in the desert. The amount Qi found within his Dantians, was as much as a puddle of water found in a dessert.

Susu sensed malicious Qi, which felt as though it was filled with Yin-Qi. She swirled her Qi, then tried to have her own Qi, nullify it.

Master Chaoxiang squeezed her hands, then flinched. The malicious Qi expanded then attacked Susu’s Yin-Qi, forcing it to dissipate. “Leave it,” Master Chaoxiang said softly, “Ying’er has been toiling away at it for an hour. Don’t waste your Qi on that…understood.

“But master I have more Yin—“

“Do you understand words, Ban Susu?” Chaoxiang snapped, cutting her off.

“I do master, but

“You will do as I say…or leave.”

“Master…were you been poisoned?” She asked.

“No, but the fore…malicious Qi you feel is my fault. I made a mistake whilst cultivating. Hence why you sense the malicious intent. Do not try to contain it. I will guide your Qi to my Soul Dantian and then refine it as my own, alright?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Good,”

Ten minutes passed and colour returned to Chaoxiang’s face. Xing and Susu’s Qi reserves were dwindling, but luckily they were soon finish.

“That’s enough.” Bo Ying said.

“But the master hasn’t improved.” Susu said.

“He has.”

Bo Ying approached, child in hand. He struck the acupoints in his neck, shoulder, waist and thigh then transitioned to the acupoints around his chest.

Susu watched as her master opened his eyes, shining like pearls in the darkness, then closed them once more falling on Ying with a grunt.

“Ying’er,” Xing said firmly. “I thought you said he was fine.”

“He is, he’s resting.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes Brother Xing, I am sure.”

Susu placed her hand on Xing’s shoulder than squeezed it. “He’s going to be fine, trust Brother Ying for now.”

“Fine.” He answered, turning to her with worry in his eyes and nodded.

“Lets head back, it’s been a long day.” Ying said.

“Too long.” Master Chaoxiang said.

Everyone tried to smile, but worry was written across all their faces. As they should be. Xing and Susu fought with Master Chaoxiang, forcing him to exhaust his reserves.

Susu and Xing may not have said anything, but they felt as though this was there fault, for being to impulsive and rash.

“Chin up,” Chaoxiang said, “I’m not dead yet.”