Lou's arm bounces off Ash's arm.

Ash lowers his arm as Lou throws another fist. Ash is dumbfounded, Lou's qi could not penetrate his trash deflection pulse like Baro's strikes did. It was so weak, it straight up bounced off him. Ash had no idea that the trash deflection pulse even had such a feature. The Trash Deflection Pulse is a basic Khal Sect self defense redirection technique where qi is released at the moment of physical trauma as a surface for the incoming impact to slide off of. It's meant to shift attacks away from you, not to make them bounce them off.

The trick to the trash deflection pulse is in targeting the spot where danger is highest, and qi deflecting from that spot. The very knowledge of identifying points of danger is enough to help a disciple survive, even without Qi. After all, it's knowledge over what to avoid in order to survive. New disciples tend to struggle at identifying where the impact force is highest, often taking so long to analyze that it's too late act. A peak practitioner, such as Sect Master Khan, is a master of identifying impact points in an instant, and responding just as fast. This difference is the natural result of a lifetime spent cleaning heaps of garbage with the utmost dedication and discipline.

Ash will never forget that day in Trash Valley, when he found a gold coin and carelessly picked it up. Sect Master told him not to touch anything without first gauging his surroundings with the utmost caution, that in Trash Valley even the slightest misstep can cause a cascade which can result in many deaths. Ash thought it was just a coin atop some garbage, he'd never seen gold before. It was stuck. When he pried it off, a whole junk mountain shook and a red truck tumbled down towards them. At the precise moment of impact, Sect Master released a pulse of qi from his defending arm, and redirected the entire machine. Had it not been for Sect Master's trash deflection pulse, Ash would have died long before achieving the Kaimen Garbage Vision needed to understand what happened.

"He's so scared he can't even move," Bou Sar said. Obvious misinformation. The other students cheer as Lou Sar unleashes a flurry of punches, panting and sweating as he dumps all his energy into an inefficient combo. Ash doesn't even bother blocking with his arms anymore, slowly stepping back as Lou continues his sweaty assault. The arms are sturdy and with the right touch of qi to act as a counterforce, the arms become just slippery enough to redirect strong impacts. However, Ash has never faced strikes so weak that they merely bounce off. Releasing qi from his body upon impact is enough to keep his thunderhoof hide sturdy enough to absorb and deflect all of Lou's strikes. It's a shame Lou is too lacking in awareness to notice the futility of his attacks.

"You're a fat pathetic loser, who can't even fight back," Lou said, striking repeatedly at Ash's face. Ash takes more steps back, and gets vice-locked from behind by Bou Sar. Ash gets struck three more times in the face. The other students laugh and cheer as Ash looks back blankly. Amongst the cheering students, only one looks to him with empathy and she hides that gaze beneath her mushroom cap. It's best she does that. These kid's are letting their inner animals act for them, they are as civilized as a shrewdness of chimpanzees. Veins emerge all over Bou Sar's face as qi pulses through his body.

"Stop ignoring us!" Bou yells as he pulls with all his might. Lou continues his flurry qi punches, panting as his clothes drench in sweat. This guy has been punching as hard and fast as he could for nearly a minute. It's genuinely impressive that he's been able to go for so long. The strain of punching that fast is comparable to doing a full sprint with the upper body. If only Lou understood qi better, he could do more damage with just one punch, and not waste so much energy in the process. Ash just needs the bare minimum to protect himself from these strikes, qi pulses so faint that the two brother's can't even pick up on the fluctuations. The people here clearly think Ash is cornered.

If Ash wasn't as sturdy as he were, Bou would have pulled his arms right out their shoulder sockets. If Lou's qi moved forward through his strikes, rather than leaking out from every other direction, then Ash would not be able to deflect his blows with such ease. If they weren't such jerks, Ash would even give them pointers on how to improve. Whether he wants to admit it or not, these two kid's are more talented than he expected, probably more so than him. If only they had a whole other lifetime's worth of knowledge to build that talent with.

Bou tosses Ash to the floor, and they begin kicking the ever loving crap out of him. The other students run in and take turns, hurling insults while throwing as many kicks as they could. At most eight people were able to strike him at a time, and whenever a person would get tired, they'd swap with someone else. With a thirty kid classroom, this onslaught continued for some time. Since none of the other kids had a firm grasp of qi, their strikes could not even pierce past the thunderhoof. They laugh and kick, but the only strikes that are even worth thinking about are still coming from the Sar brothers. Ash ponders whether to fight back or accept the beating. If he humiliates and defeats these nobles, they'd no doubt call for stronger people to deal with Ash. If only he were stronger or had some allies. It's still too early for him to hold his head high.

Noana watches on with tears in her eyes, she can't take it anymore. Ash has been suffering from the moment he's stepped into this academy. It hasn't even been a full week and he's a complete outcast. Why doesn't he fight back? He just sits there and takes all this punishment. There's no way his fat folds can absorb all this impact, his innards will be bruised and ruptured at this rate. His meridians will clog, and his cultivation will drop. It's not fair at all, what crime did he commit? All he did was stand next to her in a line. Now this. Back in the alley, those Sar brother ran away when Ash told his cannibal lie. They truly thought Ash ate his father, and they left Noana alone with that blood thirsty cannibal. Yet Ash and that strange lazy bald kid, Baro, walked her home. Ash's words still ring loudly in her mind.

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"You stand there all frozen up. What is wrong with you? Are you a leaf? An inanimate object devoid of will, letting every little breeze decide what happens next for you? You're drowning in a sea of other people's intentions, stop being such a fucking wimp and swim."

No one had ever spoken to her that way before. Even her parent's venomous tones and disappointment failed to match the raw anger Ash had shown her the other day. She thought he was mad at her for bringing all this pain to him, but instead he was mad that she couldn't stand up for herself. Baro made it clear when he explained it on their walk back.

"If we were bad people, those two would have gotten you killed all because you couldn't tell them that you don't want to go along. You need to learn to say no."

Despite their anger, they were completely right. Noana clenches her fist, her thoughts racing with frustration. She tells herself that her mother knows best, that she's just a stupid little girl who has no idea what's going on, but the truth is that she does understand what's happening. Her mother wants to marry her for status, the Sar brothers are complete jerks, and Ash is not only kind but also powerful and humble. Her fists shake and redden. Why do people treat complete strangers like this?

"Stop, please stop, he's had enough!" she cries, but the other students ignore and continue their kicks. She catches Ash's gaze for a moment, before students block and kick. She tries to pry the students away, but gets pushed out of the mob. She wipes the snot off her nose. She's not an inanimate object, and she can't take it anymore. Mister friendbear, her favorite cartoon character, always talks about treating people kindly. To feed the hungry, help the sick, and protect the weak. The way people smile and laugh with mister friendbear makes the world brighter. Even the sun smiles from ear to ear in that kind world. Her parents call it a nonsense child's fantasy, but why does it have to be that way? What's wrong with wanting things to be better?

Her head hurts.

Why do the Sar brother's insult the less privileged, instead of helping them out. Baro and Ash, despite knowing nothing about her and having every reason to dislike her, went out of their way to mimic the kindness mister friendbear shows. Ash may have been rude and angry, but he walked her back. Baro even addressed some friendbear teachings her parents told her to abandon. To be kind and follow your own heart. Those boys were so considerate too, they made sure no one would see her hanging out with losers like them. They aren't losers, and she isn't an inanimate object.

"Lou, Bou, please stop! He hasn't done anything!" Noana yells, grabbing Lou from behind. He stops his kicks and turns with a deep rage in his piercing gaze. Noana gulps as he grabs her by her shirt. Ash looks up as the other students kick at him, his eyes narrowing.

"Stay out of this," Lou said, tossing her aside. Noana rolls over the floor as other students laugh at her, and continue assaulting Ash.

"Looks like the country bumpkin found a lover!"

Ash frowns. That comment hurt more than all the kicks combined, he's an adult in a child's body afterall. He has no interest in indulging any romantic thoughts with another child. He'd rip that kid's tongue out if it probably wouldn't get him killed later down the road.

"Noana and Ash, sitting in a tree."

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

"Stop it! Please, stop!" Ash cries as he covers his ears and enters a fetal position.

Noana rises as tears fall from her eyes. Ash doesn't deserve this torment, and it's all her fault. Mister FriendBear wouldn't stand for this, she must make things right. Shakily, Noana rises to her feet, and runs back into the mob. She grabs Lou from behind.

"Please Lou, I'm begging you, he's had enough," she yells. Ash opens his eyes, one of the qi feet suddenly stopped striking. Has Lou finally exhausted himself? No.

Ash's eyes widen. This mushroom cap girl is pretty cool, she's standing up to her whole class to do what she believes is right, willing to become an outcast all for his sake. Ash remembers her name, along with the conversation Ash and Baro had with her. Those words must have finally settled in. She's clearly a kind soul, a true flower in a junkyard. Though he and Baro had a deep talk with her on their way back to the academy, Ash had little hope it'd change anything. She's surrounded by petty, powerful people. No doubt they are influencing her to adopt their modes of thought with each passing day. It's not like Ash could just go and undo it all. He'd immediately turn her into a social outcast like him by just becoming friends.

Ash silently prays her words would get through to the class. Ash really has no idea how he's supposed to escape this situation without further insulting the inflated pride of these well-connected people. He figured he'd just have to lay there until they all get tired and move on, that he'd have to fake moans of pain in order to get them to stop. If only these people would listen.

"Shut the fuck up already, you stupid fucking bitch!" Lou yells as he backhands her with Qi.

Fwoosh.

Not people, animals.

Mere centimeters from Noana's face, Lou's hand stops in it's tracks. Lou blinks rapidly as Ash tightens his grip, causing cracks and fractures deep within Lou's bones. The other students look on in a daze, they couldn't see Ash move. How could that pathetic, fat, weakling, bumpkin move like that after such a heavy beating? Ash's qi bursts and flows uncontrollably, his hair rising as veins emerge all throughout his body. Bou falls to his feet. The realization finally setting in.

"H-he's a Q-q-q-qi Expert." Bou said, eyes wide as he quakes in fear.