Jin lowered his wooden sword, purposefully letting his guard down as he dodged the incoming lunge from Yuri. In her eagerness to land a strike on him, she had sacrificed sure footing and exposed her backside, which left her vulnerable to a quick sword tap from Jin. He sent her sprawling face first into the soft cotton mat.

Grunting in frustration, Yuri quickly brushed the lingering cotton threads off her black training tunic. Again, she fell into an attack stance, readying herself for the next bout.

It impressed Jin to see her determination. In the High Realms, he had met his fair share of young talented scions who couldn’t handle a little tough love. Were the heavens fair? Some of these same young men and women grew up and inherited powerful positions because of their bloodlines and pedigree, not because of their own merits. Nepotism and corruption ran deep in the high places of power, including Heaven’s Court.

“We’ve been at this for half a day, and I still can’t hit you even once,” she pouted half-jokingly. “This is so not fair.”

Jin grinned and shifted back into a battle stance as well. “You need to be patient. It takes time to master the fundamentals of the sword.”

“I thought you used the blade?” Yuri countered. Her question served as a distraction as she moved in to attack Jin’s weak side. Having learned her lesson, she avoided overreaching this time.

“Good. You’re not making the same mistakes twice,” Jin complimented, deftly parrying her aggression. Her ability to learn, immediately adapt, and identify the nuances of swordplay frightened him.

“Not good enough apparently,” she panted, resting her hands on her knees.

“Just don’t get your hopes up. While I do prefer the one-sided long blade, I’m equally proficient in the two-sided sword.”

Yuri stuck out her tongue in jest; Jin simply shrugged. He could count on one hand the number of cultivators who could go toe-to-toe with him with the sword or the blade; none could match him on both though. He was a one-of-kind blademaster, once given the honored title of ‘The Devil Blade’ by the Heavenly Emperor himself.

After a couple of more exchanges, Yuri lifted a hand and exclaimed, “I’m famished!”

“Then let’s stop for today. Everyday before dawn, I want you to continue practicing your strokes and to go through the basic forms and stances of the . It’ll be up to you to make sure you stay disciplined and motivated. A cultivator’s journey is her own. If you allow laziness to creep into your training, don’t be surprised to find yourself on the wrong end of someone’s blade one day.”

“Yes, master,” Yuri replied, collecting both their wooden swords and returning them to the dojo’s armory. They had reserved one of the dojo’s training rooms for a couple hours and only half an incense stick’s worth of time remained. Jin instructed her to wash up and prepare for their outdoor excursion. After last night’s meeting with the alchemist, Jin decided that Yuri needed more practical experience. He planned for them to visit one of the many caravan escort bureaus in the city to look for a job.

They exited the dojo in the middle of the afternoon when the sun was slightly less oppressive. Yuri’s excitement never abated; she thoroughly enjoyed taking in the city sights and observing all the different kinds of people go about their business. It fascinated her how diverse and unique everyone’s lives were - bakers, fishermen, mercenaries, store keepers, guards, cultivators. Each had their place in a functioning society.

“Say master, do I need to meditate at some point? I thought we have to practice breathing techniques in order to increase the absorption of external qi for our cores?” she asked offhandedly as a pair of pink fluffy hounds sniffed her hands and made her giggle.

“I see you’ve been paying attention to my lectures,” Jin replied. He stopped at a nearby stall to purchase two caramel apple sticks. After passing one to Yuri, he continued, “That usually applies to cultivators with common physiques, that is, bronze, silver, and gold physiques. However, those blessed by the heavens with superior physiques are able to passively absorb world qi. In cases like yours, meditation techniques are no longer useful and can even become a hindrance. What you need to focus on is compressing your core, proper qi circulation, and stabilizing your foundation.”

“Oh.”

Yuri looked rather thoughtful, like she wanted to say something more but didn’t know how to phrase it.

“Is there another question on your mind?” Jin perceived.

“I...nothing,” she murmured.

“Don’t be afraid to speak your thoughts. A friend of mind once said there are no dumb questions, only dumb cultivators too afraid to ask,” he encouraged her.

After taking some time to form her thoughts, Yuri finally spoke. “Sometimes I wonder how much happier everyone would be if we’re all born equal - you know, if we’re all just born as commoners. Cultivators bring so much needless pain and suffering. Why do the heavens play favorites? Most of them are born into a life of bondage under the rule of the select few. Who gets to decide that?”

Yuri felt that the source of all the tragedy in her life could be blamed on cultivators. They were a greedy and ambitious lot, always wanting more, never satiating their lust for power, glory, and wealth.

Her question caused Jin to stop and look at her. He cast a contemplative gaze.

“Be honest then. Do you really think the commoners would be any different if they were in our shoes?”

Yuri’s lack of a response demonstrated what they both knew in their hearts. No, it wasn’t just cultivators. It was the nature of men and their neverending drive for dominance - to wrestle control from what the fates decreed. Could anyone fault them? And if so, should they?