Jake opened his eyes. He felt refreshed as if he had just had a good nights sleep. He had felt like this before this morning, as if he was invincible. He took a deep sniff and smelt a very bad odor. He looked at himself and took off his robe. His upper body and arms were again covered with a sludge like material that smelled bad. Now his legs and feet were covered as well.

This morning after the sludge, my arms could throw with more power, can my legs do the same now, he wondered.

He stood and grabbed some grass from the edge of the pond. He walked into the water and rubbed himself all over with this grass, then reached down and grabbed the sand from the bottom of the pond. He scrubbed his body with it and the sludge was all washed away. Now this is better, he thought. He walked out of the water and sat on the grass to dry off. He shook his head to let some water fly off.

He pushed the qi out of his dantian again. As he did so, it traveled along the different paths, mainly through his heart, lungs, head and arms but also now down through his body and into his legs and feet. The qi now traveled around most of his body and seemed to be looping back to his dantian again.

He looked closer at his dantian and it seemed like the qi was getting brighter when it came back into his dantian after making a circuit. In addition, he felt stronger in his legs now then he did this morning.

I wonder if I get make a stronger kick now, he thought. He stood up and still looking inside and threw a right kick. As he did so, qi flowed along the pathway to his right leg and then the foot. When he finished the kick, a sound like a loud bang was created and the air in front of his foot was distorted. The qi caused the kick to be stronger as well.

Jake thought about it for a second and decided to try the first kata he had learned to see how it was affected by the use of qi in his body.

He stood and got into the ready stance. He turned left 90 degrees into a left front stance and made a left low downward block. He then stepped forward into right front stance and made a right middle lunge punch. After this, he turned right 180 degrees into the right front stance made a right low downward block, then a right arm circles turning into a downward hammer fist. He then stepped forward into the left front stance and made a left middle lunge punch. Jake then turned left 90 degrees into the left front stance, and made a left low downward block.

He then stepped forward into the right front stance and made a right rising block. This was followed by a step forward into left front stance and a left rising block. He then stepped forward into a right front stance and made a right rising block, and yelled Kiai.

If anyone were watching Jake, they would see the air was distorted around him as he threw the blocks and punches. Even the yell caused the air to be distorted in front of his mouth.

Jake was now in the zone and he continued the first kata. Every step, block and punch was effortless and perfect. As he continued, he became faster and faster as well.

He turned left 270 degrees into a left front stance and made a left low downward block, flowed by him stepping forward into a right front stance and making a right middle lunge punch. This was followed by a right turn of 180 degrees into a right front stance and then a right low downward block. He then took a step forward into a left front stance and made a left middle lunge punch, turned left 90 degrees into a left front stance and making a left low downward block. He then stepped forward into a right forward stance and made a right middle lunge, followed by him stepping forward into the left front stance followed by a left middle lunge punch.

He then stepped forward into a right forward stance and made a right middle lunge punch, yelling Kiai again. He then turned left 270 degrees into a left back stance and made a left middle knife hand-guarding block. He then turned right 45 degrees into a right back stance and made a right middle knife hand-guarding block. He then turned right 135 degrees into a right back stance and made a right middle knife hand-guarding block.

He then turned left 45 degrees into a left back stance and made a left middle knife hand-guarding block and finally he brought his left foot back to right foot and returned to the ready stance.

He continued the kata picking up speed and power with every cycle. The air became more distorted around him and dust began to fly around him. After about five minutes, he finally stopped back in the ready pose again. He made a slight bow and sat down on the grass again.

Sweat was rolling off him but he felt exhilarated. His body had never felt so alive. He decided to get clean again. He stood and grabbed some grass from the edge of the pond. He walked into the water and rubbed himself all over with this grass, then reached down and grabbed the sand from the bottom of the pond. He scrubbed his body with it and the sludge was all washed away. Now this is better, he thought.

He walked out of the water and he grabbed a new robe out of the ring and pulled it on. These new robes are nice, hr thought. He pulled a tie out of the ring and pulled his hair back as well. He thought he looked rather good.

Ling Lin said she was going back to the villa, and grandfather said I could stay there as well. He walked over to his hovel and walked inside. There was very little he wanted here. He just grabbed the old chest and left everything else behind. Then without a backward glance, he walked out towards his new home.