Chapter 105: Advice

There was a knock on his office door. Lu Daomeng shouted for the person to enter and grumbled when Zen walked in.

“Zen, I hope you’re here because you’ve mastered the Swirling Swath.”

“Well Shifu,” Zen rubbed the back of his head while smiling sheepishly. “I have kind of hit a road block.”

“So that’s a no. Get out.”

“Wait, Shifu, please advice me. Look!” Zen closed his eyes and a a swath of ki spiralled around him, a few moments lateranother one, then anther, with each the tiem interval between dereasing until it got to its fastsest, which was a swath or two every few moments.

“It’s a definite improvement from thelast time I saw you,” Lu Daomeng said, “but foryou to be considered to have mastered it, the swaths have to be constant.”

“I’ve tried that but this is the best I can do.” Zen said. “I was hoping you could give me some advice.”

“Well, this technique is a test and a training method.” Lu Daomeng explained. “It is considered a low grade technique because it is not very powerful and difficult to do, however, it is a good way to ascertain a cultivator’s level of ki control.”

“Sadly yes,” Lu Daomeng said. “But the ki technique has another, less obvious effect, it assists in improving ones ki control.”

“So my ki control has gotten better?” Zen asked sceptically.

“Yes. Although a cultivator can learn a ki technique and eventually master it with practice, it does not mean that that cultivator’s ki control has improved overally. But there are some techniques that assist in improving ones overall ki technique. Practice makes perfect and to perform ki sword arts or most other ki weapon arts.”

“But I’ve practiced and I’m not getting any better.” Zen said. “Is there another way to improve my ki control.”

Lu Daomeng took a moment. “Have you noticed the colour of your ki?”

“Yeah,” Zen looked at the floor in embarassement, “Its murky white.”

“And do you know why its that colour?”

Zen sighed, “Impurities.”

“Yes. There are generally five shades for ki. Grey ki, which has been refined very poorly and is filled with impurities. Murky White ki, which although is much purer, still has enough impurities that they are visible. There is White Ki, which has so little impurities that the are not visible. Then the last two, which is of the purest, Pearly White Ki and Lusterous Pearly White Ki, which have very little or no impurities.”

“Wow, Shifu must have Lusterous Pearly White Ki.” Zen’s eyes shone in admiration.

“Hmpf, I wish. My I is Pearly White at most. There’s only one person who I’ve met with Lusterous Pearly White Ki, which is our resident meditation master.” Lu Daomeng said. “But I digress, if you wish to improve your ki control, then you must purify your ki. Impurities distabalizes and weighs ki down, making it difficult to control and shape.”

“So I need to purify my ki from Murky White to Lusterous Pearly White Ki.”

“I doubt that’s possible. What level are you at now?”

“I’m at Intermediary Level, at the peak of Rank 4.” Zen said. He knew any day now, he would break into the next rank.

“At this point, it would be impossible for you to purify your ki into either the Pearly White or Lusterous Pearly White Ki. The best you can hope for is White Ki. To do this, you’ll need purifying herbs and pills and you will need to improve your method of cultivation also.”

“What if I can’t do it? What if I can’t purify it toto White?”

“Then do the best you can.” Lu Daomeng said. “If you can improve both your ki control and ki purity enough, then I’m sure you will master Swirling Swath.”

Zen nodded with determination.

“Now if that all…”

“One more thing, Shifu.”

Daomeng sighed in exhaustion.

“Does Shifu remember when we were hunting the wild beast that had gotten onto campus?”

“How can I forget,” Lu Daomeng said, massaging his temple as if the memory was bringing on a headache. “That was the night you snuck in he bathhouse to peek at the girls.”

“That was an accident!” Zen hyperventilated. He sighed to calm himself down. “Anyways, is it possible that the beast we were hunting was a snake?”

Lu Daomeng rubbed his chin in thought. “I guess that would make sense. Most students reported seeing a long scaly tail. Many believed that it was some kind of reptilian beast but it is possible that a snake’s body was confused for a tail.”

“Well, that night, I told you I was attacked and saved by Sir Drools-a-lot.” Zen recounted. “Back then, I did not recognise the beast but recently, I came across another beast… a beast, now that I think about it, looked similar to the beast that attacked me.”

“Well that’s good. So this beast is a wild one?”

“Yes… well, it used to be. By now it probably is under a contract.”

“Good, tell me who the beast is under and I will investigate further.”

“It is under Chen Jian.”

“Oh, well in that case, I’ll forget about it.”

“What?”

“Think about it, he is the City Lord’s daughter’s friend, the most talented student of your generation and most still, you are the one who is accusing him and everyone knows you don’t like him.” Lu Daomeng said. “Any investigation I launch with your word would be quickly shot down.”

Zen clenched his fist. He felt as if Chen was untouchable. He may be untouchable but one day, I will get him.

Zen waited outside of a commune. He watched as Shibi frolicked around in the grass, occasionally lighting up in fire, making Zen’s smile wide. Girls would come out of the commune and giggle as they passed him by, leaving the boy feeling shy.

“Crooked Nose?” a familiar female voice spat. “What are you doing here?”

Zen looked at the girl. “Geyi Kun, I was actually waiting for you.” Zen said as he got up.

“Save your confessions of love, Wang Zen.” She held up a hand. “I’m flattered but you are far from my type.”

“Yeah, cause your type is a half-rotten corpse.” Zen retorted.

“Which is something I suspect you will be very soon, considering how many girls are here and how difficult it is for you to control your urges.”

“What urges?”

“Oh you know, you may decide to peek in on an innocent girl trying to bath…”

“That was a misunderstanding!” Zen said. He sighed, “Anyways, I came here to ask for your help.”

“Oh!”

A few girls passed by, pointing and laughing at the couple as they exited the commune. Zen and Geyi could hear them clearly. They were saying the only man Geyi Kun could get was a pervert like Wang Zen. Zen clenched his fist.

“Why wold you let them speak about you like that?” Zen said.

“You’re one to talk, Wang Zen. I didn’t ear you say anything.” Geyi Kun said. “And besides, by now even you must know that words have a limit to how much they can hurt. Soon, the insults just roll off. Come, let’s speak in my place where we can do it in private.”

Inside the commune space was a small training field, ringed by five small cottages and one kitchen. Zen and Shibi followed Geyi Kun to her cottage. They entered the place, with Zen feeling a little reluctant.

“What’s wrong?” Geyi Kun said, seeing his reluctance.

“Uhm… I don’t know.” Zen said, taking his shoes off before walking deeper into the house. “Never been in a girl’s house before.”

“It’s like a boy’s house,” Geyi Kun said, “only with a better person living in it.” She turned back at him. “Why have you taken your shoes off?”

“I’m being polite. That’s what we do.”

Geyi shook her head, “People from here have strange customs. Where I’m from, the only reason to take your shoes off, is if you want to lose your toes to the cold.”

Geyi Kun sat down and Zen did the same, facing her. Shibi hopped up Geyi Kun, sitting n her lap.

Geyi cooed as she rubbed Shibi’s head. “You’ve grown quite big Shibi… ad I’m also seninsg stronger too. Whatever your secret is, you should tell Zen’er.” She smiled and looked at Zen. “So what ddo you want.”

“I need to purify my ki and since I don’t have enough money for a Purifying pill, I thought you could give me a cheap alternative, considering you are the closest thing to a herbalist I know.”

“Oh! So you want a cheap way to purify your ki.” She said mockingly. “That’s only what every cultivator wants! And you somehow thnk that I, a pedastrain herbalist, to give you an alternative?”

“Yes,” Zen nodded.

Geyi moaned and slapped her forehead with her pallm. “‘Yes’? ‘Yes?’ You seem to be more of a monkey than Shibi.”

At this Shibi moved off her lap.

“You must know something.”

Geyi sighed and shook her head. “Well, I might.” She got up and fetche a book. “I’ve been seeing these weeds, called Criss Grass, in the academy forest. I’m not sue why they keep growing but I see a lot of them the deeper I go. They have minor ki purifying capabilities. We can cook it into a soup to increase this effect a bit bt I must warn you, these herbs taste horrible.”

“Any bit helps.” Zen said.

“Good, then you’ll collect it on my next forage.”

“‘Our?’ I thought you’d just show me the plant and…”

“Huh, I’m not helping you for free. I may look like a saint but I’m not. I can’t usually go too deep in the forest alone but this time, you’re going to coe with me and protect me from the wild beasts and help me collect some herbs that I want.”

“Okay, that sounds good.” Zen got onto his feet. “Then I’ll see you tonight.”

“To-Tonight? Not even tomorrow night?”

“Best start as soon as we can.” Zen said, putting on his shoes. “I need to get y ki as pure as I can as quickly as I can. So I’ll see tonight.”

Geyi Kun smiled, impressed with Zen as the boy walked out of her cottage.