Thirty Days of Classes, part 17 (before battle)

This class...

After an uncharacteristic pause, Zilu continued.

... will be taught by a guest lecturer who has been invited for your tutelage.

A guest lecturer? But I wasn't informed of this.

<Where are they?>

I don't know... maybe they're lost?

A little bird told me that the venerable Hierarch will gift me a bottle of top-notch cloudy wine straight from Daguanyuan's brewer...

Phoo-ie... There any truth to that, folks?

<…!>

That guy...

Heh heh... Just stopping by to see if I can leech some liquor at this party. Hongyuan's an awfully miserly place, but you'd spare a shot of liquor for this poor, old drifter, won't you?

…….

W-well, you're clearly not just any poor, old drifter. Are you guys acquainted?

He ambushed us in our room after the first round of the Family Hierarch war was over.

He what?

... The Family Hierarch war's been over for a while, and everyone in Hongyuan knows who the winner is. How dare a mongrel like you who only knows how to mooch off other families set foot in here?

Looks like I'm going to have to give my clan a stern talking-to. How could they let slip a drunk assassin like -

Ha ha, I see that our youthful Hierarch is plenty suspicious. I have been a guest in many places, but please, I am no moocher; put your worries to rest.

I'm only a drunkard who enjoys a cool swig of liquor with scenic landscapes as my bar, the sky as my ceiling, and the dirt as my bed.

The man who had introduced himself as the Night Drifter of the Drunken Palm leaped down, landing with dexterity that betrayed the rags he wore as clothing and the terrible stench of liquor emanating from him.

Is he seriously - !

Bad news, Miss Xichun. Apparently Jia Yuanchun's bestowed upon you a new master.

... Huh? Big sister Yuanchun?

She also wanted us to deliver the message that she was sending a master because - and I quote - "I feel a deep sense of trepidation and pity for my dearest little sister, the neophyte Hierarch, who must be struggling left and right without a proper master".

Wow. I am beside myself with gratitude.

So that's the supposed teacher? This mysterious guy with a mysterious allegiance who might stab us in the back at any time?

As you said, the Family Hierarch war is over, and even mongrels of Hongyuan know who has the legitimacy here.

The incident during the contest was nothing more than business, a job to take care of in return for what compensation they gave me. I hope you don't carry that grudge in your heart.

I'm sure you didn't harm your rivals in the Family Hierarch war out of personal vendetta, did you? Sometimes business is just business.

I killed young master Baoyu, for they promised to pay off my bar tab, and I'm here to give the Hierarch a lesson, for they promised to pay off my future tabs.

There's nothing to be gained by taking your anger out on a gig worker living hand to mouth like myself, don't you think? Hah hah.

…….

I'll advise that the optics... and the consequences of rejecting a master sent to us by Jia Yuanchun herself is not going to look too good.

I know, it's only gonna make me look worse, and I'd rather not give big sister Yuanchun more ammunition to take me down.

And you there... we'll have eyes tracking your every move, so don't do anything that might rouse unnecessary suspicion.

Phooie... ain't that a threat. I can hardly taste the wine before such hostility!

Despite Saude's dead serious warning, the Night Drifter's response was only a hearty chortle.

Before I begin the lesson, I'd like to get an idea of where my to-be pupils are. Now, give me a demonstration, if you will. Swing away.

Aha, that's enough.

…….

But I didn't... I was just getting started?

Your form is flawed and your breathing is hollow. Need I see more?

Tsk tsk... flawed forms oft invite flawed hearts. In other words, your martial arts prowess is...

... amateurish.

What the heck, is this guy serious? I have never had a single master who had anything bad to say about my form.

Your arms are straight, and the legs supporting your stance are solid and sturdy; indeed, most masters would not bother themselves to find fault there.

But let me pose this question: are you, my venerable pupil, satisfied with martial arts that are made to dispatch unskilled peasants and no more?

Huh...?

There is more to this than raw strength. Now, take a swing at me instead.

... Alright, you asked for it!

Jia Xichun takes a powerful swing at the Night Drifter...

Your mind outpaces your body, your intent more transparent than a glass globe...

... and your edge is dull, for it has very little heart for feints.

... but he deftly weaves his way between her strikes, which fail to even touch the tip of his ragged cloak.

Agh...

You are far too eager to strike, focused singularly on your opponent, with force distributed unevenly across your body...

... so, you will fail to cut, and gain a little hole as comeuppance.

Then the Night Drifter pokes Jia Xichun's back with the twig.

Everyone vying for the seat of the Family Hierarch has to go through it eventually.

The first kill.

Some say the earlier, the better.

Mine was when I was thirteen. Not too early, not too late. Just right.

It's already been a few years since my foolish brother's locked himself in his chamber.

Last I heard, he was bedridden for a week after ingesting some poison someone had sent to 'prank' him.

... I'm not going to live like that dumbass.

Try to relax your body, won't you?

You have a weapon, yes - but one mustn't singularly focus on the opponent.

Do try to reflect upon yourself, and... relax. Let the unnecessary strength go, let it flow out of your body.

Tensing up as you do will naturally shrink your mind and narrow your vision.

… Hey, Wei. Should I send big bro a silver spoon or something?

It wasn't that bad this time, but what if they give him a way worse poison next time?

You know young master Baoyu won't accept your gift, my lady. I doubt he's even seeking the culprit now.

So stupid.

Zero interest in anything practical, zero ambition...

What a silly, pathetic attitude to have, just how -

But, my lady…

It wasn't practicality that guided you when...

… you chose to save my life over maintaining your control over the Wu branch.

Some seek the state of Anattā, the non-self, but what they seek is the path of Asura, reserved for the likes of blade fiends.

You must learn to let go of everything… except for the self.

What kind of life is it to live without stepping over others?

Let it all go. The gazes, the pressures, all of it - instead, face yourself, and only yourself...

... and feel how light it all becomes.

After some thought, Xichun's form visibly relaxes.

It wasn't just her form that relaxed;

her pursed lips seemed to have found peace as well.

Heh heh... she's got it. Well, then what should we do about you, my overconfident, proud pupil? Will you maintain your grave and cocky silence?

... I-I wasn't being cocky...

If my memories haven't failed me yet, you were... one of young master Jia Baoyu's underlings, correct?

Underling... yeah, however you want to call it, I guess...

Sinclair replied with a resigned sigh.

Just why do you think it was that you, specifically you, among his twelve underlings, were chosen to take this class alongside the young Hierarch?

Sinclair momentarily flashed a flustered expression, taken off-guard by the stranger's sudden, pointed question, but he soon regained his composure and replied.

W-well, who else besides me would ever go along with these lesson plans? Don Quixote's going to ditch the classes out of boredom, same goes for Rodya, and... Outis'll try to take over the classes... not to mention what it'd be like to have Heathcliff here, and...

Hah hah, such a loquacious list of excuses! Struck a nerve, did I?

How come you know so little about yourself, even less than what I have already learned about you?

... What are you talking about?

A bird that has failed to break its shell in time will rot within its confines.

I still don't... understand what you're talking about...

Even as he said so, Sinclair's expression seemed more like anxiety than confusion to me.

Prepare yourself to flit away before the rain. You won't get another chance should you miss the opportunity.

…….

Then the Night Drifter giggled flippantly, the suddenly serious attitude nowhere to be seen.

Heh heh... been a while since I let myself babble on for this long. I suppose I can credit my foolish pupils for that.

Prepare to swing away.