As the days passed, Yi’s mind grew ever more restless. The entire purpose of the first day of their journey had been to put as much distance as possible between them and the Wind Flower Sect, yet here they were, staying still. A full week had passed, and despite her repeated protests, they remained holed up in the same place.
For Yi, this wasn’t just frustrating, it was maddening. Her days were spent in tedious stillness, with nothing else but circulating her ki to both refine her energy use and increase its reserves and aid in healing her broken thumb.
The process, while necessary, left her feeling cooped up and powerless. She had done ki circulation many times before, but never for this long with nothing else to distract her. Was this how people felt in isolation training?
Her only reprieve came in brief intervals when Ahmad appeared to deliver her meals. He’d waltz in casually, but never without knocking, drop off her food, and leave just as quickly after exchanging a couple of words. His nonchalance was a notable contrast to her growing sense of urgency. She tried to argue with him, pointing out how staying in one place for so long was far riskier than moving on. “At least let us head to the next town,” she’d insist.
But Ahmad was immovable. “It’s fine,” he’d say with an infuriatingly relaxed voice. “They’re looking for you, sure, but no one’s going to check every room of every inn in the entire city.”
That logic might have been sound to him, but to Yi, it was a flimsy excuse to stay idle. Every moment spent here felt like a gamble, and the tension of being discovered weighed heavily on her mind.
Yet no amount of reasoning or protest could sway Ahmad from his infuriatingly calm approach.
Her time wasn’t wasted, however. Even if she wasn’t progressing physically with her technique, most of her focus was dedicated to creating her own martial art, just as Ahmad had encouraged her to do, on top of improving her ki control and reserves.
Yet even in her imagination, unbound as it was by the constraints of reality, it still felt inferior to anything she had been taught in the Wind Flower Sect. Yet, that didn’t distract or frustrate her. Of course, her great grandfather’s techniques were superior, he was the one who had founded the sect after all.
She could only recall one thing about him, not his face, not his build. The only thing etched in her memory was the sheer feeling of supremacy he had exuded. To her, there was no shame in being outmatched by someone like him. But she was young and eager to change that.
The first thing she planned to do after leaving was show her idea to Ahmad and hear his opinion on it. As much as Yi disliked his casual attitude towards… everything, she was sure that at least when it came to pointing out her mistakes, he was going to find them, and make fun of her along the way. He had made it clear he wouldn’t teach her any techniques, though he’d already bent that rule, but from what she had experienced so far giving pointers was fair game.
On the fifteenth day of her stay, Yi''s frustrations had finally reached their peak, so she decided to confront him the next time he came. Yet when Ahmad had come a couple of hours later to drop off her meal as usual, his appearance caught her attention.
His clothes were wet, yet he didn’t leave a trail of water wherever he walked, suggesting he had been wet for a while, despite the sunny weather and no sign of rain clouds. Unable to hold back her curiosity, she broke the silence that had defined most of their interactions lately.
"Why are you wet?”
"I took a dip in the river to clean myself," Ahmad replied matter of factly while droplets of water were still clinging to his clothes.
"But why in your clothes?" Yi asked, her brows furrowing at the sight of his robes clinging to his frame.
"I''m too afraid that someone will attack, and I''ll have to fight them naked," he said as if the answer were the most obvious thing in the world. Then, his tone shifted, becoming more serious yet still casual. "Take this as a word of caution, especially as a woman, never bathe unless you''re absolutely certain of your safety. It’s too risky otherwise."
His words hung in the air for a moment before shrugging off the absurdity of the situation. "Besides, it saves time. I don’t have to wash my clothes separately this way."
Yi couldn’t tell if she was more baffled by his practicality or his complete lack of shame.
“But fine, if you’re going to make it such an issue, I’ll go dry myself.” He said before jumping out the window. Yi was not surprised, that was how he had left every day since she first entered this room. She did wonder about how he landed without making a noise considering she was on the third floor, but after the third time it stopped bothering her.
Yi got up from the lotus position and took six steps to her left, intending to sit down on a nearby wooden chair. But before she could even reach it, Ahmed returned with his clothes completely dry. “Happy?” He asked.
Yi stopped, and her eyes widened in disbelief as Ahmad reappeared in front of her, his clothes looked as if they’d never been soaked to begin with. Her mouth opened, but she didn''t say anything, her mind struggling to process the absurdity of it all.
"You..." she finally began speaking, "How did you… "
Ahmad simply gave her a small, almost playful shrug. "I ran really fast. And then came back."
Yi’s jaw tightened as she tried to contain the mixture of confusion, annoyance, and reluctant admiration that bubbled up inside her. It was ridiculous, and yet… she could deny just hoe impressive it was. She had half a mind to argue further, but in the end, she just shook her head, exhaling sharply.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
"You really are something else," she muttered, more to herself than to him. She looked at him once more, wondering just how much of his bizarre behavior was simply part of his strange, stubborn way of life, and how much was deliberate in order to annoy her.
Ahmad just grinned, clearly pleased with her reaction. "I''d stop staring if I were you. I''m way out of your league. Unfortunately for you, I prefer women my age, don''t have to worry about meeting their parents."
Yi rolled her eyes, finally sitting down. "Don''t flatter yourself” she muttered under her breath, though the smallest hint of a smile tugged at her lips. It was frustrating, but also, in its own weird way, oddly comforting.
“Anyway, your thumb should be, if not healed, then at least usable. So, I’m giving you a choice, we can stay here, and you’ll continue training until you completely recover, or we can keep going. And if we get there before you’re healed, we’ll stop somewhere along the way. I’ve got time, so it’s your decision.”
She sighed. “You really weren’t joking. Why? Why take me to the Tang? Do you honestly believe I stand a chance of winning?”
“I don’t care if you have a chance. You’ll fight them to gain experience, the result doesn’t matter. Well, if i’m being completely honest, there’s no guarantee they’ll even accept, they might be too proud to fight anyone, especially a woman with their patriarchal ways and what not. But even if they don’t fight you, the trip will be worth it. You’ll observe their techniques, and that alone will help you when fighting an assassin later down the line.”
“What do you mean they might not fight me?” she asked with a curious frown.
“Because I did the same thing when I was younger,” he said simply. “I went to every sect, and won every duel. Now that I have a reason to travel I’ll visit all of them, and we’ll have a rematch, if they’re still alive that is.”
She hesitated, her brow furrowing as she considered his words. “Tell me honestly,” she said with a low voice, as if reluctant to speak. “If I do end up fighting a Tang disciple on my level, what are my chances?”
Ahmad shrugged, the faintest trace of a grin tugging at his lips. “That’s the spirit. Depends on who you get,” he said with a casual voice while picking something from in between his teeth with his index finger. “A direct descendant of the main family? You lose. No question.” He paused and met her gaze directly. “The only ones you might stand a chance against are the average disciples, those who train exclusively in poison or hidden weapons. Only the most talented bother mastering both, and even then very few reach the peak this way.”
Lian Yi felt her stomach tighten at the thought. “So, it’s basically a gamble.”
“Exactly,” Ahmad said with a chuckle before leaning his back against the window. “But what sort of fight isn’t a gamble? The most talented often die before they even get a chance to draw their sword, while the cowards who abandon their comrades at the first sign of trouble, will live long enough to die peacefully in their beds surrounded by family.”
“So,” He looked back at her. “What will it be?”
Yi stared at Ahmad for a good minute while thinking about what would be the best action. Part of her wanted to push for movement, but deep down, she knew that he wasn’t wrong about needing the recovery time. With a reluctant sigh, she crossed her arms and asked, “Are we really safe here?”
Ahmad tilted his head and stopped his finger which was currently going towards his nose probably with the intention to pick it. “Ye you''re fine, nobody is going to find you. Why do you think I''m the one bringing you your meals and not the inn workers?”
The confidence in his voice was both reassuring and maddening. After a pause, Yi exhaled sharply and dropped her gaze.
“Fine,” she answered with determination in her voice. “We’ll stay until I''m fully healed, but afterward we depart no matter what!.”
Ahmad grinned. “Alright, just call me when you’re ready.”
She shot him a quick look before getting off the chair and walking back to the center of the room before easing herself back into the lotus position.
She closed her eyes and began circulating her ki, letting it flow through her meridians slowly but smoothly.
By now the process felt like second nature, she might not be the best at it, but 10 days of doing one thing and nothing else will make anyone confident in their ability. She focused on her breathing and the gentle warmth of energy through her body.
As Ahmad left the room, through the window of course, Yi let herself settle into the rhythm of the practice.
—
By the time Yi decided she was ready to depart, an additional week had already passed, bringing the amount of time away from the Wind Flower Sect to a total of twenty three days.
And considering it would take another couple days to reach the Tang clan, it was safe to assume a month was the fastest they would reach their destination.
That morning she woke early, took a bath, and washed all of her clothes. She waited for Ahmad to arrive with the last meal she would eat at this inn while circulating her ki for, hopefully, the last time in a while.
Despite the extended stay not being the most pleasant experience, Yi had grown oddly fond of the place. The room was small, perhaps even suffocating, but it was clean, and the bed was the very definition of comfortable.
She wouldn’t exactly miss it, but even so, she promised herself she’d spend another night here once this journey was over and she was on her way home.
After only an hour of meditation, a knocking sound followed by a soft creak of the door announced Ahmad’s arrival. A faint aroma of something rich and savory reached Yi’s nostrils before she even had the chance to open her eyes to turn and look.
She glanced up from her meditative position, her curiosity piqued, and saw Ahmad strolling in with his usual nonchalance while holding a wooden tray in his left hand.
Balanced on the tray was a steaming bowl of pork rib soup. It''s clear broth shimmered faintly as the morning light hit it.
Tender chunks of pork ribs stuck out of the soup, their meat clinging to the bone while glistening with moisture. Thinly sliced green onions floated atop the surface, their bright color a vivid contrast to the shiny yet pale broth.
Beneath the ribs, Yi could make out slivers of daikon and carrots that were softened to perfection, with their edges slightly translucent from soaking in the broth’s essence.
The comforting scent filled the room as Ahmad set the tray down on the table with a soft thud. He didn’t bother announcing what it was, Yi’s face made it clear she already understood. Despite not being that hungry, Ahmad’s dislike of breakfasts which he forced on her steeled her in that regard, Yi looked as if she hadn''t eaten in weeks.
Yi didn’t so much as glance in his direction as she shot to her feet, almost tripping while running toward the table. Her movements were swift, almost frantic, as if the aroma of the meal had suddenly snapped her from a trance. Without bothering to sit down on the chair, she reached out towards the bowl and grabbed one of the ribs before tearing into it without care for any form of etiquette. She devoured the tender meat until the bone was stripped clean.
This time though, she didn’t hate it. The bitter feeling she had felt before was gone, replaced by something almost ethereal. The flavor wasn’t just good, it was heavenly. The thought of returning here, if only for another serving of this soup, etched itself into her mind. It wasn’t just a passing whim, but a promise, one she intended to keep.
‘Nobody can resist pork rib soup.’ Ahmad thought while looking at Yi with amusement, a massive smirk on his face.