Временные трудности / Temporary hardships: Глава 11

Chapter 11, in which the hero learns the dangers of nature and finds a like-minded friend

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 09:12

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Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 08:52

As he headed to his new workplace, Feng ran as fast as he could, jumping up and down as he ran. As it turned out, his training had the side effect of making his body use more energy, so he was more hungry. And since he was able to do the tasks very quickly because of his agility, his parents would immediately think of a new, no less difficult activity. Of course, there were some good things, too - Feng had become faster and more sturdy, and he had long ago noticed that the distances he used to walk when he was lying on the ground in a sack were now easy. Without proper nutrition, he didn't become much stronger, but his stamina had increased many times over.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 09:13

The unexpected and very pleasant side of it was that the peasants forgot all about the unfortunate incident with the shit, and the "son of the general" was remembered less and less often. Now he had a new nickname, "Fast Feng," sometimes "Fool Feng" - but the second nickname was not only pronounced without malice, but it had not really stuck on.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 09:15

Feng had many reasons to think he was a fool. As his stamina grew, he tried again and again to gather qi, doing it the only way he knew how - through a deafening scream. Each time, he drew a demonic image of his master in his head and shouted at him, tearing his throat out right into his imaginary face:

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 09:16

"I will become YOU!"

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 09:16

As much as he hated the master, as much as he despised and wanted nothing to do with him, the main and most important goal, Feng's inner demon devouring from within was to refute his words. It was necessary to prove not to anyone but to himself that the master was a fool, unable to appreciate the gem that was Han and using the real treasure to prop up the door with it. Well then, of course, Feng would become much stronger than the master to meet him face to face, to fight an epic battle that would later not only create the crystal but also begin to be legendary. And Mei, if she's still alive, will see it, suffer and regret her mistake, and lament that she chose the master over Han. But it will be too late!

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 09:44

The phrase that Feng had invented to concentrate his hatred was not only very successful but also did not arouse any suspicion among the peasants, for it contained nothing about aristocrats and generals, nor palaces and masters. Of course, someone who shouted such a thing would be considered a fool but a harmless fool, not some sower of dangerous confusion. Actually, the phrase was only part of a quote, a new wisdom invented by Han-Feng and worthy of being written in the best scroll: /"I will become like you, I will become you, I will become better than you. Except for shouts, it required something short, something that could be shouted in a single exhalation.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 09:46

As his stamina gradually increased, Feng carved out time to start raiding the forest, where he struggled to find additional food, from grubs and worms to eggs from birds' nests. There was no time for anything more serious, so it was necessary to prove his usefulness as a provider, which was many times higher than the benefit of another laborer. Of course, if the tax collector got wind of this, it would be a tight squeeze. But one of the advantages of the small village was that, despite internal squabbles and petty squabbles, they had each other's backs when it came to outsiders, who were also considered to be all officials.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 09:49

So he ran and screamed, scaring away birds and small animals, until the fall. And then, during another fierce shout, he felt that warm throbbing sensation that reminded him so much of wet pants. However, his pants were wet at that moment because he was standing in the middle of the river, solving several important tasks at the same time. He was practicing his balance on the slippery wet rocks in a dabu stance, trying to catch fish with a homemade spear and occasionally shouting furiously. Despite his fears, the cries of anger and despair did not frighten the fish, so the training did not interfere with fishing.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 09:51

This time, he caught fish without hiding from anyone. Of course, the usual work was not canceled, but as soon as he brought the first big fish from the river, as soon as Zanzen baked it and added the giblets to the usual empty rice soup, his parents immediately recognized that there was something useful in Feng's foolish activities. It meant that he didn't need to be chased off the river. Feng did not disappoint and brought a few more fish, even though he was primarily concerned with feeding his own body.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 11:44

Even without awakening qi, Feng had a steady hand and a steady eye, something no one else in the village could boast of. Apparently, in addition to his innate talent, his past life skills, such as his diligent calligraphy studies and his many battles with his rogue master, had taught him not only how to dodge blows but also how to accurately strike the elusive target. And now that he had finally felt his first faint trickle of inner energy.....

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 11:46

Feng took aside the spear. It was a long stick carved with a sharp stone, split and burnt for strength, and Feng made backward serrations on its points to keep the fish carcass from slipping back into the water. He plunged inside himself, gathering almost insensible streams of qi into a small ball. At first, he tried to channel them in the usual way - into his lower dantian, but a sudden thought almost made him lose concentration. Strength and stamina were certainly important. They were necessary for the main plan. But what was needed most right now was the mind and memory that would allow access to the priceless knowledge hidden in the head!

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 11:47

So Feng quickly, to prevent doubts and hesitation from changing his mind, directed the qi to his head. The energy flowed through the meridians reluctantly, as if resisting, begging him to change his mind, to let it go, to let it return to its usual place. But Feng remained adamant. He had to clench his teeth in pain, but after endless endeavors and heroic efforts, he still managed. Overcoming the resistance as if breaking through an invisible wall, the qi gathered in the center of his forehead and finally settled, swirling in a slow whirl.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 11:57

"Over there!" squealed one of the children, so partial to any kind of spectacle, even if it was just the village fool, let alone such an exciting process as fishing.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 11:57

"Feng, look, it's coming!"

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 11:58

Feng was not distracted by the most important thing in his life. He separated a small, thin stream of energy from the fluid vortex in his head and directed it to his eyes, which were firmly closed. When he felt the familiar cutting and burning pain, he opened his eyelids.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 11:59

The world bloomed, turned into a myriad of colors and shades, where everything seemed to move at its usual speed, but at the same time very slowly and smoothly - so smoothly that he could even see the wingbeats of flying midges. He could easily see through the bubbling water not only the fish the children were pointing at but also a second fish, a little smaller than the first.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 11:59

"Ha!" he shouted, striking twice, then he lifted his pointy stick into the air with a pair of silvery fish beating on it.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:01

Even when he was cutting the fish with a sharp splinter, Feng did not let go of his qi vision. It wasn't because he needed to or even because of all those silly teachings about qilin gazes and other nonsense from his master. Using qi vision, despite the sharp headache and pain in his eyes, he felt strong again. He felt that he was closer to his goal, having taken a small but very significant and important step. And the pain... It was a perfect reminder of the significance of such an accomplishment - the wounds of a tired warrior returning from battle, a proud victor, or the eternal companion of a hero who can do anything in the world.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:04

Unfortunately, the sensation soon subsided, the world returning to its usual pace and colors. The tornado in his head subsided and disintegrated - but what remained was the memory of the moment of triumph and pride and the feeling that now he could do it all again.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:04

Cutting fish, with Feng practicing his knife skills (even if the knife was a miserable piece of wood), reminded him of going into the forest with his rogue master. But this time, the memories didn't hurt. On the contrary, they brought satisfaction. He was closer to his goal, even if only slightly. He had almost become like him, a scoundrel that Feng would surely surpass someday!

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:06

"That's it!" he shouted. "Who's good? I am!"

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:06

"A true fish general!" Shouted Snotty Bokin.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:07

There was laughter and loud shouts, but this time, admiring rather than insulting. And now, the mention of "General" did not cause the slightest offense.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:08

"The real fish general will show up," murmured the little Xuo, "and drag you away instead of the fish!"

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:09

"Shut up, you little brat!" Bokin slapped him. "You'll spell it!"

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:10

Everyone instantly fell silent and whispered. Some even made signs to ward off evil spirits, while others mumbled invocations to the gods of the forest and the spirits of the river. Feng only frowned and went back into the river under the anxious silence. He struck his spear once more but missed as he was troubled by the heavy thoughts of the river demon. Did it really exist, or was it a silly prejudice of the stupid peasants? Could he be used to his advantage? For example, to announce to the whole village that he is not afraid of the master of the river, then will dive right into his lair and win. And while the whole neighborhood laughs at his stupidity and recklessness, he could dive, developing his body and especially the ability to hold his breath. Perhaps even catch fish at the bottom of the river, but do not tell anyone about it, and eat it all by himself! And what to do if the owner of the river really exists, and besides, he is not averse to eating a seven-year-old child?

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:14

"And in general! Nobody's a general here. We're just fishing," Bokin added judiciously.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:15

"Yes! That's right!" The others nodded, and Feng nodded as well.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:16

The last remnants of qi inside moved and disappeared, leaving him with an unpleasant feeling of weakness and emptiness.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:16

But that didn't matter anymore. Feng felt qi, which meant that he was on the right path!

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:17

* * *

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 08:52

Qi. So soft and warm, yet hard and prickly at the same time. It felt alive, but it was also painful. Feng was right - summoning it a second time was much easier, but it was too small to do anything heroic. He could do no more than what was available to a normal person who didn't follow his path. Feng could easily strengthen his eyesight, but strengthening his body was difficult. For such matters, qi should have been centered in the abdomen - and to do so in the future, Feng intended to do so as well. But someday later, when he was strong enough to allow himself to circulate qi to two points of dantian at once. Sometimes, he even regretted starting his awakening with his head because his attempts to evoke old memories were only successful for a short time - a very vivid and clear image appeared before his eyes, after which his qi simply ran out, and Feng lay on the ground for a long time, exhausted and empty. And he would even give up on this idea, recognizing the circulation in his head as a bad idea, and transfer the qi to the lower dantian to instantly become the strongest guy in the village. But this would only be a good solution in the short term, and in the long term, it could become an obstacle that severely hindered the fulfillment of the main plan. So he used qi for vision during the day, and at night, just before he went to sleep, his body, exhausted from lack of qi, fell asleep instantly, ignoring all the inconveniences such as barbed straw and hard logs under his head.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:24

It became clear very quickly that the depletion of qi was extremely painful and unpleasant, but it was very beneficial. The body, as if trying to compensate for the deficiency, creates every time a little bit, a tiny bit, but more and more qi. Which can be used in many ways! For example...

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:50

"Oh, my ears are already buzzing!"

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:56

"How funny you all are walking upside down!"

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:56

"Don't walk, but stand!"

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:57

"Just fall down already!"

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:57

"You fall down!"

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:58

"Let's fall down and drop Feng!"

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:58

"What are you?!"

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 12:58

Feng inwardly sighed, not allowing himself to lose concentration. Because there was a golden time in every peasant's life when he was too young to be forced to work hard but big enough to get out of the house, Feng was often accompanied by snot-nosed kids. They couldn't watch quietly and silently. They couldn't miss the sight of the village fool standing on his head. Of course, it could be explained that this was not just some kind of foolishness but a tian guan stance, a 'heavenly crown' designed to develop perception, but Feng was not going to do that. Firstly, it would not help. He would be considered even crazier, and secondly, a village kid would have no way of knowing about such things.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 13:02

Screams, shouts, noise, and noise became his constant companions. The children were constantly and persistently following, watching, discussing, climbing all the trees and rocks, falling, crying, and climbing again. At first, Feng was angry, but then he suddenly realized that enduring the children was also a kind of training. After all, it was easy to maintain concentration when you were meditating like a hero of the crystal near a forest waterfall or sitting on a mountain peak. But try to do it when a few snot-nosed kids are chattering and fighting nearby!

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 13:08

His hands gripped the shaft of the spear tighter. The point trembled. Even though he had gotten stronger, the amount and heaviness of the exercises had also increased, and the work was not getting any less. With the extra workload, Feng was tired every day. But the visible and perfectly tangible results in practice helped him to see the prospects that made him dizzy and salivate involuntarily. Of course, saliva was released only from the only aspect of these prospects - the possibility to get food and always to eat to the brim, and not just some simple peasant food, but meat, fish, and various delicacies. In addition, good food is a necessary component to become stronger physically. After all, because Feng had decided to develop his upper dantian, strengthening his body and strengthening his muscles with qi was not going to work very well, much worse than in his previous life.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 13:10

No, it could also be done, but very weakly. Feng wasn't upset because, at the current stage, a seven-year-old's superhuman strength would have raised a lot of questions, while his perception and ability to find anyone and anything could always be attributed to luck and talent. But strength was still required, and without proper nutrition, his muscles simply wouldn't grow, and Feng would only become more lean and wiry. The triad of spirit, mind, and body was something his hated master liked to talk about. If his mind wasn't a problem, his body was severely compromised. And by making it more powerful, Feng strengthened his qi, thus getting even closer to the final goal. The hardships and hardships inflicted by his master and the guardians of the Nao family hardened his spirit to the point where he could use it to chop down enemies without any qi.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 13:12

Awakening the upper dantian did little to increase strength, but it gave something else far more important. Seeing all living things around him and thus obtaining food in even greater quantities. He could hit fish without missing a beat, collect grubs and find berries, perhaps even animal caches with supplies for the winter and ravage, and there was little else that a very hungry guy with qi-vision, who could see and feel the very life around him, could do! During the training and monotonous work, Feng thought a lot, trying to train and develop his mind, not only not to dumb down from the peasant life but also to extract from memory important and useful information for his own development. Belatedly, he realized how the scoundrel master managed to be so particularly scoundrelly. He could just see and feel the qi, all the living things around him! In his previous life, when Feng had used the lower dantian, he had seen much less than he did now.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 13:16

"He can hear us!" The children wouldn't stop.

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 13:16

"See how he's straining like he's pooping?!"

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 09:11

"What if he bursts?"

Camrad_RIP 14.01.24 в 20:01