Временные трудности / Temporary hardships: Глава 16

Part 3. Duojia's Secret Techniques.
* * *
Chapter 16, in which the hero is introduced to the charm of wandering

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 09:55

* * *

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 09:55

Even though Xing was in no hurry, he did not walk along the road like a lone traveler. After all, why walk when you could run, whirlwind along the path and then along the paved road, keeping a watchful eye on the sides? Sight and perception of qi told the way and warned of possible surprises. A lone rider, half-slumbering upright on a leisurely horse striding straight ahead, not turning anywhere. The faint qi in the tracks of a fox that had once crossed the road. Birds in the trees shriek at the approach of a man. A pair of peasants, clearly off to work in the city. And life. Life is everywhere, from the spirits of nature invisible by sight to all the animals, larvae, birds, fish, and worms.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 10:47

The peasants called out to Xing, but he waved at them, not even thinking of engaging in a long and pointless conversation. His feet in wolfskin boots stomped rhythmically along the rutted track, kicking up a plume of dust. A hay wagon came into view, and Xing overtook it, barely restraining the urge to leap over it.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 10:48

The burgeoning power inside and the intoxicating sense of freedom pushed him to recklessness and awakened the desire to boast, to show off.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 10:49

After a while, he realized that running had long ago become natural for him, like breathing. And running, even with a heavy load, he gets nothing out of it. What kind of training is it if you don't have to make any effort for it?

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 10:49

If he knew how to make talismans, he would have made something heavy, something that would make running a challenge. Of course, he could have used a heavy rock, but then a guy carrying an entire rock on his backside would be the talk of the world. Xing wasn't hiding, but he wanted to wait for that kind of fame.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 10:51

Xing decided to use the easiest way to train his body. He gathered his qi, and with some effort, he removed the usual enhancement, returning to the capabilities of a normal person. Then, he removed the qi from his eyes, for he relied too much on additional ways of perception. Qilin's Gaze didn't completely disappear as it had happened in the past, but only faded slightly - after all, seeing qi had long since become part of Xing's very essence.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 10:54

The weight of the basket immediately drew him to the ground, and his pace slowed. Xing laughed - this was going to be a great workout! He ran as fast as he could, trying to unravel and read all the tracks as he went, relying as much as possible on his eyesight. Han Nao had studied enough scrolls to know the theory, but now all he needed was practice.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 10:56

As it turned out, "knowing" and "being able" were two very different things. Xing was a poor tracker, despite his excellent eyesight, because his scrolls and books were just a dead weight in the back of his mind. The peasants didn't know much about hunting, and he usually relied on his qi vision rather than his ability to read tracks. So at other times he would simply run past without noticing the scuffed footprints, the straightened bushes, and the scrawny, unwashed observer sitting a little farther away. But the feeling of qi, of life around, even if suppressed, still gave more information about the surrounding world than was available to the average person.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 10:58

Xing had to admit that the brigand's hiding (and who else could sit in the roadside bushes?) was excellent. He must have had either natural talent or a lot of experience. Maybe Han Nao had read too many stories about heroes saving princesses and heiresses of great houses from bandits, so he blame a simple peasant who sat down to poop by the roadside, as he had done many times during the journey. The two clots of qi nearby could have been just companions of the "peasant" waiting for their companion to finish his business, not reinforcements from a bandit gang.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:01

Xing ran past the ambush, a little tense in anticipation of the attack. He looked like an ordinary kid, dressed simply and well, but the huge basket on his back made it clear that he was a good prey. He pretended to run away as if he had been sent on an errand, and there was no more defenseless and easy prey to be found all the way to the capital. There was no attack.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:02

Fuelled by curiosity, Xing jogged a little further, turned around, and turned off the road.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:03

"Maybe he sat down there to poop," he said in a low voice.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:12

"That's too far," he said to himself.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:12

"Maybe he's bashful! Maybe he found mushrooms or berries, or even a bird's nest."

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:13

"Or a fugitive criminal, hiding from the authorities," Xing agreed with himself. "With his friends!"

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:14

If the man in the bushes had been here for a long time or was traveling in the right direction, there was a reason to talk to him, to ask if the merchant had passed by, and if so, how long ago and where to? Xing walked in a large arc, then crept up stealthily behind him, giving him a good opportunity to get a better look at his target. Skinny and unwashed, in a strange variety of clothes, he was sitting comfortably on a large rock, squirming, scratching, puking, and sniffling, making it easier for Xing to sneak up on him silently. At his side, leaning against a tree, was a spear with a real iron tip.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:21

Xing silently picked up the spear, wondering how a person making so much noise could go unnoticed from the road.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:21

"Don't yell," Xing advised, putting the tip of his spear against the skinny man's back.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:22

He immediately shrieked and jumped sideways, hitting a tree trunk, clinging to a root and falling headlong onto the rock he had just been sitting on. He smashed his face and forehead bloody and appeared to have lost consciousness. Xing scratched the back of his head puzzledly, recognizing that this moment had somehow not been thought through. But what else was he supposed to do? How could he have known that instead of doing as he was told, the skinny man would make a funny scene out of the crystal. The kind where clumsy troublemakers fell over, knocked over tables, knocked over bowls of food, got tangled up in their own legs, or banged on doorjambs to cheerful music. Xing could have snuck up, grabbed him, and put his hand over his unwashed mouth, but he didn't want to do that.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:38

Heal him? He might be a great healer in the distant future, but he could do some things now. And it was a simple matter to treat such a small bleed.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:39

"Did you hear that?" A hoarse voice asked.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:39

"Aha, Harkun is obviously sitting down to shit again, right on the twig!" replied the other.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:40

Harkun? Well, it doesn't take a great thinker to figure out why the skinny guy got that nickname.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:41

"He should admit he likes it," said the first one.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:41

Xing crawled a little to the side and lurked, looking up from below. The two others he had sensed earlier had appeared, but he had overlooked them for the moment, focusing his attention on the skinny one. An unfortunate oversight. He would have been doing push-ups on sharp rocks long ago in the villain master's class for such a thing. No one but himself was forcing him to do anything right now, but there was a lot more to lose than just dinner. He'd only trained in the village, but he hadn't been in real, dangerous fights too often. And, as his encounter with the skinny Harkun had shown, Xing still had much to learn before he could become a true warrior.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:57

"Oh, look, he jumped up a tree out of fear and killed himself!" The owner of the first voice continued to laugh.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:58

"Wait, there's something wrong here," said the other, short and thin, even thinner than Harkun. "Harkun wouldn't just lie there."

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:59

The first one looked like a muscular giant against him, though there was no muscle, only fat. Dirty clothes, thick, greasy hair, disheveled mustaches, and beards. Xing's enhanced eyesight made it easy to see everything in the most unpleasant detail.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 12:00

"Yeah," agreed the first one, "especially when we haven't even started dividing up the spoils yet."

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 12:05

"Quiet," growled the second, "have you forgotten the words of your elder?"

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 12:05

"There's no one here," the first one dismissed him, but he stopped anyway and started looking around.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 12:06

They both looked at each other anxiously and drew short blades from the folds of their clothing, perhaps not well suited for epic battles but perfectly suited for gut-wrenching or ambushing, sneaking up from behind, stabbing at the liver or slitting the throat while an accomplice held the enemy at spear's length.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 12:07

Xing released some of the Tree's qi united with Water. The tree stretches its branches to the sky, swaying its branches and rustling leaves, while the clouds are heavenly water pouring down to the earth. The elements combine to create Wind. Xing created it by causing the air to swirl in the distance. The rustling of leaves was heard as if a careless foot had shuffled there.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 12:10

"Over there!" The pair rushed at the sound, not even caring about Harkun's bleeding.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 12:10

Xing slid to the tree where Harkun's forehead had crashed against, flew up it like a squirrel, and lurked in the shade of the dense crown, spear at the ready. At first, he had doubted whether it was a company of peasants or woodcutters, one of whom had gone to take a shit, but after the words about sharing the spoils, everything became clear. Perhaps he was on the trail of a merchant, or maybe, as a hero in the crystal, he just ran into a gang of bandits. Of course, these bandits did not resemble the subordinates of some Bandit King, but he was not a real hero either but only started his heroic path.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 12:11

Xing had never heard from the headman, priest, merchant, or the occasional traveler there was a bandit gang in the area. However, he was fast and had run a good distance, and the bandits might have moved here recently.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:24

"A hedgehog or a badger," came the words of a short bandit.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 11:23

"I could eat a badger right now! I love badger fat," the fat man licked his lips.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 20:20

Returning, they didn't hide much. Stopping over Harkun again, the short one kicked him in the side.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 20:21

"Hey, get up!"

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 20:21

"Look, maybe he was afraid of a snake." The fat man looked around warily. "Or maybe it bit him."

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 20:22

"Or mistook his own shit for a snake!" cackled the short one.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 20:22

Contrary to all fears, they did not look up. Xing prepared himself.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 20:23

For the bandits sitting in ambush, they weren't exactly hiding. The distance from the road, Xing thought, would have drowned out any conversation, but there were rules and regulations! They had heard Harkun's fall, so a passerby on the road might have been wary, too.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 20:24

Xing didn't hesitate any longer. He flew, almost falling out of the tree, hitting the short man in the right shoulder with his spear and stamping his foot right into the fat man's teeth. In a real fight, holding back, as one of his quotes said, was foolish. Qi rushed into his hands obediently, and Xing pushed the wounded bandit away and kicked the other under his breath.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 20:26

Stepping forcefully on Harkun's stomach and letting out an agonized groan, he leapt forward and assumed a fighting stance, ready for the real battle. His qi and blood surged, giving him clarity of thought and confidence in his own abilities. But alas, the battle ended before it could begin. The fat man was lying on the ground as a shapeless sack, moaning muffledly with a broken mouth. Petty grasped his punctured shoulder, staring at Xing in horror. The wound looked serious, and the qi showed that without the help of a healer, this brigand was no longer alive. But Xing didn't want to treat anyone, he just took a step forward and poked the spearhead under the bandit's chin, preventing him from opening his mouth and screaming.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 20:27

A moment of fear and doubt - what if he attacked the Emperor's peaceful subjects? - went by with a feeling of joy and confidence in his abilities. Yes, he had made many blunders, but his enemies were far from being the main villains from the crystal.

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 20:31

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Xing asked. "What kind of booty are you going to divide, and who is your leader?"

Camrad_RIP 17.01.24 в 09:56