Swish Swish

A wooden sword flew in the air as I swung repeatedly. I’ve been training my swordsmanship under the guidance of Henderson for 6 months now. I was getting the hang of it pretty quickly and have mastered the swordsmanship that I was taught, at least according to Henderson. Henderson kept calling me a genius but I ignored him, I’m not going to get complacent just from some half-hearted praise. I’m already determined to get stronger.

Swish

I stopped swinging and stood still. I know what I need to get stronger. I walked towards Henderson that was nearby.

“Spar with me,” I told Henderson.

I had sparred with the other soldiers before, but I felt the limit that those soldiers could help with my growth. I need someone stronger to spar with. Henderson fits the bill.

Henderson looks surprised by my request at first but then showed a serious face.

“Alright, young master. I’ve also been feeling that your growth was too fast for the other soldiers to keep up with.”

“I hope you won’t disappoint me, Henderson.”

Henderson laughed at my remarks and said.

“I also wish that you won’t bring my expectations down, young master.”

He usually acts like an idiot but he looks confident now.

Henderson picked up a wooden sword from the sidelines and slowly walked to the middle of the training grounds where I stood.

Some training soldiers noticed what we were doing and called out.

“Look! The captain is going to spar with the young master!”

“What? Is that true?”

“It’s true! Look over there!”

In a minute all of the soldiers flock around to witness Henderson and me sparring.

“Young master is really going to spar with the captain...”

“None of the soldiers could keep up with the young master Richard’s growth, even the vice-captain couldn’t beat him in the spar last week.”

“The vice-captain was so frustrated over his loss, he trained non-stop since then.”

The soldiers that were conversing stopped talking when I took my stance.

Henderson also took his stance while facing me. I kicked the ground and approached him head-on.

“So fast!”

One of the soldiers exclaimed as I swing my sword towards Henderson.

Bam!

Our swords collided and I was pushed back. I quickly adjusted my balance when suddenly Henderson’s sword was swung in the direction of my vulnerable spot. I quickly reacted to the strike and was able to defend myself due to my heightened reflex.

During my 6 months of training, my speed and reflex grew at an exponential rate. I could react to the attacks of a master swordsman like Henderson at this level. However, it was only to the level of defending against his attack. I couldn’t get a hit on him no matter what.

I threw a counter-attack but Henderson was somehow able to defend against that too. We repeatedly trade blows with our swords. Henderson continued to shower attacks on me and I had to defend all of them.

Whenever I tried to create distance, Henderson would close the gap between us to prevent me from doing so. My breathing grew more ragged as time went on. It seems like the scale of the battle is tilting towards Henderson’s side.

I planned to intercept the slash towards my left shoulder with the sword held with my left hand. I couldn't defend against an attack with full weight behind it like that. My sword was sent flying by Henderson’s sword. At least it should have.

“Eh?”

I leaked out a sound involuntarily when my legs were swept off the ground by a wooden sword. I saw Henderson holding the sword while I collapsed to the ground.

I let go of my sword to grab Henderson’s hand and throw him on the ground. But by this situation, it seemed the plan didn’t work out.

“You’re too naive, young master,” Henderson said as if he saw that plan coming.

“Hahhh...” I sighed and stood up.

I dusted off my clothes and picked up the sword. Henderson tapped both of my shoulders and said while laughing.

“That was a good fight, young master. Your growth was splendid! It should take no time at all to catch up and surpass me in the future.” He reassured me.

“You don’t need to comfort me.” I pushed off his hands.

“You’re being too hard on yourself. Tell me, young master. Why do you train so hard?”

“Isn’t it only natural? I’m the Count’s son after all.”

Henderson turned silent at my answer. I walked out of the training ground to take a shower.

“To think that he lasted that long against Captain that is said to be stronger than even the Captain of the Royal Guards... Young master is awesome.” a soldier within the crowd of spectators said to a soldier next to him.

“Well, he is the young master after all.” the other soldier said.

Meanwhile, I already left the training ground.

***

Harry was writing something on the chalkboard when I got into the lab.

“How was your training?” Harry asked without turning his head.

“None of your business,” I said politely.

“Lasting that long against Captain Henderson was quite the feat on your part, young master.”

It seems he found out about my spar with Henderson by the time I was busy cleaning myself.

“Is there anything you don’t know?” I asked him seriously.

“It’s a servant’s responsibility to know about everything going on in this manor.”

“Suit yourself.”

I picked up a piece of paper among the littered ones across the room.

“How’s the researched coming up?” I asked Harry while reading the paper I picked up randomly.

Harry smiled and stopped writing. He turned to me and picked up a pile of paper on the table next to him and brought them to me.

“Your ideas have really inspired me along the time of the research and finally I’ve finished it.” Harry search from the pile of papers he has brought and hand to me a compiled group.

This is...

“We’ve done it,” Harry said confidently with a smile.

We’ve completed the breathing technique.

A smile appeared on my face.

“Well done, Harry.” I congratulated the joyful Harry.

***

I sat under a tree cross-legged and breathed in deeply.

I was holding a book in my hand. It was the breathing technique to cultivate qi in the dantian. The technique was inspired by the neigong in a martial arts novel I read in my previous life.

Using this breathing technique I could purify mana that is absorbed into my body and the purified form of the mana will become qi that I could use to perform those martial arts I read about in the web novels. I imagined myself swinging a sword and cutting hundreds of people at once.

That moment isn’t too far off now that I have this cultivation method. I closed my eyes to clear my mind and breathed according to the breathing technique. I could feel mana being absorbed into my mana veins through the gates. I directed the mana flow according to the manual and I stayed in a state of trance.

Mana flowed in my body and slowly getting purified. The purified qi was then used to temper my body starting from the skin, and then the flesh, the viscera, and even the bones and marrow. My body was starting to transform. I cultivated for a whole day without realizing it.

When I opened my eyes, Harry was there sleeping near me. And I noticed a horribly pungent smell, I looked down to see myself covered in filth. I was shocked at first, but then I remembered a scene like this in martial arts novels. Apparently, the circulation of qi purifies my body and expels all the impurities from within. That was when Harry woke up and was also shocked to see my condition.

“Never mind this, what’s up with you?” I asked the reason he’s sleeping under the tree with me.

“The Count and Madam Countess was worried about you training by yourself again. I told them you’re fine and I assure them that I would take care of you just in case so they don’t worry.”

That’s nice of him. I noticed him pinching his nose in disgust and wanted to tease him.

“Do you need a hug of gratitude?” I asked jokingly while approaching him.

Harry stepped back to get away from me and shook his head.

“No thanks. Why are you like this, young master?”

“The qi circulation purifies your body and expel impurities within your body. This is the result.” I told Harry the fun fact.

“Ah, I see. That’s amazing.” Harry somehow looks amazed by the fun fact I just told him like a child being told that a whale is actually a mammal, not a fish.

“Anyways, I should clean myself.” I walked away towards the mansion.

“Indeed.” Harry agreed.

More importantly, now that I have proven the breathing cultivation method to be successful. What should I do with this knowledge? Should I teach Henderson so the Hale family gains more power?

I need to plan the release of this discovery carefully.