Chapter 35: March

Army on a march is a great occasion, leaves no one unfazed. Especially during your first time. Xin's first time was in his vivid imagination, so long ago, when he was reading books under the deem moonlight in the mountain mansion. How much time passed since then? Feels like an eternity.

Still, what he was looking at now was fairly different from imagination. That was a beast army, sure, but It wasn't an army. No legions marching, no troops in the same armor, no flags, no anything; it resembled a disjoined horde, stretching as far as the golden horizon was, and shivering the green forest. Just like ants in the grass; well, from his height they were like ants.

The Emperor of Mo, Mo Pu, has given him and Maha a private tent on top of a Unicorn Elephant. Five meters was much closer to the sun than it sounds; it was still scorching hot, even at sunset. The beast was sweating and it was quite a task to keep your footing. Xin lowered his gaze.

Five meters is much higher than it sounds…

That's it for observation for today; he nodded and retreated into their humble tent. Inside was Maha, obviously, and two mats, and the ceiling and nothing more. Still, quite a luxury in comparison. It was hard to sleep in such place, and at first, he wasn't bothered by it. Why sleep, he should cultivate instead! His heaven's granted ability should be put to use. Long ago, he suspected that it could allow him to skip sleep.

And indeed, It did. For the first two nights. Then, even though he was full of strength, his head was clearly overdue and his blank stare during the lesson forced Maha to force him sleeping on both mats.

"It will be better for you, and for me, it isn't a problem." She said, but the mental impact she made on Xin was much harmful than any rough bed could.

"I'm useless." He sighed and sat down to meditate, patiently waiting for the night and preparing everything he wished to say. It was a lot.

First…

"I want to know." He blurted once the girl's eyes opened.

"What?"

"I'm… everything. What are we doing, what about Ying Zheng, what with that wolf, are you going to Demon Country, are you taking me, I..." He breathed in.

"What happened during the teleportation, how have you got here, I know nothing… At all."

A lot of questions and Xin felt so much easier with them out. His body almost floated as he gazed into still as still face of Maha.

"I had sealed the sound." She said and waved her hand. A small transparent shade appeared and faded around them.

"But I can't always be so cautious. Be more careful, this mount is sapient. It is a spy." Her eyes shined.

Xin lowered his head. Out of embarrassment, mostly, and mostly because deep in his conscious he knew they could be heard. Because he, though involuntary, said it to be heard.

"I'm sorry." He said using light and quickly left the room. The door slammed with a bang and opened. Then closed again, with the boy hiding behind it.

"…" Maha stared at the exit.

"...You were right," She said, closing her eyes.

"I'm not good with children."

…

Once again, Xin stood outside, but now it was dark. His emotions were in turmoil, and now the only thing he wished was to darkness to cover the earth sooner. Everything you wait for always comes longer, but this day the sun seemed to take pity on the poor child. Soon the neighbor Unicorn-Elephant faded into a dark silhouette, then sited, and then their own trembled and started going lower.

Not waiting enough the boy jumped and ran into the woods.

No, he wasn't running away. He wasn't a brat like that anymore. Lost ago he shed his last tears. Well, that he wished to think.

Now he simply needed some time to be alone. Too many things have happened, and when he finally went to sleep yesterday he saw no dreams, so overcrowded was his head.

Just some time alone, he thought and jumped down a small ravine.

Here, he sat down, crossed his legs and relied his head on a teen dead three. Only one around, every else were in a sweet dark bloom.

Just some time, he thought and closed his eyes, listening to the darkness of the night and the beasts somewhere far away. Good thing they were put at the end of the army.

"…"

Gradually, his heart calmed down. Fervent thoughts were buried, and his eyelids separated to the starry sky beyond the gaps of thick twigs. Several more breathes, in and out, and once again he's the good boy Xin.

Well, it was an embarrassing display, he thought and smiled. And everything was his fault, honestly. It's not as if Maha was hiding anything from him, the circumstances were, and she would've probably answered if he asked. Maybe he wasn't asking on purpose, to get annoyed.

However, sometimes a child should be a child. Many bad things happened, there was almost nothing enjoyable in his life during the last month or so.

And there won't be until he will become strong. Or die. Dying in struggle sounds painful. Ah, whatever, enough of self-pity.

The boy stood up.

Well, what is now? Should he go back?

"…later."

The same feeling he felt before asking Maha, going in and out of the tent several times, the same feeling bothering him now. A bit later, right.

Suddenly, a good thought struck his mind. Was his sabre with him? Yes, it was. He was making a habit of even sleeping with it, it's told some great masters are doing it.

And also they train, why not to train now? Cultivation and Demonic Light are fun stuff, but he has been neglecting techniques for far too long.

The boy changed his footing so one leg was before the other, in a straight line, and pointed the sabre to the dead tree he was relying on earlier. It was short, its branched leaning a hair away from the ground.

Well, what kind of move should he try? Slowly the boy changed his footing back.

"Basics, I think…"

The basics are the most important, even in the Wei Clan whose entire philosophy was built upon one move. Because to execute that move, first you have to train basics. Exact phasing from the manual.

First, the boy slashed forward from above at the tree, standing a meter from it. The leaning twig moved.

"Bad."

He slashed again, and the twig still moved.

And again, and again, and again, and again.

Bad, bad, bad, he repeated uncountable times so the word lost its meaning and became a weird compilation of letters.

"Bad." He said and wiped his sweat, then looked at the sabre.

It was perfect: light, fast, sharp. Still, the twig was trembling during the impact – what he was doing was wrong.

"Stop slashing, brat. You have to cut first."

Xin had a sudden realization, but before trying, he looked around. On the edge of the ravine, he saw a tall silhouette, an old man in a dark-blue gown, where the blue stripes were reflecting the moonlight. He had a needles-like grey beard and his face bear so many scars that they were indistinguishable from wrinkles.

He was… a human? Xin stepped back. Then forward. Does he really have to be afraid of his own kind now?

"What are you afraid of, brat? The only dreadful thing around is your sabre-play. I was doing my usual walk, appreciating the scenery and the moon. And suddenly you ruined my mood so savagely. Hm. I won't be able to fall asleep if I won't fix you right now."

"A, thanks."

Great, another weirdo. How many of them he has met as of now. No matter, this one at least seems to be helpful.

"Cut, not slash…"

Xin focussed on the tip of his sabre, and then slowly started scratching the twig with it. Not slashing, just trying to cut a clear line.

The blade was sharp enough, it went smoothly, and though still wasn't perfect, he managed to avoid strong vibration.

"Like that, cub, like that." The old man stroked his beard.

"Do it ten thousand times, then a bit faster and ten thousand times more… You have a good sabre…"

Something changed on these words. Xin felt nothing, not even a wind, just suddenly, the old man appeared next to him and the sabre left his hands.

"That…" An indescribable look appeared in his timeworn eyes.