21 1.21: Gathering Chi and The Bug Eyed Monster (2/2)

The sounds and sensation of the vault being opened moved again from my abdomen down to my right knees and then traveled across to my left before ending on my abdomen again.

My breathing was controlled with 6 seconds inhale then hold for another 6 seconds before exhaling them for 6 seconds next. During this controlled breathing, the vaults opening within my body; along with the feeling of levitating and the twirling of the vortex around my body; I could suddenly feel divine white lights coming out of my body.

The lights then dimmed and I felt my levitation and slowly descended back to the mat I was sitting on. The vortex that was encircling and moving around me died down and went straight into the center of my forehead.

The 3 flickering and dancing flames in mid-air slowly diminished and I felt a total sense of enlightenment. My body and mind were totally at ease and I felt an overwhelming feeling of awesomeness that I could neither describe.

Slowly I opened up my eyes and let the sunshine penetrated as I fluttered my eyelids. The 3 incense that was burning earlier had long burnt out leaving a mound of ash lying at the base of the stick.

The old Master was nodding appreciatively at me and said, ”Good you did. Upgrade to Gathering Chi you had. Fighting skills you upgrade. Attack and defense you upgrade. Long way to go you still have.”

The manner of the old Master needs a while to understand and I nodded appreciatively back. I looked at my hands and found nothing amiss but I somehow felt lighter and filled with renowned energy I had felt before. Its time to test out my new found energy and prowess.

I slowly stood up and walked to the side of the gazebo where a Wing Chun Dummy stood and I assumed the position in front of it. I then unleashed a series of attacks on it.

”Poww...Smack...Thump...Boom...Slap...” sounds of the aftereffects resonated throughout the gazebo as I hit a flurry of punches and elbow strikes to the dummy. After a while, my strikes became a blurr to the eyes of those who were observing me as I kept on hitting it and there was no way anyone could keep track of where my punches and strikes landed.

I stopped striking the dummy and I felt that I had not even broken a sweat nor felt any signs of exhaustion. I felt an explicable feeling of exhilaration. ”Fuyoo... No sweat! Did you guys see that?! I exclaimed to the Cheng, Ding and Eun. The three brothers who were not martialist nor have any interested in the martial arts were stunned and watched with jaws dropping at the speed of the strikes I had performed earlier.

”Weh! Bo...You now are different eh... It seems you are like the Master himself!” remarked Cheng as I went back to the group. ”No la, I still have a few more upgrades. The first few upgrades as explained by the old Master would be simple. But as I progressed on the upgrades would take longer but once I reached a few more stages the effects that I had would be more significant and more devastating in nature. ”I explained thoroughly to them as I went to express them in lengths as well as with the flail of my arms and hands making it more dramatic.

The brothers were lost for words as the gasped Oohs and Aahs at my upgrade to Gathering Chi. In the MMORPG world, upgrading to Gathering Chi would be too nooby to explain much but in others perspective, I try to make it as colorful as possible.

After a short discussion with the old Master and sipping yet another cup of tea brought by his wife; I exchanged information needed for the next upgrade of my Qi.

”Two months you come, you want OK, you do not want OK.”the old Master simply said as he laid his hands out. This means it's up to me to come for guidance. Although I could still meditate and then surpass to the next level, I guess with the Old Master alongside me would be the best advise.

After exchanging some thoughts and words with the old Master, we excused ourselves and left the old Master and headed out of New Hope Village. We all decided to stay at Stone Village for the night. Half expecting yet another feast there, we made our way gingerly towards our next destination.

Over the horizon, we saw several columns of smoke rising from the settlements. Thinking that the villages were preparing some kind of feast, we hurried our pace.

Along the fences before reaching the gate we saw several lit oil lanterns with strips of white cloth hanging from some sticks. We had a foreboding premonition coming when we saw these things. We doubled up our pace and we entered the gate, we were taken aback with the sight before us.

Two houses made from stones and clay seemed to have caved in from the outside. In fact, it was actually trampled by some beast! Lots of pieces of stuff were strewn on the floor and people were running back and forth in afrenzied manner, shouting to their loved ones as they gathered up whatever stuffs they could fund useful strewn on the ground. We quickly made our way and located Gao.

”B...Bug eyed monster a...attacked” stammered Gao as he recollected his composure.”It took away the young children away!” Gao explained and shook with tremendous fear.

”The Guardian Spirit came to fight off the bug-eyed monster!”

”What the hell! We only passed this village some hours back! What kind of monster was it?!” Eun was interrogating Gao as the latter stood there frozen to the ground with eyes wide open.

Cheng and Ding went to the blacksmith area and took out three bone spears; ram back to where Eun and I were standing with Gao and handed one to Eun.

I myself have the keris but was wondering whether those guys really wanted me to gamble with my life 12 inches away from the enemy while they themselves were armed with a 6-foot bone spear.

”Not fair...!!” I screamed out loud in my head