18 Chapter 17: The next step (2/2)

”Whoa!”

I managed to throw out my hands and break my fall in time to prevent my face from meeting concrete. In a second I bounced back up to my feet using a basic technique of Shadow Steps, only to see Teacher Jiao's approving gaze.

”And this is the fourth technique…'Flow' (liu), which allows you to read and predict the flow of moment from your opponent. Used correctly, you can disrupt the flow and use it offensively.”

”Cool.”

I was still trying to do my best to digest what I was seeing, hoping to somehow etch those techniques into my mind. I really needed to try these techniques out in reality later, and practice as much as I could in the one night I had left.

”Take note that you can't simply use Flow however you want. You need to read your opponents' footwork well, and adjust accordingly, adapting your own footwork to the opponent's so that you can disrupt his flow and neutralize his techniques.”

”Gotcha.” I nodded as Teacher Jiao walked away. Without turning back, he continued speaking gravely.

”And finally…the last one.”

I blinked, not sure if I was seeing a mirage or something. Slowly, one by one, copies of Teacher Jiao were splitting off from his original body, each one so vivid and solid that I couldn't tell them apart, couldn't distinguish which of the several Teacher Jiao before me was real.

”Whoa?!”

There were five clones of Teacher Jiao casually standing in front of me, basking in the silvery moonlight that shone down on the rooftop.

”This is a secret technique that's the most advanced of the five. Using your qi, you can create illusions to confuse your opponent psychologically. It is called 'Shadow' (ying).”

”!!!”

How was I supposed to learn something like that?! This practically bordered on magic!

Then again, most martial arts – especially the elemental ones did.

”With a month of practice, you should be able to pick up at least the first two pretty easily.” Teacher Jiao smiled. ”You already have quite the excellent foundation for using footwork techniques, thanks to you consistently running everyday.”

”Thank you.” I hesitated for a moment and stared at him. ”I don't mean to sound rude and ungrateful, but…why? Why are you teaching me? And a level 5 technique at that.”

”Well…the cold hard truth is that I feel sorry for you.” Teacher Jiao shrugged as he offered the blunt reply. ”You're tasked with the ridiculous and unrealistic goal of restoring the Heaven and Earth Formula. You're left out and excluded from all the sects and forced to be an Experimentalist. Even Zhu Jiao found a master and is leaving you behind. Everyone is forging ahead in training and are rapidly attaining high levels of strength. For you to flail about on your own…it just looks really pitiful.”

I felt as if I had been stabbed by several swords. Sucking in a deep breath, I winced and grumbled under my breath.

”Couldn't you have use a little more tact?”

”Why? Can't handle the truth?”

”…”

I sighed and shook my head. In any case, I was grateful to Teacher Jiao for teaching these techniques to me even though such an action would have gotten him into trouble. Even though I only had one month left to try and practice such advanced techniques, I was still going to make the best use of what I had in order to salvage my current situation.

I closed my eyes and reviewed the footwork techniques, and then tried them out in reality. Moving my feet about, I attempted to replicate Teacher Jiao's movements, but only succeeded in making a fool out of myself.

”Ugh…how do I do it?”

”Patience and lots of practice.” Teacher Jiao waved a hand to assure me. ”Don't worry. This isn't something you can pick up from just one time. You can spend the next month practicing them over and over again.”

”Yeah…but…isn't the trick located in how you direct qi toward your ankle and move it?”

”Hmm?” Teacher Jiao turned to stare at me. I raised my leg up and rotated my foot.

”I've been trying to analyze it, and it seems that I'm supposed to use my foot from the ankle down. So…kind of like this…”

I tried again, only to almost sprain my ankle.

”Gah!”

Falling over, I winced and clutched my foot, trying to endure the pain.

”Huh? Weird…I could have sworn that's how you moved…”

”…”

Teacher Jiao regarded me silently for a moment, and then he smiled in approval.

”Not bad. Your analysis is spot on. But you're missing one crucial link.” He pointed at my foot. ”You also need to match the circulation of qi in your ankle with your movements. You're doing that, but too roughly. Your foot is too tense, and that causes the qi to get clogged up in your muscles. Relax.”

”Yes, Teacher Jiao.”

I tried again. Teacher Jiao watched me patiently before quietly nodding to himself. Or perhaps he was nodding in approval upon seeing me put in tremendous efforts into my practice.

”Take your time to master it. It won't be easy to master it to peak perfection, but once you do attain that level for your footwork, then I'm pretty sure nobody in your generation will be able to touch you.”

”Really?” I looked up at Teacher Jiao excitedly. ”Even Bai Ning Xue?”

”Hmm?”

Teacher Jiao looked surprised by my question.

”What, are you thinking of challenging Bai Ning Xue or something?” Then it hit him and he began to burst out laughing. ”I see. So that's how it is. I don't blame you, all the guys in the middle school section are in love with her. Of course you would want to impress her by showing off her strength.”

”Huh? No, no, no!” I waved my hands frantically. ”I never thought about that! I mean, she has a Five Star Constitution and is currently in line to be the next vice-leader of the White Tiger Sect. Actually, she and Zhu Jiao are the only ones in class who have a Five Star Constitution. I was hoping, since you said that nobody in my generation will be able to touch me if I learn these footwork techniques, I could at least try to measure up with her in terms of footwork.”

”…I guess that's a good goal, but it'll be incredibly difficult.” Teacher Jiao sighed heavily. ”That girl has been a true prodigy ever since she was born…a genius born every hundred years. As you already know, she is currently the only person in your generation, other than Zhu Jiao, who has a Five Star Constitution. She is the pinnacle of your generation, the elite among elite martial artists. To be honest, right now you're a million light years away from reaching her level. Never mind Bai Ning Xue. I doubt you'll be able to touch a hair of Zhu Jiao either. Well, maybe that's a bad comparison since Zhu Jiao would most likely be on par or better than Bai Ning Xue, but…hmm, let's see…I'd say it's a miracle if you even reach Qi Fu Ren's level.”

”Ugh.”

The truth hurts, but I had to face it in order to grow. I couldn't stay behind Qi Fu Ren forever. I didn't want to rely on Zhu Jiao to protect me, and I wanted to pay Qi Fu Ren back for all the abuse he heaped upon me.

”All right. That's it for today. Go get some rest. You still have a month to slowly pick apart these techniques and learn them, so don't overdo it tonight, okay?”

”Yes, Teacher Jiao.”

And with that, Teacher Jiao was gone, leaving me alone on the rooftop. I watched him disappear through the door, and then returned to practicing footwork.

”How did Teacher Jiao do it again…?”

By transferring qi into my ankle. Oh, right. Teacher Jiao said I was too tense. I needed to relax.

Even if you say that, it's not that easy.

Taking a deep breath, I tried it out again, only to fall flat on my face.

”Ugh…damn it!”

Well…nobody said this was going to be easy.

Steadying myself, I rose to my feet and took another breath. I couldn't give up, not just yet. I needed to keep trying. I had only one month to practice these footwork techniques that I only saw once. I wasn't going to waste it.

I'm not going to let Teacher Jiao down.

Closing my eyes, I pictured Qi Fu Ren's mocking expression and his insults. I imagined Hu Shuo taunting me. I remembered the sneer on Ba Dao's face.

I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth. That's right. I wasn't going to allow those three to continue laughing at me forever. I was going to pull myself forward and surpass them. I was going to make them regret ever looking down on me.

Then I pictured Bai Ning Xue's beautiful face. Despite my denial, Teacher Jiao was correct. I did want to impress her. Which guy wouldn't want to show off and impress the girl he had a crush on? Even if I was down in the dumps and reincarnated into another timeline, I was still an ordinary guy with hormones rushing through my body. Then again, it was pretty creepy, because I was supposed to be thirty years old in my previous life. But my previous age and three decades of experience were fading away as I settled down in my thirteen-year-old body.

The body also made the mind, which was probably what influenced my behavior. Or maybe I was a really immature and pathetic socially awkward thirty-year-old in my previous life. Still didn't change the fact that it was creepy to have a crush on a girl who was less than half my mental age. I had to get it together. Perhaps it was the curse of all web novel protagonists who got sucked into wish-fulfilment, self-insert plots – that despite being fully grown adults in the beginning, they mentally degrade into an immature, petty, horny teenager as the story went on, caused by the author's complete lack of imagination and pandering to clichés and a young audience.

That aside, there was still another issue that plagued me.

But…I can't betray Zhu Jiao.

This time, Zhu Jiao came into view. He was my friend…but now I saw him as my rival. I really shouldn't resent him, but I couldn't help the jealousy that was growing in my heart. I wanted to surpass him as well, to step out of his shadow and come into my own without relying on him. I wanted to stand by his side, and not behind him.

I wanted to be on equal footing with him.

But in order for me to achieve all that, I had to take the first step. Opening my eyes, I sucked in another huge lungful of air and steeled my resolve. My eyes flickered to my feet and I put one foot out, focusing my qi into it.

”All right then. Let's try again.”