35 Fighting with Grace (1/2)
Koji sat on his bed and cultivated until a servant returned to summon him to the banquet hall for breakfast.When he saw Zelea entering the hallway while rubbing her eyes, Koji greeted with a loud, ”Good morning!”
His wife shot daggers at him because she knew he startled her on purpose.
He responded with a boyish grin.Koji grabbed her hand and followed the servant.As usual, the young couple was the last persons to join the Royal Family at the table.
King Aphraphus had a puzzled facial expression because he expected Koji to arrive sooner since the son-in-law woke up so early this morning.But he glanced at Zelea and realized she was the culprit who made Koji late.The king forgave Koji, though, because the Bonder shares the fate of his Bond Keeper.Thus, if Zelea was tardy, then he should be late as well.
Prince Heretrios looked at his brother-in-law and asked, ”Will I see you again for saber training today?”Although prince was a busy man, he wanted to set aside time to help Koji master the Saber or least become an expert in it.
Koji tilted his head and thought for a moment.”I think I'm better off reading another Saber skill book in the library for now.Thank you for the offer,” he declined with a polite nod.
”Okay, suit yourself,” Heretrios replied with a shrug.He didn't mind Koji's refusal because now the prince had more time to manage his affairs.
”Koji, it's not healthy to bury your head in books all day long,” King Aphraphus chided mildly.”I'll meet you in the back courtyard after dinner tonight,” he ordered.
”Yes, Sire!” the son-in-law bowed deeply in appreciation.Koji didn't know what the king planned to teach him, but the young man found his father-in-law's instructions to be extremely helpful.
King Aphraphus saw the excitement in Koji's eyes and laughed.
The servants returned with servings of rice congee for everyone.
Koji noted today's meal included a generous portion of fish cakes.He finished his meal quickly and waited for Zelea to finish eating.Then they departed for the library.
The guards saluted the two and permitted them entry.
When Koji and Zelea entered the building, Mao Tian soon accosted them with a deep bow.”Prince Consort, are you here to read another Saber skill book?” the assistant librarian inquired politely.
”Yes, I am, Senior Mao,” the young man replied with a smile.”I almost advanced to Tier 4 in Saber Proficiency.Please give me a suitable book to read,” Koji requested.
Senior Mao was shocked by the Consort's answer because the young man indicated his Tier 3 proficiency in saber.The librarian expected Koji to be at Tier 2 because he started training in the Saber weapon just recently.The Beginner Level was Tier 1 and 2; Tier 3 through 5 were Intermediate Level; Tier 6 through 8 were Advanced Level; Tier 9 and 10 were Expert Level; any Tier beyond was Master Level proficiency.The librarian recovered and escorted the royal couple to the Reading Room.
Koji quickly crossed the room to claim the table he had used in his previous visits to the library.
Senior Mao walked away to retrieve a Saber skill book for the visitor to read.Once he took it off the shelf, the librarian picked up a new writing pad; Senior Mao placed the two items gently on Koji's desk.
The consort looked at the book cover to read the title: ”Fighting with Grace: Saber Edition.”
”Last time, you read a book on saber defense.So this time, you should learn offensive techniques,” the monk explained.
”Thank you, Senior Mao,” Koji replied with a nod.
The librarian bowed respectfully and walked away.
”We can stay here until lunch and then return if you haven't finished reading the book,” Zelea said.She closed her eyes and started cultivating.
Koji opened the book and read the first page: ”Grace is the refinement of movement.It is the pinnacle to which all practitioners should aspire.”The reader's heart moved as he continued reading the introduction.The author emphasized the need for the reader to consider his style of fighting, whether this meant a preference for quick jabs or powerful and wide swings, and synchronize the entire body to support this style of attack.These ideals constituted the essence of fighting with grace in the author's opinion.
The book used diagrams to demonstrate each saber attack.The author offered practical advice to economize the movement of each strike.Unfortunately, Koji spent a lot of time copying those drawings into his pad, and by lunchtime, he was less than halfway through the book.
Koji and Zelea joined their parents for lunch, which was steamed chicken over rice with Chinese broccoli.Koji also received a small bowl of bone broth soup.The conversation was kept to a minimum as everyone was anxious to return to work.