Chapter 24: And Instructions
Her choice of the sword wasn't a unique choice, who was I to complain? It was my main weapon too after all. In fact what was odd was the fact that each one of my original 10 disciples had different weapons. Not a single duplicate between the ten, though there were a few who had quite similar weapons with one another. It was quite an odd coincidence when I first realized it.
"Alright Jinzi, come on out back to the dummy. I have two choices for you to pick. One moveset will focus more on speed while the other will be based on raw power and strength."
"Pick one? Why can't I pick both?"
'Ah ha! Idiom time!'
"Fear not the man who has practiced ten thousand moves once, but the man who has practiced one move ten thousand times!"
'It went something like that.'
"Eh? But I'm a woman, so does that still count?"
'Huh? Is that what you focused on?'
"The gender of the person does not matter, it's their mastery. If you practice both of them equally, then you probably only know a bit from both, But if you focus on one you could probably master it sooner. It doesn't matter if you have a million techniques, but if you barely know the basics then it'll still be worse than fully understanding just a single one."
"Hmm, so if I master one of them will you give me the other then?"
'Is this confidence or naivety?'
"Well if you can then perhaps. Just pick one for now ok? You can think about the other or maybe even better ones in the future."
With a flash, two manuals appeared in my hands. I wasn't going to give her anything advanced at the start, she had to learn the basics first. The manual's in my hands were simply named Nimble Strikes and Hulking Cleave. These two manuals were actually interchangeable for both sword and saber welders, though they each had a bit of a lean towards one of the weapons in the end.
The sword leaned toward the speed manual and the saber leaning toward the power based manual. This was actually going to be her first hidden test to see if this was the right weapon choice for her.
Jinzi walked up to me, dull sword in hand and grabbed one of the manuals. She looked at the manual in her hand before tilting her head up toward me.
"Big Brother, I'll choose this one!"
"Oh? Are you sure about that? You haven't even seen the other one."
"I'm sure! Besides, you said you would give me a better one in the future anyway!"
"Well, if that's what you want."
In my hand remained a single manual and with a flash it disappeared back into my storage ring. The manual in her hand was the right choice, Nimble Strikes.
"Jinzi"
"Eh? Yes? What is it?"
"Do you like the Wind element?"
"You mean like the one from that movement technique?"
"Yes"
"Oh! Yeah, I feel like this element suits me perfectly! I feel like I have some kind of affinity with the element, but not because of the manual. There's some kind of feeling inside of me. It's like anytime I practice with that movement technique something inside wiggles around in a warm kind of comforting feeling."
"Oh? A natural wind affinity? Since it seems like you like it as well I'll make sure to find something with the wind element for you. In the meantime why don't you look over that manual. Ying'er and I will be right over here in case you need us ok?"
"En, okay!" With a nod, she opened up the manual and started flipping through the pages.
'Isn't that a bit fast? Well, people learn in different ways.'
I looked at the quiet woman next to me. She had her arms crossed as she looked indifferently over at Jinzi "reading" the manual.
I gave her a little nudge with my elbow and it was like her eyes instantly gained a spark of life. Her head spun toward me and her arms uncrossed themselves in a relaxed manner. She looked at me expectantly.
"I feel like you're a little different today."
"How is that?"
"Well, you just aren't as talkative as usual. You normally react a lot more to things, but I feel that you've been real quiet lately. After that little 'Big Sister' incident this morning you've been nothing but silent the entire way and while she was picking her weapon."
"I've just been… thinking, that's all"
"About what?"
"Hmm… about this self proclaimed 'Little Sister.' I wonder what made her say such a thing. Could it be that… you've already made plans for her?~ No wonder you didn't deny that idea of a harem! You had already planned to start one!"
"What?! I-"
She raised a finger and gently placed it on my lips.
"How could I have been so blind! Of course, you must have already planned this from the start! It must have started before I even warned you about her, huh Wasn't it!? To think I had already lost my place before I even had a chance to compete!" As she spoke she moved and acted extremely dramatic.
Finally she removed her finger.
"*Sigh* Ying'er, you know what you just said was a lie. Why do you have to say it like that? Come here! Give me a hug!"
I extended my arms out and looked toward her with a soft smile.
*Hmph* She turned her head away with her eyes shut tightly and her arms crossed.
"Ying'er, I'll stand right here for you. I know you want it and I'll wait right here until you accept it."
After only a few moments I saw a slit appear between her eyelids and a cerulean color peeked out. A few twitches from her head in my general direction and even her body started to slowly turn.
Yet in a random moment she jerked back almost like she had never moved from her first posture at all. It looked like she managed to resist and even though I could stand here all day I didn't want to hold my arms up the whole time if possible, but the very moment I lowered my arm even an inch she rushed over.
She fling her whole body in my direction and immediately I caught her in my arms. Her hands had managed to wiggle their way over my shoulders and on the back of my neck. Meanwhile my hands had firmly held onto her waist.
Her current expression compared to earlier seemed like a whole world's difference. She had a Joyful and delighted expression which seemed to bring her whole appearance to life.
"Don't worry darling! I wouldn't make you wait long. But what if I won't be satisfied with a hug anymore in the future?"
"Then I guess I'll just have to give in a little more for this 'Big Sister' hehe."
All of a sudden I felt a tug on my sleeve and the one who pulled at it was none other than Jinzi. It wasn't a shock that it was her, we were making quite a bit of noise. It would have only been a shock if some random person appeared.
"Ah, Jinzi! What is it? Do you need any help with the manual?"
I tapped the back of Ying'er to release me, but in turn she only silently increased her own grip.
'Huh? Well, it doesn't matter if she doesn't let go I guess.'
"Nnhmm! I took a look and want to see what you think about my form!"
"Of course, go on ahead, I'll see it from here." I gave her an open-palmed gesture toward the dummy.
"Alright! Watch me Big Brother! Here I go."
Jinzi set down the manual she'd been holding for a while and got in position. She stood in front of the dummy with the dull sword in hand. She stood up straight with the sword to her side before taking a deep breath. It was quite an audible breath and exhalation.
Suddenly, she took a step forward and slashed around at the dummy. They were wild and seemingly random swings at the inanimate object, but it did manage to grasp the most basic part of the manual I gave her. Within her strikes there was a sense of both speed, precision, and accuracy with each of those strikes.
When she finally stopped she went to sit down against the wall of the shed. She was sweating, but wasn't huffing and puffing.
'How long had she been practicing while Ying'er and I spoke?'
The dummy was a full sized humanoid shaped sack of sand. The sack had been reinforced with Qi to prevent any critical damage. The first time I ever had this I didn't add any Qi to reinforce it and it burst open the moment I hit it forcefully, but that was a long time ago.
With each and every move that she had made I had naturally followed with my own two eyes. She had a good grasp on speed and accuracy for actually hitting the target, but she had no pattern nor focus with those strikes.
She probably just thinks that hitting the target at all was a win and although technically it is, the shallow and minor wounds that she would currently inflict wouldn't be enough to even incapacitate someone. She was lacking power, even though it isn't the focus of the manual, it still can't be neglected.
It would hurt them for sure, but if this was one of the very common life or death situations there is a good chance she would be the one dead.
"Jinzi, I'll show you a little bit, so I need you to remember, ok?"
"Hmm? O-oh okay!"
I gently peeled Ying'er off of me,luckily she wasn't trying to bury herself inside of me recently.
"Just another incense stick of time! Please!"
"Come now, Ying'er. I have something to do."
"*Sigh* Okay."
Once she got in the way I walked to the front of the dummy. I raised my hand out for a second and the dull sword which Jinzi had flew into my hand.
"A-ah! Y-you should have told me you were going to do that! I could have just handed you the sword you know! You didn't have to scare me like that."
"Sorry, now watch and learn."
I took a step forward and launched a short series of attacks. I made sure to both reduce my power so as not to obliterate the dummy and my speed so that Jinzi could watch my movements.
My attacks were based on what should have been taught in that Nimble Strikes book, but it had been a long time since I had opened that book. Instead I based it on Jinzi's own attacks, it would be a better experience for her anyways since she could compare her own attacks and my own to see how to improve. It wouldn't be anything new, instead only what she currently knows now. If I choose some of what I thought there would have been a chance that what I was showing her would be completely different or entirely new to her plus an added difficulty.
Once I finished I looked back at Jinzi with her mouth agape.
"H-how did you do that? Every move you made had elegance and a sense of smoothness with it, like each strike just flowed together!"
"Good job, Darling!!!"
"Jinzi, ignore the flow and elegance for now. It doesn't matter if you have the best looking technique in the world if it's useless. You need to focus on your power output, I know that you didn't pick that manual, but you can't simply ignore it either. From the cuts I saw earlier It seemed like it would be a challenge for you to even injure people. At your current state it would be hard-pressed for you to even be able to hunt a single animal during that competition.
So, we have much to learn."
*Mmuah!* Ying'er appeared next to me and gave an audible kiss. A kiss which probably ruined my serious tone.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone