บท 42: 第42章: Learning a bit
The fact that she was about to be asked to take had never struck her. Something that she had not thought that it was important. At least until now.
Now as she was walking, waiting for the someone new to come. The one which Feiyu told her would be a lot better than she herself. She had conceded after realizing that Li Jin had done a better job. A far better job than she would have.
And instead sought to teach her strategy in what little time she could. And thus it needed someone else to actually teach her the things she needed to go above.
Although all she was given was to come here and wait. Take a chance to sit down and look around. There was nothing which suggested that it had been anything but. And why she was waiting. Somewhere in the garden, with only the girl as her companion. There was no coming back and forth.
There was nothing which suggested that anyone was coming. And the girl was doing anything but speaking to her. It was the truth. She couldn't find anyone to talk to, and that meant that waiting was a long task.
Until she heard footsteps. Turning her head to the right, it was a man wearing a long cape. Down the ground, where it was touching the ground. There were such situations, but she knew that fine material could not.
He had ignored her, not even caring that she was there. And figured that it might take a while. Even as she knew that this was the person. There was no other way to admit it. He had come here for a reason.
When she was trying out her dress as a bride, she learned that it many of them often raised the dress. To ensure that it did not touch the ground. The fine material would have been ruined otherwise. But this was rougher, and thus he must have found it fine and fitting with his own personal choices.
He took a seat down. Even as the girl came forward. Dianyu knew in that instant just who the girl was. They were father and daughter. Even as he looked up to see her.
"Jiejie asked me to bring her to you." He looked up, even as Dianyu felt the need to take a step back.
"I'm her apprentice Dianyu." She introduced herself. She kept any sign of it being something she was proud of. Rather suggesting that it was merely the truth.
He stood up. Coming closer to her, as though he was finally observing her. She didn't flinch, neither did she need to move any further. There was nothing else which was necessary.
Before he took the step back. "I certainly see why she would lead you to me." The umbrella, Feiyu could help with wood and the introduction. But the rest would be beyond her. Even more so when most of her umbrella was made of cloth.
Even as he showed why he was better at teaching her. His cape moved at the instinct he wished it to. But there was no explanation. She knew cloth to be flexible, but this was on a whole different level. A level that she had never really seen until now.
He was a cloth user. Even as it wrapped around his daughter. "Interesting. You don't go yapping but neither are you so ensure that you are panicking. Then again, Feiyu would not have given me a blockhead."
She didn't say anything. It was better for them to think of it this way. Let him do it, that was how she handled the cook. This wasn't going to be a good relationship. She could tell that from the beginning.
Before she found herself being lifted up and thrown to the ground. She got up, even after being tripped. This was what he could do with it. She would do well to remember it.
Her umbrella had far more limits. But it did have one thing that kept it different. She could control the wind. Hers was different, as Li Jin had told her. She was a combination of the two after all.
But there were things that only she could do. And she realized that he was doing the same. Using the wind to bend. But here would be different and more controlled.
Even as she kept her eyes on her feet for any chance of being tripped once more. But there was none, and she looked up.
He had not said anything even as he took the chance to look closer. "What are you here for?" He whispered into her ears.
It was chilling her, as much as she knew the answer. "To be someone who always protects the choices of others."
He took the step back. This was becoming more like a test as she can see it. Before he burst out in laughter, completely baffling Dianyu. Who now truly believed she was under the tutelage of a madman.
Or something close to it. Rather than someone, she could actually trust.
"That girl had passed me someone interesting. Then again, given who she is I doubt she would have picked anyone up if they had not been so."
Dianyu stood there for a moment, still wondering just what was going on. Before she really asked. "What about it?"
"I don't take anyone nor do I teach." Given how he was handling people she was agreeing to the notion as well. He was by far the strangest person she met.
She could guess why. He was a father and he was not really paying attention to her. The same like how her mother treated her. She taught her how to live, and how to survive. But the rest was up to her to learn.
And she wondered what it meant.
"But I can advise you." The only thing that mattered. Since she could adapt. It wasn't her first time figuring out on her own. And she doubted that it will ever be her last.
"Thank you." She didn't know what to say.
"For an umbrella such as that you lose the fluidity of cloth. But there is something you gain." He took it from her, swinging it in a rough direction. Showing a powerful gust of wind.
"It requires less effort than mine. But the concentration would be a lot more." Even as there were fewer things she could do. It was a limit. But she figured she could work with it. "The wind here would be free for you to bend them as you wish. It doesn't require a lot of effort as they are bound to be pushed."
Though neither Feiyu nor Li Jin touched upon it. "Why is it so?" Still baffled by it and how it worked. He had given her another explanation. Something that made sense.
"They focus on the object, mostly because metal and wood aren't really affected by the wind." But the cloth was since they were one which flowed. The same reason why they were said to be flexible. Because they adapted and blew with the wind. Not withstood it.
The difference is small but major. Even as she took the chance to swipe with her own umbrella. "Yours would be a little different. Since you're not exactly having it move. But neither are you making it withstand."
"I'm directing it instead."
He nodded. "Correct. It's something that isn't really seen here."
But something that she could work upon. Even as she took the chance to really swing it to have gusts of wind. "Has anyone explained to you why we can do this?"
"The energy that flows with the world. Suggesting that it is easier to manipulate."
"Clearly you haven't been here long enough. How many months?"
"Around three or four." He widened his own eyes at the sound of it. "And I was on the road most of the time."
"That explains it." As though he had not been surprised at what was said. Almost as though he would have expected it.
"Jiejie met you during the Chinese New Year. Did you forget that?" The girl reminded his father. She blinked, realizing that perhaps their relationship was a lot stranger.
"Yeah, that makes sense." And why she was pretty new regardless of what many thought.
"She wasn't there then." Not to mention that it only had been five months. "Are you going to leave again?"
"No, Die Die is going to stay here with you for a few months." She stood by the side, wondering why was she viewing an intimate family moment. Then again, the man had ignored her for the most part. And then burst out in laughter.
Nothing like the stoic mother she remembered. But then, she would have no one else for a parent except that.
"Just don't leave so soon, I miss you."
"Of course I won't. I tell you when I need to leave, Wei'er." She nodded. Dianyu was just wondering what he was thinking. Even as she felt a light tap on his shoulder.
"So, did you learn anything?"
"A bit. What's his name?" She nodded. He had given her plenty of things. Even as he was halfway through
"Liao Yue. And that's his daughter Liao Wei." Even as she was amazed at how she had not asked for his name. Then again, he did not ask for hers and has not referred to her by it at all.
Even as she came forward, standing right in front of him. "We have something important to discuss." He stood up, as though he knew it was important.
"But I forgot to answer her question. But really, why didn't you tell her about that?" Feiyu didn't manage to understand.
"The core energy of the world. Those are an important principle to talk about." Feiyu stood frozen.
"I forgot. And there just wasn't time."
He gave a chuckle. "It's your first time, so I'll explain it to her. There is something permitting us to change the world as it is. The same reason why great leaders rise and fall. Fate has a hand, but it does not define it."
"What is it?"
"An opposing force." Something that is allowing them to change. "Fate is something that is making sure that we can't choose. But there has to be something that is enabling us."
And that was what they were manipulating. "The idea of yin and yang. One of forceful while one is quiet. Fate may be called the Yang. The one which forces, closes the doors. But something is quietly opening them. And that is the opposing force. There is no name for it, but it is there."
The idea of it had been strange but it was something she could get. Something she knew. "Think about it, some people are likely to defect while some are not. These are decided by nature and nature is decided by the gods."
And perhaps he meant that somewhere out there, there was someone like that. Even as she couldn't find it in herself to believe in anything.
"Anything you didn't tell her?" He looked to Feiyu. Who shook her own head.
"And here I thought you said that you didn't want to take an apprentice during the new year despite pressures. And then you go ahead and pick one up."
"It was rather complicated."
"Let me guess, she probably had been some daughter of a rich merchant and was being married off to someone else." It was almost accurate. Discounting the fact that she spent her childhood working at the restaurant.
"Not exactly."
"Well, I only found out I was from a rich family. And I spent my childhood working in a restaurant for my mother who adopted me at birth."
"Then again, she wasn't that spoiled." He didn't even notice it until now. It was something that she wondered where he had come from. Even as Feiyu had taken this rather well. There was nothing which suggested that this was uncommon.
"Well, you'll have to see her tomorrow. This is really urgent and I need to see you for." Even as he was walking. Leaving only Dianyu merely wondering just what was going on.
"What's your name again?"
"It's Dianyu."
He walked off. She waved back, realizing that she was going to stay with him for quite a while.
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