《The Era of Wulin》 Chapter 1 - My Jiner Chapter 1 ¨C My Jin¡¯er AUTHORS NOTE: Hello everyone, I am Nivram (Marvin spelled backwards) and welcome to my new and current story The Era of Wulin. I am new to writing novels and it''s especially harder since I''m setting this in a Chinese culture whit some western ideals however I am from the UK and all my knowledge from Chinese culture are from Wuxia drama and movies and also light novels. If there are any mistakes or you have advice on what I should do to improve my story and writing please comment. Thank you and enjoy ;) ------------------------------------------ On a deserted dirt road leading up to the top of a mountain range a young boy looking 5-6 years old, in a blood stained green robe with disheveled hair was running up the road frantically. Not far behind him where two robust men cloaked in black clothing from head to toe, casually chasing after the boy, taunting and laughing as they did so. ¡°Hahaha, boy there is no use running there in no where you can hide, come to I, your father and I will give you a quick and painless death but if you continue run well... hehehe¡± the black cloaked man on the left said menacingly. The young boy¡¯s face lost all colour as he went pale from fright and just as his legs were about to give way, up ahead he could see a cliff. Seeing this boy was filled with dread and panic as he had finally lost all hope. As for the two pursuers they start laughing mockingly and continued insulting and taunting him. The man on the left spoke jokingly ¡°hehe, runt you got nowhere else to run just hand yourself over and maybe I will only take your arm¡± he narrowed is eyes and continued coldly ¡°Or do you want to continue your pointless resistance just give up already your life is in our hands and soon your whole clan will perish too¡± The young boy as the young master of a powerful clan was raised and spoilt, standing on the edge of the cliff with nowhere to run he done what any spoilt young master would do and that was to throw useless threats at them: ¡°Bastards, do you know who I am!!, Do you know who my father is!! If you dare touch me my father will kill you and wipe out your whole family!!¡± The two men paused, silently snickering, the man on the right said: ¡°Kid you amaze me, even when your life is in our hands you dare threaten us.¡± The man sighed He paused and went silent for a second, the young naive boy seeing this immediately became elated as he thought that the men were going to spare him as they feared his father and clan. However he was horribly wrong: ¡°BASTARD!! WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOUR FATHER!?! YOUR FATHER CAN¡¯T DO SHIT TO ME BASTARD!! YOU WILL DIE A SLOW AND PAINFUL DEATH BY MY HAND BASTARD!! AHH COME HERE YOU LITTLE SHIT!!!¡± the man suddenly roared, pouncing towards the young boy. Instantly the joyful and smug look on the boys face instantly vanished to be replaced by pale, fearful look on his face, he knew that that was the only chance of escaping death. With no other choice he accepted his fate, he accepted death. Just as the man¡¯s hands were about to ruthlessly grab at the boys neck, the young boy suddenly fell backwards. He had both arms stretched out with his eyes closed. If you looked closer you could see tears slowly falling down. The young boy who realised he was fated to die today, gave up all hope and decided that if he was going to die he wouldn¡¯t let it be by the hands of these vicious men. So as he realised he was right at the edge of the cliff he decided to take his own life and jump off. The angry man who sent a claw towards the boy was stunned, he had never expected a 6 year old spoilt brat to take his own life, he even felt slightly resentful as he watched the boy silently fall down the cliff. The other man sighed: ¡°He Han, how can you lose your cool to a spoilt young master and a 6 at that. Our mission is completed, there is no way he will survive this cliff is known to be bottomless and this is better for us as all traces of him have no disappeared, let us return to the clan and report to the clan head so we can make preparations and continue our plan.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. He Han sighed, looking slightly embarrassed: ¡°Sorry He Yan but that bastard really got on my nerves, how can he still have the guts to threaten us when his pathetic life was in our hands. He should of been begging for mercy, arghh¡± He Yan chuckled: ¡°Let¡¯s go we are done here, we will report to the clan head then get intel from our spies in the Shi Clan to find out their reaction to the missing young master, hohoho and, that bastard Shi Yi is probably pissing his pants and tearing his hair out.¡± They conversed joyfully as they descended down the mountain road. ----------------- In a dimly lit room, around a rectangular 10 men could be sitting down with dark faces. At the top of the table sat a handsome middle aged man, who seemed to be have the darkest and most worried expression, he gloomily said to the other men: ¡°Elders, I have called upon you today, to discuss what I¡¯m guessing you all know already... the disappearance of my son. I¡¯m sure you are all aware but this is not a simple disappearance, But a ploy by the He Clan!! Those bastards dare wage war on my He Clan!! Elders what do you think should be done? Are we going to sit here and let the He clan do as they wish!?¡± All the elders sat quietly contemplating one elder calmly said: ¡°Shi Yi, although the He Clan showed us no face with their action and are trying to provoke us to attack first, do you truly want to go to war for a child that is not even yours?¡± Another elder called out ¡°Exactly!, that boy is not our blood! He is an outsider why should we head out to war and sacrifice hundreds of our brethren for an outsider.¡± The middle aged man known as Shi Yi was the current clan leader of Shi Family. He abruptly stood up fuming as he slapped the table causing a hand print to appear on the surface. He roared at the two men that just spoke: ¡°A child that is not mine!? So what! How can you sit here and say such words in front of me when you know perfectly well I have raised him as my successor and as my own. How dare you utter such words in front of me? In my eyes if anyone is an outsider it you, who told him that he was adopted and caused him to run away leading to this. It is your fault yet you sit there and utter such words!!¡± Both elders sat there embarrassed as anger appeared in their eyes as they glared at Shi Yi menacingly. An old man sitting at the far end of the table directly opposite Shi Yi finally spoke up: ¡°Hoho, Shi Yi sit down, calm yourself down before you do something rash¡± he said calmly with his eyes closed and a slight smile on his face. He continued ¡°We should all keep a sound mind and remain calm so that we can plan our future actions efficiently¡± as he said this he swept his gaze across all the elders causing them to tremble slightly. Shi Yi grumpily said: ¡°Grand Elder, Do you have any advice on what our next action should be?¡± The Grand Elder ¡°We shall...¡± Just as the Grand Elder was about to speak, a bloodied man pushed the door open with a ¡®BANG¡¯ he rushed into the room, anxiously and fearful, he nervously said while clasping his hands: ¡°Clan Master, Grand Elder and Elders, t-tthe He clan, t-t-tthey sent this letter¡± he said handing it over to Shi Yi, he continue as he trembled profusely ¡° a-a-a and this¡± he once again stretched his hand out however this time in his hand was a beautifully decorated jade badge. It was a roaring tiger with beautiful wings on both sides. There was blood stained all of it, with a cross going through it. What did this mean? This meant the owner of the badge had been killed! Shi Yi looked at the badge in horror as he trembled and started to shake. He looked at the badge lifelessly, muttering quietly: ¡°Jin¡¯er... Jin¡¯er,¡± he said crazily as tears started to flow down his face. ¡°Child... father has failed you... father has truly failed you....¡± ¡°JIN¡¯ER!!!¡± Shi Yi screamed in sorrow as he lifelessly dropped to his knees, brawling none stop. His son, his Jin¡¯er gone... just like that... Chapter 2 - The External Path AUTHORS NOTE: Hope you enjoy, please give advice and critc as it would help my writing and this story alot :D ------------------ Chapter 2 - The External Path Wushi city, located in the east of the LongXia Empire, was a once powerful and rich city. It was home to many experts and powerful families and the city was known for its beautiful architecture and as the birth city of the Founding Emperor Long Yinglong. The LongXia Empire wasn''t the only empire and was once one of the most powerful of the empires, however as time went on, the royal clan deteriorated and due to the internal war between the princes and has failed to recover since. Many powerful cities and clans where destroyed during this period known as the ''Game of thrones'' ( hehehehe see what I did there ;D) and a once powerful clan, home to countless experts and the rulers of the Wushi city, The Shi Clan, suffered a tremendous amount as their city was destroyed and experts and talents executed and powerful martial arts scripts stolen and burned (they didn''t take it for themselves simply because if they did people would know it is from the Shi clan and rumors would start saying that it was a ploy by the prince and the powerful clan to steal the Shi Clans secrets, this would ruin their reputation) This was due to a request from a powerful clan which requested the destruction of the Shi Clan as a condition for their loyalty to one of the princes. The Shi clan was put in disarray and over the years had fallen so low that they where barely able to hold the spot as the ruling family of the city. The Wushi city was even worse of than the Shi family, the once beautifully paved roads and buildings had been destroyed or the trade routes had be occupied by bandits and the one wealthy and powerful city had lost all it''s wealth and power. It was know a city full of crime, violence and poverty and the Shi Clan had been incredibly harsh with their taxes and known as vicious and arrogant people. Due to this over the years many people had tried to take over the city but had all failed until the unknown family, the He Clan arrived in Wushi and started to oppose the Shi clans rule. Over the years they have been bitter enemies, always secretly plotting a way to destroy the other. Inside the He Clans mansion, The Main Hall. A middle aged man with streaks of grey hair going across his red pony tailed hair, stood with his hand behind his back, looking at a portrait of a beautiful woman sorrowfully. He wore a blood-red robe and emanated a chilling aura. He quietly mused to himself: "Gu Wei, my dearest love, forgive me for I am taking too long, but today I finally start my plan to avenge your death all those years ago. The Shi Clan will pay for what they did to us and I won''t rest until they are all dead and buried." killing intent started emanate and surprisingly tears started to flow down this savage looking mans face. This man was none other than the head of the He Clan, He Cheng. As he was lost in thought, he sensed the the arrival of two black robed robust men. Upon their arrival, all emotion and disappeared from his face and his countenance returned to being cold and unapproachable. "Clan Head" the two men cupped their hands and dropped to one knee, greeting him respectfully. He Cheng who remained with his back to the two men, coldly spoke: "He Han, He Yan have you completed your task" The two men where exactly He Han and He Yan who caused the little boy to jump of the cliff. They both replied at the same time: "Yes, Clan head" "Report" He Cheng said coldly with no emotion on his face. Hen Yan stepped forward, with his hand still cuping his fist and with a slight bow. He reported: "Clan head, We where able to get young master Shi Jin away from the Shi family earlier than expected as we had someone bribe the Shi Clan elder, Shi Yuan to tell the young master the secret of his birth. This caused him to run out of the mansion unguarded so we took the chance and approached him. He was captured as soon as he got far enough from the Shi Mansion and we captured him and took him to the Mountain.. well to precise ''The cliff of no return'' where we threw him off so cut of all traces connecting this to us so even though they know it is us they have no evidence. In addition to this we had a random kid deliver the young masters badge and a vague letter hinting towards us being the ones behind this but not enough to be evidence." after he finished reporting he stepped back and got onto one knee again. He Cheng nodded, with no change appearing on his face even after hearing the mission was a success, he coldly spoke finally turning around to face the two: "You have done well and you will be rewarded handsomely for completing this task with such efficiency. Now tell the other and begin phase 2 as we wait for those Shi dogs to attack us whilst blinded by rage." and for the first time a bone chilling, menacing smile appeared on his scarred face. --------------------------- Liu family mansion, under a tree. A little girl had just received the news that her fiance and best friend Shi Jin was dead and that their engagement had been cancelled. This little girl looked around the same age as Shu Jin, she had a beautiful, cute face and you could tell right away she would be an amazing beauty in the future. She sat against the tree with her head in between her knees, in a daze. "Shi Jin gege wouldn''t die just like that.... he promised... he promised he would marry me when we are grown up" she moved her head deeper between her knees " Shi Jin gege wouldn''t leave Ai all alone, he said he will grow strong and handsome and take me on many adventures... Shi Jin gege... you liar" tears started falling, seeing her like this would make anyone feel heartbroken as she cried and cried for the whole night. "Ai will wait for you... I promise..." ----------------------------- Shi Mansion, Shi Yi''s study. Shi Yi sat there lifelessly, heartbroken, heartbroken that his clan, his family that he had shed blood and tears for where stopping him from taking action against the He clan, heartbroken that his Jin''er, his little boy whom he had raised alone had died so young... he had such a promising future and for it to be destroyed... so early and worst of it his so called ''family'' wanted to do nothing about it. This made him furious, he cursed the heavens for giving Shi Jin such a unfortunate life. He was abandoned by his birth parents, had a weak body from young and when he was finally getting better, he had been... had been assassinated and there was nothing he could do about it... he couldn''t even locate the corpse... "Jin''er, my son, your father is truly useless, I wasn''t able to do anything for you, I can''t even give you a befitting burial" he grabbed his robe at his heart area, fell on his knees and started crying again "Father is heartbroken... my child... why are the heavens so cruel to you... ------------------------------ Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Shi Jin, the foster son of the head of the Shi family. He had a weak body from young so practicing martial arts was almost impossible for him. He was engaged to the Liu Family''s 3rd daughter Liu Ai, a cheeky-playful girl. Shi Jin and Liu Ai had been best friends from young and always played together and for children so young they had special feelings towards one and other, so through out Wushin city they were known as the Star-crossed couple, as people would tease them when they where together. To commoners Shi Jin was arrogant and harsh as that''s how he was raised but to those he cared about he was tender and protective. Unfortunately he wasn''t even mourned by many, only pity and disdain... ---------------------------- In a dark cave A little boy body lay on the ground in a t-shape, deeply asleep as he had no idea what was happening around him. "Child, Greeting I am Longyang the Spirit of External Martial arts and it is my sole responsibility to grant my power to the one I wish to be the successor of my legacy. You are the first one to make it all the way to my lair, without any martial arts. That is why I have chosen you to be my successor. Before I can grant you this power, there are a few things you must promise me you will do. They are: To reach the pinnacle of the world. To start a sect strictly focusing on only External arts, whether it be the ones you receive from me or those you come across in the future, it can only be external and no internal. You must remember this it is very important you spread the greatness of External martial arts. That is all I ask of you. Child, this must be a huge shock for you but fear not, I mean you no harm. Do you anything you wish to inquire about? Longyang said calmly Shi Jin quickly recovered from his daze, took a deep breath to calm him self and shakily asked: "Sir Longyang, where am I? Am I dead? If not can I go home?" The smoke form of the spirit had no reaction, in a deep rumbling voice Longyang replied: "Hmm, for your first question we are in my domain, no one can enter or leave unless I allow it. For your second question,of course you are not dead, I stopped your death with the hope you would take on this burden that I had been tasked during and even after my life to fulfill, so no silly boy you are not dead. Lastly, you will be able to leave..." Hearing this Shi Jin''s heart starting racing in excitement he could finally go home and have his father deal with those men and return to Liu Ai to let her know he was alright. But before he could think further he was shocked silly by Longyang next words: " But most likely sometime in the future. Five?, ten? Maybe fifteen years it all depends on your affinity to the External teachings and how fast you are able to absorb the legacy, in addition to this you will not leave until you have reached the '' Understand and Combine stage'' before that you must practice diligently, if you want to leave quickly and return to your loved ones... train harder. Shi Jin''s joyful expression turned in to one of sorrow and longing. ''15 years?'' ''Train to the Understand and combine stage'' he thought. Longyang noticing his sadness, Longyang interjected: "You are young, you miss your family and friends, that fine, but don''t you want power to be able to protect them? Do you want what could of happened to you to happen to them? I have been secluded for innumerable years so I don''t understand what is happening but do you want to forever remain a burden on your family or do you want to be a pillar of support for them, a shield to keep them from harm and a sword to cut away all those with vicious intentions, calm your heart and train to the peak of martial arts and I can guarantee this will happen." Shi Jin sat there deep in his thought, he contemplated '' I want to be strong, to protect father and Liu Ai, so I can get revenge on those scum that tried to kill me! I hate being weak, I hate being called trash because I had a sickly body!" Shi Jin looked up staring intently with resolve in his eyes, he said: " I will do it, I accept, I hate being weak, I hate being bullied and looked at with disdain and disgust... I hate being a burden and always causing pain for my father and Liu Ai, I will be the strongest, the richest, the most handsome everything... please help me" tears started to stream down Shi Jin''s face. He had finally had a purpose in life. Longyang nodded in satisfaction, before gazing up as in lost in thought ''Longying, I have found the chosen, I pray he will fulfill his promises and do what I asked. After he leaves this place I can finally leave this godforsaken place and wait for you to complete your task so we can be together again, my dearest...'' Longyang paused a moment, he silently said as joy rose inside of him: "Y-you have found your successor too.. Fate has it''s way of playing games and now we can finally be reunited..." Longyang quickly recollected his thought and piercingly gazed down at Shi Jin, he said: "Okay kid, prepare yourself, since you have accepted I will tell you exactly what i''m about to give you." he paused for a moment before continuing "The first thing will be the Metamorphosis - where your body will go through a purge and your constitution will completely change to set a unfathomable foundation. Secondly, you will be given memories as well as this inter-spatial ring which is basically a library of all sorts of external martial arts, they are ranked as wood being the lowest tier and in order going up: Iron tier, Copper tier, Silver, Gold and finally Jade tier. For the other tier I don''t care but for the Jade tier there are 5 external skill sets. For the 3rd change, any external skill you see you will be able to copy, no matter what skill or skill move set as long as you see it you will be able to mimic however this does not apply for Ancient skill moves and being able to mimic isn''t reaching the insights needed to unleash it''s full power... remember that" Longyang smiled: "Now, let''s begin" and with that an azure radiance shot out and entered the unsuspecting Shi Jin. As he sat there in daze wondering what that light was, all of a sudden he felt a warm power coursing through him it felt unbelievably soothing.. then it turned into the most gut wrenching pain he had ever felt. He would go unconscious from the pain but would be awoken again. It continued like this before Shi Jin passed out and the pain stopped. A layer of azure light appeared around his body. The light emitted from within his body and covered him like a cocoon. All cuts and bruises disappeared and he slowly started levitating of the ground. His bones, muscles, internal organs and meridians were being infused with a bright azure energy. It was a majestic azure color, and the cocoon that surrounded Shi Jin had yellow streaks of gold coursing through. Shi Jin had entered an transformation slumber and wouldn''t awake for many years... Chapter 3 - Shi Jin Awakens AUTHORS NOTE: Writing is a really weird but enjoyable experience for me. This is my 3rd chapter, but I have hundreds of different ideas but deciding which ones to use and which ones I shouldn''t is the problem. This is really weird.... Enjoy the chapter and please comment, so i know if people are enjoying it or feel changes should be made. --------------------------- Chapter 3 - Shi Jin Awakens Liu Family Mansion, under a tree... Liu Ai could be seen with her head in between her knees lifelessly. She had been coming here everyday for 2 months since Shi Jin''s death. Liu Ai sat there, wishing, hoping that everyone heard wrong and that he would come back and rum her head like he used to. As he was sitting there in deep thought, she heard foot steeps, she didn''t pay any attention to it because a lot of servants walk by. Still in deep thought, she felt a shadow loom over her. She opened her eyes to see a pair someone standing in front of her and because she was looking down she only saw two feet in a nicely decorated shoes. Her heart palpitated, as hope took over her. ''It can''t be'' she thought She hurriedly looked up in excitement ''He''s back'' she thought however this hope and excitement was instantly shattered as the figure standing before her was a stranger she had never met before. She was surprised and with a ''Humph'' she looked back down returning to her downcast mood. The boy having noticed her dissatisfaction was puzzled, he thought ''Did I do something wrong?'' he looked at her in confusion but then suddenly burst out laughing. He laughed so heard tears started to fall. Liu Ai was already in a bad mood and having someone she didn''t know laugh at her caused her to feel irritated and angry, she angrily growled: "Who are you? and why are you disturbing this young miss? Go away before I call the guards to throw you out" The boy smiled brightly, his neat white teeth showing. He was a very good looking boy probably 7-8, he would grow up to be a dashingly handsome. He gazed at Liu Ai, smiling happily, he said: "Hello there, young miss I am Lin Chong, let''s be friends" he said happily as he stuck out his hand for a hand shake. Lin Ai noticed this guy was really good looking making her daze for a moment before regaining her composure: "Hmph, this young lady does not wish to befriend you, go away, shoo" "Young miss don''t be like that, this is my first time in this city, my father and your father are very good friends so I hope we can get along, I even brought you sweets, here take it" ''Hmm? sweets'' Liu Ai looked up hesitating slightly before taking a red box out his hand. She looked slightly timid for a moment then she returned to her haughtiness: "Hmph, this miss thanks you, hmm my name is Liu Ai" as she said this she opened the box and started eating the chocolate. After one bite she was surprised at how tasty they were and started gobbling it with no regard for who was there. As if struck by lighting she suddenly realized that Lin Chong was still there. She smiled wryly with a mouthful of chocolate, a red streak flashed across her face as she said: "Do you want some?" "Sure" Lin Chong replied squatting down next to Liu Ai the two started to chat away. ------------------------ He Clan, Hideout Mmmm so uncle wants to begin phase two... ahaha interesting, very well let''s begin. "Xi Peng" he called out and instantly a tall, pale, skinny man appeared from the shadows dressed in full black cloth, head to toe, the man continued "It''s time to begin get in contact with the rest and tell them to begin overtaking the Shi Clan business and destroy their merchant carts" "Yes master" Xi Peng said in a dark croaky voice before disappearing as fast as he appeared. The man sat in his chair with an evil grin, he thought "Ahh Shi Clan, poor guys to face the wrath of uncle after all these years, It''s really unfortunate..." ... The people of jianghu continued to live their lives. Life continued peacefully on the surface and the Wushi city deteriorated even more... Compared with the thriving, bustling nature of Jianghu, the central government grew increasingly autocratic, with the emperor power increasingly consolidated. The Eastern Chamber Guards were formed, growing into a formidable force that influenced jianghu to some degree. The current emperor of LongXia Dynasty. Long Yuanzhang. grew increasingly suspicious and weary of the 8 sects, due to their increasing influence and interference in state affairs. 10 years transpired... along with most peoples memory of Shi Jin... ------------------------ Inside Longyang''s domain Shi Jin was lying on the floor with a serene look on his now devilishly handsome face. The azure cocoon slowly dissipated and with it, revealed the now 16 year old Shi Jin. He had grown and looked around 6 feet, his hair had grown reaching matching the length of his body. Shi Jin''s eyes slowly opened concentrating. As soon as he regained his consciousness he felt strong power coursing through his body. Then a deep voice sounded out: "You woke up... hmm 10 years, not bad..." Longyang spoke calmly as if 10 years was nothing in his eyes. "Ahh, Senior Longyang, I woke up..." as Shi Jin was processing Longyang''s words his gasped " Senior... did you say?..." If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Yes, you have been slumbering for 10 years... 6 years was spent completely transforming your body and 4 years for the memories that master left for you however you will not be able to access all of it until you meet the requirements and how you do that is for you to find out." Shi Jin thought for a moment before asking : "Am I allowed to leave now?" He had been away for 10 years now. He missed his foster father and Liu Ai, he thought ''they must of suffered all these years... believing I am dead I need to get back as soon as possible'' Longyang remained silent for a moment before saying: "I''m afraid not child, you are not ready and it my responsibility to make sure you know everything you need to know and even if I can''t train you for a long time, for 4 months I will help you strengthen your body and set a stable foundation at that time you will be able to leave" Shi Jin looked slightly disappointed but filled with determination. He nodded: "What do we do now? Does the training begin now?" Longyang sighed: "Patience is a virtue child... remember these words... we will begin by learning about martial arts and cultivation. To begin all forms of martial arts are divided into two types, external and internal. Internal martial arts focus much more on the mind and will. They train in the manipulation of internal forces, such as vigorous qi or internal breath, which can be cultivated through inner. The main characteristics of Internal marital arts are relaxation, precision and breathing. In internal martial arts the aim is total control of body and mind. Powerful Internal Martial artist can unleash frightening internal power with their skills. On the other hand there is external martial arts. External martial arts focus on power, strength, flexibility, endurance and reflexes. External martial artist manifest power entirely through physical means. External martial artist cultivate through inner and instead of gathering Chi into their dantian it is gathers in the muscles and makes our attacks even more formidable. In terms of sheer destruction external arts beat internal martial artist by a long shot however internal arts are more critically accurate." Longyang stopped, giving Shi Jin the chance to absorb all the information. Shi Jin on the other hand sat there rapidly digesting and thinking of all thoughts of things. As curiosity overtook him, he couldn''t help but ask: "Being as unbiased as possible, what is stronger internal or external martial artist?" Shi Jin''s eyes where sparkling as he curiously asked. "Hahahaha, that is a funny question child. Hmmm if i am to be 100% honest with you... internal and external are both equal. Depending on the individuals ability and talent an external martial artist can easily defeat and internal martial artist vies versa. In this world there is a saying, `The most respected in the north is Shaolin; the most respected in the south is Wudang`. With focus on Internal Skills, Wudang disciples incorporate Taoist concepts within their martial arts, where as Shaolin disciples incorporate Buddhist concepts with their martial arts . Wudang internal arts such as ''Tai Chi fist'' where as Shaolin practice External arts such as ''Taizu Long fist''." "Ahh" Shi Jin nodded in enlightenment. Longyang continued: "However External and Internal are just the two forms and methods of training. To train you need inner''s, inner''s are also divided into external and internal however under that are the attributes that the particular inner specializes in." Longyang paused for a moment before continuing "The inner attributes are; Tai Chi, Yang Hard and Yin Soft. All inner''s and martial arts skills under the heavens fall under these three attributes it''s either one or the other and can never be both." once again Longyang paused gazing intently at Shi Jin who sat with his legs cross, arms folded in deep thought. "That is just the tip of the ice berg there is another thing inners do and that is unblock certain meridians in your body. One inner cannot open all of them" "I don''t understand..." Shi Jin said confused "Hmm, practicing an inner will unblock some meridians channels, yes... however each inner will only unblock the accupoints that correspond with it, do you understand?" Shi Jin nodded: "So there more inner''s you master the stronger you become?" "Exactly and as a full external martial artist, you will only cultivate External inner''s and increase you strength and body method (flexibility, speed, reaction and endurance)" Longyang paused, to let Shi Jin absorb everything before going on to say "These are basic stuff you should know. There are some more in-depth things that you shall discover yourself and gain insights in them through training. We will begin training now..." And with that the domain that was once dark transform into a training ground. With huge fighting stage and weapon racks with all types of weapons surround the stage. Huge rocks ranging in different weights and practice dummies in another area. Surrounding all of this in the far distance where huge mountains making Shi Jin wondered how they got here... "When we begin you are going to wish you where dead. As the successor you will surpassing your limits at every give moment, so prepare yourself..." Shi Jin shuddered, hearing Longyang talk in such and creepy/mischievous tone... And so it begun 4 months of the most hellish and brutal training... Chapter 4 - Who are you Authors not: Okay, I took a hell of a long time to add a new chapter, if you are from the UK you should know that it is exam season and i''ve been 100% occupied with my A-level exams, good news is I am done and I am basically free from school for a loooooong time so I should be able to update more often, alright enough chitta chatta from me enjoy the chapter. -------------------------- Chapter 4 - Who are you "You are doing well Shi Jin! Don''t give up keep pushing, push!" Longyang ordered. Shi Jin was only wearing his worn out trousers that didn''t fit him any more, demonstrating his bulging muscles. His upper body was drenched in sweat, stretched out, was lying on the grounded panting. His hand shakily supported himself from a push-up position. Only his arms seemed to function as the rest didn''t seem to respond! This was Longyang body strengthening training! Beads of sweat rolled down Shi Jin''s forehead as he weakly supported him self up. His legs where shaky for a moment before he regained control and feeling. Drip, drip, drip! Sweat continuously rolled of Shi Jin''s body and with a ''plop'' fell on the ground. Even though his are shaky as if he could fall down at any moment, his eyes were blazing with excitement and motivation. Longyang couldn''t help but praise Shi Jin slightly. He had been pain painstakingly training for 4 months straight and never once had he complained, he even seemed to get more and more motivated every time he surpassed his limit. "Now sit in the meditative position and practice the basic breathing technique I taught you. Gather the energy and concentrate it" he watched as Shi Jin followed his instructions " Now slowly disperse it through out your meridians and allow the energy to strengthen your channels and revitalize your fatigued body. Shi Jin done as instructed and just like Longyang had said he could feel his exhaustion wear off and he was back to peak, however unlike before he felt lighter and more powerful. He jumped up and down, testing his vertical jump and started wildly throwing punches. "Longyang! this is amazing my body feels so light, who knew training would be this simple!" Shi Jin said excitedly. Shi Jin loved the wonderful feeling he was experiencing after surpassing his limits and becoming stronger. The instant he finished meditating he realized at how stupid he had been before, he realized that he should of pushed himself now matter what and even if he couldn''t achieve amazing results at least he should of put effort in. This kind of feeling... the sense of accomplishment which he had never felt before, this type of feeling became something Shi Jin wanted to continuously feel from today on wards. Longyang sighed " Simple? you amaze me... you have accomplished what only heavenly blessed geniuses could only achieve in 2 years in only 4 months *sigh* there''s nothing left for me to teach you as now your future rests in your own hands. I hope you don''t disappoint me. Ahh yes" Longyang said suddenly being reminded of something " If you ever meet someone who gives you a strange feeling of familiarity, that is your rival and make sure you don''t loose to that will make me loose face" "Huh?" Shi Jin asked in confusion "What are you talking about?" "You will understand sooner on later" Longyang said " Okay, the time of your departure is nearing. There are some things that we didn''t discuss before that we need to to talk about. If you have any questions, speak before I begin" "Before, you told me about the external and internal paths and also about the three attributes: Yin, Yang and Tai Chi, but you''ve never told me about how power levels are ranked and what level I am" Shi Jin asked. "Something as minuscule as that was bothering you, hmm, rankings are a bit complicated. Your level is dependent on the type of inner you cultivate however you have to cultivate in all tiers of inner to open meridians and set strong foundations otherwise those people who go straight and learn a high tier inner''s are aiming for superficial power and will be absolutely weak compared to someone in the same rank or even a whole rank weaker. So to be strong you have to set your foundations from slowly cultivating each tier of inner and mastering it completely to move on to another of the same attribute. For now the inner tiers you need to know about are Tiers 1-5." "This is why i recommend you joining a sect as they will give you inner''s and skill sets and it will hide any possible suspicion of you having a lucky encounter and being targeted by with your talent of comprehension you should be able to master it in no time, when that happens start cultivating the other tier 1 inner''s and skill sets and try to get as much experience as possible" Shi Jin nodded in understanding " And my current level, what stage am I?" Longyang looked intently at Shi Jin " In these four months you have been able to go from having no martial arts to being First Understanding rank level 6, which isn''t bad as you have only been doing body strengthening training and the most basic breathing technique. For a 16 year old this is considered talented and you should be able to get into a top school unless they demand specific requirements." Shi Jin nodded again. Before wondering what level Liu Ai and the other children of the Shi Clan reached. He asked " Longyang, when do I leave? Unless you have more to teach me..." muttering the last sentence under his breath. Longyang smiled " You are to leave here first thing tomorrow, so before that you have reached the requirements of a small fraction of masters memories and experiences which cover a wide range of things from his battle experience to something as funny as his gambling experience, ahahaha. Use them as they are yours now, the memories will slowly awaken as you grow stronger and stronger. Now sit in the lotus position and I will awaken the small fraction" Shi Jin did as instructed wondering about what amazing memories he will receive. He felt warm energy entering his channels and slowly making it''s way to his mind. As soon as it reached his mind he felt a sharp pain but it disappeared in a instant as a warm soothing feeling replaced it. Memories flooded his mind as he gained knowledge about many things which left him in stupor as he realized how little he had know about the world. With that he opened his eyes with a look of excitement. He called out "Longyang" happily. He received no response he anxiously looked around and noticed that this wasn''t where he had spent ten years however he was very familiar with this place, for it was the very same cliff he had been forced to jump off. After realizing the situation, he hurriedly kowtowed towards the edge of the cliff "Thank you Longyang for saving my life, for choosing me despite my incompetence and for guiding me on this wonderful path of martial arts" he banged his head on the floor every time he spoke out. Until finally getting up... Shi Jin was now a free man, the first thing that he had to do was return home and let them no he was not dead, he thought as he started head towards town with a bright smile on his handsome face revealing his pear white teeth. ----------- Shi Jin walked for a half hour before finally reaching town. He could here people on the streets chatting among themselves. With his improved sharp senses. "Ahh what a pity, such a handsome boy is a madman" said one plump lady walking by with her friend. "Shhh, he might here you but it truly is a pity look at the clothes he''s wearing and his hair if he was normal what girl wouldn''t wed him aiya" her friend and tall skinny lady sighed. Shi Jin frowned, he thought " Are they talking about me?" he gazed down at his body and noticed his attire. He had was wearing his worn out shredded robe top and trousers that no longer fit him. He smiled wryly as a read streak flashed across his face in embarrassment. Pick up his pace he head to the closest tailor shop he could remember. Reaching his destination and heading to the counter, there he saw a attractive looking middle aged woman who noticed him but snorted and looked away. Seeing this the old arrogant attitude he use to posses reemerged as he frowned and loftily walked over to the counter. He entered his inter-spatial ring taking out his money pouch he had from 10 years ago and took out five gold which was exactly how much he had. He arrogantly said The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Oi oi, old lady give this young master a bath and a new set of clothes... this young master has been training for so long I don''t have anything to wear, hurry up, chop chop" The lady who was still looking away disdainfully was about to retort and curse this madman but when she noticed the five gold on the counter her attitude instantly changed "Ahh sir, forgive me for not noticing your arrival, right this way please I''ll send someone to prepare a bath, do you have a preferential clothes you would like, maybe a certain color or design" Seeing her flustered attitude, Shi Jin couldn''t help but feel great. It was always amazing to put people in there place when they got too beg headed and arrogant. With that he nodded as he was led to a room where the finest clothing where kept. Entering the room Shi Jin couldn''t help but feel some nostalgia for he would go to places like this often as when he couldn''t cultivate he would kill time shopping. Looking around there was clothing after clothing of the finest garments and robes you would find in a city like Wushi. Glancing around he didn''t see anything he wanted, so he asked "Do you have anything black preferably loose fitted robe with good quality material that does rip easy" The middle aged woman contemplated a bit "Ahh yes sir, we indeed do have something like that, please come this way" once again she led Shi Jin to another room. Unlike the other room filled with luxurious clothing that where somewhat over done, this room had more moderate clothing that he found more suitable for him. The woman walked off and brought back two robes that fit Shi Jin''s description. She asked "Is this okay?". Shi Jin felt the fabric of the two and nodded in satisfaction. "How much are these" he asked as he knew he had limited money. "This one was tailored by this stores tailor personally and this was made by a first level tailor. They are both 100 silver coins in total" Hearing this Shi Jin couldn''t help but feel his heart clench he thought ''1 whole gold for this simple clothing this woman must be taking revenge on me, fffffff'' he took out the gold and gave her it. At this moment a young man in rough cloth walked over and told them the bath was ready and with that Shi Jin headed to bath. -------- A young teenager emerged from the back of the store. He wore loose black robes,he had a handsome face and his entire body was emitting a special aura. That person was exactly Shi Jin who had completely transformed from the beggar looking madman to this kingly presence. The middle aged woman who noticed him behind her couldn''t help but be shocked silly. She had her mouth open wide as she stared at Shi Jin, finally realizing her actions towards this young man caused her to blush feeling extremely embarrassed. Shi Jin grinned playfully and seductively said "Lady do you like what you see? Hmm your pretty even though you''re a bit old I don''t mind taking you home with me" The lady got even more flustered from his actions and was about to reply before getting interrupted by large commotion outside. Shi Jin walked to the entrance of the store and stood look at countless people celebrating, he couldn''t help wonder what the fuss was all about. "Did the king have another child" he thought jokingly. Next to him the woman noticed his confused look and couldn''t help but ask jokingly " Have you been living under a rock young master?" "Hmm?" Shi Jin glared at her, causing her to feel cold sweat running behind her back. "I didn''t mean to offend you in any way, it''s just that from Wushi to the neighboring cities everyone knows that tomorrow is the wedding of the beautiful genius young miss of the Liu clan and the highly famous young master of the Lin clan the heavenly blessed genius at the 6th level of first understand at just 17 years of age. It is a match made in heaven and everyone is looking forward to it" Huh? Liu clan wondered a sudden thought flashed in his head but disappeared almost instantly as he told himself it was impossible, but for some reason he couldn''t shake the nervous feeling. He turned to look at the woman "And the Shi clan what has happened to them?" "The Shi clan? They deteriorated rapidly after the mysterious death of the young master, the He clan constantly pressured them almost completely wiping them out but luckily due to the friendship between the Liu clan Ancestor and the Shi clan ancestor they promised to help the Shi clan to get through this calamity and stop He clan from making a move, but it''s only a matter of time till the Shi clan bastard get wiped out hmph" Shi Jin heart tensed " Has anything happened to the Clan head of the Shi clan?" The woman put her finger on her chin trying to recollect information " I heard after the death of Shi Jin he became crazed with revenge and on multiple occasions tried to kill the He clans leader however he failed every time, it''s only recently that he entered closed door training and he hasn''t been seen for about 8 years, who knows if he''s dead or not" Shi Jin remained silent as a cold glint appeared in his eyes "He...Clan... I will have my revenge" he thought. He glanced at the woman " Thank you for your services, goodbye" he walked out the shop walking at a fast pace towards the Shi Clan mansion, leaving the middle aged woman to stare at him in stupor and a bit of disappointment. ----------- In front of Shi Clan mansion Shi Jin walked slowly towards the Shi Mansion as emotions started to bubble inside him and without knowing tears started falling... Two guards stood in front of the gates as if statues. Shi Jin was all too familiar with these two they were long time Shi family guards: Gu Fu and Pi Jian. Even though Shi Jin never liked these two he couldn''t help but feel sentimental when he saw these two. Shi Jin walked towards them stopping about a 1 and a half meters away from them. They noticed Shi Jin and couldn''t help but think this guy looked familiar. "Halt! Who are you and state your business" Gu Fu said coldly "Hmm, you don''t recognize me Gu Fool and Pee Jian, I''ve been gone fore 10 years and you seem to have forgotten my face?" Shi Jin said mockingly. He used to call Gu Fu, Gu Fool and Pi Jian, Pee Jian to make fun of them as they were never on good terms. The two stood there dumbstruck. "What''s going on...? It can''t be. That bastard Shi Jin died 10 years ago who else would dare call them that". Both of them glared at Shi Jin, steaming in anger. "Who are you bastard, how dare you call us that! You''re courting death!" Gu Fu said coldly. "Who else could I be, I have news regarding your young master Shi Jin." Shi Jin chuckled "Have the clan leader of the Shi Clan come as this message is supposed to be transferred directly to him and no one else" The two guards looked at each other in disbelief "It couldn''t be right" they both thought, with eye contact Pi Jian ran into the mansion to report to the clan head and grand elder. After a while an old man walked casually, he was clad in a beautifully laced white robe and he had his hands behind his back and walked with gentle steps. Behind him was Pi Jian who seemed very respectful as he kept a distance behind him. Pi Jian said respectfully "Grand Elder, this is him, the one that claims he has news on the young master" "Hmm?" casually studied Shi Jin with an all knowing gaze. After looking at him closely his eyes couldn''t help but widen in surprise. He noticed those familiar features however unlike 10 years ago this person looked full of vigor and power, unlike the weak sickly looking Shi Jin, "Is that Shi Jin? Impossible, he should be dead by now" he thought. "Who are you, state your name and why you come to my Shi family''s home to speak nonsense, if your answer doesn''t satisfy me I will take your arm" "Unlike these two idiots, I am sure the esteemed elder should of recognized me? Indeed I have come with news of Shi Jin, he is very much alive and well, in fact he is standing before you" Shi Jin smiled. The grand elder looked surprised, his eyes filled with disbelief "This is not a joking mater boy, if I have Shi Yi come and he cannot recognize you I will immediately have your head" he stared coldly at Shi Jin "Pi Jian, send for Shi Yi immediately and make sure he comes out that room, if he refuses tell him it is to do with his foster son and he must come here immediately . "Yes, Grand Elder" Pi Jian bowed before leaving with hasty steps. Shi Jin stood there, excitement shone in his eyes "Father, your son has been unfilial, I hope you can forgive me...