Chapter 121: The Kindness of a Warning

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Fire coats Feng Hao’s arms and legs, making his attacks swift and strong; his small body bounces off the walls and ceiling so quickly it is as if there are dozens of him around Liu Jin.

After much pleading from Feng Hao, Liu Jin had finally agreed to let him use elemental attacks during their spars. One contributing factor is that they are no longer sparring out in the open or even in one of the rooms beneath the Sparring Pavilion. Since Liu Jin tutoring Feng Hao is known by all, Lady Ling has granted them use of one of the many rooms in her mansion, one more than capable of handling their level of sparring while ensuring their privacy.

Relatively, that is. Lady Ling’s subordinates are surely observing them somehow.

Perhaps sensing his mind is not fully focused, Feng Hao’s face twitches in anger. The fire around his right arm grows in intensity as he lets out a furious yell.

“Don’t.”

One moment, Feng Hao’s punch is about to hit him. The next, Feng Hao is suddenly on his back, the wooden floor and walls left rattling by the force of the impact. The young prodigy blinks at the ceiling, unsure of what just happened. The pain in the back of his knees tells him he was hit there somehow.

“You lost focus.” Liu Jin chides him. Feng Hao flushes and mumbles something under his breath as he picks himself up.

“What was that?”

Feng Hao jumps like a startled rabbit; his cheeks grow darker as he realizes he had not mumbled low enough to avoid being overheard.

“Elder Brother… Elder Brother also wasn’t paying attention to the match,” Feng Hao says, doing his best to avoid Liu Jin’s inquisitive red eyes. Liu Jin follows his gaze to one of the walls where a banner displaying the name of the Eternal Flame Clan hangs.

“If Young Master’s attempt to make me pay attention to the fight ended in his own defeat, it can’t have been a very good one. Can it?”

“Ugh!”

Liu Jin sighs.

“I know Young Master is smart, so he should already realize this. What is it that he did wrong?”

Feng Hao pouts. It is fairly adorable, but Liu Jin is unmoved. Feng Hao, Liu Jin has noticed, learns better when he has to point out his own flaws instead of having them pointed out to him. It may cause him some discomfort now, but it will pay off later.

“I misjudged the timing of my attack,” Feng Hao says with great reluctance. “I thought that, since Elder Brother was distracted, I’d have time to gather enough power for a hit strong enough to break past Elder Brother’s defenses. However, I was not quick enough.”

Liu Jin nods.

“Well put. You underestimated my speed and overestimated yours. Young Master should already understand this, but using elemental techniques is not quite the same as enhancing your body with Qi.”

Deciding a visual aid may be helpful, Liu Jin lets his aura flare up.

“Qi is always flowing through our bodies. It makes us stronger. It heals us. It rejuvenates us and even slows down our aging. These are all things it does without any input, passively. When we fight, we impose our will over it and turn it from a passive force into an active one. We control the flow and guide it through our bodies so that it may produce the effects we need, be they offensive or defensive. Most simple techniques are rooted in this foundation. However, elemental attacks are more complex.”

The aura around Liu Jin crackles with electricity as his Qi takes on the properties of lightning. Feng Hao takes a step back in surprise.

“When we use elemental techniques, we are not just summoning our Qi to attack. We are not merely guiding it through our body. We are first attuning our Qi to an element of our choosing. It is only after doing so that we can manifest it as a technique.”

Feng Hao stares at him wide-eyed.

“Elder Brother can use elemental techniques as well!?”

Liu Jin meets Feng Hao’s astonishment with a raised brow. “I do not recall ever saying I couldn’t, Young Master. I’d be a poor Inner Disciple if I couldn’t do at least this much. Regardless, the point I’m trying to make is that using techniques such as your flames requires one extra step. Neglecting to take that extra step into account was a miscalculation. That is what slowed down Young Master’s attack.”

Of course, as one grows more comfortable attuning their Qi to a specific element, doing it becomes much easier. For example, Liu Jin may need to focus when generating lightning but creating Poison Qi is as easy as breathing.

Feng Zhi is a similar case. It is why the temperature rises whenever he is annoyed. His Qi is so extremely attuned to Fire, it has become an automatic response.

Feng Hao frowns. “So it is an issue of control?”

“Not quite,” Liu Jin replies. “Rather, this is an issue of experience. I am willing to bet Young Master does not have to try quite so hard against his usual sparring partners.”

The twitch in Feng Hao’s face is all the answer he needs. As expected, his tutors are picking partners who they know Feng Hao can defeat. Liu Jin is the first sparring partner Feng Hao has chosen for himself.

“Because Young Master has not been pushed hard enough against his usual sparring partners, he has not been forced to realize the limits of his attack speed. However, that is something that will improve in time. The more Young Master uses his flames in combat, the easier doing so will become. Eventually, Young Master won’t even need to think about it. Beyond that, the quality and quantity of Young Master’s flames leave nothing to be desired.”

The praise makes Feng Hao puff his chest with pride. “My tutors all say the same thing! They said it won’t be long until I can c-use the Eternal Flame.”

Liu Jin blinks.

As he understands it, the Eternal Flame is a high-level fire technique that only a select few among the Eternal Flame Clan can use. Certainly, Feng Hao has a good affinity for fire, but Liu Jin hardly thinks he is at a level where using such a high-level technique is an option for him.

Perhaps his instructors are just flattering him?

“I would recommend Young Master grow comfortable with his regular flames before talking about high-level things such as the Eternal Flame.”

“Is that so? And who are you to lecture anyone on the secrets of the Eternal Flame Clan?”

Liu Jin almost hadn’t sensed him getting closer. Even so, Feng Zhi reached this room far quicker than expected. They are in Lady Ling’s mansion, but he walks with such surety it makes Liu Jin feel as if he were the one intruding.

“Big Brother! You’re here!” Feng Hao’s face is torn between excitement and confusion, between wanting to run up to Feng Zhi or staying in place as is proper. It is a struggle, and propriety wins out in the end. The young child smoothes his face and bows his head. “Ah, forgive my outburst, Venerable Brother. I mean to say I was not expecting to see you today.”

Feng Zhi’s golden eyes move over from Liu Jin to Feng Hao. The young child keeps his head bowed, not daring to move a muscle until Feng Zhi addresses him.

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“Feng Hao… You have grown.”

While Feng Zhi’s voice sounds conflicted, Feng Hao’s face lights up in a way Liu Jin has never seen before.

“Thank you, Venerable Brother! I have been training hard! My instructors say-”

“It would be good if you left this room.”

Feng Zhi’s words prove far more devastating than any technique. The joy on Feng Hao’s face swiftly turns to ashes.

“I…” Feng Hao looks at Liu Jin but only for a moment. He dips his head even lower. “Of course, I will leave you be. I… was happy to see you, Venerable Brother.”

The slight slouch of Feng Hao’s back. The hurriedness in his steps. The almost inaudible whimper that leaves his lips. It all contributes towards forming a glare on Liu Jin’s face.

“You have certainly done well for yourself,” Feng Zhi says once Feng Hao is out of the room. “You joined the Eternal Flame Clan mere months ago, yet now you tutor the Eternal Flame Clan’s Young Master. That is quite a feat.”

Liu Jin doesn’t respond. He doesn’t think Feng Zhi is looking for an answer. Indeed, the older youth lightly shakes his head and chuckles.

“I had wondered which one of you four I should have been most wary of,” he says, much to Liu Jin’s surprise. “There is no way that woman would have chosen four disciples at random, especially when one of them was the fool who spurned my kindness. How could his presence be anything but a deliberate taunt from that woman?”

Those few sentences have Liu Jin struggling to keep his face from showing any reaction. He is not sure how successful his attempt is.

“Of course, compared to the problem child of the Golden Fist Sect and the girl from the Sky Red Pavilion, he was not worth paying much attention to. Neither were you. I know better now. You are the one I should have been most wary of.”

“Young Master, there is no need for you to be wary of this disciple.”

“Isn’t there? I had hoped, perhaps, to still have a few more years, but you have done that woman’s bidding and gleefully escalated the conflict between my father and uncle.”

Feng Zhi laughs again. It is a short, harsh laugh, accompanied by a slight shake of his head. It leaves as suddenly as it comes, leaving a furious glare in its place.

“Do not insult me!” The temperature of the room rises with Feng Zhi’s anger. “I gave you the kindness of a warning! I told you to leave my brother out of whatever that woman is planning! Instead, you seem intent on dragging him into the middle of it.”

Flame bursts in Feng Zhi’s hand. It shines gold like the sun, almost blinding in its intensity. Feng Hao’s fire cannot possibly compare to it. It is not just a matter of power or technique.

The Flame is not normal.

“Why should I not kill you right now?”

Liu Jin barely hears Feng Zhi’s words over the roars of his own instinct. His nails dig into his palms. His eyes cannot move away from the Flame. His body screams at him to get ready for a fight. His body screams at him to flee. Run. Fight. Run. Fight. Run. Fight. There is no other way.