"Many circumstances prevented us from attending the royal academy." Ao Jīn explained with a soft voice. "But Lord Li, your father, saved us from the slums of the Imperial Capital. Our lives and well-being are wholly owed to him." Ao Jīn smiled as he stared off for a moment before looking back down at Tao Cai. "He did his best to provide us with pills, training, and martial arts books, but he could only do so much out here in the provinces."

"How is it even possible for a child with an Origin Root to end up in the slums?" Tao Cai questioned while cocking his head in confusion, seeming genuinely puzzled. "Imperial authorities are always looking for those who are capable of cultivating!"

"When we were we much younger, we had to... do things, for our survival. Things that made it impossible to enter the academy." Ao Jīn sighed as he continued. "Other than that, I can divulge no more, as we are sworn to secrecy by the lord."

"Oh... I see." Tao Cai quietly contemplated as he stood there, staring off toward the targets.

"But if I may, might I ask you question young lord?" He questioned gently.

"I don't know what I could know that you don't, but... I'll try my best to answer." Tao Cai replied with an unsure, questioning smile.

"Then please excuse me, but what has been causing you such strife, young lord?" Ao Jīn asked with a sympathetic smile. "You've seemed... unsure, conflicted, since you returned from your meeting with the Imperial agent."

Tao Cai immediately became quieter. After a few moments, however, he responded, "I... I'm scared, and confused, about... about so many things."

"Might I ask what about, young lord." Ao Jīn inquired in a soft, comforting voice.

"I..." Tao Cai's voice quivered slightly as he opened his mouth to speak, closing it and opening it several times as he debated in his mind what he should say. After several moments, he continued. "I'm scared that my own body will hurt me, that my... physique could hurt everyone around me. I'm scared that I won't be strong enough to do what I have to..." Tao Cai's breathing grew heavier as he spoke, feeling his chest grow tight as he grabbed at it, crinkling his shirt in his hands.

Ao Jīn's brow furrowed with a troubled look, as he quietly looked at Tao Cai. "You don't have to be ultimately powerful, or an unbeatable god of war, young lord," Ao Jīn kneeled down while placing a gentle, affirming hand on Tao Cai's shoulder, "Nor do you have to become a grand duke, or the head of a great family. What you must do, however, is fight for what you want. If you fail, you must stand and try again and again. In this world, especially for cultivators like us, there is no more powerful a trait than perseverance." He spoke while nodding toward Tao Cai with an assuring smile.

Tao Cai looked up at Ao Jīn with anxious eyes. "Failure is like death for a noble." Tao Cai spoke with soft voice inflected with uncertainty. "How can I continue if I fail? How can I face my father... my family?"

Ao Jīn looked down at Tao Cai with soft eyes while quietly nodding to himself in contemplation. "I assure you, my young lord, that while failure is undesirable, it is not like death, even for a noble such as yourself." Ao Jīn nodded toward Tao Cai, attempting to comfort him as he continued. "And I can assure you, that your father has tripped up before, experienced setbacks and failures. Such things are unavoidable when one is living their life."

Tao Cai blinked a few times in disbelief as his mouth slowly opened, left slightly agape. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Is that true? My father... has failed before?" Tao Cai felt as if he was being tricked or lied to in some way. How could his unbeatable, iron-wall of a father have ever failed? Numerous thoughts race through his head as he stared up at Ao Jīn.

Ao Jīn let out an amused huff as he looked down at the befuddled boy before him with a smile. "It was around 8 years ago, when you were still but a babe in the care of your mother." Ao Jīn explained, thinking back to the past. "It was only a year prior to that, that we were brought into the Li Family..." Ao Jīn stared off for a moment in thought before gently shaking his head as he turned back to Tao Cai. "In those days, Lord Li was always sick with worry. His worries caused him a great many heartaches and failures; in those days, he was failing at practices in which he was a master." Ao Jīn explained. "He missed sword strikes while training, and arrow targets while shooting his bow, and was thrown to the floor more times than I can count by men who normally wouldn't have even come close to being his opponents."

Tao Cai's eyes went wide, and his mouth seem to stutter open and shut as he listened. His mouth was half curled into a smile as Ao Jīn spoke, "If all of that's true, then what could have shaken my father so much?"

Ao Jīn gently chuckled as he nodded toward Tao Cai. "It was you; it was the baby son that he would have to raise and protect and love." Ao Jīn smiled as he continued. "He was up to the task of course, as always, but he worried every day if he could do what was necessary, if he was the right person." He quietly reminisced in his own mind before continuing. "While the ability to cultivate is a greater fortune than most could pray for, to have a father such as Lord Li is perhaps an even greater blessing, young lord." Ao Jīn let out a hearty laugh. "Knowing this, knowing that failure is not tantamount to destruction, why is it that you believe your physique can, or even will, harm you in any way?"

Tao Cai hesitated, biting his bottom lip as he looked Ao Jīn in the eyes. Ao Jīn quietly observed the boy while waiting, monitoring the flow of his Qi and the rate of his heartbeat. "It..." Tao Cai's mouth trembled as he let his teeth loose from the flesh of his lower lip. "It feels so... dark and cold and strange..." Tao Cai paused for a moment. "It feels like my own body is being eaten away and consumed... changed." Tao Cai's voice grew more depressive the longer he spoke.

Ao Jīn adjusted himself, kneeling down in front of Tao Cai. "If I may, young lord..." Ao Jīn was about to speak, but Tao Cai immediately jumped to his feet.

"Just stop!" Tao Cai shouted at the top of his lungs. Several other fields of soldiers stopped for a moment, but quickly continued as they noticed the banner of the Li Family flying from atop of the tent next to the field.

Ao Jīn immediately averted his head, glancing back at Wei Jie. Their eyes met for a moment as they stared at each other, though they quickly turned their attention back to Tao Cai, his back turned to the both of them.

"I deeply apologize, young lord." Ao Jīn spoke as kowtowed to the young boy before him. He had never seen such a burst of anger from the young lord before, his contemplations wandering into whether or not his physique was what caused such an outburst.

Tao Cai glanced back at Ao Jīn; his eyes were filled uncertainty and regret. Turning around to face them, he immediately responded, "I... I'm not offended. I just..." Tao Cai immediately stopped, biting his bottom lip once again. "Can you please continue your instruction?" Though no tears dripped from his eyes, his voice sounded as if he was on the verge of crying.

"Of course, young lord." Ao Jīn slowly stood, bowing his head and saluting after doing so. Moving into a new stance, he gestured for Tai Cai to approach, inviting him to take the same stance as him. As he did so, Ao Jīn began to walk him several motions and movements.

In an instant, two fan blades made Qi manifested in his hands. Running up to the targets, he sliced through them with ease, rolling backward as he threw forth. Flying, they easily chopped their respective targets in half. With a satisfied smiled, he turned back around to face Tao Cai once more. Looking back, Ao Jīn stared at him for a moment. The once strangely fierce and angry expression that plagued his face seemed to have completely melted away.

'Even his eyes seem to have softened... returned to normal...' Ao Jīn quietly stared for a moment as he thought to himself. He subtly sighed with relief as he walked back, smiling happily toward Tao Cai. For a split moment, his gaze shifted back toward Wei Jie. With quick nod and a curious look, Wei Jie nodded back as Ao Jīn turned his attention back to Tai Cai.

"These techniques are merely simple ways to manipulate raw Qi. Though easier to learn in many aspects, they are much weaker than proper martial arts." Ao Jīn explained as he walked toward Tao Cai. "Understand that martial arts are the true weapon of a cultivator and are far more dangerous, especially when against cultivators who have taken the time to enhance their martial arts." Ao Jīn continued.

"it's possible to make martial arts stronger?" Tao Cai questioned innocently as he looked up at Ao Jīn with an inquisitive look.

"It's one of the most basic tenants of practicing, and proof of talent." Ao Jīn answered immediately. "Wu Yin himself utilizes a martial art known as the Talon of the Nine Clawed Wolf. It's meant to allow its users to create and manipulate nine claws which can slice through people and even armor with ease. However, at the moment, he can only create four such claws. In time, however, he may practice it enough to create all nine." Ao Jīn quickly went into his explanation. "At its peak, the user may even combine them to form a more powerful form of the art that conjures a giant wolf paw with nine claws that can deal a far greater deal of damage. Supposedly, the user may even learn to send them flying at a target as if possessing minds of their own."

Tao Cai seemed enamored with Ao Jīn's explanation. "And I'll be able to learn martial arts like that at the academy?" Tao Cai questioned with excitement.

Ao Jīn smiled, nodding while responding, "and likely more powerful than that." before continuing. "Though choosing a powerful martial art is important, I would recommend finding one that properly merges with..." Ao Jīn suddenly paused.

"Is something wrong?" Tao Cai questioned with concern.

"Yes, yes." Ao Jīn nodded. "Allow me to continue this... literary lesson at home; we're here on the fields for more practical lessons." he smiled.

"Okay..." Toa Cai seemed confused for a moment, pondering why Ao Jīn stopped speaking. "But I'll definitely get an answer when we get home." he continued, asserting his intentions.

"Of course, I wouldn't dare miss an opportunity as important as imparting wisdom upon one's young lord." Ao Jīn bowed his head while smiling. "But for now, please attempt to perform the Qi fan technique that I just demonstrated."

Tao Cai nodded as the two stood up, Ao Jīn taking as step back as Tao Cai began to go through each motion as Qi flowed through his body. In an instant, he threw the fans toward the targets, slicing them into pieces in a few moments. As the targets fell apart, servants quickly entered the field as they began to clean up. As they did so, another group of servants began to bring more onto the field. Tao Cai gives a pleased look as he watched the servants take the ruined targets off of the field.

"You've done very well." Ao Jīn praised Tao Cai as he smiled. "But for now, I've shown you everything that I planned for this trip to the fields." Ao Jīn continued as he stepped off of the field, passing Wei Jie as he stepped up and walked onto the field.

"Please set up the targets in the cycling formation." Wei Jie ordered as the servants bowed, placing the targets in a randomized, but circular formation around the field.

"We're going to go through a few basic movement techniques. You'll become not only deadly, but fast." Wei Jie explained. Tao Cai nodded as the two stood while waiting for the servants to finish, patiently standing until the servants stepped off of the field, leaving the two of them to begin at their leisure.

"Let us begin." Wei Jie turned back to face Tao Cai, placing a hand on his shoulder. Without speaking another word, he quietly began to help Tao Cai circulate Qi throughout his body, guiding him on how to guide his Qi in order to make his movement techniques work.

The two stood in silence for several moments until Tao Cai broke the silence. "I think I understand." he nodded to Wei Jie as he nodded back, removing his hand.

"Good." Wei Jie responded as he turned his back to Tao Cai, looking around at the targets. "Quick Step, the technique I'm about to show you, is simple but can be extremely hard to master." Wei Jie quickly explained as Qi started to circulate through his body. As he began to step forward, his body seemed to flesh forward in one great leaping bound, moving to another end of the field in a single step. Tao Cai stood there in shock as he stared at Wei Jie with his mouth left agape.

"Wow!" Tao Cai suddenly and loudly exclaimed. "How did you do that?"

Wei Jie smiled as he began to explain, "It's quite basic. The Qi empowers your body, enabling it to perform feats beyond what is... normally possible. While in the case of Quick Step, the Qi is utilized to strengthen the lower body, allowing me to move across this field in a single step, other similar techniques also exist." Wei Jie began to explain. "One may enable you to make your skin unbreakable to mundane weapons or increase your overall physical strength to the point of being able to damage stone. Though I don't know the exact Qi circulation methods to accomplish such feats, I do hope you can make an attempt to learn such things during your time at the academy." Wei Jie laughed happily as he finished his explanation.

"I'll definitely make an attempt to learn it if I can!" Tao Cai gleefully exclaimed in response. "Would you mind showing me once more? The movement, and how to circulate my Qi." Tao Cai changed the subject as he politely asked Wei Jie.

"Of course, young lord." Wie Jie took a single step once again, suddenly bounding right next to Tao Cai in a single step.

As Wei Jie placed his hand on Tao Cai once again, and the circulation of Qi began once more, Tao Cai quietly concentrated. He concentrated on its movement, how it circulated through his body, as he did his best to ingrain that feeling in his mind and body. As the two stood there, Wei Jie slowly allowed Tao Cai to take more and more control until he was doing it completely on his own. After an incense stick worth of time, the two concluded once more.

"I think I've got it this time." Tao Cai smiled as he spoke, quietly continuing the circulation of his Qi. Wei Jie nodded in response.

"Moving while using this technique is as simple as kicking off of the ground, like you're running forward but with far less effort." Wei Jie explained as he took a stance. Once more in a single step, he kicked off the ground and seemingly flew across the field, this time making contact with one of the targets as he kicked straight through its chest, sending it flying out of the field. "Just make sure you keep your concentration and take it one step at a time, and I'll catch you if something happens." Wei Jie encouraged Tao Cai as he continued.

Tao Cai quietly gulped, nodding toward Wei Jie with a nervous smile and a cautious if not determined look on his face. Tao Cai took in a deep breath, before letting out a gentle exhale. As he began to circulate his Qi, he took his first step, suddenly being thrown across the field as he crashed into group of targets. Though before crashing onto the ground, Wei Jie quickly stepped in and caught him.

"Perhaps..." Wie Jie began to speak before Tao Cai stared up at him in his arms with a determined look.

"I will do this properly." Tao Cai asserted adamantly.

"I'm not trying to stop you." Wei Jie laughed a bit as he placed the boy back on his feet. "I just think it may be better for you to wait until you've better learned how to regulate the circulation of your Qi. It'll make it significantly easier to control the speed and intensity of your movements." Wie Jie spoke with concern as he explained his thoughts to Tao Cai.

"I understand, but I want to try this a few more times." Tao Cai seemed adamant as he looked up at Wei Jie with a determined look.

"Of course, young lord." Wei Jie relented. "But this time you might want to try taking a smaller step, or if you feel like you can't control your movements you should either aim for something soft or attempt to anchor your feet."

"That... doesn't sound like very good advice." Tao Cai replied with a confused voice. "I could still easily get hurt doing either of those things."

"Yes, you could." Wei Jie replied in matter-of-fact manner. "There aren't many ways for you to stop yourself right now while you don't possess precise regulation of your Qi."

"Fine, I'll try a few more times." Tao Cai could tell what Wei Jie was trying to tell him, running back across the field as Wei Jie nodded response. As his Qi circulates, and with another step, he finds him flying across the field, crashing once again.

Repeating this several times over an hour, Tao Cai finds only slight improvement in his ability to use the technique.

"Let us not overexert ourselves and take a break." Wei Jie insisted as he approached the boy. "It is a simple but difficult technique that cannot be learned in just a day. We can still come back tomorrow." Wei Jie gently patted the exhausted Tao Cai on the back. Tao Cai quietly nodded, sweat profusely. The two quickly stepped off of the field, walking back toward the tent.

"Perhaps when you get good enough, I'll teach you a few combat applications for it." Wei Jie smiled as they sat around the table. Sitting down, Ao Jīn gestured for the servants to bring food. Quickly bowing, several servants left the tent, returning a while later with plates of food and pitchers of drinks that turned the table into small feast of food and drink.

"When we finish eating, we'll move onto the next part of today's outing." Ao Jīn stated as he examined the food on the table, determining what he wanted to throw onto his plate.

"What are we going to be doing next?" Tao Cai inquired as he began to pick out items, either bringing them closer to himself, or placing them directly onto his own plate.

"We'll go through a few... challenges, to see what you can do after what you've learned today." Ao Jīn smiled as he nodded toward Tao Cai. "What do you think, young lord?"

"I'll do my best!" Tao Cai announced happily as Ao Jīn and Wei Jie bowed their heads.

"Then let us eat..."