Chapter 7, in which the hero shows foresight, but this does not save him from more betrayals

* * *

This time, Han, as a wise and modest young man, relied on his experience. The attitude of the servants had changed, and for some unknown reason, everyone around him looked at him differently, but he did not repeat his past mistakes and tried to take into the forest the things and food he needed for the camping. Now he knew the servants would not be allowed into the forest, and he would have to carry the things, and besides, shoulder bags were a good excuse to put something heavy inside.

Han even managed to whisper to Mei that she shouldn't take anything either - the sneaky master would load her up, too.

As it turned out, the precautions didn't work. The master, seeing Han and Mei, grinned with satisfaction and took out a brush and two strips of cloth, which Han recognized with indignation as the silk of his best scrolls.

If it wasn't for his previous experience, and Han hadn't strengthened his vision with qi, he might not have noticed anything. But now he saw the brush clasped in the bastard's fingers glow dimly with the qi that filled it and then slid lightly across the strips on his forearm, leaving calligraphic inscriptions in precious red ink. The master then tied them around Han and Mei's wrists. Han looked at the cloth with astonishment - there was a perfect nonsense written there: Embrace of the Swamp Mire.

He had long since gotten used to the insults, the comparisons to eggs and tadpoles, the stories about how he, Han, could not become like his master, and how he could not overcome the waterfall. So he wasn't surprised by the inscription - insult more, insult less. Except that the inscription on Mei's wrist was exactly the same - and no one had ever called her a tadpole.

But as soon as he moved, Han realized the meaning of the inscription. He really felt as if he were enveloped in a mire. Every movement became slow and heavy as if he were tumbling in a huge vat of honey or molasses. Even the use of qi didn't help much, as his strength drained away too quickly. Han glanced at Mei, who was waving her arms in the air and, judging by her slow movements, was experiencing the same difficulties. But instead of being upset at her mentor's new meanness, she looked delighted.

"All right, my favorite students? Are we going camping?" smirked the rascal.

"Yes, Master!" Han and Mei replied in unison.

The journey into the forest with the new talismans was not as horrible as Han had feared, merely physically exhausting and devouring a great deal of qi. No comparison to the stone on his back or the heavy bags. He still wanted to resent and protest, but the sight of Mei walking resolutely ahead made him swallow any angry words.

It had been a very hard day. Not only did they have to wade through the undergrowth, not only did they have to overcome the resistance of talismans, cross the river, and risk broken legs on the rocky scree, but then, when the thickest of the thickets began, they had to jump like squirrels from branch to branch, protecting themselves from leaves and twigs with qi. Then the master disappeared, and he and Mei walked forward, looking for traces of him, such as crushed moss, crumpled grass, or broken branches.

When Han suddenly fell, he didn't realize what had happened - after all, he and Mei were walking on a completely open beast path. He would have been ashamed of his embarrassment if Mei hadn't fallen next. After a few falls on level ground, they realized something was wrong. Han decided to use a stick to probe the path and soon discovered an invisible obstacle. Following Mei's advice, he directed his qi to his eyes and saw that the path was blocked by many barely visible glowing threads, completely insensible to normal vision.

The threads were fragile, disappearing completely when they collided with his feet, so Han felt a vengeful satisfaction in stepping on them and destroying them. He might even have felt something romantic. After all, there was no master now, and Mei was beside him, but the fatigue from the cursed talismans left no energy even for talking, and the constant pain in his eyes from the enhanced vision gave off a dull ache in his head.

"Well, students of mine!" came a disgustingly smug voice as they made their way into the clearing. "Congratulations. You did it. Not well, of course, but you did it."

Han looked around. Even though his master was traveling light, there was a large tent in the clearing and a cauldron hanging over an inexplicable fire, in which a brew was already bubbling, judging by the smell of the same boring vegetables and rice. Something told him that tomorrow they would not have such luxury and they would have to get food by themselves again.

"Hey, why 'not very good,' Master?" Han indignantly collapsed on the grass, indignant. "We found you despite the traps!"

"I agree with Han!" Mei suddenly supported him, and his heart fluttered with joy. "I thought we did pretty well, Master!"

The master sighed and shook his head.

"Before you discovered the traps, you fell into them several times. And you're lucky it's my job to teach you, not kill you. Otherwise, the traps wouldn't be so harmless. And then you deliberately destroyed them instead of avoiding or circumventing them."

Han wanted to object to 'not kill' since this rascal's attempts to kill him were uncounted. But he resolutely bit his tongue.

"But how do you do it?" Mei asked. "Master, we couldn't walk around with qi vision all the time!"

Han was in complete agreement with her, so he nodded decisively.

"Why couldn't you? I have to admit I'm disappointed. If Han's stupid tadpole is worthless, then you, Mei...."

Han immediately suppressed the feeling of gloating. As much as he was in love with Mei, it annoyed him that she was constantly being made an example of. Everything should be different, like in the crystals. Han would do feats like Bao Xiao, and Mei would admire and look on with amorous eyes.

"But Master, isn't it silly to walk around with qi vision all the time? Not only is it inconvenient, but it's also a great hindrance. The qi of nature obscures the eye, spirits and ghosts distract you, and using it wastes energy. You can't train your eyesight - once you've learned it, no matter how much you use it, you'll never see more. It either works or it doesn't."

"And it also consumes qi!" Han backed up and heroically stuck out his chest without getting up from the grass. "Which can be used in battle!"

The master gave both students a long look. Han could hardly resist the urge to check that his clothes were in order. He knew it was bad enough. Instead of silk robes, he had to wear the unsightly clothes of his father's foot soldiers: simple cloth pants, a robe, and rough leather shoes. If it weren't for her graceful figure and beautiful face, Mei, dressed in the same clothes, would look like a peasant!

"You are right, my students," the master finally replied. "There are no advantages in using vision all the time. That is why many people, having mastered it, stop there because the disadvantages are many times greater than the advantages. But it is only at first sight. It is like weights on hands and feet - at first, they interfere with movement and seem heavy and uncomfortable. But then a person gets used to them, gets used to them, stops noticing them. A child at first does not know how to walk either, but he stands on his little legs and takes the first step. But he does not think that he has reached the top. He takes the second step and the third. And when he gets used to it, he no longer has to think about how to move his legs. He just walks and then runs. And then he is not concerned with "how" but only with "where."

Han grimaced. Running around with qi vision all the time would be just as unpleasant as running around with weights on his legs.

"Apparently, this is difficult for my student, so I'll give a more understandable example: a tadpole learns to move its tail and fins to swim forward. And exactly the same thing happens with vision. Yes, you won't see more. Yes, you will be tired, your eyes will hurt, and the qi around you will get in the way. Yes, it is difficult, but these difficulties are temporary. As you get used to your new vision, it changes and becomes a part of you. It ceases to be a burden and turns from just seeing into a way of perceiving reality, adding another sense to the Great Triad. It becomes a Spiritual Perception - the eye of the Tiger and the Dragon, the Phoenix and the Qilin!"

Han wished he had the Qilin's Gaze - it sounded very heroic, in the spirit of the best crystals in the Hero's Almanac. But his supernatural sense, which was as good as that of the Divine Beasts, told him that he wouldn't like the way he had been trained.

"You are right, my student," laughed the master as if he had read his thoughts, "it won't be easy. But it's great training, and the hardships are temporary! And in the process, you will learn a special technique!"

"Which one, Master?" Han asked suspiciously.

"The Indestructibly Enduring Dragon's Ass!"

* * *

If Mei hadn't been there, it might have seemed as if the villain was only trying to torture him, Han. Even Mei's presence might have been an added humiliation if she hadn't fought shoulder-to-shoulder with him to defeat the master. But alas, even after joining forces, they failed to land a single blow. The master cowardly ran away, hid behind bushes and tree trunks, jumped on branches, and hid in the thickets of bamboo. And from there, he would attack - sneakily, insidiously, striking in the back, legs, and wrists. The trees and branches were in the way, clinging to their weapon, preventing them from striking.

The master behaved like a rat or a snake but, of course, not like the noble Celestial Beasts, but like their vile earthly counterparts. He stung and bit, jumping and retreating. And he struck not with a weapon but with a transparent pole, visible only through this very "spiritual perception." It was air, which was dense with qi. This air was much more painful than even his favorite bamboo stick, and, most annoyingly, it was impossible to block the blows with swords, sabers, spears, shields, clubs, axes, hammers, guan dao, and a dozen other weapons, a stand with which, inexplicably appeared in the middle of the forest, looked completely alien. And when Mei and Han tried to deflect and parry, the "stick" lost its rigidity, bent, and sometimes acted as if it were alive, either coiling around his arm or darting about like a snake.

When Han woke up after another sneak attack and sat on the ground, his master slipped a scroll into his hand, one of many on the shelves of a large rack that looked even wilder in the forest than the weapons rack.

Han didn't even bother asking questions. He unrolled the scroll and read the title. He was still expecting to learn some top-secret powerful technique that he could use to defeat this scoundrel. But now he was in despair, his hands crumpling the scroll as if he wanted to tear it to shreds.

"But why would I need it?" he cried out.

"Why would I need it, master?" corrected the bastard.

This time, Han managed to raise his arm, covering it with his qi. The stick lost its rigidity, curved around his arm, and struck first his forehead and then his solar plexus.

"Master," Han muttered, resignedly.

"You have a fighting spirit. I'll give you that. But you have not enough brains," the scoundrel explained. "So I have to either develop them or find a roundabout way out."

"But they're deep-sea fish! Why should I study them... master?"

The scoundrel laughed. He shifted his eyes to Mei and then back to Han. And, to Han's annoyance, Mei smiled slightly.

"The little tadpole thinks his whole life will be spent in shallow water. Why does it need to know about waterfalls or depths? But remember student, there is no such thing as useless knowledge, only useless tadpoles who do not want to become fry, let alone carp and dragons!"

"There is no such thing as useless knowledge, Master?" Han interjected.

He knew perfectly well that this was nonsense, that there was a lot of knowledge that was not only unnecessary for a nobleman but even harmful. For example... Who would want to know why peasants were digging in the mud or what savages were doing somewhere outside the Empire? He'd expected Mei to back him up, but alas, she was staring at one of the scrolls, reading it intently. Perhaps she had gotten something good and not some unnecessary nonsense.

"No such thing, student," confirmed the bastard. "And what, you decided to please your father and pass the test for a daring fry?"

Other times, Han would have kept silent, but fatigue, the stupid journey through the forest, the unfair and despicable duel that ended in a loss because of tricks unworthy of a warrior - all of it piled up, so Han stepped forward and grabbed a random scroll from the rack. He was going to be punished anyway, so why hold back?

"Why do I need to know how to bear children, master?" he asked, unfolding and reading the contents.

"To attend someone in labor, student?" The answer was oozing with mockery. "You may be a woman in your next rebirth, and then your knowledge will be very useful to you. However, when I first saw you, I thought you were a woman in your present life. A very ugly, fat, pregnant woman!"

"But the memory of past rebirths doesn't come to everyone, Master!" Han was so eager to defeat the master in the argument that he even let another mockery pass his ears. Even if this coward didn't admit defeat, Han would know he had won a landslide victory in the battle of wits!

"Of course, it only comes to carp who want to jump out of the pond and become a dragon. You haven't even passed the fry exam yet, student. Stand in the dabu stance and study the scroll. Or rather, since you chose two at once, make sure you learn both!"

Han was about to say that he had already studied the stance perfectly, but he swallowed his words and set about studying. Deep sea fish! To give birth in the next life! Just like a story for a crystal! Han was startled. Had he given the bastard new ideas for humiliation? He might actually force him to attend a childbirth! Or even deliver the baby! He'll do it!

* * *

Han sat down on the grass and stared at the dim heat of the brazier. His fatigue had become a constant companion, so now, in his moments of rest, he didn't even want to sleep, just to savor the moments of idleness. Mei seemed to share his sentiments, and she, too, stretched out on the grass, leaning back with her hands behind her back. Of course, they couldn't relax at all - they had to keep their qi vision to swat away and destroy the very painful but unstable clots flying out of her teacher's palms, invisible to normal vision. Hate lazily raised his hand, crushed a new clot with his palm enveloped in qi, and asked.

"Master, you keep saying, "All you need is qi!". You even hit me with that qi! But then, why do heroes need swords to fly?"

"Han," Mei said pitifully. "We've talked so many times. None of this is real! The stories in the crystals are embellished to make them more exciting! You can't fly on a sword! It's just not possible!"

Han glanced at the master, shifted his gaze to Mei, who had destroyed the new clot and laughed.

"Yes, yes, impossible! It's impossible! Tell me that Bao Xiao didn't save Mei Lin, that there are no special spatial rings, and that sorcery doesn't exist!"

Mei sighed, as she did every time the crystal discussion began, and Han tried to open her eyes to the real truth.

"Han, how many times do I have to tell you? It's impossible! Your father is very rich. Wouldn't he have gotten such a ring if they existed? He's powerful! Would he ride a horse if he could fly a sword?"

Han felt sincere pity for her. He didn't want to defeat her so easily in a duel of the minds, but as Han's sneaky master had repeatedly quoted Han's wisdom, If a warrior holds back, he insults a weak opponent!

"May, look, you say rings are impossible. Where did all these weapons come from? The tent? The scroll cabinets? There!" Han replied, pointing his finger firmly at the bastard master, shrouding his finger in qi and piercing the vile blob that was flying at his head.

"The master had just prepared everything in advance!" Mei retorted. "Tell him, Master!"

He didn't confirm or deny anything, just smiled enigmatically.

"The master doesn't have any rings on his hands!" Mei didn't give up, but her voice dropped. She was well aware of the weakness of the argument. Hiding a small ring was easy.

Han drew in his breath to finally proclaim his victory, but he was interrupted by his master's words.

"Mei Lin is right. But Han Nao is also right. I could either use a mysterious artifact, if such existed, or just bring everything here beforehand. I could even give orders to the servants of the Nao Manor instead of going myself - the authority given to me by General Guang allows for such a thing. An argument based on ignorance and assumptions is foolish and meaningless from the start. And I'm very sorry to see my students fighting like two country bumpkins instead of practicing."

"But Master! And the artifacts? Swords?" Han reminded him. "And you beat us with a stick out of thin air!"

"You're right, my chubby tadpole," the bastard agreed. "I beat you with a weapon made of qi. Someday, I hope you'll be able to do the same. It's not as good as a weapon made of the right materials, and it uses up a lot of qi, but it's a very good exercise in control. You know what else is good for control?"

Unfortunately, Han knew that. And he knew it on his own skin.

"Yes, Master," he replied, rising from the ground and getting into a dabu stance.

* * *

Han had heard repeatedly that it was easier to do a familiar task than an unfamiliar one. Once upon a time, he might have agreed with those words. He, having mastered the mysteries of calligraphy, had learned to pour out his thoughts quickly and easily, and the chopsticks that had caused him so much trouble as a child were now an extension of his hand.

Unfortunately, it didn't work that way with training. They always wore him out, made him broken and tired, and sucked out all his strength and will to live. The second trip to the forest turned out to be even worse than the first. Again, he drowned in the river, climbed trees, caught rabbits and foxes, and even got mushrooms and nasty insects. But this time, Mei was there, doing the same thing, so Han had to work even harder to keep up. Because of her, he even ate disgusting-looking maggots. After all, Mei, forgetting her dignity and origin, was obeying the instructions of a mean master who didn't hesitate to humiliate her as well.

When they reached the manor, Han dreamed of nothing so much as to crawl into his room and fall asleep. Even the hard bed seemed better than the emperor's bed. By this time, he didn't even wonder where the racks, poles, and tent had disappeared from the forest glade as if they had never existed.

"Don't be in a hurry, student," the master said suddenly as Han was about to go to his room. "There is an important matter waiting for you tonight."

Han swallowed his resentment. He was so tired that he had even forgotten about his hunger, and there was still more torment ahead, for the villain had never had any other "important things" to do. Even though every outrage was followed by punishment, Han opened his mouth to say what he thought about it. Then he closed it. It was not proper for a nobleman to argue in front of the servants.

The servant who had appeared so inconveniently bowed to Han and the master, then said:

"Mr. Han Nao, Mrs. Lihua asked me to tell you she is very pleased with your timely return and requests to go to her private dining room on urgent business."

Han was so taken aback by the word "dining room" that it took him a moment to realize that he was referring to his mother's private quarters, where no outsiders were allowed except the only trusted servant, which meant that not even his master would be allowed in! So he would not only be able to tell his mother about all the torment, not only to rescue her from the captivity of charms but also to eat a good meal instead of choking on disgusting rice, vegetables, or maggots! It sounded too good to be true. The villainous master would hardly let him go anywhere. He would rather send him to the training ground, forcing him to stand on his head or run with his knees up!

"What are you standing there for, student?" The master frowned. "Don't keep the lady waiting!"

Han opened his mouth in surprise but closed it immediately and rushed forward, overtaking the surprised servant. As he ran through the main entrance of the palace, he caught the strange looks of the guards and suddenly realized that he was still dressed in the same rough, dirty, and in some places torn clothes. The thought of changing his clothes crossed his mind, but Han laughingly dismissed it - let his mother see the suffering he was going through! When the door to his mother's chambers appeared, he slowed his steps; he didn't want to startle her by rushing in.

He put his hand gently on the ornate knob of the chambers and pressed it. The door swung open soundlessly, as doors in a good house should, not creaking like the rude misunderstanding in his den. Han looked longingly at the door of the ladies' room where his mother had played so much with him as a child, glanced at the dressing room and bedroom doors, and headed for the dining room door. As he stepped from the semi-darkness of the living room into the brightly lit room, he didn't immediately notice that his mother wasn't alone.

"Well, hello, son!" General Guang said to him, pointing to a chair. "Sit down."

* * *

His father's visit had slipped his mind because of the painful training, so Han was surprised rather than delighted. He said hello to his parents, sat down in a vacant chair, and looked up. In the past, his father's gaze had almost always seemed unbearably heavy, as if he were pressing an unbearable weight to the ground. But now he was surprised to note that he could bear it without any effort. Even though General Guang's face was still as stern as ever, after all the misfortunes Han had gone through, it was no longer fearful. It couldn't be that his father's gaze had softened, especially now that Han was so disgustingly dressed.

However, the general's clothes were also far from appropriate. He was not wearing the usual status-appropriate robes, and he did not look different from his cavalrymen. He wore no armor, and from across the table, Han saw only a robe, the only difference with his own robe being the color and slightly more expensive fabric. Even the hair on his father's head was held together by a simple bone hairpin rather than jade. If it weren't for the almost palpable aura of majesty, it would have been easy to mistake him for an ordinary warrior.

"You're just in time, son," said the father. "I came a short time ago, barely able to hug my Lihua."

"Father, but what about your clothes?"

"It is not proper for the illustrious General Guang to leave the army on its way to the Emperor. But my desire to see my family was so unbearable that I could not resist. Fortunately, the route was through our province, and as long as the army was on the march, moving no faster than a wagon, I had some time - but not more than a day. And at first, I was disappointed when it turned out that I missed you. But the spirits of the ancestors favored me - you appeared."

"Dad dressed as a warrior so no one would recognize him," Mother added. Han felt a slight resentment - he realized that too!

"I see you've done well, son," the father said, glancing approvingly at his son's soiled clothes. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but eat!"

Han swallowed his saliva and looked at the table. Among the towels on the table, a large bronze bowl of rice stood in the center of the table. Around it was a bowl of soup, which smelled like vegetable soup, as well as plates of vegetables, stewed pork meat, and fried bamboo shoots. A kettle of green tea was also steaming on the table.

Had it not been for the glowing orbs, the table setting, the meat, and several kinds of sauces, the dinner would have been a little different from the usual servants' meal! So great was the resentment of disappointed expectations that only his father's presence prevented the tears from flowing.

In any case, the main thing was meat! Han poured himself a bowl of soup, filled his plate with food, paid special attention to the roast pork, grabbed his chopsticks, and began to eat greedily. For the first time in a long time, his father didn't say anything offensive or insulting during the meal.

"I see that you have not been idle, son!" General Guang said, smoothing his short triangular beard. "Tell me what you have accomplished so far!"

Han was in a very difficult situation. On the one hand, this was the most appropriate moment to insult and humiliate his master. To make the angry General Guang chase this impostor out of the manor and give him a thousand sticks on his heels! But on the other hand, if Han lied even a single word and this lie was exposed, the horror of the consequences would be hard to imagine. He gathered some qi and directed it towards his eyes. Only a fool would walk around with his eyes constantly activated, but if he had to, it was very useful! Several ancestral spirits were circling the dining room, impatiently waiting for him to make a mistake.

Han frowned. The pause lengthened, and his father's gaze grew impatient, needing something to say. Han began his story slowly, choosing his words. Suddenly, a brilliant thought flashed through his head! He wouldn't lie about anything! He would just tell the truth! The ugly truth and nothing but it! But he would tell it so his father would have no choice but to cut off the bastard's head! There's a reason why Han once wrote the brilliant quote, A paintbrush can hurt more than Star Steel! Even though he had only his tongue instead of a brush and a scroll, he would use it to crush the villainous master! Master wanted a duel of the minds? Well, take it, you rascal!

The story was very long. Han did not forget anything - not the early wake-ups, not the jogging on the training ground, not the insults, and not the humiliation. He told in detail about his broken arms and legs, about the pain he felt daily, about the vile food of the servants, and the even more vile food in the forest. About the taste of maggots stirring and the nasty tang of swamp water. Of rough clothes that rubbed all over the body and made it itch all the time. The small cramped cell and the hard bed. The meaningless and unnecessary scrolls had to be read right during the torture.

During the story, Han watched his father intently. And, to his utter delight, with each word General Guang's normally impenetrable face grew darker, and the qi exuding from his body enveloped him in a thundercloud.

Han continued. He loved his mother, but a warrior shouldn't hold back during a fight. Was that what the impostor was trying to tell him? He went on to describe in great detail everything the impostor had done to his mother. When the story came to an end, Han even told about the recent terrible trip to the forest, where he and Mei had been affected by the black sorcery of the bastard, and even raised his wrist to show the talisman, which he had become so accustomed to suffering that he had forgotten to take off before dinner.

When the story was over, the qi above his father's head had thickened so much that it became a dark cloud. The only thing that broke the silence was the crackling of the lightning discharges. Han wanted to cheer, for he had achieved his goal, but the joy on his face would destroy the image of the suffering nobleboy, so he held back.

"A whole cycle," Dad finally said in a husky voice. "A full dozen years and another six months."

Han stared at his father in surprise, not sure where he was going with this. What dozen years? The scoundrel had only recently appeared!

"All those whispers, taunts, and gossip," his father continued.

Mom reached out and placed her palm on his wrist in a vain attempt to reassure him.

"All those years... All these wasted years! Wouldn't my army have a stern centurion who could do the same for you? Wouldn't my field healers have been able to heal your broken legs afterward? So much time was lost! So much was wasted because of my softness and cowardice when I went along with you, Lihua! Truly, love makes a man a complete fool! If I had been firm once, my son would have become what he is now long ago."

Han opened his mouth, gulping for air like a carp thrown on the shore, Like a minnow, like an immature tadpole. What is Father saying? Mom, tell him! his mind was racing.

"You're overreacting, my love," Mother said, and Han's heart was relieved. He knew she would always be on his defense! "Look how Han has changed and how handsome he has become! If he had always been like this, would you be so happy now?"

Such betrayal made Han unable to hold back his tears and howled:

"But Father! That rascal was constantly and daily groping Mother! And every time, he affected her with his energy!"

The cloud of anxious qi disappeared, and a faint smile, uncharacteristic of him, suddenly played on his father's face.

"Oh yes, I couldn't have dreamed of such luck! After all those charlatans, Lihua would meet a real healer? I guess the gods and spirits really do protect the Nao family!"

"But he... He..." Han sobbed. "Tortured. Beat me. Forcing me to eat vegetables. rice. chicken breast!"

The smile on his father's face blossomed even more, and a wave of qi rushed from his body, flooding the dining room with light and the warmth of the sun.

"Chicken breast?" He roared, leaping up from the table and clutching his son in a crushing embrace. "Oh, yes, the true food of the gods! Absolutely!"

* * *

Chapter 8, in which the hero learns a lot of new and interesting things, but does not feel happy about it

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