Time passed unhurriedly. In this way, more than a week went by…
Although his wounds hadn't fully healed yet, Kai no longer felt any discomfort when moving. Just a few more days and he would be completely fine. Thanks to regular and hearty meals, even his body had begun to look sturdier. Sometimes Kai went on outings with Old Man Mo, and the latter would tell him about various herbs and what they were used for.
Some could be used for healing, like the Healing Grass. But there were also herbs whose poison could kill. It seemed Old Man Mo possessed a vast amount of knowledge in many different fields. Kai was also amazed that beasts tried to avoid them. As soon as animals spotted the pair from afar, they would bolt. Nothing threatened their peaceful walks.
When their food ran low, the old man would kill some edible game. It was as if he simply appeared several dozen meters away and felled it with a single strike of his dagger. Every time it happened, Kai felt like he was dreaming!
"Master, when will you teach me to do that?" Kai asked excitedly.
"Don't rush. You're only just recovering. Your physical training will begin soon. First, we need to strengthen your body and let you grow a bit more. There's another problem as well… You're sharp-minded for your age, but at the same time you're dumb. Heh-heh," Mo said, laughing mockingly.
"How can someone be sharp and dumb at the same time, Master? Maybe the second part is about you?" Kai asked, teasing him in a childlike way.
"You little brat!" Mo shouted and smacked Kai on the back of the head.
"Heh-heh." Kai wasn't ashamed in the least and immediately snickered slyly.
In truth, Mo wasn't angry; he liked this kid. But he still needed to maintain the hierarchy between teacher and disciple.
"Boy, you grew up in some tiny backwater village. Can you even read? Do you at least know where your village is on the map? You're like a blind kitten… You need an education. Luckily for you, a strong, smart, and kind-hearted master like me found you!" Mo proclaimed proudly.
"Oh yes, I sure was lucky to crawl into a cave with a crazy old man," Kai said with a grimace at the old man's boasting.
They constantly joked and poked fun at each other. This manner of speaking took deeper and deeper root in their relationship.
"Remember this: starting tomorrow, we begin your training. Your schedule will start with morning exercises—running, push-ups, climbing the cliff, squats, and more. You'll need to temper every muscle in your body as much as possible… I think five hours a day will do," the old man said thoughtfully.
"After that, every day you'll meditate in the Lake of Ice. Twenty minutes will be enough—any more could become dangerous… That will let your muscles relax after training and temper your mind. You must learn to concentrate. And for now, don't try to absorb energy. Leave that for later."
"Then you'll help me prepare breakfast. After that—lessons. I need to teach you the basics of reading, writing, and general knowledge. Otherwise, if you ever end up in a big city, you'll embarrass yourself like some uncouth villager. And wouldn't that shame your master as well?" Master Mo said with a mocking tone.
"Old man… With the way you look, you can handle the shame all by yourself," Kai shot back.
"My boy, in my youth I was a most eligible bachelor… If you were older, I'd teach you a few other things. There are some incredible techniques related to seducing women. Heh-heh," the old man said, as if reminiscing about the past. "But with that face of yours, I doubt you'll have any trouble even without my advice." Ignoring Kai's confused look, Mo went on.
"After lessons, you'll spar with me. You need to understand the difference between real masters and ordinary street thugs. Believe me, soon a completely new world will open before your eyes!" the master said confidently, then added, "And one last thing… At night, you'll focus on the sounds around you, trying to sense danger. Sometimes you can't rely on your eyes. So either you train your hearing and other senses, or you better hope for a sixth sense! Hahaha!" Old Man Mo burst out laughing.
"Danger? Where could danger possibly come from if beasts don't come within a hundred meters of our cave?" Kai asked, puzzled.
The old man seemed to have been expecting this question. He smirked and flicked his thumb, shooting something out of his fist.
Whoosh! — Something shot out like lightning toward Kai's backside. — Smack!
"Ow!" Kai yelped, jumping from the pain! He quickly tugged down the side of his pants over his right butt cheek and saw a slowly forming bruise. "Old man, what was that?!" he asked in shock.
"Danger!" Mo replied cheerfully, laughing.
A chill ran down Kai's spine and he instantly broke out in a sweat. He unconsciously rubbed his rear and fell into thought. Now he understood that at night he'd have to dodge stones flying at him! If that was the last part of his training, right before bed…
Did I take everything that comes before this too lightly? As he thought about it, Kai realized that starting tomorrow, hellish training awaited him. But at that very moment, he clenched his fists in anticipation and smiled!