Legend of Ransera

For both the master and the student there had always been something bothering them about Shuai's martial arts and although it was the same concern, neither knew they were on the same train of inquiry as both had not shared it with the other for their own fears and worries. Shuai's worries was really quite simple and something anyone would have expected from the boy who only really wanted one thing. He had reached an impediment of sorts where he had noticed he was just not getting any stronger no matter what he did. When he first realized it he tried everything he could think of. Increase the difficulty and intensity of his workouts, did it every day and longer, everything except going to his teacher with it for fear that the man would end up doing something drastic and extreme. His teacher on the other hand saw it in the last time, just only a week or so ago, when his student had to demonstrate all those drills he learnt to use with the sword. You know, the ones. The ones he had been practicing with over the course of the season.

To put it simply there was just something he felt was off with the boy's demonstration although it was nothing so simple as he did not know the reason why. The training he had meticulously planned and crafted for the boy through his experience working with other student's could not have been wrong. That was his worry. Was this the first time he had messed up? And with the son of Youdu no less? Being ridiculed in the noble circles where he hoped he could expand his choice of students to should be the best thing he should expect from the man out of all possible outcomes although no doubts it had already happened after the once popular duelist found out the martial arts teacher he hired for his son was getting Shuai into using polearms instead of a sword. The most ridiculed and belittled weapon by nobles and duelists alike, as opposed to the stylish and majestic weapon they all loved to romanticize about.

However he would cross that bridge if it came to that. In fact he would not even have to deal with it if he could just solve his bigger concern. What was wrong with young Shuai? Remembering that it was during one of those drills when he had that feeling, he asked the boy to make another demonstration. Maybe it was just a one time thing and this time the feeling that something was off would not come to surface when he was watching the demonstration. However no such luck and again, he had this uncomfortable feeling when he saw his young student demonstrating his final attack. And that was when he realized it, why was the boy so weak? While Shuai was just a child he had also become much stronger over the past few seasons he had with his teacher. The expectations were there but they were there for a reason. Like he did the last time he told the boy to try throwing his weight into it, maybe it would help and just as he had suspected it was the boy's own strength which was lacking, not his weight. Shuai was from a well to do noble house anyway so they certainly would not be starving him, would they?

When the teacher told Shuai of his concerns and asked about how the boy was doing at home, it was as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. No it was not like Shuai was being abused at home, like being starved as punishment for slighting someone in the family, that he needed to vent about it to an outsider. He had quite the enjoyable at home actually and was lacking nothing, look even. His father though apprehensive starting his son out young himself even got the teacher to mentor the young boy in his ideal to master the martial arts. Without any reservation Shuai told his teacher everything about the observation they shared. Everything. From how he had run into the bottleneck to how he had been trying to break past in. He only had a very limited view about it however so there was only so much he could do in his own like get more of those supplement things his teacher had recommended for him to get and to work even harder since it was through his hard work in the last season that he had undoubtedly gotten stronger. Work even harder? Yes and the teacher should not have been surprised that Shuai took the initiative to train every single day.

Every single day? Did the man not hear what Shuai had just boasted to him? Every single day. Without rest? Without rest of course. What did he think Shuai was trying to do if not get stronger? Remain a weakling? Of course it was obvious to the boy that he had to train every day without rest just to make himself stronger as possible. And how long had Shuai been doing this this? Not long enough the boy admitted with derision at his own failure to not have realized it sooner. He should have started on his new routine at the turn of the season and not just a little over a month ago. It had not been long and his teacher was glad but it did set them back a bit and he was still on Youdu's deadline for his assignment, or he might as well be dead. The boy was naïve, innocent and did not know any better but he was also stupid, stupid and stupider! Shuai was shocked at the man's sudden outburst and could not understand what was wrong? They were there to train and that was all he did The man should be proud, happy even just as his student had been to share his concerns and achievements the moment he had the chance. Achievements? What achievements? Did Shuai become any stronger to show for it? No!

But "what do you mean I failed? I did everything right and I gave it as good as I could. Is it because I gave up everytime I got tired? Arrgh! I knew I should not have given up so quickly and pushed myself even more. I'm sure I could have gotten at least ten minutes more out of my exercises everyday and that would be... uhmmmmm... that's ten minutes be twenty six days? I think? That would mean fou- no th-" His teacher stopped him right there as the time he had wasted and caused a stall in their efforts, for the young boy's own benefit, was not as important as the fact that Shuai had once again broken the most important rule the man had set out for him. Follow all his instructions perfectly, nothing more and nothing less. Yes it was true that Shuai had been instructed to continue in his training even if his teacher was not present as long as he was only practicing what he was allowed to. Trying on his own something he had only seen once under his master's supervision had been the reason he was punished harshly the last time that he never dared to try it again since but this time he was actually following his teacher's instructions. Was the man trying to shift the blame to his younger student? He had thought better of the man than that and any trust they had developed over the seasons would be shattered because of it.

Only that was not the case. Shuai had been following his teacher's instructions, there was no doubt about that, but was he following all the instructions given to him? He let the boy sit on it for a little bit to try and remember if there was anything else he was told to do while training but Shuai did not have a clue. "I did everything you've asked, everything you told me to" but the truth was, not everything. Shuai did everything but rest and in neglecting to do so this was what happened to him. He was not as strong as he could have been. Shuai still despite this remained unable to see the reason for why for having to rest was important although he did not tell his teacher that, instead he claimed the man had given him no such instruction. He would have remembered being told to do something as wasteful as using his time to rest and would have even voiced out against it because logically why rest when he can train? It was a good effort to bring the ball back to the actual issues right until his teacher his teacher in all the experience he had teaching children like Shuai reminded the boy that really was what happened. It seemed Shuai's memories were quite short lived especially when it came to things which did not hold his interest.

[b["But what will I do if not train?"[/b] This was ridiculous. No training whatsoever? His teacher tried to explain to him he needed to give his body enough time to rest so it could rebuild itself but Shuai could not, refused to understand. Making no headway his teacher decided to give him another suggestion the boy might be able to accept. Train not to get stronger but it would nevertheless help him to protect himself. "How? Running? I don't need to do that then? I run a lot, just ask anyone here." As a child it should be expected that Shuai would run around a lot but he was not running the right way. "Right, pfft, you just need to run as fast as you can, how is there a right way to do that as long as you can do it?" It were moments like this which should have clued the boy in that there had to have been a reason for why he needed to have a teacher and why his teacher was the man currently guiding him. "Not only fast, but I have to know how to run long? Why?" It did not sound too practical for young Shuai as he only ever needed to run around his house and the playground. Anywhere else there were carts to use, or horses.

However being told that if- when the boy continued his training he would be able to use both, alternating them day by day so his body could rest as he should he agreed. If running was like rest, it would mean running more is equivalent to more rest for him he mistakenly believed yet again. And so his teacher mapped out some circuits for the boy to follow. For the first few days it was in the courtyard in his house and instead of making the laps, his teacher was more focused on getting Shuai to run properly so that in the end though exhausted he would not be in pain. Then after that as the laps increased, Shuai found in following his teacher's changes to his methods, to do more than just run fast, he was able to run for long without the pain at the end. Then the circuit increased to be around the estate in increased laps but eventually Shuai found it to be boring, running circles around all these places he was too familiar with and seeing the same old scenery. Learning this his teacher expanded the circuit further. Unto the dirt paths towards the nearby wilderness although not too deep it would be considered dangerous.

Shuai would not know until much, much later the extent of his master's planning as the increased difficulties of the circuits he was set on was not something he noticed very often. It was the scenery and new things he encountered which made it work for him and these were what was attributed to the changes in his routes. Not the length for him to become increasingly able to sustain his runs, not the difficulty in the steep hikes up and certainly not the ill maintained conditions of some paths where he would actually have to pay attention to what he was doing so he would not injure himself. Actually yes and eventually the boy would thank his teacher in recognition of all the man's efforts. Just not right now as he would still have to find out about all the details the man had to think of but until then he had a new goal. Not just stronger now, but faster.