Kou’s Lightness Skill

The ogre demon that had fled from the training ground was never captured. Even so, why had it been trying to enter the palace? Had it been planning to attack one of the nobles living in the palace again?

By early afternoon, Elder Mon and the three guards had gathered in one of the palace rooms and started chatting.

“Elder Mon, what do you think the ogre demon’s objective is?”

When I asked, Elder Mon tilted her head.

“I do not know either. But I have a feeling that ogre demon is familiar with the inside of the palace.”

“Why do you think that?”

“I was thinking that, since it knew no one would be at the training ground early in the morning, it may have entered by going over the wall.”

Today it had been discovered because I was there, but until yesterday it might have been coming and going freely.

“Kou, about how strong was the ogre demon?”

Kanru asked me.

“Well, in terms of martial skill alone, I would say it was about the same as me. But when it came to Lightness Skill alone, the ogre demon was superior.”

Hearing that, Kanru nodded.

“If the ogre demon you fought and the one Senior Brother Daaren fought are the same one, then that means its wounds healed in a short time. We cannot underestimate it.”

Elder Mon nodded.

“Kanru, do not think of defeating the ogre demon yourself. That is Daaren’s job.”

“I understand. But if I encounter the ogre demon, I will fight it.”

If Kanru fought the ogre demon, would he be able to win? Since I had heard that his Dragon Qi Sword Art had improved, he probably could. The ogre demon was fast, but its weapons were poisoned claws and a dagger, so its reach was short. As long as he fought without letting it get inside his guard, he should be able to kill it.

After fighting the ogre demon, I decided to train my Lightness Skill in earnest. And as for the qi released from the feet, it struck me that depending on how it was used, it might become an attack. If the secret hand technique of Thunder Technique Fist was Lightning Palm Strike, then it seemed possible to create a corresponding secret foot technique.

Several days passed without incident, and then on the day Princess Meifan’s treatment was completed, an incident occurred. The corpse of a palace maid was discovered in the quarters where the palace maids lived. Rumors spread that she had been killed by the ogre demon, and a great uproar followed.

Because of that, the king asked us to remain in the palace a little longer. He wanted us to deal with anything that might happen to the royal family. The fact that he limited it to the royal family really made me feel that this country was a monarchy.

Since I had nothing else to do, I spent the entire day training. Not because Elder Mon had told me to, but the thing I focused on was Lightness Skill training.

The first stage of Lightness Skill is to become able to move quickly and quietly across the ground by using the qi released from the feet. Once this first stage is fully mastered, as long as there is ground beneath you, you can run like the wind and even move as though you have no weight.

And then, apparently the second stage lets you walk on water, while the third stage lets you walk through the air. However, most people only reach the second stage, and those who master the third stage are rare.

When I began training my Lightness Skill at the training ground, many soldiers started coming to watch.

“That speed is incredible. But why is the ground getting torn up and dirt flying everywhere?”

That was because my Lightness Skill was still immature. I had become able to use the qi released from my feet to grip the ground. But in truth, rather than gripping the ground, I was supposed to fix myself to it as though wrapping around it. I could not understand that sense of wrapping around it.

Even so, as I continued training patiently through trial and error, after about three days I came to understand that feeling of wrapping around it.

Once you grasp the trick, the first stage of Lightness Skill advances all at once.

“Huh? Today he’s running without digging up the ground.”

One of the soldiers shouted.

“Why is that? If he did that in a field, he could till it just by running.”

The onlookers were saying whatever they pleased. Still, plowing a field with it was certainly an amusing thought. More importantly, now that I had stopped digging up the ground, my running speed increased. Perhaps the energy that had gone into digging was being converted into propulsion.

Just because I had grasped the trick did not mean the first stage was finished. From here, I still had to learn to reduce the qi emitted from my feet to the bare minimum and become able to run for long periods. Once I could do that, I ought to be able to run up trees and even run along walls.

Kanru had started training too, but he seemed unable to concentrate on his cultivation because of the attention around him. When people become idle, they think up foolish things. Taoist practitioners were no exception, and Kanru declared that he would begin night patrols.

“Didn’t Elder Mon tell you not to?”

“She told me not to go slay the ogre demon, but if I am helping Senior Brother Daaren, there should be no problem.”

Daaren and the others were taking turns patrolling inside the palace. When Kanru offered to help with that, Daaren gave permission. However, it was only for patrols inside the palace.

Kanru reported that to Elder Mon. Elder Mon did not look pleased, but she allowed it. Kanru began patrolling that very day, and on the night two days later, he discovered a suspicious person.

That day, Kanru was patrolling inside the palace together with the guards. The sun had already set, and the moon was out. Kanru and the guards moved forward while lighting their surroundings with lanterns.

“The other day, I saw Lord Kou and the ogre demon fighting. The martial arts of Taoist practitioners truly are astonishing.”

One of the guards spoke to Kanru.

“Kou only just became an inner disciple, so he is still very inexperienced.”

“Is that so? Even so, for him to possess that much skill is incredible.”

“He seems to have some talent, but since he has not properly studied under an elder or a high disciple, he may reach his limit soon enough.”

This prediction was something people had been saying among the inner disciples, not something Kanru himself had come up with. Kanru did not think very highly of Kou, so he had never paid it much attention. He had simply heard others saying it and repeated it as it was.

At that moment, Kanru sensed the presence of a struggle and strained his ears. There was no mistake.

“Someone is fighting over there. We are going.”

“Understood.”

Kanru and the guards broke into a run.