Neeko finally got a chance to speak up. She hurriedly asked Yi, "Sword Saint Master, have you ever met any Vastaya like me? My clan is called the Wu Wei Clan, and our ability is shapeshifting. But about two years ago, fire consumed my home..." Neeko began telling him about what had happened to her.
Yi sympathized deeply with Neeko. He knew what it was like to lose one's home.
He studied Neeko for a while longer, searching his memories.
Unfortunately, he couldn't recall any Vastaya who fit the description or looked like Neeko.
Yi shook his head. "I haven't, but I can take you to meet my disciple, Wukong. He's wandered around Ionia since he was young, and he's a Vastaya too. He'll surely know something."
He pointed toward the mountain. "Once I've taken care of things up there, we'll set out."
"How long will that take?"
"Two months at the most."
"That's still so long..." Neeko was a little disappointed. Now that she had a lead, she hadn't wanted to waste another moment. But Master Yi wasn't obligated to help her, and she didn't dare ask for more. At least she had made some progress. If she had to wait, then she'd wait.
Jia Ruo was very pleased. He'd met the Sword Saint, gotten You Meng, and helped Neeko find a lead. Everything was going well. All he had to do now was follow the Sword Saint and train diligently. His wonderful dream would gradually come true.
He just hadn't expected Wukong to have already become the Sword Saint's disciple. If I call him senior brother and he calls me second junior brother, that'll feel a little strange.
And so, Neeko and Jia Ruo built a small hut at the foot of the mountain and settled in.
The next day, Neeko went into the forest to look for edible wild fruit and a source of water, and began setting up their little home.
As for Jia Ruo, he got up early and went to find the Sword Saint, carrying You Meng and waving it around in front of him as if he were practicing.
His intentions were obvious to everyone. Yi knew exactly what the boy was hinting at and could only smile helplessly as he called Jia Ruo over.
"Jia Ruo, I'm going to teach you some fundamentals. Are you willing?"
"Absolutely! Thank you, Master!"
Yi waved a hand. "Good. Hold out your hand."
Jia Ruo obediently offered it.
Yi took his hand, then frowned. He didn't say anything at first, instead feeling the muscles in Jia Ruo's arms, waist, abdomen, and legs.
"You've never studied martial arts before, have you?"
"No. I've just wrestled with the sailors on the ship now and then."
Yi nodded. That matched what he'd found. He asked, "Can you use magic?"
"A little. I can control plants. I learned from Neeko."
As he spoke, Jia Ruo controlled a blade of grass nearby. It quickly wound its way up his body, and a new shoot sprouted from his fingertip.
"What's going on with the energy flowing inside your body?" That was the one thing the Sword Saint couldn't understand.
"Well..."
Jia Ruo hesitated slightly, but still unfastened the bracer on his right hand.
"It's this. It keeps sending a strange kind of energy into me."
Yi picked up the fragment. A pale blue glow gradually lit up between the Sword Saint's fingers.
"I found it about half a year ago. Since then, this strange energy has kept flowing into my mind. I can feel that my five senses have been growing sharper ever since."
Hundreds of years had passed since the Rune Wars, and people had always been tight-lipped about them. There weren't many left in the world who knew the full story.
Yi didn't recognize the fragment as a World Rune. Perhaps it was some kind of rare treasure. But the amount of energy it contained seemed far too great. Yi wondered why only Jia Ruo could absorb it. Could that be why Jia Ruo could wield You Meng?
Yi gazed at the purple light still swirling around You Meng in Jia Ruo's hand, but couldn't figure it out. He returned the fragment to Jia Ruo, who fastened it back into place along with his bracer.
Yi didn't pursue the matter. After carefully examining Jia Ruo's physique, he began teaching him the fundamentals of martial arts.
He had Jia Ruo put You Meng down and start with the most basic horse stance. He taught him how to feel the position of his center of gravity, the rhythm of his breathing, how to exert force through his muscles, and how to channel the strength of his torso into his limbs.
All day, Jia Ruo listened intently to Yi's instruction. He grasped things quickly, but his body couldn't keep up with his mind. He was still far from achieving unity of body and mind.
"You'll need to work harder on your physical training," Yi told Jia Ruo.
He was fairly satisfied. Though a person's character couldn't be judged in a single day, he could tell that Jia Ruo was at least diligent and not arrogant or impatient.
That was enough to get started in martial arts. Besides, Jia Ruo had shown great aptitude.
Yi's fondness for the young man was growing, though he didn't show it.
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