The next morning.
Hyuga Kenshi woke up early.
Honestly, he had often endured the punishment of the Caged Bird Seal. Although every part of his body hurt afterward, especially his eyes,
he wasn't as fragile as Young Master Xingzhuo seemed to think.
They had even sent breakfast to his room that morning, so he could eat there.
He was being treated just like a young master.
"How are you feeling?"
Hyuga Ziyin suddenly pushed open the door and asked with concern.
Kenshi didn't really feel like talking, but he couldn't ignore someone showing him kindness.
So he could only answer honestly:
"I'm fine now. I can go back to work."
Hyuga Ziyin, however, pressed him back onto the bed.
"Don't rush. Young Master Xingzhuo gave you three days of sick leave. After that, you won't have to go back to the Dessert Shop. From now on, you'll serve as the young master's bodyguard."
Kenshi didn't quite understand what she meant.
What was sick leave?
Did she mean it literally?
And he wouldn't have to go to the Dessert Shop anymore?
Was he going back to being a bodyguard who was often beaten and tormented?
So it had all been a lie after all?
A string of questions came to mind, but he quickly suppressed them.
He lowered his head. Even he didn't know why he said this:
"But if there isn't a ninja watching over the Dessert Shop..."
Hyuga Ziyin watched the boy stammer those words and understood a little more. She spoke with even greater patience:
"The young master asked the clan to send someone to fill your spot."
"But, Kenshi, are you reluctant to leave your job at the Dessert Shop?"
"Actually, there's no need to be. You're one of us, so you can go to the Dessert Shop or the Barbecue Shop whenever you like and eat for free."
Hyuga Kenshi looked up, bewildered.
What did she mean, one of them, and eating for free?
Those words felt so unfamiliar.
Hyuga Ziyin continued:
"Only those the young master values can become bodyguards. From now on, you, Yun Fei, and Lian will take turns protecting him. One person each day, then two days off."
"As the young master puts it, you work one day and rest for two. You can arrange your own time on your days off. You can spend the whole day at the Dessert Shop, or eat as much as you like at the Barbecue Shop. Of course, I'd personally recommend that you relax without neglecting your training. I think the young master gave you so much free time because he wants you to become jonin as soon as possible."
As she spoke, she winked and added, "You know what I mean."
After giving her instructions, Hyuga Ziyin left.
Hyuga Kenshi lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
I know what she means? How could that be?
The Caged Bird Seal and the Branch Family system have lasted for a thousand years. How could they possibly be broken?
But, but...
He didn't really believe Xingzhuo's promise.
Yet a small flame suddenly lit in his heart.
It burned even brighter than the "farewell" he had always hoped for.
He turned the word but over and over in his mind, until at last it became a quiet question:
But what if it's real?
Holding on to that thought, and with his body still aching, he soon drifted off to sleep.
This time, his dreams held no kneeling and begging for mercy, and no fear of tomorrow or the future.
The next day, Hyuga Kenshi received a visit from Yun Fei.
"How are you? If you're feeling a little better, let's go have breakfast together."
Yun Fei said as soon as he entered.
Surprised by the other boy's attempt to get closer, Kenshi pushed himself upright and decided to join him for breakfast.
They were still eating in the courtyard.
The tables and chairs were just like the ones at the Dessert Shop. Members of the Main Family and Branch Family sat together, chatting and laughing over their meal, and the food was novel and delicious.
It seemed that nothing here followed the rules.
At the very least, everything upended Hyuga Kenshi's understanding of the world.
When breakfast was nearly over, Hyuga Hoshishaku suddenly clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
At the sound, Kenshi immediately put down his chopsticks and looked toward Young Master Xingzhuo, his expression growing serious.
"Everyone, except Aunt Ziyin, come to the back courtyard in a little while. I'm going to teach you the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm."
As he spoke, the young master looked over at him.
"Kenshi, you come too. I'll have Yun Fei bring you a chair. You can sit and listen. Staying cooped up in your room all day isn't good for your mood."
With that, the young master stood up and left.
Kenshi remained frozen in his chair, at a loss.
Teach them the Vacuum Palm?
Was it the same Vacuum Palm he knew of?
And he could sit and listen?
What?!
No matter how shocked or confused Hyuga Kenshi was,
what was going to happen would happen all the same.
At the small training ground in the back courtyard, Hyuga Kenshi sat in a chair, feeling terribly uncomfortable, as if there were needles beneath him.
But the young master had already pressed him down twice. He didn't dare disobey, so he could only sit and listen to the lesson.
Nearby, Yun Fei and Lian kept suppressing their laughter, looking as though they were enjoying the show.
Kenshi was flustered and embarrassed, unable to understand how things had ended up like this.
Only when Young Master Xingzhuo began teaching the Vacuum Palm did the atmosphere settle.
"The principles behind the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm aren't much different from those of ordinary Eight Trigrams Palm. You just need to accelerate the chakra as you release it. I'll channel chakra into your wrists now. Remember how it feels..."
Afterward, Hyuga Hoshishaku taught the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm to each of them in turn.
But when he got to Kenshi, they ran into a problem.
"I'm sorry, Young Master. I haven't learned it."
He lowered his head, filled with so much guilt and self-reproach that it threatened to spill over.
But the young master patted his forehead and blamed himself first:
"My fault. I forgot that you haven't learned the Eight Trigrams Palm yet. How about this? I'll teach you the Eight Trigrams Palm by yourself first, then Rotation, and finally the Vacuum Palm."
Hearing this, Hyuga Kenshi was shocked yet again.
He had lost count of how many times he had been shocked that day.
A young master of the Main Family was going to personally teach a secret Main Family technique to someone like him, who had made no contributions?!
Still, whether or not he believed it, it was going to happen.
For the rest of the day, Hyuga Hoshishaku personally taught Hyuga Kenshi the Eight Trigrams Palm.
Thanks to his previous teaching experience, Xingzhuo taught him smoothly, and Kenshi learned quickly.
After training all day, the boys walked into the bathroom, drenched in sweat.
Hyuga Kenshi was sixteen, already at the age when his body was developing.
As the oldest, he felt terribly embarrassed to bathe in the same bathroom as thirteen-year-old Yun Fei and seven-year-old Young Master Xingzhuo.
He used to bathe alone in the Branch Family compound. He had never seen a communal bath like this.
But Hyuga Hoshishaku, who had been from Northeast China in his previous life, wasn't about to indulge him.
Embarrassed?
They were all the same. What was there to be embarrassed about?
After Hyuga Kenshi had washed himself, the young master grabbed him and tossed him into the medicinal bath.
Young Master Xingzhuo didn't spare him as he spoke:
"Look at you, skinny as a chicken. Now that you're here, you'd better start putting on some weight."
Hearing words that sounded like a scolding but were really an expression of concern, Hyuga Kenshi's eyes suddenly grew misty.
He gave a quiet "Mm" in response to Young Master Xingzhuo.
Then he turned sideways and looked away, not wanting the young master or Yun Fei to see his tears.
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