"Actually, I came to visit you this time because there's something I'd like to ask you to teach me!"
Xia Le spoke with a smile.
"Anything you need to ask me about must be quite something, Xia Le, but I'd be more than happy to help!"
Dai grinned.
"Thank you, then!"
"I'd like you to teach me the Eight Gates!"
Xia Le smiled.
Dai's expression stiffened, and he suddenly fell silent.
Xia Le did not press him. He simply waited for his answer.
"The Eight Gates?"
After a long while, Dai spoke hesitantly.
"First of all, it's a forbidden technique, and its physical requirements are extremely strict."
"Ordinary ninja can't practice it at all. Only those who have trained extensively in hand-to-hand combat and studied it deeply can master it."
"Moreover, since the Eight Gates is a forbidden technique, it carries considerable danger."
"I hope you understand that, Xia Le."
Dai spoke very seriously.
Xia Le nodded. "I already knew all of that before coming to see you."
"Then it seems you know exactly what you want, and you're determined to get it!"
Dai smiled.
"Actually, I'd rather like to see someone learn this forbidden technique devoted to hand-to-hand combat!"
"But far too few people meet the requirements!"
As he spoke, he shook his head and sighed.
Sitting cross-legged, Xia Le suddenly held out his right hand.
Dai looked puzzled.
"Take my hand. Why not test my hand-to-hand combat?"
Xia Le smiled.
Dai froze, then chuckled. Still, he did not hold back. He reached out with his right hand and clasped Xia Le's with a smack.
"When it comes to hand-to-hand combat, how could you possibly—"
Before he could finish, Dai found, to his utter bewilderment, that his body was spinning through the air. Then he slammed into the wall