Chapter 53: Break of Autumn Dawn
The first lesson ended as soon as Anji failed. Her teacher seemed to know what she struggled with, so she called it a day.
"This is all for today," she declared. "You’ve learned how to absorb energy. The next step is learning how to convert it into a useful form. I’ll see you in two days. Do not cultivate in the meantime. You need to rest and reflect upon what you’ve learned."
Retrieving the bronze mirror, Yan Ping reached for her staff and escorted Anji out of the hut. Even though Yan Ping did not spend much time getting to know her disciple, she knew enough that leaving the energy bank in Anji’s care would only result in rule-breaking. The smart child was usually obedient and well-mannered. However, she wasn’t against secretly doing things behind the adults’ backs when she wanted something. The fainting incident in the medicinal bath was a good example. This is partially why Gu Ying was added to the babysitting squad. There was no way to stop Anji from finding different ways to cultivate after Yan Ping repaired her meridians. Hence, it was always safer to stick a watchful guard with Anji.
Saddened that her time learning cultivation was too short, Anji was almost unwilling to leave the hut. However, the promise of being able to fly with her shifu made her change her mind.
While not all cultivators could master the art of flying on their swords, those who did look incredibly impressive. This form of transport, however, was not without its risks. It required significant stamina to control a sword using qi, and a slight misstep could lead to a fatal fall. Even though cultivators were often referred to as immortals, very few could claim to be immune to fall damage.
Yan Ping chose to wield a walking staff instead of a sword because it was more useful. However, her walking staff was crafted from a special material that allowed her to imbue it with qi when needed. Ordinarily, the prophet fought using her staff. It was a named weapon and a famous one at that.
"Come on,’ she coaxed the child. "We can ride Break of Autumn Dawn down the mountain. You can sit in front this time."
Her staff, Break of Autumn Dawn, held a significant place in the murim world. Crafted from the branch of the oldest spiritual tree on the Mystical Qilin mountain, Yan Ping’s teacher made its spell and carvings about a hundred years ago. The legendary sage chose the staff’s name to inspire Yan Ping, who had lost her eyesight, to see beyond her physical disability and find a different light in her dark world. Today, she used it to give Anji a different world perspective.
When they first came up to this isolated hut, Anji was carried in Yan Ping’s arms as she flew. The girl could not see much of the mountain, so they flew over with her back facing the front. Her teacher sat on the staff and led the way. The ride was quickly over, and all Anji saw were trees from the back and an overview of her sect as it grew smaller in the distance. Now that she could sit in the front, Anji’s excitement returned.