Death Sutra Chapter 15

Chapter 15 Teaching Kung Fu

What Gu Shenwei regretted the most was the loss of that piece of white silk, so he was astonished to hear of it from Servant Yao.

He quickly figured out two things;

First, the white silk had been taken away by Servant Yao in the slave trolley. At that time, he was unconscious, so even though Servant Yao had stayed far from him, he could still have taken anything he wanted because of his high ‘status’ in the trolley.

Second, although Servant Yao had gotten the white silk and read the shortcut manual of ‘balanced power’, he couldn’t practice it because he didn’t know anything about kung fu. He also didn’t know that ‘balanced power’ was the Central Plains Gu family’s unique skill, otherwise, the first thing he would have done was report Gu Shenwei after they had arrived at Golden Roc Castle.

Gu Shenwei stood up instantly, startling Servant Yao. Although he had been prepared, he was still scared and jumped a step back, moving into a newly-learnt posture.

“Hey, don’t move recklessly, I’ve also learnt kung fu; I’m not any weaker than you.”

After all these days of being in contact with each other, Gu Shenwei knew too much about the teenager in front of him so he squatted down again. He said,

“If so, what can I teach you? Just keep the piece of cloth to yourself.”

Hey hey, you don’t need to deceive me, who do you think I am? I have been deceiving people since I was a kid, you’re still too tender.”  

Gu Shenwei washed the rag in the washbasin. He squeezed it while saying,

“Up to you if you want to believe me or not, but Xue Niang’s kung fu is one hundred times better than me, anything she can’t teach, then neither can I.”

Servant Yao frowned. He stared at Servant Huan, trying to see through the other’s real thoughts.

“Xue Niang is amazing, but she said that time was too limited and refused to teach me the skills she is good at. If your ‘balanced power’ really is as amazing as the manual says and can be mastered in a short time, then it is suitable for me.”

“You really believe that casually-written thing? You know, I haven’t been able to master it.”

“Hey hey, you can’t fool me over this. You haven’t even gotten the chance to practice it, or you wouldn’t have been so nervous at that time. Let’s make a deal. You help me become a killer and I’ll give the white silk to you, what do you think?”

The word ‘give’ made Gu Shenwei very angry. He suppressed the anger after a second thought. “give me the white silk now, I can teach you several moves.”

Servant Yao shook his head. “I don’t do money-losing business. You have to wait until I become a killer or at least until after I enter east castle.”

Gu Shenwei was still thinking about it when Servant Ji came in and discontentedly drove Servant Yao away. Servant Ji’s impression of Servant Yao had worsened since Servant Yao had followed Xue Niang to learn kung fu. He always showed a cold face to Servant Yao. Now that Servant Yao had a bigger backer, he also didn’t put Servant Ji in his eyes.

In the following two days, Gu Shenwei had constantly pondered over how to answer Servant Yao. His thoughts gradually focused on two things; the first was to get back the white silk, and the second to prevent Servant Yao from letting out this secret.

One might as well look forward to all his enemies suddenly dying of illness than expect Servant Yao to keep a secret for long.

He was a villain who should never be trusted.

Gu Shenwei’s mind drifted further and further away. In the end, he realized that he was considering how to kill Servant Yao. It seemed that this was his only choice.

Kill Servant Yao?

There were a few reasons for this. Servant Yao was an annoying, even hateful, b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Although he currently didn’t know what ‘balanced power’ meant, once he did, he would definitely report it. Or he would let the secret out unconsciously. Xue Niang and the other experienced killers of Golden Roc Castle might know the origin of the internal Qi manual. If that happened, without a doubt, Gu Shenwei would die.

Gu Shenwei didn’t want to die. He had to shoulder the family hatred. G.o.d’s will had supported him to come this far, so, it was also G.o.d’s will to let that Servant Yao, who was in his way, die.

It was supper time when Gu Shenwei made up his mind. He will first find a chance to tell Servant Yao that he agreed with his suggestion, but he hadn’t yet thought of how he would get rid of him.

He was not Servant Ji or Xue Niang and didn’t have the right to kill anybody. He also was not a peerless master who could kill a person without a sound.

On that night when everyone was ready to sleep, Servant Yao waved his hand at Gu Shenwei, “Let’s get started tonight.”

“We can’t get out because of the curfew order.”

“No worries, I have already asked Xue Niang to talk with someone in charge. I can go out of our bedroom at night to practice kung fu as long as I stay in the yard. As for you, I can tell them you are my footman.”

The word footman p.i.s.sed Gu Shenwei off again. He had already experienced a dangerous situation so his ability to control himself had greatly improved. He glanced coldly at Servant Yao, then walked out of the bedroom. The other teenagers all felt surprised at Servant Huan’s obedience.

In the yard, Servant Yao stretched his arms, kicked his legs and yelled for a while as a warm-up. Servant Ji, who lived in the opposite room, opened the door and shouted,

“It is midnight now, what are you yelling like a ghost for?. If you want to practice kung fu, go to Groaning Ghost Cliff.”

Although Servant Yao had some privileges, he still did not dare to refute Servant Ji. So he smiled to agree before turning his head to look at the small west door with a green face. If it wasn’t necessary, then he would not even be willing to visit Groaning Ghost Cliff in daytime, let alone the fact that it was totally dark right now.

With a deep breath, Servant Yao led the way to the west door.

After they went through the door, they found a place close to the walls, avoiding the cliff where they dropped off the dead. Servant Yao settled his mind, and said, “Let’s get started.”

“Give me the white silk.”

“Uh, didn’t we agree to……”

“I have to read the characters on the white silk to teach you the ‘balanced power’.”

“Hey, you doing this is not right. We had made a deal, you should not deceive me again. I read the white silk carefully, it said that to learn the shortcut, one has to at least master the first level of yang power and yin power. I want you to teach me the ordinary ‘balanced power’, I can learn the shortcut by myself, who needs your teaching?”

Gu Shenwei was sure now that the shortcut was indeed written on the white silk.

“I haven’t read the white silk yet, so how could I know this? You want to learn ‘balanced power’, then I’ll just teach you. Listen carefully. The combination of yin and yang will generate the vital Qi ……”

Although Gu Shenwei hadn’t studied hard and had only reached the first level of yang power after almost ten years, he still remembered the family’s internal Qi manual clearly and recited the sentences one by one.

Servant Yao furrowed his brows while memorizing what Gu Shenwei said. After Servant Huan finished reciting the manual for practising the first level of yang power, he rolled his eyes and said, “Say it again, I didn’t follow you.”

Gu Shenwei recited it again. Every now and then, Servant Yao would interrupt him and ask him to explain some words. After he had recited it four or five times, the several-hundred-character-long manual was finally taught. He then carefully explained the moves and postures one should have when practising the internal Qi. ‘Balanced power’ focused on practising internal Qi, but it was different from other internal Qi manuals as one didn’t have to sit in a lotus position.

‘‘Now this is right. Although I haven’t practised kung fu before, I would know if you were lying to me or not. I don’t want to show off, but I’m really smart. I will be the most amazing killer in Golden Roc Castle sooner or later and be the right-hand man of Unique King. Servant Huan, you are not foolish, do not fool around with the pair of brothers. They are just simple-minded, vulgar, savage baby wolves. Follow me, and I’ll find a way to help you enter the east castle and also be a killer.”

Apparently Servant Yao was very excited. He extended his right hand and waited for Servant Huan to respond, as if he was already a world famous Golden Roc Castle killer who was lowering himself to draw in a loyal partner.

Gu Shenwei thought for a while, but didn’t take his hand. Instead, he grabbed Servant Yao’s forearm.

He would use the Western barbarian way to determine the relations.h.i.+p between the two of them.

Since that day, the two of them would go to the Ghost Groaning Cliff to practise ‘balanced power’ every night. n.o.body disturbed them; even the night watchman wouldn’t patrol the Groaning Ghost Cliff.

The other teenagers didn’t understand the relations.h.i.+p between Servant Yao and Servant Huan. If even the cold and arrogant Servant Huan followed Servant Yao, then they had no reason to stay away. As a result, Servant Yao’s status improved again, and even the ones who followed Servant Ji at first were sucking up to Servant Yao with their clumsy Central Plains language. They wanted to leave themselves a back door and Servant Yao enjoyed it.

The brothers Servant Qi and Servant Xie were the opposite instead. They not only became indifferent to Servant Yao, they also treated Servant Huan coldly now. In the past, they would at least nod when facing each other, but now they deliberately turned a blind eye.

Although Servant Yao was boastful, he was indeed very smart. The third day since they practised ‘balanced power’, he felt warmth appear in his dantian. He pressed his lower abdomen and became as excited as a pregnant woman. “This is ‘balanced power’? I feel it.”

“This is the first level of yang power.”

“Hah, I have internal Qi now! Heh, the internal Qi is not easy to control.”

“That’s normal. Yang is for the straight, for the strong, for the fierce, the stronger the better.”

“Right, you’re right. I feel that my strength has become much more powerful.”

Servant Yao displayed a set of fist techniques he had learnt from Xue Niang. Although he hadn’t mastered it completely, it looked as vigorous as a tiger and had an aggressive momentum.

‘Balanced power’ was easy to learn at first, but difficult to be exceptional in. Once mastered, even the Unique King would not be his match.

Gu Shenwei believed in his family’s unique skill.

The next evening, after he came back from Xue Niang’s place, Servant Yao whispered happily to Servant Huan,

“Hey, Xue Niang praised me today. ‘Balanced power’ is really useful.”

Gu Shenwei was startled. Xue Niang was a dangerous person. Although she was a kung fu pract.i.tioner in the wulin of Western Regions, she might have heard about ‘balanced power’. So he smiled and said,

“Did you mention me in front of Xue Niang? When will you ask her to teach me kung fu? We can enter the east castle together.”

Servant Yao immediately put away his smile and said suspiciously, “Do not worry, I will ask her. it’s not easy to enter the east castle. They only choose one person at a time, you can wait for the next time.”

Gu Shenwei was slightly relieved. Servant Yao would not mention ‘balanced power’ in front of Xue Niang in the short run.

That night, Servant Yao was more silent than usual. Suddenly,  when they went back together at midnight, he asked,

“Servant Huan, what do you think about me?”

Gu Shenwei did not expect this question, but he didn’t feel it was necessary to hide his thoughts at this point. So he told the truth.

“You are very shameless.”

“That’s right, I’m very shameless.”

Servant Yao smiled; it was not an annoying smirk, but a genuinely happy smile.

“Why am I shameless? Because it is a shameless world. If you want to survive in this world, you have to be shameless. If you want to get ahead, you have to be more shameless. If you want to be invincible, you have to be more shameless than your opponent. These are my own true words. Think about it, these are as profound as your ‘balanced power’.”

Gu Shenwei felt that Servant Yao had finally said some truthful words.

If one could only survive in this shameful world by becoming shameless, then in a killer’s castle, if he wanted to revenge, he had to be even more merciless than his enemies.

As he stared at the thin face of Servant Yao, the guilt in his heart slowly disappeared.

This self-named ‘shameless’ teenager would come across Qi deviation in a few days.