Wuxia Tale: Hua in Bloom

Training

(WANG DAO)

Damn it!

I couldn't help but curse silently after I released the steel spike in my hand. I knew it will be off and won't reach it's target which is an apple on top of five vegetable crates some 3 meters away.

"What is wrong?" Father asked after the steel spike that I threw landed at the ground two feet away from the crates.

I knew it was a mistake, of course my Father who is an expert will know that something was wrong the moment I released the weapon.

"I think my hand shook a little," I admitted in a whispery tone.

"What happened," my sire, General Wang, joined me and my Father. He didn't catch what I said.

"Your hand shook?" Father took my right hand and looked at it. I winced. I know what he is seeing, my calloused hand full of nicks and small cuts. "Your hand is hurt." He corrected me.

"I can still train..."

"Stop," Baba said. I close my mouth. We are not in the Wang estate. We are at a parcel of land one town away from the capital. Me and my family come here every week to train. Hua and I are finally learning weaponry. We are now fifteen and Father deemed it that we are trustworthy enough to learn how to use different weapons.

But I think I am overdoing it.

Since I got those beautifully made steel spikes and daggers from Baba as a reward for threatening that shopkeeper away from the capital, I never missed a night of sharpening my skill in throwing them.

But training hard with sharp objects had effects. One of them is getting hurt and cut from their sharp blades.

I tried healing them. But some cuts won't heal fast enough to satisfy me. And now, Father and Baba had seen them.

I couldn't hide it from them. Or from Hua who came and joined us. She gasped upon seeing my cut hand. "Dao ah...what happened to your hands..."

"Stupidity is what happened to your brother's hand," Father said before untying a sash on his training clothes. One of my cut is bleeding and needed binding so that's what Father did with the strip of cloth in his hand.

"Are you insane?" Baba asked me. I look down. "Pushing yourself until your hand is like that. That is your weapon hand, Dao ah. The least you can do is take care of it. Not abuse it. Haven't we said that to you and Hua when we start this weapon training..."

"I am sorry Baba," I humbly said.

"Oh you will be sorry, alright. I am confiscating your spikes," Father said.

"No!" I think blood drained away from my head. "Father..."

Father gave me a death filled stare. He is not my Father, he is my trainor and Master. "One more word and I will lock you in the estate until your throwing hand is completely healed. Try me, Wang Dao."

I don't want to try. Father doesn't throw empty threats. He will do it. Lock me in the estate if I protest more. You got to be smart and learn when to push when it comes to my Father.

Baba took Hua away. Baba is concentating on Hua's archery skills and knife skill. My sister had a taste for close combat, we all learned that the hard way when one by one, Hua put us all down in the ground. Even Baba. Hua's physical strength is adding up as the day passed.

"It's because your sister is happy. I learned that I become extra strong when I am feeling strong emotions. Your sister is happy with the progress of her courtship with Prince Jin that is why she is getting stronger." Baba explained.