There was a long moment of silence before Feng answered.

“Indeed. Well done, Sen.”

Sen let his arm drop. The weight of uncertainty lifted from his shoulders. Master Feng was sparing with praise, so it struck home ever more deeply when he offered it. A moment of elation washed through Sen. He had done it. He had not disappointed Master Feng. After basking briefly in that feeling and savoring the praise he had so rarely heard in his life, clarity returned. Sen hastily offered Master Feng a deep bow. In a moment of unexpected reflection, Sen realized that he had learned a great deal more from Master Feng than just fighting. A year ago, he wouldn’t have known he should bow at that moment, let alone why he should bow. Feng had slowly dripped that information to him with mild reprovals and gentle corrections.

“I am grateful, master.”

“Nonsense,” said Feng, but with a small smile. “You worked for every inch of ground that you gained. But now, we should discuss the future.”

A moment of trepidation passed through Sen’s entire body. “The future, master?”

“Yes. We’ve laid the foundation for you, but you don’t need me to guide you with that any longer. Fortunately, Jaw-Long has told me that he’s releasing you from your morning lessons. So, you will take some of that time each day and practice what you just showed me. Deepen your understanding of what you already know. Wring every ounce of understanding you can glean from it. Perfection is always a distant peak, but the closer you draw, well, you wouldn’t be the first to find a moment of enlightenment in the pursuit.”

Sen found his master’s words somewhat baffling. It seemed the old cultivator didn’t mean to send him away. Yet, it wasn’t clear what the man did intend to do in the meantime.

“You won’t train me any longer?” Sen asked.

Feng laughed. “Whatever gave you that notion? You will continue training with me in the afternoons. There are many other things you need to know. I’m just confident now that you don’t need a minder for these basic exercises. The things awaiting you are much more difficult, more complicated, but they all depend on a firm foundation. Now that you have it, I can build on that foundation. It’s your task to keep that foundation strong, to reinforce it.”

“I see. I will not fail in my efforts. What will I be learning, master?”

“Yes, about that. Come with me, Sen.”

Sen followed his master inside. He’d been outside for long enough that moving into the warm house caused sweat to bead all over his body. He wiped at his face to clean away the worst of it, only to realize he had nowhere convenient to wipe his hand. Sen sighed and wiped his hand on the plain robes he wore most days. He reasoned that they would need to be washed anyway, so there wasn’t a point in trying to avoid getting them a little dirtier. He trailed after his master, venturing deeper into the house than Sen usually wandered. Master Feng stopped before a particularly ornate door and announced himself.

“Come, come,” said Uncle Kho from inside the room.

Master Feng opened the door and walked in, followed after a moment by a nervous Sen. Uncle Kho sat on the floor in a mostly plain room. There were two covered objects sitting in front of him. Sen eyed the objects with curiosity for a moment before dismissing them. There was no point in guessing about them. He would shortly learn what they were, or they weren’t his business. For his part, Uncle Kho seemed unusually excited. Sen offered Uncle Kho a bow, while Feng simply nodded.

“Done testing the boy, then?” Uncle Kho asked Feng.

“I am.”

“The results?”

“He did adequately.”

“Heavens, Ming, I hope you were more expressive with him.” Uncle Kho turned to Sen. “Adequate is the word Feng Ming uses when other people use words like excellent or extraordinary.”

“Jaw-Long,” said Feng with a warning tone.

“Oh fine,” said Kho, waving a hand at Feng. “As long as he met your standard of adequacy, it means that it’s time for his gifts.”

“That much is true.”

“Gifts?” Sen asked with confusion.

“It is the new year, isn’t it?” Kho asked the boy.

“Yes, I suppose it is. Why?”

Feng and Kho gave Sen baffled looks.

“You give gifts at the new year,” said Kho.

“You do?” Sen asked, suddenly very concerned. “Forgive me, Master, uncle. I didn’t know. I have no gifts for you.”

Feng sighed. “I keep forgetting. He’s probably never received any gifts. Sen?”

Sen thought for a moment. “Well, Grandmother Lu gave me shelter. Shared her food with me.”

Kho frowned. “Shelter and food, you say. This is the woman you told me about, Feng?”

“It is.”

“Remind me to do something nice for her, Sen.”

“That is kind of you, uncle, but she is very old. I don’t know if she’ll even be alive when I return.”

Feng actually smirked at that. “I think she’ll surprise you. I’ll remind you, Kho, if the boy forgets.”

“Good, good,” said Kho. “Now, for the gifts. I’ll go first. No complaining, Ming. I’m older. Plus, it’s my house.”

Feng snorted but offered Kho a gracious bow. “Of course, honored Elder.”

Kho reached down and scooped up the longer of the two covered objects. He held it out to Sen. Sen carefully took the object and flipped back the cloth to reveal a spear. There was no decoration on the spear, save for a little scrollwork on the blade. Yet, Sen was certain that this was a spear of excellent quality. The grain on the shaft ran straight and true. The metal of the spearhead shone in the light with nothing to suggest imperfections. Given how much stronger he’d grown in the last six months, Sen was surprised at how heavy the spear felt. He bowed to Kho over the spear.

“Thank you for the gift, honored uncle.”

“You’re welcome, Sen. One day, I’ll even show you how to use it. For now, though, just hang on to it. Feng still has some things he needs to teach you first.”

At a nod from Kho, Feng stepped forward and picked up the smaller bundle. He waited while Sen wrapped the spear up again and set it aside. Then, he handed the bundle over to his young disciple. The boy unwrapped it to reveal the hilt of a sword and a plain scabbard. Sen’s eyes went wide. He had seen swords before, but only at a distance. He’d never dared to dream that he’d own one. Commoners often owned spears. Sen understood that the weapons were simply less costly to buy and repair. Swords were expensive. It took special knowledge to make them and to care for them. They were reserved for those with money and power, or those who worked for them. He didn’t dare even draw it. Feng reached out and looked at Sen.

“May I?” Feng asked.

“Of course, master.”

Feng lifted the sword and drew it. It was a straight blade, sharpened on both sides. Feng eyed the blade critically as if searching for any flaw before he extended his arm. The sword was as steady as stone in the old cultivator’s hand.

“This is a jian,” said Feng, his eyes fixed on some far-distant time or place. “It’s fallen out of favor among armies in recent times. Many consider it too light to hold up against the heavier dao sabers. They are, of course, fools for that thought. In the Jianghu, though, this is a weapon that you must know, for you will find many who wield it.”

Feng returned the blade to its scabbard and set it back in Sen’s hands.

“Master, what is the Jianghu?” Sen asked, his eyes locked on the sword.

Feng's eyes came back into focus and fixed on Sen. “That is, well, that is a complicated matter. We’ll discuss it eventually. Fortunately, it’s not something you must concern yourself with at present.”

Sen was so astounded by his gifts that he barely registered the non-answer to his question. He went to draw the jian but hesitated. In a moment of maturity that surprised even him, he released the hilt. He knew that he knew nothing about using a sword. Even drawing it risked the chance that he would injure himself or damage something precious. No, he decided, better to wait until I know how to use it. Instead, he offered Master Feng a bow.

“My gratitude for the gift, master.”

Feng inclined his head. “Now, put those away and come back. There’s one last gift for the day.”

Sen found himself wondering what else they could possibly want to give him. He’d been given a sword and spear along with the promises of instruction. He couldn’t have asked for better gifts. Yet, he had been given instructions, so he followed them. Although, he might have lingered over the weapons for longer than necessary before returning to Master Feng and Uncle Kho. When he reentered the room, the two old men were waiting. He presented himself to them and, unsure what else to do, he stood there. Feng simply reached out and offered Sen a pill. Sen eyed the pill like it might strike him dead where he stood. He’d had nightmares about the pill he’d taken in the wilds.

Feng seemed to intuit Sen’s line of thought. “Yes, it’s the same kind of pill. No, it won’t be like last time. The life you lived before you took that first pill was very different from the life you’ve lived since. Also, consider this. Do you want those kinds of impurities inside of you?”

Sen jerked a little at that. He’d been so overwhelmed and consumed by the pain and utterly vile aftermath that he’d never really considered what it meant. All of that awfulness had been inside of him. What might it have done to him if that pill hadn’t purged it? Still, the fear of it still had a grip on him. Sen didn’t enjoy pain. He’d endure pain if it was necessary, but was it necessary? He thought hard about it for several minutes. Master Feng and Uncle Kho said nothing, their expressions calm and utterly neutral. Sen had the feeling they would accept it if he said no. Yet, they’d offered the pill knowing how much he feared it. They didn’t do that casually. Whether or not he thought it was necessary, they were certain. Sen reached out and took the pill.

“You can use this room,” said Uncle Kho. “It’s what it’s here for.”

With that, the two old men left the room. Sen didn’t take the pill immediately. He remembered the aftermath of last time well enough. He removed his robes and set them aside. No amount of soap and water would salvage the robes if he wore them. He saw no point in burning perfectly good clothing. He found a cup of water placed on a small shelf. After a deep, shuddering breath, Sen put the pill into his mouth and washed it down with the water.