A Wuxia Tale: Blade in Training

A Lone Wang

(WANG DAO)

"How did you know that it was all an act?" Captain Ching asked me while I am dining on a little quiet nook inside the Crown Prince's Palace. Captain Ching is keeping me company. His injured hand, my work, was securedly bandaged.

"When you keep on shouting at me like we were standing on two separate mountain tops. But you talked to Captain Tzu in a normal way." That one was easy. "And when all the crowd around us do was stare and watch everything that is happening," I said.

"Why? What do you think they should have done?" Captain Ching asked.

"Ran and get my father." I said in a matter of fact tone. "I am still General Wang's son. Who in their right minds will torture, lecture and slap around the Master General's son in his first day at work? Unless my Baba gave his explicit order that you can abuse me," I sighed as I pushed away the dishes in front of me. "The food here tastes too rich," I complained before taking some water.

"You eat bland food in your home?" Captain Ching asked as he picked one piece of deboned chicken rolled in potato starch and fried in sesame oil.

"No," I shook my head, "We eat perfectly seasoned food in the Wang Estate. Father doesn't like putting too much seasoning on food because it will defeat the taste of the main ingredients. We also don't eat much meat, we like vegetables in our table,"

Captain Ching snorted, "Better get use to eating protein in this place. The training is brutal, the hours of work are long and we are men who needs meat."

"We are men who needs wisdom and principles as we grow old. And learned skills to make a trade and earn money. That is what my Father said..."

"Father...father...you only talk about the estate manager who raised you. What about General Wang?" Captain Ching asked.

"What about him?" I stifled a yawn. I am tired but I still need to wash up and change my clothes. I am already tired and it's only my second day here. "My sire is an honorable man. I respect him. I trust him. I love my Baba. But he is a general who is busy keeping everyone in this Capital and country safe. I know that. Me and my twin are aware of that. And we have accepted a long time ago that Baba will have limited time to care for his children. That is why we are grateful that Baba gave Father to us."

"Your twin..."

"Stop right there, Sir." I cut whatever Captain Ching will say about Hua. "Whatever you will say about my sister, don't. My sister is not someone I am willing to talk about. She is too precious to me to share stories about her with people I just met."

Captain Ching stared at me. "You don't mince your words, do you?"

"I don't like eleborate long talks that has no substance. My family is an intellectual bunch. We are all well read in our home. I am used to being surrounded by intelligent people. And then I met you...Sir."

"You little shit," Captain Ching laughed before hitting my head with his chopstick. "Wash up and rest. Tonight, your training will start."

"Thank you, Sir." I stood up from the chair where I am sitting and bowed to him. "Sir, question..." I raised my hand again.

"Go on," Captain Ching continued eating like he is the one who starved last night and not me.

"Is it true that you are the sole Captain in this base that commands two hundred soldiers and guards?" I asked.

"Yes," Captain Ching looked up to stare at me. "In this Palace, we have one general, General Bam, one captain, me and two hundred soldiers under our command. You...will be special because you are handpicked by the Emperor himself to personally guard the Crown Prince. You will be the one who will stay in his room and follow him around all the time."