Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 105: Combat

The sun had yet to rise, but the sky had started to brighten, marking the dawn. Slightly chilly air still hovered over the second plateau, surrounding the two wooden dummies and the three people who occupied it.

Liam had gotten to the plateau perfectly on time to attend his first mandatory combat lesson, only to find Melissa and the Disciplinary Elder there, and the latter even began to speak without waiting for anyone else.

"We shall start from the beginning and cover every relevant aspect of combat," The Elder announced, his voice as stern as ever. "We’ll begin with the most foundational aspects before moving to complex applications."

That prompt announcement told Liam that he and Melissa were the only foundation experts among the inner disciples, but the Elder’s voice soon reclaimed his full attention.

"Combat is split into three categories," The Disciplinary Elder declared. "Attack, defense, and footwork."

Liam’s attention only deepened. Truth be told, he was genuinely interested in those lessons. He could fight, and quite well at that, but he had never learned how. The Divine Cult had carved those habits into his body, completely ignoring the theory.

"Many believe that attack should take priority," The Disciplinary Elder continued, pacing left and right before Liam and Melissa. "After all, opponents can’t hurt you if they are dead."

That made perfect sense, but there was probably a catch. Still, Liam acknowledged that he belonged to that school of thought, mainly because the Divine Cult wanted disposable weapons rather than proper warriors.

"Others think that defense is paramount," The Disciplinary Elder said. "The greatest force is useless against an unbreakable boulder. It’s also safer and easier to master."

Liam suppressed the urge to glance at Melissa, who had her resolute eyes glued to the Elder, following him left and right. Defense was supposedly her specialty, but she could have her share of secrets, too.

"Instead, footwork is said to be complete," The Disciplinary Elder exclaimed. "You can’t kill what you can’t touch, and you can’t block what you can’t react to."

The Elder stopped at that point, showing his stern face to the two disciples to ask a question. "So, what’s best in your opinion?"

"All three!" Melissa instantly cried, her voice louder than anything Liam had ever heard from her. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The Elder nodded in satisfaction, glaring at Liam for the surprised glance he had thrown at Melissa, before resuming his explanation.

"While warriors always tend to prefer one field," The Elder continued, "It’s mandatory to cover all three to avoid blatant weaknesses. At least, that’s the theory."

The Elder wrapped his muscular arms behind his back, his voice growing louder. "My way is different! You shall excel in all three fields, so that you can excel even more in the one you prefer!"

"Yes, Disciplinary Elder!" Melissa cried, startling Liam again, who felt forced to imitate the bow that followed.

"We’ll cover basic attack stances today," The Disciplinary Elder claimed. "Disciple Liam, show me how you attack on the dummy."

Liam hadn’t expected that, but it wasn’t hard to understand why. He was the outlier in the Pale Moon Sect, fighting with stances that even Lucy had questioned. The Elder had seen his battle against Randall, so he had to be curious, too.

’It’s not really something I can hide anyway,’ Liam thought, approaching the wooden dummy while some cruel memories rose through his brain. ’I haven’t done this since the first lessons in the Divine Cult.’

Liam bent his knees and got in his battle stance, raising his fists. The Divine Cult’s lessons had eventually switched to palm strikes, but he knew how to throw a punch. He actually only knew one way of doing that.

Habits carved into Liam’s body and subconscious awakened, blending with the Qi circulating through his body. His face grew cold as his left fist shot forward, slamming on the wooden dummy with all the strength he could muster.

The dummy was padded, but Liam’s fist pierced that soft layer, digging through the thick wood beneath it, splinters inevitably stabbing his skin.

The hole didn’t reach the other side, but it was big enough to bend the dummy forward when Liam retrieved his arm, ready to launch another punch with his right.

Yet, the Elder suddenly appeared in front of Liam and seized his left wrist, bringing the lightly wounded knuckles under his gaze, before checking his right hand next.

Liam was powerless to oppose the inspection and didn’t really try to, so the Elder could find all his calluses and scars, which were too many to count.

Naturally, some marks came from Krosstoen’s mountain, but the Elder mostly focused on Liam’s complete disregard for any pain or blood on his left hand.

Liam’s face also revealed how he saw nothing wrong with what he had done. That was the norm for him, the only way he knew, and fixing it would require a complete rewiring of his brain, which the Elder wasn’t sure was the best thing for a cultivator.

"Despite what you have been taught," The Disciplinary Elder said, lowering his voice, his tone losing its sternness to gain traces of care, "That’s not the only way to fight."

That sudden switch in tone startled Liam. The Elder had suspected something ever since Liam had opened his cave on his own, but he had opted for kind words rather than invasive probing.

Still, before Liam could say anything, the Elder let go of his hands and turned to address Melissa. "Disciple Melissa, you take the dummy. Disciple Liam will imitate your stances without it."

"Yes, Disciplinary Elder!" Melissa declared, approaching the intact dummy while tying her hair into a bun.

Liam had truly wanted to focus solely on the lesson. His curiosity and drive were in the right place, but his gaze escaped his control, memorizing how nimbly Melissa tied her hair and remaining glued to her now-exposed, graceful neck.

The matter was so unexpected that Liam frowned when he realized what he was doing. He had no idea how or why he had gotten distracted, only for a suffocating pressure to land on him, bringing his gaze back to the stern figure beside him.

"Disciple Liam can ogle Disciple Melissa all he wants," The Disciplinary Elder declared. "All morning, to be precise. But, if Disciple Liam fails to replicate the battle stances, he will only have me to ogle."

And, once again, the Elder’s tone clearly hinted at a deadly threat, but Liam saw nothing negative in what he had suggested.

"Disciplinary Elder, isn’t it better to learn directly from you?" Liam wondered, his genuine innocence attacking the Elder’s heartstrings, telling him how that promised to be a long morning.