February 1 was the first day of the new semester at Wuyi Academy. It was still morning when the dorm supervisor called a number of students, including Chen Chuan, out into the hall.
He waved the form in his hand and said to the students before him:
"I took a look. Last year, most of you only attended a bare handful of open classes and invitation classes. That was your choice, and as your teacher, it's not really my place to criticize. But today, the instructor from the Maka exchange students is holding an invitation class. Go over and show some support, and we'll count it toward your invitation and open class requirements for this year."
Hearing that such an easy deal existed, the students immediately voiced their agreement.
The dorm supervisor reminded them, "Don't look down on this Maka instructor. In pure combat, they may not match us, but in certain areas, they have their own unique methods. To earn our respect, they'll bring out knowledge that is kept secret within their own country. Learning a bit more will do you good."
Hearing the supervisor say this, the students grew somewhat interested, abandoning their previous mindset of merely going through the motions.
Since it was already nearing the time for the class, Chen Chuan and the other students exited the dormitory building and walked toward the training venue specifically set aside for the exchange faculty and students.
It was very close to the dormitories, just a five-minute walk away. When Chen Chuan and the others stepped inside, they saw that the Maka instructor was already seated there.
The man was around forty years old and a typical Maka: an aquiline nose, a high forehead, wearing a plain martial arts tunic, with sleek muscle lines across his frame and bronzed skin. A string of beads hung around his neck, and several white feathers were tucked into the ornamental ribbon binding his topknot.
After entering, the students greeted him first. Once permitted, each took a seat on the cushions laid out across the floor. Chen Chuan found a spot relatively near the front.
When the time arrived, the Maka instructor stood up and said in fluent Great Shun official speech:
"Allow me to introduce myself first. My name is 'Douma,' which means 'teacher' in Maka. However, high and low throughout Maka, we all speak the language of the Republic of Great Shun, so this gradually became a title and honorific. You may call me Teacher Douma. Well, though it sounds a bit strange, you may address me like that."
With these few remarks, the instructor struck the students as far from rigid. The atmosphere was quite relaxed, somewhat bridging the unfamiliar distance between them.
"For this exchange, I am very pleased to teach the students of Wuyi Academy. Our Maka population is only a little over a million, and our entire country has just one combat academy. Our level of competitive combat does not match yours, but we possess certain unique techniques.
"In the understanding of us Maka, all things originate from nature. Nature is omnipresent and capable of endless transformation. The highest spiritual ideal of the Maka is to govern oneself and merge into nature.
"We believe that every person is a slave to their own body; therefore, one must liberate oneself to become the true master of the body. Next, I will demonstrate how to coordinate one's body. Let me begin with a relatively simple movement."
He opened both hands, extending them to either side, sticking out his thumbs and pinkies to form the number six with both hands—especially the pinkies, which were hooked up high and conspicuously.
Some students followed suit. Although anyone could do this movement, they felt it definitely wouldn't be this simple, and that there was bound to be more to follow.
Sure enough, Teacher Douma smiled. Maintaining this posture, he slowly sat down, then used his ridiculously nimble toes to deftly slip off his socks. With his toes, he formed two sixes as well. Then, while holding that posture, his middle toes slowly rose upright before dropping back down with effortless ease.
He said, "Interested students may try to follow along."
A few students began attempting it. Slipping off socks with their feet was fine, but when they tried gesturing with their toes, their faces contorted one after another.
*What kind of unhinged class is this?*
Chen Chuan was lost in thought. Now that his mutated tissue had penetrated deep into every minute part of his body, even without trying to demonstrate, he knew full well he could do this easily.
However, for those who lacked this mutated tissue or had not adequately conditioned the muscles and tendons there, it was exceedingly difficult. This Maka technique seemed designed specifically to cultivate fine control over subtle parts of the body.
Teacher Douma spoke again: "What I have demonstrated just now is merely the foundational portion of Maka karma-channel study. In this class, I will give you a general introduction to its learning process and methods of mastery.
"Do not underestimate it. With prolonged practice, it can enhance your control over yourself as well as your perception of the external world. Applied in combat, it allows you to better detect subtle movements and shifts. Sitting here right now, I can sense the breathing, heartbeat, body temperature, and even the blood flow of every single one of you.
"If any students are interested, you are welcome to attend regularly. Over the coming semester, I will teach you this technique unique to the Maka."
Meanwhile, as the class proceeded, on the ninth floor of the Class A student dormitory building, a young Maka man was looking outside through a gap in the curtains.
He had sharp, rigid features and prominent brow ridges. A small earring hung from one ear, and his hair was bound by a headband-like ornament. His build was exceptionally robust, marking him at a glance as someone skilled in combat.
Just then, the ajar door behind him was pushed open. Another Maka student came in from outside and said to him, "Nali, Meili's side has been notified."
The man called Nali did not turn around, merely saying, "Good."
The Maka student slumped onto the sofa and complained, "The men's and women's dorms are separated here in Great Shun, so we can't gather all of our people together."
Seeing Nali remain silent, he glanced over. "What are you looking at?"
"Looking at the people here," Nali said.
"What's there to see? Don't they look pretty much like us? The streets are full of them."
Nali said, "And looking at this land."
The Maka student froze for a moment, then leaned back onto the sofa, staring upward. "Nothing to look at either. This place doesn't belong to us anymore—not since the moment our people abandoned the ancestral land."
Nali asked, "Shani, have you seen our clansmen in the academy?"
Shani said, "Don't even mention them. They stopped considering themselves Maka long ago. What clansmen? Now they're no different from the people of Great Shun."
Nali said, "Then this time we can only rely on ourselves. Go call everyone over."
"Now?"
Nali nodded. "Now."
"What a hassle," Shani muttered, getting up and walking out.
When he returned, seven Maka students followed behind him. Fortunately, the dormitory suite was quite spacious, so even with so many people gathered, it didn't feel too crowded. Each found a place to sit.
Nali pulled shut the curtains over the French window, then turned around to face everyone who had entered. He said, "Based on the communication between our homeland and Wuyi, if luck isn't on our side, our identities will be exposed within five days at most. Therefore, we must secure the item as soon as possible.
"According to the schedule, two to three days from now, Teacher Douma will take us to the Yangzhi City Foreign Affairs Bureau for a friendly exchange with the visiting foreign affairs officials. At that time, they will bring out and display the Great Oak Leaf that we consecrated in Yangzhi City. That will be our only chance to take it back.
"However, the danger of this matter goes without saying. Although the local resistance has agreed to cooperate with us, we will have to face the Foreign Affairs Bureau's security forces, and we won't be permitted to carry weapons. The difficulty is extremely high. Are you prepared to sacrifice yourselves?"
Shani said, "Say no more, Nali. From the moment our feet touched this ancestral land, we felt the call of our ancestral god. We will definitely reclaim our Maka people's sacred relic."
Resolute expressions appeared on the faces of the others as well.
Nali looked at everyone present. Every single one met his gaze unwaveringly, none looking away.
He said in a deep voice, "Zu'a, Shani, and the rest of you—under the pretext of martial sparring, go test the level of the Wuyi students on the floors below over these next two days.
"When the exchange ceremony takes place, those students might accompany us. If they notice anything amiss, they will definitely intervene to stop us. Only by figuring out their strength beforehand can we prepare targeted counters."
"Understood!"
Those present agreed one after another.
Nali nodded solemnly and had everyone return to their rooms. Roughly two hours later, there was a knock at the door. He hurried over to open it and welcomed Teacher Douma inside.
He asked, "Teacher, is the class over?"
Douma walked over to the window and drew open the curtains. He said, "The students of the Republic of Great Shun are of very high caliber. Even though this was their first encounter with Maka karma-channel study, I could sense that several of them grasped the basics right on the spot."
Nali was astounded. "That fast?"
Douma sighed. "After all, Great Shun has a vast population; they can find many people naturally endowed with nature's gifts. Our Maka population is far too small, and our nation had to pinch every penny just to cultivate us fighters."
He turned back and said solemnly, "You must not sacrifice yourselves here lightly. You have a far greater future ahead. When the time comes to seize the oak leaf, I will do my best to hold back the people present. Once you have the item, leave as quickly as possible. As many as can escape should escape."
Nali said with a heavy expression, "Teacher, will the resistance here truly help us when the time comes?"
"They will, because they want to tie us Maka to their cause. Even though they are using us, we must do this for the return of our sacred relic. Besides, it is not as if we have no means of making amends."
Nali said, "I still don't understand. Since the oak leaf originally belonged to us, why can't we simply ask Yangzhi City to return it? We clearly have such good relations..."
Douma shook his head. "It is not the same. Right now, they only know it as a symbolic artifact, so they don't care much about it. But if they knew it was our sacred relic, they might not be willing to return it to us. After all, the echoes of the world are deepening year by year. We would rather secure the item in our hands first and let our nation handle the explanations afterward."
***
After the class concluded, Chen Chuan headed back to the dorms. He found the lesson rather interesting, with much to recommend it; perhaps he could attend whenever he had free time.
He had just returned to the seventh floor when the dorm supervisor called out to him, "Student Chen Chuan, you have a phone call."
Chen Chuan hurried over. The dorm supervisor said to him, "Student Chen Chuan, you get so many calls, you can actually apply to have an individual telephone line installed."
Chen Chuan was somewhat surprised. "Can I?"
The dorm supervisor smiled and said, "You were awarded a scholarship for the first semester, so you have that privilege. But if you don't get one this semester, it will be revoked."
"Understood. Thank you, Teacher."
Chen Chuan stepped up and lifted the receiver. Ren Shu's excited voice came through the line: "Mr. Chen, the Municipal Administration just issued an assigned mission. The commissioners dispatched earlier have located what is likely the Flying Head Cult's main stronghold—in an old mountain stockade in the northwestern Manshan area. The Municipal Administration is preparing to concentrate personnel and head into the mountains to wipe out this band of cultists.
"Right now, they lack experts capable of handling flying heads. Because we dealt with it successfully last time, the Municipal Administration was quite satisfied, so they handed the matter to our company again this time. I was wondering if Mr. Chen has time to take it on?"
Chen Chuan's gaze shifted slightly. "What's the timeline?"
Ren Shu replied, "The suppression operation is scheduled for before noon tomorrow. Mr. Chen, we might need to arrive in the Manshan mountainous area tonight, which means we only have this afternoon to prepare. We don't need to deal with the perimeter operations; our only responsibility will be eliminating that flying head monster at the end."
Chen Chuan considered it. For prudence's sake, it was necessary to consult with Cheng Zitong first. He said, "Wait for my word first."
Chapter 113