Chapter : 26 Teaching Jiwoo

The room was bathed in the flickering light of the fire torches, casting dancing shadows as Kayden and Li Wei sat cross-legged on the ground. They faced Li Shu, with a low table laden with an extravagant feast sprawled between them.

Mid-bite, Li Wei finally broke the silence, his voice carrying a hint of accusation. "Li Shu, why were your men collecting those illegal taxes in that village?" He watched as Li Shu choked on his food, coughing.

Defending his actions, Li Shu replied between coughs, "Brother, I did it to protect them from other bandits. By collecting some taxes, we ensured their safety."

Raised an eyebrow, Li Wei pressed further, "Really? Then why were your men eyeing their land? If it's all about safety, why the land grab?"

Li Shu's response was laced with a touch of selfishness, "Well, you see, if that land belongs to me, nobody will dare touch it."

Li Wei nodded, though skepticism lingered. "I see. Just remember, if you ever collect taxes from them again, I won't hesitate to report it to the Chen family guards, and you know the consequences."

Li Shu reassured him, albeit with a pang of worry, "Yes, brother, don't worry."In his thoughts, he couldn't help but mutter, "My money."

As the meal continued, Li Shu showed them to their adjacent rooms. Kayden lay on his bed, contemplating the situation. "I suppose it's time to return," he muttered as he drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, Li Shu gathered his men for a drink, only to be met with questioning looks. One of them, a lean man, spoke up, "Young master, why did you bring them here?"

Another chimed in, "Yeah, he's right. What's the plan?"

Taking a sip, Li Shu chuckled, "This is why none of you ever make it big in life. You need to understand, I come from the prestigious Li family, but only those of direct bloodline enjoy privileges. The rest of us are left to fend for ourselves. I've clawed my way here, forcing, killing, and blackmailing my way to success. This luxury you see—it's all hard-earned."

His men exchanged bewildered glances, silently wondering why he took such pride in his dark path.

Li Shu continued, a note of seriousness in his voice, "You see, you need to assess and recognize potential threats. Lao Pi should have been at least at the first stage of Foundation Establishment realm, but that kid effortlessly stopped his punch and defeated him. Do you imbeciles comprehend what that means?"

His men nodded vigorously, realizing the gravity of the situation. "Yes, young master, we understand. That kid is dangerous, and you're afraid of him."

Li Shu spat out a sip of his drink, "afraid? Me? Never." He paused briefly, then added under his breath, "Or maybe..." He trailed off, leaving his men to speculate. "He might be from some powerful sect that could put me in danger, ahem....I mean us." He cleared his throat and took another drink, trying to mask his unease.

While Li Shu continued his talk with his men, Kayden lay in his room, deep in sleep. Darkness surrounded him until a hint of light entered, and his eyes slowly opened, revealing a familiar scene – Jiwoo's house.

"I am back again," Kayden murmured, gazing out through the glass door as the sun descended, enveloping the room in night. He turned to look at Jiwoo, who was peacefully asleep.

Kayden sat on the sofa, attempting to gather energy, blue and white energy swirling around his body. But he abruptly stopped, frustration evident on his face.

"Darn it, I can't gather enough power. It's more than just a wound. I've used too much power recently," Kayden muttered, clenching his paws. "Moreover, I lent him power when I was in such a bad shape."

He recalled the moment he had given some of his powers to Jiwoo to fight the monstrous cat. An innocent Jiwoo stood before him, and Kayden's thoughts wavered.

"Hmm, well, I didn't have a choice then. God knows what could have happened to him if I hadn't given him my powers," he pondered, shaking his head.

But Kayden couldn't forget about the awakened monster cat, a looming danger. He knew Jiwoo might be in danger, as force awakening was banned in their world for being dangerous and inhumane. The man behind it wouldn't stay silent after Jiwoo discovered his intentions.

As Jiwoo's breathing grew heavy, Kayden observed him with concern. "Is he having a bad dream?" he wondered.

"Ughh!" Jiwoo's distressed sounds filled the room.

"He's bound to have bad dreams after that horrific incident and realizing that he's an awakened one," Kayden thought, keeping his gaze on Jiwoo's face.

"Kayden, my chest feels heavy, like something is pressing down," Jiwoo muttered in his sleep.

"Huff, huff," Jiwoo's breathing became even heavier, and other cats who had been asleep woke up, their eyes fixed on Kayden, who had been on Jiwoo's chest.

Panicking, Kayden quickly slid off Jiwoo's chest, adopting an innocent pose, "When did I get on him?" he wondered as Jiwoo woke up, sweat beads on his face, struggling to breathe.

Jiwoo wrapped his arms around himself, still trembling, "I had a bad dream. Someone was choking me, I couldn't breathe," he confessed, his eyes filled with horror.

"Grr, choke? You bastard, I'm not that heavy," Kayden fumed internally.

Jiwoo noticed Kayden sitting beside him and as kayden remarked, "So you had a bad dream."

"Yeah, I think it's because of the incident before," Jiwoo replied, still trembling and feeling the weight on his chest.

"You and I are worried about the same thing," Jiwoo said.

"Hah! Now you're worried? After all you've done?" Kayden quipped.

"Yes, you explained," Jiwoo replied with genuine concern.

"Hmm, so you're listening to me, huh? I thought you were an idiot because you were all smiles," Kayden retorted, giving Jiwoo a sidelong glance.

Jiwoo chuckled and scratched his cheek, leaving Kayden baffled and speechless.

"What now?" was Kayden's bewildered expression.

"Thank you for worrying about me," Jiwoo said with a soft smile. He continued, "I'm sorry, but that feels good in a strange way," Jiwoo admitted, still smiling.

Kayden, flustered and at a loss for words, watched Jiwoo with wide-eyed amazement.

"S...Shut up! I'm not worried about you!" Kayden protested, his embarrassment evident.

"Huh? No?" Jiwoo asked.

"Of course not! I'm only telling you this because you've treated me well!" Kayden declared, his voice tinged with embarrassment.

Jiwoo seemed to misunderstand, saying, "Ah, that's it."

"Yes, so no more stupid talks," Kayden said, turning around. "Worried? Hah! The great Kayden is not worried about anyone," he silently thought as he turned around to walk away.

Jiwoo's expression seemed to reflect uncertainty and doubt. But Kayden paused, noting Jiwoo's concern. His eyes gleamed with a newfound resolve.

"If you're that worried, I will teach you one thing," Kayden said, turning his head with a glint in his eyes.

"Huh? What?" Jiwoo asked, clearly confused.

"I will teach you how to develop and efficiently use your powers," Kayden declared.

Jiwoo's eyes widened with excitement. "There's a way to do that?" he asked.

"Yes," Kayden affirmed, a hint of exasperation in his tone.

"Wow! You're going to teach me that?" Jiwoo's enthusiasm was palpable.

"Yes. Don't make me repeat myself," Kayden warned.

"Sorry," Jiwoo muttered.

The scene shifted to Jiwoo's basement, where Kayden sat on the sofa, and Jiwoo on the floor in front of him. Kayden looked around and nodded in approval.

"Not bad, this is good enough," Kayden remarked, assessing the space.

"Let's begin. You've been using your power blindly. The only reason it has developed is because you've been using it for a long time. But if you use my methods, you'll be able to develop and efficiently use your powers. However, don't expect my method to bring drastic changes. Powers don't grow all of a sudden with just a couple of days' work. It takes a very long time. Depending on your talent and approach, you may not see results for several years or even decades," Kayden explained.

"So, it might not work on me?" Jiwoo inquired.

"Dunno. It depends on how talented you are. But using the power efficiently is different from developing the power. It will take you several months to even come close to my level," Kayden explained.

"How long did it take you?" Jiwoo asked.

"You're staring at the man who invented the method," Kayden stated with pride, pointing to himself with his paws.

"Come to me," Kayden instructed, placing his paws on Jiwoo's chest.

"This feels similar to when he gave me his powers," Jiwoo thought as Kayden's paws began to emit a blue glow.

"Listen carefully. The power is in your heart. The power spreads to the rest of your body like blood," Kayden explained. "I'm going to channel my powers into you, let you feel how powers move and grow. You have to remember that feeling and do it yourself one day."

"Let's begin," Kayden said as he passed his energy into Jiwoo's body. Electric sparks crackled and sparked in the basement, making Jiwoo slightly uncomfortable.

"Hold on," Kayden said, passing more energy, and the basement filled with sparkling electricity.

Exhausted, Kayden sighed, "It'll be hard to do what I taught you on your own. But if you try hard for several months, you..."

Kayden's last sentence was cut off as he watched Jiwoo in shock.

"WOW... I CAN CONTROL THE POWER WITH YOUR METHOD!" Jiwoo exclaimed.

"HUH?" Kayden was clearly shocked.

"The power's moving like you taught me," Jiwoo said, excitement and surprise evident in his voice. His energy gathered at his heart and began to move.

"So that's how you do it," Jiwoo said.

"Huh! Why's that moving?" Kayden was utterly bewildered.