Chapter 24 - To be Strong

The evening sun hovers above the horizon as people hustle through the streets towards their dinner destination. Dan walks amongst the evening bustle, stopping beneath a wooden signboard marked with a black root. He sighs before making his way into the clinic and up the stairs.

"Welcome back, child." The Ghost Doctor says as he places a pinch of herbs into his basket.

Not hearing a response, the Ghost Doctor turns to look at the young boy. Upon seeing the cut on Dan's lip, he makes his way to the table by the window before taking a seat.

"Why don't you go brew up a pot of tea, child?"

Dan bows towards the Ghost Doctor before disappearing into the back room. A few minutes later, he returns with a pot of tea and two cups. After pouring his father a cup, Dan pours himself one before sitting down. The two sip their tea quietly.

"Father." Dan finally breaks the silence. "I've put up with their taunts. I've kept a clear head when they tease me. I do not resort to violence. Just as you've instructed. I keep my head down, studying and training diligently every day. But why do I have to put up and listen to them smear your name in the dirt? Why do I have to stand by while they target my friend? Why do I have to put up with any of it when I'm stronger than them?!"

"Gyohoho! Dan, child of mine. It seems you've taken my teachings too literally." Hearing the boy's words, the Ghost Doctor finally understands why Dan had been so reserved ever since entering the Academy. "Listen again, carefully. A strong man is not defined by his strength. A strong man is defined by the responsibilities he shoulders. Your talent is a gift from the Heavens. With that talent, comes a heavy responsibility to do good. I have never forbidden you from using violence, I simply wish for you not to squander that gift as I did in my early days."

The Ghost Doctor pauses for a moment to allow Dan some time to internalize the meaning behind his words. After a short silence, he leans forwards and pushes Dan's shoulders upright before looking him in the eyes.

"My son. If you wish to talk with your fists like your martial uncle, Grandmaster Liu, then you need to be strong enough to face the repercussions. If you wish to fight with your words like Headmaster Mo, then you need to keep your head clear at all times. Both of them have shouldered, still shoulder, and likely will continue to shoulder unimaginable responsibilities. The path they tread is full of tribulations. You have set one foot in each path. When the time comes where you need to face your tribulations, I want you to do what feels right. Whether it be fists or words, hurt or heal, violence or peace, how you choose to carry yourself is entirely up to you."

Dan remains silent as he listens to his father. Though he believes that understands what the Ghost Doctor is trying to say, he did not yet fully comprehend the gravity of this conversation. Despite that, Dan's eyes seem to have regained their clarity after listening to the Ghost Doctor's words.

"Father, thank you for your teachings!" Dan exclaims with a clear and vigorous voice.

"Gyohoho!" Seeing his son's vibrant eyes, the Ghost Doctor breaks into a loving laughter. "Good child. Good."

"Father, I wish to ask you something."

"Speak freely, child."

"Is it frowned upon to take on another master in the martial world?"

"Gyohoho!" Dan's question causes the Ghost Doctor to laugh again. "'Another'? My son, have you forgotten? I did not take you in as a disciple."

***

A pink glow radiates from the horizon towards the sky as the evening sun sets. Many patrons watch the sunset from their favorite restaurant, enjoying the view over delicious food and drinks. On the north-east bridge of Lake Unity center, a little girl sits behind a table at a small bun shop. Although she had her favorite beef bun sitting at the corner of the table, the little girl was in no mood for food nor pink sunsets like the others.

Yuyu grimaces as she struggles to solve the problem before her. She flips back and forth through the pages of her notes, trying to scan for relevant information. Despite going back and forth over and over for the past thirty minutes, she still couldn't find the answer. She plops her head onto the table in defeat. Yuyu stares blankly at her aunty Lia as she makes buns and greets customers. The sight of steamed buns causes her mind to wander back to the event from earlier in the day.

Was it Yuyu's fault?

She closes her eyes, recalling Sun's words.

"It's just extra noise." So why did Yuyu speak? Everything was fine until Yuyu spoke…

Yuyu recalls the feeling she felt when the boy called her and Dan, her only friend, nobodies. Even though she was the one who felt it, Yuyu wasn't entirely sure what that feeling was. She had repeated Sun's words in her head whenever she heard people talking about her. It had worked ever since she entered the Academy. So why didn't it work today?

"Why is this question giving my little genius such a hard time?" Grandpa Liu, waking up from his evening snooze, quickly notices Yuyu's defeated expression. "My little genius, haven't we already discussed a similar question before?"

Hearing Grandpa Liu's voice, Yuyu wipes her eyes clear before sitting up.

"Smart grandpa… Dan is strong, right?"

"Dan?" The question causes grandpa Liu to raise an eyebrow. "Hmm… I suppose the boy is quite talented, yes. Strong? Perhaps when compared to people his age, Dan could be considered stronger than most. Why does my little genius want to know?"

"How come strong people don't fight back?"

The question catches grandpa Liu off guard once again. He tries to piece together what happened based on the little clues present.

Dumb boy, so that's where those bruises came from. Just what the hell is Yi teaching you? Bah!

"Smart grandpa?" Yuyu, not hearing an answer, tries to get his attention.

Grandpa Liu laughs nervously as he secretly curses the father-son pair. His mind tries to recall everything he learned during his short time on the scholarly path, trying to see if there's anything that would be helpful in explaining such a complicated issue to a seven year old child. Nothing.

"Yuyu, you see… sometimes people, strong ones, they… You know the word 'responsibility', right? Well, Yuyu, you don't really understand it. Strong people, they have a lot of it… Sometimes they have reasons for n-"

In the middle of his scrambling, grandpa Liu spots a saving grace. Sun's figure appears from the crowd of people passing by. He greets Lia with a smile before setting the empty bamboo containers onto the shelves.

"My little genius." Grandpa Liu pats the little girl's head as he breathes a sigh of relief. "Perhaps it's best you ask your Mister."

After unloading the equipment from his delivery run, Sun turns and smiles at Yuyu.

"Sun! Boy! Come here. The little genius wants to ask you something. Bahahaha!"

Having successfully dumped Yuyu's question onto Sun's lap, grandpa Liu shuffles himself back to his lounge chair. He unfolds the morning paper and pretends to read its contents.

Good luck, boy.