Meditation class

At noon, Ryu woke and went out of the cave and found Feng Po still seated in the same place, drinking the same way as in the morning. On his feet scattered on the ground, a dozen jugs of wine.

As Ryu got closer, he realized that Feng Po was sleeping. So, he turned back and started walking away, but three steps later.

"Running from your training?" Feng Po's voice resounded.

"Are you in condiction to lecture someone?" Ryu poked.

"What are you insinuating? Is this how you talk to your master?" Feng Po said, getting angry.

"Nothing, I just came to begin." Ryu said.

"Let's get going then." Feng Po said, guiding Ryu to the top of a boulder covered in snow.

"What do I do now?" Ryu asked.

"Now, you sit and meditate. What else?" Feng Po said, and started to grumble some inaudible sounds as if he was angry with Ryu's question.

Ryu opened a space in the snow with his hands to sit and closed his eyes, entering into a meditative state. The cold snowy wind breeze affected his ability to keep focus, causing him to take a minute to concentrate and feel the qi in contact with his body.

However, just a minute later, a sound at his side caught his attention, and he opened his eyes to see. Feng Po was seated in a chair with another jug of wine.

"Why did you stop?" Feng Po asked.

"The training will be like this? I just sit here and cultivate?" Ryu asked.

"What more do you want?" Feng Po asked.

"I don't know. Maybe you can give some tips." Ryu said.

"Yes, I forgot how dumb my disciple is. Let's try this, close your eyes and imagine yourself in your own room, a place you are very familiar with and comfortable." Feng Po said.

When Feng Po was saying this, Ryu closed his eyes and started to follows his instructions.

"Now, remove the furniture and leave the space empty." Feng Po continued.

In Ryu's mind, he was seated in his room at his parents' home while his breath started to slow down, easing his mood. He felt a thin layer of qi touching his skin.

"Next, paint the walls black, and lock your mind on that color, and every time your mind starts to drift away, you force your mind back to this black room." Feng Po said.

Around Ryu, a thin line of qi formed, entering his body and going all the way till his dantian.

"Relax your muscles, on your torso, head, face, arms. Good, now, imagine that in this room, there is only your mind, your body is gone." Feng Po said, making his voice calmer.

For some time, Ryu struggled to keep his mind focused only on black color, but as he did, a constant stream of qi entered his body. Which astonished him, such a simple method, and he already felt a great difference in cultivation, but then.

*SPLASH*

As a loud sound resounded, Ryu contorted back as a sharp pain crossed his back. When he fell to the side, he saw a stick in Feng Po's hand, immediately understanding what had just happened.

"You, ..., did you whip me with that." Ryu said, speaking between his teeth while enduring the pain burning his back.

"You lost concentration." Feng Po said like his simple statement justified everything.

"This is what you call training? No, I'm out. I will go back to the sect, bye." Ryu said, sitting on the ground and placing his hand on the boulder to raise himself to go.

But, before he could exert any force to push his body up, all his strength left him while an inexplicable fear overcame his mind. His hands started to tremble, a cold stiver rushed through his spine, all the hair in his body erected, and his eyes widened, then he turned his head to the side to face Feng Po.

Standing at Ryu's side was Feng Po looking down at him with cold eyes. The power emanating from his body made the boulder shake and Ryu almost faint.

But with a distorted figure of the old man, an image came to Ryu's mind, the image of a faceless man standing at the top of a mountain with a sword in hand to bravely face an enormous vicious demon. That was the painting decorating the management hall in the earthly transitions sect.

A moment later, the pressure on Ryu released, but he continued to gasp for air as he recovered.

"That image, the painting on the sect, a man facing a monster on the top of a mountain. It is you, isn't it?" Ryu asked.

"That is old history. Go back to meditate. I am starting to lose patience with your weakness and constant complaining as my disciple such weakness is not tolerable." Feng Po said, his voice hoarse and dangerous.

"Are you going to whip me every time I lost focus?" Ryu asked.

"That's the point." Feng Po said.

Then, Ryu forced himself to meditate. He imagined himself back in the black room, but he couldn't relax his body, as he was afraid of the next whip coming at any time.

For one hour, Ryu remained quiet trying to meditate, the only thought he had was 'I have to meditate' and 'I am going to be whipped'. With that conflicted mind, the stream of qi flowing to his body was dim than ever, to the point that he couldn't even feel the flowing in his body.

Then, Ryu couldn't resist the psychological assault anymore, so he opened his eyes and looked angry at Feng Po.

"Stop with this bullshit. I can't stand this." Ryu said.

"You've made great progress. Why stop now?" Feng Po asked.

"Progress? The quantity of qi flowing is ridiculous, your teaching method sucks." Ryu said.

"Of course, the quantity diminished. But, you kept meditating for one hour without losing concentration. Do you expect to become an expert in just a single lesson? That's not how it works, kid." Feng Po mocked.

"I am just sitting here afraid. No matter what you say, this is not cultivating." Ryu said.

"Yes, but you only have one thing in mind. Much better than before when you kept dreaming wake. As you kept there, this fear will vanish as you get used to it." Feng Po said.

Realizing the trap he was in, with no exit, Ryu stopped arguing and resumed meditating, fearing that another whip could come at any time.

And the whole night progressed like this, even when he felt hungry, Ryu did not dare to ask for a pause. The entire time he 'cultivated' the flow of qi didn't improve the slightest.