Progress is never Perfect

After many minutes of silence and stolen breathes we part at once, quite unwilling but it is time for me to get back to work...

-So, what is it troubling you now?- he asks softly

I sigh and leave his suffocating embrace to seat down on some fallen tree -Your investigation with that Assassin surely was a failure... I found some "valuable" Intel, if you can call it such. Anyway, I'll just lay out everything I know:

~ Dong Hu works for the enemy but Wang Chia-Hao is not his Master

~ Dong Hu have been hiding his true power and identity

~ Wang Chia-Hao is a neutral figure in all this who's side with whoever he want at any moment, which is the Monarch right now.

~ There's a stronger enemy of unknown identity, stronger than anyone I've met before... One who saw me playing into his plan all this time

~ The Jade core has some kind of enhancing ability and is forged out of dark powers, releasing the same black smoke as those sand puppets

~ Dong Hu killed a man who was going to give me informations about those men, proving that they belong to his Master and not a third party

~ Those man have the ability of slowing down my powers... So my body focus on fighting that internally and consume my energies, making even fighting difficult.

Summing it all up, I gained nothing. I cannot fight Dong Hu, I cannot fight his Master, I cannot fight against those men, I cannot move a single step forward to end the war and now this unknown Assassin dude appeared and started snatching away all the rescued deities for a reason I can grasp, while not being part of our side nor the enemy's... What else? Oh right of course! How could I forget?! The Emperor got assassinated and there's probably a civil war going on- I take a deep breath, forcing me to remain calm -For how meaningless it is, I don't even know what happened to my family since the situation back at the capital is too unstable and no letter reaches us anymore beside official communications... Qin Luo even has a son back there-

He looks at me with crossed arms through my whole monologue, his face expressionless as he takes in the facts and reexamine them with a calmer mind than mine... After some time his arms lower to his sides and he speaks again -So what's your next move going to be?-

I widen my eyes and look at him stunned, my mouth slightly open in disbelief -Are you for real...? What did you not understand about me saying that I cannot fight those men?-

-Yes and?- I rise my hands wanting to speak but studder a few times -I... I... I cannot believe this- I pinch my nose bridge, his nonchalant attitude is so annoying... Is he even listening to me?!

-We've been in this situation before, I know you can still...- -Still what?! It's not like I lost my motivation or feel down, nothing of the such. I simply cannot do anything anymore, I lost all my cards, I'm overpowered! Even if I were to fight them a hundred times it would still be meaningless, nothing would be archived-

He chuckles and kneel down before me, brushing one fallen lock away -Maybe I wasn't so wrong saying that you are a narcissist- this time I look at him with a calmer expression, simply wanting to know what he means -You cannot fight those men, you said that yourself that it drain you stamina to a point where even physical fighting becomes difficult and you risk do drain yourself if you keep if you for too much... But you should stop thinking about doing it yourself- his eyes serious again

-How can I end a war if I'm not the one fighting...?-

-Those men are weak beside that ability of theirs, are they not?- I nod -So a normal human can fight them without problems, leave the sand puppets to your comrades and focus on something else that only you can solve... It is quite clear that those men get enhanced by the Jade cores, so keep destroying those no matter how many bases the enemy rebuild-

-So... I'm really back to square one...- I murmur with tears still clouding my eyes, he grabs my chin and force me to look at him -It's not square one, yes you're doing the same actions as before but you can still make progress. You said that yourself, life isn't an heroic story... As long as you keep going then that's good, doesn't matter if you move a little step or run a marathon... You fall and roll back a few meters? Get up and walk back to where you were and then past that point. You have always been a prodigy and you know nothing about this topic... The most beautiful, the most well mannered, the most intelligent, the strongest... You're none of these out there-

I look at him in disbelief as he stand back up -What?- -No I... It's just so weird, I feel like the world is falling on me and yet you make it sound so simple... Still there's those other ones to be taken care of- -Dong Hu nor his Master have shown intention to hurt you, so just forget them for now... They only want to play with your mind. Become stronger and be ready for the day they'll change their mind-

-This is such a weak plan full of holes...- I scuff, mentally throwing all my strategy books in the trash and slapping myself for following this horrible plan -... But it's the only one I have I guess-

He reaches out an hand -Come, stand up- he pulls me up and start walking toward the river a few meters away, past the little forest. Once reached the small beach he seats down and calls me beside him -Let's get back on track slowly... You have problems with the use of the water element, am I correct?- -Yes, that's true- I agree seating beside him -Then let's see if I can help you with that at least...- I close my eyes and start breathing with a calm mind -Water does look calm on the surface, but its destructive power can be even worst than fire. Just think about how the big waves in the ocean moves, or how a tsunami can engulf a whole city in an instant... Humans are powerless when they find themselves in the water, no weapon or strength has meaning if the ground fails to sustain you... You cannot command water, you can borrow its strength. Stop using that approach, forget about bending it to your will and feel how it moves as it own will-

I gulp down, forcing myself to feel the river's flow... Slow but powerful, like a sleeping beast -Water is everywhere and everything comes from water, we are born swimming in water, we drink water to live and use it to trade or in the fileds. Even our enemies are made of water... If Water and Fire cause boiling, Water and Earth form ink, Water and Metal form Ice... But what is the first Element you ever used?- -Wood- he nods -Yes, and what do Water and Wood create if combined together?-

I open my eyes again, finally being able to feel that power around me -Poison-