BAB3 -Chapter 25

# Chapter 25: Monster Fishing

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After a very rigorous night under the stars, Xay and Tyra finally made their way back to the dormitory behind Grandma Xiu’s house just before sunrise.

Willow and Dragon met them along the path, having given them privacy the whole night.

Xay couldn’t help but smirk at Willow. He’d heard her speak. But now she was back to ignoring him as usual.

“I’m so happy,” Tyra sighed, content and glowing. “Everything feels just right.”

Xay smiled warmly at her. “Yeah. I know what you mean. I’m sorry it took me so long to ask.”

Tyra shook her head. “No. This was perfect. Out here in the mountains, close to nature, under the stars.. I can’t think of anything better.”

He could feel her happiness through the bond—she meant every word she said. Xay pulled her into one last kiss before they descended from the air.

Lexi, Kimi, and Ezra nearly tripped over themselves when they landed at the doorway.

Not even pretending they hadn’t been waiting for them, the trio immediately snatched Tyra up for questioning.

Xay wasn’t invited—he was promptly shooed away.

Chuckling, he went to freshen up with Dragon, then made his way to the main house for breakfast.

After a pleasant chat with Amy and Grandma Xiu—who gave him several very knowing looks—Xay stepped out into the courtyard and found Grandmaster Wu waiting for him.

“You’re with me today, brat,” the old man said, leaving no room for discussion.

Xay narrowed his eyes. “We’re leaving in a week. I can’t really go into isolation again.”

Grandmaster Wu snorted. “Don’t worry so much. We’re just going fishing.”

“Fishing?” Xay raised an eyebrow as he walked closer. “I thought everyone up here was vegetarian.”

He’d never been fishing before, but he understood the basic idea.

Grandmaster Wu didn’t say anything more. He reached out to Xay and Dragon, and they all vanished in a flash of golden light.

They reappeared beside a rushing river, deep on the far side of the furthest mountain in the range.

Towering trees draped with thick, low-hanging vines choked the visibility both ahead and behind. The bark was dark brown and unusually smooth, while the vines were reddish and coiled with black thorns.

Mana hung heavy in the air, and the plant life had more variety than the other mountains. There were sharper colors and stranger textures.

It all felt more jungle than forest.

Xay could still make out the faint gold shimmer of the mystic barrier nearby, but they were closer to the deep Wilds than he’d ever been.

The river stretched nearly half a mile across, and it ran far deeper below. Light mist clung to the mossy stones lining the water’s edge.

Xay’s *Extrasensory Perception* immediately picked up creatures the size of horses lurking in the depths.

He frowned, glancing up at the old man as Dragon found a branch nearby to lounge on.

“These aren’t normal fish, are they?” Xay asked.

“I allow a few aquatic monsters into the barrier from time to time,” Grandmaster Wu said, walking out atop the water. “Makes for good fishing.”

“Monster fishing?” Xay clarified, then shrugged.

*It’s good to have a hobby. I guess.*

Grandmaster Wu pulled out two long bamboo poles with braided black cords tied to one end, then tossed one to Xay.

Xay caught it and frowned. It looked totally normal. “This is it?” he asked. “You don’t even have bait?”

“Sure we do,” Grandmaster Wu said, casting his cord into the river. “The bait is our patience.”

Xay didn’t know how to respond to that.

“Monsters have varying levels of intelligence,” Grandmaster Wu mused as he watched the river. “Some can’t overcome their baser instincts and attack recklessly. Others can learn, adapt, and even plan.”

Xay stepped through the air and stood beside the old man, casting his own cord into the water.

“In my opinion,” Grandmaster Wu continued, “the only thing that truly sets us apart is our capacity for love and compassion.”

As he spoke, his cord jerked. He yanked it back, pulling a giant, trout-ish-looking monster from the water.

It was a mottled brownish-green color, and its body was lined with more teeth than scales.

With a swift slash of his hand, the old man cut it clean in half, then calmly recast his line.

“Compassion, huh..” Xay echoed his words, mulling over the sentiment.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” he added after a moment. “Well, a couple of things, really.”

His line twitched as he spoke. Xay yanked it back, but whatever had nibbled on the cord had already slipped away.

He frowned.

“Ask away, brat,” Grandmaster Wu said, smirking.

“Right. First, the twins. Sasha and Sophia were disowned by their family for being too ‘weak,’” Xay explained, air-quoting with his fingers. “But after helping me, their family is hunting them down for—I don’t know what exactly, but it’s not good. They’re terrified of them.”

Grandmaster Wu nodded slowly. “A father who abandons his children is no father at all.” He glanced at Xay. “This family.. are they powerful?”

“One of the Big 5 in New Meridian,” Xay said, sighing. “I don’t know how to protect them from an entire Group, but the Diamond Group doesn’t know they’re here. So, my question is—can they stay? At least until I’m strong enough to make sure no one can hurt them?”

“If that is what they wish,” Grandmaster Wu replied easily. “They will have the protection of my family. Besides, Xiu adores them. She’d have my head if I denied such a simple request,” he grinned.

Xay exhaled in relief. “Thank you. That’s honestly a weight off my shoulders. I don’t see why they wouldn’t—they love it here. We all do actually..”

Xay hesitated for a second. “And for the next question.. I’m not exactly sure how to ask.”

“Just spit it out, brat,” Grandmaster Wu said, plucking another ugly fish-thing from the water and dismantling it with a flick of his hand.

Xay held back a laugh.

“It’s about your wives. How do you keep everyone happy.. for years at a time? I’ve just added a third to my harem, and while I was in isolation, a small part of me worried.. what if I’m not enough for all of them?”

Grandmaster Wu turned to regard him, then nodded with quiet approval. “To even ask such a question means your heart’s in the right place.”

Xay felt another bite and pulled fast, but again, he came up empty-handed.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to a question like that,” Grandmaster Wu explained.

“But every strong relationship stands on four pillars: communication, honesty, trust, and love. Beyond that.. celebrate their differences and remember what made you fall for each of them in the first place.”

Xay went quiet, letting the words settle over him.

He could never forget why he loved Lexi, or Kimi, or Tyra. They reminded him literally every day.

Xay smiled as he failed to land another catch.

“Oh, one more thing,” Xay said. “The day we met. What did you do with your aura? It wasn’t just pressure. It felt like I was being shown a thousand different ways I could die.”

Grandmaster Wu barked out a hard laugh. “And your response was to pick a fight with me?”

Xay laughed with him. “I just wanted to be trained. The pebble thing was all you.”

Grandmaster Wu shook his head, still chuckling.

“I put intent into my aura. Just like your magic is shaped in part by your will, your aura can carry your intent. It grows sharper the more and tougher battles you face. Some call it battle potential. Others call it killing intent.”

“Killing intent sounds way cooler,” Xay muttered under his breath.

Grandmaster Wu’s cord twitched as several acidic bubbles gurgled in his direction. But he only grunted, not even bothering to pull it back.

“What was that?” Xay asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

“Darkeye,” Grandmaster Wu said, his tone suddenly severe. “One of the oldest monsters in this river. Far more intelligent than anything else out here, and it’s been here for years.. It taunts me every time I come to fish.”

Xay blinked in confusion. “Wait—you? Multi-discipline Martial Arts Grandmaster, Third Awakened Old Mountain Protector, borderline demigod—you’ve got a fish monster as a nemesis?”

“What’s it to you, brat?” Grandmaster Wu asked, raising a long white eyebrow.

Xay didn’t understand.

“I mean.. I can sense it down there,” he said, his gray eyes shining. “I could teleport it up here, and right now, you and I could tag-team it. Take it down once and for all.”

“No,” Grandmaster Wu declared, his voice hard with finality. “If it were that simple, I would’ve killed it long ago. This is about principle. Honor. I shall catch Darkeye under the same rules I catch everything else.”

He stared at the water, deadly serious. “This is war—and I shall be the victor.”

Xay’s mouth worked wordlessly for a moment. “It’s a fish!” he blurted.

“A cunning one,” Grandmaster Wu grunted, slicing up a monster that was decidedly not Darkeye.

Xay spent another few moments wondering if the twins would really be safe with this maniac.

He eventually convinced himself that the Hall Masters and Grandma Xiu would handle things if something actually happened.

“Anyway,” Grandmaster Wu said, shifting the subject. “There’s something I want you to learn. It’s a concept known as Fa Jin.”

Xay wrestled with one of the weird horse-fish-things tugging on his cord as the old man continued.

“As a whole, it means to refine and discharge power explosively. The core philosophy of Tortoise Style and vital energy techniques are similar, but Fa Jin goes beyond just that. It encompasses all your strengths. The totality of you as an Awakened.”

He glanced at Xay from the corner of his eye. “That roar you used the day we met was very close.”

Xay remembered the smirk Grandmaster Wu gave him back then. Now it made more sense.

“So, a Limit Break that includes mana, aura, vital energy, and psychic force,” Xay muttered in a low voice. “Sounds fun.”

The two continued fishing into the late evening. Grandmaster Wu racked up catch after catch—none of them Darkeye, though.

Xay, on the other hand, failed to land anything without using *Supreme Psychokinesis*.

And the one time he did, Grandmaster Wu bopped him for it.

Said something about “not cheating,” though Xay didn’t catch the whole lecture over his own grumbling.

Grandmaster Wu couldn’t sense psychic force, but he always knew the instant Xay touched it.

It was kind of eerie.

Eventually, Xay discovered that the old man was using his aura as bait down his cord. He sent an extremely subtle intent of attraction.

Xay was immediately shut down when he called out Grandmaster Wu for cheating, because apparently subtle manipulations that didn’t directly move the fish monsters were allowed.

Xay didn’t really see the difference.

Still, he had fun.

He imagined this was what it was like to have a grumpy grandfather—fishing under weird, arbitrary rules while getting advice on women, life, and complex martial concepts.

It wasn’t something Xay had ever pictured growing up alone in his little cubicle apartment.

But now, the more he thought about it, the more he realized.. he’d found himself a rather large and colorful family.

Talulah, for all her silliness and quirks, was as sweet and motherly as anyone could be. He had zero doubt she loved him.

Aunt Gwen was everyone’s aunt, but Xay knew he meant something special to her. She routinely went out of her way to make him feel accepted.

Xay had even picked up a few new people from Kimi's family to look out for him. Her Auntie Leah had donated the metal for his Jetnir Orbs, and her Uncle Brim—Miriam’s husband—had forged them.

Rox’s dad, Theo, had accepted Xay like a son the very first day they met. The man was basically a walking dad joke wrapped in a happy tortilla.

And her mom, Belladonna, had proven that she was looking out for their best interests, in her own round about and somewhat manipulative ways.

Xay had also started to view Amy and the twins as little sisters—cute bunny and cat girl little sisters.

And now, with Grandmaster Wu and Grandma Xiu in the mix, Xay felt more whole than he could ever explain.

It was nice.

Glancing at the old man still glaring daggers at the dark shape of Darkeye lurking on the far side of the river, Xay couldn’t help but laugh.

*Crazy, grumpy old man.*

***

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Later that night, Grandma Xiu, Ezra, and Amy prepared a huge dinner for everyone.

The big stones in Grandma Xiu’s courtyard had been rearranged again, this time to fit two more tables than usual.

All three of them creaked under the weight of food and drink.

Fluffy rice, flat noodles, steamed buns, sizzling stir-fries, and colorful bowls of intoxicating broths nearly overwhelmed Xay’s senses.

He’d been assigned ferry duty, hauling out platters and plates, which *Supreme Psychokinesis* and *Psychic Blink* handled easily.

Grandmaster Wu, all the Hall Masters, and even Mao showed up. Though Mao was mostly just following his nose.

Grandma Xiu made him wash up and stay anyway.

She and Grandmaster Wu shared quiet, loving smiles while sipping cups of plum wine at the head of the table.

Conversation flowed easily with everyone else. It struck Xay just how close his group had become with the denizens of the mountains.

Master Hui talked with Kimi, the two of them having formed some kind of true warrior bond.

Master Mei and Lexi spoke in hushed tones, trading secrets and gossip behind a delicately fluttering hand fan.

Master Li, Shifu Wu, and Rox had their own intense conversation about internal versus external energy dynamics.

Ezra, Amy, Sasha, and Sophia talked and laughed joyfully together.

Xay couldn’t help but notice how much more alive the twins seemed in the real world now. They were far less muted and more themselves.

Tyra joked with Mao, laughing at his and Tiffany’s antics.

Xay felt his second-ever killing intent flare to life across the table when Mao learned of the bond between him and Tyra.

He was promptly forbidden to even think about hurting her.

Xay hadn’t planned to, obviously.

And before the moment could get too intense, Grandma Xiu swiftly bonked Mao on the head with her rolling pin.

“No threatening anyone at my table,” she barked, waving her weapon of mass destruction. “He’s a good boy.”

Mao rubbed his head and frowned. Both Xay and Grandmaster Wu snickered to themselves.

No one was safe from the rolling pin of doom.

Dragon, Willow, and Valiant had taken over a bench and started a dumpling-eating contest.

Valiant, with his now larger frame, was winning—until Dragon grew ten feet long and swallowed the entire plate in one bite.

Dessert was Grandma Xiu’s fantastic ginger cakes, and as the evening wound down, Xay made his way over to the twins.

“So,” he began, “about your family looking for you.. If you’re up for it, Grandmaster Wu said you two can stay here. At least until I’m strong enough to protect you myself.”

They glanced at each other, their white cat ears folding to the sides of their heads.

Xay’s stomach dipped. “It’s not forever. We’ll be back for you. And we’ll visit in the meantime. You can even see me in the Dream World—”

He didn’t get to finish. The twins lunged at him in a hug.

“Thank you, Savior!” they said in unison, squeezing him tight. “For everything. We.. we’re happy here.”

They were on the verge of crying.

Before Xay could fumble through an awkward reply, Grandma Xiu appeared beside them and wrapped all three of them in a hug.

“Where a blood family lacks,” she said warmly, “a found family can provide. Welcome home, girls. We’ll be here for as long as you need us.”

That was the moment they broke. Fat tears rolled down each of their cheeks.

Amy and Ezra piled on next, their faces were streaked with wetness. Within seconds, the whole courtyard had noticed the scene.

It became a whole thing.

Xay may or may not have had something in his eye. It was dusty out there.

But he refused to let the night end in tears—even joyful ones.

Laughing maniacally, he playfully pulled Lexi, Kimi, Tyra, Ezra, Amy, and the twins into his orbit alongside his Jetnir Orbs with *Supreme Psychokinesis*.

He reached for Rox, too, but she casually flipped his gravity.

He didn’t fall; he was already floating, but his orientation went belly up, and he crashed straight into a tree.

No one tells you that when up becomes down, left also becomes right.

All the ladies caught themselves acrobatically, displaying their impressive Poise.

Xay, however, rolled onto his butt, his head still spinning.

Tyra helped him up and gave him a kiss on the cheek, while Lexi batted her lashes and mocked loud kissy noises at them both.

Mao, on the other hand, howled with laughter and immediately started falling on purpose for some reason.

Shrugging, Xay and Tyra joined him, and the three of them put on an impromptu Monkey Style display for everyone else.

The night ended with flips, falls, laughter, and a whole lot of warmth.

It was a good night for everyone.