Reconciliation Between Dragons And Snakes

"The Nine Yin Manual? Of course! Simply reading the book only adds to the grand warrior she was and how she so effortlessly blended those crazy techniques together. I never got the time to sit down and truly learn from her. She was the mayor of a city and a busybody at that, though she always humored me anyway in spite of that." Kenichi reminisced on the type of woman Ulv was from first impressions.

She was the embodiment of uncontained energy and her spirit and zeal for life had always made him feel that, even if he did harbor regrets in life, her firm and resolute spirit always kept him motivated, to improve and one day, perhaps, win against her in a duel. Such things would never come to be but she had certainly left a permanent imprint on Kenichi's soul that would never be lost to time, even when his youth was no longer present.

"Facing against her in battle was truly the epitome of unpredictable. To describe a duel with her, I'd say I never felt a battle where I was lost in admiration, awe, and frustration all at the same time! She was a warrior who never used the same technique twice nor did she rest on her laurels. As you can imagine, fighting someone like that with such a repertoire of techniques... it was truly something to behold."

Kenichi was elated to observe Calypso helping herself to as much of the food he had - or still intended on - ordering. Food was essential to a cultivator's diet! Kenichi listened to her as she continued to speak, pulling another plate from the fine array of cuisine, using the chopsticks to savor his morsels with one hand while he helped himself to a meat-bun.

Even though he remained silent - partly due to the fact his mouth was full - he never once let any of Calypso's words pass through his ear. Indeed, there was no questioning the level of excellence achieved by mastering and adapting to various forms of martial arts in such a fashion that allowed her to shift seamlessly between an array of disciplines without missing a beat.

Kenichi viewed her in a similar light to a Yu-Shan cultivator, a cultivator where the rules no longer applie and they performed otherworldly techniques that left any mortal spirit speechless. Swallowing his food completely, he decided to speak again, excitedly adding to the conversation with his own experience.

"You might be more bold than I am, Calypso. I attempted Earth-Grasping step once and failed horrendously. I figured until I could learn the proper mechanics and nuances of the technique it would be more beneficial for me to work on the techniques I could execute through muscle memory and yet... even I still remain awestruck by some of the feats listed out in that book."

Kenichi couldn't help but finding himself reminiscing on those halcyon days when he pursued Ulv in Minatumi, issuing a challenge every time he crossed paths with the Flame of Resolve. Leaning back into his chair, he sighed somewhat longingly, wishing he could relive those days - even for a second.

"She was a fun woman to be around, too. When you meet masters of their craft, you expect someone stoic but she was anything but. Ulv was a woman, who, even if she beat you into the ground, she'd heal you up and tease you about the whole event."

Listening to Calypso, Kenichi found his mouth somewhat ajar as his eyes lit up when Calypso retold a most engaging tale. Mirja? He could not particularly recall if he heard that name before nor was he aware of the relation it held towards Ulv.

He may have had an opportunity to socialize with her a few times and even follow her around out of curiosity, but they never spoke at length about anything in particular. Kenichi would leap in front of her whenever he felt he had sufficiently cultivated his skills and trained, challenge her to a battle, and suffer a resounding defeat.

She was and remained to this day - the most frustrating yet awe-inspiring opponent he had ever faced. Even so, Mirja - whom according to Calypso was also Ulv - seemed as if she were an equally enticing opponent he would have salivated over and challenged to a duel, regardless of his limitations.

Kenichi was a man who leaped headlong into battle, oftentimes heedless of the danger his enemies may have presented. He was learning to temper his excitement and passion, developing an acute sense of composure over the last few months.

As she finished the riveting tale, Kenichi felt a wave of electricity run through his body, that sort of indescribable sensation felt wherein one felt as if they had experienced a breathtaking moment.

"That must have been one display of endurance - to withstand such a strike, survive, and remain upright... I must say, Hvit has certainly spent some time around women who exist in a realm of martial prowess exceeding our own skill. Still, it motivates me to grow stronger and cultivate my own skill in hopes that I may reach their precipice."

To place Mirja on equal footing with the venerable Futsunushi only heightened Kenichi's awe tenfold. Kenichi, a man familiar with many of the legendary tales of Wulin Lore, had always admired Futsunushi's approach towards life. He even came to embody a quote of his in some aspects yet learned to reign in the ones that may have lead him into trouble. Futsunushi did fight a man over his wife before.

Even if Kenichi was madly in love with a woman, he didn't know if he'd go that far unless he sensed a mutual interest and the woman felt unhappy in her marriage. None of that mattered at the moment, though. His attention was wholly placed on Calypso speaking about Mirja, the type of opponents she faced after Ren, and, of course, the relation she held towards Ulv. Since Calypso mentioned her, why not learn more about Mirja, too?

"Tao Deviated? If you don't mind me asking, Sister Calypso, why was she considered unfortunate? What type of life did she lead? To be honest, there's also the relation she has with Ulv as... we never spoke about personal matters like those. I always sparred with her more than hosting conversations over a cup of tea," he'd sheepishly rub the back of his head as he chuckled.

Kenichi tilted his head as he observed Calypso's sullen expression. If Hvit had not retold Mirja's past to her host, it must have truly been a harrowing tale wrought with tragedy and torment.

Holding the regal woman in a high regard, Kenichi would snoop any further than was allowed. At the very least, Kenichi now understood the scope of Mirja as it related to Ulv.

She was a soul that was placed into another body but in time, what was once Mirja eventually became Ulv. It was a bit of a peculiar phenomenon to wrap his brain around but he understood the base idea well enough.

"What an interesting origin story... I kind of always had the feeling there was an otherworldliness about her but I could never properly pinpoint what it was. Her body and the way it was structured did feel as though it was more than meets the eye, among other things... of course."