Yuri nodded

 

“When you hit, you have to use your hips, shoulder and legs to control your position.  Space between your legs shouldn’t be wider than the distance between your shoulders. The hips will absorb the weight when you move your shoulder. Your shoulder must be stable. The legs would stabilize your position. Your foot palms always have to touch the ground or you will be unbalanced and pulled by the weight of the sword. Have you ever held a wedge hammer before?”

 

 

“Yup. I used to cut wood for the nuns”

 

 

“Okay so try to hit while thinking that you have a wedge hammer in hands instead of the sword and use tips that I just told you”

 

 

Yuri closed eyes. She imagined the wedge hammer in her hands. She held firmly the grip with both hands. Legs between shoulders, hips supporting the weight, foot palms touching the ground, shoulder must be stable. Yuri recalled Tae tips. She lifted the sword up and made a sharp cut in front. She used the force of her shoulder to support the weight of the sword, she locked her hips to not getting pulled by the weight of the sword.

 

 

Yuri opened her eyes and saw the sword was still in her hands. This time it didn’t fall off.  “YAY!” Yuri jumped. But now the sword felt on the floor. “Oups!”

 

 

Tae glanced at Yuri “Now learn to borrow the force from your sword. When you finish with one movement; immediately enchain with others until the force is gone. Use the direction of the force coming out of your sword.  For example, when you finish chopping in front, don’t just hold your sword but continue the movement like lifting it to the right, spinning it around, cutting at the knee level. Your wrist has to be flexible.  The key point is to move your sword constantly. If you stop moving you will be pulling by the force of the sword. It’s the gravity theory. Then you have to control it by your shoulder.”

 

Yuri closed eyes again to memorize what Tae just taught her. This time when she chopped down, she used the wrist to draw the sword to the right. She let spin around by the force of the sword and sat on her leg to chop at the knee level.

 

 

Tae jumped up because Yuri almost cut her legs.

 

 

“YEAH! I got it !!I got it” Yuri jumped out of joy.

 

 

“Yeah and you almost got my legs” Tae said

 

 

*Quack* *Quack* *Quack* The duck was also celebrating with Yuri

 

 

“SHUT UPPPPPPPPPPPPP! I’m TRYING TO SLEEP!!” Someoen shouted from inside the house

 

 

“Oups!” Yuri covered .

 

 

“I think we better change place for our next meetings.” Tae remarked. “Let make it in the forest”

 

 

“Okay” Yuri whispered “But by the way, I may have to leave the city for a certain time. I have to protect Sooyeon if ever I pass tomorrow test”

 

 

“Who is Sooyeon?”

 

 

“My wife?!!?”

 

 

“YOU GOT A WIFE?!??!” Tae straighten up and yelled out the surprise.

 

 

“SHUUUUUUUUUUUT UPPPPPPPPPPP!!”

 

 

Tae tooked in

 

 

“Wife to be like you” Yuri whispered

 

 

YulTae giggled “Kekekekeke ahhaha”

 

 

“YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” The house stated to light up

 

 

“Okay dismiss for tonight. See you next time. I’m staying at the courtesan house. Come look for me. Ask for Taeyeon or Miyoung. Miyoung will know where I am” Tae talked with her lowest voice

 

 

“Okay” Yuri answered. “Should I carry you back? How will you walk like this?”

 

 

“I was about to ask you about that”

 

 

“Hehhe no need master. My pleasure” Yuri said. She turned her back for Tae to climb on.

 

 

{Baekje City, training field, next morning after Yuri met Tae, around 10 p.m}

 

 

Test day for Yuri.  

 

 

It supposed to have Mr. Jung and the senior guards only but since Sooyeon, Soojung, Yiyun, Song Qian and Sooyoung were curious. They were also present to watch Yuri performance. Sooyeon sat a little bit far from her dad so she could help Yuri secretly.

 

 

Yuri stood in front of the Mr. Jung to great him and senior guards.

 

 

“Are you ready Yuri-ssi?” Mr. Jung asked.

 

 

“Neah!” You said confidently

 

 

I’m so proud of her. Such a lovely face.hihi. Sooyeon smiled proudly when looking at Yuri.

 

 

“Aren’t you afraid of my surprise tests?” Mr. Jung asked

 

 

“I’m nervous but I would face the challenge with my best abilities”

 

 

“Great! Let’s go straight to the first test.” Mr. Jung gave the go to the senior guards.

 

 

“First challenge. Blindfolded eyes and hit the middle of the target.” Leeteuk announced

 

 

Other guards brought out a target table and blindfolded Yuri eyes. They give an arch to Yuri.  When she was about to shoot the arrow out, the guards released a couple of horses running in front of Yuri.

 

 

“You shouldn't hit any horse or it’s an automatic disqualification”

 

 

Yuri listened to the horse footstep sounds carefully. She was a little bit confused because there were too many of them. From her memory, the target was bout 1km far. There were lots of chances to hit a horse before hitting the target.

 

 

Yuri had already practice this thing up in the mountain with ducks and chickens, but this time horses were moving too fast. Yuri frowned. She couldn’t decide when to release the arrow.

 

 

Sooyeon was anxious for Yuri. “Appa isn’t this a bit too hard, even your senior guards couldn’t do it” Sooyeon said.

 

 

Mr. Jung smiled. “Let’s just watch”

 

 

“Appa!!” Sooyeon whined. She quick glanced at Yuri before saying another argument to defend Yuri.

 

 

At that time, Sooyeon saw Yuri ran and jumped on one of the horses, redirecting the horse to the target and shooted the arrow  outright away. It flew and pinched right in the middle of the target.

 

 

“WOOOHOUUTT!!” Sooyeon shouted. “YURI JJANGGG!!” She jumped and waved to Yuri.

 

 

Yuri tooked the tissue off her eyes to see the result. She smiled happily back to Sooyeon.

 

 

She looks so good on that horse. Sooyeon thought. 

 

 

Mr. Jung was very satisfied but he kept his smile. He signaled Leeteuk to announce the next challenge.

 

 

“Second challenge: protecting the eggs” Leeteuk shouted out.

 

 

The guards gave Yuri a bag with eggs to carry on her back.

 

 

“You have to protect it when fighting with two senior guards Chansun and Jinwoo. Time is limited until sands in that timer all fallen down” Leeteuk said “You all use the long stick for this fight”

 

 

Chansun and Jinwoo got in the field to block Yuri.

 

 

“APPA one is tough enough, Yuri is only a trainee” Sooyeon voiced.

 

 

Mr. Jung just caressed his bear.

 

 

“APPPAAAA” Sooyeon called again.

 

 

Yuri already started to fight with the senior guards. They hit so furiously that Yuri could only dodge them.

 

 

Fine this time I’ll use my silver balls to help her. Sooyeon thought. She tried to find a moment to shoot the ball but if it was not Sooyoung then it was Yiyun that turned toward her. Aishh this people can you just turn head to the fight?

 

 

It was about the haft time, and Yuri already got hit many times on arms, legs and side.  

 

 

Sooyeon was getting impatient but she still cannot shoot the silver ball. Aww Yuri ah.

 

 

Yuri got kicked by Jinwoo. Her body got pushed toward the back, she plug the stick on the ground to reduce the speed; to not falling on her back and carking up all the eggs

 

 

Yuri decided the put the eggs on the grounda and fought with the guys by her best.

 

 

Jinwoo distracted Yuri and Chansun was about to hit on the eggs, Yuri caugh Chansun’s stick.

 

 

Jinwoo hit on Yuri’s hand. She didn’t even let go of Chansun stick. She spin-kicked and hit Jinwoo jaw. She used arms to fold around Chansun and Jinwoo stick despite being hit by Chansun. She broke the sticks all togteher. Chansun and Jinwoo had no more weapons to fight. They were about the figth with bare hand

 

 

“TIME IS UP!!” Leeteuk announced.

 

 

Sooyeon ran immediately up to Yuri.

 

 

“Aww Yuri ah! Are you okay?” Sooyeon asked worriedly and checked Yul hands and head where she got hit.

 

 

Yuri just smiled, looking at Sooyeon she didn’t feel pains anymore

 

 

“Appa call it cut for today. It’s too much for Yuri already.”

 

 

“Anyo! I still able to take the next challenge” Yuri said. She didn’t want to abandon after so much effort.

 

 

“Well the last challenge does not involve any fight. It’s a question” Mr. Jung said

 

 

“Okay that’s okay then” Sooyeon said.

 

 

“Yuri-ssi” Mr. Jung called

 

 

“Neah” Yuri replied with full of energy

 

 

“If you have to go in a jungle what will you bring with you? You can only chose one thing”

 

 

Without hesitation Yuri said “the fire maker”

 

 

“Why?”

 

 

“If I starve I can pick fruits to eat. If I got attacked by animal I can pick woods or use branches to fight. If I’m thirsty I can drink water from the river. But If I get cold I wouldn’t have extra clothes to cover. So the fire maker is a need to keep my body warm and not getting sick.”

 

 

Mr. Jung nodded with satisfaction. He laughed very loudly. “HAHAHAHA HAHAH Yul Yuri.  Do you know why made you go through all those tests today?”

 

 

“To make sure that I’m able to protect Sooyeon” Yuri simply replied

 

 

“Sure that the purpose. But today I want to see your agility. Through all the tests, you have shown me your greatest skills even though you are only a trainee. In the first test you showed me your flexibility and how intelligent you are, there were obstacles in front, you used the obstacle-the horse- to help you archive the test. In the second test you showed me how courageous you are, you know your martial skill wasn’t comparable to the senior guards but you confronted them until the end despite being hit so hardly you didn’t quit. It assured me that you can protect my Sooyeon until your last breath.  In the third test you show me you’re intelligent. Your thinkings are very wide. Others may say they would bring foods or water but those would be finished very fast. But you, you chose fire; the most important thing of all . I’m very satisfied Yuri-ssi. I’m officially named you as Sooyeon personal guard!” Mr. Jung said

 

 

“REALLY APPA?!?! REALLY?!?!”

 

 

Mr. Jung nodded and laughed with lots of satisfaction

 

 

“YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!” Sooyeon hugged Yuri and jumped around.