Maki glanced at Gu Xu after he asked about his mother.
"Yes," Maki finally said, turning back to the herbs they were gathering, "but I will tell you about that later, in a more secure place."
Gu Xu did not ask further.
By this time now, he had understood that Maki was not the type of man who spoke carelessly.
If he said something should be discussed later, then there was probably a good reason for it.
They continued gathering herbs in silence.
Maki moved slowly through the undergrowth, occasionally pointing at a plant and telling Gu Xu its name and use.
This one reduces swelling, or this one prevents infection while this one helps the skin close faster, etc.
"You will memorize them all," Maki said. "I have a book for you that has the drawings of all the important medicinal herbs. A man who does not understand medicine will die from small wounds, not big ones."
Gu Xu nodded seriously. He was beginning to realize that survival was not just about being a talented and revered warrior.
It was also about not dying from foolish things.
When they had gathered everything they needed, they walked back to the clearing where Gu Xu had been training the previous day.
In the middle of the grassy clearing, there was a large flat stone, smooth from years of wind and rain.
Maki set the basket down and began to crush the herbs with a smaller stone, slowly grinding them into a thick green paste against the stile. The smell was strong, medicinal, and bitter.
"Sit," Maki said, pointing to the flat stone.
Gu Xu climbed onto the stone and sat down.
When Maki began applying the paste to his wounds, Gu Xu immediately clenched his teeth. The paste stung sharply, like fire on his skin.
Gu Xu said nothing, though it was very painful.
After a few minutes, the burning sensation slowly turned into a cool numbness. The pain began to fade.
"This will help your wounds close faster," Maki said. "The sooner they heal, the faster we can begin serious training."
When he finished, he handed the remaining paste to Gu Xu in a small wrapped leaf.
"Go and put this in your cottage and come back immediately. You will need it as a reference to learn how to make it yourself later today after lessons with me have ended."
Gu Xu nodded, jumped off the stone, and ran back toward his cottage as fast as he could. His body still hurt, but the paste had made it more bearable.
He placed the paste carefully inside the cottage and returned to the clearing, slightly out of breath.
Maki was waiting for him.
"Good," he said. "Now come and we will go to my household and eat breakfast."
Gu Xu was surprised. He had not expected this.
Maki began walking, and Gu Xu followed quickly.
"Eating well," Maki said as they walked, "is one of the most important ways we can take care of our body. Our body is the vessel we train. If the vessel is weak, everything inside it is weak."
"In fights and in war, the man who can still stand when everyone else falls is the man who survives."
They walked through the village together. As they passed people, Gu Xu began to notice something strange.
People were whispering.
Some looked at him with curiosity. Some looked at him with surprise. Some even nodded slightly at him.
At first, Gu Xu did not understand. Then he realized.
They were not looking at him.
They were looking at Maki, and because he was walking beside Maki, they were looking at him differently.
For the first time in his life, people were not looking at him with ridicule or pity.
They were looking at him with some curiosity and a little respect.
They continued walking until they reached the part of the village Gu Xu had rarely entered.
The place where houses were larger, cleaner, and spaced farther apart. The paths were well maintained, and there were even small decorative trees and stone ornaments in front of some homes.
This was the prosperous part of the village.
Gu Xu suddenly felt very aware of his clothes, his posture, the way he walked.
He felt awkward, like a stray dog that had wandered into a noble's courtyard.
Maki noticed but said nothing.
He understood this feeling very well. But he also knew that over time, Gu Xu would get used to such places.
After all, this was the kind of life Gu Xu should originally have had, a life that was at least similar to his cousin's, the Chief's son, Jian Xu.
They stopped in front of a large house surrounded by a high wooden fence. Two guards stood at the gate.
When they saw their master had returned, they immediately straightened and opened the gate respectfully.
Gu Xu was surprised.
They entered and walked into a large courtyard with a training area on one side and a garden on the other. The house itself was large and well built.
Gu Xu could not help but look around.
Maki noticed.
"Normally, an official like me would not have such a house," Maki said casually.
"But because of my expertise, the Chief gave it to me. If the Chief did not, other tribes would try to get me to work for them instead by way of having better offers."
"...I stayed in this tribe for another reason anyway..." - Maki added in his thoughts.
Gu Xu for his part, understood. Skilled people were valuable everywhere.
They entered the main house, and as they did, a woman came out from within to greet them.
She was beautiful, but not in a sharp or arrogant way like Yu Yunshang. Her beauty was gentle and calm. She had kind eyes and a dignified bearing. She smiled warmly when she saw Maki.
"You are back early," she said.
Maki's expression softened in a way Gu Xu had never seen before. He gently took her hand in his for a moment.
"I am and I have brought a guest with me," he said. "We will eat breakfast together."
His wife then looked at Gu Xu. Her eyes were gentle, and there was no ridicule or coldness in them, only kindness.
"So this is Gu Xu," she said calmly . "You are welcome here, please make yourself at home."
Gu Xu did not know what to say. He quickly bowed and said, "Thank you, Madam."
She smiled and then left to prepare the food, leaving the two of them alone in the main room.
They both sat down.
Maki poured some water into two cups and pushed one toward Gu Xu.
"Now that we are alone," Maki said, "I will continue our earlier conversation about tribal history."
"Yes, when I spoke about tribal history, I did so because I knew you would need to understand it in order to understand the importance of your bloodline."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Of the four tribes, in terms of strength, the Lion tribe is the strongest, though they are the fewest in number. After them comes the Leopard tribe. After them, the Cheetah tribe. And lastly, the Fox tribe."
Gu Xu listened carefully.
Then Maki said something that made his heart jump.
"Your mother comes from the Lion tribe."
Gu Xu's eyes widened slightly.
"Because you have two bloodlines in you," Maki continued, "your power, unbeknownst to others, has remained dormant for longer than usual. Not that it does not exist. This is what happens when two awakened users have a child."
Gu Xu frowned. "But… why is that a problem?"
Maki looked at him seriously.
"It is against tribal rules. It is considered an abomination. It is only allowed for an unawakened person from another tribe to marry an awakened user. Two awakened users from different tribes are not allowed to have children."
Gu Xu was silent for a long time after hearing this.
Then he asked, "If that is true… why doesn't the Cheetah tribe know about this?"
Maki replied calmly, "Because what happened with you is the first time in history that it has actually happened in reality. Until now, it was only an old and forgotten rule written in very old records. Most of the current generations are unaware of it."
He took a sip of water before continuing.
"I only know about it because I read it in the library of the Lion tribe many years ago."
Gu Xu thought for a moment, then asked another question.
"If you knew… why didn't you clarify the matter with the Cheetah tribe? Why didn't you tell them that I might have inherited an instinct as well?"
"That would have been dangerous," Maki told him.
Gu Xu frowned. "Dangerous? Why?"
Maki leaned slightly forward.
"Think about it for yourself. About why it would be dangerous," he said. "The hint is in the tribal history I just told you earlier."
Gu Xu tried it. He thought about it for a few minutes.
Then his eyes slowly widened.
"Jealousy…!" he said quietly.
Maki nodded slightly.
"Correct. Power attracts jealousy. Difference attracts fear. If people believe you are useless, they will at least ignore you. If people believe you might become powerful, they will most likely eliminate you before you can grow."
Gu Xu felt a cold chill run down his back.
Maki continued, his voice calm but serious...
"In fact, even right now, as weak as you are, you are still not out of danger. Some people already suspect you!"
Gu Xu's heart began to beat faster.
"Who?" he asked.
Maki shook his head slightly. "That is not important right now. What is important is this: until you become strong enough to protect yourself, "it is better for people to underestimate you than to fear you."
"But even that trick is reaching a stage where it will no longer work anymore. You need to get strong...and strong very fast or you won't survive."
He leaned back slightly.
"Remember this, Gu Xu. In this world, there are three dangerous things: power, knowledge, and potential."
"A man who has none of these is safe but worthless. A man who has all three is respected but constantly in danger."
He looked directly at Gu Xu.
"Right now, you have potential. That alone is enough to get you killed if the wrong people become certain of it."
At that moment, Maki's wife returned with breakfast. She placed several dishes on the table: lots of meat, rice, vegetables, and spicy chicken soup. The smell alone made Gu Xu realize how hungry he was.
"Eat up now, eat up," Maki said. "A starving boy cannot learn."
Gu Xu picked up his bowl and began to eat.