Chapter 6 Eagle Cliff
The air was a little cooler after the rain. As soon as the first sunlight touched the rooftops, the Su family forge came alive with its usual busy routine. Su Zhen stood by the furnace with his father and older brother, sweat running down his temples. The air was thick with the smell of hot metal and burning charcoal.
Today they were working on an order for shopkeepers — horseshoes, nails, a few dozen simple locks. It was monotonous, exhausting work, and on top of that, it required precision. Their father would scold them for even the slightest bend or crooked edge.
By noon, a loaded cart pulled up at the forge gates. Uncle Lin was on the reins, looking sharp and pleased with himself.
Mr. Su came out to meet his brother.
Uncle Lin tossed an ingot to Su Zhen and said proudly,
"Best steel ever smelted in the whole country. I bet even our old man never saw anything like it. That last batch of ore was something else."
"Spear blanks, just like we agreed." He pulled a cover off the cart, revealing crates full of long metal plates — rough shapes for future weapons.
"Help me unload," he called out to his nephews without bothering with greetings. "Every forge is packed. Looks like the Duke wants to arm the whole country, young and old."
Zhen and Li got moving right away, carrying the heavy crates into the workshop one by one. The metal was dark with a faint blue tint — perfect for making weapons.
Once the last crate was stored away, Uncle Lin wiped his forehead and turned to Su Zhen.
"Well then, let's see your Mountain Eagle style." He grinned. "Let's find out if you've forgotten it while running around the woods."
Su Zhen stepped onto the open ground behind the forge. He moved through a series of sharp, fast moves — steps, grabs, strikes, and turns flowing one into the next.
"Wing cuts flesh!" he shouted, chopping with the edge of his hand.
"Eagle tears prey!" — a grabbing throw.
"Talons rip throat!" — a strike aimed at the neck.
Uncle Lin watched silently. When Zhen finished, he stood quietly for a few more seconds, thinking.
"Looks good," he said at last. "Seems like you've got the basics down. Let's see how you hold up in a real match."
Uncle Lin stepped forward into a stance called Soaring Eagle — arms outstretched, making use of his height and long reach.
Su Zhen took Eagle in the Nest stance — lower and tighter, ready to duck and move. He was stronger and taller than other boys his age, but still small compared to his uncle. He couldn't win by brute strength — he'd have to rely on speed and cleverness.
They paused for a moment, neither rushing to attack. Both waited for an opening.
Lin moved first. His step was quick and smooth, his strike fast and sharp like a wing. Zhen dodged sideways — the hand missed his ear by inches. He turned and struck at Lin's armpit, but Lin blocked with his elbow and gently redirected the blow.
"Too heavy," Lin said. "And too slow."
Zhen kept circling, staying out of reach. He suddenly changed direction, ducked under his uncle's arm, and kicked his shin into Lin's thigh. Lin frowned — without inner Qi to protect him, that could have been bad. He struck back, but Zhen dodged again, faking one way and going the other, almost hugging the ground as he moved.
"Getting tricky," Lin said. "You're starting to think."
He picked up the pace. The next strikes came quickly — from the side, above, and straight to the chest. Zhen blocked one with his shoulder, another with his forearm, jumped back, then sprang forward again and hit Lin's ribs with a sharp side strike.
"Eagle's talons!" he shouted.
Lin stepped back — but not fast enough. The hit landed clean. Not too hard, but precise. They both froze. Lin's face went pale. Without Qi to absorb it, that blow might've cracked a rib.
"He's only thirteen!" Lin thought, a bit shaken.
"You got me!" he said. "You're not just repeating moves anymore — you're starting to understand the fight."
He stood upright and lowered his hands.
"That's enough. I'm satisfied. You've mastered the outer form."
Su Zhen was breathing heavily, his face dripping with sweat — but his eyes were shining.
Lin stepped closer and rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Now it's time to learn how to merge Qi with the body. We'll meet in the evening at Eagle Cliff."
"Alright, Uncle Lin," Su Zhen nodded and joined his hands in a gesture of thanks.
The blacksmith Su approached his son and patted him on the shoulder.
"Well done, Zhen. If only you'd forge locks like that too."
Brother Li laughed and almost dropped the billet from the tongs.
Su Zhen, embarrassed, started scratching the back of his head and looked away.
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The evening sky was painted in soft shades of pink as Su Zhen arrived at Eagle Cliff. On one side, the sheer rock face dropped steeply into a narrow gorge, where a cold mountain river roared far below. Its sound rose up like a distant rumble—steady and soothing. On the other side of the cliff, pine trees and bushes were scattered, their needles rustling in the gentle breeze that carried a sharp scent of resin.
Eagle nests were visible on the rocky ledges. One of the birds soared into the sky, its broad wings outstretched, gliding right over Su Zhen's head. There was real power here—he could feel it in the air. Su Zhen sat down at the edge and took in the view while waiting for his uncle. The air was growing cooler now, a welcome relief after the heat of the day. He listened—to the river, to the eagle's cry, and to himself.
Uncle Lin climbed up to the cliff fifteen minutes later, carrying something in his hands. Su Zhen stood up, waiting eagerly to hear what his uncle would say.
"Watch closely," said Su Lin, tossing the bundle into the grass and instantly shifting into a stance.
He began to move slowly and fluidly. At first glance, the movements appeared to be those of an external form, but slower and more subdued, like those of an old man.
Su Zhen's jaw nearly dropped. Wasn't Uncle Lin always the one saying that the Mountain Eagle style was about breaking bones, not prancing around like some city-bred sissy?
Still, he forced himself to focus, to observe the deeper meaning behind the movements.
Each motion seemed slowed down tenfold.
Su Zhen knew the inner sensations of the form well, and gradually, he began to understand. Uncle Lin was moving not to replicate the outer shape exactly, but to follow an internal sense of comfort and the flow of Qi. The form was preserved to the extent that it did not disrupt this flow.
Su Zhen also noticed some changes in the movements. He couldn't yet say why they were there.
When the demonstration was over, Uncle Lin asked:
"Did you understand anything?"
"I think so," Su Zhen replied. "You were moving based on an inner sense of ease rather than strictly sticking to the form. But I didn't understand the parts that were different."
"Almost right," Uncle Lin smiled. "But you still can't feel Qi, so it's hard to explain."
"Those variations in the movements collect and redirect the flow of Qi to balance the five elements in the body. The external Mountain Eagle form throws the elements out of balance by overemphasizing Earth and Metal, so in the internal form, we correct that imbalance. You'll understand it in time."
"Start doing the external form but slowly. Focus on the tension in your muscles and tendons—don't go past the edge of comfort. Sounds a bit sissy, maybe," he chuckled, "but think of a soaring eagle. Eagle Glides Through the Sky—that's the name of the internal form. Begin."
Uncle Lin watched Su Zhen's movements, adjusting his pace with short remarks and occasionally correcting his posture.
After a few full repetitions of the form, Su Zhen began to feel something shifting inside.
"The kidney meridian has awakened. Rooster Hour," Uncle Lin said, his eyes scanning Su Zhen's body. "The meridians are tied to time—because a person is connected to the entire Cosmos and reflects the Law of Heaven within."
Once Su Zhen had finished, Su Lin picked up the bundle and handed it to him.
"Take this. It's the full description of the Mountain Eagle style. Inside you'll find the meridians described, along with the times and movements of the form they correspond to."
"But Uncle Lin, I can't read!" Su Zhen exclaimed, frustrated.
"No worries, you'll learn. You're still young," Su Lin grinned. "I'll explain it to you the way I understand it. And when you learn to read, you'll deepen your knowledge."
"Thank you, Uncle Lin!" Su Zhen bowed with his hands clasped in gratitude.
The evening light slanted low, stretching shadows long across the ground.
" Come on now... enough of that! It'll be night soon—and it's a lot harder to outrun a tiger in the dark," Uncle Lin said with a laugh.