Dragon and Phoenix
Chapter 3: The Life

“Ah sorry, Suheng (Kakak Seperguruan). I'm so tired. Coincidentally, this just finished breathing exercise level 5, next time yes?” while saying that, he smiled.

“Heh? Member ‘15 Naga Muda’ just arrived at respiratory level 5? We are the students ‘Biasa’ has arrived at level 7. What did you guys learn?” A Pao said with a laugh, which also overwritten the laughter of his friends.

“Ah, actually the others have arrived at level 11. Only I do lack talent, so well, must repeat the lessons,” replied Cio San while scratching his own head and laughing.

“Well, since you like to repeat the exercises, what if you also repeat the practice of totok science with us?” said A Pao.

“Aduh, Suheng, really my body aches all. I was afraid that I could not train well,” replied Cio San.

“Alah. Let's practice. Put the horses up. See jurus!” while shouting, A Pao immediately launched his manager without waiting for a response from Cio San.

Movement fast. Not ashamed as Bu Tong's student's son. He was aiming for a spot in the left chest area of Cio San. Being attacked like that, Cio San was not surprised. He was calm and accepted the attack with a sweeping left hand. This sweeping movement was part of the basic Thay Kek Kun movement created by the late Thio Sam Hong. Done gently and flow.

When the first attack was successfully broken, A Pao used his left hand to target a point on the right temple Cio San. Seeing this attack, Cio San simply twisted his neck following the flow of the attack, so that it was only passing in front of his eyes.

Seeing his two attacks fail, A Pao grew even more eager to attack. The movement is getting faster, but the movement of Cio San is also no less fast.

After a long time of fighting, sweat began to be seen on Cio San's forehead. It is so easily tired. The work system of the organs in his body is not good, making it difficult to control breathing, which makes him easily tired. That is also why he is still repeating the level 5 breathing lessons.

Seeing that his opponent had already started to flounder, A Pao spread his attacks even faster. To Bu Tong's people, these two people's movements were mediocre. But for outsiders, especially for people who do not understand silat, these two Bu Tong disciples moved very quickly and were also beautiful.

Facing this quick movement, Cio San started to get desperate. He could no longer avoid like that. He did not try to attack because he was busy defending himself. Due to losing fast, Cio San chose steps backwards while dodging as much as he could. A Pao who felt himself in the wind, increasingly urged Cio San who continued to push back.

Occasionally Cio San's body is hit by a finger tootokan A Pao. But because they have not mastered the distribution of energy to the fingers, the results of this attack are only enough to hurt, but not to cause fatal consequences.

Cio San then said, “Suheng, I admit defeat, your attack was great.” While saying so, he saluted. A Pao who is still curious because he has not been able to drop the members of ‘15 Dragon Muda’ did not stop his attack.

“Ah..” Cio San just sighed. He often receives treatment like this. Lots of members of Bu Tong ‘Biasa’ who want to try and beat the members of ‘15 Naga Muda’. And the one who was always the target was Cio San. This was probably because he was considered the weakest and least educated. For students

‘Biasa’, dropping one of the members of ‘15 Naga Muda’ is an honor, then ‘colonized’ its weakest members.

It has been very often Cio San admitted defeat, but they always want to drop it first. For some people, it is much more fun to hit the opponent down, rather than hearing him ask to give up.

Often also Cio San battered because they were beaten. What power? He is indeed the weakest and is an easy target for those who envy the position of ‘15 Young Dragon’. But Cio San never complained. Such treatment even more makes him diligent in practicing. Sometimes they laugh at people, because

considered inappropriate to be part ‘15 Dragon Young’. Sometimes he was even injured, because their attacks were always carried out with the intention of hurting, not with the intention of practicing.

In ‘15 Naga Muda’, he himself also experienced something unpleasant. He was always scolded and scolded by his teachers because of his slow scientific progress. Sometimes the gihu and his supervising teacher, Tan Hoat, even lose patience with punishing him. It's not a severe punishment, it's just

clean the kitchen, or take care of the pigs owned by Bu Tong. Cio San also did not grudge against his teacher, because he knew his teacher meant well, to spur him on more vigorous training.

Sometimes too, he saw the views of ‘menghina’ from fellow members ‘15 Naga Muda’. These members judged Cio San as inappropriate to be a superior student like them and often treated him unfavorably. Like laughing at it, saying it with various offensive words, even working on it during practice. Like banging his pants while he was training the horses, watering them with pig excrement on the grounds ‘not accidentally’, and others.

Cio San had never reported this treatment to his teachers. He thought it was just a joke. He often smiles in the face of it all. But sometimes she also cries alone while in the shower or while sleeping. He was ashamed to show his weakness. “A man must be able to face any trials in his life”, so his father said first.

The strength and fortitude of this Cio San, even makes people increasingly dislike him and increasingly want to work on him. They knew, Cio San would not complain to their teachers. Their treatment of Cio San is getting more and more unpleasant. He even practiced alone more often. Because it seems,

fellow friend ‘15 Naga Muda’ no longer considers himself.

All of these unpleasant events, a blink of an eye flashed through his mind as he faced A Pao's attack. Not feeling his eyes glazed over, his tears melted. The focus of the mind on the fight was dissolved instantly.

Breath snuffling. The other students laughed at him.

“Members ‘15 Young Dragons’ crying when attacked. Hahahahha..” They scream while laughing. The sound of screaming, insults, and laughter was much more painful than the pain in his heart. He just closed his eyes, his tears flowing.

After that he fainted.

When he woke up, he felt his stomach hurt. Cio San is now in his own room. He lay on his bed. There is a smell of medicinal herbs. It might also be this smell that made him realize. Beside Cio San's bed, Tan Hoat, the gihu sat on a small wooden bench.

His face was so dark. Usually, it's not like this. Tan Hoat just got back from college. During these years, Tan Hoat was often down the mountain to fulfill his college duties. Seeing that there was a gihunya at the side, Cio San felt very happy.

But gihunya asked tightly, “You're already human?”

“Iya, Gihu,” Cio San replied. There was a bad taste in his heart when he spoke.

“People say you cried for receiving A Pao?” attack

Cio San closed his eyes. He did not cry because of the A Pao attack. He wept because he felt he was not being treated fairly by his own brothers. How did he tell this to his teacher? All this time, his teacher never knew of their treatment of him. If

then he told me, will not it be considered to look for reasons? Especially if later he told a story and everyone was in denial, then the results would be even worse. It will get more cornered.

“Iya, Gihu,” Cio San replied slowly.

Gihunya also only spoke quietly, but his words were piercing once.

“A man would rather die in battle, than cry in fear

fights.”

“Pardon teecu (student), Guru.., teecu..” Cio San was also no longer able to say anything.

The temperature (teacher) stood up and came out of the room. Walk with gontai.

Cio San just sighed. She was crying again. He humiliated his teacher.

He never cried because of fear. He did not cry because of the pain. No. gabe. He was crying out of anger. Because they are treated unfairly.

Yep! Aye!

He cried because he saw injustice. He then remembered his father again who had once said, “Male only deserves to shed tears because he saw oppression.”

Cio San thought, was he crying for that reason? The longer he thought, he finally woke up. What his father meant was ‘oppression’ against others. If the oppression happens to him, then it is not oppression. But that was because he was unable to defend himself.

Awareness of thinking like this, for a teenager is actually arguably also magical. Usually the children prefer to seek justification and self-defense. But Cio San has begun to understand that, maybe he is just looking for a justification.

In his heart, he strengthened himself. He must accept the risk because of his own weakness. Whatever the punishment may be, he must accept it boldly. He can't cry anymore. He cannot make his spirit disappointed and angry again like before. And more importantly, it can't be WEAK anymore!

He finally smiled. The bitter smile he always made. But such a smile can sometimes indeed treat his heart injury. The heart wounds of anyone.