The Path to Climax

Stepping alone into the courtyard, Liang Jin took a long, deep breath. The mountain air was fresh and chill, and as she felt it spread through her lungs she sighed contentedly. Shutting the doors to the monastery, the young initiate made her way towards the main gate leading out onto the hillside, her wooden sandals clacking against the cobblestone. The sun had only just begun to rise over the horizon, and all around her was quiet. It would be an hour or so before the rest of the monks woke up, and she wanted to make the most of the morning.

Passing through the archway, she slipped out onto the thin rocky path. To her left, the sheer wall of the mountain stretched up to the heavens, and to the right, it fell off towards the valley below. In no rush, she ambled down the path, round to the left and up to a thin track leading higher up the mountain. Still breathing the sweet air deeply, she climbed up the carved stone stairs till she found herself emerging onto a rocky plateau. Taking a moment to look out over the world below, she felt a surge of wonder at the natural beauty before her.

Stretching out for miles, the peaks of the Shuyeng mountains reached up towards the sky, their tops dusted with snow which melted into the thin foliage below. In the valleys, she could see rivers winding lazily towards the western sea, clusters of trees and shrubs dotted along their banks. In the distance, a herd of elk moved silently across a vast meadow, stopping to graze before carrying on.

The world was at peace.

Finding a flat spot at the edge of the cliffside, Jin made herself comfortable, sitting cross-legged on the floor. Resting her hands on her knees, she shut her eyes and tried to concentrate. Everything around her was still, and quiet, and for a while all she could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat, ringing in her ears. But, before long, the whistling wind that drove through the valley started to distract her. Then, the cry of distant birds, the trickling of a stream off to the side of the monastery behind her. All of a sudden, the world was full of noise.

Opening her eyes, the young monk sighed in frustration. She took a moment to centre herself, breathing deeply in through her nose and out through her mouth, before trying again.

What am I doing? She thought to herself. This is never going to work. There are so many other, far more important things I could be doing. Taking another deep breath, she shook her head.

No. Thinking like that isn't going to help anything. I just need to concentrate. Concentrate. In her head, she began to repeat that word, over and over, until she realised she was focussing more on that than actually relaxing. With another sigh, she shut her eyes tighter and tried to focus on meditating.

Why am I doing this? It's all made-up bullshit anyway. I bet even the grandmasters don't really know what they're doing; they probably use mediation as an excuse to take a nap. I should be in the dojo.

Opening her eyes, the young woman furrowed her brow, angry and frustrated with herself more than anything else. She just didn't understand how she was meant to block everything out. Master Xiang kept telling her that the secret to mediation was to 'let go of all thought, all feeling, and relax.' Well, how the hell was she supposed to do that? He might as well tell her not to breathe, or feel the ground underneath her!

Taking one last deep breath, the monk decided to give it one last try. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on her own breathing. In and out. In and out. Focus on your Ki. But it was no good. Pretty soon her eyes were open again, and she was more frustrated than ever. Getting to her feet, she turned away from the vista below and stormed back towards the monastery, defeated.

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With a loud crack, Jin's elbow connected with the arm of the wooden training dummy. Following up her attack with a left hook, followed by two quick kicks and a flurry of blows, the room filled with the thumping sound of body on wood. With a sudden roar, she spun around in a circle, her leg flashing out in a powerful kick that sent the dummy flying backwards, crashing into the wooden wall of the dojo and splitting it in half. Still in a combat stance, she took a moment to catch her breath, panting as she surveyed the scene.

Shit. She thought. I'm going to have to fix that.

Relaxing her stance, the young woman shook her hands out, relieving the pent-up tension of her training session. From behind, she heard a deep voice.

"You're not meant to break them, you know."

Turning to look behind her, she saw a young man, roughly six foot but only an inch or so taller than her, wearing an orange and yellow gi, decorated with a simple black sash. His face was handsome, with high cheekbones and a sharp jaw. His dark hair had been cut short, not shaved bald like some of the monks, but the dragon tattoos coiling around his lower arms signified him clearly as a member of her order.

With a gruff exhale, Jin rolled her eyes at Wei Tao, her sparring partner. "Then they should make them out of something stronger."

The man chuckled, reaching her side as the two stared down at the broken mannequin. "I can't fault you that. What's up?" His tone grew softer as he turned to look at her. In response, Jin huffed, turning away and unwrapping the bandages tied around her fists.

"Nothing. Just wanted to get some training in before breakfast."

Again, Tao chuckled. "Sure, and I'm the emperor of Kiedo." he paused for a moment. "Still finding it hard to meditate?"

Whirling on her heel, the young woman snapped back at him. "It's pointless, I don't see why everyone thinks it's so important!"

Tao held his hands up. "Jin, it's about stilling the mind..."

"Why? What's the point?"

"To remind us to slow down..."

"I can slow down. I can slow down fine. I don't need to spend hours every day sitting cross-legged on a mountain just to slow down!"

As the young woman continued her explosive tirade, Tao rolled his eyes, before cutting her off.

"You're not listening to me. Just stop for a moment, let me finish." With a scowl, Jin stepped back, folding her arms across her chest. This better be good.

"Imagine you're in a fight. Do you want your legs running in different directions?"

Jin was confused. "What? Of course not?"

"Exactly. That would be chaos. Well, it's the same with the body and mind. If your mind is running in one direction and your body in another, you'll never get anywhere, you'll just fall over yourself and get even more frustrated. The point of mediation is to bring you back into the real world, to stop your train of thought rushing off and leaving your body behind. It's about completeness. Wholeness."

"So? What's your point?"

Again, Tao rolled his eyes. "My point is when your body and mind are one, you'll realise how much easier it is to find peace. And with peace, comes control."

"I have control." Jin felt the fury rising in her blood. "I have great control, I'm one of the best martial artists this place has ever seen!"

"Yes, but that means nothing if you can't control your Ki."

Gritting her teeth, Jin scowled at him. "Fuck off with that. There's no such thing."

"Yes, there is, and when you learn to feel it, you'll know.

Jin had just about had enough now. It was one thing to hear the grand masters going on about the mystical life force that flowed through all living creatures, but to hear it coming from Tao was something else.

"Alright then, show me. Show me your magical Ki control!"

Tao's face didn't budge. "Really? You want me to show you?"

Jin nodded, flexing her muscles. "Yeah, come on wise guy. Let's see it."

"Alright..." taking a few steps back, the young man cracked his neck as he took up a loose fighting stance. In return, Jin did the same, bringing her fists up in front of her body as the two prepared to fight. For a few seconds they stood, silently, before with a cry Jin shot forwards. Leaping ahead, she shot out a fist, which Tao easily deflected, retaliating with one of his own. Narrowly avoiding it, Jin circled around before striking again. Soon, the pair had become a blur of activity.

Striking out her fists, Jin growled as her partner dodged and deflected, his face showing no emotion as he calmly blocked her assault. Feeling the fury burning in her chest, she spun around and delivered a vicious kick towards his chest, before realising her mistake with horror. With ease, his hand came up and knocked her ankle, twisting her leg and throwing her to the floor.

Before she'd even hit the ground she had her hands out in front of her, turning the fall into a forwards roll as she sprung back to her feet, spinning back into the fray with barely a seconds grace.

She had to admit, this was tough. The pair had always been roughly matched in fighting prowess, but as their training had continued, she had always found herself taking the victory more often than not. But today, something was different. Tao's movements seemed quicker, more fluid, almost as if he was predicting her attacks. When he did strike out for her, his blows felt stronger, more precise, and try as she might she found herself losing.

All at once, the battle came to an end, as with a graceful move her partner knocked her arms wide, exposing her chest to a sudden flurry of blows. Jin felt the wind knocked out of her as Tao's fists struck her once, twice, three times in the ribs, sending her flying backwards off of her feet and onto the ground. Gasping for air, she struggled to move, and realised her body had been paralysed from the neck down. Beginning to panic, she watched as Tao took a step back, relaxing his posture as he acknowledged his victory. After a few seconds, she felt the feeling beginning to return to her limbs, and she groggily got to her feet, hunching over her aching torso.

Tao nodded. "There you go. That's the power of control."

"Yes, it is."

Turning suddenly, the two saw the figure of an old man standing in the doorway to the room. His long grey beard came almost to the floor, and his head was shaved bald. Clasping their hands together, the acolytes bowed low from the waist in a sign of respect.

"Master Xiang."

The grandmaster smiled, and nodded his head. Jin and Tao stood back up. Immediately, Tao started to speak.

"We were just sparring, I was showing Jin the best way to..."

"I know. I have been here for some time now." Jin felt her cheeks turning pink. Great, he saw her getting her arse kicked then.

"An excellent display from both of you, although as I'm sure you can both admit, the outcome was clear from the beginning." Turning his head, the grandmaster nodded to Tao. "You may leave now, initiate."

Bowing again, Tao gave Jin an encouraging smile before walking out, passing the grandmaster and disappearing into the rest of the monastery. Left alone, Jin let out a deep sigh. Here comes a lecture.

Stepping further into the room, the old man gestured for her to sit, and she obeyed, sinking to her knees with a huff. Sitting down as well, he clasped his hands together in front of him.

"You know why he beat you, don't you?"

With a sigh, she responded. "Yes, Master Xiang."

"And why was that?"

"Because he has mastery of his Ki, Master Xiang."

"No." The old man's words caught Jin by surprise, and she frowned in confusion.

"True, his spiritual journey is more advanced than yours, and from that knowledge, he is able to draw great strength and agility, but it is not the reason he beat you." Master Xiang took a moment to let his statement settle in. "You lost the fight because you are unsure of yourself. You push yourself to be greater than you are, to fight harder than you can. Tao knows his strength. He knows his body. It is that confidence that led to your defeat."

Jin didn't understand. She was plenty confident; she knew her strengths and weakness better than anyone, but for some reason, Master Xiang's words rang true.

"But, I don't understand?"

"I know. And you may not, for some time. Tao is a remarkable student; he has learnt in five years what for some can take a lifetime. Do not feel disheartened, I am sure you will learn the secrets soon."

Jin disagreed. This morning was proof. She could barely imagine the path ahead, and she felt her blood beginning to boil again. "How do you know? I've been trying for months now, and I still have no idea where to start!"

With a kindly shake of his head, the old man chuckled. "Channeling your Ki should not be your focus. It is not the end of your journey, only a skill picked up along the way to enlightenment. Do not aim for it, for you will always fall short. Instead, focus on yourself. Introspection is the key to spiritual fulfilment, and through that, you will find the strength you lack."

"But how? I can't meditate, I've tried and tried, I swear, but every time I get distracted! How am I meant to find inner peace if I can't even master that?"

"There are many ways to inner peace, my child. Meditation Is only one. In time I am sure you will find what works best for you. Consider yourself, and the true path will emerge. But first, you must learn to suppress your rage. It will be your downfall." Getting to his feet, Grandmaster Xiang sighed in contentment. "But now, I believe it is time for breakfast. If you wish to join me, you are more than welcome."

The young monk thought for a moment, before shaking her head. "Sorry Grandmaster, but I'm not feeling very hungry at the moment."

"Suit yourself." He said with a smile. "Go in peace, young one." With that, he turned around and slowly shuffled back out of the room, closing the doors and leaving Jin in silence. Her head was a hive of activity; she still didn't understand? What did he mean there were other paths? What were they? She scoffed under her breath. Gods, would it kill anyone to speak straight here for once in a while? Getting to her feet, she brushed the dust off her knees before leaving the dojo. She needed to clear her head.

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Falling backwards onto her simple bed, the monk let out a long, frustrated sigh. It wasn't even noon yet, and she was already eager for the day to end. Pulling off her sash, she threw it to the floor as her gi fell open around her. She was naked underneath, as was customary, and without looking she let her hand slip down between her legs. She needed to blow off some steam.

Closing her eyes, she let her fingers trace gently across her labia, stroking the sides of her thighs as she teased herself into arousal. Soon, she felt herself getting wet, her fingertips leaving little trails of nectar across her nethers as she stroked herself gently. Letting out a soft moan, she began to press harder, rubbing her clit with two fingers before sliding them down between her damp folds, gasping as she circled her entrance before moving higher again.

Absentmindedly, she grabbed the pillow above her head with her other hand, her fingers clenching around the soft fabric as she started to gyrate her hips in time with her stroking. Dipping her middle finger into her aching hole, she groaned as a shock of pleasure rippled through her abdomen. Still only using the tip, she began to finger herself gently, building speed until she was gasping with every movement.

Darting her finger in and out of her sweet wetness, she felt a trembling sensation in her body, the comfortable bliss of self-gratification. Gently, she slipped a second finger inside herself, and felt the feeling multiply. It felt incredible, her perfect pussy quivering as she touched herself, alternating between deep, slow strokes and quick tickles against her g-spot. Her mouth fell open, and her breathing deepened instinctively as she pleasured herself, her body bucking gently as her nipples strained against the chill air of her room.

Underneath her, she felt the bed sheets growing damp with her juices, but that didn't stop her. Starting to speed up, she groaned as her fingers plunged in and out of her sopping snatch, every now and then pulling them out to massage her clitoris before sliding back inside. She felt amazing, her mind emptying of everything but pleasure as her body trembled with arousal. She felt her pussy craving more, and pushed her fingers in deeper, gasping as her nethers filled with burning desire.

Above her, her fingers tightened even further around the pillow, her nails digging into her palm as she bit her lip in an effort to remain quiet. Even though the room was her own, the monastery walls weren't thick, and the last thing she needed was someone barging in and interrupting.

Although...

The thought sent shivers down her spine, and Jin groaned as she imagined someone discovering her, staring wide-eyed at her exposed body, fingers working tirelessly in and out of her needy hole. She imagined looking up at them, a look of desperation on her face as she moved her hand away, spreading her legs and showing off her perfect pussy, begging them with her eyes to take her. The feeling of their hands on her thighs, spreading her wider as a thick cock probed her entrance, sliding in and filling her with glorious pleasure.

As her thoughts ran wild, her body continued to rock in time with her fingers explorations. In her mind, everything was fading to white, the only thing she could think about was the pleasure, the deep carnal desire she felt in her pelvis for someone to bring her release. As she focussed on that feeling, she felt the deep quivers of arousal spreading out through her body, up her spine and down through her limbs, starting deep inside her and eventually filling her every inch with greedy pleasure.

Those warm, white jolts of ecstasy, so inviting, so wonderful...

Concentrating her mind on the pleasure, she urged herself onward, feeling the ebb and flow change as her fingers thundered in and out, teasing her snatch as she groaned through clenched teeth. She was desperate for release now, eager to feel the warm tsunami of climax wash over her and free her from her frustrations. As she pushed on and on, closer and closer to that indescribable bliss, she felt the pulses coming faster and more forcefully. With her eyes tight shut, she imagined she could see them clearly, little pockets of golden light shooting up her spine. Imagining them only made them more intense.

Just before cresting the wave of orgasm, a thought occurred to her. Wait, this feeling, the energy flowing through her, could it be...?

With a sudden spasm, she felt her stomach cramp up, jolting her head forward off of the bed. Her fingers curled inside her, the tips locked against her most sensitive spot as all of a sudden she began to cum, legs twitching as her quivering nethers gushed and trembled. Every part of her filled with ecstasy, and it took all of her strength not to cry out in orgasmic pleasure, her eyes screwed tight and mouth frozen open in a silent scream. For an eternity she lay stock still, her whole body shuddering with the force of her climax, that pulsing energy spreading through her like a burning explosion of pure bliss.

Finally coming down, she collapsed into a sweaty heap, panting furiously as she tried to recover. That was incredible, exactly what she'd needed, and as she lay in the comfortable post-orgasmic glow, she shut her eyes again and exhaled. Her mind slowly returning to its senses, she started to remember the threads of energy inside her, the ones she'd felt emanating from her core as she'd pleasured herself. It was funny, but the way people described the flow of Ki sounded awfully similar...

Sitting bolt upright, Jin had an epiphany. That was it, wasn't it? That was her Ki, the energy that bound all life together, moving inside her. She'd done it! She'd worked out how to tap into her deepest essence!