Xuan - Brother of the Kaimetsu-Uo Monks

Part 1

Xuan was born as Hayashida Zang to Hayashida Heihachi and Hayashida Kirara. They lived in the lower Juramashi District of Otosan Uchi. Here Kirara ran her own weapon shop, while smithing swords herself in the back. Heihachi worked as an engineer maintaining the Emperor's Road in the Hidari District. As a child Zang could not sit still and always wanted to know what was going on around him. The patrons of Kirara's shop were often interrupted by Zang's impromptu questions or spontaneous suggestions. Some found it amusing and would entertain him leading to an endless stream of questions, especially if the patron was foolish enough to mention the Fortunes or the Tao. Others were quick to anger, compelling Kirara to beg for forgiveness. She began to think it would be of good use of Zang's energy to have him run the shop while she forged new swords, he certainly wasn't shy. But Zang cared little for money and often didn't sell the weapons at full price if he felt bad for the customer, or would just wonder off. The excitement of the Juramashi District called to Zang, he could not ignore it's siren call. The district was known to be a chaotic area, the largest and oldest district in the city. Because of this the district was never planned out and developed organically. Heihachi had once told Zang that the emperor had paid 10,000 koku to a team of engineers to organize the district and they made it even worse! The people of Juarmashi loved it this way and so did Zang.

He would run down the streets dodging all the horses and carts, trying to move at full speed. The more he traveled the city, the more hungry people he saw. This bothered Zang, he did not like to see people suffer. He asked his parents for money to help feed the people. They had to let Zang know they didn't have much more than those other people, so they couldn't help. Next he asked the merchants, these men just laughed at Zang. One after another. That's when Zang discovered he was quicker than these old men. Zang began his days traveling through upper Juramashi pickpocketing the rich who walked the streets and snagging food off the merchants carts, then losing them in the alleyways. At night he would feed all he could in the lower district with bounty he had collected.

It was around this time that Zang caught the attention of Duan, a girl a few years younger than him. He gave a her bag of rice one day and she hasn't stopped bugging him sense. Finding him both cute and honorable, she often followed him on his adventures in the upper district in order “help”. This often led to Duan blowing Zang's cover in often comical circumstances. Zang then began taking elaborate routes to the upper district to try and avoid Duan. He would often get lost doing so, but found it a great way to explore the city. This is how he discovered the monks of Thousand Fortunes. He had once wandered in a small temple of theirs in the Ochiyo District. The monks found the young man's questions and energy amusing.

One day during his travels he saw Heihachi heading to work. Zang decided to follow him and surprise him at work. “Oh boy!” Zang thought, “I can't wait to see the look on Dad's face when I jump out.” When he arrived in the Hidari District Zang was in shock. For most of his life he had only known the Juramashi District, all the Rogukani classes smashed together. Here there was no poverty, no run down houses, not even a dirty face. Because of this Zang stood out like a Unicorn in Crane court. He had to stay hidden and be extra careful moving about. Before long he had lost sight of his father and was completely lost. Zang's stomached growled. “Oh well,” he thought, “Let's get some food and head home.” He saw a merchant selling grilled fish on a stick, and snagged himself something to eat. But he was spotted. “Guards! That boy robbed me!” the merchant shouted. Zang dropped the fish and was off, but these guards seemed to be everywhere. And the people... The people were helping the guards?!?! If he were in Juramashi someone would have “accidentally” tripped a guard or two by now. Maybe not everyone would help Zang escape, but they certainly wouldn't be telling the guards we're he's running too! Then, he heard a voice. “Hey, over here!” He looked over there, and it was a boy about his age. “Quick, they won't look here.” Zang darted into the trap door, the other boy quickly closing it behind him. The we're hidden inside what looked to be a pillar holding up the Emperor's Road.

“Hi, my name is Rikichi.”

“I'm Zang, nice to meet you. Where are we?”

“This is a secret hide-away my Dad had built to hide the emperor in the event of an attack while he's traveling. My Dad's always thinking of stuff like that, he's super prepared. Only he knows about it... Well and me,” he said with a devilish grin.

“Your Dad, “Had?” this built?”

“Yeah. Oh sorry, my Dad always says I need to be better at introductions. I'm Seppun Rikichi,” he said as he bowed. “My father is the govern of this district.”

Needless to say these two explorers became instant friends. Eventually Rikichi's father caught Zang, and Rikichi pleaded to allow them to keep being friends. It turns out Heihachi was one of Rikichi's father's best workers. Once he discovered Zang was Heihachi's son he had no problem with the boys' friendship. Life couldn't be better. In a world where social mobility didn't exist the Hayashida family was moving up. The young boys' friendship was positive for Heihachi's career, this in turn was positive for Kirara's shop. Zang's only complaint was Duan, but he was getting better at avoiding her so it wasn't that bad. Xuan would always look back at this being the happiest time of his life.