In movies, a single karate chop to the back of the neck is all it takes to drop someone cold — obviously dramatized, and most people couldn't pull it off. But by any reasonable standard, Fu Tailan didn't consider himself most people.
Humility was a fine quality. Self-awareness, though, was non-negotiable.
When he was thirteen, some know-it-all resident had taken one hand — the one with only nine fingers — and curled it into a fist, pressing it against the junction where Fu Tailan's skull met his neck, then launched into a solemn lecture: "…You want to knock someone out, you hit right here. Understand? Do you? Do you really, or are you just saying that?"
No matter how many times he said "I really do, I really do," the resident remained unconvinced.
"I don't think you do. Here, let me show you—"
When he came to, the resident's hand was still wrapped around his throat.
