Romance of Dragons and Snakes

Chapter 13: A rapid growth

“Nevermind, you are now able to stand on top of the vat of water and shadowbox without getting knocked off. Thus, you have a good foundation of Bagua Zhang’s “Swimming Body”.” Tang Zichen changed the topic from the lead and mercury balls and turned it towards Wang Chao’s tempo of training.

“What, this is only called having a foundation?”

Wang Chao couldn’t help but feel a little discouraged. After practicing so hard under the supervision of Tang Zichen day and night with little rest, especially the most recent of days. he had been standing on the vat of water and practiced jabbing, whipping and chopping at the sandbag. He didn’t know how many injuries he had been given or how many hardships he had faced since he didn’t wish to think back to it. If it weren’t for sis Chen at his side, then Wang Chao wouldn’t know just how he would have lived.

“Tempering the body is far too painful.” Wang Chao realized just now why there weren’t that many experts in today’s society; it was because of appearances. The way to practicing Bagua was too tricky to understand, but compared to cultivating, practicing it was far more comfortable while fighting was completely torturous.

After so many days of practicing, Wang Chao’s body grew firmer and his footwork more strong, steady and swift. Although he couldn’t be considered an expert, the distance wasn’t that far away, so it was quite unbelievable when Tang Zichen said that he had only the foundation.

“Your body is much more flexible than before. If you were to fight someone, then you will at least be able to dodge their fists. But your strength is still lacking and your skin’s hardness isn’t enough either. Your ligaments can’t be weak and your muscle elasticity hasn’t yet been tempered yet either. Even if you were to go against that officer Cao now, you won’t be able to win.”

Tang Zichen continued to criticize him, “Chinese boxing is what the ancient Daoist priests and doctors used to temper the body and have a good health. Take a look at Hua Tuo’s “Five animal mimicry”. Refining the body is fantastic, but can you use this to fight someone? The fighting style of Chinese boxing were used on the battlefield as a way to kill their enemies. Only the ways of practicing don’t have a way to fight because it is used to be healthy. The way of fighting doesn’t have a way of practicing because practitioners would wear each other out and bring harm to their bodies. Although you have adequate nourishment, there is a limit where the body is strengthened before nourishment isn’t enough. By just nourishment, one will never be able to reach the marvelous stage of Hidden Jin. However, these type of people are still quite terrifying since they can kill people easily still. With today’s society where one can use supplements to regain what is lost, when you set out, you should not underestimate these men should you come across them. Do not think that they should be underestimated for not being internal practitioners, as they can still kill a person just as easily. Fights of life of death always happens within the blink of an eye, will they allow you to adjust yourself for combat or to release Hidden Jin? But still, when you have cultivated to the Transforming Jin stage, underestimating someone will not be that serious.”

“The fighting form of Bagua Zhuang came from the usage of knives, meaning the most important feature is the stabbing motion.When you go on the streets and see gangsters fight, they use their knives to cut people, but that only results in blood and the victim still capable of fighting. If they were to stab, then the person would die. To cut someone is not the same as to stab someone. The fighting form of Xingyi Quan evolved from the usage of spears. The point of a spear is to stab. Even the bayonets used later served the same person. When you fight and want to kill, you stab. If you don’t wish to kill, then you cut or thrash them, take heed to that.”

“To cut someone is not the same as to stab someone.” Wang Chao nodded his head. The words sis Chen was saying made sense, especially regarding the difference between him and officer Cao.

Officer Cao had a fast response speed and superior strength in comparison to Wang Chao who realized that officer Cao hadn’t even been using his entire strength, not even a good amount of it.

“Even if I reach the Hidden Jin stage and can shatter a brick, if I have to take a few seconds to readjust my vertebrae, I’ll be dead before I can strike.” Wang Chao thought and then thinking once more, “It seems that the way of fighting is quite refined. I haven’t even begun to practice Hidden Jin, I have to be careful from now on.”

Wang Chao’s mentality was slowly maturing step by step.

“What is Transforming Jin like?” Wang Chao was exceedingly curious and had hoped that sis Chen would demonstrate so that he would be able to have a reference point later.

“Take a good look.” Tang Zichen spoke as she walked towards the mercury and lead balls and grabbed at the balls with both hands and then with a twist of her waist, her hands released an extraordinary amount of power. Crash! The ball began to spin around violently like the blades of an electric fan.

The ball began to roll in place with a loud crackling sound as the ball traveled at high speeds with the mercury inside making a strange sound.

Two minutes later, the sound that Wang Chao could hear reminded him of the Tiger’s Thunder.

“Mercury and lead were the two essential ingredients for ancient alchemists to concoct the pill of immortality. Mercury is quite heavy, but it flows like liquid, making it a mysterious substance and was believed to be compatible with the bone marrow. This ball is the equivalent to a human body, remember that.”

Tang Zichen twisted her arm with an unknown amount of power, causing the mercury filled ball to act like a basketball and bounce up into the air.

Afterwards, Tang Zichen whipped her arm up, causing the ball to jump slightly. When it fell, Tang Zichen switched to her shoulder and used it to touch the ball, spin it once more into the air.

Afterwards, Tang Zichen continued to adjust the amount of power in each of her body parts, whether it was the arm, foot, shoulder, head, back, waist, groin, elbow, knee, or even one of her fingers, the ball continued to spin.

The mercury filled lead ball that Wang Chao could barely even move had been spun around as easily as a basketball in the hands of Tang Zichen. Seeing the godlike abilities of her martial arts, Wang Chao had already been desensitized to it.

Wang Chao could guess that this bigger than a basketball sized ball would be heavier than a 100 kilogram ball thanks to the mercury inside as well.

Pa! Tang Zichen transferred the ball to each joint on her body before finally dropping it back in the trough. After whirling around for a few more revolutions, the ball finally came to a stop.

“The art of moving in Bagua Zhang may be flexible enough, but its strength and your ability at it is not sufficient enough. Starting from today onwards, when you are not striking the sandbag over the water, you will try to spin this ball with your hands. When the time comes that you can make this ball spin to the point of making it bounce, a foundation for your strength will be established.”

From that day on, Wang Chao had yet another assignment. Every day at three AM in the morning, he would practice the horse stance and then use the Mud Wading Step to move around the entire lake Tianxing. Afterwards, he would practice Bagua and perfect the incorporation of the three integrals into the stances. In the evening, he would try and increase his three energies; essence, Qi, and spirit. Then, Wang Chao would kneel down next to the mercury balls and try to rotate it. Arm, hand, waist and leg, Tang Zichen had made him push at the ball with them all. Then, finally, Wang Chao would spend the rest of the night improving his footwork as well whipping, cutting and jabbing at the sandbag.

Tang Zichen’s ability at martial arts was without limits and her eyes sharp. Even her mind was quick thinking and each word of direction she said had allowed Wang Chao to suddenly see the light.

“Has sis Chen taught many people before?” Wang Chao gradually began to think, there was no way she didn’t.

For another ten days, he practiced. Even on New Years, Wang Chao had phoned home saying he wouldn’t be there. Afterwards, the winter break had finally ended, meaning that Wang Chao had finally needed to leave Tang Zichen’s villa and return to school.

After returning home, he had been thoroughly scolded by his parents, but after seeing that he was alright, they were both endlessly relieved. Strangely, when he had returned home, they realized that Wang Chao had grown from 1.65 meters to 1.75 meters tall and his physique and been much stronger as well. He looked healthy and vibrant with energy with a boundless amount of enthusiasm that contrasted deeply with his past introverted, depressed and wretched appearance.

Wang Chao had weaved a huge lie to his parents in order to put them at ease. Although Wang Chao had made a healthy amount of progress in his martial arts, now that he was back in school, he had no one to practice with. And thanks to the lesson taught to him by officer Cao, he didn’t cause any trouble either.

“Once I have properly learned everything from sis Chen’s martial arts, I will go back and take back my confidence from officer Cao. Fighting anyone else will be meaningless.” Wang Chao thought to himself as he continued to practice by himself.

School matters were especially repetitive, especially as a high school student. The gossip was endlessly boring and nothing new was ever introduced. Wang Chao’s only interest was of his fight with officer Cao so he had sometimes spoke a few words with the class officer and student council member Cao Jingjing to ask about some matters regarding him during his extracurricular time.

In the past, Wang Chao hadn’t dared to strike up a conversation with a girl first. But after taking martial arts, his self confidence had soared to the point where he could speak to them freely without worry.

It could be said that Chinese boxing had transformed Wang Chao’s inherent nature to be more confident. This was truly refining Qi into spirit.

A semester quickly went by, but during the term, Wang Chao had secretly practiced every day to polish his skills. Every midnight on Saturday, he would use the Mud Wading step to transverse the highway to Lake Tianxing where Tang Zichen would teach him for another two days.

But in this time, Tang Zichen had only taught Wang Chao Bagua Zhang and nothing else.

Yet Wang Chao said nothing and practiced in silence. His palm strength increased and so did his body. Each time he struck the sandbag, a faint but crisp sound could be heard.

Wang Chao’s movements grew more and more flexible as well. Each step was firm, and by the time summer vacation was about to start, Wang Chao could strike at the sandbags without ever falling.

The temples were slowly bulging, but just at a slow rate unlike the rate from before.

“When the temples are enlarged, that means you have a talent for the basics, but being refined is not an overnight task. If you cannot even reach the basics, then learning is useless.”

“Sis Chen, telling me this now while I’ve been practicing so much, don’t you think it’s a little late?” Wang Chao asked.

“Chinese boxing isn’t like learning acrobatics. If one’s skeletal bones are not properly matured, then they will become deformed. Your age is just perfect. Even Xingyi master Li Cunyi was 20 when he started to learn, and Shang Yunxiang was even older. If the age is too young, then they won’t be able to understand much about the martial arts world.” Tang Zichen reasoned.

Up until even the second semester had ended and summer vacation started, Wang Chao hadn’t said a word and continued to travel to Tang Zichen’s place.

But this time, Tang Zichen was unnaturally serious. “I can only teach you for this last summer vacation. After this, I will have to leave. However, in the past eight months, you have learned a lot and have established a good foundation. I’ve taught you enough for you to learn by yourself now. Whether you can grow into someone strong, that shall be up to destiny and your own determination.”

When Wang Chao had heard this, he grew melancholic. But there was no other choice, and neither could he ask any questions. All he could do was nod his head.

“Good. Starting from today, I will teach you Xingyi Quan.” Tang Zichen spoke.

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