Chapter 101: Breathing to Refine Qi and the Fist (1/2)
Chapter 101: Breathing to Refine Qi and the Fist
“I had no idea that there would be so many experts within the People! That monk’s martial arts may not be at the same level of yours, but his footwork and the amount of water he could shoot out with his lungs was just simply magical! If you were any weaker, then danger would not be that far away. Even Leung Jingmen truly deserved to be called a fellow student with Zhang Wei. With the authentic Leung style Wingchun and Hung Ga, his “Whip Fist” would be something that even my master wouldn’t be able to contend against.”
On the car, Lin Yanan had spoke out with some lingering fear as she drove the car.
“But I have some thoughts. The two of them had such a succinct mastery, although they are not well known and lacks combat experience as you said, they shouldn’t have been that easily defeated by you, right?”
Lin Yanan had been pondering this question within her heart. In her eyes, no matter if it was the monk Gan, or Leung Jingmen, the two of them should be equally matched with her master. These men after all had bitterly studied martial arts for 10 to 20 years already.
But Wang Chao’s age was barely over 20. Even if he came out of his mother’s womb practicing martial arts, he shouldn’t have been their equal. So why was it that he was a level higher than them?
Even if Wang Chao was a genius, a genius wouldn’t be that over the top with skill!
Wang Chao smiled as if he understood what Lin Yanan was thinking about.
“Although their skill could be considered to be perfect, but they are missing something. In a battle of martial arts, the most important thing is inspiration. This inspiration is something that cannot be gained if one does not go through a baptism of blood in a battle for life and death. Without this baptism, one will never understand the meaning of inspiration. From the very beginning, they had lost to me in terms of inspiration. So to battle me while being the loser in inspiration is to be defeated by me even if their skill is higher than mine. The most important thing in a battle is to first have no regard for one’s one life. Then afterwards, one must clean their intent within the moment. And in this moment, they will understand the awe-inspiring inspiration.”
“As long as battle is experienced just once, then even a coward can become a hero. Their skill is pure and are exemplary models of this peaceful era, they have not yet touched upon the true path. In a battle between Zhang Wei and Leung Jingmen, I would dare say that within ten exchanges, Zhang Wei would be able to defeat him despite Leung Jingmen being the elder. A practitioner of Wushu and a practitioner of battle are two different matters.”
Lin Yanan brushed away a loose strand of hair with her fingers before asking the question that had weighed heaviest on her mind. “I have this question I’ve been wanting to ask for a long time. They’ve been practicing martial arts for 20 years or so; a period of time that is older than you were even alive. According to logic, their martial arts should be deeper than yours. But yet, you’ve managed to reach a stage where thunder follows your fist, and your muscles and bones act in unison with each other. Just what is the reason for that? Could the disparity between a genius and a regular person be that wide apart?”
“Haha. Haha….” Wang Chao couldn’t help but to burst into laughter after hearing Lin Yanan as if he was happy to hear it.
“What are you laughing at?” Lin Yanan harrumphed in a protesting manner that showed off her charm a bit.
Her temperament was unlike Zhu Jia who in comparison had a lovely tint to her elegant manner that arose from her experience as a news anchor.
But Lin Yanan was an officer of the military. In normal circumstances, she was meticulous in her bearings and held a strict and proud flavor to her personality.
Seeing how Lin Yanan reacted, Zhu Jia’s heart thumped in thought, “Wang Chao’s secretary has an appealing side to her. If she were to let down her serious nature, then seducing a person would be no challenge to her…”
But then she rolled her eyes without saying word since she didn’t know what to say.
“Did you believe that the more one learned martial arts, the deeper their understanding of it was? Or that the more a person studied, the more amazing they become? Is a person that learned for 10 years destined to be weaker than the one who studied for 20 years?”
Folding his arms across his chest, Wang Chao spoke, “A person has a limited potential. Their martial arts only requires having to be at a certain point. After a long period of time, one would be able to bring out their potential, thus reaching a suitable point in their martial arts. But after this threshold is met, it does not mean they will not grow weaker. To obtain the Way is hard, but to cultivate health is even harder. Take a look at me for example. While I am able to bring out the sounds of thunder, if I do not continue to seek improvement in the future and let down my concentration, then in half a year, I would not be able to bring out the sounds of thunder. Thus, my martial arts would decline.”
“I see. So if one reaches a suitable point in martial arts, it is hard to maintain that same level of skill. Martial arts is like rowing up a river, if one stops moving, then they will be pushed back. Even if someone reaches a high quality of martial arts, if they do not retain that same level of passion they had in their pursuit, then after some time, they will get worse. That’s why after a long period of time, there is a large chance of declining in strength.” Lin Yanan nodded in understanding.
“Correct. If one continues to push onwards with passion without ever stopping, then their martial arts will naturally grow deeper with understanding. If one doesn’t have this mentality, then even if they learned for ten or twenty years with daily exercises, then even their initially sturdy level of martial arts will worsen.”
“Have you read the Journey to the West? When Xuanzang and Sun Wukong arrived at the Lei Yin Temple, they obtained the sutras. But they didn’t just obtain the sutras in name, but in meaning as well. It was this idea that obtaining the Way was formed. If one doesn’t cultivate this Way, then the Way will be lost.” Wang Chao smiled and spoke in a way that made him seem like a master teaching a student.
“Journey to the West?” Zhu Jia spoke in interest after hearing Wang Chao speak of it.
“Journey to the West is actually a classics about the fist. At the beginning, Sun Wukong was undefeated and had muscles of copper and bones like iron. But in the end, he was still captured. Then when he was finally able to become Enlightened, he went to the Lei Yin Temple to acquire the sutras and accomplished his goal. Lei Yin Temple, the sounds of thunder. Without the sounds of thunder, then one’s goals would become as realistic as the flowers in a mirror and the moon reflected in the lake. No matter how much one’s ability is on fighting, they can only stir the waters by the side and never accomplish their goals. But even if one arrives at the sounds of thunder and they aren’t careful, then they will lose the meaning of the sutra, and all will be futile.”
“With my martial arts, I have arrived at the sounds of thunder. But even this can be considered to be without the meaning for now. From now on, I must make sure that I maintain my passion and continue to practice that I will be able to cultivate this Way. Otherwise, all will be lost.”
Wang Chao let out a sigh, “As Heaven’s movement is ever vigorous , so must a gentleman ceaselessly strive along. A practitioner must be careful for the remainder of their life as if they are walking on thin ice.”
“Isn’t that tiring, to live your whole life without relaxing?” Zhu Jia asked in surprise while Lin Yanan’s eyebrows narrowed.
For a man to be careful his entire life as if he was walking on thin ice, just how much determination did that require? Just how much willpower and intent did one need to have?
“With today’s society and its monstrous and grotesque politics, people are always pulled into it. After practicing martial arts, to not maintain one’s composure isn’t easy. To live one’s entire life on thin ice and to move forward, very few people would be able to do such a thing.” Lin Yanan muttered.
“Nothing can be done about that. With the great changes, development, and enrichening of today’s era, there isn’t much that can help one defend themselves against it.” Wang Chao spoke openly.
“When that monk spat out the water in his mouth like an arrow, was that a skill from martial arts?” Lin Yanan had begun to see Wang Chao as a know-it-all and begun to ask him all the questions she had.