Chapter 153: Grandmaster (1/2)

Chapter 153: Grandmaster (Second)

“A good explanation of turning coarse Jin into detailed Jin. That is what it means to sift sand.” The figure behind the tree smiled openly.

“I did not think that I would come across another practitioner with a deep knowledge of internal martial arts here. Youngster, it seems that your explanation of posture training is concise enough for even an ordinary person to understand. That means your comprehension of it is indeed profound. But calling yourself a master, that is not something that one should wildly call himself. If this was the society of the past, then this would be a ruinous matter. I’m afraid that you would find yourself with many men wishing to compete against you for that.”

“Youngster, do not fill yourself with so much Qi. Be more quiet, and be more modest.”

When Wang Chao heard those words, his eyebrows narrowed together before vanishing his presence to move forward.

This man was between his middle-aged to elderly years in age. He wore black clothing and on his legs were the old-fashioned traveling style of scissor clothed shoes.

His face was round, and his skin was sleek and glossy like the way a Lingzhi mushroom was. There was not liver spots to his face, and his eyes seemed to be like Venus itself with them glowing with a bright intensity. His entire hair was white, and his beard was three to four inches in length and was combed intensively.

This elderly figure stood at about 1.7 meters tall. A not high, but not short stature. He was skinny, but not threatening either. From the looks of things, he resembled a Confucian scholar of the past, and there was a hint of a Daoist scholar to him as well.

“He is without question an expert!”

When Wang Chao saw his eyes, he immediately felt that there was a strong resemblance between him and the photographs of the masters of Guoshu in the time period of the Republic of China. Whether it was Shang Yunxiang, Sun Lu-tang, or Li Shuwen, there was a huge similarity.

“I felt the wind blow against the grass earlier, meaning someone was watching me teach. It was no wonder, there was such an expert here. Beijing is truly a place where experts hide if I come across an expert like you in the Summer Palace. Instead of crossing the river to fight the dragon, have I met the snake of the earth instead?”

When Wang Chao was teaching Cao Jingjing about posture training, he felt something was slightly off ten minutes later. It was as if someone was watching him, but he was not certain. After a more observant watch, he had finally been sure someone was spying on him, so he had exposed him then and there.

Wang Chao’s martial art had reached the Transforming Jin stage. His power could circulate his entire body and be felt in every inch of his pores with an uncontested level of sensitivity. Even in his sleep, if someone were to peep on him, he would be able to instantly snap himself back into awareness and kill the person before 10 steps could be taken.

A cheetah pounces at the antelope at a speed of at least 30 meters per second. The world record holder for the hundred meter dash was only capable of an instant burst of 10 meters a second.

“It seems that you know the rules of the Wulin. If a master of the past were to teach, if anyone is found spying from the side, then they would be chased to even the ends of the earth and be killed or crippled. You were found, but you stepped out so easily, is that a challenge?”

Wang Chao watched this elderly man. Although he knew that he was facing an absolute expert, there was no hint of weakness to him. Hi voice had grown icy, and his body had grown still. Even Cao Jingjing could sense that Wang Chao was practically ready to strike and kill the man, as his killing intent was very clear to see.

Wang Chao had spoken correctly. In the pat, if an expert was teaching, it was an extreme taboo to have someone spy in on the training to learn. The first reason was in fear that they would learn the expert’s traditional techniques, the second reason was that if no discipline was done, then that master’s reputation would take a serious blow.

The Wulin of the past had a rule. If you were caught spying on me teaching my student, then there were three roads ahead of you. The first road is for me to cripple you. The second is for you to beg to become my student, like how Yang Luchan had stolen from Cheng village before becoming a student there. The third path was for you to defeat me in combat.

An old master had once made a witty comparison. Learning and teaching was like a woman taking a bath.

If caught watching, then the voyeur would have to be killed, get married, or have the voyeur rape the bather.

If one was not caught spying and word got out, then that woman could only hang herself.

After being caught spying, the elderly man had spoken another few words of the past.

Admittedly, the man had spoken in a counseling tone. His words weren’t wrong either, and held no malice. There was only a patient and guiding tone to him.

Like remembering the thrill of the hunt after seeing others go hunting, he was only just a master of the previous generation wishing to giving advice a youth.

He hadn’t spoken incorrectly either. Wang Chao calling himself a master would have people break down his doors to get to him in the old society, an unfavorable position. A young man, even if he is strong in martial arts, after enough competitions, there is bound to be a loss. That loss would be enough to kick him from grace and into complete defeat.

But the elder’s targeted words had been wrong. Wang Chao was a youth, yes, but he was no ordinary youngster. He was the head of the Laoshan School of Internal Martial Arts, a master that could father his own style of martial arts, and someone who could stand on the same footing as the abbot of Shaolin.

How could a grandmaster of their own school of martial arts be taught by anyone so casually? Even if it was done in good faith, it was not acceptable.

The uphold a name was to have the might of being the upholder.

So the hostility Wang Chao had towards this elder was normal. Perhaps this elder was a very well known figure, but that meant nothing know.

If Wang Chao were to grow modest and back down, then not too long after, word would break out in the Beijing world of martial arts: That youngster head of the Laoshan School of Martial Arts. He was defeated in Beijing, but the master had not moved a muscle. Instead, it was his presence that subdued him and forced him to learn.

If a rumor like this were to be told by a master, then it would become unbearable to suffer the results.

Wang Chao would never become undefeatable under the heavens this way.

If Wang Chao was just a regular youngster, then he could perhaps forego this elder’s attempts to probe for his martial arts. But since he was a grandmaster of his own school, to come across this situation meant that he could not be modest.

If you were modest, it would be uncertain what type of rumors would fly afterwards.

Although the other side had only just coincidentally seen a youngster with decent skill and a benevolent intention instead of one of malice, in this situation, all that was left to do was to fight.

This was the shackle of being well known. This could be said to be the duty of being known!

“Eh? An impulsive youth. I only saw that your martial arts was not that bad. There is a presence to you. Give up your arrogance and give it some few days, you will become great in the future.”

There was still a smile on the man’s face as he walked one step at a time towards them. Stopping just four or five meters away, there was still no sense of hostility to be felt from this man. Instead, he stared at Wang Chao with a look of interest as if looking at the junior generation of practitioners. He was giving off the presence of a senior generational practitioner, with still no hostility.

“Who are you?” Wang Chao’s eyes narrowed together darkly, his words had never relented or shown any bit of politeness.

“Your explanation of the posture training was quite decent. I am sure you practice Xingyiquan then. That was the posture of the Drilling Snake, a perfect one at that. Who is your master?”

The elder had not answered Wang Chao, but there was still a faint smile on his face. Without moving, he spoke, “I am a practitioner as well. When I came by this place, I saw two people practicing the posture training, I just had to take a look. But although I was only meaning to take a look, you found me. That must mean you are quite skilled. Seeing your appearances, you must be an university student from nearby.”

The elder was very calm and collected. Waving his hand, he asked, “What school of Xingyiquan are you from? Say it, I might just know your master.”

“You’ve presumably not heard of me, Wang Chao. You’ve taken me to be of the junior generation of students waiting to be taught instead.”

Coldly, Wang Chao’s teeth clacked against each other as he replied. “Head of the Laoshan School of Internal Martial Arts. Although not the same as Shaolin or Wudang, I am a master capable of founding my own school. Just what man are you, to watch as I teach, and to give guidance without opening your eyes first? No matter how strong your skill is, you should know the discipline of the Wulin still.”

“Today, I have ridden on the back of the tiger. I presume you understand that as well. This person I am, I cannot throw away. Just what more will you leave behind today for me, I cannot say that I can hand over a suitable response.”

“Three paths. Admit your wrongs, take me as your master, or beat me into submission. Other than that, there lies no other path for you to walk.”

Wang Chao had grown calm again by now. Taking in a deep breath, his entire body drummed up with a rumbling sound, but instead of the normal crackling sound from his joints popping, it was the rumbling sound of his internal organs rumbling with the booming sounds of thunder.

“What? You are the challenger two days ago? The same head of the Laoshan School of Internal Martial Arts that fought one against eight? I did not think you yo be that young or to be so strong in martial arts.”

As soon as he heard Wang Chao speak and felt the aura coming off of him, the elder’s smile froze on his face and stared at Wang Chao with a newfound serious expression.

“My eyes have grown old and blind. From my eyes, I only see a youngster who has practiced well. I see the hunt of another, and I remember my own hunts. But I did not think this nostalgia would cause such trouble for me. I never would have expected that you would be a master capable of founding his own school of martial arts. Truly, I was too impudent.”

There was a look of embarrassment on the man’s face before calming down with a light intake of air. “Student of the Sun style Taichi, Zhou Binglin. I have heard that you have fought your way across Beijing and became a well known figure despite your age. You have killed the number one expert of the Shaolin Temple, and is the strongest of the three million strong army. What I see before me today is indeed not any regular run of the mill practitioner. Even my old eyes can see that much.”

“You have three conditions. I cannot respond, nor do I dare to. Since things have gotten to this point, come then! Allow this old man to see the might of the head of the Laoshan School of Internal Martial Arts!”

The three conditions Wang Chao had laid out, Zhou Binglin would naturally not respond. With things the way they were, words were useless now. All that was left to use was their fists.

Although Wang Chao was young and Zhou Binglin was old, reputation was not distinguished by age.

It hadn’t been 10 minutes since each other had met, but a fight was absolutely necessary. Furthermore, a battle of life or death would take place here for sure.

“Good!” Wang Chao took two steps forward. “Jingjing, step back a bit.”

“What are you two doing? You just met, and yet you’re fighting?” Cao Jingjing didn’t understand. What she saw was that the elder in front of her had been very kind. And although he was caught spying, he had spoken without arrogance and now a fight had to take place.

She felt that Wang Chao didn’t really respect his elders, but she didn’t understand the unwritten rule between experts in regards to the responsibility of dignity and name.

For a master capable of founding his own school of martial arts, it was completely unacceptable for them to be given guidance by another, and even more unacceptable to have this leak out.

“Little miss, you should step farther away. There is some matters here that you don’t understand.” Zhou Bingling spoke to Cao Jingjing with a wave of his hand.

“Allow me to see the wealth of experience you have gained over the years! Do not say I am bullying the old, or that your body is declining with age! The matters that had happened today is because of you.”

“Master Wang, come then! Ignore my age of 50, I am unlike those Yiquan practitioners you fought against! The Zhou Binglin of today has maintained my strength from when I was at my best, if you defeat me here, then I have nothing to say to that!”

When Wang Chao first saw Zhou Binglin, he already knew that this old man hadn’t the sign of his body wearing down due to age at all.

His everyday life must have been very calm, peaceful, content, and with rhythm. A case most similar to the scholar officials of the ancient past.

A Daoist cultivates and maintains his health, and so does a Confucian. A Confucian’s way of health was strict by dieting to appreciate food, studying to cultivate Qi, and maintained a relentless control over the aspects of their basics needs in a rhythmic pattern everyday.

For those Confucians who could maintain this philosophy, they could live a long life despite not being able to fight.

In the olden times, there was even an elder over the age of a hundred who still participated in the imperial examinations.

This Zhou Binglin had the presence of a scholar official of that same past, meaning that he too abide scrupulously to the ideals of Confucianism. Every day to his dozens of years of life, he spent it maintaining his health. Because of that, his physical strength was still at its peak despite nearing an age of 60.

But in opposition, his fighting style now would be far more efficient and ruthless than the past, and far more hard to deal with.

Those practitioners of Yiquan Wang Chao had fought were all mighty in martial arts, but because of their titles, they could not avoid social interaction which broke them away from their life of cultivation. Thus, their bodies began to decline with age.

The Sun Style Taichi embodied the ideology of Confucianism.

When a practitioner studying the way of the Sun School reached the apex, it was similar to what was written in the Doctrine of the Mean, “With the Way of sincerity, it is possible to gain foreknowledge.”

The study of martial arts had four aspects: Cultivate, Practice, Fight, Perform. Cultivate was at the very first spot.

By not cultivating the health, having any type of skill in martial art was as realistic as a pavilion in the sky.

Wang Chao had never heard of the name Zhou Binglin. But judging from his appearance now, he was certainly someone famous in his youth.

He had never heard of Zhou Binglin’s name before, yet they still met anyways at the interior of the Summer Palace. In Wang Chao’s heart, he knew not to drop his guard. Instead in his heart, it was far more serious than it had ever been.

The elder he had met now was far more powerful in martial arts than any of his previous opponents.

“Perhaps, only a person who had flourished at his peak like elder Li would be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with this person.”

Clearly, this Zhou Binglin had already attained the Transforming Jin, and his understanding of martial arts was extremely deep.