Chapter 23: The Real Deal

Chapter 23: Chapter 23: The Real Deal "Teach me some real skills?" Hu Ma was a bit surprised but immediately straightened up slightly. Now, amid this vast unease and the unknown of fate, there was nothing more appealing to him than this. "The young folks in our village, when they come to learn from me, Second Master, it’s really all about worshipping Tai Sui... to put it plainly, it’s about cutting meat." Second Master sighed and said slowly, "But actually, these skills of mine, they have their subtleties and lineages. Not only can they teach people to stoke the furnace to avoid evil spirits, but there’s also a dharma method for exorcising evil and defeating enemies." "And the most important thing about this set of forms is teaching you how to draw out the fire from within your body... Now, how are you doing with those forms I had Zhou Datong teach you before?" "Forms?" Hu Ma thought for a moment seriously and said, "I studied them diligently, memorized every move." "Do you think I can’t tell whether you’re serious or not?" Second Master thought of Hu Ma’s usual laziness and cunning, frowned, and said, "Show me once." "Okay." Hu Ma immediately stood up and demonstrated the set of forms in front of Second Master. The movements were smooth and regular, the strides powerful; every move was practiced with precision. "Eh?" Second Master was surprised. "You really didn’t slack off?" He had no idea that Hu Ma was just trying to avoid wasting the stove fire, escaping activities like running up the mountains, fighting, and lifting stone blocks, which were meant to temper the body and also to expend excess energy. But he also understood the importance of staying alive, so when it came to practicing Internal Skill and the old skill, he studied diligently. He often observed how others practiced, replayed it in his mind countless times, and practiced slowly in his spare time. Others thought his slow movements were lazy, but slowing down actually made it easier to master the intricacies of the forms. After all, I was a lead dancer for square dances in my past life, so I have a bit of athletic talent, Hu Ma thought. "A smart kid is really different from a dull one..." Second Master shook his head with a bit of helplessness and pity. "If only you were a bit more diligent." That’s Zhou Datong you’re talking about, not me... Hu Ma thought to himself silently, but didn’t interrupt Second Master, just listened to him continue. "Have you ever found these forms strange? The fists don’t really seem like fists, and the knife techniques not quite knife techniques?" Second Master cleared his throat and earnestly told Hu Ma, "Actually, this set of forms is another method of practicing." "When you usually practice, drawing the fire qi inward to the furnace, that’s Internal Skill." "But this old set of forms, it’s actually for practicing external power, which is drawing the fire qi out of your stove to defeat evil spirits." "Of course, I, Second Master, just teach you what I know." "Actually, the young men in our village will likely never use external power in their entire lives. Even their level of skill with the fire is often lost once they marry and have children. So I just let them practice for fun, no need to teach them the real thing." No wonder, Hu Ma thought. He finally understood why Second Master taught forms but not how to use them against opponents. He usually taught people to fight by letting them battle each other; after enough fighting, they would learn. "At the beginning of stoking the furnace, you only want the stove fire to burn as brightly as possible; you would never dare to draw it outward..." By now Second Master had continued, "So, I, Second Master, usually teach these forms only when someone has reached the right level of skill. But ordinary young people, if they’re not gifted enough or don’t have enough Blood Food, might practice for three to five years and still not reach that level of skill." "If they practice too early, it’ll ruin them. Even if your generation eats well every day with Tai Sui meat, it still takes at least a year or two to reach this level of skill." "As for you..." Second Master trailed off, suddenly at a loss for words. He had originally planned to teach Hu Ma the genuine forms. After all, Hu Ma ate fresh Tai Sui every day; which family had such resources? So he estimated that in about a month, he would test Hu Ma, and if his level of skill had matured, he would teach him. However, who could have thought that in just over ten days, not only had the boy reached the required level of skill, but also... Second Master felt a bit ’emo’ again. "In any case, your current level of skill can be considered sufficient." Second Master, trying to salvage some dignity, gathered his spirits and said, "So now it’s time to teach you the true forms..." As he spoke, he stood up, stepped forward, and demonstrated, "Look at this form’s first move: both hands loosely clasped, striding walking punch. It’s actually simulating holding a knife in both hands. Of course, you can grip it tightly as a fist; that’s actually not important. What’s important is your posture." "When you throw this punch forward, exhaling and shouting, the stove fire blazes. While reversing the operation of the talismanic power, you can draw a wave of fire qi from the stove and strike it out with this punch." "If you don’t execute this technique, this punch is just brute force." "Executing this technique not only increases your strength but also activates our stove fire." "Whether it’s an evil spirit or a person possessed by a ghost, if they get hit by this, even if they don’t die, they will be seriously injured..." "You managed to knock Cui Xie’er unconscious with a single punch because you accidentally activated the stove fire. Normally, it takes hard practice to draw out the fire qi with one punch, but you... sigh, your stove fire was too strong, and it just unexpectedly burst out with your punch." Hu Ma was quiet for a moment, then murmured, his eyes lighting up, "So that’s how it is?" Yes, this world is filled with evil spirits, so naturally, one can’t just rely on stoking the furnace and being on the defensive. An active offensive method is necessary too, he thought. Seeing Hu Ma’s eyes sparkling with joy, Second Master also felt a sense of elation. So the boy wasn’t entirely unwilling to work hard after all, Second Master mused. He was sharp when he learned to read and write, and now, learning these true forms, that look of anticipation on his face was clearly genuine. So, was it just that he didn’t want to exert foolish effort? But foundational skills are also very important; the more effort one puts in, the brighter the stove fire burns... Wait! Just as this thought arose in Second Master, he recalled Hu Ma’s blazing stove fire and became dispirited once more. "The punch I just explained is called Mountain Opening." He suppressed the stray thoughts in his mind and continued with a hint of reverence, reminiscent of how his own Master had taught him, "If you use your fist, it’s called the Mountain Opening Fist; if you use a knife, it’s called the Mountain Opening Saber." "The second move follows the same principle; it’s just that the method for channeling the power is different. From left to right, it’s called the Banlan Hammer." "The third move involves turning around and thrusting upward, from below to above. It’s called... Monkey Firmly Plucks Peach!" Hu Ma, who had been listening intently, couldn’t help but snort with laughter. You’re plucking a peach, but firmly plucking? Second Master’s face flushed slightly. He stopped his movements and said, "That’s just the name. My Master taught me that way too. Don’t look down on the names; they may not sound impressive, but they’re all solid skills." "With just this Mountain Opening, Banlan Hammer, and then Monkey Firmly Plucks Peach—these three moves, along with the True Yang Arrow I mentioned before—these are truly my, Second Master’s, means of survival..." "Mhm mhm!" Hu Ma adjusted his demeanor and continued to look at Second Master with admiration. "Anything else?" "That’s it." Second Master slowly relaxed his stance, hands behind his back, and said, "That’s all my Master taught me back then." Hu Ma was surprised. "Judging by the Training Method of this set of forms, there seem to be quite a few more moves later on?" "Are there?" Second Master’s cheeks turned a bit red. Fortunately, the room was dimly lit, and his face was dark, so it wasn’t obvious. He said stubbornly, "Anyway, that’s all I learned." The fact that his Master had considered him too slow and only taught him these three moves was something that absolutely couldn’t be mentioned. "That’s enough." Hu Ma quickly changed his tune and said, "One outstanding move is enough to make a name for oneself anywhere. We have three; isn’t that sufficient?" Then he stood up, excited, and said, "Teach me!" "You really are impatient..." Second Master, so pleased by Hu Ma’s words about one outstanding move being enough, laughed heartily and kicked aside the small stool, saying, "Come on!" Originally, Second Master had only intended to tell Hu Ma that his level of skill had matured and he was ready to be taught, but not necessarily to teach so late at night. But now, with both of their interests piqued, they seriously started learning under the oil lamp. Second Master tirelessly, meticulously taught Hu Ma how to punch, how to channel power, how to make a strike have impact if using punches, and what to pay attention to if using a knife. This teaching and learning went on unknowingly until dawn. Hu Ma had memorized all the key points that Second Master explained, leaving only his own contemplation and practice. And Second Master, still somewhat reluctant to stop, finally let Hu Ma go when there was really nothing more to teach. Lying back on the bed, Hu Ma thought silently, Although my body is cold, from eating so much Blood Tai Sui, my level of skill is deeper than others’. Once I master these forms Second Master taught me, won’t I be able to help Granny? He knew in his heart that Granny was only trying to save her grandson. If she learned his true identity, forget about getting Tai Sui from her; she might even harm him. But whenever he thought of the elderly woman working so hard every day in Old Yin Mountain to gather Tai Sui for him, he felt a pang of unease. He couldn’t quite bring himself to enjoy these benefits so comfortably while posing as her grandson. Besides, helping Granny was essentially helping himself, wasn’t it? 「Meanwhile, under a large tree in Old Yin Mountain.」 Little Hongtang shivered as she recounted the trouble she had caused. Granny sat by the bonfire, her expression shifting indeterminately. Upon hearing that Hu Ma had injured the Cui Family boy for being disrespectful to her, she remained silent for a long, long time. Then, she sighed gently, stroked Little Hongtang’s head, and said softly, "He used to be so cautious, but now he has done something so reckless. It seems he’s finally learned to care for his Granny..."