Body Unbound, Will Unfettered

Body Unbound, Will Unfettered

Mr. Wen sighed softly. "Captain Nian, to be frank, your nephew is a little too old."

Nian Fuli did not understand. "Too old? He's only sixteen, seventeen by nominal age. He's barely old enough to enlist—how is that old?"

Mr. Wen said, "Captain Nian, it's clear that your nephew has never received specialized combat training before. Many of the students admitted by Wu Yi Academy, however, began training from childhood.

Their bodies have been developed since they were young, their foundations are solid, and they are already prepared for future high-intensity training and absorbing techniques. Their upper limits will be far higher than those of people without such preparation. With just a little guidance, they can acquire a certain degree of fighting ability. The purpose of Wu Yi Academy's retest is to select students like this for further cultivation."

There was some regret in his tone. "Your nephew, on the other hand, missed that stage. Even if he really passes the retest and starts out alongside these students with roughly the same progress, as time goes on, the gap will gradually widen. That gap will only grow larger, and there will almost be no chance of catching up.

Moreover, the intensity and ferocity here are absolutely not something an ordinary student without childhood training can compare to. If he forces himself to keep up, he could end up crippled or injured. Rather than that, I suggest not forcing it. That may be better for your nephew."

Mr. Wen's earnest tone carried a few notes of persuasion. After hearing him, Nian Fuli immediately felt as if half his heart had gone cold.

If that was the case, he felt it would be better not to put Chen Chuan through all this. Let him honestly finish Wu University. Even if he only studied there until graduation, it was not as though he would have no future prospects. He would still be a Wu University student, after all. But he could not make that choice for Chen Chuan, so he said nothing for the moment.

Just then, a booming voice suddenly rang out in the warehouse. "Nian Bighead, is this your nephew? I heard he got into Wu University?"

Nian Fuli's face twitched. Chen Chuan turned and saw a sturdily built patrol officer in a captain's uniform approaching, his cap tilted sideways. The man gave Chen Chuan a few appraising looks. "Heh, this kid's bones and sinews plainly haven't been trained. With that, he wants to make something of himself at Wu University? Dreaming, are you?"

Nian Fuli's face darkened. "Wei Laohu! Don't think your son is such a big deal just because he's at Wu University. If your son can make something of himself, my nephew can carve out a name for himself too!"

"Well now, I don't believe in that evil." Seeing him argue back, Wei Laohu became even more animated. Pointing at a mop nearby, he said, "If your nephew can make something of himself at Wu University, I'll eat this mop."

Nian Fuli sneered. "Then wait for it. Xiao Chuan, let's go." With that, he strode outside, and Chen Chuan immediately followed.

Behind them, Wei Laohu kept shouting, "Leaving already? Not taking the mop with you? I'm waiting for you to feed it to me..."

After Nian Fuli came outside, the cool night wind cleared his head somewhat. Yet there was still a breath of anger caught in his chest that he could not swallow. He turned back and said, "Xiao Chuan, Mr. Wen is a combat instructor hired by our headquarters. You heard everything he said. What do you think?"

Chen Chuan smiled. "Uncle, we left too quickly just now. We should have taken the mop with us. What if someone reneges later?" He knew the problem Mr. Wen had described did indeed exist, but he had the "Second Self." Many things that had originally been impossible could become possible.

Nian Fuli froze, then laughed. He heavily patted Chen Chuan on the shoulder. "Good lad. How did I never see this before?"

He understood what Chen Chuan meant. Feeling around in his pocket, he took out a cigarette case, flicked it open, pinched out a cigarette, and lit it. The ember flashed and dimmed in the night, as though he were considering something.

Chen Chuan did not speak. After waiting for quite a while, Nian Fuli tossed the remaining half of his cigarette to the ground and crushed it beneath his foot. In a low voice, he said, "When we get back, I'll give you an address. Go find someone. There's a case on him, but he's quite capable. Learn from him. Don't ask about anything else, and don't get too close. But when it's time to say something nice, say it. Don't put on airs."

Chen Chuan said, "All right, Uncle. I'll remember."

Nian Fuli glanced outside. "It's getting late. The roads aren't peaceful at night. Let's go back."

He took Chen Chuan back to get the bicycle. This time, they did not leave through the front gate. Instead, they went out through the narrow alley beside the high rear wall, turned onto the main road, and headed all the way home.

With two rings of a bicycle bell, the pair entered the front courtyard one after the other.

Yu Wan had been waiting for them. Hearing them return, she came out and asked how things had gone. After Chen Chuan walked away, Nian Fuli went back into the inner room and explained the situation.

Yu Wan was worried after hearing it and reproached him. "You agreed to Xiao Chan? What if he trains himself into ruin? You're his father—why didn't you stop him? Nothing matters more than the child being safe and sound."

Nian Fuli shook his head. "That boy has a mind of his own. I can't stop him. If I can help him with this but choose not to, he might hate me for the rest of his life."

Yu Wan sighed. "Chan'er has the same temper as Second Sister."

After washing up, Chen Chuan returned to his room. After thinking for a while, he sat on the edge of the bed, closed his eyes, and tried to use the "Second Self" to observe the outside world.

At first, he felt nothing. But as he concentrated his thoughts, he vaguely sensed something. It was not easy, though—once his attention scattered even slightly, the sensation disappeared.

Still, he felt there was a way in.

After all, those who trained in combat would not only face one-on-one fights. They might have to fight one against many, and sometimes they could encounter all manner of ambushes and underhanded plots. If he could observe the outside from an additional perspective, he could avoid many dangers.

Perhaps he could not do it yet, but once his connection with the Second Self became closer in the future, perhaps he would be able to achieve it.

Knowing the time was not yet ripe, he did not continue. He got up, took a book, and read it until his usual bedtime before turning off the light and going to sleep.

The night passed. The next day, he got up on time. After washing up and entering the living room, he saw a slip of paper pinned beneath an ashtray on the dining table. He moved the ashtray aside and picked it up, finding an address Nian Fuli had left for him, with a name written beneath it.

He went back to his room and looked through a map, roughly confirming the location.

After finishing breakfast, he took his usual shoulder bag, changed into an old blue-gray jacket, and rode out on his bicycle.

The address Nian Fuli had given him was in West City, only half an hour away by bicycle. Judging from the map, another few miles would bring him close to the outskirts. The area was dotted with abandoned factory districts. Everyone in Yangzhi City knew it was Iron Chain Gang territory, though Iron Chain Gang members generally did not come out during the day.

The houses and buildings here were old and disorderly, packed with all sorts of privately altered shacks that stretched right out onto the road. Clothes hung everywhere from crooked utility poles, badly obstructing the view. The roads were pitted and uneven, and people casually splashed dirty water outside—sometimes from above—so he could only ride with great care.

The house numbers in this area were either nonexistent or difficult to make out. He could only ask for directions as he went. After searching for a long time, he finally found a crude wooden sign on a utility pole at the mouth of an alley. It read "Fist Home" and had an arrow pointing inward. After checking the address, this should be the place.

The passageway was narrow and twisted every which way, so he had no choice but to get off and slowly push his bicycle inside. After leaving the alley, a fairly large open space lay before him, like a sports field. To the right were two dilapidated sheet-metal doors. Opposite stood a three-story reinforced concrete building, and in the distance he could vaguely see an old water tower. It looked like an abandoned elementary school.

Just then, he heard the thump-thump of someone striking a sandbag, powerful and rhythmic. He called out loudly, "Excuse me, is Mr. Yu here?"

The sound of the sandbag being struck stopped. A young man of eighteen or nineteen came running out of the building. He wore Fist Wraps and was bare-chested, his muscle lines distinct, though he looked extremely lean. Seeing Chen Chuan, he asked, "Are you here to learn boxing?"

Chen Chuan said, "I'm here to see Mr. Yu Gang. Is he here? My uncle, Nian Fuli, told me to find him."

Upon hearing this, the young man said ingratiatingly, "Oh, so you're Young Master Chen." He turned and shouted upstairs, "Master, it's Captain Nian's nephew." A deep, powerful voice came from above. "Let him come up."

The young man stepped aside. "Young Master Chen, this way." Then he added, "Young Master Chen, just leave your bicycle here. No need to lock it. No one would dare steal here."

Chen Chuan said, "I'm not some young master. Just call me Chen Chuan. May I ask what I should call you, brother?"

The young man said, "My name is Lu Ke. I'm Master Yu's disciple." He emphasized, "Not a student—a disciple."

Chen Chuan understood. A disciple did not merely inherit skills; he was also expected to look after his master's affairs after his death. The closeness of that relationship was not something an ordinary student could compare with.

He parked his bicycle and followed Lu Ke upstairs. Along the way, he chatted with him a little and learned that Lu Ke had been studying combat under Yu Gang for five years.

Chen Chuan followed him to the second floor, walked to the end of the long balcony, pushed open a double-leaf wooden door, and entered. In the spacious room, a tall, burly middle-aged man sat cross-legged on a cushion. The man was around forty, wearing a short-sleeved shirt. He had a square face, thick brows, a prominent nose, and muscles that bulged like stones.

Chen Chuan said, "Are you Mr. Yu Gang? My name is Chen Chuan. My uncle, Nian Fuli, told me to find you."

The burly man said in a deep voice, "I'm Yu Gang. What does Captain Nian want me to do?"

Chen Chuan said, "I was just admitted to Wu Yi Academy this year..."

"Wu University." Deep envy appeared in Lu Ke's eyes beside him.

Yu Gang understood. "You want to pass the retest, so Captain Nian sent you to me?"

Chen Chuan said, "Yes."

Yu Gang readily said, "Fine, I'll teach you. Pay first."

Chen Chuan asked tentatively, "Mr. Yu, do you mean tuition?"

Yu Gang said, "I owe Captain Nian a favor, so I won't charge tuition to teach you. But if you want to train well, first you need to eat and replenish your nutrition. There's also equipment wear, hiring sparring partners, venue rental—those all cost money. I won't pay for those for you."

Chen Chuan asked, "How much do I need?"

Yu Gang said, "Pay fifty first. If you think the training is good, renew it later. If you think it isn't good, leave whenever you want. If there's anything left over, I'll return it to you."

Chen Chuan nodded. "That's fair."

Fifty yuan was no small sum, but combat training had always consumed the most money. Otherwise, Yangzhi City would not be filled everywhere with boxing clubs and arenas.

As far as he knew, ordinary boxing clubs charged around one hundred and fifty to two hundred yuan just to get started, and that did not guarantee learning anything. He had heard that more expensive places even had private trainers, with a single class costing hundreds of yuan. Ordinary people need not even think about it.

Yu Gang held out his large hand. "Then hand over the money."

To be safe, Chen Chuan had brought money with him. He counted out fifty from his shoulder bag and gave it to Yu Gang, who took it and stuffed it directly into his trouser pocket.

Chen Chuan asked, "Mr. Yu, when would it be convenient to begin training?"

Yu Gang said, "If there's nothing inconvenient for you, we can start right now. Before we begin, I have a question for you. What is your goal in applying to Wu Yi Academy?"

Chen Chuan was somewhat puzzled. "Does that have anything to do with training?"

Yu Gang gave an affirmative answer. "It does. Only by knowing your goal can I arrange your training from here on."

After thinking for a moment, Chen Chuan said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Isn't the goal of martial combat to remain unbound and constantly surpass oneself?"

Besides the longing and pursuit for martial arts deep in his heart, he had entered Wu Yi University because of the unknown cause of the previous owner's death. He did not know whether it had been deliberately aimed at him or merely a coincidence. Thus, he desperately wanted to make himself stronger, capable of handling all kinds of outside dangers. And now that he had the "Second Self," he firmly believed he could do it.

Perhaps because of this, his voice naturally carried an unwavering confidence and resolve. Even Lu Ke beside him seemed to be stirred by it.

"Body unbound, will unfettered..." Yu Gang was silent for a moment. "Your goal won't be easy." As he spoke, he slowly rose from the ground.