"Oh!" Guo Jing looked at Wu Xuantian, then cupped his fists. "Please guide me, Brother Wu!"
"Please." Wu Xuantian returned the salute.
After they exchanged courtesies, Guo Jing raised both fists and attacked. He was using the Nanshan Boxing Nan Xiren had taught him.
The Seven Freaks of Jiangnan came from humble backgrounds, and their martial arts were hardly top-tier. To Wu Xuantian's eye, the moves of Nanshan Boxing were conventional, with nothing especially remarkable about them.
Guo Jing had practiced the moves until he knew them well, but applying them was another matter entirely.
Nanshan Boxing was plain and unadorned. It favored broad, forceful movements and an unstoppable ferocity, defeating an opponent head-on. Its variations were few, making it one of the rare skills taught by the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan that suited Guo Jing.
For a style like this, one that concealed its sophistication beneath apparent simplicity and won through strength, three things were crucial to bringing out its true power.
First, each strike had to be decisive and relentless, leaving the opponent no chance to counterattack and overwhelming him through sheer momentum.
Second, the practitioner needed exceptional martial skill: the instant he spotted an opening, he had to strike like thunder and lightning, leaving his opponent no way to block or evade.
Third, and simplest of all, he could win through absolute strength.
But Guo Jing's skills were still limited. Every move telegraphed his intentions. Though Wu Xuantian had never seen this boxing style before, he could read Guo Jing's intent from the slightest lift of a hand or shift of a foot and counter it with ease. After several dozen exchanges, Wu Xuantian had grasped the basics of Nanshan Boxing. He began mirroring Guo Jing's moves. Without relying on superior strength or speed, he used the