Solid and Not Bad

Meng Chuan realized this was a rare opportunity. A one-hour lesson with Luo Guanyun cost ten thousand, so he had to seize the moment; by asking the questions he had in mind now, he could even save his uncle some money.

"I feel like I'm just a hair's breadth away. Master, I'd like to ask how one can imbue the Guoyi Fist with a sense of fluid motion, and thereby break through to the Master level?"

"You're asking me? My Guoyi Fist isn't as good as yours. Once your experience reaches the right level, you can research it yourself."

"Kid, don't be so stubborn. I have time today from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Follow me and learn something else first."

"I'll teach you the Pao Fist. Pao Fist belongs to the fire-attribute techniques of the Xingyi Sect. It focuses on explosive combat power and is far more formidable than that 'baby fist' of yours."

Luo Guanyun didn't want to waste more breath on him. The National Compulsory Basic Fist Technique was something every citizen of the Great Chu practiced; how could it be so easy to become a Master by modifying it?

Meng Chuan did have a certain air of a master, but he was still lacking that final bit. As the saying goes, a miss is as good as a mile; it was possible that even when this kid's youth had faded, he would still be stuck at this very step.

Luo Guanyun didn't want to help him, because helping Meng Chuan would actually mean harming him.

Meng Chuan shook his head repeatedly in refusal:

"No, I have to save my membership lessons. I won't practice Pao Fist yet; I'll wait until I've perfected the final step of the Guoyi Fist."

"Hmm? Why are you such a stubborn kid?"

"Fine, if that's how it is, I'll teach you this Guoyi Fist today, but before I teach, I must first explain the principles behind it."

Meng Chuan listened intently; the principles explained by a Martial Artist might just be what he needed to clear the clouds and see the sun.

"I'll tell you—might makes right!"

Before Meng Chuan lost consciousness, he vaguely saw a hook punch flying toward him, and then his mind went blank.

"You two, carry him to the side first. Liu Ru, he should wake up around three or four o'clock. Have the kitchen set aside some food, and once he wakes up and eats, bring him to my training room."

"Not practicing? Today, I'm going to make you practice whether you like it or not."

At 4:30 PM, Meng Chuan slowly regained consciousness. The first thing he did upon waking was touch the back of his head, finding that it didn't hurt much.

"The Master controlled his strength. If he had really used his power, he would have broken you. Stop touching it and get up to eat. Finish your meal and hurry to the Master, or you'll just get beaten again."

Seeing Meng Chuan wake up, Liu Ru spoke up to remind him according to Luo Guanyun's instructions.

Meng Chuan saw Liu Ru nearby, propped himself up to stand, and asked:

"Instructor Liu, is the Master always like this? Starting at zero frames, without a moment of warning."

"I'm new to being an instructor, so I'm not entirely sure, but from my observations over the past few days, you're the only one in the entire martial arts hall who dares to talk back."

"..."

"But that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The Master is one of the top experts in all of Yong'an City. He saw your courage today; being remembered is a skill in itself."

Liu Ru covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

Meng Chuan shook his head gloomily and got up to eat. Martial arts training was an extremely energy-consuming endeavor; how could he manage without a full stomach?

After the meal, Meng Chuan asked Le Ping for directions.

"You've got some guts, little Meng. Your 'baby fist' is so good, the future is promising! You've got nerve; you're the first person in our hall to dare defy the Master."

"It's right over there, just walk to the end. It's already time for the five o'clock appointment the Master mentioned, so don't bother knocking, just go right in."

Le Ping pointed the way with a gloating expression.

Inside the training room, Luo Guanyun was still wearing the same purple-black training suit, his muscles bulging beneath the fabric. He sat cross-legged on the floor, barefoot, sipping tea.

This scene of a muscular powerhouse sipping tea was somewhat incongruous.

"You're here? Sit there."

Following the Master's instruction, Meng Chuan sat cross-legged opposite him.

Luo Guanyun didn't speak, merely lowering his head to sip his tea.

Seeing the Master remain silent, Meng Chuan quickly spoke up:

"Master, let's begin. Every second is money; let's not waste it."

"Pfft."

Luo Guanyun nearly spat out his tea.

"I'm giving you an hour for free today. You kid, when you're with a Martial Artist, do you have no sense of awe?"

Luo Guanyun asked curiously, because Meng Chuan was the boldest student he had ever taught. There was never a look of fear in his eyes, yet this was something Luo Guanyun greatly admired.

A Martial Practitioner should be like this: unafraid of the floating clouds, bravely climbing the high mountains.

"Master Luo, you are indeed very strong. Although I haven't even entered the first blood-energy gate and am as far from you as the clouds are from the mud, I only respect you; I do not fear you."

In Meng Chuan's eyes, there was only respect, no fear. He sat upright, staring directly at the other man.

The aura around Luo Guanyun gradually climbed, the room becoming humid and hot, with signs of mist beginning to appear.

Meng Chuan remained completely unafraid, continuing to lock eyes with Luo Guanyun. The atmosphere in the room grew strange and turbulent.

Beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down his forehead. Even though his entire body was drenched, Meng Chuan still braced himself, refusing to look away.

Luo Guanyun's gaze shifted from sharp to playful, and seeing that Meng Chuan was struggling to hold on, he immediately withdrew his aura.

"You kid, you're something else."

"Many people think they have guts, that they dare to kill or have killed before, but when faced with an expert stronger than themselves, they act like mice seeing a cat, tucking their tails and slinking away."

"I think only someone like you can be called gutsy; you are a natural Martial Practitioner."

"Meng Chuan, is it? I've remembered you. You've got a solid foundation, kid!"

Hearing the praise, Meng Chuan smiled shyly and scratched his head in embarrassment, the tension that had kept him taut finally snapping.

Having lived two lives, Meng Chuan was usually very steady in his words and actions, but this was his first time being praised by a martial arts master, and he couldn't help but feel a bit floaty inside.

"We're all men here, so laugh openly, don't be shy!"

"By the way, how is your bone structure?"

Luo Guanyun had always wanted to find a disciple to inherit his Thunder Method mantle, but unfortunately, he had never found a suitable one.

"Below average."

"A bit lacking, but it doesn't matter. Let's start the lesson. Don't say I'm not being generous; we'll start the clock from now, including the one hour I'm gifting you."

"Thank you, Master."

Meng Chuan felt that although Luo Guanyun spoke crudely and had even hit him, he was actually a pretty decent guy.

"I heard from Liu Ru that you haven't even mastered the Sancai Stance yet, which means you can't practice the Pao Fist. Today, I'll mainly teach you the stance work and try to get you to reach the entry level as soon as possible."

"During the lesson, if you have any questions, speak up immediately. Don't pretend to understand when you don't."

Inside Luo Guanyun's private training room.

Two hours passed, and Meng Chuan benefited immensely. Luo Guanyun was truly worthy of being a martial arts master; despite speaking with a thick local dialect, he could make complex and profound stance work easy to understand. Once you got used to the dialect, it wasn't a problem at all.

However, Luo Guanyun was on the verge of a breakdown. During the lesson, he had wanted to beat Meng Chuan several times. Meng Chuan kept interrupting to ask about this and that regarding the Guoyi Fist. He had explained it all, yet the kid was still so stubborn—he really was a brat!

It was already seven o'clock in the evening when he left the training room. Remembering what his uncle had told him about the outside world being unsafe lately, he hurried to the cafeteria to eat before rushing home.