Meng Chuan realized this was a rare opportunity. An hour of lessons with Luo Guanyun cost ten thousand, so he had to make the most of it. He hurried to ask the question on his mind, which might even save his uncle some money.
"I feel like I'm just one step away. Master, could you give me some advice? How can I make the Guoyi Fist flow between movement and stillness, so I can break through to Martial Arts Master?"
"You're asking me? My Guoyi Fist isn't as good as yours. Wait until you've got more life experience, then study it yourself."
"Kid, don't be so stubborn. I'm free from five to six this afternoon. Come learn something else from me first.
"I'll teach you Pao Fist. It's a Fire-element fist technique from the Xingyi Sect's Five-Element Fist, with an emphasis on explosive power in actual combat. It's a lot more formidable than Wawa Fist."
Luo Guanyun didn't want to argue with him. The National Compulsory Basic Fist Technique was practiced by everyone in Great Chu. How could anyone become a master and revise it that easily?
Meng Chuan had a certain masterly air when he performed it, but he was still just a little short. As the saying went, a hair's breadth of error could lead to a thousand-mile miss. For all they knew, the kid might still be stuck at this step after his youth had faded.
Luo Guanyun didn't want to help him. Helping Meng Chuan would only harm him.
Meng Chuan shook his head repeatedly and refused.
"No, I have to save up my membership lessons first. I won't learn Pao Fist for now. I'll talk about it after I've mastered the last step of Guoyi Fist."
"Hm? Why are you so stubborn, kid?"
"All right, then. Since you insist, I'll teach you Guoyi Fist today. But before I teach you the moves, I need to explain the principles behind them."
Meng Chuan listened attentively. Perhaps a Martial Arts Master's insights could clear the clouds and reveal the sun for him.
"Let me tell you—the biggest fist is the only principle that matters!"
Just before Meng Chuan passed out, he vaguely saw a hook punch flying toward him. Then he lost consciousness.
"Get a couple of people to carry him to the side first. Liu Ru, he should wake up around three or four. Tell the kitchen to save him some food. Once he wakes up and eats, bring him to my training room."
"Not practicing? I'll make sure you practice today."
At four-thirty in the afternoon, Meng Chuan slowly came to. The first thing he did was feel the back of his head. It didn't hurt much.
"The master controlled his strength. If he'd really put his back into it, wouldn't he have hurt you? Stop feeling around and get up. Go eat, then hurry to find the master, or you'll get beaten again."
Seeing Meng Chuan awake, Liu Ru reminded him as Luo Guanyun had instructed.
Meng Chuan saw Liu Ru standing nearby. He pushed himself up, got to his feet, and asked:
"Instructor Liu, is the master always like this? A frame-one opening, with no time to defend yourself."
"I've only recently started working here as an instructor, so I'm not sure. But from what I've seen these past few days, you're the only one in the whole martial arts center who dares talk back to him."
"..."
"But that's not necessarily a bad thing. The master is one of the top experts in all of Yong'an City. He saw your courage today. Making an impression on someone is a skill in itself."
Liu Ru covered her mouth and chuckled.
Meng Chuan shook his head gloomily and went to eat. Martial arts training took a great deal of energy. How could he manage without filling his stomach?
After the meal, Meng Chuan asked Le Ping for directions.
"Not bad, Little Meng. Your Wawa Fist is really good. You've got a bright future! And you've got guts—you're the first person in our martial arts center to dare defy the master."
"It's over there. Go all the way to the end. The master told you to come at five, and it's already time. You don't need to knock; just go in."
Le Ping pointed the way, clearly relishing Meng Chuan's misfortune.
Inside the training room, Luo Guanyun was still wearing the same purple-black training clothes, stretched tight over his bulging muscles. He sat cross-legged on the floor barefoot, sipping tea.
The sight of a musclebound tough guy enjoying tea felt more than a little incongruous.
"You're here? Sit down."
Following the master's instructions, Meng Chuan sat cross-legged opposite him.
Luo Guanyun said nothing, only lowering his head to sip his tea.
Seeing that the master wasn't speaking, Meng Chuan hurriedly said:
"Master, let's get started. Every second is money. We shouldn't waste it."
"Pfft."
Luo Guanyun nearly spat out his tea.
"I'm giving you an hour today, and you're still like this? Don't you have any reverence for a martial artist?"
Luo Guanyun asked curiously. Of all the students he'd taught, Meng Chuan was the boldest. There had never been a trace of fear in his eyes, and Luo Guanyun admired that.
That was how a Martial Practitioner ought to be: unafraid of drifting clouds, daring to climb high mountains.
"Master Luo, you really are strong. I haven't even crossed the first Qi-Blood Pass, and I'm like mud compared to the clouds around you. But I admire you; I'm not afraid of you."
There was respect in Meng Chuan's eyes, but no fear. Sitting upright, he looked directly at Luo Guanyun.
The aura around Luo Guanyun steadily rose. The room grew damp and hot, and clouds seemed about to appear again.
Meng Chuan didn't flinch. He kept meeting Luo Guanyun's gaze, and the atmosphere in the room grew eerie and turbulent.
Beads of sweat as large as beans ran down his forehead. Even soaked through, Meng Chuan forced himself to keep sitting upright and meet Luo Guanyun's eyes.
Luo Guanyun's gaze gradually shifted from sharp to amused. Seeing that Meng Chuan was about to give out, he immediately withdrew his aura.
"You're no ordinary kid."
"Lots of people think they've got guts because they've killed someone, or because they're willing to kill. But when they face an expert stronger than themselves, they're like mice before a cat, tucking their tails between their legs and scurrying away."
"To me, someone like you is what it means to have guts. You were born to be a Martial Practitioner.
"Meng Chuan, right? I'll remember you. You've got a solid foundation, and you're pretty damn good!"
At the praise, Meng Chuan smiled shyly and scratched his head. The taut string inside him finally snapped.
Having lived two lifetimes, Meng Chuan was usually very steady in both word and deed. But this was the first time a Martial Arts Master had praised him, and he couldn't help feeling a little giddy.
"We're all men. If you want to smile, then smile openly. Don't be embarrassed!"
"By the way, how's your bone structure?"
Luo Guanyun had always wanted to find a disciple to inherit his Thunder Method, but he'd never found the right person.
"Below average."
"Not quite what I'm looking for. Never mind, let's start the lesson. Don't say I'm being unreasonable—your time starts now, including the hour I'm giving you."
"Thank you, Master."
Meng Chuan thought Luo Guanyun might have a foul mouth and had even hit him, but he was still a pretty good guy.
"Liu Ru said you only just started learning the Sancai Stance and haven't even gotten the hang of it yet. That means you can't practice Pao Fist. I'll focus on teaching you the Stake Technique today. Let's get you started as soon as possible."
"If you have any questions during the lesson, ask right away. Don't pretend you understand when you don't."
Inside Luo Guanyun's private training room.
Two hours later, Meng Chuan had learned a great deal. Luo Guanyun was every bit a Martial Arts Master. Though he spoke with a thick Xilu accent, he could make the complicated, profound Stake Technique easy to understand. Hearing a bit of dialect didn't bother him.
But Luo Guanyun was close to losing it. He'd wanted to beat Meng Chuan several times during the lesson. Meng Chuan kept interrupting to ask about this and that concerning Guoyi Fist. He'd answered all the questions, yet the kid was still so stubborn. Damn, what a little brat!
By the time Meng Chuan left the training room, it was already seven in the evening. Remembering his uncle's warning that things had been unsafe outside lately, he hurried to eat at the canteen and then headed straight home.
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