Form in Ten Days

Xiao Wang stood where he was, watching An Han's retreating figure, and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Thankfully, I probably don't have any bad blood with her.

"Probably..." Xiao Wang sank into his memories. "I don't think so."

Only after An Han had gone far away did Xiao Wang head toward his classroom.

As soon as he reached the corridor, he saw Guan Chaoyang staring at him with a meaningful grin.

Xiao Wang walked over. "Did you take the wrong medicine? Why are you grinning at me first thing in the morning? Scared the hell out of me."

"Tell me, have you and the goddess An made some real progress? I saw you two arrive together. You don't even live in the same direction, yet you came together. Something's definitely going on."

Thinking of An Han's smile and whistle just now, Xiao Wang could not help shivering. "If you want to pursue her, go ahead."

"Brother, you can actually say that? You really are a true friend. But since you're a true friend, I have to be one too, right? Do I look like the kind of guy who steals a woman from his brother?"

"What do you mean, stealing a woman from your brother? Which woman? Did you three play together?" Bian Xiaolan popped up from nowhere and appeared before them, looking at the two with a strange expression. "Perverts!"

Xiao Wang shook his head and went straight into the classroom.

Bian Xiaolan pestered Guan Chaoyang. "Come on, tell me. Who's the other woman? Don't tell me you two compare sizes in private?"

Xiao Wang: ???

Guan Chaoyang: ???

After the three took their seats at neighboring desks, Xiao Wang patted Bian Xiaolan on the head. She turned around. "What?"

"Just wanted to remind you of something."

"Remind me of what?"

"Don't be too curious about things you don't have. It'll get you hurt."

Amid the three of them laughing and fooling around, the class bell rang.

Guan Chaoyang basically used academic classes to sleep, while Xiao Wang closed his eyes to practice his breathing technique. Only Bian Xiaolan listened attentively. With grades only good enough for a vocational school, grades would be an important criterion if she wanted to enter an underground factory in the inner city someday.

Two classes passed quickly. During the break, Chu Wenlong came to find Xiao Wang.

"Xiao Wang, let's have a match at the training hall this afternoon. You haven't been there in days."

Xiao Wang looked Chu Wenlong over and noticed that his muscle definition had changed considerably again. However, he had no intention of sparring with him. He needed to stake out Hu Guangzhong outside the Patrol Bureau.

"Maybe another time. I've been a little busy lately."

"Okay."

Hearing that, Chu Wenlong could only leave, somewhat disappointed.

After school at noon, Xiao Wang grabbed a simple meal in the cafeteria and headed straight for the Patrol Bureau.

To avoid arousing suspicion, he chose a snack stall farther away this time. As before, he ordered a serving of snacks.

He ate slowly while keeping his eyes on the Patrol Bureau's entrance.

Jeeps continued to enter and leave through the gates. Every time one passed through, Xiao Wang stared hard, trying to make out the license plate. But throughout the entire afternoon, even after changing stalls several times, he never saw A4834. By the time the sky darkened, he still had not spotted it.

Xiao Wang could only get up and return to Zhongxing Martial Arts Hall.

When he returned, Wei Zhongxing and his two disciples had already come back from making deliveries.

Cheng Hu was cooking in the kitchen, while Wei Zhongxing and Linghu Ke were discussing something in the main hall. After greeting his master and senior brothers, Xiao Wang began practicing in the courtyard.

While staking out the Patrol Bureau during the day, he had practiced his breathing technique while repeatedly reviewing every detail of his Tiger Guard Fist in his mind.

After several hours of review, he had gained quite a few new insights.

Now, in the courtyard, he repeatedly tested those newfound insights.

After Wei Zhongxing and Linghu Ke finished discussing matters, they also came out and sat at the entrance to the main hall, drinking tea as they watched Xiao Wang practice.

Yet after just a casual glance, Wei Zhongxing's eyes widened in shock.

"Hm? I haven't seen this kid for one day, and he's improved again."

Xiao Wang did not notice Wei Zhongxing's gaze at all. His entire mind and body were focused on his fist technique and breathing technique.

He followed the form of the Tiger Guard Fist, pairing every punch with his breathing technique. He tried every movement several times, dozens of times, even tens or hundreds of times. Only after the intensity and smoothness of his breathing technique had fused perfectly with the form of the Tiger Guard Fist did he move on to practice the next movement.

As he completed the entire set of movements, his Tiger Guard Fist grew increasingly fluid, and its integration with the breathing technique became tighter and more effective. With every punch, he could feel the dense, surging reserve force his breathing technique gave him.

He practiced for an entire hour before Cheng Hu's voice finally came.

"Dinner."

Only then did Xiao Wang stop, wash his hands, and prepare to eat.

The master and three disciples sat around the table in the main hall. The food was much better today. There was meat.

As Xiao Wang ate, he asked, "Master, Senior Brothers, did the deliveries go smoothly?"

Linghu Ke shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth. "Pretty smoothly this time. Didn't run into any road robbers."

"That's good. Bring me along next time. I can get some experience."

"No problem."

After dinner, Xiao Wang trained for a while longer before going to bed.

These days, he had to spend his afternoons watching Hu Guangzhong, so he could only add more training at night.

For the next four days, nearly every day went the same way: academic classes at school in the morning, staking out the Patrol Bureau in the afternoon, and extra training after returning to the martial arts hall at night.

On the fifth evening, Xiao Wang was still in the courtyard, repeatedly practicing every detail. Only after two hours did he finish reviewing all the insights he had gained over the past few days.

Then, he performed the Tiger Guard Fist from beginning to end in one continuous sequence, combining it with his breathing technique.

After one round, he seemed to gain an insight. It felt much smoother than before.

Then he did a second round, a third, until the tenth. Suddenly, Xiao Wang felt that every movement had become incomparably smooth. Moreover, every movement seemed instinctive. He no longer needed to deliberately think about what to do; each strike naturally came out at the exact angle and with the exact force.

Joy rose in Xiao Wang's heart. After finishing that round, he drew in a fresh breath and performed the Tiger Guard Fist from beginning to end once more. When he finished, he thought back on it and could barely remember how he had completed it. Everything seemed to have happened naturally.

Did I... succeed?

Xiao Wang thought to himself, unable to believe it.

Wei Zhongxing watched with astonishment in his eyes, then called out to remind Xiao Wang, "What are you standing there for? Not bad, kid. You've mastered the form of the Tiger Guard Fist."

"Really?" Xiao Wang looked at Wei Zhongxing in disbelief.

"Would I lie to you? Not bad, not bad. How long did that take you?"

Xiao Wang calculated it. "About ten days."

Wei Zhongxing gave an awkward laugh. Back when he had mastered the form of the Tiger Guard Fist, it had taken him nearly three months. Linghu Ke, meanwhile, had taken half a year.

Linghu Ke was also looking at Xiao Wang as though he were a monster.

Cheng Hu, on the other hand, did not seem to feel much about it.

Xiao Wang withdrew his stance, joy filling his heart.

"The first step—the form of the Tiger Guard Fist—is finally complete!"