Teaching His Companions Tai Chi Fist

Lucas said to Benny, "Then I wish you success."

Benny calmed his excitement as well, turned to Lucas with a broad smile, and asked, "Boss, what martial technique are you going to teach me?"

Rather than discuss martial techniques first, Lucas asked the two of them, "What weapons do you like?"

Benny immediately said, "Boss, I like hammers. A real man makes every hammer blow hit flesh!"

As he spoke, he dropped straight into a stance and began practicing, looking as though he were swinging a long-handled hammer.

"Shit," Lucas muttered. Even with the mindset of a man in his sixties, Benny's display stunned him. He had never expected the normally lively, active, friendly-looking Benny to like hammers. It was as though a brawny version of Benny lived inside him. Lucas looked at Benny as though seeing him for the first time. Honestly, Lucas wanted to crack his head open and see just what he was thinking.

Noticing the strange way his boss was looking at him, Benny asked, "Boss, what's wrong?"

Lucas coughed awkwardly, then slowly told Benny, "I really don't know any hammer techniques."

Seeing Benny's disappointment at his words, Lucas added, "But I know of a very powerful martial technique called the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method."

After hearing the technique's name, Benny gave Lucas a skeptical look. "Boss, judging by that name, aren't you just pulling my leg?"

In a novel Lucas had read, a scumbag named Tang San used that hammer technique. He told Benny, "I know someone who uses that hammer technique. His wife is a beautiful, hundred-thousand-year-old bunny girl."

Naturally, Benny had no idea what a bunny girl was, so he asked, "Is his hammer technique really powerful?"

Seeing Benny ask about the hammer technique, Lucas thought, You're still young, kid. You have no idea how charming bunny girls are. He explained, "With this hammer technique, every blow is stronger than the last. Each successive blow builds on the momentum of the previous one. It's a martial technique that keeps getting stronger!"

Benny's eyes lit up at that, then dimmed. He said regretfully, "That's a shame. But I also believe I can develop a hammer technique like that myself. A real man really should use hammer techniques."

Lucas stopped paying attention to Benny, who looked friendly on the outside but had a muscle monster living inside him. He turned to Windsor and asked, "What weapon do you like?"

Windsor thought for a moment and said, "I like whips."

Puzzled, Lucas asked, "Why?"

Windsor explained, "My mother likes using that kind of weapon."

Lucas stroked his chin and thought it over. As a girl, Windsor naturally had less strength than boys, so using a whip made sense. But whip-type weapons were extremely difficult to master, and their use was severely restricted in confined spaces.

He told her, "I don't know any whip techniques either."

With that, he stood up and told the two of them, "Forget it. I don't know how to use either of the weapons you like. I'll teach you a martial technique I do know!"

After hearing that, Benny and Windsor nodded, then hurriedly nodded earnestly at Lucas. They said, "Hurry up and start. We're ready."

Lucas then demonstrated the Tai Chi Fist he had practiced in his previous life. After watching Lucas perform such a soft, limp fist technique, Benny asked him uncertainly, "Um, Boss, I don't want to question you, but can that soft, limp fist technique of yours actually hit anyone?"

After all, Benny was a real man who believed in making every hammer blow hit flesh. The fist technique his boss had performed looked even softer and limper than those practiced by the other female warriors in the tribe.

Seeing that the boy had no appreciation for its worth, Lucas prepared to teach him a lesson with the fist technique he scorned. Tai Chi Fist stood at the pinnacle of soft-style fist techniques, and its footwork made perfect use of the Profound Mystery of Roundness, allowing the practitioner to attack while advancing,

and defend while retreating. Both hands also traced circles in Tai Chi, taking the principle of turning an opponent's force against them to its utmost. Seeing that the boy failed to appreciate it, Lucas told him, "Since you think so little of it, come attack me and try it out."

Benny knew his boss was a Third-Rank Warrior, so before attacking, he told Lucas, "Boss, you can't bully me with your Third-Rank Warrior cultivation."

Seeing how crafty he was, Lucas said, "Fine, I won't use much strength. Come attack me!"

When Lucas agreed, Benny grinned excitedly. He told Lucas, "No cheating."

But inwardly, he thought, Now I can give Boss a beating too. Then I can brag to my underlings that I've beaten up Boss Lucas.

With that, he charged forward excitedly. Unfortunately, to Benny's bewilderment, before he could even react, his fist had struck toward his boss, and he went flying back at almost the same speed he had charged in.

After landing, Benny climbed up with a look of disbelief and asked Lucas in bewilderment, "Did you cheat?"

Lucas shook his head. Refusing to accept it, Benny stood up and charged again, but it was no different from the first time. He ended up lying on the ground again!

This time, Benny learned his lesson and did not get up and charge again. Instead, he said agitatedly, "Boss, you definitely cheated. Otherwise, how could you have thrown me straight through the air?"

Lucas dropped his Tai Chi stance and told Benny, "I didn't. The force that threw you was about the same as the force you attacked me with."

Benny still did not believe him. At that moment, Windsor walked over and stood beside Lucas, speaking up to vouch for him. "I was watching just now. Big Brother Lucas didn't make any extra movements."

Benny stood up and came closer. He told Lucas, "Boss, I want to learn this too."

Lucas first drew two patterns shaped like the Chinese character 米 on the ground, then stood on one and began explaining Tai Chi footwork to them. Still puzzled, Benny asked, "Why do we have to walk like this?"

Lucas knew they were still young. Even if he explained this forty-five-degree stepping method of Tai Chi Footwork, they certainly would not understand, so he smacked Benny on the head and said, "Just tell me whether you're going to practice or not."

Benny rubbed the spot on his head where his boss had lightly smacked him and shrugged. He hurriedly said, "I will, I will."

Lucas spent the whole morning teaching the two of them footwork. At lunchtime, their families called them home. While eating, Lucas's father, Abuda, asked, "I heard you've become a Third-Rank Warrior?"

Lucas nodded as he ate and replied, "Mm-hmm. I broke through a month ago."

Hearing Lucas's words, Abuda smiled and said, "My son takes after me, Abuda. You'll definitely become a powerful warrior someday."