Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The master and apprentice practiced boxing on the mountain. Their movements were the same. They were not very fast and could be clearly seen. There seemed to be no novelty.
Wang Yaoâs movements seemed more natural. Zhong Liuchuan seemed slightly stiff in some maneuvers like the pause when a car shifts gears. It didnât have a smooth and flowy appearance, but it didnât last long and was gone in a flash.
After practicing two rounds of boxing, Wang Yao stopped and stood aside to watch Zhong Liuchuan practice. After finishing one practice, Wang Yao pointed out several shortcomings. Zhong Liuchuan continued practicing one set of boxing moves 10 times.
âAlright, letâs stop here today,â Wang Yao said.
âThank you, Sir,â Zhong Liuchuan said
They went down the mountain together. At the foot of Dongshan Mountain, several truckloads of trees that had just been planted had grown green leaves, which was against the law of nature.
âSir, this mountain is amazing,â Zhong Liuchuan said with a laugh. âItâs autumn, but the trees are sprouting and the bugs are singing.â
âMmm, itâs probably because the spiritual energy is stronger,â Wang Yao said.
In fact, the trees were green all year round on Nanshan Hill. That could be seen in some places in the south, but it was unusual in northern areas like Lianshan County.
At the foot of the hill, the two men parted ways. Zhong Liuchuan went home, and Wang Yao opened his clinic.
At noon, Sun Yunsheng came to the mountain village from Dao. He was there to learn skills from Wang Yao.
âMaster,â Sun Yunsheng said.
âDonât call me that. I feel uncomfortable hearing it,â Wang Yao said with a laugh.
âShall I follow Senior and call you Sir?â Sun Yunsheng asked.
âYes, sure,â Wang Yao said.
As he was speaking, a patient came into the clinic.
âGive me a moment,â Wang Yao said.
âYes, Sir, no problem.â After speaking, Sun Yunsheng sat quietly and watched Wang Yao treat the patient.
The patientâs illness was relatively easy to treat. He had sprained his waist at work. After several massages from Wang Yao, the man felt less pain.
âHave a good rest after you get back, and try not to go down to the fields to work for a few days,â Wang Yao said.
âThere are many peanuts in the field,â the man said.
Everyone who farmed knew that the peanut harvest time was quite tiring. They had to bend down and get up again. Ordinary people could not stand it.
âYou can ask others to help with that,â Wang Yao said. âYour body is more important.â
âOK, I got it,â the middle-aged man said.
Although that was what he said, when he got back, he would still have to go to the fields. In this season, he could only earn money from farming through those plots of peanuts.
When the patient left, Wang Yao called Zhong Liuchuan. âIâd like you to help teach Sun Yunsheng. Teach him the Method of Self Renewing in my place first.â
âYes, Sir,â Zhong Liuchuan replied. He soon arrived at the clinic. âOK, come with me.â
Zhong Liuchuan invited Sun Yunsheng to his home. He taught him the Method of Self Renewing that Wang Yao had taught him.
Although Sun Yunsheng had a traditional kung fu background, he was often busy with the business world. He was more systematic than Zhong Liuchuan but not as skilled. His heart was difficult to calm down. This Method of Self Renewing required one to be calm before it could be mastered.
âCalm your heart and breathing.â Zhong Liuchuan instructed.
With the deepening of his practice, Zhong Liuchuanâs skill of cultivating Qi was advancing. He practiced every day and recited Taoist sutras, so his practice was improving almost every day.
âSenior, let me think about it first.â Sun Yunsheng, who was always unable to reach the threshold, simply stopped practicing.
âOK.â
Sun Yunsheng took several deep breaths. He went to one side of the room and closed his eyes.
Creak...
The door opened. Wang Yao walked in from outside. He asked, âHow is it?â
âIâm always unable to find the way,â Sun Yunsheng replied.
âThereâs no rush,â Wang Yao said. âTake your time.â
He gave Sun Yunsheng some guidance. He looked at his anxious appearance and patted him on the shoulder.
âYou must have a peaceful mindset,â Wang Yao said. âItâs practice, not a competition. You canât rush it.â
âYes.â Sun Yunsheng nodded.
After practicing the entire afternoon, he still couldnât master it.
âAre you staying here tonight?â Wang Yao asked.
âYes, I planned to stay here,â Sun Yunsheng replied.
âLetâs have dinner together tonight,â Wang Yao said. âAsk Hao to join us.â
âYes, Sir,â Sun Yunsheng said.
After leaving Zhong Liuchuanâs home, Sun Yunsheng went to his residence. Hao and two other men accompanying him had already reorganized the room.
âHow did your learning go, Young Master?â Hao asked.
âNot good.â Sun Yunsheng shook his head. âSir taught me the Method of Self Renewing. No matter what, I couldnât get it. What do you think is wrong?â
âThe Method of Self Renewing?â Hao asked.
âYes, Iâm sorry, it canât be handed over to you,â Sun Yunsheng said.
âI know. You donât have to be so polite, Young Master,â Hao said.
âThe Method of Self Renewing is the same as the inner Qi and mind methods in martial arts fiction,â Sun Yunsheng said. âThey are the secret of the sects and not easily shared to the outside.â
âWhat did Sir say?â Hao asked.
âHe didnât say much, just that practice canât be rushed to success, but my Senior said that my heart is not calm enough,â Sun Yunsheng said.
âThat is likely the reason,â Hao said. âYou have come in contact with too many things lately, and youâve been traveling for two days. Itâs inevitable to be tired. Get some rest, and maybe the results will be better tomorrow.â
âWell, hopefully,â Sun Yunsheng said. âSir invited us to dinner. Can you join us?â
âSure,â Hao said.
The group met at the small restaurant in the village.
âHey, these dishes are better than those big restaurants,â Sun Yunsheng said.
âYou are used to eating plenty of meat and seafood,â Wang Yao said. âYouâll naturally feel that these are unique when eating them. How many days are you going to stay here?â
âOne week,â Sun Yunsheng said.
âAlright, communicate more with your senior this week,â Wang Yao said. âLiuchuan, pay more attention to him too.â
âYes, Sir,â Zhong Liuchuan said.
âTeaching people is also practicing,â Wang Yao said. âWhen I explain things to you, I also gain insights on practice, which is equivalent to reviewing what I have learned in the past and learning something new from it.â
While they were eating, his cellphone rang.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âHello, Big Brother,â Wang Yao said.
On the other end of the phone was Su Zhixing. âIs it convenient to speak?â
âYes, you can speak,â Wang Yao said.
âCan you come out and come to our army?â Su Zhixing asked.
âIs someone hurt?â Wang Yao asked.
âYes, itâs another team,â Su Zhixing said. âThey went to the border and fought. They sacrificed several soldiers. Two are seriously injured.â
âIâll arrange to come tomorrow,â Wang Yao said after a momentâs silence.
âOK, thank you,â Su Zhixing said.
After he hung up the phone, Wang Yao went back to the dining room.
âYunsheng, Iâm sorry. I have to go to southern Yunnan tomorrow,â he said.
Wang Yao felt bad that Sun Yunsheng had come to learn from him, but he had to leave for something urgent.
âSir, you do what you have to,â Sun Yunsheng quickly replied. âI can ask Senior any questions.â
âAlright, Liuchuan, Iâll have to trouble you,â Wang Yao said.
âDonât worry, Sir,â Zhong Liuchuan replied.
âAlright, Iâm afraid I wonât be back in a couple of weeks,â Wang Yao said. âIâll have to trouble you with the village and the mountain matters!â
âYes,â Zhong Liuchuan said.
After eating and drinking, the four men slowly and leisurely walked back. Wang Yao looked up at the sky from time to time. Traveling to the south would be quite troublesome.
âSir, do you have to go out for treatment?â Zhong Liuchuan asked.
âYes, it was a call from Su Xiaoxueâs brother,â Wang Yao said. He did not need to hide the matter from these people. âI have to help logically and emotionally speaking.â
âIn the army?â Zhong Liuchuan asked.
âMmm.â Wang Yao nodded.
âYes, you should go,â Sun Yunsheng said.
âWhen you get back, donât think about practicing,â Wang Yao said. âSleep well. Get up early tomorrow and come to the mountains with Liuchuan.â
âYes, I got it, Sir,â Sun Yunsheng said.
They went back to their respective places. Wang Yao went up the mountain alone.
Back in the room, Sun Yunsheng turned to Hao and said, âIt seems that in all likelihood, Sir will go to the princess of the Su family.â
Hao did not immediately speak. He bowed his head, thinking about something.
âWhat are you thinking about?â Sun Yunsheng asked.
âYoung Master, let me say something, but please donât take it to heart,â Hao said.
âSay it,â Sun Yunsheng said. âYouâre one of our own!â