The vigilant nurses noticed that Pang Long and Luo Tongyun both lacked confidence in Li Xian. They began to discuss:
"It seems this kid Li Xian is going to have a hard time passing this exam."
"Heh, if he can’t even pass the newcomer assessment, wouldn’t keeping him at the nursing home be a disgrace to us?"
"Exactly, if he really is this bad, he might as well go back where he came from."
...
Luo Tongyun, being a C-class nursing home guard, had a moderate amount of daily tasks. But thinking about how Li Xian sought his guidance in martial arts, he felt the effort would be wasted on dismissive teaching.
Out of sight, out of mind.
So during this period, he deliberately took on more work than usual, appearing to be extremely busy.
This was to avoid Li Xian’s inquiries, assuming Li Xian would not figure things out on his own.
Since joining the nursing home, Li Xian wasn’t exactly anti-social, but rarely interacted with others.
When practicing boxing, he always preferred to find secluded places to practice diligently on his own, lost in his own world.
Very few noticed him, and no one knew the depth of his boxing skills. People just assumed that his skills were unlikely to meet the required standard.
"Brother Luo, please give me some guidance." Li Xian stepped forward with cupped hands and said lightly.
"If I show no mercy, and you get hurt, please forgive me."
Luo Tongyun returned the gesture with feigned courtesy, with his left hand behind him, and said, "I’ll face you with one hand. If you can endure over a hundred moves from me, consider yourself initiated."
He then turned to Pang Long for his opinion: "Commander Pang, do you think this is feasible?"
Pang Long nodded, "Whatever you like. Martial arts is something that cannot be faked, the truth reveals itself in action."
"Good!"
Li Xian didn’t waste words, set up his stance, and looked straight at Luo Tongyun.
"Come on." Luo Tongyun raised his head and chest confidently, seemingly at ease as he beckoned Li Xian with his hand.
Seeing this, Li Xian took two steps forward and threw a straightforward punch towards him. The punch was ordinary, straight-forward, showing no real martial prowess.
"As expected, he hasn’t learned anything," Luo Tongyun smirked, gently moving to resolve the incoming punch, intending to flaunt his own strength.
Just as fist and palm were about to meet, Li Xian twisted his foot, causing his body to shift slightly, altering the trajectory of the punch from a straight hit to an angled blow aimed at the abdomen.
This was the "Point East and Hit West" technique of the Four Directions Fist. The technique of boxing is straightforward, feints and real moves are easy to recognize.
Especially in basic boxing, the moves are few, either real or feigned. It’s not difficult to learn the basics.
Once a punch is thrown, Qi power gathers at the fist. Must commit to the move, only highly skilled martial artists can ’withdraw freely,’ changing moves on the fly.
The charm of the Four Directions Fist is its straight movements, but the body twist allows for a redirection of the punch to achieve "Point East and Hit West."
Among beginners, in face-to-face combat, this unexpected move is quite effective.
Moreover, Li Xian seized the initiative, employing not just "Point East, Hit West" but also "Feign Weakness to Lure the Enemy." This move has proven effective repeatedly.
Luo Tongyun, well-versed in the Four Directions Fist’s theory, suddenly felt goosebumps all over. This simple punch revealed not only that Li Xian had mastered the entrance of boxing.
But also that... his skills in this area somewhat threatened Luo Tongyun’s!
He hurried to block with his other hand, but having been complacent, was already too late.
With a "bang," his palm went numb and swollen as he cursed internally, "This kid didn’t hold back at all, using his full strength!"
Retreating three to five steps.
His face turned various shades of red and blue, unable to maintain his composure. Where moments ago he stood with hands behind his back, appearing every bit the master.
Now he was in a sorry state, his expression out of control.
Suppressing his frustration, he forced himself to praise generously: "Good punch! It didn’t waste my teaching! The move ’Point East and Hit West,’ you’ve almost got the hang of it..."
The "lu" in the word "mulu" (way) hadn’t even exited his mouth.
Li Xian smirked coldly, took the opportunity within Luo Tongyun’s speaking pause, and quickly closed the distance, aiming three punches at his abdomen.
Martial artists fighting.
It’s most taboo to lose momentum!
Shouting move names can boost morale and aid in channeling energy. But speaking irrelevant words, Qi inevitably dissipates.
That is dangerous.
Luo Tongyun had been overly complacent, arrogantly assuming he was "instructing" Li Xian.
Attempting to verbally regain some dignity, unaware that Li Xian, though not vengeful over every slight, pursued debts without fail.
He truly wanted to seize this chance to give him a thorough beating, seizing every opportunity!
Every punch thrown was delivered with full force, targeting vital points. Luo Tongyun realized something was wrong, continually retreating, looking extremely displeased.
By now, he didn’t want to relent anymore, but having lost the initiative, finding a chance to counterattack amidst the onslaught was quite difficult.
Unexpectedly, despite his thin stature, this kid’s strength was not small.
"Duels are life and death affairs."
"Martial arts mastery is only one deciding factor; for martial artists like us, the true determinants of victory also include on-the-spot adaptability, as well as initiative and rhythm."
Li Xian maximized the advantage of his initial momentum. At the peak of his energy, he threw a strike of "Fist Shocking Four Directions."
This punch was rather risky, more treacherous than "Point East, Hit West."
Because this move deceives even the practitioner.
This ploy "Fist Shocking Four Directions," though its name suggests a punch, is actually a kick move!
Incorporating a kick move in a boxing technique. Those who don’t grasp the essence assume it’s a punch and henceforth, cannot unleash its power.
Watching the kick land, Luo Tongyun truly hadn’t expected it, getting hit squarely in the chest, feeling a shock, and then vomiting blood.
Being kicked three zhang away.
Unable to stand steady, he fell with a thud, rolling three more times.
Everybody was dumbfounded...
What’s going on? Isn’t this master supposed to let the disciple win? How did it turn out like this?
"Great!"
A loud voice of appreciation rang out.
It was Pang Long who stood up, looking excited: "Excellent, your proficiency in boxing exceeded my expectations!"
Seeing Li Xian throw the kick, Pang Long was fully impressed with him.
Because the "Four Directions Fist," was created by Madame Zhuang during her leisure. She whimsically incorporated kick moves into boxing techniques to achieve unexpected effects.
This little-known fact was only known to Pang Long. When he taught the Four Directions Fist to the nursing home, he didn’t explicitly mention it.
To date, only Li Xian managed to execute the kick move. This alone was enough to make Pang Long take notice.
"Excellent, Li Xian, you’ve passed the assessment!"
Pang Long walked over with confidence, giving a hearty laugh, heavily patting Li Xian’s shoulder.
Li Xian grinned without saying a word.
"How did you know that ’Fist Shocking Four Directions’ was actually a kick move?" Pang Long asked.
"I just practiced and naturally felt that kicking was more fitting than punching," Li Xian casually responded.
"Hahaha. Great, wonderful, you’ve got a good intuition." Pang Long said, "This is a ’Tiger Blood Pill,’ take it. From now on, you’re officially part of the nursing home."
"Starting tomorrow, besides practicing martial arts, you also need to participate in the nursing home’s tasks. Work hard, and don’t slack off in martial arts."
"Definitely." Li Xian nodded firmly.
The assessment settled, Luo Tongyun wiped the blood from his lips, approached Li Xian wanting to say something, his expression changed from anger, confusion, surprise to embarrassment...
He seemed to want to maintain some dignity but ultimately couldn’t accept it.
Finally, squinting his eyes, he simply stopped pretending, gave a cold, sweeping glare, and with a heavy "humph" left.
...
"Congratulations, my friend."
Zhao Han and others came up, genuinely happy for Li Xian.
"You’ve really achieved something, old friend. Do you realize, Commander Pang holds you in high regard?" Wang Chun said.
"Oh?" Li Xian asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"Tiger Blood Pill... it really is a Tiger Blood Pill!" Zhuo Yilei said, "When we passed the newcomer assessment, Commander Pang only awarded us the Deer Blood Pill. The gap between them, oh, it’s significant."
"Old friend," Zhao Han solemnly said, "You’d best consume this Tiger Blood Pill quickly, or it will certainly draw envious eyes."
The words just fell.
A figure blocked their path a short distance ahead.
It was Jiang Yun, the B-class nursing home guard they’d encountered a few days earlier.
"You are Li Xian?" Jiang Yun quickly approached and said indifferently, "Are you selling that Tiger Blood Pill?"