Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
When Cai Zongming was closed in by Chen Changhua, Lou Cheng could not help but cover his eyes. He could almost imagine what would happen next.
Little Ming was in fact quite talented, but he had been working by fits and started all this time. Forget the fact that he didn’t participate in the martial arts special training previously; he would often attend once or twice the martial arts lesson which were only taught three times a week. Under such circumstances, even if Geezer Shi had taught every student the front part of 24 Blizzard Strikes, it would only enrich his fighting style but not make him stronger. It would only improve his abilities as an Amateur Fifth Pin a little. The moment he ran into a professional-to-be expert like Chen Changhua, the outcome was imaginable no matter how deadly his mouth was.
As expected, Lou Cheng saw that Cai Zongming was pressed down by Chen Changhua. They rubbed together on the ground, looking tragically like a beautiful maiden who was being trampled down by a strong man.
“Don’t laugh, don’t laugh...” Lou Cheng admonished himself again and again. Then, he put on a “sympathetic” attitude and welcomed the return of Cai Zongming.
“Damn, I feel like I was raped by my opponent.” “Talker” Cai Zongming belittled himself mercilessly while still wearing a bewildered look on his face.
“I can’t hold it any longer...” Lou Cheng covered his mouth and laughed softly to himself, enduring “Casanova’s” aggrieved stare before he finally calmed down. Then, he said with a ‘serious’ face, “Now you understand why people practice day after day? With your talent, it shouldn’t be a problem for you to rise to the level of an Amateur Third or Fourth Pin after a semester of special training. Have you made up your mind? Do you understand that you should train hard now?”
“Of course I know... Now I feel f*cking embarrassed that I want to quit our Martial Arts Club. After this battle, my handsome image has totally disappeared!” Cai Zongming sighed, giving the impression that his life had no hope. “Luckily, this’s special training. Only a few of you guys saw this fight, or I’d be ashamed of myself!”
Lou Cheng pretended to answer him seriously, “As the saying goes, news travels fast beyond your imagination. A person can pass messages to ten people and ten people can pass messages to a hundred people. There are more than ten people here...”
Cai Zongming stunned a little and said, ” Please strangle me...”
At that time, Geezer Shi coughed a little.
“Good, after the special training of the last semester, you little boys have made significant progress. Some of you even have promoted several Pin, but you can never be too proud because this kind of progression is very normal in the Amateur Rank.
“Well, now I announce that the third leading player of this preliminary is Sun Jian. Sun Jian, you have to practice a lot to improve yourself to be of Amateur First Pin as soon as possible.”
“The substitute members are Li Mao, Lin Hua, Yan Zheke, and Guo Qing. And the rest students should keep practicing hard.”
Hearing that, Lou Cheng could not help but look to Yan Zheke with his eyes full of joy to congratulate her being selected into the preliminary team.
Yan Zheke also looked back and she slightly lifted her chin to show her joy. The atmosphere between them became very tacit and warm with their keen eye contact.
Geezer Shi continued, “Starting today, I’ll teach the rest of the 24 Blizzard Strikes. Guo Qing, your character isn’t suitable for this playing style. In order to make full use of your power, I’ll teach you a fist position called ‘Mountain-moving Punch’, which focuses on ferocity and strong power. Although 24 Blizzard Strikes is also famous for its ferocity, it mainly emphasizes the tiny points, especially the aspects of mind, state, and perception. All of these are your weaknesses. And we should strengthen our strong points and avoid the weaknesses, am I right?”
“Coach Shi, I listen to your guidance!” Guo Qing answered excitedly.
Losing to Yan Zheke made her a little unhappy, even though she was very blunt and outgoing. Last semester, Yan Zheke was obviously not as good as she was, but now, just a few months later, her 24 Blizzard Strikes were so strong that they could beat her. How could she be happy?
Until Coach Shi said it was because she wasn’t suitable for this playing style, she felt more relaxed and happier. Yan Zheke also quietly relieved when she saw that.
Lou Cheng had practiced a lot, so he achieved a professional level. Although he was skilled enough to be a teacher, he also listened very carefully because he thought that remembering the past could help him to know the future. He also listened to the additional lesson about the Mountain-moving Punch which Coach Shi taught Guo Qing. To learn more Kungfu could enrich his playing style. Maybe one day, he could beat the enemy with the Mountain-moving Punch.
Practicing the still stance, tricked set, playing style, power, footwork... Time flew during such a dedicated atmosphere. At last, all the members started to do pair exercise. Except for Cai Zongming who was paired with Chen Changhua, all the pairs stayed the same as before. Lou Cheng changed his position with Li Mao, and now it was time to give hand to Li Mao to learn the rest part of 24 Blizzard Strikes.
During this process, he learned a lot. If you put your feet in others’ shoes, you could recognize a lot of problems you have ignored before. Li Mao was like a mirror. Some of his weaknesses could help to reflect out Lou Cheng’s bad habits.
Practice referred not only to exercise but also to “beat”. By constant beating, one could force the impurity out of his body. This was one of the methods to achieve body perfection.
Around noon, Geezer Shi announced that the special training had finished. Then Lou Cheng and Cai Zongming came together and watched Yan Zheke nervously.
“What are you nervous about?” Cai Zongming asked contemptuously.
Lou Cheng took a breath and said, “I want to ask her when she’ll be free. And whether the 14th or the 16th is a better time for us to have a date... But the 14th is Valentine’s Day. Would that be too straightforward?”
“Will it cause a bad reaction?”
Cai Zongming laughed and said, “There’s nothing to be nervous about. However, if you asked her with your present mood, the effect might be better.”
“Why?” Lou Cheng was confused.
In the romantic area, Cai Zongming is skillful enough to be my professor!
Cai Zongming said casually, “Just think about it: a mighty young fighter who behaved very calmly and ferociously on the ring like he can rebuke heaven, however, he felt nervous and shy to talk with you. Such an apparent contrast can make the girl feel that you are abnormally cute. I can bet that most of the girls like it!”
“Oh my God, abnormally cute...” Lou Cheng thought it over and found that it really did make sense. However, he would not admit this to Cai Zongming.
Cai Zongming laughed proudly. “I am the old hand swaying the entire internet!”
Lou Cheng gained courage and walked towards Yan Zheke quickly. At the moment that he stood in front of her, Guo Qing snickered and said, “Here it comes again... You two can talk now. I’ll not bother you anymore!”
In that instant, Lou Cheng thought he had blushed. So he ran the Condensation Stance by instinct to try to suppress his emotion. However, he saw that Yan Zheke also blushed, which made her complexion whiter and more luminous than usual. His mind bombed and drew a blank, which smashed the Condensation Stance he used just now.
Yan Zheke looked at him with her lovely eyes and she felt so shy. “Don’t listen to Qing’s nonsense...”
“Okay, Okay.” Lou Cheng nodded. He was so nervous that he blurted out his entire plan. “I’ll pick out a few Songcheng restaurants, taste their food this afternoon, and choose one restaurant in the end. So when are you free, on the 14th or the 16th?”
After saying that, he wanted to slap himself in the face. “Casanova” had said that I should say it easily and casually when Yan Zheke asked. How could I directly say it out loud?
No matter how good the practice set is, the plan will fail if I misbehave under the actual situation!
Yan Zheke smiled softly with her faintly discernable dimple. She glanced at Lou Cheng, who was nervous from her soft smile and grave mouth. She seemed to think out loud. “On the 14th, on the 14th...”
Suddenly, she lowered her head to avoid the sight of Lou Cheng. Her ponytail also shook with her nodding head, and her crimson cheeks had not faded yet.
Seeing this scene, Lou Cheng once again thought of a poem: The most was the head of attraction, like a water lotus very gentle.
After getting along with Yan Zheke for a long time, it seemed that my literary knowledge has improved...
When he was dispelling his apprehension by self-mockery, Yan Zheke said softly, “I’m afraid that I’m full of classes in the afternoon and evening on the 14th. But Saturday is available! I have nothing to do except martial arts training.”
“Ok, Ok, Ok!” Lou Cheng was so glad when he found Yan Zheke didn’t show an indifferent attitude.
Then, he thought of what happened before, he added, “In the last combat, I was not deliberate to play the last fist. I played it subconsciously.”
Yan Zheke raised her head and smiled with her crimson cheeks fading away. “At first, I planned to pretend to be angry, but I just let it go. My grandfather has said you shouldn’t consider any problem about restricting your power or whether you could play the ferocious style or not, and these problems are judged by coaches and supervisors. Otherwise, fighters on the ring can never compete with the one who has experienced serious fights.”
“As long as you don’t hit the opponents fiercely when they have lost resistance or obviously lost the competition. Except for this situation, others are acceptable and encouraged.”
“Thanks for the guidance of Coach Yan!” Lou Cheng blurted out.
Hearing this sentence, Yan Zheke raised her right hand to cover her mouth. She chuckled with her eyes curving like a crescent. Lou Cheng also started to smile warmly after he realized this.
Coach Yan, who only belongs to me...
After this episode, the embarrassing atmosphere caused by Guo Qing completely dissipated. Lou Cheng casually mentioned. “Your cousin’s playing style has changed a lot. Is that your family disciple?”
Yan Zheke nodded. “My grandparents come from Shushan Study. And they created several family Kungfu according to Unique Skill of the Fighting Sect and Yin-yang Magneto-optical Sword, such as Yin-yang Twist, which was derivated by the Swirling Star from Fighting Sect and Yin-yang Disorder Move from Yin-yang Magneto-optical Sword, and mixed Tai Chi. It can be considered as the basic move for a fighter in Danqi State and the body refining state for the kernel of family Kungfu. Without it, all the other movements would be too normal.”
“Although my cousin is talented, he has been stuck in this movement for a long time. Not until he learned the 24 Blizzard Strikes could he comprehend this movement by analogy.”
Lou Cheng suddenly understood. “No wonder your cousin didn’t play your Family Kungfu before.”
“Not exactly”, Yan Zheke smiled and showed her clean and tidy teeth which looked very cute. “The final punch, called Meteor force, is a unique skill from the Fire Meteor in the Fighting Sect. It is similar to Modern Blast Punch, but it puts more emphasis on quick movements and does not give people the opportunity to avoid it. So when you get to a certain level, you even can use some methods such as opening and closing your pores to counteract the fist punching sound. And once you hit your opponent, you ignite the power to shake his body. After one gets into physical invulnerability, he can blast out fire directly with somersaulting air billow.
“However, Meteor force requires good physique. Before this fight, my cousin can play it out only once. If it wasn’t in a critical situation, it would be more convenient to use 24 Blizzard Strikes. And now because he has reached the top of the body refining state, he might use it three or four times.”
Lou Cheng heard it with interest. “Oh, that makes sense...”
Unconsciously, I have learned all the secrets of my Brother-in-law... haha, is this girl treating me better than her cousin?
Thinking of this, he remembered one thing and asked, “Have I said that I want to be your sparring partner? So what do you think if I tell Coach Shi to make us a group tomorrow?”
“No. That would be so embarrassing!” Yan Zheke blurted out, and then she eased her tone, chuckled. “If you really want to be my sparring partner, then please spare one hour on Saturday and Sunday.”
“Spare one hour on Saturday and Sunday? That means I could get along with her privately every weekend?” Lou Cheng felt so happy and he couldn’t stop laughing.
“Okay, definitely, no problem!”
Yan Zheke turned around with her head slightly lower and she smiled. “Well, I’m going to take a bath, and you should go too. There’s the stink of sweat on your whole body~”
“Uh-huh.” Lou Cheng nodded and watched Yan Zheke walking into the women’s locker room. He quickly went back and he felt so happy that he felt like he was walking on clouds.
I’m really happy today!