As they watched the indignant woman sway away, Fang Zheng and Elder Lu exchanged a smile, a silent understanding passing between the two men.
"Getting old!"
Elder Lu's voice carried a tinge of melancholy:
"There's no denying it, old bones like mine don't even get handed leaflets anymore. I really envy you young ones."
"If Elder Lu was willing, what club wouldn't let you in?" Fang Zheng chuckled lightly, then said:
"But I do plan to exercise a bit."
Ever since he practiced the Hundred-Day Foundation Establishment Method, his physique improved visibly, changing so rapidly that it felt a bit daunting.
It was like cramming a few years' worth of growth into a few months; lately, he felt awkward even when handling things.
"Then why not leave a phone number?" Elder Lu gestured:
"She's not far off yet."
"Fitness isn't for me." Fang Zheng looked thoughtful:
"Perhaps... find a taekwondo, boxing martial arts gym?"
"Hmph!" Elder Lu snorted at this suggestion:
"All foreign stuff."
"Doesn't matter." Fang Zheng replied:
"As long as it works."
Martial arts from the Otherworld aim to defeat the opponent, which should have something in common with taekwondo and boxing.
Even if it doesn't work, it can lay the groundwork for future martial arts studies.
The most important thing is that practicing martial arts in modern society is relatively safe and won't invite unnecessary trouble.
"You really want to learn that kind of thing?" Elder Lu turned his head, a gleam in his eyes:
"If you truly want to learn, I do know an expert, a real expert, not just those Flower Fist and Embroidered Legs you mentioned."
"A true martial arts master!"
"Really?" Fang Zheng asked curiously:
"Can you introduce them to me?"
Elder Lu was a legendary figure in Seven Miles, having traveled far and wide in his youth, so his word about an expert carried some weight.
Of course,
martial arts are in decline in modern times, and no matter how powerful, one could still be taken down with a bullet, so he didn't have much hope in local combat techniques.
"I'll ask around."
Elder Lu took out his phone:
"That person retired long ago and now spends time at home surrounded by grandchildren; I don't know if they're still taking students."
When the call connected, he subconsciously straightened his posture and asked a few questions.
After hanging up, Elder Lu said:
"He told you to go and see."
"Then I'll go."
With nothing better to do, it seemed like a good chance to get out and gain some insight. At this, Fang Zheng stood up.
"By the way," he remembered something and casually asked:
"Has Elder Lu seen Da Wei these days?"
"No." Elder Lu shook his head:
"Why do you ask?"
"No reason."
*
*
*
The place Elder Lu mentioned was on the outskirts of Qu City, far from the bustling city and with no tourist spots like Celestial Plate Mountain, just an ordinary rural area.
Could such a place hide a martial arts master?
He was skeptical.
"Woof, woof..."
The sound of the pickup truck drew a round of barking, and the road, worn by time, had become riddled with pits filled with water.
Fang Zheng swayed back and forth in the vehicle, suddenly pulling the handbrake.
"Screech..."
"Pretty lady."
He rolled down the window and asked the woman in athletic gear by the roadside:
"Excuse me, where is Master Guo Ziran's house?"
"Master Guo?" The woman turned at the sound, her expression curious:
"Why are you looking for him?"
Beautiful!
Absolutely beautiful!
Having attended a well-known art school, Fang Zheng believed he had seen many strikingly beautiful women, yet he was still surprised by this woman's looks.
Like a lotus emerging from pure waters, naturally beautiful and unembellished.
This kind of clean, transparent, pure beauty, without even a hint of makeup, outshone many others' meticulously crafted appearances.
Everyone has different aesthetics; maybe because he had seen plenty of meticulously made-up women, Fang Zheng preferred this refreshing look.
The white sports outfit strangely added an inexplicable vitality to her.
"Um..."
Fang Zheng hesitated for a moment, feeling a bit shy internally:
"I'm looking for Master Guo to learn martial arts."
"Learn martial arts?" The woman laughed:
"Are people still learning martial arts these days?"
Then she said:
"Unlock the door!"
"Huh?"
"I know where Master Guo's house is, I'll take you there."
"Great!"
Fang Zheng nodded eagerly.
The village wasn't big, but the roads twisted and turned like a maze, making it hard to find the place without guidance.
"Here we are."
The woman was the first to get out, knocking on the outer door:
"Grandpa, I'm back!"
Grandpa?
Fang Zheng was taken aback.
"That's right."
The woman turned back and gave a sweet smile:
"The Master Guo you're talking about is my grandfather, and my name is Guo Erqiu."
"Erqiu?" Fang Zheng got out of the car and closed the door:
"In this morning's parting, what would it be like to see you in autumn? Beautiful name!"
"Creak..."
The wooden door opened, and an elderly, thin man with a full head of white hair looked at them both, lingering on Fang Zheng with scrutiny:
"Girl, who is he?"
It was the first time his granddaughter had brought an outsider home, especially a man.
"I don't know." Guo Erqiu shook her head:
"Ran into him on the road; he said he wants to learn martial arts from you."
"Master Guo." Fang Zheng stepped forward:
"I'm Fang Zheng, Elder Lu introduced me."
"Oh!" Guo Ziran came to a realization, turned around, and waved his hand:
"Come in, let's discuss inside."
This was an ordinary rural courtyard, with three main rooms, and some vegetable patches, and the walls were covered in gourd and loofah vines.
For a moment,
it gave Fang Zheng a feeling of being back in the Otherworld.
"Let me see you do a horse stance?"
Guo Ziran's voice jolted him back, and instinctively, Fang Zheng bent his knees to assume the Mountain Stabilizing Stance, then noticed something was wrong and switched his posture.
"Hmm..." That subtle move made Guo Ziran's eyes gleam:
"Practiced martial arts before?"
"No." Fang Zheng shook his head, then after a thought added:
"I learned some Pile Technique for a few days."
"Pile Technique?" Guo Ziran stroked his chin:
"Having a foundation does make it easier to start, but practicing martial arts isn't easy, it requires enduring hardship; are you sure you want to learn?"
"Master Guo." Fang Zheng asked:
"What level can I achieve learning from you?"
He needed to clarify this point; otherwise, it might be a waste of time, and the man's appearance and residence didn't exactly scream otherworldly master.
More like a typical farmer.
He couldn't be fooled just because the grandfather had a beautiful granddaughter, could he?
"Heh..." Guo Ziran chuckled lightly, saying:
"A teacher brings you to the door; individual cultivation depends on oneself. Xingyi Fist is extensive and profound; practiced well, it can break bricks, but it's hard to even start without determination."
Break bricks?
Fang Zheng's lips twitched.
Even mastered, it's only so-so; the upper limit seems rather low.
Guo Ziran continued his speech:
"If your goal is to become a martial arts master who leaps around breaking leaves, I can't teach you that, although mastering Qi and Blood is manageable."
Mastering Qi and Blood?
Fang Zheng's eyes lit up.
"What qualifies as mastering Qi and Blood?"
"Don't aim too high, too soon." Guo Ziran frowned:
"Martial arts require a solid foundation first, then training muscles, bones, and physique, before attempting to cultivate Qi and Blood control and Force Manipulation methods."
"With quick learning, one can enter in three to five years."
"But if you're inconsistent, don't expect to succeed in martial arts ever."
"I'll learn!" Fang Zheng nodded:
"Please guide me, Master Guo."
Not to mention, the Qi and Blood control and Force Manipulation mentioned by him had striking similarities with Zhang Mingrui's teachings at Qingfeng Temple.
It should help lay a foundation.
"Alright then."
Guo Ziran grinned, a bit eagerly extending his hand:
"The tuition is twenty thousand; pay first, learn later."
Fang Zheng's expression froze.